Twisted Strings of Fate
Chapter 20
There had always been an easy way out of the curse. My grandfather almost went that route. He wouldn't take his own life but was willing to waste away to nothing just to still his heart. But love stopped him; love for a woman who needed him. And he never looked back.
But I am not needed. I am nothing. And I'm the last in my family's line.
I know I would leave a hole that couldn't be replaced. Not only would I cause my mother and step-father sorrow, but four men who knew nothing about me would feel pain again.
I contemplated ending my life. I did not fear death or the pain of death. Obviously I'm still here, but I vowed that I would rather end my life than to pass on the curse to the next generation.
I wonder how many of my ancestors made the same promise. Because when you are faced with love, death is the farthest thing from one's mind.
As the five fell through the darkness, for a time, they experienced almost complete sensory depredation. There was no light, no sense of what was up or down, nothing to feel but their own clothing and bodies. Even after the first screams died away, none of them said anything, silence reigning.
It was almost a shock to their senses when a brilliant, glowing being appeared before them, saying, "Hey there. Usually it's not my job to take the living, but for Aphrodite, I'm making an exception."
Like the other gods, he was dressed in a toga. He wasn't big, although he was toned and athletic, like a runner, and he seemed to hover in the air due to a pair of shoes with wings on them. He also held a bronze staff with two snakes entwined. He appeared to be a pigeon, although he looked fancier than the pigeons from back home, his feathers pristine white and curled in a fancy way on his head.
"You're Hermes," Fenton said, his arms spread out. "Messenger of the gods."
"Hey, I know you," Launchpad said. "Dewey stole your shoes."
Hermes gave a big, childish grin. "That little guy is really sneaky. You tell that little dude no hard feelings, okay." He gave Launchpad a buddy-punch to the arm.
"It's nice to meet you, and I'd like to talk more, but I don't suppose you can stop us from falling to our deaths?" Darkwing asked. He had been trying to use his cape like a parachute again, but it just wasn't cooperating.
"Don't worry, guys. You still have a few more minutes of falling before you land in the Underworld," Hermes said, reclining in the air. "Until then, just relax."
"I'm assuming you'll be telling us about our next challenge," Fenton said, getting right to business.
"Yeah, I will. This next challenge is going to be like a scavenger hunt," Hermes said. "Fun right?"
"Whoooopeeee," Negaduck said sarcastically. "What are we looking for?"
"You'll be looking for four pieces of a whole," Hermes said mysteriously. "All four pieces can be found in the Underworld. To win the challenge, you must find them and put them together."
"How will we find these pieces?" Darkwing asked. "There's got to be more to the challenge than that. Do we get any hints?"
"Of course. It would be pretty silly letting four mortals scramble around the Underworld without giving them hints," Hermes said with a laugh. "I don't think Hades would like that. Oh, and that reminds me. Don't let the big guy know. If he knew that Zeus sent you here on Aphrodite's orders, he'd go ballistic."
"But I thought that all the gods were afraid of Aphrodite," Negaduck said with a smirk. "She certainly has Zeus by the short hairs."
Hermes laughed at that. "Yeah, you're right there. Aphrodite is a force to be reckoned with, but not everyone caves into her influence. Of the few gods and goddess that aren't willing to do what Aphrodite asks, Hades is at the forefront."
"Because love can conquer all, even death," Fenton said.
"I couldn't have said it better, my friend," Hermes said with a wink. "Everyone thinks that life and death are opposites, but they're just two sides of the same cycle. Love and death have always been at war with each other. Nothing stops love faster than death, and nothing can overcome death except love."
"If that's the case, wouldn't Hades help us? We're not exactly on friendly terms with Aphrodite," Darkwing wondered.
"I wouldn't bet on that. Aphrodite isn't your opponent with these challenges. You're her entertainment," Hermes explained. "She's allowing Zeus to oversee these challenges, but they're really tests to prove if you're worthy. If Hades knew she and Zeus had sent you here, he will do everything he could to prevent you from leaving."
The group fell silence for a few beats as that sunk in. Death was now in the mix.
Before anyone could say more, a pin-prick of blue light appeared below them, getting bigger and bigger.
