Chapter 11 - Remember Me Though We Have To Say Goodbye
(A/N) Happy New year!
"Tell me, what is my favourite nephew doing all the way down here? Finally decided to pay your old uncle a visit, huh?" Hades asked, a mirthless smile on his face.
The Gods and Goddesses had taken their meeting to Hade's throne room. It was a vast room made of stone, grey marble and bones, situated near the top of Hades's palace. There was a magnificent open balcony overlooking The River Styx, the river's eerie glow reaching into the room, casting shadows of ghouls across the walls and floors. The spirits wails were a faint noise in the backdrop.
Hades lounged on his broken throne, sat atop a pedestal of stairs made of bones. Besides him, on a white throne adorned with lush vines and blossoming flower, Persephone took her place, sitting with her hands clasped on her lap. With a flick of his wrist, Hades could have summoned chairs for his guests, but he was feeling rather petty today. Cupid's presence here, along with The Fates - who were usually hiding away in the depths of The Underworld - could only mean trouble. He would no doubt be leaving this family get together with a splitting headache and a need for revenge - as was the tradition.
"Oh, am I your favourite?" Cupid said with a cheeky smirk. "And here I thought Hercules held that title."
Hades scowled down at the younger God, standing before his throne, arrogant and impish as always. He could not help but contemplate whether or not setting Cerberus on the over-grown cherub would be worth the beating Aphrodite would give him.
Sensing her husbands growing rage, Persephone placed a hand over one of Hade's, the touch an unspoken reminder to control his temper. Hades glanced at her and took a deep breath, attempting to soothe his anger.
He knew she was doing so for his sake. She was well aware of how close he was teetering on the edge of the other God's fury. They hadn't forgiven him for his transgressions against them over the aeons, their memories long and their wraths enduring. During her time in the above worlds, his wife had heard whispers from the Keepers of The Wind, of growing discontent at the lack of true justice for his crimes. Why they hadn't tried anything over the centuries, Hades wasn't sure, but his wife always reminded him that the other Gods did not need any more incentive to strike. For her sake, he tried to reign in his worst instincts.
Hade's relationship with Persephone was not perfect, nor did it begin as any romance should, but he knew that she loved him dearly, having grown to over the years. She didn't want to lose him nor did she want her son to be without his father. She looked out for him as best she could - even if, deep down, in the blackest pits of his heart - he felt he did not deserve such loyalty, something he would never admit.
"I came here voluntarily. The Gods want you to return that which does not belong here," Cupid said.
All of the Cupid's usual playfulness had drained from his voice. At that moment Cupid no longer resembled a mischievous matchmaker or cheeky nephew here to tease his forsaken uncle. Instead, he looked like a godly warrior, stern and unyielding, his eyes hardening and back straightening. Cupid was well known for his smooth-talking charms and troublemaking antics, often resulting in a litter of broken hearts in his wake, but what many forgot, was that he was still the son of the God of War and was more than capable of waging battle. Sometimes, there was a fine line between love and war.
"And that would be?" Hades drawled, gesturing for more information.
"Evie, the girl your son saved from The River Styx and whom you brought back to life," Cupid answered, eyes meeting the other Gods. "She is of the living and therefore does not belong here."
Hades bristled, narrowing his eyes.
It was true that the living did not belong in The Underworld, some may venture here from time to time, but they never stayed long. Evie was the exception, an exception he had made to please his son and wife. He knew Hayden felt alone in The Underworld, and if bending the rules once allowed his son some happiness, then let the rules be damned. This was his domain, his world, his word was law. He had broken the rules before - for himself, for mortals worthy of it like Orpheus, and for the other Gods who had strong-armed him into it - why did it matter if he had broken one or two more? The other Gods had broken so many of their own rules, he was merely cashing in on his uncollected ones.
Truthfully, it wasn't completely for his son's happiness. He and his wife had come to cherish the girl in her time here. She was like a ray of sunshine, bright and sweet and cheerful. As much as he was loathed to admit it, she had grown on him. Why send her back above, where she would be forced to live in a prison island, with villainous thugs and filth? The Underworld may be dark and dreary, but it was infinitely better than what The Isle of The Lost had to offer her. She was safer here, where she could live in luxury, protected, cherished and free.
"Resurrecting her was also against the rules. I'm taking it that's why they're here-" Hades pointed to The Fates "-to snip her string and send her back to the rivers, huh?"
The words tasted foul on his tongue but Hade's kept up his nonchalant appearance. At the corner of his eye, he noticed the way his wife stiffened, unhappy at the thought.
"She's one little mortal, what does it matter?" Hades continued. "I can't quite see why you or the other Gods care enough to get involved with this."
