The Problem With Melinoe

As usual I do not own Hercules (Disney does) but I do own this version of Persephone, Melinoe, Thanatos and Macaria as well as a whole cast of gods immortal beings, places and certain plants that come up in this story. This may contain running themes and carry on plots so you may get confused but the main story is straight-forward enough to follow. I'm not possessive, anyone can use my characters I only like to know first so that I can read, review and offer any insight into character that will help you out..

Been somewhat out of the loop and lack of new reviews says that no-one new reads these, word I get is that folks are daunted by the length of my story. The reboot is still in consideration so maybe it will happen, who knows..

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Reviews:

Princess Aaliyah: I don't wish to give that away, I'm using an obscure myth for this that I dug up online but it will be worth the wait.. The trinity, in basic terms, just describes the three rulers of Greece Zeus, Posidien and Hades. Together they are strong but since the bond has been broken they are more vulnerable than they were before.. Pm if you still want to but it isn't really that difficult to follow..

Nyx27seth: I'm sure Hades will be firing into Lycan soon enough, don't worry. Melinoe might not be the kid he notice's first but she is still his daughter and in Hades' mind that means she belongs to him..

PotniaCtonica: Hi, I'm glad you like this story. Apologises for the super late update, I don't come here that often anymore, nor do I have a huge amount of time for writing.. Had been waiting for Kingdom of Hearts 3 to see what it had brung, though confess: find myself a little disappointed with the plot line surrounding Hades himself.

DaniNatureGirl391: I love the Underworld series! I had never considered making him similar to Lucian although now that I read him back I now hear Micheal Sheen's voice. There are a few similarities between the two I admit but that wasn't intentional. Though I hear there is a possibility of an Underworld tv series, that would be interesting..

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Chapter Four: Persephone's Pragmatic Approach

It was almost dawn by the time Paranioa reached the deep cavernous home of Lycan, where the lean pale-skinned man in grey ragged attire was bedding down on the firm slab that he called a bed. He had been roaming alone at night, like he did most nights until he had met young Melinoe. The young witch had recognised that he was not a true animal, he later learned that this was because real animals fled from her presence. When he also learned that she was the daughter of Hades he had been taken aback, though her eratheal beauty and young age made sense. He had not even realised that Hades and Persephone had children, like most on the surface he had just presumed them childless as they never seemed like the type to actually chose to have children. Despite being so young the twelve year old goddess had listened to his story with a sympathetic ear, managing to ease his curse a little with her knowledge of witchcraft. Instead of being forced to transform every night he only had to endure it when the moon was at its highest point. She also told him that as long as he only roamed around in the darkest of night while Zeus slept, he would never discover the truth.

So that's what he did.

He might be years older than her but he knew good advice when he heard it, even if it spouted from the mouth of a preteen girl. Had she been older he might have considered a romantic relationship, she was strong-willed, clever and defiant even if her attitude and humour was on the morbid and morose side. He was a lot of things but not a pedophile, he would not lay a finger or claw on her. He had already pushed his luck with Zeus, he wouldn't dare do the same with his temperamental younger brother.

"Lycan.." A small voice made his deep indigo eyes blink and swivel around, his scraggly head of dark hair flying around and settling on his shoulders. His guard dropped when he saw the tiny dark blue imp inside his 'home' looking nervously at him while holding a violet coloured scroll in his tiny claw-like hands.

"Paranioa.." He said in a friendly tone. "It's ridiculously late, or ludicrously early, whichever way you want to look at it. What brings you here?" He wondered what Melinoe could possibly want from him at this hour, considering it waslong after her bedtime.

"I-I have a summons for you, from the Queen herself." The tiny imp fearfully as he held out the violet scroll towards the rough looking human who was still handsome in a roguish fashion. Lycan's expression melted into shock and he snatched the scroll and read it.

"What? Dinner... Why would your queen wish to invite me to dinner?" He threw the minuscule imp a suspicious look. He was no fool. He had heard of what happened to Peirthous and he wasn't about to join him.

"She wishes to meet you in person. Your the first friend outside the Underworld that Melinoe has befriended, can you blame Lady Persephone for being curious?" Paranioa replied as he hopped up onto the makeshift bed that Lycan had created for himself. His yellow bug eyes studied Lycan's unsure expression. "It's not true what they say, y'know. Master Hades didn't kidnap her, she went to him willingly and she's very kind. Where do you think Melinoe gets that from?"

