Title: Raising Mischief - Hades
Fandom: Hercules The Legendary Journeys/Xena Warrior Princess
Characters: Strife
Prompt: #84 He
Word Count: 1,095
Rating:PG13
Summary: Hades meets Erin.
Author's Notes: Ninth in the Raising Mischief series.

After the incident with Erin Hestia sent a quick message to Hades via Hermes to show up earlier to the dinner. She wanted to get some answers and was sure Ares and Apollo were just as anxious as well to find out what his other triggers were to help him deal with it.

As Hestia cooked to help calm herself she tried to understand how someone, even Discord, could so utterly destroy a child. If she went to the bathing chamber she was sure to find Ace splashing and giggling with his father. It was what Erin should be doing but instead he was being cradled by Ares, who worked so hard to keep from being consumed by his station.


Ares held Erin close as the boy woke. Holding him close, Erin started then looked at Ares and opened his arms to the god. Ares complied instantly rubbing Erin's back.

"Erin, I want you to drink this, its hot chocolate."

"Hot?" Ares nodded taking a testing sip.

"Not too hot." Erin nodded and placing his hands over Ares had his first taste of Ambrosia. Erin's bright blue eyes shimmered slightly proving something Ares had hoped wouldn't be true. Erin had never had a taste of Ambrosia. It proved one thing about Erin's other parent though, it was not an Olympian God or Mortal.

If it had been either Erin would not have manifested any power until this moment. And that clearly had not been the case. No matter how weak the power, it had been there. Ares released his hold on the mug as Erin tilted it back attempting to inhale the last of the drink.

Ares smiled as he watched Erin lick the cup. "Hestia will be sure to make more for us to take home."

Erin grinned and Ares wiped a spot of chocolate from his cheek. "Unc?"

Ares looked around and lifted the plush and handed it to Erin who looked at him perplexed placing it on the side. "Unc," he stated more firmly looking directly at Ares.

"Who told you that anyway?"

"Cuz, he 'ad ings."

"Ah yes Cupid, well he will be here later you can see him again."

Erin's smile was dazzling and he squeaked when a laughing naked toddler stormed into the room and climbed onto the bed laughing as he hid under the covers. Apollo entered moments later a towel slung around his waist and sighed.

"Lose something?"

"Ace?"

A giggling blond head popped up as Erin let out his own high pitch giggle, at his first close contact with mischief. Ares and Apollo smiled as Erin's cheek's reddened. Apollo used Ace's distraction to snatch him up and clothe them both in light blue linen pants and white shirts.

"Dad!" Ace exclaimed and Apollo rolled his eyes.

"Sorry," he said sighing exaggeratedly as he turned the white shirt pink.

"Dadddddyyyy!"

"Opps, you try," Apollo said with a smirk. Ace shut his eyes and after a few minutes the pink shirt lightened and turned the toddler's current favorite color, yellow. "Perfect."

Ace grinned hugging his father. Then with a burst of power a Apollo plush appeared in his hands and he made his way back to Erin.

The older gods smiled as more toys appeared and Ace coaxed Erin to his side to play. Stepping into the hall, they were greeted by an expanse of black smoke. Hades appeared in all his regalia.

Ares and Apollo both nodded to the king of the Underworld who slid off his cape tossing it on his arm. Hestia entered the hall then wiping her hands on an apron and giving Hades a kiss on the cheek as he held her in a hug.

"So who is this Erin? Hermes was rather vague, something about Eris and torture? Another mortal? Why not wait until he reaches my realm or ask Mnemosyne?"

"No, nothing that simple," Hestia said pushing open the door to the bedroom to find Ace pulling a sun chariot across the floor.

"Daddy sun," Ace explained. Erin despite being surrounded by other toys sat on the floor his Ares close to his chest watching Ace as he moved to the next toy. "Ganpa boom." He said holding up a rather plump and cartoonish version of Zeus.

"I don't understand," Hades said looking at the two children.

"Erin dear did you like the coco?" Erin nodded glancing at Hades then back at Ares even as he slid closer to the war god and away from the strange new arrival. Ares stepped forward and lifted Erin into his arms careful of the toys and Ace who was zipping across the floor again with his sun chariot and Apollo plush at the helm.

"Erin I want you to meet my Uncle Hades," Ares said and Erin slowly peered out from Ares' vest and smiled. Hades waved at the child and seemed to realize then he was wearing his gloves and pulled them off. And turned his armor to a loose black tunic and leather pants.

Erin reached for Hades' hand looking at the death god. It took Hades' a while to understand what Erin was staring at.

"Yes it would seem we both don't get too much sun."

"Sun hurt," Erin whispered.

"We know what we are asking can be painful, and with Mnemosyne, there is a certain level of awareness of what is passing that must occur. We would much rather he not have to relive the memories."

"I see," Hades said with a nod. "You want me to read his life?"

"And share it with us," Hestia added.

"That is quite the violation, even if he is only a child. I want to speak to him," Hades said extending his arms to Erin who looked at Ares confused.

Hades carried Erin to a chair and sat and began to whisper to the child. The gods watched giving them privacy, even Ace falling silent as he could feel the tension in the room. Hades made a mirror appear the symbol of his godhood clear on the back. Together he and Erin watched and suddenly Erin hugged the death god tightly the mirror shattering.

Hades didn't say a work, as he stroked the child's hair, a mirror with the symbol of mischief appearing and glowing brightly for a few moments before he sent it to Ares' hands and resumed whispering to Erin who seemed torn between being upset and comforting the lord of the Underworld.

Ares turned the mirror over and his eyes went red with blood lust and the very first scene.


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