Disclaimer: I do not own The Labyrinth, Greek Gods, or any of the characters that lie within. I
own nothing in this story, since the characters are the real owners. So don't bug me.
Rating: PG-13. Why not? I could say NC-17, and that wouldn't stop anyone anyway. In fact,
more people would probably read it if I put that rating on it.
A/N: Sorry for the wait, you guys. Characters and muse have been unwilling to cooperate. I love
them all dearly, but I'm afraid the feeling is not quite mutual. They tend to treat me as one would
an older sibling. *sighs irritably* Oh well, a couple of them decided to help out, so a BIG thank
you to Athena and Talis. And all of you reviewers and those who have actually been waiting for
this story. Also, some of this is subject to change at a later date. Sarah wasn't too willing to chat,
so I had to wing it with her part.
~*~
So Cruel
Chapter Three
~*~
Mount Olympus was silent. The gods and goddesses were resting, all save two.
"This mortal seems like my only chance out of this marriage, Mother. But," Talis paused here,
nearly choking on the word, "my intended– is terribly hard-headed about his feelings for the girl.
I'm trying to influence him, but it's not working." She shook her head angrily. "He was right
when he said none of us had jurisdiction over him. He's the only one who can back out of this
contract. I, unfortunately, must bow to Zeus' whims!"
Athena sympathized with her daughter, and was grateful her father had never forced her to
marry. She put a calming arm around her daughter. "He only wants to do what is best for you,
child."
"Best for me?" Talis asked scornfully. "When has any god ever done something good for another?
Prometheus was the last, and if it weren't for Heracles, he'd still be getting his liver ripped out. A
punishment, might I add, of the Almighty Zeus', for doing 'what was best' for another."
Athena could say nothing to that.
"Mother, you will always be his favorite child, but he will never like me! I believe he's still
suspicious as to my origins. I think Hephaestus left a bitter taste in Zeus' mouth, when it comes to
'immaculate conceptions'." Talis felt like throwing herself back on the bed like a temperamental
child. "And if that is not the reason, then he must liken me to the son, fated to overthrow him!
You do remember why he swallowed your mother to begin with?"
The elder goddess nodded, then stood from the settee where she had been perched next to
her daughter. She crossed the room, keeping her back to the younger goddess. "You have to
understand where he's coming from, Talis. In choosing a lover, there aren't many guidelines on
gods and goddesses. That's why there are so many incestuous relationships amongst my siblings.
Keeping the bloodlines pure, in a way. Your choosing a mortal was forgivable. Mortals are a
weakness of Zeus, also. You also chose one of the same gender. That is also forgivable. There
have been stranger pairings. Neither of two are recommended for gods and goddesses, but they
are allowed. But you, daughter, broke the unspoken taboo of the gods. You chose a– Negro
lover. That has never been done, for reasons beyond remembrance. Nevertheless, it is forbidden,
even if noone speaks of it.
"The first two qualities are forgivable, but the final one, it was like a slap in the face of Zeus. You
have never been on good terms to begin with, so the third taboo, instead of making the other two
qualities seem lesser, only compounded them, in Zeus' eyes."
Talis was fairly fuming with rage. "Consider it a cruel trick of Aphrodite's, then. Don't
assume I love Fallon just to spite Zeus!" Athena rushed back to her daughter's side.
"Now, you know as well as I do that Aphrodite does not control all loves, and when it is a love
she inspired, that love bears her mark. Yours is pure, unfueled by lust. And that, I believe, angers
my father more." Athena smiled at her only child fondly. "You have thrown every rule that has
been followed throughout the ages to the wind, and love where you love, the ways of the gods be
damned. Personally, I approve of your choice. But I am not as powerful as my father, and
regardless of whether or not I am his favorite child, as you called me earlier, he will not bend his
will for me."
The younger goddess bowed her head sadly. "I know, Mother. And I appreciate your
approval, even if I have no one else's." She raised her chin proudly. "The opinions of others have
never mattered much to me." At that, Athena laughed softly. Talis looked at her mother with sad
eyes. "But what can I do?"
A mischievous light graced the goddess of wisdom's eyes. "First, you give Fallon nectar
and ambrosia." Talis's head jerked up at that, to stare at her mother incredulously. "That will
make her one of us, and enable her able to help you. It will never do for you to visit the Goblin
King's mortal, that's where Fallon comes in." Athena was smiling, and if Talis was the kind to
smile, she would have been grinning ear to ear as her mother explained the plan.
