Chapter 3
Demigods and Hungry Ghosts

Valor is common, but great souls are rare.
--Bernard Joseph Saurin

	The dead stared at them.
	Xander and Tara stood before a horde of dead souls, all of whom 
looked at them curiously, as one looks at an alien thing. The only sound was 
whispering in the ranks as they wondered what this would lead to. It echoed in 
and out of the tunnels, which the cavern was studded with.
	Not that Xander and Tara noticed. They were too busy watching the 
woman they both loved being held in Hades' tight grasp.
	"Okay," Tara said. "Let me do the talking."
	"Go for it," Xander replied.
	"Hello, father," Tara yelled across the cavern. "H-how are you?"
	"You mean apart from having my daughter ripped from my bosom?" 
Hades asked. "Fine. And you?"
	"Fine. I...I think we should t-t-talk. If you could just let my friend 
go..."
	"Oh, I don't think so," Hades replied, gripping Willow's shoulder 
tighter. "I think she should stay right here while we have our little chat."
	"Ow!" Willow cried as she struggled to free herself. "Leggo!"
	"Get your hands off her!" Tara cried. She put a hand on Xander's arm, 
seeing him tense up.
	"That's how you talk to your father?" Hades said. "Your time in the 
mortal realm hasn't done much for your manners." He regarded Willow 
appraisingly. "Sweet little consort, though...not at all the kind of girl I would 
have picked out, of course..."
	"I'm warning you," Tara snarled, stepping forward. As she did, the 
dead began to close ranks around the platform.
	"Warning me? About what? Have I made any threats? Your thrice-
damned mother must have made me out to be quite the villain." Hades smiled 
mirthlessly. "How are you, daughter?"
	"Let her go," Tara repeated.
	"I'll consider it. First, we need to talk about the way things are going 
to be from now on--"
	"Hey!" Xander yelled. "Didn't you hear her? Get your big slimy 
meathooks off Willow, you undead piece of shit!"
	There was a long, long moment of silence. Everyone stared at Xander 
in complete astonishment.
	"And what is this?" Hades finally asked.
	"Xander, don't!" Willow cried.
	"Xander? Another mortal?" Hades rolled his eyes. "Do you have an 
entire harem of these things?"
	"Hey, I'm talkin' to you, you Malkovich-lookin' freakshow!" Xander 
yelled, infuriated past all patience. "Get your grubby paws off my best friend!"
	Hades stared, his mouth slightly open.
	"Or?" he finally asked.
	"Or...I'll...um..." He looked at Tara. "I just made a serious tactical 
error, didn't I?"
	Tara nodded slowly.
	"You know, I don't think anyone has dared speak to me like that in 
several centuries," Hades commented. "Ericthonius?"
	"Sir?" An undead soldier answered the question.
	"What happened to the last person who spoke in such a manner?"
	"I believe Cerberus still has a few pieces of the man in his teeth."
	"Ah, yes."
	"Did I say 'undead piece of shit?'" Xander said hurriedly. "I didn't 
mean it. I meant 'big nice guy with piercing blue eyes.' It's a speech 
impedeeecccchhhh--" The soldier lashed out and snagged Xander by the throat, 
lifting him two feet off the floor.
	"Xander!" Willow screamed.
	Tara moved fast; she pressed a hand to Ericthonius' chest. There was a 
strobe-flash of white light, and the soldier was thrown violently backward, his 
helmet flying across the cavern. Xander tumbled to the ground, coughing and 
gagging.
	"We aren't here to fight!" she cried as the dead souls moved to 
surround them. 
	"Whoa," Willow murmured. "How'd she...oh. Goddess. Right."
	"You may not be here to fight, daughter, but do not try my patience!" 
Hades snarled. "This mortal was brought here! She belongs to me! Now, I 
might change my mind about that if--"
	"You--you jerk!" Willow yelled, panic and pain robbing her of a more 
scathing description.
	"You too?" Hades gripped Willow's shoulder harder; blood began to 
trickle from beneath his fingertips. Willow wailed in pain.
	"Sonova--" Xander was on his feet and moving; unfortunately, so was 
Ericthonius. He blocked Xander's charge, knocking the boy back to the cavern 
floor again.
	"S-stop it!" Tara screamed.
	"Obey me and I will!" Hades returned.
	"Wait 'til I get up there!" Xander yelled from the cavern floor. "I'm 
gonna make you eat that stupid cape!"
	Hades laughed heartily at that.
	"Will you at that," he said. "I'll tell you what, boy. If you can make it 
all the way to my platform, then you may have this girl."
	Through the pain, Willow glared at the God of the Dead and slammed 
her heel down onto his boot. It had no noticeable effect.
	"Now then, Tara...will you speak with your father?"
	"All right! All right!" Tara said, relenting. "J-just...just stop hurting 
her!"
	"No sooner said," Hades said. He moved his hand down Willow's arm; 
it was unbruised, uncut, the blood fading away.
	"Tara..." Xander grabbed her arm. "Tara, you can't--"
	"I have to," she replied. "I have to get her out of here."
	"But...wait, he said if I make it to the platform--"
	"Xander, we're talking about centuries of the finest soldiers of Greece. 
Almost everyone who died at Troy. Do you think you can fight your way 
through that?"
	Xander said nothing.
	"J-just wait here," she said. "I'll get her out."
	"Good luck," he finally said. Then, he could only watch as the army of 
the dead parted for her, the princess of the underworld, going to face her father. 
She walked up a set of stone stairs up on the platform, then through a door next 
to the throne...everyone joined her except that spooky chick, the one who 
hadn't made a sound so far.
	"So, boy," Ericthonius called to him. "Care for another try?"
	Xander looked at the dead army. They stared back, ready to fight.
	"Uh...I guess I don't wanna end up in Cerberus'--"
	He stopped.
	And grinned.
	"I'll be right back."
	He turned and walked out of the doorway Tara had created, towards 
the dim light.
	"A coward," Ericthonius said. "I might have known."