"Looks like we're making our approach to the Underworld," Hermes said. "You might want to ask any questions now. Once we land, you'll have only two hours to finish the challenge."
"You mentioned some hints," Darkwing said, getting right to the point. "What are they? How are we supposed to find the four pieces of a whole? And what is this whole that you are talking about?"
"Last question first," Hermes said, pointing his staff at Darkwing. "But first, have you noticed that something isn't quite right?"
"Well, we're falling. That doesn't seem quite right," Launchpad said. "Although, if we were in a plane, it would be more familiar to me."
"I mean with your group," Hermes hinted. "Someone has been exceptionally quiet."
Darkwing furrowed his brows but Fenton's thought process was quicker.
"Charity!"
Everyone looked to the female, who hadn't spoken a word since they began falling. She appeared fine, almost peaceful. Her eyes were open, but other than her hair and feathers ruffling in the breeze, she wasn't moving.
Fenton, the closest, reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her close. "Charity? Charity, can you hear me?" He felt her wrist for a pulse before looking for any other signs of life. "She's alive but non-responsive."
"Is she okay?" Launchpad asked, making swimming motions to get closer.
"I don't know. I don't know what's wrong with her," Fenton said, patting her cheek. "She—she was fine not long ago."
"What did you do to her?" Darkwing demanded of Hermes.
"It's nothing that I've done," Hermes said with a smug smile. "It's what the four of you have done. Her heart has been split four ways, making it weak. Aphrodite has hidden each piece somewhere in the Underworld, and it's up to you to find them all and put them back together."
"What do you mean what we've done?" Fenton asked.
Hermes laughed jovially. "What I meant to say is what the curse has done to her. Meeting and spending time with the four of you has increased the cracks in her heart until it was easy to quarter it. You couldn't have known how much your charms would affect the young lady."
Both Fenton and Darkwing frowned.
"Well, it looks as if I better slow you down or you'll go splat," Hermes said with a smile. His godly glow extended to the group, surrounding and slowing them down.
The blue glow from below was now bright enough to show they were in a rocky cavern. The air was chilly and damp, enough so that they all wished they had warmer clothing. As the cavern opened up more, they found that the blue glow was emanating from an underground river of ethereal beauty.
They felt much better once there was ground under their feet. Fenton had his arms around Charity, bearing her full weight, but Launchpad was quick to swoop her up in his arms, his face full of concern.
"Welcome to Hades. The place, not the god. I know, it's confusing. You have two hours. Oh, and before I forget…" Hermes dug into a pocket in his toga. "You'll need these."
Darkwing took the offered gifts from Hermes: five gold coins, and a map of the Underworld that looked to be designed by an amusement park.
"Good luck. I'll wait here to take you back home. If you're not back in two hours…" Hermes shrugged with a crooked smile. "There are other ways out of the Hades, but they're not pretty."
"Let's go," Darkwing said, adjusting his hat. "Launchpad, do you want me to carry her?"
"No, I'll do it," Launchpad insisted, looking uncharacteristically serious. "You guys should keep your hands free…just in case."
Darkwing scanned his friend with a discerning eye before nodding.
Launchpad hefted Charity into a fireman's carry, her head swaying limply. The large duck took the extra weight with no problems, the lovebird's body looking almost childish in comparison. Most ducks looked childish compared to Launchpad.
"Fenton, you know about Greek mythology, right?" Darkwing asked, remembering the tidbits of information he fed the group during the challenges.
"Mostly, although I'm not so familiar with the Underworld. There's not a lot of detail about it," Fenton said.
Darkwing handed the map over. "You know more than the rest of us. You take this."
Fenton accepted. He had an inkling how hard it was for Darkwing to delegate duties like this, especially to him. The masked hero had learned from their last challenge.
"So, where to first?" Darkwing asked.
Fenton unfolded the map, taking in the bright colors, the friendly letters naming each area and feature, and the cartoonish drawings of monsters and gods they may meet on their visit. Down in the left-hand bottom corner, there was a yellow circle with the words, "You are here." Nearby, it had a cartoon of a cloaked figure in a boat with a schedule of departure times.