If anything it unsettled Hades to know that the Olympians deemed this worthy enough to take matters into their own hands, going as far to send a messenger of divinity to him. Something was not right. Perhaps they were trying to utilise his lapse in the rules to finally make their move against him?
"You know the rules, Hades," Cupid replied, crossing his arms. Darkly, with an edge to his voice, he added, "there are consquences for breaking them."
"You have a cheek to be lecturing me about rules, Feather Brains," Hades hissed venomously, fingers digging into the throne's armrests. "It wasn't that long ago that your and the rest of the high and mighty brigade were forcing me to break the rules and bring back not one, not two, but generations of villains back from the dead! How many rules did that break, huh? And for what? Nothing more than revenge, some sick desire to watch a bunch of folks who met some of the most grizzly deaths I've ever seen, suffer more."
"If you have an issue with that take it up with the other Gods, I'm only here to take Evie back to The Land of The Living."
"Oh, I take no issue with making your enemies suffer, I'm all for it actually," Hades said with a shrug. "I'm just pointing out the delightful hypocrisy."
"Take Evie... back... to The Land of The Living?" Peresponed asked, frowning. "You do not wish to end her life?"
"No, I do not," Cupid said more softly, his eyes casting toward the balcony, towards The River Styx. "She never should have been done here in the first place. But it was the only way..."
Persephone's frown deepened, her eyes moving over to The Fates.
Hades followed her gaze and narrowed his eyes. The Fates were being suspiciously quiet, which was not like them - they usually had plenty to say. There was something... off about them. They couldn't look him in the eyes and kept fidgeting nervously, twisting their cloaks and strands of hair between their long fingers. They almost looked guilty - if that were possible. Beside them, some unseen burden was weighing down on Cupid, distress and guilt clouding his eyes.
"What do you mean it was the only way?" Hades asked slowly, raising from his throne.
Persephone swallowed and closed her eyes. "Oh, Gods... tell me you didn't?"
"I had no other choice!" Cupid said, his voice breaking a little. "It had to be done. For both their sakes!"
"What did he do?" Hades asked his wife before whirling around to face his nephew. "What did you do!"
Cupid sighed, running a hand through his purple locks. He looked tired and pained. "Did you know that your son prays? He prays so often, always the same prayer. He attaches no Gods name to it, so it lingers through the heavens until it reaches those most suited to grant it - if they choose. Every single one has come to me."
Hades lowered himself back to his seat, listening carefully. Cupid was pacing before the thrones now, arms crossed loosely across his chest.
"Your son wanted what all children want, a friend. Someone who he could play with, laugh with, someone who would look out for and be there for him, someone who would always fight his corner - just as he would for them. He wanted someone to connect to, someone who would understand him. I wanted to give him that."
Cupid spoke softly, the words bringing a sad smile to his face before fading away to a pained frown.
"But I do not work in friendships or family bonds, my skills lie in matchmaking. And none of the other Gods more suited for the task would help the son of Hades, their sworn enemy. They ignored his prayers, but I could not. A child should not suffer for the sin of their parent," Cupid turned to face Hades. "I sought out The Fates and helped the only way I could, by orchestrating Evie's arrival here."
"Why Evie?" Persephone asked. "Why of all the children you could have sent, why her? Was there a reason?"
"What better companion could I give your son... than his soulmate?" Cupid said with a wistful smile. "In this timeline though, they were never meant to meet, as is the cruel fate of some soulmates. The Fates agreed to help me change that design and help bring Hayden and Evie together."
"I take it the other Gods don't know about this?" Hades asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Here you are breaking every rule in the book and yet you have the gall to lecture me about rules and consquences!"
"Hades," Persephone chided as her husband's flames flared.
"You had The Fates snip a child's life before her time-" Hades hissed.
"Well, we-" The Fates hurried to defend themselves but were silenced with a scorching glare from Hades.
"What if Hayden hadn't seen her in The River? What if he hadn't pulled her out? Evie would have lost her life far before her time!"
"We made sure he did notice her," Cupid defended himself. "Even if we hadn't her soul would have called out to his. That's the thing about soulmates, they're always drawn to each other. Even if they were never meant to find each other in this life in another they would have. It's inevitable."
"And yet now you want to take her away from him?" Hades retorted.
"For now... that is what must be," Cupid said. "The other Gods do not know of my meddling, just of your breaking of the rules. As I'm sure you suspect, they are watching you very closely, Hades."
"Just waiting for me to slip up, huh?" Hades muttered bitterly. "Good, old, big brother."
"They shall be reunited... in time," Clotho chimed in, taking a step forward. "But first... much must happen."
