It was Eurus, the East Wind, today.
It wasn't hard for Aji to tell who bore her wings up each time she took to the skies. Back when she had flown over the sea with her sister, she could always tell the winds apart by their different temperaments. Now that she had passed through death, she could sometimes catch glimpses of their faces out of the corner of her eye, scowling or impish or calm in turn.
She couldn't see his face today, but it was certainly Eurus who carried her. He was always angry. Frequent pockets of turbulence in the currents had her straining to keep control. She had seen many birds plummet from the skies in his wrath, or break their wings against his fury. She did not fear him, though. He always restrained himself for her sake. All four of the winds craved her song.
Perhaps he also held back because of the great working that unfolded below. Perhaps he, too, was enthralled by the sight.
Aji circled a meadow bordered by a barren forest and a few brown hills. It had been a bountiful land, once. Every valley had borne grain and fruit, every mountainside had been clothed in uniform greenery, every meadow had been a perfectly tended garden. Now, the stench of decay rose from a land where no green thing grew. Or, at least, others complained of the stench. Aji could no longer scent it.
But this was right. This was good. The land was at rest by order of its new goddess, and it was she who stood at the heart of the meadow. She was the lynchpin of a great working, and for many days the laws of the universe had revolved around her.
Persephone, goddess of vegetation and the curses on men's souls, stood with her feet half-buried in the earth and her hands raised skyward. Her face was a hollow, a void set in the center of tangled vines and wildflower stems. Flowers budded, bloomed, and dropped from her body like rain. These piled at her feet, withering to decay in minutes. Hour after hour, day after day she stood there, perfectly still, holding the center. Gathering power. Preparing a dread pronouncement.
Around Persephone, three bowed and ragged forms shambled in a slow, clockwise circle. Cloaked in rags and trailing innumerable threads, these women stretched gnarled arms ahead of themselves, each set of hands grasping at something that Aji could not see and weaving. Weaving. Always weaving. The Moirae, the fate-weavers, moved through the dance with decrepit grace and never broke the circle.
Beyond them spun an outer ring of dancers—the Horai, goddesses of the seasons and the hours; those who oversee the minutiae of time. A dozen lithe, young maidens decked in linen tunics and rich garlands moved in step, step, step counter-clockwise. At equal points, four would break off and twirl their way to the center and across, exchanging places. As each took their new place, another four would break off to weave their way across the circle. Then another. This circle collapsed on itself and reformed every second as the goddesses of the hours tangled their dance through the passage of the Fates.
A glint of sunlight off metal drew Aji's eye to one of the hills overlooking the meadow. Hades, god of the underworld, stood at the top. He beckoned to Aji, raising his arm and presenting his wrist.
Immediately, she angled toward him, circling lower and lower until she could land on his wrist. Her talon guards clicked loudly against the iron hand. Diamond eyes stared out of his steel face. He surveyed the meadow with an unreadable expression and Aji resumed observation from her new perch.
"The weave is nearly complete," he said.
She shivered. It was so close. So difficult to keep calm. Keep her feathers smooth. Keep her beak shut. She was, she reminded herself, an unruffled, reliable messenger of the gods, not some excitable celestial brat. Yet energy vibrated through her form, faster than any heartbeat. Before her eyes, a great and terrible strand of fate had been cut, spliced, and was being rewoven. It was both horror and beauty to behold. It made her feel so mortal, even now.
And any minute, she would fly into the heart of that design and connect it back to her family. Back to Kingsmen.
Would she get to see Lewis? Had Kay forgiven her? How was Dulcie? Did Dad remember her? Did… did her mom think of her, even a little?
A silver hand stroked her feathers. She bent her neck toward the touch. Hades' voice was gentle as he said, "You may greet each of them on behalf of Persephone and myself, but be brief. I am sure they will have many questions, but you must not answer them. Not yet. We have not meddled this way before, and I require all due caution from you."
She bowed her head to him. "I will convey your greetings and I will not linger long."
