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The sand in her hand weighs almost nothing. It’s neither hot nor cold, the gold grains move behind the glass as if a gust of air has stirred them up. Everything here is real, a possibility that could have come to pass, as unlikely as it would have been. There is nothing left from this version of the titan, only the reminder of the anguish of his true end she holds. By now the path to Tartarus is all but muscle memory, she can get down in the quarter of an hour. Almost a hundred now, one hundred more nights and one hundred dead versions of time itself. She knows there will be more, but what she has done must have already partly ensured the continued existence of their timeline. Melinoë tucks the sand away and casts the first spell she ever learned.
Something goes wrong, interferes with her spell and leaves her in a void. This has never happened before, is not supposed to happen. She recites it again, nothing. Her movements cut through the air like elaborate dance moves but she firmly remains in place. Nothing can counter this, not time itself not any power older than reality.
If Chronos has betrayed them, it’s the only explanation she can think of, she will personally deliver the last blow. He has never in their fights been able to stop her escape back to the crossroads. But they let him roam the underworld and took him up to Olympus. Whose to say the old man hasn’t learned any new tricks?
People are a sum of their experiences, but what do a few happy years matter against an eternity of pain. She never should have let him live, never should have let Zagreus convince her that there was no need to end the titan of time. No, she cannot blame her brother for this. Ultimately it was her choice and her misplaced sensibilities that led to this. She should have not let her conviction be shaken by fake memories she doesn’t even possess herself.
It does not matter.
When she gets back and she will get back, she will take Gigaros from her brother and kill Time. Like she should have done long ago.
None of her spells work, this place is empty of everything. There is more realness in the place Chaos resides, an echo of existence, a start of something. Here it's only her and endless dark. A heavy weight still sits on her wrist. How Chronos must laugh at her now that his plan has come to fruition. How it must have pained him to play doting grandfather, how the act must have made his insides churn. How he must have hated to feel pressured to give her a gift in return for nectar. A courtesy she thought then, on both sides. Now it’s clear that he was simply biding his time, gave her something she could never use against him. Something that seemed far more useful at first glance than it actually is.
“Please don’t murder grandfather over this, it's simply the last act of someone who does not wish to cease to be without passing something on.”
It’s her own voice, right behind her. Not outright softer, but a bit lower and almost daring. She turns around, Lim and Oros at the ready. Melinoë comes face to face with herself. Like when looking into a mirror, but a twisted one.
The young goddess in front of her is without a doubt herself but it is not her. This Melinoë lacks the crescent moon between the tips of her laurel leaves. She lacks any armor. Her dress is red, covers her shoulder more, the top ends at the bottom of her neck and falls down to her knees. Theres a wide bracelet close to one wrist, too thin to be anything but jewelry and another up above the other elbow. She is also in possession of both arms in their original state. A medallion hangs around her neck, it’s golden. The exact same shade as the time piece Chronos gave her.
“You were not supposed to exist,” she says. Without thinking because that ought have sounded horribly rude.
The other her stifles a laugh. “I am not sure if I ever did, what am I but memories of things that never truly occurred? They were real to me but from what I know now none of it ever truly was.” She looks away, breathes in and turns back to Melinoë. “I am only here to give you what you should have received long ago.”
“I do not want your memories. They are yours to keep and as you said none of it ever happened to me. It would be wrong to take them from you,” she tells her.
“I,” the other her crosses her arms, “will cease to exit no matter what you do. I am the echoes of a time that never was. Zagreus and Grandfather remember, cherish memories that you are owed. You were there, they are yours too.”
But they weren’t. Melinoë didn’t grow up in the House of Hades, has not known her parents and brother until she was an adult. Has never played hide and seek with the titan of time. Her childhood was stolen from her, taking these memories would be too high a risk. It can change people, she’s seen it with Chronos. Given that he likely is not at fault for the current situation. Not directly. But the person in front of her is real, in all ways that matter. Altogether a wholly different person than herself.
“I cannot. But who says you have to die, I can look for an incantation and you can come to the crossroads.” Her offer receives no reply. Maybe she should have offered to take her down to the House of Hades. It might be more familiar. Persephone and Hades won’t mind she’s sure and as the princess she allowed to extent an invite.
