A white flash covered Hazel's resort room as she entered. She took a deep breath in and a deep breath out. She ran her fingers through her hair, looking around the room. A wide smile formed on her face and she threw herself onto her bed. She giggled like a four year old child and hugged her umbrella as if it was a human being.
She sat the magical object beside her and sighed. She also looked at the rose between her fingers and her eyes filled with gold once again. Out of nowhere, there was an echo in her mind, "Sounds like someone's happy. How'd it go?"
Hazel smiled at the voice. "It went fine, but you are still dead. You should be dead by...tomorrow, maybe. I need to get my strength back." She rolled into her back, still smiling and observing the flower.
Ara laughed at this. "You're sparing me!? Wow! It must have went really well!" She said, laughing again.
Hazel smirked before completely swooning. She didn't mind speaking aloud. She knew her sister could hear her either way, so it was no problem. "Well? Well is an understatement. We had so much fun." She chuckled. "We went on a roller coaster, went shopping, got chocolates...and she's perfect. Oh, she's amaaaazing, Ara." Her smile brightened when she finished her sentence. She touched her cheeks when she noticed they began to warm up again.
Ara laughed at this before saying, "Well, I am glad you had fun. You might wanna get something to eat. You did miss lunch...and dinner…"
Hazel blinked. "Oh, man. You're right. I'm starved!" She immediately stood and headed to the door. She put her hand on the doorknob. "I'm going to go eat something. What about you?"
Ara yawned. "As much as I want to hear about your date, I need to get to bed. Grandad's lessons killed me. I am bushed!" She sleepily chuckled.
Hazel shook her head and said, "Alright. Goodnight, sis."
"Goodnight." Ara yawned, leaving Hazel's mind peaceful once again.
Hazel smiled and twisted the door knob and headed out into the dark hallway. She was still mindful of the glowing rose she held in her hands as she walked down the stairs and into the dark kitchen. "Hmm, everyone must be asleep by now." She shrugged.
She looked around for a lightswitch, but decided against it. Instead, she reached for the pull string of a nearby wall lamp. She smiled since that was all the light she needed. Without a second thought she sat down the rose on the counter, opened the fridge, rubbed her hands together, and prepared to make a few tuna sandwiches.
"Good evening, Hazel." A voice said, the tone completely calm and devoid of emotion.
Hazel knew exactly who's voice that was. She jumped at the sound, nearly dropping her tomato. She spun around to see the person with surprise. "H-h-hello, Grandmother. I...didn't know you were...still here." She looked at her still in shock.
Skadi blinked and continued to watch her. "I decided to stay late." She said simply, her hands folded on her lap.
Hazel blinked, continuing to make her sandwiches. "Umm, okay, then. I was just making a snack before I went to bed." She said with a small smile.
Skadi was silent for a moment before she returned her gaze. "How was your day?"
Hazel blinked before she looked down to the floor. A hint of pink made its way to her cheeks as she continued. "It was...pretty good."
"I see. You were spending time with Hades' child, no?" Skadi asked, still sounding as emotionless as can be.
Hazel opened her mouth, ready to deny...when she remembered something. "I can't tell her about the clones! Terra said to keep it a secret!" She closed her mouth, rethinking things before talking again. "Yes, yes I was." She closed her sandwich and took a bite.
Skadi let out a small 'hmph' at that and looked at the ground. "I thought you didn't want to see her." She said, looking back up at her with narrowed eyes.
Hazel slowly swallowed, sensing the thickening tension. "I-I changed my view point is all." She said while putting her glowing rose to the side.
"Quite the change. I remember her not looking very pleased the last time I saw her, remarkable that her behavior with you could have changed so fast." The goddess said, looking down at her laced hands.
Hazel slowly nodded. "We-we talked it out...went to a few places. It was fun?" She said more like a question. "We're past that now."
"...Is that so?" Skadi asked aloud, her voice laced with suspicion as she looked up at the ceiling.
"Yes..?" Hazel managed, her eyes changing colors as she looked at her grandmother nervously.
"What is this?" Asked her mother who seemed to appear out of nowhere. She picked up Hazel's rose and looked it over. "This is...made from magic. Who gave you this?" She asked with her voice filled with suspicion.
Hazel inhaled before replying, "Heidi did. It-it calmed me down." She replied, looking at them warily.
Skadi's eyebrow raised as she looked at it from afar. "Hades' daughter made that? That looks too well made, I would expect that from a goddess of magic, not that girl." She said, shaking her head at the thought.
Hazel nodded in thought. "Yes, she did...and-" A pink tint dusted her cheeks. "and she's really good with her magic." She said with a slight smile.