"I've heard she has a reputation for being quite vindictive too." A thin line formed formed in between his rough but well trimmed moustache and beard as Lycan considered the outcome of all those that had defied the Queen of the Underworld. He did not wish to be another name on Hades' hit list.

"Only to those who offend her first." Paranioa said in a soft voice and Lycan gave a small smirk, nodding as he reread the scroll, seeing that the night was fortunately not on a full moon. He could go and resume a human form without having to endure the beast inside.

"Then it seems I have no choice. Tell your queen that I accept her request but I will need a guide, I have never travelled to the Underworld before." He murmured with a resolute look in those dark indigo eyes and in that moment Paranioa couldn't help but have deep respect for the guy. With a smile the tiny imp nodded and shimmered out leaving the nearly thirty year old cursed mortal to comb his fingers through his head of dark hair and contemplate his fate..

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"Seph. When exactly does this family ever just sit down to a dinner?" Hades asked his wife seriously, fighting the urge to flare up in his irritation that he now had to fake nice with some mortal drip that was going to be making goo-goo eyes at his little bluebird of gloom.

"Precisely." The blonde haired Queen of the Underworld replied turning around from the long conference table that they usually used for buisness meetings. Today the Goddess of Life was having it dressed for dinner with this mysterious friend of Melinoe's. The three Sirens had been laying ghostly grey tablecloth and positioning the wrought iron candle holders with long black candles she had found in one of Hades' stores.

"We're ready for the cutlery now." Tele's voice was saying to her two sisters and immediately the two identical girls appeared, Raidne carrying two kinds of forks and Molpe carrying two kinds of knives. As the two sisters put down their knives Tele placed the spoons down, quickly and efficiently laying out the table.

"When was the last time the two of us sat down with all of the kids and ate together?" Persephone's was asking her husband as she folded the black napkins into ornate black roses.

"Hmmm.." Hades actually had to stop and think about this for a moment before exhaling and relenting realising that they had not actually done this since Thanatos had officially been made God of Death which had been nearly four years ago. "Ok. You got me, so it's been a while but that doesn't mean ya had t'go and invite the schlep?"

These words made Persephone's green eyes narrow in a deadpan look.

"You did not ask that." She turned away from her husband and back to her girls who were all high-fiving in celebration at their ability to come together and do a job quickly. "Wow, table looks great girls.." She added as she set her napkins down in the centre of the dark slate place mats.

"May we be excused to continue in our Elysian Fields duties?" Raidne asked politely.

"Of course." Persephone replied amiably and the three girls curtsied together.

"Thank you." They chimed in together before unfurling their white feathered wings and flying off out of the throne room.

"Aww, that's so nice." Hades drawled with a twisted smirk watching her minions leave, his tone subtly hinting envy at how they always seemed far more competent than his own minions who always needed to be prodded to fall in line rather than just being happy to serve. "But then, everyone under here always goes out of their way to please you." He exhaled heavily, shaking his head after admitting this truth. Their subjects always seemed to be enamoured by their queen, always going out of their way to please her.

"Hmh, only because they know you will punish them if they don't do as I say." Her words made the wily smirk return to his full blue lips, the upper row of his sharp teeth poking through as he chuckled darkly.

"Well, I guess that's true.." He added in some amusement.

"Oh. I spoke with the Fates, they assured me that Thanatos will have no viable reason to escape dinner. And neither do you." There was a note of finality in her tone and that rarely seen foreboding look in her green eyes that could scare the living soul out of any mortal man. It was a fierce reminder that his wrath alone was not what had earned her the title of Iron Queen.

"I wouldn't dream of disappointing you, my sweet." Hades replied easily, though his words came easily his smile hid an edge of unease, only his wife could rouse a true state of fear in him. "So, how can you be sure that this Lycan-yutz is smart enough to accept your offer?" The blue-flamed god with pale blue skin added conversationally as moved one hand expressively.

"Because—" Persephone began then with convenient timing the tiny royal blue imp appeared on the armrest of the stone chair the white skinned goddess was resting against.

"Lycan accepts your invitation but he will need a guide to show him the way." Paranioa said trying to sound confident but a small tremor was still audible in his tone, he then flinched realising that he had, yet again, forgotten to bow or refer to his queen by her title and waited for the punishment.