“You’re softer than I expected, less hardened by war. But there is no incantation. You cannot have two versions of the same person in the same timeline. You would break reality apart” She hesitates and Melinoë opens her mouth to voice her complaints because Hecate is here. “Your headmistress is not you, not as I am.”
It is all she says and Melinoë cannot bring herself to argue further because looking at Hecate has never once been similar to looking at a mirror, not like this.
“I still cannot take up your offer, I will not change who I am. Not for this.”
“You won’t. You know your mind. We know our minds. You can differentiate between the memories. They won’t take your anger from you. If love could undue hate our family would have far fewer issues.” The other her takes her medallion off, lets it hang off her fingers and holds it out to her.
She deserves remembrance too and this would help her understand it better. Chronos was changed by memories of what could have been, but they are vastly different beings. Melinoë doesn’t have millennia of wrath built up in her, her angers is righteous and it is directed. It will not make her hate or her pain disappear, might strengthen it even. To know what Chronos took from her in more than daydreams and might have beens. She holds out her hand.
The other her smiles, similar to how her brother does. “Do one thing for me please. Punch grandfather for the stupid war he decided to start,” with that she drops the medallion into Melinoë’s hand.
She presses her hand over her mouth, keeps herself from giggling as her brother looks into the hallway once, only to turn back to the main hall. He’s by far not as good at finding her as grandfather. Melinoë peeks out further from behind death’s cloak. The steps return and she ducks herself back between Thanatos and the railing of the balcony.
“Hey Than.” Her brother starts. “You wouldn’t have happened to see my little sister would you?”
She’s hidden well as long as her brother doesn’t look sideways, she’s going to win. Thanatos floats to the side, absolutely ruining her hiding place. “Yes. She’s here,” he just says.
Melinoë clutches her Cerberus plushie closer. Traitor. “You promised you’d hide me.” She pouts, it’s unfair.
“I did not answer your question, Princess. You simply assumed I would help you,” he tells her. She doesn’t understand why he doesn’t like her, he won’t even let her touch his scythe. It just looks really cool.
"You’re a meanie, both of you.”
“So, you don’t want to scratch the top of Cerberus heads?” Zagreus asks, he cocks his head to the side and bends down a bit so he doesn’t completely tower over her. A few leaves from his crown tumble downwards. “
You know I am not tall enough,” she says. Not even when she stands on her tiptoes and Cerberus lowers his right head to the ground. She can’t pet him right.
“Now, I think he’s already missing you.” Her brother grins at her and holds his arms out. He picks her up like she weighs nothing and sits her on his shoulders.
She moves her toy to one hand and points the other forwards. “Off to Cerberus!”
Megaera stares at her from the other side of the table. Melinoë looks back at her and picks another slice of pomegranate from a bowl while finishing up her puzzle.
"I am on break, not babysitting duty,” the fury states.
“Zag likes you,” she says.
“He likes Thanatos too.” Megaera sips at her drink. Melinoë isn’t sure if it’s nectar or ambrosia, but she’s too young for it anyways.
“He’s not here though.”
The fury downs the rest of her drinks in one go. “You haven’t met my sisters, have you?” Meg asks.
“I only see them when Zag kills them.” Melinoë would like to, they are cool. There are so many cool people she has never met.
“Lord Hades.” The fury stands up and holds her hand out to her. “Only said that you shall not leave the house on your own.”
The furies turn out to be very nice.
Her mother is in her garden. Picking fruits off of one of the trees. Melinoë clutches the small seeds and hides her hand behind her back. They need to be planted but mother might be mad at her for going out alone. The Shades didn’t even see or attack her. Her brother’s job is to break out of the Underworld, of course they’ll fight him. But she’s still too young for everything. Too little to fight or something. She can hold a knife, she helps the head chef sometimes. Zagreus wasn’t much older when he was handed a sword, she knows that because he told her.
Her feet singe the grass a little when she steps off the stone and Persephone turns her head around to look at her. “Would you like one?” the goddess asks.
Melinoë shakes her head. “I found something, I need a place to plant it.”