	"Coming, my love?" Hades called to Persephone. The pale lady had 
scarcely moved during the entire exchange.
	"No," she said. "I think they might fight. I like it when they fight. I 
like the noises they make."
	"Suit yourself," Hades said as he closed the door. They stepped into a 
room that looked and felt like the inside of a black velvet pouch. Hades took a 
seat on an indigo couch, pulling Willow down next to him. Tara sat opposite 
them, leaning forward as though she might pounce at any moment.
	"So," Hades said. "What shall we talk about?"
	"Are you okay?" Tara asked Willow.
	"Yeah," Willow said noncommittally. "Great. Not scarred for life or 
anything."
	"I think we should talk about--"
	"So were you ever going to tell me about any of this?" Willow asked, 
interrupting. "I mean, because that's sort of a biggie. I would have liked to have 
known about the fact that I was dating a goddess."
	"I wwwwas g-going to tell you...it's just..."
	"Just what? How could you not tell me this?"
	"It's c-complicated!"
	"Excuse me," Hades said. "Do you mind? I'm trying to speak with my 
daughter."
	"Fine. Go ahead." Willow looked away. "Hope she tells you the truth."
	"That's not f-f-fair!" Tara cried.
	"I was taken into the depths of the underworld by the god of the satyrs 
and manhandled by the lord of the dead! I don't have to be fair!"
	"Willow, I--"
	"You know, when Oz got turned into a werewolf, he was up front 
about it! He didn't try to hide it from me! Well...he did at first, but--"
	"Oh, h-here we g-go!" Tara yelled. "W-Well, I'm s-sorry if I'm not as 
p-perfect as Oz!"
	"No one's asking you to be perfect! I just wanted you to be honest with 
me!"
	"SILENCE!" Hades roared. The sound was supernaturally loud.
"Look, mortal, my daughter may be fond of you, but if you interrupt me
again I shall--"
	Tara's hand began to grow bright yellow. She stood and approached 
Hades with a look of great fierceness.
	"You. Will. Not. Touch. Her," she growled.
	Hades looked almost terrifyingly angry for a moment; then he 
softened. For the first time since Tara's arrival, he removed his hand from 
Willow's shoulder.
	"I'm only doing this for you," he said.
	The glow faded from Tara's hand. Slowly, she retook her seat.
	"Willow," she said softly. I nnneed to t-talk with my d-d-dad right 
now." She looked at Willow, fierceness fading to desperation. "Is th-that 
okay?"
	Willow nodded slowly, wonderingly.
	"Fine," Hades said. "So...what have you been doing?"