Fenton looked at his phone. "Crap, we have to move," he shouted, moving down what appeared to be carved stairs in the rock.
"Why? What's going on?" Darkwing asked on his heels, Launchpad and Negaduck taking the rear.
"Charon's boat is going to leave in three minutes. We have to be onboard," Fenton explained, picking up the pace.
As they rounded a corner, a dock came into view with a single boat at the end. The dock was crowded with bodies that were transparent and colorless. Fenton skidded to a halt at the edge of the crowd.
"Excuse me. Please let us through," he requested politely.
But the people didn't heed him. In fact, it was as if they made a more solidified wall despite being incorporeal.
Fenton tried to push his way through, but only made it a few people deep before he found himself stuck. "A little help, please," he called out, squashed.
Launchpad, towering above most, waded in easily.
"Thanks Launchpad. Where are the others?" Fenton asked, keeping close to the pilot.
Launchpad looked for the brightly colored hats of his companions, the red one bobbing in the crowd, the purple one several feet away from the crowd.
"Come on, DW. Let's go," Launchpad called out.
"T-T-Those are…They're…" Darkwing Duck stuttered, his eyes as large as they could get.
"This is where the dead wait for the Ferryman to take them to Hades," Fenton explained.
"They're ghosts!" Darkwing exclaimed.
Fenton nodded. "Yes, they're ghosts. What did you think we'd find in the Underworld?"
Launchpad wondered, "Are you scared of ghosts, DW?"
"No!" Darkwing immediately replied.
"Then get over here. The boat is going to leave soon," Fenton said.
Darkwing made a false start before shirking back farther than before.
"We don't have time for this," Fenton muttered. "Launchpad, go get Darkwing."
Launchpad obeyed, running to Darkwing, picking him up and setting him on his other shoulder. Even between Darkwing and Charity's weight, he wasn't overworked.
As Launchpad waded back into the crowd, Darkwing pulled his feet up and wrapped his cape around himself.
"If only Charity could see you now," Fenton muttered to himself. "Okay, let's go." Again, he tried to lead the group through the crowd, but found moving through the ghosts to be difficult.
"This is going to take forever," Negaduck said. "Make way!" He pushed his way to the front, shoving and kicking anyone who didn't move. "Quit being a couple of push-overs," he said, creating a path for the group.
"Have some respect," Fenton said as he watched Negaduck shoulder a couple of women aside roughly. "These people are dead. They deserve some consideration."
Negaduck tilted his head in thought. "I considered it. Now get out of my way." He kicked a few butts, knocking down a row of people and scattering some children. "Besides, they're dead. They can't feel any of this." He laughed as he picked up a couple of ducks and tossed them as if he were a bouncer in a bar.
"At least we're making headway," Darkwing muttered, although he didn't like Negaduck's tactics any more than Fenton.
The three stayed in Negaduck's wake as he led the group over the dock. Negaduck found personal satisfaction in knocking anyone into the blue river, although after the first few splashes, the ghosts receded away from the living.
"That's better," Negaduck said with a smile.
With the ghosts backing away, Darkwing jumped off Launchpad's shoulder, although he kept a wary eye on the spirits.
The boat looked to be similar to the gondolas that the flooded streets of Venice used as their primary modes of transportation. Long and shallow, there looked to be enough room for a dozen people although the boat was empty save for a man in a dark robe.
"We wish to go across, Charon," Fenton said to the robed figure.
"Can you pay?" a smooth, deep voice asked.
Fenton looked to Darkwing who had the coins Hermes gave him.
"One coin per soul," Charon said, holding out his hand.
Unexpectedly, he had flesh. Fenton had always imagined him to be nothing but bones like the Grim Reaper.
Darkwing handed over the five coins, each one clinking as they landed.
Charon pocketed four of them and held one up. "You have overpaid," he said.
"But there are five of us," Darkwing said.
"Four souls. Four coins," Charon said, giving the coin back to Darkwing.
Fenton and Darkwing gave the limp body of Charity a worrying glance before they climbed into the boat, helping Launchpad so he wouldn't fall in. Negaduck jumped in last, made his way to the front of the boat where he sat against the bow, tilted his hat over his eyes and appeared to take a nap.
