Small Twists of Fate

Chapter Thirty One

Persephone nodded. "He...he said that now Hades could...could know the pain he felt years ago," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "My baby, my innocent baby, my daughter...mother, my sweet girl will be twisted up by that witch until there's nothing left of her! I'm so sorry, I should have listened to you when you said to leave Malinoë with you..."

"Hey, hey, we won't let that happen Persephone," Demeter said, trying to keep her voice soothing despite the rage she felt toward Zeus. But Persephone didn't need that. "You'll see. I got you back, at least for six months out of the year. I won't rest until my granddaughter, your daughter, is safely in your arms. Even if I have to go to the Isle myself, but it might be smarter if we get some backup under our belts."

Persephone wiped at her eyes before looking at her mother. "What...what are you thinking?"

"You've got more than just Zeus as a powerful member of Malinoë's family. Sooner or later, the mortals will wonder why they're experiencing winter when you're in Auradon," Demeter said. "He won't help us get Malinoë back? He'll lose his right as a deity once the mortals start revolting and losing faith in him!"

"Can...can we get the mortals to lose faith in him though?" Persephone asked. "He's been a deity for so long."

"Watch me," Demeter told her. "I will get my granddaughter back, we will get her back. I promise you that Persephone."

Persephone nodded softly; she knew her mother would keep her promise.

"How...how are we going to do this though?" Persephone asked.

"We'll loop in your sister," Demeter told her. "As the Goddess of Pregnancy, I feel it's only right to let her know what's about to happen as Auradon's going to have a cold snap this spring."

"Is this right?" Persephone asked. "All it will do is make the mortals suffer and you know Zeus won't care."

"Persephone, you don't know unless you try," Demeter told her. "If Zeus won't listen to reason or words then we have to use a language he does understand. Plus, if the weather gets bad, arguments happen. If arguments get bad, marriages break up. And who do we know who would be impacted by marriages ending?"

"Hera..."

"Exactly," Demeter nodded. "Zeus might not care now but I guarantee that if you give me a month or so, we'll get Hera so steamed that Zeus would do anything to get the venting to stop."

"Should...should we bring in Athena?" Persephone suggested. "As the Goddess of Strategy, she'd know the best way to strike to make sure we don't waste time leaving Malinoë in that monster's clutches."

"Normally I'd say yes but there's one issue with that," Demeter said.

"She's Zeus' favorite daughter," Persephone said with a sigh. "And she won't do anything unless Zeus gives the okay. And since we're doing this in order to convince Zeus to help in the first place, there's no way she'd help us....what about Hermes?"

"Now he might just help," Demeter nodded. "He's a God of Communication but also a God of Mischief which is what we need."

"He also seemed to be rather fond of Malinoë when we introduced him to her," Persephone said, her voice soft. She could still remember how Hermes had taken to flying around with Malinoë on the rare occasion she wouldn't go to sleep or was grumpy. One round of flying and she'd be back to her smiling, giggling self.

Hermes had quickly become the on-call babysitter if Demeter was busy after that. Not that he seemed to mind all that much.

"Well of course, who wouldn't be fond of her?"

"Zeus it seems."

"Yes well...he's a few olives short of a full jar it seems," Demeter said, pursing her lips. "Who else should we bring in? As we said, your sister...Hermes..."

"Posideon?" Persephone suggested. "At the very least he should be informed in case Ariel tries to reach out to him for information regarding the changing season."

Demeter nodded. "And maybe he'll be able to talk some sense into Zeus. You know he practically tore him a new one the day Malinoë was born? Right out side your room too."

"Really? I didn't hear him"

"You were understandably distracted dear, plus to Posideon's credit, he did try to keep his voice down."

Persephone couldn't help but smile as she heard that. Every day, Posideon was proving more and more why he was her favorite brother-in-law. Of course it would make sense why Posideon might 'tear Zeus a new one' as her mother had put it.

Posideon knew what it was like having family on the Isle, what with both his daughter and granddaughter being there.

Well...and grandson too now that I think about it, since Virgil is Vanessa's son and Vanessa is just Ursula in a human form...you know what, to quote Hades, let's not get into that right now. It's far too complicated and all it would do is take time away from planning which is more time Malinoë has to spend in that witch's clutches!

Persephone sighed as she and Demeter made their way down the halls of Olympus.

"We'll get her back Persephone," Demeter promised, having heard the sigh.

"I know...it's just...will she be the same as when she was stolen?"

It was Demeter's turn to sigh as she turned to face her daughter. "Persephone, I will do everything in my power to make sure your daughter gets returned to you as quickly as possible as to ensure this is nothing but a memory for you and Malinoë is none the worse for wear. Darling, I know this might not be something you want to hear but perhaps it would be best if you go lie down and I'll handle the plans to get Malinoë back."

"But—."

"Persephone, you're not going to be good to anyone if you get burnt out over this and I know you were more than likely comforting the mortal girls you and Hades seem to have adopted along side their parents while you were on the Isle. You need to take time for yourself dear. Your sister and I will handle things, you just focus on you."

"Mother...I can't...Hades will want updates, it's not fair to him—."

"I will keep you apprised of everything that we do so you can tell your husband," Demeter promised. Yes she knew she could have been like Zeus and considered this Hades' karma for stealing her daughter from her, but Demeter also knew that Malinoë was innocent in all of this. She didn't deserve to be stolen from her loving parents.

And Demeter knew Hades loved his daughter. Eileithyia had told Demeter about the day of Malinoë's birth, about how soft and caring Hades had looked when he saw his infant daughter for the first time. And even Demeter had to agree, it was rather hard to loathe him as she had done for so many, many years when he had gone with Persephone's choice of name for their daughter without a second thought; even providing a middle name that connected Malinoë to both her mother and her grandmother.

Which was why, in this instance, Demeter could pretend it wasn't Hades asking for help but another parent. Another parent who was connected to Persephone. And if her daughter needed her help, there was nothing that would stop Demeter from providing it.

Persephone gave her mother a small smile. "Thank you mother...I think...I think I will go lie down for a bit."

"Go on," Demeter said, gently giving Persephone a hug before walking her to a spare room. Yes, it was rare that a spare room on Olympus was needed but they kept them just to be on the safe side. And in case one of Zeus' many children appeared.

Persephone walked in and shut the door; lying down on the bed and wrapping her arms around one of the pillows. There she finally allowed herself the chance to let the tears she had been holding back for the past few days flow free; unknowingly breaking her mother's heart on the other side of the door as she heard them.

We'll get her back Persephone, Demeter promised as she walked off in order to give her daughter privacy. Just you wait.