	"Hey! Hello! Aphrodite! Your goddessness!" Xander emerged from 
the cave. Neither Aphrodite nor Cerberus were anywhere in sight. He looked at 
the immense, thick chain that held the hell-hound; it led to the left.
	He rounded the corner and found the three-headed creature on its 
back. Aphrodite was sitting on his belly, scratching the dog as it made 
appreciative noises.
	"There's somethin' you don't see every day...excuse me!"
	"Hello, Xander," Aphrodite said without looking up. "Find your 
friend?"
	"Yes and no. I need a little help."
	"Oh, Xander, you know I'd love to help, but Zeus decreed that the 
gods can't battle each other anymore."
	"It's not your help I'm after."	
	"Whose?"
	"Quick question...does this chain come off?"

	"I am in Aphrodite's service," Tara began.
	"Really!" Hades said, smiling. "Interesting. I always saw you in the 
healing arts."
	"W-well, this has its own s-sort of healing to it..." Her eyes flashed to 
Willow's. "Father, I'd r-really like to t-talk about this alone. If we could just 
send Willow outside--"
	"You aren't going to send me anywhere," Willow said icily.
	"Willow--"
	"She stays," Hades said. "No offense, daughter, but you've been 
poisoned against me for so long, I don't quite trust you not to go running back 
to Thespia."
	Tara closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
	"I...my j-job is to help couples."
	"Help them what?"
	"I'm sssupposed to f-f-find soulm-mates that h-have...dr-drifted ap-
part," Tara said miserably.
	Willow looked at her confusedly.
	"And tr-tr-try to g-get them b-back together."
	"Well, that sounds like...very positive work," Hades finally said.
	"I don't understand," Willow said. "If that's what you're supposed to 
be doing, why did you stop?"
	Tears slipped down Tara's cheeks as she spoke.
	"I f-fell in love with s-s-someone I was tr-trying to help."
	"Ohhh, Tara," Willow said. She crossed over to Tara's seat and gave 
her a warm hug. "Tara, it's okay."
	"It...it is?"
	"Of course it is," Willow said soothingly. "I mean, it wasn't your 
fault."
	"It wasn't?"
	"No!"
	Tara smiled through her tears, kissed Willow and hugged her fiercely.
	"Oh, Willow, you don't know what it means to hear you say that!"
	"It's okay," Willow said into her lover's shoulder.
	For a moment, they were quiet, holding each other in the realm of the 
dead, as Hades looked on, slightly nonplussed.
	"So," Willow said. "Who was it?"

	After the departure of the mortals, the shades had broken formation, 
choosing instead to do what they always did, which was waste time. The dead 
being dead, they have lots of it to waste.
	A group of soldiers crouched in a circle, playing at dice. They all wore 
the uniforms of Trojan soldiers. Ericthonius picked up the dice and tossed them 
in his hand.
	"Think we'll see that kid again?" one of the soldiers asked.
	"Him? Forget it. If that boy has any sense, he's halfway to Ithaca by 
now." Ericthonius threw the dice; they came to a rest. Two sixes.
	"Ha! Pay up!"
	"Whaddaya mean pay up? You got an eight!"
	"What?" He looked; the dice now showed a six and a two. Suddenly, 
the cubes hopped; now they showed a four and a three.
	"The ground's shaking!" one of the others said.
	"But what--" Ericthonius looked at the hole in the wall, and at the six 
red, glowing orbs approaching out of the darkness.
	Before he could scream a warning, an enraged Cerberus burst into the 
cavern, barking wildly. The shades screamed and ran for cover as the crazed 
beast ran amok.
	"Form ranks!_" Ericthonius cried, grabbing at his sword. "Form 
ranks, dammit! Go for its--"
	He was cut off as Cerberus tried to veer to the right, failed to stop, and 
slid into half his regiment. They went scattering; those that went unscathed 
decided to find other places to be.
	"We've got to get to cover!" one of the soldiers cried.
	"I don't understand it," Ericthonius said. "What could make that 
stupid beast--"
	Then he saw Xander running as fast as he could towards the platform.
	"Him!" Ericthonius cried. "I want his head!"

