It's just a figment of my imagination, Soul told himself, pretending that the words are true. That when he looks up at the oak tree again, the figure dressed in black with her red eyes ablaze, will disappear.
"Well, it is your fault I'm here, you know," a voice giggled.
"Yes, I know," he replied. The scar plastered across his chest twinged a little as if it could sense Melinoe's presence.
The stone bench that he's sitting on felt colder than ice, the pleasant scents of his garden fading as Melinoe'svoice invades the air.
"Hades…"
His bottom lip curled a bit in distaste. "I've told you before that I hate that name."
"Ahh yes," she delicately stepped over a tree root, coming even closer to him. "Soul isn't it?" Melinoe gave a breathy little laugh. "A bit ironic for you, no?"
He focused looking up at the sky, or what counts for the sky in his world, instead of watching her steady approach. The murky shadows cast down from the top of the Underworld bathes it in a cloudy light, washing out everything to a dull gray.
When he looks back, she's right in front of him now with a curious half-smile on her face.
Soul would be a little more frightened if she hadn't pulled this stunt one too many times. He yawned, almost bored. "What's ironic exactly, Melinoe?"
"That the god of the underworld-the god of the dead-would name himself after the one thing he couldn't have." One of her hands traveled to her mouth and pulls on her lip while the other tapped excitedly against her hip. "A soul."
A maniacal laugh ripped free from her throat.
Soul tensed, handing going to his sword belt. "Get out of here, Melinoe. You're losing control again."
She giggled, the pale skin of her face reddening. "I'm perfectly in control, Soul," she said, pronouncing his name in a sing-song voice.
She blinked and her red eyes turned black. Her voice sounded a pitch deeper. "It's Ogre that's not in control."
He stood up slowly, hands raised, palms up. "Go home now."
The red in her face spread to neck and down her shoulder to her arms. Melinoe fell to the ground, clutching her head.
An entirely different voice came from Melinoe now. More masculine and more demonic. "But the fun is just getting started!"
The black robe that covered her body rippled now, not a robe at all but liquid darkness. It stank of blood.
It looked more like blood, Soul amended as he took a deep breath and backed away. There was no way he could help Melinoe now without falling to the Black Blood.
He had seen what happened when he had gave in to it and he had resolved to never let it happen again.
The Black Blood draped over Melinoe's body, swallowing her whole.
A hand, blood red, pushed out of the darkness. The hand pulled at the Black Blood, pushing it away.
Soul watched warily. A voice inside of his head screamed at him to leave but something stopped him, just like all the times before.
The blood peeled itself away from Melinoe, reforming itself against her body.
Except the thing that leered back at him with sharp teeth wasn't Melinoe anymore.
"Hello again, Soul."
Soul gritted his teeth. "Do you really need to make her suffer like that, Ogre?" Ogre's pointy ears twitched in amusement.
"Oh, how touching. You're concerned for her," Ogre mocked.
"She's just less annoying than you," Soul said testily.
Ogre began to circle Soul. "Well in case you haven't figured it out, my dear Soul, Melinoe and I are one and the same. Nightmares can't exist without madness and madness can't function without nightmares."
Soul clenched his hands. "Shut up."
He grinned, black eyes full of malice. "And you, Soul, were a fool to think that you would be able to escape us when you separated us from your body."
Soul his patience, drawing his sword and slicing Ogre in one fluid movement. "I said shut up!"
The gash on Ogre dripped with the same blood his robe was made of. Ogre cocked his head to one side, snickering as his blood knit his body back together. "Nice try, Soul, but you can't kill a part of yourself."
"Doesn't mean I won't try," Soul said, his eyes narrowing.
"Soul!"
Heart racing, Soul turned around.
When he recognized the person entering his garden, he lowered his sword, sighing heavily. "What do you want, Asura?"
The god of death raised an eyebrow at the sword in Soul's hand. "Why are you slashing away at nothing? Did that buffoon Spirit get you drunk?"
Soul knew he shouldn't bother checking behind him. Even if Ogre was there, Asura wouldn't be able to see him.
But still he couldn't resist looking.
Ogre was gone.
Soul put his sword back in its sheath, taking a deep breath. "You really shouldn't talk about the king of the gods like that," Soul said. "And you know as well as I do that Spirit doesn't think too fondly of me."
"And that's why I hold you in minimally higher regard than anyone else," Asura said, flicking an invisible speck of dust from the scarf around his neck.
Soul laughed hollowly, heading for the palace that lay in front of his garden. "I should be so honored."
Asura followed him to the front of the palace. "You should be."
Soul opened the door of the front of his palace. "Aren't you supposed to be collecting dead people or something?" He let Asura in first, closing the door behind him.
"I run according to my time, not on those miserable mortals' time," Asura answered. "Besides, they're dead. They can stand to wait a little longer."
"Hey, this is the first time I've been in here." Asura glanced around the room they had entered. "Is this your throne room? How precious."
"It's where I take care of official business." Soul said disinterestedly, settling on the gold and black throne that sat in the in the middle of the room. "Or are you telling me you came for a social visit?"
Asura snorted. "As if."
