《The Legend of Tephra [Epic the Musical fanfic]》


 The Birth of a Hero

    Death. A foreign concept to the living. One can hardly feel death without being at least close to it. Many consider it the end, yet sometimes it is only the beginning.


    Hades, the god of the underworld, knew this very well for his domain was already flush with new souls and today would be the birth of one rather than death. He strolled through his land on his sandals wearing black robes lost in his thoughts. His long black hair and large beard flowed majestically over his tanned muscular visage as a joyous expression adorned his face. "What about Hades junior? No no, a child needs their own identity. I can''t have mine always being in my shadow. And what if it''s a girl? I need the name to be perfect." His deep voice echoed throughout the underworld as he caressed his beard. His face hardened as he continued to think before a whimper brought him out of his trance.


    Hades blinked before he looked to his side to see a three headed hound with black fur rubbing its head on his side. Cerberus, his best friend and gatekeeper of the underworld. Instantly, Hades'' expression softened before his hand moved to pet Cerberus as if on instinct.


    "I''m sorry, Cerberus. I didn''t mean to spook you." He said calmly. "But this is far too important for me to relax." He continued, staring off into the rivers of souls ahead of him. "I''ve heard tales and stories of other gods'' children. The legends they forge. Especially my brothers. How proud they must be of such heroes...except for Pirithous." Suddenly, the chilly air of the underworld became so cold, even the damned souls of tartarus flinched. The king of the underworld was angry and every soul could feel its suffocation.


    A bark broke through the icy atmosphere, snapping Hades out of his anger. The king of the underworld blinked before clearing his throat. "Indeed, I shouldn''t ruin such a joyous day with a frown," he said, a smile overtaking his face. "Today marks the birth of a hero! Today, I become a father! "


    Cerberus barked as its tail wagged vigorously, enlarging Hades'' smile as the god began to sing. "A father. A joy like no other. My flesh and blood, resting in my arms." He said as a pale cloud of mist formed into the shape of a crying baby in his arms. "My love and pride, don''t be alarmed. Your father is here to protect you." He sang, caressing the mist baby''s cheek as it calmed down. "No matter who it be. I''d slay titans for you and I''ll make sure you''re safe with meeee! A father. A joy like no oth-."


    Suddenly, a solemn voice spoke into Hades'' mind. "My King, the baby has been born." Not a moment later, a powerful whirlpool of mist rushed towards the king of the underworld, dragging with it a few misty orbs of cyan light, wisps of souls long forgotten before the king and the wisps disappeared into a new location.


    Upon arriving at the new location, a grandiose bedroom fit for a king and queen with grey walls and red carpet, Hades could see his wife Persephone with her beautiful violet hued skin, sky blue eyes and silver hair laying on a bed next to a sickly old lady in black robes who was the wet-nurse. The god of the underworld couldn''t contain his smile...until he saw the expression on his wife''s face as her slender arms held their child. Tears were falling down her cheeks. "No." He whispered, his heart sinking in his chest. His eyes fell on his child, her body unmoving as she breathed on instinct alone, her eyes devoid of the spark that even the dead souls of the underworld had. Tears fell out of Hades'' eyes as his gaze fell onto the wet nurse. His presence thickened, making the atmosphere suffocating. The wet nurse fell to her knees as the king spoke. "I brought you back from the dead for one purpose. ONE. To bring my child to this world healthy. What do you have to say for yourself?"If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The wet nurse shivered in fear under the gaze of the king. She swallowed her wet saliva and spoke. "This is beyond my power, My King. I''ve assisted the birth of many children, some even of the god king, but I have never seen such a thing before. Her body is healthy, yet she''s missing something. Something one can find in any other living being," she said and Hades frowned, knowing what she was about to say. "a soul."


    The god of the underworld went silent. He gaze alternated between his wife, his child and the wet nurse. "You may go." He said with a sigh.


    "Thank you, lord Hades." The wet nurse said before exiting the room, leaving the royal couple alone.