	Hades was torn; he wanted to find out what the racket outside was, but 
he also wanted to see how the situation between his daughter and her pet was 
going to turn out.
	Tara looked up at Willow, her lips trembling, not sure what to say 
next.
	"I...I..." she stammered.
	Suddenly Hades laughed loud and hard.
	"Oh, Tara," he said. "Oh, you poor thing, I owe you an apology. I 
thought this creature understood the arrangement."
	"Stop talking about me like that!" Willow said. "And what are you 
talking about?"
	"F-Father--"
	"She's talking about you," he said. "Don't you see? She was supposed 
to help you and whatever mortal bug you were destined to be with, and instead, 
she fell in love with you. Or something like it, anyway..."
	"Tara?" Willow whispered, looking in her eyes.
	"Willow...I..."
	"Of course, I've never been convinced that one of us can fall in love 
with a mortal. Lust, certainly, but--"
	"Shut up!" Tara screamed.
	"What?" Hades said.
	"Do you think this is funny?!" Tara said. She got to her feet and 
stood over her father. "Do you?!"
	Hades stammered briefly, giving Tara time to continue.
	"You wanted me to be just like you! Mother wanted me to be just like 
her! But neither of you cared enough about me to ask what I wanted! You just 
wanted to fight over me, like I was some lump of gold! And..." Her voice 
lowered. "Willow cared about me. Me. Not as a prize to be won, not as 
something to mold into her image...just me."
	She turned back to Willow, who was still sitting on the couch.
	"I know," she said. "I know I didn't tell you the truth, but...but if you 
could just give me another chance..."
	She reached out and took Willow's hand. Willow jerked it away 
sharply.
	"Who was it?" Willow asked.
	"Willow--"
	"Who's the soulmate you were supposed to unite me with, Tara? 
Who?"
	"I--"
	"Was it Xander?" Willow said, standing, red-faced with anger. "Was 
it?!"
	There was a long, terrible moment of silence.
	"...Yes."
	Willow felt several different things at once. Hurt. Betrayed. Stricken. 
Terrified. She wasn't enjoying any of them.
	It was almost a relief when they heard the crash.