Launchpad looked to the large crowd of ghosts that were gathered around the dock, now encroaching to the edge since Negaduck wasn't around. "What about them? There's enough room for a few others."
Darkwing looked sick but didn't say anything.
"They cannot pay," Charon said as he picked up his pole.
"We still have one," Launchpad said. "We could pay for one to come with us." His eyes locked onto a couple of children.
Fenton put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Launchpad. Charon isn't as cold as he appears. The Ferryman takes souls across to Hades even without pay, although sometimes he makes them wait a hundred years."
"Besides, we may need this coin," Darkwing said. "Hermes gave us five for a reason. Although it isn't enough to pay for our way back over the Styx."
Charon pushed the boat away from the dock, the lazy, blue river's current carrying them at a crawl.
"Actually, that's a common misperception. This isn't the Styx," Fenton said. "This is the Acheron, the river of pain. It leads to the gates of the Underworld."
"River of pain. How apt," Negaduck said with dark humor.
"It's good to hear someone who knows about our world," Charon said as he pushed them through the water. "Most who come down here have not heard the old legends and weren't given coins on their eyes at their funeral to pay the fee to cross the river."
"Well, this isn't exactly a tourist attraction, is it?" Darkwing joked, looking better now that they were away from the ghosts. "I always wondered, what do you do with all that money? You must be richer than Scrooge McDuck."
"Shhhhh, don't let him know that," Fenton said, smiling. "He might get jealous."
Launchpad and Charon laughed together at the joke.
"Oh, I'm a little different than Scrooge McDuck, although I look forward to the day when he gets into my ferry. He's been putting off seeing me for a long time." Charon's voice was filled with humor. "As for my riches, I put them to good use. Going back and forth on the Acheron can become a little mundane, so I redecorate the tunnel regularly. I think you'll enjoy this year's attraction."
The large, open cavern was quickly diminishing to a tunnel, and the four mortals felt a sense of dread as the boat floated inside. A tinny, childish tune began, the rhythm light and cheery with a creepy overtone.
Turning a corner, their eyes fell upon electrical lights shining on wooden, mechanical puppets that danced jerkily. Their little mouths opened up and sang:
It's a world of despair
And a world of pain
It's a world of death
And a world of shame
It's okay to be scared
As long as you're aware
You're in the Underworld after all
It's the Underworld after all.
It's the Underworld after all.
It's the Underworld after all.
It's a small, Underworld
There's no more moon
And no more sun
And your smile isn't
Fooling anyone
Don't be bereaved
'Cause you never can leave
It's the Underworld after all.
It's the Underworld after all.
It's the Underworld after all.
It's the Underworld after all.
Don't pet the dog.
The puppets paused for a few beats before closing their mouths, the song stopping. Darkwing and Fenton gave a collective sigh of relief. Launchpad hummed the song a little.
Then the music began again, the puppets moved along, this time singing the song in Spanish.
Fenton paled.
Darkwing stood up, getting ready to climb out of the boat.
"Get down," Fenton cried out, grabbing Darkwing's cape. "That's the river of pain."
"Anything to stop that music," Darkwing insisted, struggling with Fenton before he was yanked to the floor.
"Charity may not have a soul in her body, but she may still feel pain," Fenton said.
That placated the masked-duck but he covered his ears, looking at the puppets with a disturbed expression.
The song was repeated in five other languages before they floated out of the tunnel and away from the dancing puppets, coming into a wider cavern. The river Acheron fed into a large lake edged with gray, desolate beaches. Not far beyond the beach spanned a grand gate of iron.
As they arrived at the dock, Launchpad continued to hum the song they had left behind. "That was fun," he said, exiting the boat with Charity still over one shoulder. "I'll look forward to seeing it again when we go across."
Fenton and Darkwing groaned.
Negaduck, disturbed by the boat knocking against the dock, stretched and yawned. "Are we there yet?" he asked, looking around blearily. He scratched his backside as he slowly exited the boat. His lazy actions quickly disappeared when he saw Charon pushing away from the dock. "Hey, get back here."