"Their pasts had to be entwined," Lachesis said.
"In order for their futures to be connected," Atropos added. "And it very well could be best for... all involved."
Hades narrowed his eyes, noticing the subtle look Atropos was giving him with her one eye. She and her sisters were being more vague than normal, and Atropos's quick glance at Cupid told him why.
Cupid was not privy to all their secrets and it seemed The Fates had ulterior motives for helping him in his matchmaking scheme. It made far more sense than The Fates having a lapse into sentimentality - they had never been keen on helping the other Gods, instead favouring Hades. Helping put Evie and Hayden on course to meet each other had changed fate, setting something else into motion. Something dark. Whatever that other possibility was, it would not be best for all. It would only be best for Hades and his followers.
"Fine, I'll let you take the girl," Hades said, sighing deeply.
Persephone shot to her feet, ready to protest but Hades silenced her with a gentle touch to her hand as he too rose to his feet.
"Only... so that they can be reunited in the future."
Hades gave The Fates a knowing side-glance. He wasn't sure if they would reveal whatever secrets they held, often it took a lot of flattery and bribery before they did that, but regardless, he trusted their favour of him over the other Gods. If they had been subtly playing with the strings of fate, then it would only be for reasons that could aid him. The other Gods often looked down on The Fates, scorning their knowing eye, envious of their abilities and uncomfortable in their haggard appearance which was so different to the Olympian's divine beauty. Hades, unlike his kin in Olympus, had welcomed The Fates with open arms, offering them a home and safety in The Underworld. Was it any wonder they favoured him most?
Cupid nodded at Hade's words, grateful that the issue was being resolved without conflict.
"I am so not looking forward to the demi-god temper tantrums we're about to get," Hades sighed, raising a hand to his head to ease the phantom of a headache threatening to inflict pain on him. "I should just feed you to my pouchie and be done with this, nephew."
"One problem," Atropos said dryly, causing everyone in the room to turn to look at her. She pointed a finger back towards the doors to the throne room, which was slightly ajar. "The children were listening and have already made a run for it."
Hade's shout quaked the entire Underworld.
"CERBERUS!"
"Run, Evie!" Hayden shouted. "We can't stop!"
"Hayden... I can't go on anymore," Evie said breathlessly. "My foot is hurting too much! I think I twisted it when we were running out of the palace."
The moment they had heard Hades agree to send Evie away, the children had fled. They had eavesdropped on the adults, and although they were still at too tender an age to understand the significance of everything said, being separated they had understood. Hayden had grabbed Evie's hand and whisked her away, determined to get her far away from the adults as possible.
"We have to keep going until we're somewhere safe. If we don't they're going to take you away, Evie!" Hayden said desperately, kneeling down beside Evie where she sat on the ground, nursing her aching ankle. Ever so gently, like she was the most precious thing in the cosmos, Hayden took her face in his gloved hands. "Please, Evie! I don't wanna lose you. You're my best friend!"
"I don't wanna be taken away from you, Hayden," Evie said softly, resting her forehead against his. "But I don't know if we have a choice."
"We have to try!" Hayden whispered determinedly. "Come on! I'll carry you!"
Evie didn't get the chance to protest as Hayden grabbed both her arms and yanked them over his neck. With a heave and a grunt, he pulled her up so she was sitting on his back, her arms wrapped around his neck from behind and his arms holding her legs. If he had to piggyback her all the way he would, so long as it kept them from being separated. Hayden ran as fast as he could, running down the tunnel systems with no idea where he was going, fear driving him forward. He didn't care how far they had to run, he knew every mile would be worth their while if it meant he and Evie got to stay together.
"What's the point, Hayden? They'll find us eventually. There's nowhere we can hide down here," Evie whispered, tightening her grip around his neck and burying her face into his hair. "It's pointless."
He knew she wasn't being pessimistic, just realistic. Under all his denial, apart of him already knew his futile it was to try and run away. But he couldn't just give up, not when it was Evie at stake.
"Evie, stop talking like that!" Hayden nudged her with his head in annoyance. "We'll figure this out. If we can't get away from them here then how about The Land of The Living? If we go there then Cupid can't take you, since you're not in The Underworld anymore. You won't be breaking any more rules!"
"How do we get out of The Underworld?" Evie asked, tilting her head.
"With your mirror and magic, of course," Hayden smirked. "Quick do a spell and lead us out of here!"