Skadi simply nodded. "How...unexpected." She said, tilting her head at her words.
Elsa raised an eyebrow at her daughter, mentally questioning her daughter's behavior. She turned to her mother, leaving the rose on the counter. Then she walked to her. "Mother. May I have a word with you?" She said, glancing at Hazel with unreadable eyes.
Skadi rose from her seat and looked at her. "You may." She said, her voice returning back to it's normal empty self.
Elsa lead her to another room before she closed the door. She turned to her mother with confusion and irritation. "Mother, as a parent myself, I think she likes Hades' daughter." She said in astonishment.
"Odd considering they didn't speak to each other once in my mountain home. Then when I arrived, Hades' daughter looked angry before flying away." Skadi said, a thoughtful look appearing on her face.
Elsa absorbed the information like a sponge. Then she said, "It is even more odd that she likes her. Not regular like. I mean like. You know, romantically like her." Elsa folded her arms. "I mean, look what she brought home. No one I know gets roses from friends for no reason."
Skadi nodded. "It doesn't seem possible for that girl to like Hazel, not after what I saw. They looked more like old enemies that would much rather avoid each other at all costs." She folded her arms as her eyes narrowed.
Elsa shook her head. "She's not telling us something." She thought, looking to the ground.
"Something concerning Hades' daughter." Skadi added, her voice filling with suspicion once more.
"Exactly." Elsa said while gesturing to the door. "I'm at least going to try and find out." She said while heading to the door
Skadi looked away before nodding. "I will allow you to handle it, she might be more forthcoming with only one interrogater rather than two. That way she does not feel attacked." She said, clearly thinking about something on her own.
Elsa nodded and opened the door. She left the room, heading back to Hazel who had finished her second sandwich. "Hazel." Elsa called to her daughter, who looked to her with wide eyes. "Tell me the truth." She stated.
Hazel visibly frowned. She rubbed her hands together. "What do you mean?"
Elsa's eyes halved at her false cluelessness. "The truth; about Heidi? There is no way you guys could make up that fast with you two's past relationship. It was in tatters. It doesn't make sense."
Hazel's eyes changed multiple hues again as she looked down and tried to think of a way to respond without telling the truth. She bit her lip and sighed after a while before looking at her with a frightened expression. "O-okay. It wasn't Heidi, but I can't tell you who it is."
Elsa shook her head in confusion. "What do you mean you can't tell me?" She folded her arms.
Hazel waved her hands. "It's nothing bad, I swear. It's just that I made a promise to her not to tell anybody."
Elsa raised an eyebrow in irritation. "Oh, really?" She walked over to her suddenly skittish daughter. "You're keeping her identity secret? Is she a criminal?"
Hazel blinked. "Wh-no!"
"Maybe if you told me I would stop having to guess." She said, folding her arms together.
Hazel glanced at her rose before shaking her head. "I-I can't." She looked at her mother with worry once small snowflakes began to call from the ceiling.
Now Elsa glares. "You can't?" She asked dully. "So, you would rather listen to someone who gave you a flower rather than listen to the person that gave you life."
Hazel shook her head again. "No, it's not that! It's just she and her-"
Elsa turned away from her and said, "I have heard enough. Go to your room." The anger deep within her voice as she spoke.
Hazel walked up to her, reaching a hand out for her. "No-please, mom. Listen! It's that she-"
"ENOUGH!" She snapped then pointed in the direction of Hazel's room. She stood there waiting for her to walk into it.
Hazel looked down with wettened, silver eyes. She silently made it across the kitchen. That's when she picked up her rose. Then she disappeared in her room. Elsa released a breath she was holding and folded her arms in anger...and jealousy.
…..
When Heidi awoke that afternoon she felt...empty. Her rage was gone...but there was this other feeling. It felt a bit like despair along with guilt. The goddess didn't know what to make of it as her head swirled with countless thoughts. All of the thoughts formed one and she closed her eyes. Go back. The thought whispered. Heidi knew what it was referring to and she let out a soft gasp at the very idea of returning to her father.
Her father had been right about everything...How friends are good for nothing, how Auradonians are evil under their bright colors and fake smiles. How they'll act friendly then whip out a knife and stab you in the back. Everything he said...He was right about this place. How is it possible that the land in the sun is home to the darkest?
The woman opened her eyes and sighed as she saw the terror twins passed out. Glancing over to the desk, she picked up a sticky note and frowned. "I needed some fresh air, I'll be back soon, Terra." She whispered aloud before setting it back down. Her eyes glowed a bit but she shook off the feeling and stood up.