From one moment to the next, the air pressure changed. Aji jerked her head up, fixing her gaze on the center of the circle. Persephone was no longer alone. Two children, nearly transparent, had appeared at her feet. They cried, they banged their fists against her robes and shouted at her. Aji could not make out what they were saying, but Persephone was unmoved. The dance continued around her—and them—as if they weren't there.
Aji sighed. Someday, hopefully, she'd have more time to get to know the twins. She'd fought Kingsmen tooth and nail, but by all accounts he and Kay made exceptional kids.
The children vanished as she watched, and Hades raised Aji up. "They have returned to their time. The weave is complete. Go. Bear the curse to Arthur, and bear our invitation to the broken goddess."
She spread her wings and sprang into the air, allowing Eurus to catch and fling her toward the dance. Her form pulsed. Her feathers shone. It was time.
Arthur felt like an air bubble, like he was shooting up toward light and sound. Toward consciousness. The corners of his mouth lifted, as if they couldn't stay down. So light. Even his eyelids felt weightless, flying open.
He was on his back in a room of some sort. Flexible walls? People crowded his vision. They bent over him, or milled around, their mouths flapping and hands waving..
"...vitals stable, but what happened?"
"Mutt, if you don't give me answers…"
His grin stretched wider. He knew these people
"Stay back! Mother…"
"...be a muck-raking peanut salesman if you think…"
They spoke over and at each other in all directions. He giggled. It was silly of them to panic. Everything was going to be fine. The memory of his own recent terror struck him as particularly ridiculous.
"Lady, if you've hurt 'im any, goddess or no…"
"Calm down, just, everybody calm—!"
He tried to raise his hands to get their attention, but his arms wouldn't budge. Something bound him. He turned his head a little. Ah, not something. Someone. He could only see a mass of yellow curls, but he felt the rest of Kay wrapped around him.
"It's alright." His throat felt raspy as he mumbled into her hair. "I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere."
Her grip loosened a little. Enough for Arthur to wiggle an arm free and stick it up in the air.
Immediately the panicky exchanges around him died down. Three seconds later, they redoubled in volume and chaos.
Vivi seized his hand. "Squire! Can you hear me? Are you there? How many fingers am I holding up?" she shouted. Arthur shook with silent laughter. She wasn't holding any fingers up.
Uncle Lance and Dib flanked his side of the medical bed. Lance gripped the plastic guardrail while Dib brandished the usual datapad.
"Artie! Yer up! Say somethin', anything!"
"Arthur, I know we just got you back, but I could really use help stabilizing Shiro Mori after what just happened—"
"Pity's sake, man!"
"I know, I know! But we have yet another meltdown of yet another overpowered entity on our hands, what do you want from me?"
Lewis stood at the end of the bed, staring at him. Arthur gave him a little grin, still twitching with laughter. Lewis didn't budge, his irises glowing smaller and smaller in the hollows of his skull.
Vivi still had Arthur's hand hostage and was shaking it, still shouting at him. "HOW MANY FINGERS? CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"
At that moment, a single cry halted the cacophony. One long, melodic note. The sound silenced everyone and brought Kay awake. She bolted upright, staring at the ceiling.
And then the air roared.
For the first time, Arthur noticed he was in some sort of tent. He realized this because the walls snapped taut to their limits and the door—or tent opening—flapped wildly in the gust of wind that crowded in.
The tent ballooned outward under the pressure. He heard stakes popping out two and three at a time. Tent poles twisted and snapped, dropping to the ground as the tent stretched in all directions. A moment later, the tent was free, flying off into the night like a wild hot air balloon. Then the light setup clustered around him died, plunging them into night-time darkness.
Against the starry sky, Arthur saw a shimmering, red bird circling overhead. Each wing-beat carried the sound of blades being sharpened, and the bird cackled like someone had told a fantastic joke.
"East wind is such a drama king!" it crowed, circling lower. "Always gotta let everyone know he's arrived. No subtlety, no class. Everyone okay down there?"
Giddiness bubbled up in Arthur's chest. He coughed a few times, then hauled in a breath and shouted, "No class, huh? Bet you make a great couple, you maniac."
"Can it, old geezer! This show's for you, so don't ruin it by opening your mouth!"