Evie sighed but pulled her mirror from her pocket. "Magic mirror in my hand, show us the way to the-"
Evie's words were drowned out as something crashed through the tunnel wall, hurtling rubble into the air. The children screamed, shielding their mouths from the onslaught of dust that had risen, clouding their vision. Once the dust cleared, they wished it hadn't. As expected, they were no longer alone in the tunnel. Something massive towered some fifty feet above them, something with six pairs of glowing red eyes and three mouths filled with sharp fangs, dripping with saliva. It was a nightmarish sight, one that sent even the bravest of souls cowering.
"Cerberus," Hayden whispered.
"Nice doggy," Evie mumbled.
Hayden tightened his grip on Evie, slowly backing away as the creature began to approach them. With every step the titanic sized dog took, the ground trembled in fear.
"What are we going to do?" Evie asked.
Hayden looked around, frantically trying to look for some way out of this mess. While he walked backwards, he felt something crush under his foot. He reached down and grabbed the broken bone lying at his feet and waved it in the air, trying to draw the dogs attention to it.
"Look, Cerby! A bone! Fetch!"
The bone bounced off the dogs middle head, causing its ears to bend back as it let out a vicious growl.
"Or... not," Hayden mumbled, swallowing. "She usually likes playing fetch."
"Hayden," Evie said worriedly.
"New plan. Evie, I need you to hold on tightly and whatever you do, don't let go!"
"Why? What are you going to-"
Evie let out a shriek as Hayden charged forward, straight for Cerberus. The dog let out a noise, almost like a bewildered yelp, its eyes widening as the youngsters ran right through its legs. Cerberus was so large that it struggled to turn around in the tunnel, its body grinding against the narrow tunnel walls, giving the children a head start down the dark tunnel.
Evie lifted her mirror to her lips and whispered. "Mirror's projection, take our reflections, off in the other directions,"
The children's bodies glimmered and glowed a sparkling silver before mirror images of themselves appeared racing beside them. Hayden's stunned expression gave way to a grin as the reflections of themselves ran back the other way, leading Cerberus astray.
"What was that, Evie?"
"A mirror reflection spell," Evie replied. "Good for distractions. It creates a temporary living reflection. But as soon as Cerberus catches it it'll vanish and he'll be after us again."
"Well, we better get going!"
Hayden ran down the tunnel system, following Evie's directions as the mirror informed them where to go. He wasn't sure what they would do once they were free of The Underworld. All he knew was that they would have to hide or else the grown-ups would find them.
Eventually, Hayden came to a stop and placed Evie down. He fell to his knees, taking in deep breaths to help his aching lungs. While he rested, Evie limped over to the cliff edge they had stopped beside and peered down, drawn by the strange light coming from the drop.
"What river is that?" Eviie inquired, peering down.
At the bottom of the massive drop, a periwinkle coloured river flowed. Unlike The River Styx, she could see no ghouls haunting its waters.
"It's The River Lethe," Hayden answered. "The River of Forgetfulness. We're going to need to cross it, there's an old stone bridge a little further up."
Hayden finally got to his feet, but instead of giving Evie another piggyback, he got her to rest an arm over his shoulder and aided her walking that way. He was far too tired from all the running, and his limbs and back ached too much.
They found the crickety, old, rope bridge that stretched over The River Lethe. Hayden shook it roughly, testing its sturdiness. It didn't look strong enough to hold both of their weights, so they decided to go one by one. Hayden insisted on going first to make sure it would hold. Once he was on the other side he called out for Evie to cross.
"Just take your time and hold onto the ropes for support," Hayden shouted across to her.
Evie nodded, biting her lip as she made her way across. She held on tightly to the rope bannisters, her injury forcing her to lean heavily on them for support. Every so often the bridge swayed, halting her progress. Hayden winced, his eyes darting between Evie and the ancient ropes.
"Don't worry, Evie, you're doing fine," Hayden said encouragingly. "Just don't look down."
"Little late for that," Evie replied dryly, causing Hayden to chuckle.
In the distance, a thunderous booming sound followed by an earth-quaking howl trembled the cavern. The children shrieked as the ground shook, debris crumbling from the ceiling. Evie squeezed the ropes, bracing herself as the bridge shuddered under the weight of rocks smashing against it.
"I think Cerberus caught our reflections!"
"Ignore that! Just keep moving, Evie!" Hayden shouted.
It was then he noticed it, how the ropes on the other side of the bridge were beginning to fray under the added pressure of the rocks landing on the bridge. A sharp fear jolted through him as he noticed the ropes snapping. The bridge was breaking! Evie had noticed it too, and although he could see the flicker of fear in her eyes, she pushed forward as quick as her injury would allow.