The queen smiles, places the woven basket down on a bench and gestures for her to sit down. She’s still small enough for her toes to only just brush the ground. Persephone hold out her open hand and Melinoë slowly hands over the seeds to her. The queen looks at them, brings them closer to her face and her brow furrows. “Where did you find these?” she asks. “Those don’t grow in the house.”
Melinoë swings her feet back and forth, bites the inside of her cheek and looks away.
“Zagreus didn’t bring you these? Or Thanatos? Or Achilles?.” Persephone sounds worried, she tightens her hold on the seeds and softly turns her daughter’s face towards her.
Melinoë doesn’t know which lie would even work, she has no idea which plant they belong to. Where in the Underworld it would grow other than the depths or Tartarus.
“You are not supposed to leave the house on your own, Mel. It’s dangerous. You can ask Achilles to take you to Elysium or Orpheus if you can visit him and Eurydice in Asphodel. I am sure Charon would be welcome to let you accompany him part of the way” The queen suggests.
“Zag is allowed to leave on his own and everything is trying to kill him. The shades didn’t even notice me.”
Her mother sighs. “Your brother’s job is to make sure no one can escape the Underworld. Most beings down here would not even dare to think about hurting you but the shades in Tartarus were never good people and they could still disobey your father’s direct order. No matter the consequences for them.”
“But it’s boring here,” Melinoë says.
“I’ll talk to Hades but until then you’ll stay in the house, alright?” Persephone asks her. The child nods once, it wasn’t even that much fun. Only shades lingering around in empty hallways. “Good, then let’s plant these. I am sure someone in this house likes poppies.”
The flowers have red petals, with a little black in the middle. She rolls the stem of one around in her hand and hands to others out. Father takes one with a small grumble, Nyx smiles at her and Dusa vanishes upwards before Mel can even hand the flower over. Hypnos stares at it like she just gave him a bottle of nectar. Maybe it’s a domain thing? She knows Zag just handed his over to Thanatos. Death could have asked if he wanted a flower, she has more than enough.
One of the flowers sists in a small globe of golden light atop a gilded shelf. It’s too tall for her to reach. The only sound here is the turning of gears and a ticking that lodges itself so deep into her brain that she’s scared it won’t leave again. But it’s calmer than the rest of the house and barely anyone else comes here. Zagreus from time to time but her brother is always busy.
“I am older, you can tell me about the golden age now,” she says. It’s been years since she asked the last time. Her grandfather continues working on the small time piece he has been stuck on for months.
“I believe we agreed that I would tell you once you are older, my girl,” he says.
“That was years ago. Zag wants to start training me soon. I can handle some stories and I practiced puzzles in case father overreacts,” she argues.
Chronos moves the instrument in his right hand and some mechanism locks into place with a click. “That is very sweet of you. But I am still on rather thin ice,” he explains, “but it is very kind of your brother to take over your training.”
“Only because Achilles doesn’t want to do it.” She throws herself backwards onto the bench facing the window. “Says I am different from my brother and need different guidance, he cannot offer. Mother and Father are all looking all over Elysium for someone fitting while Zag’s supposed to get me started on the basics.” She gestures while she talks, making it very clear how unhappy she is about the whole thing. Zag’s slow and he has told her that the infernal arms change to fit their current holder but she wants weapons that are really her own. Not hand me downs from her brother. It’s not like she can fight like him anyways, he has their families’ boons and throws crystals made of blood around.
She wants something else. Mel has seen the dark Nyx commands without words, how Thanatos scythe is a focus for more than brute strength. She wants power at her fingertips not bound to weapons or boons.
“I could learn magic,” she says without meaning to. Her thoughts voicing themselves, leading her to push herself up. That’s it. With some weapons of course, but power that is her own.
“I am sure your parents can find you a suitable teacher-“
“They know lots of witches grandfather. Maybe I can learn from Circe? Or Medea? Mother is friends with Hecate, right? Maybe magic is even part of my domain.” It’s going to be so much fun, maybe she can get a giant weapon to add to curses. She’d be undefeatable then. Their relatives on Olympus are always up for some shenanigans, her brother doesn’t necessarily need one million blessings at the same time.
“I do understand your excitement, my girl. But you are aware that only one of the witches you mention reside in the Underworld to my knowledge and you are not able to go to the surface to meet the others,” Chronos says. He places the time piece in a metal chest and closes it’s lock.