But Charon didn't heed the duck.
"It's okay," Fenton said, calming Negaduck. "He'll be back. We just have to be back here in one hour and twenty minutes to get back in time."
"Then we don't have any time to lose," Darkwing said as he walked down the dock. "So, Fenton, do you have any idea where we need to go from here?"
Fenton shook his head as he pulled the map out again. "Honestly, there's not much to the Underworld. What I know of Greek myths, nothing stands out to me. The pieces of Charity's heart could be anywhere."
"What's your best guess?" Darkwing asked.
"Well, first we should get through the gate. From what I remember, there are some monsters at the entrance. And, of course, Cerberus."
"And don't pet the dog," Launchpad sang, his timing perfect.
Tromping over the beach to the gate, they could see several figures moving around on a set of stairs leading to the iron bars. Darkwing hesitated for a moment, but seeing that they weren't ghosts, he continued.
"Who are they?" Darkwing asked Fenton.
"I'm not sure," Fenton said, rubbing his head.
There were eleven of them and were various in their appearance. Some were tall, some fat, all different species. When the group ascended the stairs, they clamored around them.
"Would you like a souvenir?"
"No, look at these little trinkets. The best in Hades."
"Check these out."
"Don't look at that trash. This is what you need."
"These are to die for."
The ducks didn't know what to think of the mob that accosted them by shoving cheap merchandise in their faces and barring their way.
"No, thank you," Fenton said, worming his way between a pair of pushy salesmen. "We're in a hurry."
Negaduck pushed a robin away, growling as he stomped up the stairs. Launchpad followed, ogling the wares but was pushed forward by Darkwing so he couldn't look too closely.
"Too bad. I'm sure that we had something that you would cherish."
Darkwing suddenly had a feeling that they were leaving something behind. There was a pull inside him that told him to go back. "What did you say?" he asked, the words sticking in his mind. He turned to the mob, looking at each of them. "Who said that?"
"Who said what?" a pig asked, holding out a box of jewelry.
None of the faces gave anything away.
"Hold up, guys," Darkwing called to the others. "I…I think a piece of Charity's heart is here."
"Among this trash?" Negaduck asked skeptically, gesturing to the cheap souvenirs.
Fenton and Launchpad came up from either side of Darkwing as he scrutinized the group. "Who are all of you?"
"We represent everything that souls leave behind when they enter the Underworld," a tall, thin black stork said. "My name is Thanatos."
"Death," Fenton said with a nod. "Because you can only die once."
"And you?" Darkwing asked the pig. "Who are you?"
"My name is Limos."
Fenton tapped his head before saying, "Starvation?" He sounded uncertain.
"And you?" Darkwing asked, pointing to another.
"I am called Phobos," a sparrow said.
"Fear," Darkwing was able to guess. He turned to Fenton. "What do you make of this?"
Fenton shook his head. "I don't know. Do you think a piece of Charity's heart is here? How do you know?"
"I just know," Darkwing said. "I felt something."
"Then you must be the one who knows where it is," Fenton said. "Can you…sense it?"
Darkwing sighed. "I just know it's here. I think one of them has it."
"And I don't think they're going to tell us," Fenton said. "That would be too easy. This must be a puzzle of some sort. We have to guess who has it."
They questioned the rest of the group, finding out that Penthos, Nosoi, Geras, Aporia, Algea, and Hypnos represented Grief, Diseases, Old Age, Need, Agony, and Sleep. The last two, Curae and Gaudia, Fenton wasn't certain who they were.
"My Greek is a little rusty," he said dryly. "And I don't know how they relate to Charity's heart."
"Maybe it has to do with the curse," Darkwing wondered. "There's agony, diseases, grief, and starvation that go with the bond."
"And sleep," Fenton said. "She feels our fatigue."
Darkwing nodded, mentally separating those into a group.
"Old age," Negaduck said from where he leaned against the iron gates. This was the first he had participated in this conversation. "You can add that to your list."
"Right," Darkwing said, giving Negaduck a nod. "That leaves Need, Fear, and the two we don't know."