They were both so wary of the withering ropes holding the bridge together, that they had forgotten the danger of the rotten, wooden planks which made up the walkway of the bridge. With her eyes darting back and forth between where she was going and the snapping ropes, Evie misplaced her foot, stepping on a badly decayed plank. Her foot broke through it and with a cry she fell forward, more planks breaking under the pressure. Evie winced, too afraid to move in case the few planks supporting her broke and she dropped through to the river below.
"Evie!" Hayden cried.
With little care of whether or not the bridge could hold his weight, Hayden bolted across it, bounding over broken planks to reach his fallen friend. But it was too late. The planks that Evie was lying on finally shattered and the young girl fell through the bottom of the bridge. Evie's terrified scream rang through Hayden's ears as he grabbed onto one of the rope bannisters and flung himself forward, his hand skimming against Evie's outstretched fingers and just managing to snag them.
"Evie, don't let go!"
"Hayden, I'm sorry!" Evie whimpered.
"It's not your fault, Evie! Just hold on, I'll try to pull you up."
But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't do it. He wasn't strong enough. Hayden let out a frustrated growl, hating himself for his weakness. He gritted his teeth as his arms burned with pain from the strain of holding onto Evie, each attempt to pull her up only hurting him more.
"Evie, you can't fall into the river! If you do you'll forget everything! You'll forget me! That's what the Lethe water does! It takes away your memories, the longer your in it!"
"Hayden, you can't hold onto me forever," Evie cried, tears running down her cheeks. She could see how much pain he was and knew it wouldn't be long before he too fell. "Even if I forget, you need to remember that I love you. Okay? We're best friends, now and forever, no matter what!"
Tears slithered down Hayden's cheek as he shook his head, tightening his grip on Evie's hand. He winced when she cried out from the pressure of his grip, but he couldn't let go. He didn't want her to forget him. He didn't want to lose her!
"Evie... I'm sorry," Hayden whispered, a sob breaking free from his throat.
He could feel her fingers slipping through his and then... she fell. The sound of her scream would forever haunt. All he could do was watch helplessly as his best friend fell into The River Lethe and forgot... everything.
Nine years later.
Present.
Evie awoke with a jolt and a desperate gasp for air. Her body felt weak and limp, and her head and heart were aching terribly. Her vision was blurry and it took a few moments before she recognised the boy sitting beside her on the large bean bag bed. He hadn't changed a bit, not really. She could still see the mischievous little boy she had once played with one the banks of The River Styx. He still had the same unnatural blue hair, amber eyes twinkling with mischief and a smile that was soft as the flower he and his mother had loved to grow.
"Easy, Evie, easy," Hayden hushed. "Memory recovery is disorientating. You might be experiencing some headaches, nausea and dizziness but it'll wear off shortly. No sudden movements, some ginger and you'll be fine."
Hayden gave her a wink, a gentle smile at the corner of his lips.
"Hayden?" Evie whispered, her voice cracking.
"I'm here, Evie," Hayden murmured, squeezing her hands. "I'm here."
She couldn't help herself, she threw herself at him. Hayden grunted as she crashed into his chest, knocking him onto his back on the beanbag. Evie let out a heart-wrenching sob as she tightened her embrace around his neck, her face burying into the leather of his jacket.
How could she have forgotten? How could the river have stolen all her memories of her childhood friend? Hayden had been her best friend, her only friend, at one point. It was Hayden who had gotten her a second chance at life that was so prematurely taken from her, Hayden who had done all he could to comfort her and make her happy, and who had saved her so many times on their misadventures in The Underworld. How could she have forgotten? How could any force be so strong to take that away from her?
"I didn't mean to slip," Evie mumbled into his jacket. "I didn't mean to forget."
"I know," Hayden assured her. "It wasn't your fault, Evie. I forgot all about you for a while too."
"But you didn't fall into the river."
"No, but I did keep trying to escape The Underworld to get to you," Hayden said, and although she could not see his face, she knew he was smirking. "My parents decided the best way to keep me safe and out of trouble was to forget about you - at least, for a while."
He hadn't forgotten her, not until he had been magically forced to. Evie couldn't help but muse how it was almost like a fairytale, the daring prince attempting to save the fair princess locked away in a castle on a horrible isle. The thought made her tighten her embrace, and she couldn't help but notice that he smelled just as she remembered, leather and an earthy, flowery scent, much like the meadow they use to play in as children.
"How did you remember?" Evie asked quietly.
"I figured something was going on when I found out that no one else on The Isle has dreams," Hayden said as he gently stroked her hair. "I had no idea what they meant... until I saw you. Something... clicked. With a little help from the spirits in The Undercity's library, I found an old herbal remedy that can help bring back missing memories, even those taken by The River Lethe."