There was only one thing she wanted to do...and that was to leave. She wanted to be with the one being that still told her the truth. With this in mind, the bluenette changed her outfit into the one that mimicked her father's own. Her face hardened as she walked past the desks, completely ignoring the twins and keeping her gaze on the metal door. Her hand landed on the door and she effortlessly pushed it open before teleporting.
Heidi landed outside of the house and looked up at it with one final solemn gaze before breaking into a sprint. She couldn't help but close her eyes as she tried to run as fast as she could. She knew as soon as she escaped the forest she would be seen...but she didn't care. She just wanted to run until she could no longer.
The goddess could hear people exclaim in surprise at the sight of her moving so fast. She could hear them murmuring and whispering about what she had done yesterday with another girl. The woman even heard them curse her and call her a disgrace...but she didn't care.
They could try everything in their power to make her feel worse, they could try to get her in trouble with the king, they could even try to get Zeus on her...However, none of this would make her stop. Nothing could make her stop now.
Dad is the only one telling the truth. These people, the gods, they are all telling me lies. The bluenette thought, opening her eyes as she saw everything blur by her. At one point she thought she saw someone familiar, but it wasn't enough to make her slow down. Only dad can stop me and I know he wouldn't. He'd encourage me...he'd say I'm right to run away. At this thought, she could feel her body engulf in flames as she reached her top speed.
The woman jumped over busy intersections as she drew closer and closer to the school. Heidi knew that someone like Mal might see her and attempt to stop her, which was highly likely, but she wasn't too concerned. There was nobody in all of Auradon that could catch her at the speed she was going, nobody except another god and they wouldn't bother to stop her.
Heidi closed her eyes as her body went on autopilot. Thanks to her enhanced reflexes she was able to dodge every last person who happened to be in her way. She could hear the busy intersections die down as the soft sounds of nature replaced it, a clear sign that she was quickly approaching the school. This would be her biggest obstacle and she was tempted to find a cliff to take off from, which sounded more appealing as she heard the chattering of the summer students growing, but she wanted to at least get to the drop off point before flying. She didn't want to stop running for anything.
Of course, that's when she was spotted and it just had to be Mal. "Heidi?" The girl said aloud before blinking as her mouth went agape. "Heidi! What are you doing?!"
Heidi glanced over her shoulder and frowned as she saw her purple-haired sister running after her. Mal must have used magic because she was, somehow, managing to catch up with her. The goddess shook her head. "I'm going home, Mal! I've had it with these Auradonians!" She said, her voice carrying over the strong winds.
"What? Why?" Mal asked in surprise before her eyes filled with worry. "Heidi, please stop and tell me what's wrong! Why are you heading back to the Isle?"
Heidi scowled as her eyes caught sight of a cliff in the distance. Guess I'm not hitting that point. "I just told you! The Auradonians have done me wrong for the last time and I'm going back to my father!"
Mal, who was still behind the goddess, shook her head. "What did they do? Is it because of the rumors? Heidi, I'm working with Ben to put a stop-"
Heidi skidded to a stop as they reached the cliff. Her long blue hair was blowing in the breeze while her eyes were dull. "Mal...It can never be fixed. She did something unforgivable and I will not sit in this land anymore. My father is the only one who has always kept the truth. This land is supposed to be filled with the good and I find that the people here are darker than the ones on the Isle."
Mal winced at those words and sighed. "Auradon isn't perfect, Heidi, I know that better than anyone. I ran away to the Isle too, remember? I didn't want to deal with all this pressure that was being placed on me to be the perfect princess when I knew I wasn't…" She tried to step forward but stopped when she saw Heidi back up a bit.
"This is different, Mal. I am going back whether you like it or not." Heidi stated before surrounding herself in magic. "And I don't want you to come after me." With those last words, the goddess expelled the magic in a wave before taking off into the sky.
When the wave disappeared, Mal shook her head and frowned. "I don't care what you want. I am going to do what you need." She muttered to herself before beginning to run back to the school.
…
Hades sat and stared at the ceiling in boredom. He was currently playing around with one of the countless stress balls Heidi had left for him. At the moment, the ball was a skull. His favorite version of the ball, in fact.
The second he tossed it up, he felt something crash through the barrier...Something familiar. He sat up and blinked in realization. "Heidi?" It felt like her ember alright, but something felt...off about it. The god stood up and rubbed his chin as he felt the signal of the ember grow stronger as his daughter sped towards him.
That's when he saw her, the usually happy girl replaced with one of despair. It honestly reminded him of himself at times...empty, cold, and careless. The god let out a breath as he saw her walk towards him, her head down in what could only be sadness. Her skin seemed to be a sickly pale and, from what he could see, she had massive bags under her eyes. She looked...ill of all things.