Aji. Her name reverberated in whispers and shouts through the camp, from the mouths of everyone who knew her. A sorrowful cry rose from a distant part of the camp.
He knew what was happening, and he didn't know. It was just a sense, a vague idea that he was right on the edge of an event, or maybe a finish line. He'd heard Aji's voice on his way down the mountain, and something had taken root then. Something had begun to wind itself around him, he'd felt it. The pieces kept slotting together in his head as he called back, "What do you mean? Why are you here?"
"Smartypants Kingsmen can't figure it out yet, eh?" Aji laughed. "I'm here to help curse your ass. Duh."
And there in the sky, a hole in the universe opened.
Arthur's stomach flipped. He lay on his back, in a bed, but up in the sky was a bird's eye view looking down at the ground in another dimension. There, in the center of a dead field, a familiar goddess stood with her hands stretched up, palms facing him. Around her danced two rings of unfamiliar people, each ring dancing in the opposite direction of the other.
Persephone's voice carried through the portal and twined with Aji's, a duet that charged the air with power. Change. Fate.
Dance ye hours. Revel, fates!
Open doors, fling wide time's gates!
A goddess' curse to see them through
And siren song to cast it true
A curse. He was being cursed. After all this? But Persephone…
Arthur clutched Kay's hands, the silly, stupid grin refusing to leave his face. He couldn't find it in himself to be frightened or angry. When had Persephone ever hurt him? This had to be an ace up her sleeve. If she had sent their own children to watch over them, then she couldn't possibly be damning him to further struggle and torment now.
Aji dropped lower and lower until she circled a few feet over the heads of the group surrounding Arthur. Her voice was harsher than Kay's, edged with regret and bitterness, but clear as a bell and entangling as any siren call. The goddess and the siren sang.
With dance and song and woven verse
I cast the least malicious curse
That you may seize the brightest path
Remaining after mother's wrath
That two—from she who bound your soul—
Shall journey back to make you whole
To give you strength to face your past
And set your heart to rest at last
Tears stung Arthur's eyes. He gulped them back. This was the "how" behind it all. Somehow this curse, and those strange dancers, and Persephone all together had sent the twins back in time to help him and Kay survive this mess.
Not just survive. Recover. Piece it back together. Could he really rest, now, like the words said? Let down his guard and just… live? It sounded so, so good.
But Aji opened her beak again.
I bar you from the hero's path
I bar you from the goddess' wrath
I curse your name to be forgot
By all but those who see this wrought
And Arthur nearly melted into the hospital bed. He could feel the curse taking root in him, a tangible force crawling all over his body. Fate could never lay such a burden on his shoulders again. Cursed to have a quiet, unassuming life of no great renown? No great deeds? No heroic ventures? A life where these few alone remembered his existence? No more watching his back and covering up odd behaviors and disappearances? Just…
He clung to Kay, tears streaming down his face. "Thank you… thank you…"
As if in response, Persephone's voice rose above Aji's, and her words sealed Arthur's new fate.
Now live your life to full, my friend
Come join us once there is an end.
Mystery barely spared a glance upward. Once finished with her task, Mother had peeled away from Arthur, utterly spent. Again. The anguish of it cut Mystery's insides to ribbons.
She was a puddle on the ground by his feet that lashed out with razor sharp tendrils, each one splitting off into multi-headed snakes. A frog mouth on one side moaned while bird beaks gnashed at any eyeballs or cats paws that tried to flop away. Piles of terrible smelling dust surrounded her, yet despite the stench she drew the particles close and sobbed over the little heaps.
Even now, she grieved for the traitor. For what he had been.
Unforgivable.
Mystery longed to scatter the dust to the wind. Let it be over and done with forever. Let her never spend another thought on the traitor who ruined everything. But she wouldn't let go, and Mystery couldn't pour his strength into her. She had closed herself off from him so he could not help her. He ached, keening softly. Was she even aware of what was happening around her?
There was great power in the air, a vast and untapped energy. He heard every word of the curse as all that energy funneled toward Arthur, and bitterness bloomed in his chest.