It took a moment, but slowly, Evie felt herself go rigid, a sinking realisation dawning on her. Ever so carefully, Evie pushed herself away from Hayden's chest, allowing her eyes to meet his. She was reluctant to break the moment, but what she loathed more was knowing that their reunion was already tainted. She looked at him warily, the hints of betrayal already stirring in her eyes. Hayden frowned, sensing her unease.
"Evie, what's wrong?"
"How long?" Evie asked, her voice cracking a little. "How long have you known about our past?"
Hayden paused long enough to let her know that she would not like the answer. Evie let out a harsh breath of air, shaking her head in disbelief. She shot to her feet, glaring down at the boy before her, a boy now, more than ever, she had no clue where she stood with.
Moments ago, they had been enemies. Now, she had found out they had once been childhood friends with an entire history that had been leached away. Before she had discovered the truth, Hayden had always inspired mixed feelings in her, she was always torn between hate, confusion and a confounding desire to trust him. Now, old feelings of fondness, love and understanding, feelings which had been taken away by The River Lethe, had returned with an intensity that ached and battled painfully with the negative feelings she had developed for Hayden over the past few months. It confused her greatly and she no longer knew what she truly felt for Hayden.
"You knew before all this started, didn't you? You knew before you declared war on the VKs - with me as their leader - that we were once friends! How could you do that? How could you cause me all that trouble? You tried to steal our turf, putting my friend's livelihoods and safety at risk! And you threatened and hurt them!"
Evie's stomach churned at the thought. She could feel angry tears forming in her eyes, the air leaving her lungs in ragged breaths. She may not have recalled what she and Hayden once were, but he had. He knew they were childhood friends, friends who had sworn to always look out for each other, who had saved each other countless times, and yet still, he had gone out his way to make her life that past few months a constant struggle. She felt the bitter and indignant sting of betrayal that she had endured at the hands of Mal, Jay and Carlos, hurting her all over again.
She began backing away, her hands clenching into fists.
"Evie, wait! Just hear me out!" Hayden said quickly, jumping to his feet. "By the time I remembered what we were you were already a member of the VKs. We were enemies. Even if I offered you the remedy then you never would have taken it, you would have had no trust in me. I never would have hurt you, even during all our battles. Surely, you knew that?"
She had, even Zevon had picked up on how Hayden had favoured her during their encounters.
The 'first' time they met, he had offered her a chance to join him - even if he had known she never would have agreed. He hadn't threatened to throw her into the monster-filled lake when she, Zevon and Dizzy had ventured through The Gates of Tartarus. While they had taken refuge in the Rabbit hole for the night, he had held her close to keep her warm. He had given her his jacket and warmed her hands after Margaret Gesner had tossed them into the freezing pond. And after Mal and the others awful betrayal, he had been there to give her comfort and had even followed after her and saved her from Sylvester and his crew.
All of these random acts of kindness, she had refused to see anything but manipulations of a crafty enemy. Now though, she knew what they really were. In his own ways, as much as he could, Hayden had looked out for her. But it didn't excuse what he had done to her friends and everything he had put her through, nor did it appease her fury.
"That doesn't make it any better, Hayden!" Evie shouted, frustrated. "You still hurt and endangered my friends!"
"I know," Hayden replied, his voice almost sounding remorseful. "I'm not gonna lie and say that I care about them, because I don't. But I never wanted to cause you any distress, Evie. I know how loyal you are to your friends."
Hayden smiled wistfully, no doubt reminiscing in the old memories they had shared. Evie tried her best not to think of them. There was still so much history, so many memories, clamouring to be heard and seen. Once she had taken a bite of the pomegranate it had been like the floodgates had open, wave after wave of memory striking her hard and fast. There were still so many to re-live, but at that moment, she didn't want them to weaken her resolve or bring her any more confusion. She needed to think.
"I had no choice. For my plan to work I need control of The Isle, and that means I had to take on the other factions... including yours. My plans are little time sensitive so I couldn't try and win you round first. Believe me, Evie, if there had been another way I would have done so. I didn't want to be your enemy, ever. I know you're angry, but I think, I can make it up to you and your friends."
"How?" Evie asked in wonder. "They'll never forgive you. They hate you."
"Do you hate me?" Hayden asked quietly, barely able to look at her.
She wanted to hate him. Stars above, she did. Apart of her - the little girl with a heart of gold - wanted to tell him that everything was forgiven, that they could start anew like nothing bad had ever happened. But the older her knew better. Life wasn't that simple. She finally remembered her childhood friend, someone who had once filled her heart with so much joy and belonging, but Hayden had tainted that innocent friendship with his misdeeds against those she cared for, those who she had sworn to protect and look out for. Apart her wanted to embrace him while the villain side wanted to strike out against him for all he had done. The conflict she felt towards him almost made her wish she had never uncovered the truth. Almost.
