Chapter 25: Goddess Status, and the Riddle for the Soul of the Actress

"You've returned…how did it-"

"I couldn't save her. I know she was …but she didn't have anyone left."

"Son, you can't save everyone." Zeus looked at his son. "At least now you can live on Mount Olympus with your goddess."

"Meg?" He looked up weakly.

"Herc…I'm…I'm so sorry." Meg was standing in front of him glowing. Her eyes though, she struggled too with the loss.

"There's nothing I could do… Hades will make another deal, or give me another debt to pay… theres still people on Earth I care about Meg. Phil… my human mother and father…"

"I know how it feels to be in her shoes. I hated her for getting me stuck in that mess with Hades…but I didn't have anyone either, so it didn't matter what happened to me. She was in the same boat until she got her freedom. Maybe the idea of wanting what you can't have drew her in. That's what got me so close to you Wonderboy…that's why I hurt you the first time."

"It shouldn't be like that."

"Son, us gods and goddesses make deals. Some aren't nice, but it's often the only way we often cant grant a wish. Only people with true actions can be bestowed gifts. "

"But what about Meg…she's a goddess now and it-"

"She was bestowed it for her bravery. She sacrificed herself for you just as you did for her. She's the goddess of the strong of heart and rebirth now. It's a minor role, but I'm getting the feeling that people on Earth need some guidance in that department…as for the rebirth…well I can't say that we can trade Hades' souls, but for now we'll keep Rebirth as a term for... a fresh start." Zeus said shrugging, looking to Hera beside him. Hercules understood. New gods were not things that happened so easily.

"Let's get her back." Meg said to Hercules.

"How can we? I don't know what to do…I saw her die Meg. We can't make a deal anymore we're not human."

"In that case, we have to figure something out..something." Meg said defiantly. Hercules nodded…it was a slim hope.

"You know I used to like having some pawn pieces to play around with… but of course they have to be so noble and self-sacrificing to end up DEAD." Hade's hair flamed. "You know maybe for this once time, I can actually –"

"What?" Pain and Panic asked.

"No nothing. It doesn't matter. Meg-ar-a has got herself a higher status now a day, and Herc is about to become Mr. Imortal again. I've got no point of raising the dead, because then I'd have to pay dues to the-"

"We're here!"

"Wow, quicker then room service and I didn't even call." Hades rubbed his temples.

"Oh stop your whining. "

"But I thought Zeus said you couldn't be visited by the Fates." Panic said.

"It was a suspension, not an expulsion honey. " Clotho said. "I'm the youngest of three, but Zeus hasn't got millennia on us."

"Hold it, hold it, hold it…You're saying that Zeus' power doesn't affect you as King of the Hill?" Hades raised a brow.

"Not one iota. Well maybe one Iota, but we got tons more." Lachesis said.

"So I COULD HAVE had THE FATES on MY SIDE…the WHOLE DAMN TIME?"

"He just figured this out?" Atropos whispered to Pain.

"Fine. But I don't see why I need to wake up one measly girl from her drifting river road of permanent slumber, whose bound to make another mistake and play the goody-two-shoes game of messing up my plans?"

"Because if you do there is a chance you could get back at Hercules."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"We like excitement in the human world. Plus Hercules does prevent a lot of people from intertwining with fate." Lachesis was playing with a string like it was cat's cradle.

"So I'm doing you a favor by playing trade-sies with the souls?" Hades smirked.

"More or less. If you play it out right." Atropos said. Pain and Panic looked at each other at the word if.

"Well I'm all ears." Hades waited, wondering what possible good could come out of this.

"Shall I?" Clotho asked.

"Go ahead." Atropos said, as she handed her the eye.

"Ahem.." Clotho let it float.

"If you take the raven haired girl and put her back on your playing field, give her a deal she can't dismiss.
Call out for the goddess of the impenetrable heart, and plant a wish,
With the fruit of the darkness played again, you can capture the Miss,
In the Under Ground lair, you'll said bait for the fish,
Even muscles cannot bring back, from a full fruit's child,
The little b-" Clotho

"Ah-ah" Atropos said.

"…witch." Clotho finished crossly at her sister's warning.

"Well I was hoping for something a little less cryptic." Hades rolled his eyes.

"Well we left it in writing. So who's the soul for trade?"

"Anyone I guess." Hades looked at the words etched by the gaze of the eye, into his perfectly good chess game of figurines that was consistently dwindling. What did Melaina want more than anything else, other than Wonderboy and a goddess title…those were too weak now… but…

"Actually girls make that one trade, and lets leave another on the back burner. I think I have a plan for the deal of the century here. Mel isn't getting out of this one." Hades twisted his hands and set on the board a figurine of a black haired girl, and placed her below the Mountain of Olympus.