Arthur. Arthur. It was always about Arthur. Everything had been for Arthur. Mother was wrecked again, and what strength did anyone have to spare for her now? Who even knew her name in this day and age? Who would worship a broken deity? Was there no balm for her? He clawed the ground, lips pulled back from his teeth, silently begging, Speak her name. Make her whole. Somebody, anybody, remember Mother.
"Shiro Mori!" Aji called from the sky.
Startled, Mystery lifted his head, ears perked.
"Where is the goddess, Shiro Mori?" she called again.
"Here!" Mystery barked, rising nearly to his hind legs in excitement. "Here! She is here!"
Beside him, Mother stilled. Would Aji give her music? Would Persephone give her strength?
Aji dropped lower, circling just over his head. "Shiro Mori! I bear an invitation from Persephone, daughter—and former captive—of your destroyer." And with that, she sang,
Come, my friend, from darkness long
Lose your days in soothing song
In bright sunlight, in gentle rain
An eon to diffuse the pain
I offer you this land to tend
It needs a keeper, help it mend
Recover self in fresh turned earth
In blossom, wood, and green rebirth
Aji snapped her wings twice to punctuate the offer, then called, "Think fast. I've got people to greet, I'll circle back to you." With that, she shot off to the far end of the camp.
Mystery's chest squeezed. He looked down again. Mother puddled around his paws. All over her, slotted eyeballs blinked open and shut within tentacle suckers. She reeked of grief and confusion.
This was the answer. Time. Space. Immersion in acts of creation and nurturing. Persephone and Hades had done well by his new pack so far, surely they would care for Mother with that same blend of justice and kindness.
But for it, she would have to go far beyond his reach.
She mewled at his feet, plucking at his fur with tiny gecko fingers to get his attention. She showed no sign of comprehending the offer.
His creator. The reason he had any good thing. His first caretaker. She wasn't fit to speak, much less make this decision.
He swallowed his sorrow. Crouching, he nuzzled her ever-changing fronds, tendrils, and limbs. "Mother, come."
"But—!" Vivi's protest cut off, sharply. She stood nearby, stuffing her hands in her mouth. Lewis hovered behind her, hands on her shoulders, glaring at him.
A weak smile crossed his snout. "This isn't like last time, Vivi. Lewis. I'm not leaving. I haven't finished watching over my pack." His smile faltered. "Just… let me see Mother to safety. Please."
Vivi's eyes glistened. She kept her fingers in her mouth and nodded.
Mystery crouched over Mother, keeping her close with quiet whispers of reassurance. Watching. Waiting for Aji to return.
Thrumming with nervous energy, Aji landed on the right hand-grip of an outdoor grill. Dad had tried to put his arm out for her, but no way in hell was she landing on his bare arm with talons and bladed talonguards. She'd never tried her weapons out on a mortal, so there was no telling whether there'd be damage from her landing or not.
"H-hi. Um." The formal phrases that composed the greetings she bore between the gods deserted her. She must have recited them a hundred times by now, but suddenly she couldn't recall the words. "Um. Per… Persephone and—"
Two hands cupped her head. She stared up into Dad's eyes. His smile was soft and full of wonder. "Aji?"
Her heart leapt. "You remember?"
He shook his head. Her gut sank. "No. Don't remember," he answered. "Not you, not Dulcie, not Mom. But everyone tells me stories, and I've seen every photo we have. Aji."
She leaned her face into his hand as he stroked her face with a thumb. She could barely feel his touch.
"I wish you were still with us," he whispered.
"Yeah. Well. At least I got a job you could be proud of." She stayed like that a moment longer, then nudged his hands back with her beak. The words began trickling back to her. "I greet you on behalf—" She squawked, spreading her wings in alarm as another hand patted her back. Spinning around, she came beak to nose with Dulcie.
Clearing her throat, Aji quickly folded her wings again. "Hey squirt. Anybody giving you trouble these days?"
Dulcie shook her head. She looked as wide-eyed and attentive as ever. Aji ached a little, looking at all the seriousness in that face. Dulcie leaned forward and said, quietly, "I get to do singing lessons, now. D'you get to hear me sometimes?"