"I don't hate you, Hayden," Evie mumbled. "But I'm angry. I'm in this horrible position and I don't know what to do. We may have been in rival factions but that didn't mean we had to be enemies! You made that choice when you declared war on us! The only reason everything so messed up is because you wanted control over all The Isle!"
"I told you it's for my plans! I had to-"
"What plans?" Evie asked, exasperated.
He had spoken of them before, but it felt like years since she had last thought of them. She had guessed it had something to do with taking over the world and acquiring his divinity, it was plans she had once sworn to stop. Now though? She had no idea where she stood. To go against him now felt like a betrayal. But to aid him didn't quite feel right either, not after everything he had done.
"Payback," Hayden gritted out, his venom not aimed at her but those who had wronged him. "For everything, those Auradonians have taken from us! For locking our parents away. For keeping us away from our homes, our magic and our heritage. For keeping us trapped in this forsaken isle of filth and rot. I have a plan, Evie. A plan to make them all pay."
"What use is plans of vengeance if we can't get off The Isle?"
"I have a way," Hayden assured her. He walked towards her, standing but a few feet away. "Thanks to a little tip from The Fates. But in order for my plan to work, I need control of The Isle. Everyone has to be on my side for the bigger chance of success."
"Even when you had a huge portion of territory up top, no one was on your side, Hayden," Evie shook her head, scoffing. "Why would anyone fight alongside you after you stole their turf - taking their main means of providing for themselves - wounded their pride and hurt their comrades? Evil 101, how not to gain followers and henchmen."
"It hasn't... quite been going to plan," Hayden admitted, wincing. "But you seem to have managed to bring the entire Isle together well."
Evie let out a mirthless laugh. "In case you hadn't noticed, my reputation is in shatters now thanks to Mal, Jay and Carlos. There's no way I could pull something off like that again. Even if I could, that doesn't mean I would."
"Maybe not the whole island, but you can still get the VKs onboard. You've done nothing but look out for them. They respect and trust you. If you ask, they'll follow."
"And why would I do that? What are you even wanting us to get on board with?"
"Bring the VKs to The Gates of Tartarus and I'll show you - all of you - how we're going to take over the world. Trust me, once they see what I have in store, despite our rocky past, they'll be on board. They'd be fools not to be. When I succeed it means we get our freedom, Evie."
Evie crossed her arms, her heels clicking off the floor as she paced before Hayden. There was so much to take in, so much more she had yet to even consider. Perhaps what Hayden said was true and he did have a plan to break down the barrier and take over the world. The Fates had told her that the barrier would fall. The idea of freedom seemed like such an unreachable dream, one she wasn't sure she could endure reaching for again. She had dared to dream of it once and look how that had turned out?
"In the meantime," Hayden continued softly. "The VKs and The Ghouls united could be the best thing for you and your friends. Up top had a hard enough time dealing with us on their own, but if we work with the VKs? We'd be near impossible to beat. They're already turning on you up there, Evie. You need all the allies you can get."
Evie flinched at the reminder, still bitter and resentful about the whole affair.
There was no denying what Hayden said. If the VKs joined with The Ghouls, they would be far more powerful than they were now. Evie wasn't even sure if the VKs would agree to join The Ghouls, they had been vicious enemies after all. But it might also be the only way they could survive. Children of The Isle were prideful, but above all else, they knew how to survive - no matter the cost. Fighting alongside The Ghouls would mean they would be able to protect their turf, even if all the up top factions banded together to challenge them.
"I don't know if they'll agree to this, Hayden," Evie finally said, standing still. "Your plan better be good."
"It's not good, it's evil," Hayden said, his eyes shining brightly. "Bring them to The Gates of Tartarus tomorrow, my Ghouls and I will meet you there."
"Fine," Evie sighed, running a hand through her hair.
Until she saw Hayden's plan, she wasn't going to let herself even dare to hope of the chance of success. The main reason she was agreeing to this was for the safety of her team and herself. She didn't think there was any way to get them out of the mess their former leader had put them in, and she needed to prioritize them first. Joining with The Ghouls looked to be their best bets of survival.
"Come on," Hayden said, taking her hand gently in his gloveless one. "I think it's best I get you home now. You've got a lot to take in. Unless you want to stay the night?"
Hayden chuckled at the glare Evie gave him for his teasing.
