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.: A short transitory one. Featuring an expositional Deus ex Machina. I usually hate those, but well, ack. I still don't have an English speaking beta – so I guess, I'll have to muddle through without one. But I sure am a little disappointed with the the community.

Panta Rhei

by owlet

Chapter 4 – Hostile Takeover

Only hours after Hades had left for Olympus, his faithful minions appeared in the kitchen, screaming bloody murder.

"The gods imprisoned Hades! Hecate is taking over! You've got to help us!"

Meg stared at them nonplussed.

"And that's a bad thing because?"

Panic grabbed the hem of Megara's chiton beseechingly.

"Because she's worse! Please, please, please," he sobbed.

"If you blow your nose in that, I'll kick you into next Thursday."

Panic quickly took a step back.

The door opened again, and two winged dogs strode in, followed by a woman surrounded by a blue glow.

"All in one place, how convenient. You two, you're fired. And you," the woman looked at Meg, "you can leave. I'm giving you your freedom back, go back to the world of the living."

Megara swallowed.

"But … what about my children?"

Hecate (Meg assumed that's who the woman was) waved her right hand dismissively.

"I returned them to the river, they are no longer your concern. Now leave my realm."

Meg hurried into her room to pack a few things, followed by Pain and Panic. Maybe they were right, this Hecate might be worse than Hades. He at least had some human traits (jealousy, a short fuse and pettiness to name a few) but Hecate was just … cold. But maybe that was because she simply knew Hades better, Meg thought, to someone who didn't know either of them, they'd probably seem the same.

Cerberus whined sadly as the trio made its way to the surface and Meg petted one of his noses affectionately.

"Don't worry, big guy, I'll be back sooner or later, that's a given."

The three-headed dog tilted the head she was speaking to to one side and gave another whine, this one sounding questioning.

"I'm mortal, Cerb. I'm going to die someday. Yes. I'll miss you too," she said, petting him one last time, and received a big, triple lick in return.

"Yeuch. Or not."

They emerged at Eleusis which was pretty close to Athens; but the sun was already setting, and so Meg decided to spend the night here, and set off for the city the next morning.

"Over here!"

Pain had found a little niche in the rocks that would provide shelter for the night.

"Why are you still here," Meg asked the two little imps.

"Well, you see … we're minions..."

"Yeah, we need someone to follow around. And since Hecate fired us, and with Hades out of commission, you're the next best thing we've got to a boss," Pain finished Panics explanation.

"Gee, great. I'm a Underworld-reject, and I've got minions. Can you start a fire?"

"Yes, boss-lady, ma'am," Pain and Panic shouted saluting and got to work. Meg pulled a warm cloak out of her pack and used it as bedroll as soon as the fire was burning.

"Ouch!"

"Well, watch where you're going!"

"How, you've got the eye!"

"Quiet, the both of you!"

Meg looked around. There was only darkness.

"Give us some light, Lachesis, dear."

"Enlightenment, coming right up," crowed one voice, then a snigger from all three.

Meg could suddenly see a vast empty plain, and a slate-grey sky above. Three hags hovered nearby. She had seen them before in Hades' palace – they were the Moirae, the Fates who spun and weaved the tapestry of life.

"Where am I?" Meg asked confusedly.

"You're dreaming dear. But since you're asking – this is Athens."

"What?"

"Well, this is Athens as it will look like in the future. That is if you don't do anything."

Meg took a closer look at her surroundings. Yes, there was rubble of once great buildings and … bones.

Athropos snagged the eye from Lachesis, and threw it into the air, where it became a window through time.

"Hecate, dread witch of the night

Was the cause of your plight.

Her curse drove Hercules insane

So he became your children's bane.

Hades was imprisoned for her crime,

And if he doesn't return in time,

Her Armies of darkness will scour the earth,

Will even extinguish Hestia's hearth,

Will destroy tree and bloom,

Will put an end to our loom.

The great, vast nothingness you see

Is, what our world will be.

She will rule an empty land,

Stones and rubble, rock and sand.

Free Hades, he's the key to all

Only he can make Hecate fall."

After the last line was spoken, Meg was plunged into darkness again, and woke with a start.

The fire was dying, so she added a few more of the branches that Pain and Panic had collected. The two imps lay nearby snoring peacefully.

Megara sighed and tried to fall asleep again; but her thoughts played chase in her head.

Had that just been a dream? No, she didn't think so. It made sense, Hecate had been in an awful hurry to get her out of the underworld. But how could she ever find Hades? She'd ask the imps tomorrow.