Oh. Well. This was a first for the family. Aji sensed a serious negotiation with Hades in her near future. If the Greek gods didn't know about employee benefits like vacation time, she was about to introduce them to the concept. "Haven't heard you yet, but I'll see what I can work out with the big boss."
Dulcie smiled, and Aji brightened. It had been an awfully long time since she'd seen that look on her little sister's face.
Then Aji caught a glimpse of white over Dulcie's shoulder. A few paces off, Chloe side-eyed her. Aji dipped her head, averting her eyes reverently. How had she been so flippant in the presence of this creature in the past? The formal words came more easily, now. "I bear greetings from Lord Hades and Lady Persephone to each of you. Persephone also asks…" her voice trailed off. She became acutely aware of a fourth person, hovering just to her left and behind her line of sight.
She cleared her throat, trying again. "... she… uh… she asks… if you're, uh, really sure… aw Styx ripples." Why was it so hard to talk? She had no air passages to close up, no tears to shed. She sucked in a deep breath. "She asks if you—Chloe—and you—Teles—are truly certain that this is the world you wish to stay in."
Chloe nickered softly. "I gave my answer already. Even if a new herd in their world accepts me, they wouldn't understand me. I don't think I'd understand them, either. It's okay if I'm the last unicorn here. I have a good herd. Thank Heika for me."
Aji dipped her head, then slowly craned it to the left.
Her mother's gaze burned. She stretched her hand out. Aji pulled her neck in, her wings hunched protectively on either side of her head. The hand paused, then dropped back down. Disappointment settled in Aji's spirit. She should have expected as much. Her sins still trailed her. Clearly she was still the black sheep, the one who should have known better.
"Bear my regards back to Lord Hades and Lady Persephone." Her mother's voice was calm. Steady as ever. "Offer my appreciation for their invitation, but there is much I have to repair here."
Aji flared a little. Of course. Things would only be repaired here, in the land of the living.
"Bear back a request for that which I would receive more gladly than what they offered."
So formal, mother. So calm. So controlled. Aji snapped her beak shut on the words. This was her job. She would be professional about it.
"Request that my daughter be sent back to speak with me, occasionally, should she find this agreeable. There is much I would like to discuss with her, and the distance between us is beyond me at this time."
Aji went still.
"I miss her." Teles' eyes never left Aji's. "Will you tell her that, too?"
Aji shimmered brightly. She nodded her head. "I will bear your request to them. I'm sure it will be met with favor from all parties." With that, she spread her wings and rose back into the sky, angling a return path to the medical tent. So much to think about... but she had a job to finish.
Below, Lewis stretched his arm out. This, she accepted with gratitude, carefully lighting on his arm. She kept a loose grip so her talons did not cut through his suit. His free hand curled around to stroke her neck feathers. She closed her eyes, savoring the heat and warmth of another spirit's touch.
"Took you long enough to visit."
She snorted. "Yeah. Had to build up enough frequent flier miles. Your girlfriend treating you alright?"
"My, ah, wife. It seems. And, yes."
Aji scanned Vivi, her eye catching on the ring. "Wife. Huh. Nobody told me you finally went through with that. You'll have to fill me in on the details sometime. Well, good. If she wasn't taking care of you, I'd have to set her house on fire or something."
Arthur giggled from the medical bed, his wrinkled face all shiny and wet. "You sick pyro."
"Bastard," she returned. "Sister-snatcher."
"Is that an official message?"
"Yep. First-class from beyond the grave. Suck on it." She swivelled slightly. Kay was watching her, her hands clasping Arthur's. Multiple scar lines traced the length of her neck, and the mortal wounds glimmered darkly in Aji's sight.
Aji had lost count of how many times she had practiced her apology. Sometimes the winds would help her, filling in the role of Kay being forgiving. Kay being belligerent. Kay screaming and swearing and throwing things, if it was Eurus. But in the moment, none of the practiced words were right, and she knew it. Everything she'd come up with was too contrived, too defensive.
"I'm sorry."