An understatement if she had ever heard one. Hayden took her to The Castle Beyond The Way, insisting that he walk her all the way to her door. It reminded her of when they were little, how he would always make sure she got to her room safely each night. Before he left her he paused, and for a moment he simply stared at her with nothing but adoration. It was a look that made Evie a little weak at the knees. Almost a little shyly, she tucked her hair behind her ear, having to resist the urge to fidget.
"Evie... I'm glad you remember now," he said quietly.
"Me too," Evie replied.
And just as she had done each night when they were children, Evie went on her tippy toes and placed a soft kiss on Hayden's cheek. It was strangely instinctive, and she couldn't have stopped herself if she had tried. If her mind had not been so overwhelmed with everything that happened that day, she may have found it curious how Hayden's skin had not been warm to the touch.
With a smile, Evie slipped into her castle and went straight to bed, sleep claiming her as soon as her head hit the pillow.
No dreams came to Evie that night, and for that, she was thankful. What she was less thankful for was her mother swooping into her room, earlier than normal, to wake her up. The Evil Queen glided into the room with her usual poise and elegance. She headed for the curtains, throwing them open and letting daylight spill into the room. Evie winced, muttering a curse as she snuggled deeper into her quilts and blankets.
"Evie, Darling! It's time to wake up!" The Evil Queen peered out of the window, taking in the sound of the tweeting birds and chattering leaves. "Oh, look at that. Another glorious morning. It makes me sick."
With a scowl, The Evil Queen turned to face her daughter.
"Evie, darling, hurry up and get ready. I want to go to the market- OH MY WORD!"
It was her mother's startled shriek that tore Evie from her sleepy daze. She shot up in bed, looking at her mother in alarm.
"I'm awake, mum!" Evie said, barely able to contain a yawn. "Just... a little sleepier than normal. I'll be ready in just a-"
"What did you do to your beautiful hair?" The Evil Queen cried, hurrying over to Evie's bedside. She ran her hands through her daughter's sleep mused locks, looking at the waves of hair in despair. "Oh my dear, what possessed you to do this?"
Evie blinked, confused as to what her mother was going on about. Curiously, she ran her fingers through her hair, bringing it front in of her eyes.
Her mouth fell open, a horrified gasp escaping her.
"Oh... my... stars! My hair... it's... it's-"
"Blue," The Evil Queen winced.
(A/N) Oh dear, I wonder why Evie's hair had turned blue and how she was able to touch Hayden without getting burned? Does anyone have any theories on what Hayden's big plans are? Admittedly, there had only been one hint.
References:
The title 'Remeber Me Though We Have To Say Goodbye' is a reference to the song in Coco.
"He didn't care how far they had to run, he knew every mile would be worth their while, if it meant he and Evie got to stay together," is a nod to the song 'I Can Go The Distance' in Hercules (I don't care how far, somehow I'll be strong. I know every mile will be worth my while. I would go almost anywhere to find where I belong~*)
"Another glorious morning. It makes me sick," is a reference to Hocus Pocus, a line said by Winnie.
Disney has to two versions of Cupid, both from The Hercules Universe. I'm going with the one we see a cameo of in the movie, and not the version in the Hercules Series (which is less flattering.) According to the Disney Wiki page on Cupid, is Hade's nephew.
Reviews:
Thunderfiredragon: Happy New Year! Hope you had a wonderful time over the holiday season! So glad you caught the references! Every time I work on this story I get i can go the distance stuck in my head lol. You were right about the river lethe having something to do with their memory loss. Originally, Hades, Persephone, Cupid and The Fates were going to force Evie to drink from it, but then this happened while writing so I went with the flow. Evie's still got quite a bit of reacting to do with her childhood memories, she's not thought about how they're soulmates - there's been so much for her to take in within the last twenty-four hours. Her friends betrayed her, the Isles out to get here, and now she's got all these memories of Hayden she never knew she had. Poor girl ;A; I'm looking forward to writing about them addressing the whole soulmate thing, since they're older they understand its depth a lot more. First, we've got some isle politics too deal with but I'm hoping for fluff soon... then drama... but fluff! And the hair things now in play! I've been itching to write about the hair thing since chapter 1 xD I was tempted to make her a ghost but it wasn't quite working.
Guest: Bingo! ^_-
T. F. Crosby: Thank you so much for the lovely review! I loooove the Hydra too. I really wanted to try and incorporate it more into the story, especially since it only really got teased in chapter 3. Oh my stars, that's such an adorable idea for what Hayden looks like! So glad you liked the chapter! I love your idea! In future chapters, I'm hoping to write more flashbacks of Evie and Hayden's time in The Underworld so I'll definitely try and add a scene like that in! :D Hope you had a lovely time at the holidays and an awesome New Year! xx