Title: Panta Rhei
Author: owlet
Rating: M
Disclaimer: The film "Hercules" belongs to Disney™. I'm only having fun and make no money with this.
A.N.: The Gopher-Guts-Song. Sorry. Couldn't resist. It just seemed so fitting with Hades liking to eat icky things and all...
Panta Rhei
by owlet
Chapter 2 – Shadows Of Things That Were
Megara woke up some time later feeling disoriented. She sat in her bed, blinking, until the memories of the last day came back to her. She sighed, got up and washed her face, dressing mechanically. When she was ready to face the day (or night, there was no way to tell down here) she made her way to the throne room.
The map and the figurines were gone from the table, instead there was some food arranged on it on one end. Hades sat in a relaxed pose at the other end of the table, a bowl of worms in one hand.
Megara remembered how grossed out she had been the first few times she'd seen him suck in worms like noodles. He was a god, so he existed on Nectar and Ambrosia – she was pretty sure he gained no nourishment from worms, probably only ate them for the taste and the shock-value.
"Good morning, Meg. Have some breakfast," he greeted her.
"Morning," she mumbled in response.
Her meal consisted of bread, cheese, olives and fruit, accompanied by milk. She hesitated for a moment before taking the first bite, having no appetite at all. But once she had swallowed, the most ravenous hunger awoke inside her and she ate with gusto – for the first time in two days.
"So you still like the same things for breakfast?"
Meg froze, then nodded, chewing slowly. He remembered? Of course he did. Duh. Godhood came with perfect memory after all, among other things. What surprised her was that he had cared to find out her likes and dislikes during her time as his servant. Meg finished her meal and looked at Hades apprehensively.
"So … what do you want me to do today? Are you planning another uprising? Need some allies, perhaps?"
He shook his head.
"No, not at the moment. I'd better leave things be right now, you know, strengthening the home-front and all that. That's where you come in, actually; you are going to help me manage things down here."
Meg blinked.
"Oh. How?"
Hades shrugged.
"Right now I'm doing both, running the palace and running the underworld. I thought I'd let you do the palace. Organizing the shadows working here. You were head of a household when you were married, so I think you'll be just fine. Redecorate, if you must.. This place has been a bachelor's pad for too long."
There was something ominous about that last sentence, something about the slight upturn of his lips that disturbed her a little, but Meg couldn't put her finger on it.
"Do I have the authority?"
Hades shrugged.
"You do now. Just hold the pink and the frills, okay," he said with a wry grin.
Meg rolled her eyes and snorted, then bit her lip.
"You … you said I could see my children."
"I did, didn't I? Yes you may see them. Now, if you want to ... I have Pain and Panic watching them."
Megara stared at him in horror.
"You what? How could you?"
Hades made a big show out of sighing and ruefully shaking his head.
"Yes, I know. Terribly cruel of me to do that to them. But they had it coming, believe me. When Wonder-breath threw me into the river it took me ages to get back out and it took three days until my hair came back on. But now I think its time to rescue my two idiotic minions."
"Rescue your minions? And what about my children," Meg asked with that special brand of indignation that only mothers can muster.
Hades leant back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head.
"Oh, it's not as if they can be harmed, being already dead and all. The difficult thing is to keep them from making mischief – those boys have your brain and their father's brawn; Pain and Panic were doomed from the start. And I must say, your daughter is a girl after my own heart. Pretty, smart, manipulative, cunning, downright devious, actually..."
Meg blinked rapidly, taking a moment to sort the insults from the compliments.
"Oh. Well, lets go then."
Hades led her through the twisting corridors of his home until he stopped and carefully opened a door.
Meg got on her tip-toes to look over his shoulder. She gasped at the sight that met her eyes and she lost her balance and keeled into Hades, who absent-mindedly steadied her with an arm around her waist, and together they watched the scene that unfolded itself in front of their eyes.
Pain and Panic had morphed into miniature versions of two of the titans, roaring and stomping around fiercely. Meg's oldest threw various small objects at them ("Eat my thunderbolts, Titans, nobody messes with the mighty Zeus") while her younger son had taken on his father's role and brandished a toy-sword. Chloe had a pot on her head and fought too, clearly pretending to be Athena. The room was a mess, but everyone seemed to have a good time, even the two little demons.
Hades moved to step into the room, but Meg stopped him with a hand on his chest.
"No," she whispered, "let's just watch for a while."
Surprisingly he did as she had asked.
With a dramatic wobble, one of the "Titans" keeled over and "died", soon followed by the other, and the children rejoiced in their victory.
Then Chloe took the pot off her head and lay down on the floor. Panic morphed into Pegasus and Pain into Phil. They acted out her dying scene("Just lay down and close your eyes, Chloe.") and the real Meg grimaced as she remembered the moment. Then came the confrontation with Hades (her eldest taking on the role and doing a fairly good impression of the Lord of the Dead that had Meg convulsing with silent laughter) after which Pain and Panic changed back into themselves delivering the "if is good" dialogue, during which they spotted their audience.
The demons shrieked in unison horror while the children just grinned sheepishly at the god standing in their doorway with his arm around their...
"Mom!"
Suddenly Meg had her arms full of children, her children, even if they were no longer warm and smelled of honey.