"Did fear also go through the bond?" Fenton asked.
"I don't think so. We were all pretty scared yesterday when…" Darkwing trailed off, glancing back at Negaduck.
"Then does Fear have the piece of heart?"
"You forgot Death," Launchpad said, his voice serious. "Death doesn't go through the bond either."
Launchpad was right. They had completely forgotten about Death in their list. Darkwing watched his friend, noticing that he seemed thoughtful.
"If that's true, then this line of questioning won't work," Fenton said. "Which one isn't like the others?"
"Are you doing okay there, buddy?" Darkwing asked Launchpad.
"Huh?" Launchpad jerked his head up as if in thought. "Yeah. It's just…this adventure is a little confusing. And I don't like what it's doing to Charity."
Darkwing remembered that Launchpad was still in the dark about being part of the curse. It always amazed him how loyal and trusting the pilot was with his friends. He disliked that Charity wanted to keep this secret from her friend, but that was her decision.
"You're a good friend, LP," Darkwing said, patting his arm. "You keep Charity safe. I don't know what we're going to run into, but I know I can trust her to you."
Launchpad's spine straightened, and he smiled. "You can count on me, DW."
"I got it," Fenton said. "I just remembered. They're all from Dante's Inferno."
Darkwing and Launchpad moved closer for an explanation.
"I don't remember much. I only skimmed it, but Curae is Anxiety. And Gaudia is…Happy Sins?"
"Happy Sins? What does that mean?" Darkwing asked.
"I don't know. I read it in its original Italian since it's close enough to Spanish, so I may be translating wrong. And it's been a while."
"So, who is it? What's the connection?"
"I don't know," Fenton cried out in frustration. "I don't even know if Charity's heart piece is even here. You felt it, not me, so you should be the one figuring this out."
But Darkwing was just in the dark about it. And they were wasting time. "Death, Starvation, Agony, Sleep, Anxiety, Happy Sins, Old Age, Ne—" He stopped listing the names, his brain latching onto something. "Happy Sins? Could that also be Guilty Pleasures?"
"I don't think so. That sounds too modern of a translation," Fenton criticized.
"But it means the same thing, right?" Darkwing said. He recalled what Charity had said on the plane coming to Ithaquack. It couldn't have been a coincidence. This heart piece had been made for him. He was the only one who knew.
He turned to Gaudia and held out his hand. "I think you have a souvenir for me."
The magpie, who was Gaudia, smiled and handed over a rectangle keychain that held a picture within the resin. "Something to help you remember your visit." It was the same voice that made him turn around.
He looked at the keychain, noting that the picture inside was the cover that was featured on Charity's fanfic. It had been her guilty pleasure.
"We found one piece," Darkwing told the others, smiling.
"Good. That means we a little over an hour to find the others," Fenton said, checking his phone. "Let's get going." This time, the scientist took the lead. As he walked up to the iron gates to Hades, they squeaked open.
Darkwing glanced at the keychain, smirking at the memory of him and Charity bantering, how they had wrestled for his phone. When he glanced up, he saw Charity looking straight at him, her eyes no longer blank, staring at him with a mischievous twinkle. After a few seconds, her body became limp again, her eyes containing no intelligence.
"Charity? Charity?" Darkwing called, shaking her shoulder.
"Is she okay?" Launchpad asked, stopping.
"She…she moved," Darkwing told him. "It must because we have one of the pieces of her heart."
"Then she's going to be okay? We're going to find all of them, and she'll be back to normal?" Launchpad said, sounding worried despite his reassuring words. It was as if he wasn't certain they would make it.
"We will," Darkwing said.
Fenton also looked worried, but he was holding out the map. "Keep your eyes peeled. The map shows that there are monsters ahead."
(Author's notes: I hope that it isn't confusing that I have used the terms "Underworld" and "Hades" interchangeably. Hades has been used to refer to the place as well as the god, however, it seems that Underworld is used more commonly so not to confuse people. I apologize if this is confusing.
All the mythological gods and creatures in this chapter are not of my own creation, however, their appearance is from my own imagination of how they would appear in the Ducktales universe.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you for reading.)