Heidi walked up to him and pulled him into a hug. "You were right. Auradonians are evil and will only stab you in the back." She whispered, closing her eyes as a few tears began to escape.
Hades' eyes went wide and he quickly hugged her back. Running a hand through her normally fiery hair, the god frowned at how cold she was. "I'm sorry, sweetheart." He whispered back, summoning his powers in an attempt to warm her up.
"I was such a fool to place my trust in those people. They'll only turn on you the moment they have no use for you." The bluenette mumbled, not letting him go for a moment.
"I know...I know. I'll make them pay once I'm out. Then I'll handle my brother and the other gods who did you wrong." Hades said comfortingly, his voice unnaturally soft.
Heidi looked up at him with watery eyes and instead of telling him what she usually did...she nodded. "...Please. They all lied to me, they abandoned me. Only Hecate was ever there for me." She said, referring to her imprisonment, as she almost broke into a sob.
The god's heart practically shattered at her tone and he pulled her closer. "Heidi, I promise that they will all receive what they deserve. As soon as I am out, it will be over for them." He said, secretly thanking Hecate more than he ever did in his immortal life. "Only the ones who cared for you shall remain."
"Thank you, dad." Heidi mumbled, sniffling a bit. "Besides a few others...You are the only one I can trust now. You have never once lied to me."
Hades nodded, looking at his throne before making it turn into a couch. "Then I'll make sure they are there for you. Who are they?" He asked as he led her over to the couch.
The two sat down and Heidi immediately snuggled up to him for comfort. "Hestia...Hermes...Hecate. Those are the only three I still trust. I...still kind of trust Mal, since she is my sister. She tried to stop me earlier out of worry, but I pushed her away." She said, looking a bit guilty at that.
The god closed his eyes, silently pleased that his most trusted sister, somewhat friend, and powerful ally were the closest with his daughter. It only made him happier to know that Mal was also there for his daughter, especially after having grown up hating them.
"I just want to hide, dad. I don't want to go back there." The goddess whispered, closing her eyes.
"You can stay here for as long as you need, hun. I won't make you go back there. I promise." Hades replied, running his hand through her hair as he felt her breathing even out, a sign that she had fallen asleep.
The god opened his eyes and frowned deeply. As he was about to relax, he saw a portal open up across the room before none other than Hecate stepped out. "Hecate." He greeted her with a small nod.
Hecate looked at him then at Heidi as a worried expression appeared on her face. "I fear that something big is going to happen. Something regarding Heidi." She told him, lacing her hands together as she summoned a seat out of her magic.
Hades' eyes narrowed when he heard that. "What?" He asked, unconsciously causing his hair to flame up in a protective manner.
Hecate took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. "She made three minor goddesses out of clones and has been hiding them. Zeus just found out and I think he is going to go and destroy them. He claims that she violated a law not informing them of the three, but...I think he just wants them gone. Hades...they are identical to Heidi." She said, concern heavy in her voice.
Hades blinked a few times and looked down at his daughter. "How...She shouldn't have been able to do that and survive as well as she has." He said, quickly looking back up at Hecate for an answer.
Hecate nodded at his confusion. "Normally that would be the case, but I believe at some point in her life, possibly even in the womb, she stole an incredible amount of divine power through the use of her emotion manipulation. It would have stayed dormant for a long time if she had not created them. The first two stole most of this power, the power that belonged to someone else, while the third one took the remainder of the power along with a considerable amount of Heidi's own. It's almost like she meant for the third one to be more powerful." She explained, closing her eyes in thought.
"And Heidi wouldn't get rid of them…" Hades said, looking down at his daughter and sighing. "...Does she love them?" He asked, not taking his eyes off of the girl.
Hecate opened her eyes and smiled. "I believe she treats them like her sisters. The four appear to treasure each other like any sibling would." She answered, looking down at her hands.
Hades nodded and looked up. "...Tell me as soon as he leaves. When he does, I need you to stay here and watch her." He said quietly, running a hand through his daughter's hair. "If she loves them like sisters...then I'll treat them as my own. I'll defend them like I'd defend her."
Hecate appeared a bit surprised. "You...will?"
A small smile appeared on his face. "It's only right, isn't it? Besides, I've been waiting to kick my brother's ass for a long time. Not only will I keep her happy, but I'll be the happiest I've been since I saw her that day." He said, his voice was unusually soft.
Hecate blinked before smiling. "You love her very much, don't you?"
Hades nodded and closed his eyes. "She's one of those unexpected miracles you don't think will be thrown at you. The type that you first question then warm up to as time goes on and then...you adore them more than anything in the whole world." His words prompted the other goddess to let out a low chuckle as she also closed her eyes, choosing to go back to listening.