"-he is Melinoe's friend." The Queen of the Underworld continued smiling at the information she had just received, unbothered by the fact that the tiny imp had not referred to her by her title. "Thank you Paranoia, your excused." At his dismissal the tiny blue imp breathed a heavy sigh of relief and vanished out in a blue shimmer to go find his older brothers. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go see Hecate."

"Hecate?" The Lord of the Dead kinked a brow at her in slight confusion as his wife walked towards the door arch into the throne room.

"Yes, I'm sure she would be happy to guide Melinoe's friend down, especially if she hasn't met him yet like you said." The blonde haired goddess replied lightly, pausing in the door arch and flashing her husband a girly smile before disappearing through the doorway adding, "Why don't you try reaching out to Thanatos again?" Her words made Hades exhale, his shoulders sag dramatically and his back bend like some put upon adolescent.

"Yeh, right. Like that's gonna do anything." His flames ripping before he then vanished out into smoke. He didn't want to have to issue some retribution to force his son into submission like a true minion but if he didn't change he would have no choice but to treat and punish his son like a minion. He needed to get to the bottom of this fast and since he couldn't talk to his son, his mentor was the next best thing..

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"You can't be serious Hades, this could just be a phase." Hermes said looking somewhat disturbed by the idea of Thanatos being punished as if he were another minion in his employment. These words only made the blue flamed god exhale heavily.

"The bottom line is: If he cannot lose this self-absorbed, arrogant attitude he has developed lately and show me some fate dammed respect that boy will be punished in the same manner I would punish any other minion in my employ. Kapeesh?" The Lord of the Dead groused, frowning heavily and slumping back in his side of the two seater throne.

"Heh, he's a teen Hades. The key word here is: rebellion. All kids rebel, in fact, I've heard that you yourself were quite the little hellian at Than's age." The small blue god elbowed Hades with a sly look and a mischievous grin and these words made a depraved smirk snake across the elder god's blue lips and he chuckled lightly.

"It's true, I was no cherub..." His smirk melted as fast as his flames turned orange. "But we aren't talking about me, are we? Besides.. If I spoke to my dad the way Than addresses me I wouldn't live to see daylight again!" His fist smashed into the arm of his throne as he combust into a momentary explosion of flames making Hermes dive out the way of the blast.

"Oh wow. This is testy, even for you." The blue god shook off the soot that had landed on his clean white toga by spinning quickly in the air. "I'm just saying that maybe before you go all me master, you servant on your kid you two should just sit down and talk. Clearly there is some communication issues here that need to be resolved. Ooh, I'll even mediate for ya, now how does that sound?" Hermes offered before pulling out his schedule scroll and looking through the limited spaces he was free.

"Urgh! Have you been speaking to my wife? You sound just like her." Hades rolled his large yellow eyes in frustration, folding his arms petulantly while remaining slumped back.

"Hey, we're both concerned, that's all. Now look, I have tomorrow afternoon free. I can quill us all in for a counselling sesh. We can talk about how you both feel and find out where things are going amiss, sound good?"

"Oh yeh... just peachy." Hades drawled in a sarcastically upbeat manner which went right over Hermes's head as the tiny god beamed happily.

"Good, I'm glad that's settled. Here's your appointment card.." He pulled out a small blue card so fast it came out of seemingly nowhere and completely missed the bemused blinking on the Lord of the Dead's face as he stuffed his schedule scroll back inside his toga. " Now if you'll excuse me, I'm just gonna mosey on over to the Fates to make sure your not late. Don't lose your flames 'til then big guy." He then vanished in a blue neon blur out of one of the huge round windows of the throne room as Hades exhaled heavily.

"Great.. Just great.." Councelling with Hermes. Was there no end to his eternal torment?

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Hey guys, I am so lame.. Been focusing so much on my other writing that I completely abandoned this one. I may take a little hiatus from that soon to focus more on this one as I really do want to finish it.. So sorry for the wait but the next chapter will be on the dinner with Lycan.

Can you really blame Hermes for trying to protect Thanatos? The idea of counselling is kinda new but when it came to me I couldn't stop laughing at it, especially with Hermes playing counsellor, it was just too funny.. All I can picture is lines like "How do you feel about that" and "Share with us"...

Hope that I have brought something to look forward to and you haven't all ditched..

~A.Teal