~*~
Sarah occasionally wondered what had happened to her. She remembered the time where
she had spirit, and a sense of justice. She remembered a time where some things just weren't fair.
But now, she felt as if she deserved it all. A part of her mind still wanted to argue that, but she
never let it. She just took what came at her, whether she truly deserved it or not.
Her cottage was at the edge of the Fiery forest. She had attempted to clean it up the first
couple weeks she lived there. But every day, when she awoke, it would be as dirty as the day she
moved in, as if the filth itself revolted against her being in the Underground. Finally, she gave up
on it.
The cottage itself had three rooms, a kitchen, a bedroom, and what Sarah supposed was a
living room, of sorts. There were fireplaces in both the kitchen and the living room. She figured
that when– and if– the weather turned cold, she would sleep in the living room. The only furniture
in the house was a bed– well, more of a cot; an old-fashioned stove; two small tables, one in the
kitchen and the other in the living room; a night stand of sorts in the bedroom; and three chairs.
Sarah decided that the King could have done worse by her. She certainly deserved it. Her
cottage had a small well behind it, which was occasionally polluted by neighboring creatures, but
always cleaned itself when she fetched some. She had been provided with some food, and
discovered some in the nearby forest. She also found some quilts and unused cloth in one of the
closets, along with needle and thread. She used this to make herself some halfway decent clothing.
All and all, she wasn't doing too badly by herself, without any modern conveniences.
But, she did have problems with the neighboring creatures, such as those who polluted her
well. It seemed they all knew her, and hated her. She would be jeered at if she ventured to far
beyond her house, and one day she had awoken to a horrible smell– some beings had thrown mud
cakes at her house. The mud was courtesy of the Bog of Eternal Stench.
She had managed to wash her house without getting any muck on herself, and eventually,
the attacks on her person and her belongings began to flag. She admitted to herself that she was
grateful; even if she deserved it, that didn't make it any more pleasant.
If Sarah had to guess, she would say that she had lived in the Underground for somewhere
around two months. She couldn't be sure, though, since time obviously ran differently there than
on the Earth. She began to miss contact with others– well, friendly contact with others. As she sat
in her kitchen one day, washing her clothing, she thought about this. It took a full quarter of an
hour to realize that she had finished her washing, and that there was a black cat perched on her
windowsill, looking at her curiously.
own nothing in this story, since the characters are the real owners. So don't bug me.
Rating: PG-13. Why not? I could say NC-17, and that wouldn't stop anyone anyway. In fact,
more people would probably read it if I put that rating on it.
A/N: Sorry for the wait, you guys. Characters and muse have been unwilling to cooperate. I love
them all dearly, but I'm afraid the feeling is not quite mutual. They tend to treat me as one would
an older sibling. *sighs irritably* Oh well, a couple of them decided to help out, so a BIG thank
you to Athena and Talis. And all of you reviewers and those who have actually been waiting for
this story. Also, some of this is subject to change at a later date. Sarah wasn't too willing to chat,
so I had to wing it with her part.
~*~
So Cruel
Chapter Three
~*~
Mount Olympus was silent. The gods and goddesses were resting, all save two.
"This mortal seems like my only chance out of this marriage, Mother. But," Talis paused here,
nearly choking on the word, "my intended– is terribly hard-headed about his feelings for the girl.
I'm trying to influence him, but it's not working." She shook her head angrily. "He was right
when he said none of us had jurisdiction over him. He's the only one who can back out of this
contract. I, unfortunately, must bow to Zeus' whims!"
Athena sympathized with her daughter, and was grateful her father had never forced her to
marry. She put a calming arm around her daughter. "He only wants to do what is best for you,
child."
"Best for me?" Talis asked scornfully. "When has any god ever done something good for another?
Prometheus was the last, and if it weren't for Heracles, he'd still be getting his liver ripped out. A
punishment, might I add, of the Almighty Zeus', for doing 'what was best' for another."
Athena could say nothing to that.
"Mother, you will always be his favorite child, but he will never like me! I believe he's still
suspicious as to my origins. I think Hephaestus left a bitter taste in Zeus' mouth, when it comes to
'immaculate conceptions'." Talis felt like throwing herself back on the bed like a temperamental
child. "And if that is not the reason, then he must liken me to the son, fated to overthrow him!
You do remember why he swallowed your mother to begin with?"
The elder goddess nodded, then stood from the settee where she had been perched next to
her daughter. She crossed the room, keeping her back to the younger goddess. "You have to
understand where he's coming from, Talis. In choosing a lover, there aren't many guidelines on
gods and goddesses. That's why there are so many incestuous relationships amongst my siblings.