…...
Terra had been relaxing and practicing a few meditation techniques when she felt something. It wasn't something she was familiar with, not by any means, so she hopped off the tree stump she had been sitting on to look around. There wasn't anything around her, besides a deer or two off in the distance.
"Hmm…" She hummed in thought before pausing as she felt a second pulse. This one felt much more powerful and almost familiar, almost in a warm hug kind of way. "That is...strange." She said slowly, beginning to walk down the path. "The only person I can sense like that is Heidi, but she should still be asleep. She's too drained to be running around." She stopped and her eyes widened. "Oh...dear." With those words, she quickly teleported back to the workshop.
"Just as I feared." Lo and behold, Heidi was not there. The twins were still passed out on the floor, much to her relief, and seemed to be sound asleep. "Well, at least I don't have to worry about them." She mumbled, summoning her magic and closing her eyes as she tried to track Heidi.
Her head whipped back to the door and her eyes flew open. "I can't get her...but she left a trail." She said to herself, quickly turning around and exiting the room while placing a magical lock on the door.
The woman made it through the house with ease before exiting the building and looking around. She smirked as soon as her eyes caught sight of a small golden line of magic, a magical trail. Giving the area one more look, she began down the path as she tried to run as fast as Heidi had.
Terra had no idea what had happened to her, and that terrified her quite a bit because of just how vulnerable Heidi was when she had left. Why did I leave her?! She's ill and I go and meditate for a couple hours, good job Terra! She thought, shaking her head as she noticed that she was approaching the city at a startlingly fast rate.
"Woah!" The goddess involuntarily said, not used to the speed as she skidded to a stop. She shook her head and looked around, surprise appearing on her face as she noticed that she had managed to reach the city in what could have only been mere minutes. "I had no idea I could run that fast." She murmured, looking herself over as she ignored the people staring at her.
Not too far away was a familiar, confused face. She stared in one spot with a raised eyebrow. Her mouth was in a perfect "o". The midnight bluenette repeatedly blinked, trying to process what she just saw.
Terra regained her composure and shook her head once more before looking around. She blinked at the sight of the girl before realization appeared on her face. "Oh thank god." She said, letting out a sigh in relief before jogging up to her. "Ara?" She looked at the girl with a worried expression as she fiddled with her dress that she still wore from the night before.
It took a couple seconds for Ara to tear her eyes away from the scene. When she did, she took inn the goddess' appearance. "Hey, Terra. Hazel was right. You rock that look!" She said with her usual smirk. "What's up?"
Terra quickly looked at her dress. "I...uh...Thank you. Ah, right, I am trying to find Heidi! I left her in the workshop so I could meditate for a couple hours and I come back to find that she's gone. She shouldn't be running around in her condition!" She said in a rushed manner, tone filled with concern as she looked around.
Ara shook her head. "If anything, she's not here." Then she thought. "Could she have been that blue blur that rocketed through here? It was so fast, my eyes could barely keep up and if I say it's fast. It. Is. Fast." She explained to the best of her ability.
Terra took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. "I think it may have been. I just can't find her, I can't track her magical signal-It's like something is covering it. I've just been running after her trail."
Ara looked up before gasping. "That blue blur! It was headed directly for the isle! As an isle-raised person, I should know. That would explain your lack of a signal! The barrier corrupted it!" Then her eyes halved. "Why aren't I this smart all the time…" She grumbled.
"Oh, no...Heidi is beyond emotionally drained, she looks like a terminally ill patient on death's door! I don't even know how she made it out here." Terra said in a worried manner, her fingers beginning to tap together. "And then there was that extremely powerful pulse of power, Heidi...What have you gotten yourself into?"
Ara blinked for a moment. "I'm sorry. I'm confused." She looked at her in a confused manner.
"I can sense Heidi sometimes and I sensed her crashing into something then her signal went. Then, not even a minute later there is this really strong signal that came out of nowhere. It didn't belong to Heidi or my sisters." Terra explained, shaking her head.
Ara looked up in thought. "Well, if Heidi went to the isle, most likely she went to her dad." She said, remembering their close relationship. Then she looked to Terra. "Maybe, just speaking on a limb here, you can sense Hades as well? I don't know. You are part Heidi, right?"
"She's my genetic copy, the person I got all...this-" Terra gestured to herself. "-from. I don't see why I would have only sensed him now, the only times I've sensed an unfamiliar signal was when I was near the Wall and it would be really muffled."
Ara shook her head and shrugged. "You are asking the wrong girl when it comes to this stuff." She put her hands in her cloak pockets. "I get the drift by now. When stuff like this happens, me and my peeps go from being the stars...to the understudies." She said with an indifferent expression.