“I know, we die if we spent too long up there. Wait, it’s time related. Isn’t it?” she chirps up. “We die if we stay too long. But it could be slowed down.”
“It’s possible”
“We can look into it, right? Please.” She presses her hands together and opens her eyes as wide as possible as possible.
“Of course”
She picks a sickle, out of some old weapons crest. Not a weapon that ever belonged to her brother. It’s quick, both edges sharp and cuts through the air in total silence.
“I think Grandmother would appreciate it, tool of harvest and all.” Zagreus grins and leans the sword against the pauldron on his shoulder.
“You said you wanted to train me.” She points the weapon at him. “Let’s get to it.”
Melinoë’s dreams are filled with nightmares, shadows and creatures that lurk just out of sight. They are dangerous, incredibly so but she has never been scared of them. Children dream senseless things often. But she’s older now, almost an adult and the dreams are still there. Chronos thinks they might be close to a breakthrough by now, her ability to help in these matters is limited. She can cast some curses though time as it turned out has no connection whatsoever to her domain. But tonight’s dream was different. The same dark void as always, creatures watching her from the endless nothingness. But this time they listened to her when she called. This is something else.
Nyx tilts her head to the side. “You ought to talk to talk to Hypnos.” Is the only thing she can offer. “It does sound like your domains are connected in some way.”
The god of sleep is in his usual place, the line of shades steadily increasing in size. Melinoë clears her throat.
“I am a-. Oh it’s you. Everything’s okay?” His eyes are heavy from sleep and he tilts the tip of his quill away from the list.
“There is something wrong with my dreams,” she tells him.
“Some of the Oneroi do flock to you. I can tell them to leave you alone, they have to listen to me.” He sounds unbothered and why not? She has not voiced her problem and dreams visiting one is not usually an issue.
“It is just the kind of dreams that I don’t understand. They are nightmares, I know they are nightmares. But I feel not even an ounce of fear of them and last night I beckoned one closer and it listened. Nyx thought it might be connected to my domain, but I am not sure. Dreams can be weird. Hypnos?”
He is absolutely still, the list falls from his hand and clatters loudly to the floor. Hades loud complaint is simply ignored.
“Hypnos?” she tries again. Two too cold hands clasp her shoulders.
“Nightmares, of course. Oh this could be such a fun development.” He moves away again and presses his palms together. “You could try bringing them to life. Or going into other people’s dreams. Oh, you could try it on Thanatos”
“But what am I supposed to do?” Melinoë inquires. She didn’t actually think it’d be true, it’s in no way connected to her parents’ or brother’s domains.
Hypnos hums. “You should sleep more for starters. Can’t get closer to your domain if you and Zag are competing for who can stay awake longer.”
“Will it work?” her brother asks. He looks at the medallion in disbelief.
It’s in a box and looks utterly unassuming, just a golden piece of jewelry with a small button on the side.
“Not for you. It’s specifically attuned to your sister. If it works creating one suited to you would be quicker,” Chronos explains. Zagreus mutters something about favorites.
Melinoë picks the medallion up, it opens when she pushes the button. Inside is a metal dial with number engraved on it in a circle. Two metal arrows point towards two of the numbers. She shuts it again, this must have taken years to build.
“We are going to test it. Brother, when is your next escape attempt?” she asks.
“Later today, I wanted to catch up with Meg and Than in the lounge,” he replies.
“I’ll come with you. We’ll be quicker and I can test it out. We might be able to see Olympus, finally.” Her brother is older than her, he has been no further than their mother’s old cottage. They worked on this incantation for so long. It has to work. And as soon as she’s back, they get started on a medallion for her brother.
She’s back home, in the crossroads. The medallion still in her hand. None of it was real, only could have beens. Nothing more, and yet. It does not soothe her anger how she feared, only let’s it burn hotter. To know what Chronos took from her is different than to have seen what her childhood could have been. To have the memories of it lodged deep in her mind. It does not change a thing, she tells herself as she rushes past Hecate and Nemesis. That Melinoë is not her, never has been her. She leaves the time pieces strapped to her wrist with her other gifts and fastens the medallion to her belt to not lose it.
Nothing she saw matters. But she needs to speak to Chronos.