	The spell Aphrodite had cast was simple; Cerberus, simple-minded 
creature that he was, would run amok in the caverns, attacking everything he 
saw...except Xander. Luring the huge beast down into the caverns had been 
something else, but now the mutt was takin' care of business.
	Which meant it was Xander's turn.
	He was halfway across the cavern when he heard that Eric creep shout 
at him. "I want his head!"
	"Ohhh, crap," Xander muttered as he broke into a run. There was 
nothing between him and the platform, nothing at all--
	--except Ericthonius. Xander screeched to a halt. He blinked.
	"How the hell--"
	"I'm fast," Ericthonius said. He drew his sword in between the ticks of 
a second. "I'm very fast."
	"Whoa," Xander said, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "Okay. 
You and I mighta gotten off on the wrong foot there, with the whole strangling 
thing..." He looked behind him. Ericthonius' goons were coming up from the 
rear. "Come on, guys, I don't even have a sword..."
	"Yes, well, we don't have a three-headed dog," Ericthonius said. "So I 
guess that evens--look out!!" He leapt to the side as Cerberus burst back into 
the main caverns, barking wildly. The beast jumped over Xander and 
immediately began terrorizing the other soldiers.
	"Run for it!" one of them screamed. This was such an incredibly 
good idea that the others immediately went along with it; Cerberus chased them 
below, disappearing into one of the tunnels.
	It had taken only moments. Now, Xander and Ericthonius were left 
alone.
	"Whoa," Xander said.
	"It'll take more than a three-headed dog to chase me off!" Ericthonius 
yelled.
	"Oh. How about a four-headed dog?"
	"Pick up a sword," Ericthonius ordered. The two of them were circling 
each other from a distance of twenty feet; Xander was trying to work out the 
best way to get past the dead soldier. So far, around wasn't working all that 
well.
	"Look, seriously, I'm not good with swords," Xander babbled. 
"Crossbows I'm okay with. A nice stake, I'm your guy..."
	"Pick up a sword and die like a man!" Ericthonius barked.
	"Really rather not. How about you drop your sword and we can have 
one of those fights where nobody dies?"
	"You craven coward!"
	"Ericthonius!"
	The voice rang out through the chamber. The two of them looked up 
suddenly at the figure standing on the platform. It was Persephone, looking 
somewhat wobbly on her feet.
	"My...lady?" Ericthonius asked, confused.
	"You...you should have a fair fight with him," Persephone said, every 
word an effort. "Because...you should. And I say so. And...put your sword 
down!"
	"Very, uh, gracious of you, your majesty," Xander said. "I mean, your 
highness. Holiness. Whatever. Excuse me, I babble like this sometimes--"
	"But my lady! This...this cretin--"
	"Put your sword down, Ericthonius," Persephone ordered.
	The soldier scowled. Reluctantly, he hurled the sword violently to the 
ground.
	"Fine," he said. "I know what to do with a fist!"
	"Yeah, I'll bet you do." Xander raised his fists. He approached 
Ericthonius cautiously; the guy was easily a head taller than he was...big 
forearms...homicidal... "Look, if you take a dive, I'll make it worth your while. 
You could use a carton of cigarettes down here, right?"
	He didn't see the punches. He felt them all right, just didn't see them. 
He stumbled backwards, his face suddenly burning with pain. He winced; 
something was trickling into his eye. He felt his forehead and his fingers came 
away red; his cut had reopened.
	"Ow! D'you have any idea what it cost to have this stitched up last 
time?"
	"Get up," Ericthonius growled.
	"Oh, I'll get--"
	"What's going on here?"
	They turned back to the platform; Hades had emerged from the 
chamber. He looked around his empty cavern in outraged shock.
	"They're having a fight!" Persephone said.
	"I can see that. Where's everyone else?"
	"They left."
	"Left?!"
	"Cerberus is loose in the tunnels," Ericthonius said. "This simpering 
buffoon led him down here somehow and--"
	"Oh, for Zeus' sake, never mind!" Hades cried. "Kill him and be done 
with it!"
	"With pleasure," Ericthonius snarled. He charged Xander again, but 
this time Xander saw him coming. He dodged the first blow, blocked the 
second, and managed to thrust a knee into Ericthonius' stomach.
	Ericthonius smiled.
	"Is that the best you have to offer me?" the soldier said. "Come on." 
He raised his hands. "Try again. Free shot."
	Xander hesitated.
	"Free shot?"
	"Free shot."
	"Okay." Xander pulled back his fist, braced himself...and kicked 
Ericthonius between the legs as hard as he could.
	Ericthonius' smile didn't waver a bit.
	"And that's it, is it?"
	"Oh, sh--" He didn't have time to finish the swearword; Ericthonius 
backhanded the boy, sending him hurtling away. He tried to get to his feet, but 
his nervous system didn't want to cooperate. He felt a hand grip him by the 
hair...
	"Now for my free shot."