    "She looks like you." Persephone muttered, caressing the soulless baby''s black hair with a sad expression.


    Hades let out a dry chuckle. "That violet skin is all you, dear." He said feigning a smile as he pulled his wife into a hug. "I''ll fix her. I promise. I could rip apart some of the dea-"


    "Don''t-" Persephone cut her husband off. "Don''t finish that sentence. I don''t want my daughter''s life to be built upon destruction."


    Hades went silent, a deep contemplative look on his face. He wracked his brain for a solution before he felt something bump into his body. He looked to see what it was and found a soul, a mere wisp of what used to be. The king of the underworld hummed before carefully cradling the soul in his hands. His eyes quickly turned a misty color as memories flashed in front of his eyes. The soul wisp''s memories.


    The soul seemed to be directing him to a specific memory. It was odd, he thought, souls that have lost their living forms usually lacked much of their sense of self. Hades didn''t resist and simply heard the soul out. He saw a memory from the underworld of all places. A memory of after their death. They were speaking to another soul. A girl in odd clothing. A teen. She spoke in an unknown tongue. Curiosity grasped Hades like a bite of Cerberus. He let go of the soul and looked around the room only to find the foreign soul floating about aimlessly in the room.


    The king of the underworld floated upwards towards the soul carefully cradled her before checking her memories. A young girl, from a world far different from their own. An orphan who died in flames spurred by negligence. "How about adoption?" Hades asked his wife. Persephone let out a sound of confusion. Hades simply held the soul wisp towards his wife.


    Persephone promptedly checked the soul''s memories and her eyes widened. A child who desired parents and parents with who desired a child, a perfect arrangement. She closed her eyes, contemplating the decision. A few seconds later, she let out a small nod. Hades saw this and took a deep breath. He held the soul above his daughter''s body before lightly pushing it inside.


    The change happened immediately. The baby''s skin transformed from being smooth violet into gray flaky skin. It was as if she had ash for skin. Fitting for someone who died to a fire. Her black hair remained the same but her body finally started to move and the spark of life appeared in her sky blue eyes. "Ash, huh? It fits." Said Persephone with a smile. "I think I''ll name her...Tephra."


    The baby, Tephra, stared at her new parents in confusion. "Oh, I forgot. She doesn''t know our language!" Realized Persephone and Hades placed a hand on his wife''s shoulder with a smile.


    "We''ll teach her, together."


    xxxxxxXxxxxxx


    Atop mount Olympus, a giant of thunder and lightning sat on a couch of clouds as his white hair and giant moustacheless beard flowed majestically around him. It was the god king, Zeus. "Repeat what you said, oracle." He said with a deep frown.


    The oracle, hidden beneath robes of black, sang calmly. "I am an oracle. Flashes of time before my eyes. A future cold and grim for thunder, a future with no lies. I see a foe of fallen ash. I see you and her final clash. I see the Thunnnnder Bringer! Through the wringer! She is your judgment call, the one who makes your kingdom fall-"


    "WHO!" Screamed Zeus furiously, his face twisted with anger. The oracle paused before she sang in a soft tone.


    "The child of one you least expect. A friend who earned your great respect." Zeus''s eyes widened at the Oracle''s song. "It is the king of the dead and curled. The king of the underworld. The one who lives his life with ease. The one whose name''s-"


    "Hades."

 The Underworlds Door

    BTW, the character appearances are based off of Neal Illustrator on YouTube cause their art of the epic musical is my favorite. So check them out.


    Persephone''s purple skin is from OSPs videos.


    xxxxxxXxxxxxx


    "Say mom. Mom. Mommy. Mother." Persephone, queen of the underworld, spoke cheerfully as she held a small baby with ashen skin on top of the velvet sheets of her and her husband''s bed. "Dear? Did your spell work? She''s not saying anything."


    Hades, who was laying beside her, let out a curious hum. "It should''ve." He muttered, caressing his beard. "Perhaps I should cast it again. But if i did and the previous one did work, it would turn her into a cyclops."