"Andrastos, Aristhaeus, my little Chloe. Oh my babies..."
She tried to hold back her tears, not wanting to cry in front of Hades, but it was no use. Her children were back in her arms, but only as shadows of the Underworld – they would never grow, never have children of their own. She was torn between joy and sorrow.
Hades in the meantime glared at his two minions, who were sitting on the floor anxiously clutching their tails.
"If is good?"
He looked just about ready to explode, skin flushed and the flames on his head (and now shoulders) burning an angry red. Meg gathered her children and moved away slowly, wanting to bring them out of harm's way.
"Sorry," Panic squeaked and was rewarded with a fireball. The imps fled down the corridor, trying to evade the flaming missiles that Hades sent after them.
Meg was surprised that her children didn't even raise an eyebrow, but her heart almost stopped with fright as her daughter raced up to Hades and hugged his leg. He'd blast her for sure!
He didn't.
He simply picked her up and grinned at her.
"Well, hello. How is my favourite little girl today?"
"I'm fine, Mr. Hades. Thank you for bringing our mommy."
"Well, I said I would. Catching flies, Meg?"
Megara closed her mouth and swallowed.
"You … you took care of them? And they trust you after one day?"
Hades sat down the little girl he was holding and addressed all three children.
"Why don't you go to the kitchens and have a snack? You must be pretty hungry after all that Gods and Titans stuff."
The children went to hug their mother and ran off shouting excitedly, planning new games that involved a certain pair of minions. Hades turned back to Megara and if she wouldn't have known better, she would have said he looked sheepish.
"Oh, they've known me for quite some time. I've been, you know, around."
"WHAT?"
Hades shrugged.
"Well, yeah. Came to visit them just like the others. I am their grand-uncle after all - tried to think of them as your brood, not Wonder breath's Took a liking to them; didn't think I would, but did, even if they like blowing my hair out. Didn't you ever wonder who taught them the Gopher-Guts-Song? And they take more after you than their father. Then suddenly – poof! They're in my realm all pearly white and see through. I must say I was rather shocked when they told me just who did it. I made them forget that nasty episode, by the way. Few drops of Lethe and no more memory of daddy dearest turning them into shish-kebab."
"Oh," was all Meg managed to say to that. The thought that Hades had been anywhere near her children made her stomach do flip-flops. And that he would care about their physical and psychic well-being simply boggled her mind. He never did anything without an ulterior motive; what could it be this time? What did he need her for?
"You said something earlier, something about your palace having been a bachelor's pad for too long … are you planning to look for a wife?"
"Wow, Meg, that was really random. I don't need to look, I've already found the one I want."
Meg raised an eyebrow.
"Does she agree? Or actually know?"
Hades grinned and rubbed his hands.
"Not yet, but I'd like to be prepared. Never hurts to be, you know. And I really want her to like it here, I want this place perfect for her; at least as perfect as it gets."
"I see. And that is my task then, to get your palace ready for your mystery-girl. Will you at least tell me who it is? How can I be sure that she'll like what I'll do, if I know nothing about her," Meg asked. Hades wanted to marry. Hades wanted to marry. Inconceivable.
"No, not gonna tell you. The last thing I need is you sneaking off to warn her or something. Can't really say anything against your taste, Meg, except perhaps in guys. Just do what you think is right, it'll be fine. I want my home to become a place where a woman can feel comfortable."
Megara looked at him as if he'd grown a second head.
"Uh, right. Whatever you say. I'll go have a look what needs to be done then," Megara suggested, eager to leave his presence.
"That's my little Nut-Meg, always eager to please. If you need anything, come find me. I know you can't stay away from me for long," he said with a lascivious grin.
"In your dreams maybe," Meg answered with a frown and started down the hall. She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard Hades quietly say, "Always, my little Nut-Meg, always."
She shuddered and walked a little faster.
Meg knew her way around the palace and had soon rounded up what counted as higher level staff down here. She listened as the cook and the steward gave their reports and familiarised herself with the duty-roster, making adjustments here and there. Then she went to inspect each and every room of the palace. Most of the rooms were closed off, derelict and dusty.
"I need about thirty more souls to clean up here," the steward told her, "after everything is done the number can be reduced by half again, but right now I need them."
That could pose a little problem, because awakened shadows that walked and talked needed to sustain themselves on food grown here in the underworld; but the cook quickly told her that they could well feed the additional workers.
"I see," Meg said thoughtfully, she'd have to ask Hades about that; he was the only one after all who could animate the shadows. They needed the servants the steward had asked for as well as some craftsmen. Parts of the palace were in disrepair and Megara intended to make things as splendid as she was able – she wanted to stay on Hades' good side this time for her children's sake.
She found Hades in the throne-room brooding over a map. Clearing her throat to announce her presence Meg cautiously moved closer.
Hades looked up.
"Hm?"
"I … I spoke with your staff and had a look around. I have them compiling a list of things we need, and they also asked for thirty additional shadows to help with the clean-up. Oh, and a few artisans."
"I see. Very well, you will have them by tomorrow. Anything else?"
"No, not right now. I'll give you the list as soon as it's done."
Hades moved a figure on the map.
"Yes, yes, you do that," he muttered absent-mindedly.