	As soon as Hades was out of the chamber, Tara slammed the door shut 
behind him. She whirled back to Willow, her eyes wide and manic.
	"Okay. We do the spell of transportation, get you outside. Then, I'll 
grab Xander and we can get out of here."
	"What?" Willow said. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"
	"You have to!"
	"I do not! You--you--I don't even know what to insult you with! 
How could you do this to us?!"
	"Willow--"
	"You knew what happened to me--"
	"Willow--"
	"You knew I was vulnerable after Oz left--"
	"Willow!" Tara yelled. "We can't do this now! Any minute now 
he's going to come back in here, and I promise you he's g-going to hurt you 
s-s-somehow! You're a m-mortal! You're nothing to him, do you understand 
that?"
	Willow said nothing. She looked at Tara angrily, her knuckles white.
	"I d-don't want anyone to get h-h-hurt, Willow," Tara said. "I never h-
have."
	"Tara...I--"
	The door swung open. The two of them jumped, shocked. Hades stood 
in the doorway, smiling.
	"Well, I must say, your Xander-thing is more resourceful than he 
thought. He's cleaned out the cavern...almost."
	"Is he all right?" Willow asked.
	"Not for long."
	"All r-right," Tara said. "That's enough." Her hands began to glow 
again.
	"Oh, for...is this what it's going to be, daughter? I threaten your little 
mortal playthings and you throw a tantrum?"
	"This is not a tantrum," Tara snarled. "Let them go. Right now."
	Hades smiled, almost indulgently.
	"Or?"
	"Or I'll make you."
	The smile faded. Hades spread his arms wide; the already dim light 
grew fainter as he did.
	"Do not test me, daughter."
	"No, father. Don't test me."
	The flash of yellow light filled the chamber; Hades was thrown 
backward through the stone wall. He skidded to a halt on the platform 
outside.
	Tara turned back to Willow.
	"Run."
	With that, she turned back to her father, who was already back on his 
feet..

	Xander had been on the receiving end of dozens of beatings. From 
dozens of people. And Ericthonius was already in the top five.
	He was on the ground, lying prone, trying to crawl forward. 
Sometimes the platform looked like it was just a couple of feet away...then it 
was a couple of miles away...
	The next kick flipped him over. He coughed violently, a bloody gob 
sticking to his lips.
	Hey, look! he thought wildly. I'm coughing up blood! I'm a real 
man now!
	"This is truly pathetic," Ericthonius said as he circled Xander. "Come 
on, boy. You're almost there."
	It may have been true. He peered through his swollen eyes at the 
soldier, who stooped to pick up a sword.
	"You...th' lady said...no swords..."
	"Yes, well, the lady's paying more attention to the other fight right 
now."
	There was a flash of light above; Hades was thrown from the platform.
	"You call that power?" the god howled as he got to his feet. "You 
ungrateful--I'll show you power!"
	He leapt the ten feet up back to the platform; there were loud, terrible 
sounds from above.
	"Let's finish this," Ericthonius said.
	"'Kay." Quickly, Xander raised two fingers to his lips and whistled 
loudly. The shrill sound cut through the quiet of the cavern.
	"What do you think you're doing?"
	"Cheating," Xander snarled.
	Ericthonius raised the sword to deliver a killing blow...then he felt the 
ground shake.
	"Oh, no," he murmured. He turned, just in time to see Cerberus 
running out of the darkness.
	He screamed.
	Once. 
	Then he was gone, scooped up in one of the beast's mouths. Cerberus 
trotted away unhurriedly, Ericthonius' screams still dullly audible 
from inside.
	"Good boy," Xander half-moaned as he got to his feet. He tried to see 
straight; the stairs to the platform were so far away...