    The baby, Tephra, blinked. "What?" She asked in a mix of shock and horror. Hades let out a sly smile as his wife''s eyes gleamed with happiness. Tephra quickly realized her mistake with a terrified expression. "How did you know?"


    "You''re not the only trickster in the room." Hades explained with a hearty chuckle. "Now, I have waited eons for a family outing of four or more. So how''s about we go out right now?" Persephone beamed,  holding a frowning Tephra in her arms as she got of the bed. Seeing this, Hades put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. Not a moment later, a large three headed hound burst into the room with a joyous bark.


    Tephra tensed up at the sight of the beast and its enormous teeth. Fear clear in her eyes. Said beast''s tail wagged cheerfully as it barked innocently. The royal couple of the underworld didn''t notice the baby''s tense expression as they joyfully left the room for the hallways of the palace.


    Tephra''s eyes scanned her surroundings with vigilance. She saw portraits of stories and statues of mythical creatures, hammering in where she was now. A mythology.


    They soon exited the palace and were met with the scenery of the underworld. It...had more vegetation than Tephra expected. No doubt the work of her...new mother.


    She winced at the thought. She knew Greek mythology. She knew how dangerous these deities were despite Hades and Persephone being some of the less threatening ones. They were still people and she couldn''t trust they''ll still treat her well if she did something they didn''t like.


    "There! The perfect spot." Said Persephone gesturing towards an area particularly lush with colorful flowers surrounded by the the only kind of grass in the underworld Tephra could see, a dark blue grass rather than green.


    Hades'' hands shook, giddy with joy. "You''re the best!" He said giving his wife a kiss before extending his hand towards the beautiful area. The world- no, the underworld shook. The sound alone made Tephra to scream in fear. Pillars of the underworld''s stone rose from the ground. They broke into a thousand pieces and reformed into a small park that landed gently onto Persephone''s plants.


    Chairs, tables and even decorations made in the blink of an eye. And that''s when Tephra realized what being god of the underworld meant. It wasn''t as obvious as god of lightning or tides at first, but she felt stupid when she realized it. Hades could literally control the underworld. The rocks, rivers and souls that make it up bend to his will. "Oh, sorry about that. I forgot how loud it can be when I don''t mute it." He said sheepishly before clearing his throat. "Let us sit."


    The three sat together as Cerberus laid on the floor beside them and at that very moment, the sound of thunder echoed throughout the underworld. Hades'' eye twitched in annoyance. "At this time? Shouldn''t he be busy cheating on his wife or something?" He grumbled, causing Persephone to snort.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The queen of the underworld cleared her throat. "It seems important." She said trying to hide her previous snort.


    Hades let out a heavy sigh. "Cerberus, look over Tephra." He said with a frown. "We''ll be back shortly." He added before he snapped his fingers and the two rulers disappeared, leaving Tephra with a large three headed hound.


    The ash skinned baby, from the table she was laid upon, glanced at the three headed dog nervously before Cerberus growled. Tephra tensed up before the dog barked loudly enough to hurt her ears. The baby screamed as Cerberus pounced in her direction. Tephra closed her eyes, waiting to be ripped apart by the dog.


    But it never arrived. She opened her eyes to find...nothing? She looked around and found Cerberus behind her crushing a small bird under its paws.


    Tephra crawled as fast as she could away from the dog in terror, falling off the table she was on onto her back. On the ground, looking up, she saw more of those birds. Tens of them. They were grey, almost as if to blend into the rocks of the underworld and their beaks were uncannily pointy.


    One of the birds rushed at her with reckless abandon before Cerberus stood in its way. The bird''s beak pierced the dog''s flesh before Cerberus bit it off, letting his blood splatter all over the flood.


    Fear once again gripped her heart as the realization quickly set in. The birds were trying to kill her. She mustered all her strength and flipped onto her stomach before crawling away. The birds followed. "I''m not fast enough." She muttered in horror. She could hear Cerberus trying to stop them, each bark and growl a reminder of her upcoming doom.