Terra didn't look any less concerned as she looked around. "I-I just don't know what to do. She could be in serious trouble, health wise, and I can't get to the Isle." She shook her head, frowning as she blinked a few times.
Ara raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean you can't get to the isle?"
"You said there was a barrier…" Terra trailed off, rubbing her arm now as her worry didn't subside.
Ara smirked again as she nodded. "Ah, you need a button. Well, aren't you lucky...because I have one that Hermes have to Hazel and I!" She said proudly. "It's back at the resort."
Terra immediately looked up at that. "You do? That means I could get over there and try to talk to her. She wouldn't have left unless something is really wrong." She explained, trying not to ramble as she went back to messing with her dress.
Ara walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yep. Pretty much." She snapped, allowing them both to teleport in a flash of purple lightning.
Next thing they knew, they were in Ara's resort room. "Alright. Button...button...where did I put that button." She mumbled as she looked for which hiding spot she put it in. "In the meantime, tell me. Why is Heidi so sick?" She asked while digging under her bed.
Terra frowned and looked away. "When I got home last night...she got really mad. She even punched her hand through a desk. I asked her what was wrong and tried to get her to talk...She told me everything. By the time she was done, she was so emotionally drained that she passed out and looked physically ill." She explained, looking back up with a shake of her head. "She just wouldn't stop crying." She added on in a whisper.
Half of Ara's body was under the bed. "Lemme guess. It...was about...my sister." She struggled to reach the small button, relaxing in a corner.
"Most of it, yes. She kept going on and on for hours, raging, weeping, screaming...It was like every emotion she was hiding came out in five short hours." Terra said, her voice dropping a bit.
Finally reaching the button, Ara sighed. She backed from under the bed and enjoyed the sensation of sitting for a while. "During our whole trip Hazel and Heidi stayed into it. They fought about something nearly everyday, which was weird because Hazel mostly locked herself in her room. I kept having to talk to them both constantly." She stood, taking a breath before standing. "I've known about this problem for a while now. I didn't know it would get this bad. I tried to tell Hazel to tell her the truth, but no! No one wants to listen to reason these days!"
Ara placed another hand on her shoulder before teleporting near the isle entrance. "I am not going to explain Hazel's story this time. For one, I don't want anymore broken ribs. Number two, it's time for her to tell Heidi the truth and put an end to this. She's just scared is all." She shrugged, holding out the button for Terra to take.
Terra accepted it and sighed. "And Heidi feels like everything she once knew is now false." She mumbled, hitting the button that caused the magical bridge to appear.
Ara shrugged and said, "Welp. Time to be a secondary character again." She smiled. "Oh, and whenever you see Hazel again, squeeze the answer out of her. Then you will fully understand." She smiled and waved before teleporting off.
Terra looked to where she was before shaking her head and beginning to make her way across the bridge. "I don't know if I can even get such an answer out." She smiled lightly. "I may be a goddess, but I cannot make miracles." She chuckled at herself before looking back up.
It took a few minutes to reach the other side and she quickly pressed the button again, causing the bridge to disappear in a glowing shimmer. Terra tilted her head at the sight before shrugging it off. Turning to look at the area, she took a few steps forward before blinking as she felt a powerful spell hit her. It was...strange, to say the least, but she could see Heidi's trail again.
Shaking off the feeling, she began following it as she marveled in the sights of the Isle. It wasn't quite like anything she had seen before. It was more rundown than Rome yet ten times more colorful. The inhabitants were also quite strange as most were in rags with a few being more colorful than the rest.
Interesting. The woman thought, picking up her pace as she noticed the people, strangely, beginning to clear for her. Almost like they...feared her? Huh. Well, I do look like Heidi and her dad is...yeah. She cleared her thoughts as she quickly made it to an emptier part of the Isle. Terra blinked at the sight of several "GO AWAY!" signs and the sign that had a three-headed dog of all things.
"Clearly they don't want me to stay out if the door is open…" Terra said, looking at the door to the mineshaft that had been opened by someone. The bluenette tilted her head before slowly entering the abandoned looking mineshaft. She could vaguely hear voices, a male and a female, but neither sounded like Heidi.
Terra looked at the tracks going deeper and shook her head. "I hope I'm not walking into the lion's den." She said quietly, being mindful that the cave probably echoed. She began descending down the tracks as the voices grew clearer and clearer.
"So...Does this mean I have four daughters if the one daughter cloned herself?" The male asked, sounding heavily confused.
"I...actually have no idea. Nobody has been dumb enough to do that before." The female responded in a deadpan.
