A/n - written for the Tournament and AU packet - mythology!AU. This is the myth of Echo and Narcissus.
"I'll teach you to spread falsity," Hera says, with obvious distance in her voice. The Goddess before Rita could be considered beautiful if she actually tried, and that's probably the reason Zeus finds bed partners with other women.
Rita opens her mouth to say something, but Hera raises her hand before the words can be formed and Rita's throat feels constricted. Her eyes bulge as her hands come to wrap around her own throat. She feels like she is choking.
"From now on, you will only repeat what others say," Hera says satisfied.
Against her will, Rita finds herself repeating, "Others say."
Rita opens her mouth to speak but no sounds come out. She frantically continues to try. She can feel the words she wants to spit on the tip of her tongue, but every time she tries, her tongue gets tied. All she can do is make noise. After several long moments of unspoken words, Rita glares at Hera.
Hera observes her hand before meeting Rita's eyes with a smirk. "It is no use. You'll forever echo everyone else."
With a sinking stomach, Rita forcefully repeats, "Everyone else."
"I would tell you to close your eyes so I can take my leave, but I have feeling you wouldn't. I wouldn't want your death to end your suffering before it could even begin," Hera says.
"Could even begin," Rita echoes as Hera walks out of her house.
The curse is very thorough.
She has to repeat the last few words of anyone around her. It doesn't matter if she is listening or not; their words becomes hers. It helps, though, to focus on people so that she doesn't have a million unfinished sentences coming out of her mouth.
She can't write what she wants to say either. She can't even write the last few words of what anyone else says. Probably to make sure that she never has the ability to spread her own thoughts around.
She hasn't tried it, but she suspects that she couldn't escape the curse by killing herself. She has too much pride to kill herself. The longer she echoes others, the more she thinks that death might be easier.
If it hadn't been placed on her, she might've found the curse to be brilliant.
The people who once read her every word are now whispering about her.
"I heard she pissed off Hera," one whispers.
"Off Hera," Rita echoes angrily.
"I heard that Aphrodite was jealous of her and that's why she cursed her - to make her appear less beautiful to others," the other replies, their voice equally as soft.
"To others," she says, a little happier
"Why would the Goddess of Love be jealous of her? She's not nearly as beautiful," the first one argues.
She glares at the two women who are whispering about her as the words, "as beautiful," are torn from her mouth. After that, she focuses on someone else.
She packs her bags and she leaves in the middle of the night. She's tired of speaking other people's words. The best way to ensure that she won't is to not be around others.
The woods aren't as glamorous as she would prefer, but it's the price that she'll gladly pay to keep from echoing others. The first few nights are lonely and cold. She doesn't know a thing about starting a campfire and her clothes are covered in dirt.
Her stomach is growling since the food she prepared is already gone. She's picking berries when footsteps alerts her to another presence. She turns around and is greeted by the sight of a few dozen girls. She wants to curse her luck, but the words never come out. Just what she needed - another Goddess to meddle in her life.
"You don't want to eat those berries," one of the girls tells her.
"Those berries," she repeated, annoyed.
The girl, a redhead that's no more than ten, glares at her. "Why are you mocking me?" she questions angrily.
"Mocking me," Rita says, frustration leaking into her voice.
The girl is about to reply when another young girl, with chestnut hair and striking eyes, places a hand on her forearm. "Enough, Muriel," she says with authority. "I recognize a curse when I see one."
"I see one," Rita agrees, nodding her head. She can tell that it's Artemis that she is speaking to.
Artemis steps forward and gestures Rita away from the berry bush that she is standing in front of. "Come, child. I would offer you a spot with my Hunters, but I'm afraid that it would not cure your curse. It is obvious that whoever cursed you wanted you to suffer."
"To suffer," she agrees again.
"Muriel, Minerva, you two may stay. The rest of you will set a perimeter around here. Don't speak within earshot of her," Artemis orders.
The girls around Artemis scammer off as Rita repeats, "earshot of her."
Artemis gestures to the two girls that remain; the redheaded Muriel and a girl a few years older with silver tiara that rests upon her black hair. "Muriel is my best tracker and hunter and Minerva is my lieutenant. I'll leave you in their hands."
"Their hands," Rita says confused.
Minerva frowns. "Lady Artemis is trying to help you," she informs Rita.
"Help you?"
Muriel grins wolfishly. "You obviously haven't been out here too long. No more than I week, I'd say. Run out of the food you brought with you. Lady Artemis wants me to teach you what you can and can't eat out here. While, Minnie gives you a few basic first aid lessons and maybe one of our special tents."
"Our special tents," Rita spits out. She is glaring at the redhead.
"You're not going to last much longer out here. Those berries you were grabbing were poisonous," Muriel says.