    Suddenly, she felt an odd sense of strength in her limbs and spine. Pushing the ground, she found herself standing on her legs. She, a baby, could stand. The thought baffled her, but only for a second before Cerberus barked again. And without waiting, she ran. She didn''t focus on anything, but getting away. She quickly headed inside the palace of the underworld.


    "Birds trying to end me. Gods trying to keep me." She sang unconsciously as she crossed the halls of paintings and statues. "I''ve tasted death before. The life of a ghost too much to endure! I can''t die today. I want to see the sun, but where can I run?! How can I escape the gore? Where is the underworld''s doooor?


    As Tephra ran, she stumbled upon a mirror. A tall mirror that showed her current self. Her eyes widened at her current form. Embers fell down her cheeks like tears. "What am I doing? Why am I singing? How did I fall in this pit? Which crime did I commit? Where did I go wrong? When did I start this song? WHO...am I anymore?" A sob left the baby''s throat. "Am I still the person from before? A father and mother, gods of death and dread. One mistake and I''m worse than dead. A hound that can tear me apart. A fear that won''t leave my heart. Is this what a family means? Is this what a family meaaaans? How can I escape the gore-" suddenly, a voice interrupted her song and she quickly his in the nearest room.


    "Where is the underworld''s dooooor?" It was Hades and his voice was serious as he walked through the halls of the palace, his voice growing closer with each step. "A father and mother, gods of death and dread. One mistake and you''re worse than dead. A hound that can tear you apart. A fear that won''t leave your heart," Hades sang before his tone became soft as he entered the room Tephra was hiding in. "This is not what a family means. This is not what a family meaaaaans! So I will give you a choice to escape the gore. Give us one more chance or I lead you to the underworld''s dooooor!"


    "Give us one more chance or we lead you to the underworld''s dooooor!" Persephone joined the song as she entered the room before she and Hades sang in unison. "Give us just one more chance or we lead you to the underworld''s dooooooooooor!"


    Tephra blinked as Hades spoke. "I suppose we did push too much onto you. We were just too excited by our own dreams to take your mental state into account." He said dejectedly.


    "We''re so sorry." Added Persephone with the same dejection as her husband. Tephra pursed her lips as her body hesitated to move from her hiding spot. But after a few seconds, she walked out and appeared in front of the duo. "Why are you so kind to me?" She asked.


    Hades let out a dry chuckle. "Ahh, I suppose the fame of my brothers exceeds mine. I have no interest in playing with souls or forcing my will upon mortals. I do my job, I love my wife, I play with Cerberus. It''s a simple, but fulfilling life and I don''t desire much past it." He said as he kneeled to his daughter''s level, despite still towering over her. "As for why you in particular. Well, because you''re our daughter now. We chose you."


    Tephra stared at the floor. "So it''s just luck?" She asked dejectedly. The royal couple paused before bursting into laughter.


    "I was born a god and what can you call that other than luck?" Replied Hades with a soft smile. "We can''t choose how we come into this world, but we can choose who we are once inside."


    "And now, you have a choice to be who you want to be. You could give us another chance and become our daughter or we can lead you outside the underworld where you can build your own life." Added Persephone with a weak smile. "It may sound selfish, but we''d still like to have you as our daughter."


    Tephra started at the couple smiling at her. Could she really trust them? She thought. "...okay. I''ll try to be your daughter." Persephone beamed at the response. "But slowly. You''ve been doing everything so fast and i-" Persephone nodded as she patted her daughter now the head.


    Hades saw this and smiled. Now this is a family.


    xxxxxxXxxxxxx


    Atop mount Olympus.


    Zeus sat on a throne of dark clouds with a frown. His yellow eyes piercing through even the light. "My scourge lives another day." He muttered narrowing his eyes. "But know this, Goddess of Ash. Your days are numbered."

 The Things Ash Can Do

    "No! Stop! Brother! I beg you!" Hades screamed on his hands and knees in front of his brother, the king of Olympus. Said king was laying on a couch of clouds holding a small baby with ash skin and black hair.