The male chuckled. "It's not dumb, she just missed a step...or two."
"Or ten." The female added in.
"Or ten-Hey!" The male exclaimed.
"What? It's the truth, I don't know how she did it and how she messed up that badly." The female said sheepishly.
"It's not called messing up! It's...uh...trying too hard?" The male asked himself.
"...Same thing." The female deadpanned.
Terra blinked at their conversation. Are they talking about us? I didn't know anybody knew about that besides the other two...She thought, looking at the growing light in confusion. Then, without warning, she tripped over a loose stone and let out a squeak as she tumbled the rest of the way down.
When she stopped tumbling, she pushed herself up and her eyes went wide at the area she landed in. "Wow…" The bluenette breathed, looking around in awe.
The man on the rock-like couch tilted his head before blinking. "Ohhhh...That's one of the clones, isn't it?" He asked, looking to the other woman for an answer.
The woman sitting in a magical chair shrugged. "The most identical one." She answered before looking at the bluenette. "What are you doing here?"
Terra quickly stood up and brushed off her dress. "I was looking for Heidi...She is emotionally drained and I was worried about her...That and she ran off without warning." She looked between them, feeling a bit like a fish out of water.
The woman nodded. "Well, that explains why she looks dead. Good news Hades, she did not spend too long in the Underworld!" She said with mocking enthusiasm as she grinned.
Hades' eyes halved. "You really won't let me live that down, will you?" He asked, a scowl on his face as he looked at her.
"Nope! You might wanna take some time when you are free and make a schedule, you know, to keep up the complexion?" She gestured to her face.
"I'll keep that in mind, Hecate, thanks for the advice." His voice was filled with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes. The god then looked back at her. "Huh, you really are almost identical. Except for the eyes, she got the eyes wrong. They are more...electric." He said, tilting his head as he studied her.
Terra chuckled. "I've been told that she got them right...I always wondered what they meant by that." She said, looking at the two as she laced her hands together.
Hecate looked at her with a grin. "Heidi's are cold and look dead sometimes, your's are vibrant like a lightning bolt. Full of energy and life!"
While Terra looked at her in surprise, Hades gave her a dead stare. "You know you just also insulted my eyes, right?"
Hecate shrugged. "At least they look normal! I remember when they were-" She was stopped as the god's hair lit up as a warning. "-Just as nice."
"Good answer." Hades said, his hair turning off instantly. He looked back at Terra with interest. "So you came looking for Heidi because of her current condition?"
Terra nodded with a smile. "I have a knack for healing and I thought I could ease her condition a bit." She said, looking at the unconscious woman on the couch.
Hecate chuckled when she heard that. "Then you'll have to have a device on you that will allow you to use your magic. The barrier on this here island shuts down all magic except for me and people with magic negating objects, like Heidi." The goddess waved her hand and created a small bracelet covered in glittery stars before tossing it over to her.
Terra caught it and looked it over. "Wow...and this will let me use my magic?" She asked, looking up at the goddess.
Hecate gave her a thumbs up. "And it matches your outfit, love it by the way." She said with a wide grin.
Terra chuckled and slipped the bracelet on, smiling as she felt the foreign magic leap off of her as she summoned a bit of magic to her fingers. "Thank you." She said, looking up at the goddess with a bright smile.
Hecate nodded and went back to writing down a few things. Hades cleared his throat, causing Terra to look at him. Seeing that he had her attention, he gestured towards Heidi. "So..." He held out the word, prompting the woman to blink in realization.
"Oh, right!" Terra exclaimed, approaching them and falling to her knees so that she was at a lower level. She summoned a blue light to her hand before placing it on Heidi's forehead. She closed her eyes and went silent as she urged the magic to wash over and heal her.
Hades blinked in surprise as he watched the color return to Heidi's skin, the magic washing over her and slowly reversing her physically ill appearance. The god tilted his head in amazement as he found himself staring at a perfectly healthy version of his once sick looking daughter.
Terra opened her eyes and shook her head a few times as she stood up. She looked over the other blue-haired woman carefully before smiling. "She should be feeling better soon, she is still emotionally drained but her overall weakness should not last for longer than a day."
Hades looked at her for a moment before a small smile appeared on his face. "Thanks. She'll be staying here with me for awhile until she feels ready to go back." He said, running a hand through Heidi's hair. "Do you know why she was so upset?" He asked, his eyes meeting hers.
Terra paused before nodding. "There...is a girl. Heidi feels like the girl betrayed her and was really angry over it. I talked her down and got her to explain everything to me...and by morning she had passed out from...everything." She explained, looking down at her sister with a sigh.
Hades raised an eyebrow. "Well, did the girl betray her?" It was clear that he was leaving out something else when he asked that.