Aji couldn't figure out what the expression on Kay's face meant. It was getting more and more difficult to hold Kay's stare, but she had to. That's what it meant to be sincere, right? Hold eye contact and say the words without any defense. Sorry I murdered you in cold blood. Sorry I tried to kill the most important person in your life. Sorry I made our last stretch of time together miserable.
Kay slipped her legs over the side of the bed and stood. She walked over to Lewis, who offered the arm Aji perched on. Aji kept her blade-edged wings tucked tight against her sides. Gingerly, Kay folded her arms around Aji's smaller form, cradling Aji against her heart.
"I miss flying with you," Kay said.
Aji rested in the embrace, silent.
"Thank you for… for my life. You didn't have to do this, but you did. Thank you."
Aji burrowed deeper into the hug. "Yeah. Well. Somebody has to look after you-know-who's pathetic ass, and it sure wasn't gonna be me."
"My ears work fine, thanks for checking." Arthur stuck his tongue out at her.
Reluctant, Aji pulled free of Kay's arms. She brushed a wing across Lewis' arm, tenderly, then turned to Mystery. "Is Shiro Mori coming?"
To her delight, Mystery bent his forelegs, bowing to her. "She is coming. Will you allow me to escort her to the portal?"
"You may come to the portal, but no further." She spread her wings and took to the air again, circling up toward the hole in the sky. She crowed across the divide, "The goddess accepts! Shiro Mori will come!"
The portal spilled out a tangled mess of creepers and vines, woven together into a flat panel that extended down to the ground at an angle. Within seconds, there was a ramp to reach the portal.
Mystery nuzzled the puddle at his feet. "Come, Mother. Follow me." He padded forward slowly, and the puddle surged along with him. It was a steep climb. The goddess was truly a sorry sight. Aji hoped Persephone was right, that Shiro Mori would be able to recover in their realm. If there was a rock bottom for deities, Aji was probably looking at it.
Mystery reached the top of the ramp, then bent his neck and whispered something to the puddle, still clinging to his paws. The puddle emitted distress and protests; bells, whistles, mewls, groans. It wasn't moving forward, though Mystery continued whispering and nudging it.
That was her cue. Aji opened her beak and called to the goddess. She fashioned the melody for someone she did not know, but wished to know. For someone who needed rest and deep repair. She called out to someone lost, someone who needed guidance to a safe haven. Then she plunged through the portal, back to Persephone. Back to Hades.
Behind her, what was left of Shiro Mori spilled through the portal and into her new realm.
The portal closed. Mystery leaped for the ground as the ramp dissolved into thin air.
The horizon lightened, a purple-gray pre-dawn glow. Insects chirred, unperturbed by what had happened. Arthur was giggling helplessly, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes.
Finally, Dib hauled in a breath and yelled at the top of his lungs, "TELL ME SOMEBODY GOT ALL THAT ON ANY KIND OF RECORDING DEVICE, OR EVERYONE ON PAYROLL IS FIRED!"
Note: AGES AND AGES AGO. I put out a call for information on Tumblr, basically asking those who responded, "Hey, so how could I accomplish time travel using the Greek Gods?" and user ivy-basley-ushi helped me find the 3 Horae and the 12 Horai (who are sometimes interchangeable by name, I opted for that idea). And by ages ago, I mean I first made note of it in Torn Apart Chpt. 22's author note. IT'S TAKEN ME THIS LONG TO GET THERE but I didn't wanna forget to thank Ivy once again, though we haven't spoken since. THE WHOLE TWINS THING HINGED ON ME FIGURING OUT A WAY TO INTEGRATE TIME TRAVEL, AND NOW IT COMES FULL CIRCLE. THANK YOU. ALSO huge thank you to Pipefoxesonthemoon who beta'd this and has helped me beta these last few crucial chapters. From here on out, it's wrap-up, and I expect that to take no more than 6 chapters. Sorry this one took so long, but I had to wrestle past feelings of hating the entire story for a while. Tends to happen from time to time, and that's no place to write any climax chapter from. Chapter title excerpted from Paint The World by Jidax, Enzo Darren, and Chester Rushing.