    Zeus didn''t speak, his electric yellow eyes coldly staring at the king of the underworld before turning to the baby. Lightning crackled across the the thunder bringer''s arms until it reached the child before it flared into a beacon of electricity.  Screams echoed into Hades'' ears.


    "NOOOO!" The underworld''s king screamed as tears streamed down his eyes, hearing someone calling his name.


    "Dear?" He heard the voice again. Persephone? He thought. Where? "Wake up! Hades, wake up!"


    xxxxxxXxxxxxx


    Hades woke up in a cold sweat, panting for breath. "It''s just a bad dream." He heard his wife''s voice beside him. Her wintery silver hair starting to show some green strands. Seeing his wife, Hades quickly calmed down. "What kind of dream did you have for you to be so shaken?" She asked softly as she caressed his cheek.


    Hades smiled. "I''ll tell you soon." He said, gently leaning on his wife''s hand as his eyes stayed locked onto his wife''s hair with its green strands. "It''s getting closer, the end of winter. The day you need to leave."


    "And I''ll come back to you in due time." Persephone replied softly. "Now, we have a child to attend to." She added giddily. Hades chuckled at her attitude before a serious expression appeared on his face.


    "Dear, I think we should teach our daughter to use her powers." The king said bluntly. Persephone blinked. "I think my brother, Zeus might be trying to kill her."


    The queen of the underworld paused before bursting into laughter. Seeing her husband not laughing with her, her expression became visibly worried. "Is this because of yesterday? He just called us to congratulate us for becoming parents."


    "Right before she was attacked." Added Hades with a frown, caressing his beard. Persephone paused.


    "You''re right. That is...suspicious. But why? Why would he go after her?" She asked with a frown.


    "I don''t know." Replied the king with a sigh. "But it doesn''t matter why. What matters is that we teach her how to protect herself."


    Persephone closed her eyes with a contemplative expression. She took a deep breath and nodded firmly. Hades smiled before the couple heard a terrified scream coming from Tephra''s room. "TEPHRA!" Screamed Persephone in a panic before Hades loudly burst into laughter.


    "Don''t worry, honey." He said barely holding in his laughter. "Let us get dressed." Persephone blinked before getting out of bed. Her sleepwear was immediately replaced with a regal aquamarine colored dress and Hades now wore red robes that went over his left shoulder.


    Persephone raised a brow at her husband''s attitude as he gestured for her to follow. The two walked leisurely towards their daughter''s room. As soon as they opened the door and Persephone gazed upon the scene inside, she burst into laughter like her husband. Both having tears in their eyes from laughter.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    "Stop laughing! This is serious!" Tephra exclaimed as she hid in the corner of the room from a cat sized spider. She wore a small and light black robes and despite being a baby, her jet black hair was already reaching her shoulders. "Get rid of it please!" She pleaded. Hades flicked his finger and the spider disappeared as if it was never there.


    "I don''t think I''ve laughed like this in decades!" Said Hades holding his stomach as his daughter glared at him. "Sorry. Sorry. Speaking of...terrifying things-" The royal couple snickered at the last part, causing Tephra to frown. "We''re teaching you how to use your powers today!"


    As if on cue, Persephone spawned two bouquets of flowers from her palms like confetti. "Did something happen?" Tephra asked raising a brow, causing the two gods to sweatdrop.


    "W-what makes you say that?" Asked the queen of the underworld with a nervous chuckle.


    "You have that tone in your voice that says you wanna fix a problem without the kids knowing." Explained Tephra in an expressionless tone. "It happened at one of the foster homes I went to when they suddenly had money problems."


    "What''s a foster home?" Asked Hades raising a brow before noticing the oddly expressionless attitude from Tephra. "Never mind. Let''s talk powers, shall we?" He said extending his hand towards his daughter. Tephra hesitated for a second before taking said hand. The family of three, lead by Hades, walked through the halls of the palace and into a flowery garden in the back. "Now tell me, how do you think our powers manifest? How am I the god of the underworld and your mother the goddess of spring?"