	"Okay," Willow murmured as Tara sent another one of those blasts at 
Hades. She was crouched behind one of the pieces of furniture in the chamber, 
trying to figure out what to do.
	Running was good. She liked the idea of running. The only problem 
was, she couldn't leave without her
	soulmate? goddess? lover? lovers?
	friends, that'd do for now. But what could she do?
	Then she saw Persephone swaying back and forth on the platform, 
watching the Hades/Tara brawl in confusion...
	Before she knew what she was doing, she was running for it. She came 
to a halt next to Persephone; they watched as Tara blasted Hades into a wall.
	"How DARE you!" Hades was screaming. "You're my daughter!"
	"That doesn't make me your possession!" Tara screamed, loosing 
another bolt as she did. "I don't belong to you!"
	"I don't understand," Persephone murmured. "I don't understand why 
they're fighting."
	"They're...they're fighting because Hades wants Tara to live down 
here."
	"Down here?" Persephone looked distressed at the prospect.
	"Forever," Willow said, pressing the point home. 
	"But...he can't do that!"
	"Tell him!" Willow yelled.
	Persephone nodded and approached the edge of the platform. She 
raised her hands...
	Hades and Tara were about twenty feet apart; each was ready to 
unleash another bolt of power against the other.
	"It didn't have to be like this," Hades growled. "I just wanted to be 
part of your life."
	"You wanted to control my life!" Tara yelled. "You're right, 
father...it didn't have to be like this."
	They raised their hands...
	The bolts blazed forward.
	And stopped.
	"HADES!" Persephone screamed. As she did, the bolts faded into 
nothingness.

	Cerberus was halfway through the tunnels when he howled in sudden 
agony. His mouths popped open.
	Ericthonius yanked his sword out of the roof of the dog's mouth and 
leapt. He collapsed in a smelly, slimy heap, but quickly got to his feet and ran 
back towards the cavern.
	His knuckles were white around the hilt of the sword as he imagined 
what it would feel like to kill that damned boy.

	"Release her," Persephone said simply.
	"What?" Hades yelled. "Are you completely...never mind, rhetorical 
question. No! She's my daughter! She's mine!"
	"She's not," Persephone said. "She belongs to this mortal here. We 
heard her say so."
	"A mortal?! You think I'd accept the word of a mortal?"
	"Hades, stop this right now or I'm leaving."
	It became very quiet very quickly.
	"You wouldn't," Hades said in a hush.
	"I would," Persephone replied. "I...I haven't seen the sun in a long 
time. I want Tara to see the sun."
	"But--"
	"Now, Hades."
	Hades glared at his wife, his daughter, at Willow.
	"Fine. Fine! She's free to go. But this mortal--" He pointed at Willow. 
"--is still my property! So, daughter, if you want to see her, you'll--"
	"Hey."
	The voice was a croak. Willow looked in the direction it had come and 
saw Xander...
	"Oh, God," she said, and she ran forward to help. Xander was 
standing on the staircase, slowly stumbling upwards. He was a bloody mess; his 
face was a crazy-quilt of blues, purples, blacks and blood reds.
	"Hey, Will," he groaned.
	"Xander, don't move," Willow ordered as she came up to him. 
	"I win," Xander said as he stepped onto the platform. "You..don't 
b'long to..." He almost toppled over, but Willow grabbed his shirtfront.
"It's okay, Xander," she said soothingly. "Just sit down and--"
	"YAHHHHHH!" Screaming, Ericthonius leapt out of the tunnel 
nearest the platform. He saw Xander, saw his back exposed, and attacked. 
Xander had barely enough strength to scream as the sword bit into his back.
	"NOOOOO!" Willow screamed. She pulled Xander forward, both of 
them falling onto the platform. He was dead weight; she couldn't feel him 
breathing, couldn't feel his heart beat...
	Somewhere, a million miles behind her, she felt a flash of heat and 
light; did Tara do that? She wriggled out from beneath Xander and turned him 
over. Blood immediately began to pool beneath him.
	"No no no no no no," Willow said over and over. She pulled off 
Xander's shirt, wadded it, pressed it against the wound. "No, please, no..."
	"Will," he murmured.
	"Xander?! Xander, I'm right here, stay with me, Xander," she 
babbled. "You're going to be okay..."
	"Will...you...b'long to...you..."
	"Somebody help me!" Willow screamed to the gods and goddesses, 
who were watching, stunned.
	"Will," he said one more time.
	And then he was silent.

All of this is copyright Joss Whedon, except the stuff that isn't.

Chapter 4