"Were poisonous," she replies flatly.
Minerva pulls out of cube from her pocket. She taps it several times before she throws it to the ground. "This is a tent. It'll keep you warm or cool, depending on the season. The table will come with food and fresh water. Usually, this requires words to fold back up, but you'll just have to tap it three times in quick succession for it to fold up."
"To fold up," Rita repeats eagerly.
She walks up to the extended tent and peeks inside. The tent is toasty, and Rita hasn't felt this warm in days. She taps on the tent quickly and it folds back into the cube. She picks it up from the ground with a smile.
Muriel coughs. "While a tent is great and all, you'll still need a few tips to help you through the forest."
"The forest," Rita growls.
Muriel just laughs. She hands Rita a bow and arrow and a dagger. "Practice with those. The tent isn't going to protect you from an attack. The next important thing is directions. Do you know anything about the stars?"
"About the stars," Rita repeats with a shake of her head.
"Didn't think so," Muriel says. She points to the sky, towards the brightest star. "That is the north star." She points out two other constellations to Rita. "The big bear and little bear. That's how you'll know you're going north. Little bear is to the east, big bear is to the west." Muriel gives a sigh. "Draco, the dragon, is in between them. That dragon was a very worthy opponent."
"Worthy opponent," Rita says.
Minerva hits Muriel on the arm. "Stop fantasizing about the old hunts. Go fetch her a target to put in the tent," she orders. She doesn't waste time before continuing. "There's a river a few miles to the east. You might want to set your camp up there."
"Camp up there," Rita says with a nod.
Minerva doesn't say anything else and Rita is thankful for the silence. Both Muriel and Artemis return, the former holding a target. While Artemis speaks, Muriel sets up the target in Rita's new tent. "I'm apologize that this is the only thing that we can do for you."
Rita nods as she repeats, "do for you."
And with that, Rita is sent on her way. She heads east towards the river, following the little bear constellation for help.
It takes her all of the night and most of the next day to reach the river, but she has never been happier. She cleans herself and her clothes in the river and stays warm inside the tent. It's the closest to home she's felt since the curse was placed on her.
She is redressing when she hears the words.
"You are the most beautiful creature to live."
"To live," she says. She glances around her to see what is going on, but she finds no one. She hears the rustling of the trees and realizes that the owner of the deep voice is further up river. Glancing at her tent, she debates on whether or not to investigate. Her curiosity wins in the end.
She taps on her tent. It folds down and she pockets it. She travels up the river bank, occasionally repeating the last few words of the man's comments. It takes a while, but when she sees him, her breathe is taken away. Before her is the most beautiful man she has ever seen. She smiles for the first time since the curse.
He is staring down at the water. "Those muscles are really something," he says.
"Really something," she echoes.
His golden head snaps up and she is met with a pair of eyes that are brighter than sky. "Are you mocking Gilderoy Lockhart?"
"Gilderoy Lockhart," she repeats, dazed.
He glares at her. "Go away! You're interrupting."
"You're interrupting," Rita replies sadly.
"Weren't you listening? You're the one interrupting. Now go!"
"Now go," she repeats. She hangs her head down and turns around.
She sets up her camp not far from Gilderoy. She can hear his voice praising himself through the tent. She repeats him until her throat is raw and tiredness washes over her. Finally, after ages, he is asleep.
She doesn't know why, but she stays near him. She repeats the ending of his sentences as softly as possibly, not wanting to disturb him. She watches him day in and day out. She doesn't see him look away from his reflection in the water unless she speaks too loudly or something else draws his attention.
She doesn't even see him eat or drink. Since he hasn't died, Rita assumes that he must be eating and drinking at night, after she's fallen asleep. She pushes the thought to the back of her mind as she watches him admire himself.
He grows paler and thinner by the day. She frowns at the realization. She brings him food from her tent's table, but all she gets for her efforts is a shove and an indignant, "You're blocking the view!"
"The view," Rita repeats, stressing the words. She places the food in front of his face but he throws it away. She sits down with her head in her hands. She wants to cry but she forces the tears away. She won't cry.
When she wakes, she knows that something is wrong. There are no words that are coming through her tent. She rushes out of it to see Gilderoy slumped over. He doesn't glare when she approaches.
She sits down next to him as he cries.
"I can't see him anymore."
"Him anymore," she says, brushing his hair from his face.
"Help me," he begs. "I need to see him!"
"To see him," forces its way past Rita's throat. A sob escapes her lips as she carefully moves Gilderoy so that he can see his reflection. He weighs nothing in her arms. He's wasting away and won't let her do anything about it.
He smiles at the reflection before his chest rises and falls and doesn't move again. He grows cold in her arms. And Rita cries for the first time since the curse.