Keeping the bloodlines pure, in a way. Your choosing a mortal was forgivable. Mortals are a
weakness of Zeus, also. You also chose one of the same gender. That is also forgivable. There
have been stranger pairings. Neither of two are recommended for gods and goddesses, but they
are allowed. But you, daughter, broke the unspoken taboo of the gods. You chose a– Negro
lover. That has never been done, for reasons beyond remembrance. Nevertheless, it is forbidden,
even if noone speaks of it.
"The first two qualities are forgivable, but the final one, it was like a slap in the face of Zeus. You
have never been on good terms to begin with, so the third taboo, instead of making the other two
qualities seem lesser, only compounded them, in Zeus' eyes."
Talis was fairly fuming with rage. "Consider it a cruel trick of Aphrodite's, then. Don't
assume I love Fallon just to spite Zeus!" Athena rushed back to her daughter's side.
"Now, you know as well as I do that Aphrodite does not control all loves, and when it is a love
she inspired, that love bears her mark. Yours is pure, unfueled by lust. And that, I believe, angers
my father more." Athena smiled at her only child fondly. "You have thrown every rule that has
been followed throughout the ages to the wind, and love where you love, the ways of the gods be
damned. Personally, I approve of your choice. But I am not as powerful as my father, and
regardless of whether or not I am his favorite child, as you called me earlier, he will not bend his
will for me."
The younger goddess bowed her head sadly. "I know, Mother. And I appreciate your
approval, even if I have no one else's." She raised her chin proudly. "The opinions of others have
never mattered much to me." At that, Athena laughed softly. Talis looked at her mother with sad
eyes. "But what can I do?"
A mischievous light graced the goddess of wisdom's eyes. "First, you give Fallon nectar
and ambrosia." Talis's head jerked up at that, to stare at her mother incredulously. "That will
make her one of us, and enable her able to help you. It will never do for you to visit the Goblin
King's mortal, that's where Fallon comes in." Athena was smiling, and if Talis was the kind to
smile, she would have been grinning ear to ear as her mother explained the plan.
~*~
Sarah occasionally wondered what had happened to her. She remembered the time where
she had spirit, and a sense of justice. She remembered a time where some things just weren't fair.
But now, she felt as if she deserved it all. A part of her mind still wanted to argue that, but she
never let it. She just took what came at her, whether she truly deserved it or not.
Her cottage was at the edge of the Fiery forest. She had attempted to clean it up the first
couple weeks she lived there. But every day, when she awoke, it would be as dirty as the day she
moved in, as if the filth itself revolted against her being in the Underground. Finally, she gave up
on it.
The cottage itself had three rooms, a kitchen, a bedroom, and what Sarah supposed was a
living room, of sorts. There were fireplaces in both the kitchen and the living room. She figured
that when– and if– the weather turned cold, she would sleep in the living room. The only furniture
in the house was a bed– well, more of a cot; an old-fashioned stove; two small tables, one in the
kitchen and the other in the living room; a night stand of sorts in the bedroom; and three chairs.
Sarah decided that the King could have done worse by her. She certainly deserved it. Her
cottage had a small well behind it, which was occasionally polluted by neighboring creatures, but
always cleaned itself when she fetched some. She had been provided with some food, and
discovered some in the nearby forest. She also found some quilts and unused cloth in one of the
closets, along with needle and thread. She used this to make herself some halfway decent clothing.
All and all, she wasn't doing too badly by herself, without any modern conveniences.
But, she did have problems with the neighboring creatures, such as those who polluted her
well. It seemed they all knew her, and hated her. She would be jeered at if she ventured to far
beyond her house, and one day she had awoken to a horrible smell– some beings had thrown mud
cakes at her house. The mud was courtesy of the Bog of Eternal Stench.
She had managed to wash her house without getting any muck on herself, and eventually,
the attacks on her person and her belongings began to flag. She admitted to herself that she was
grateful; even if she deserved it, that didn't make it any more pleasant.
If Sarah had to guess, she would say that she had lived in the Underground for somewhere
around two months. She couldn't be sure, though, since time obviously ran differently there than
on the Earth. She began to miss contact with others– well, friendly contact with others. As she sat
in her kitchen one day, washing her clothing, she thought about this. It took a full quarter of an
hour to realize that she had finished her washing, and that there was a black cat perched on her
windowsill, looking at her curiously.