    "You...chose it?" She asked with a shrug and Hades chuckled.


    "That''s only part of it. Some powers are found in all of us but the specific ones come from epithets." Persephone chirped in. "It''s what you''re known for. Your existence manifest. In fact, you already have an epithet. Ash."


    Tephra frowned. "Isn''t that bad?" She asked and Hades blinked. "I mean, ash doesn''t have the best connotations. Some ash is downright a pollutant, can cause diseases and-"


    "No! No! There''s nothing bad about you!" Exclaimed Persephone hurriedly. "Everything can be good and bad. Ash can be a very good fertilizer. Can make lands grow lush and green! Your epithet is beautiful."


    "Rich coming from the goddess of spring." Muttered Hades, earning a playful elbow to the stomach from his wife. Persephone cleared her throat, staring at her unconvinced daughter before taking a deep breath before singing.


    "Oh, it''s true! The things ash can do! Can turn a desert to a flower! Can fill the earth with power! It can make a field glow, it can make a world grow! The things ash can do!" She sang grabbing her daughter by the hands, flowers blooming around them as two sets of sky blue eyes locked. Tephra paused before a frown overtook her face.


    "But what about the death? What about the poison?" Tephra sang the question as she stared at her hands with a disturbed frown. "It can take your breath! It can be blinding! Oh, the things ash can do! The water that was blu~e is now tainted and dark! Ash and coal now make their mark! Snuffing every spark! Leaving the world dark! The things ash can do~!"


    Persephone opened her mouth to speak before a frown formed on her face. Hades saw this and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Fire is a gift. It warms the night, it brings us light. It can burn your world, it can eat your soul. You ha~ve a gift. You have the choice. You~ can decide, the things it can do! Oh, it''s true. You can now decide the things ash can do~!" He sang kneeling to Tephra''s level with a smile. "So? Ready to choose?" Tephra didn''t answer, her mind conflicted. Hades saw that and gently grabbed her arm before he straightened it forwards. Tephra''s eyes glimmered with a faint glow of excitement as she felt power course through her veins. "Strike your hand forward, let the power course through! Show the world all the things ash can do~!"


    Ash burst from her hands as if flaking off her skin only to replaced by another layer. The royal couple stared with anticipation, waiting for a performance from their daughter and nothing happened aside from a frivolous rain of gray ash. Tephra''s shoulders dropped as she stared at her work in disappointment.


    "Hey, even if you can''t take down the Minotaur, you''re still our daughter." Said Persephone placing a hand on Tephra''s shoulder as her husband placed his hand on the other.


    "Yes. Nothing will change that." He added with a smile as Tephra bit her lips. She clenched her fists, digging into her flesh with her nails.


    "I...I''m going to my room." Said the little girl with an expressionless face. Hades'', paused, staring at the girl with pity in his eyes before his shoulders dropped.


    "Alright. Just call us if you need anything." The king said with a soft smile. Tephra nodded before walking away calmly.


    "Is she okay?" Persephone asked in a whisper, staring at her baby''s back as she walked away.


    "No." Replied Hades bluntly. "That expressionless face. She makes it when she''s agitated. We must''ve gotten her hopes up for nothing." He added as he sat down on the blue grass below, his wife following him a second after.


    "Are we...bad parents?" Asked Persephone with a solemn expression. Hades chuckled, causing Persephone to smile before even hearing him out.


    "It''s our first go at this and we''re already doing better than Zeus. I call that a win." He joked, causing his wife to smirk. "We can''t force her to use her powers. We should be thinking of other ways to keep her safe."


    Persephone paused, her eyes falling onto a green strand of her hair. "We can introduce her to mother." Hades flinched. "If she gets as attached to her as she is to me, she''d be safe. Father wouldn''t dare to act against the goddess of all harvest."


    "Do we have to?" Hades asked with a comically deep frown. "I don''t think the world would appreciate TWO winters just so I can see my family." Persephone winced.


    "...what other choice do we have?"