Terra looked at him and shook her head. "I don't know that. Not yet, anyway. I don't want to pick sides or believe one or the other, it will only make it worse. It'll destroy both of them." She said, her voice dropping at the end.
Hades frowned when he heard that and he looked down at Heidi. "If you do find out...Do you think you could come back here and tell me? We both don't like it when she is like this...Sad and filled with despair." He looked back up at her as his eyes softened.
Terra blinked a few times and rubbed her arm. "I...suppose I can do that. It's only right that she knows and...I don't know if she could hear it herself if she's over here." She said admittingly, looking away for a moment.
Hades nodded in thanks before looking back down at Heidi. "I'll be watching over her, you don't need to stay if you have other things to do."
Terra looked like she was about to say no when she remembered that she had to go check on her sisters and possibly meet up with Hazel. She blinked before nodding. "I do have a few things to do...I'll be back if I learn anything." She said, giving them a small wave before walking back towards the mineshaft.
As she made her way up, she paused when she heard Hecate sigh. "They are demanding to take votes now. Zeus is trying to shut them up with his "Kingly powers" and there is an argument going on between several of the gods. This isn't good, Hades."
Hades let out a grumble. "Of course that bastard is making up rules, he has to otherwise the others will keep yelling. Just because Heidi did something Zeus didn't like doesn't mean he can take it out on the innocents."
Hecate sighed once more. "He's...telling them that he's going after the three no matter what. Hermes is mostly arguing with him now and Athena is backing him. Most of the gods don't approve, but you know how Zeus can be."
"An idiotic airhead asshole." Hades replied and grumbled out something else. "No matter what he decides, and I know what he is gonna do, I'm gonna be there to teach him a lesson. They may not be mine but they are Heidi's and you saw how that one treated her! She came all this way just because she was concerned about Heidi! She wasn't even trying to earn my respect and she has!"
Terra felt herself freeze when she heard that. Did he say...I earned his respect? She thought to herself, smiling in disbelief.
Hecate chuckled before pausing. "You like her already?"
"She's already my kid by extreme technicalities so, eh, I liked her to begin with. Now? Well, I can't wait to meet the other ones." Hades said with a laugh.
Terra's smile widened. I can't believe he considers me his daughter...that is...amazing.
Her thoughts were cut off when she heard Hecate gasp. "Um...He's going to do it. He's going after the triplets. He's going over what the other gods are supposed to be doing when he is down here...I think he's trying to keep them all in Olympus. We only have hours at most, there is no telling when he is going to come down." She said, sounding a tad panicked.
"Like I told you, if he wants them he's gonna have to go through me. I claimed them as mine and I have full right to fight for my daughters' survival when my idiotic brother is throwing a supersized tantrum." Hades told her, clearly smiling despite the fact that Terra couldn't see him.
"I...am glad. You may be their only chance." Hecate said, sounding much more relieved now.
Hades chuckled. "I'm happy to jump in and take Zeus off their hands. It's time for the little brother to learn his place. He can't do whatever he wants just because he is the king. He took it a step too far when he locked Heidi in the Underworld...and now he is trying to take out three innocent kids?" The god scoffed. "He's gone power crazy and it is a load of shit!"
Terra felt her breath leave her as she thought about what they said. Zeus...wanted to kill her and her sisters? And Hades was going to defend them? Oh my god… She thought, not entirely believing what she had just heard.
"Hestia just told me that she is keeping a close eye on Zeus as he gets prepared. He's clearly getting ready to face off with Heidi since she is the creator of the three. She says to be ready for the masterbolt." Hecate told him.
Hades let out a low chuckle. "The old masterbolt, eh? I might just grab my Helmet then. Pop that on and watch Zeus shriek and backpedal all the way to Olympus. Poseidon and him always seemed to freak out around it."
"The Helmet? Would you have time to grab it?" Hecate questioned.
Hades hummed. "Hmm...Nope. But you do. I just need you to grab it and drop it and let the barriers trick ruin the defense mechanism. Once I have that Zeusy can say "Bye, Bye, Bye!" allll the way home."
Hecate chuckled. "I will go ahead and do that now. I'll be back, Hades."
"Have fun." Hades replied before going silent.
Terra shook her head. She slowly began moving again, her thoughts swirling in her head as she slowly tuned out the world. Zeus is coming to kill us...Hades will defend us...Oh my... She placed a hand on her head. She knew she had to tell someone, but who? Surely they will all either panic or not believe her…
The bluenette sighed quietly. I just need to get off of this place, then I'll figure this out. This is crazy… She thought before urging her mind to calm as she continued up the mineshaft.