"Well then?" Soul prompted, pouring himself a glass of water from the table that stood next to his throne. "What's the problem?"
"It's Kid," Asura said, gritting his teeth.
Soul put a hand to his temple, closing his eyes. "Of course it is." He took a swig from his cup. "Why can't you two get along like normal brothers?"
"Don't call him my brother," Asura hissed, the eye tattoo on his forehead sticking more than usual.
"And what would you prefer to call him?" Soul half-yawned.
"The idiot who brings the living into the land of the dead," Asura said through gritted teeth.
The door flew open with a bang. Kid stood in the doorway, breathing heavily. "She paid the toll so she gets a ride across. It's the rules."
Soul gritted his teeth-all he'd wanted was one day without any problems. "Oh, joy. Come join the party, Kid."
Kid straightened his uniform, re-composing back into his calm self. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, Soul but we have a guest."
"A living one," Asura grumbled.
Soul cut him off with a single look. Then, he addressed Kid. "And who is so important that you let them in while still living?"
"Me," a voice announced from behind Kid.
A woman dressed in a black dress that looked like spider webs entered the room, an amused smile playing on her face.
Soul repressed a groan. A Gorgon sister. Just what he needed. "What is it, Arachne?"
Arachne's smile grew wider. "You don't seem too happy to see me, Soul."
"Being here is a violation of one of your treaties with Spirit, I'm sure," Soul sighed.
"My sister and I were only banned from entering any city on Earth," Arachne said lightly. "Last time I checked, this isn't Earth."
"What brings you to the Underworld?" Soul asked tersely.
Arachne cast a slightly disdainful glance at Asura and Kid. "Something that needs to be discussed in private."
Soul dismissed Asura and Kid with a wave of his hand. "Asura, Kid, go resolve your feud elsewhere."
He caught the murderous look in Asura's eyes as the two shuffled out of the palace. "And no fighting," he said sharply.
Asura's face turned sour as he slammed the door shut behind him and Kid.
Arachne laughed. "They're like children, aren't they?"
Soul settled back into his throne, not in the mood to play games. "What is it, Arachne?"
She grinned slyly, her gray eyes brimming with malice. "My dear sister is trying to stir up trouble again."
"How so?"
"One of her snakes got loose again…or I should say, she released one of her snakes again. Apophis, I heard he's called. He's one of her nastier creations."
Soul tried to look engaged. "And how is that my problem? Isn't that something you tell the gods on Mount Olympus?"
She smirked wryly. "I would, astute one, if he had been released on Earth."
Soul's heart plummeted as realization dawned on him. "Where exactly in the Underworld did Medusa release Apophis?" he demanded.
Arachne turned away, pulling out a black fan from her sleeve. She fanned herself with it. "Oh let's see, where was it now…"
"Arachne!" Soul snapped. "Where did she release him?"
She turned back toward Soul, still fanning herself. "Into the river Styx. Apophis should be well on his way to Earth by now."
Soul swore loudly, throwing himself off his throne and striding out of the room.
Arachne followed him, laughing delicately. "Such language in front of a lady."
Soul resisted the urge to tell Arachne to shut up, stopping in front of a large door. He pulled a key that lay on a cord that never left his neck. He unlocked the door and yanked it open, revealing his weapons room.
In a room nearly as large as his throne room lay gleaming weapons on racks, neatly organized in rows. Soul paced down each row, looking for the weapon he was seeking.
He took off his sword belt and hung it. It would be near useless in this fight.
He paused when he heard Arachne following him, glaring at her. "You've delivered your message. You are no longer welcome here."
"So uncivil." She snapped her fan shut, tracing her finger down the length of a spear that rested beside her. "I've always wanted to see the legendary weapons."
A greedy look entered Arachne's eyes. "The only ones that have ever been dipped into the river Styx. The ultimate weapons."
"Leave," Soul said flatly.
"You mean you don't want me to lead you to where the snake is?" Arachne asked innocently.
Soul hissed maddeningly. "You don't think you could have mentioned this before?"
"It must have slipped my mind," Arachne shrugged.
Soul fought with himself internally. On one hand, he didn't trust Arachne. But on the other hand, he had no idea where Apophis could be in the Underworld.
He let out a frustrated sigh, making his decision. "Fine, you can stay," he said sourly.
Arachne gave him a small smile. "There now, was it so hard to see things my way?"
"I'll be watching you," Soul warned. "One sign of any funny business and I won't hesitate to use them on you."
"They could kill beings like us?" Arachne said, eyes lighting up. "How fascinating. And dangerous."
"That's exactly why none of them leave this room without me," Soul warned, waving her away.
"And you think that you're just the person to be responsible for them?" Arachne asked, following him up and down the rows. Her eyes drilled into his, as if she knew all his dark secrets about Melinoe and Ogre.
He looked down uneasily, continuing his search. "I created them. They're my responsibility."
"Oh, I'm sure they are," Arachne crooned, gazing longingly at an iron spear.
Soul finally came upon the weapon he'd been looking for. He picked up the scythe, examining the black and red blade. Hefting it from one hand to another, he nodded, satisfied. It would do.
Soul gestured toward the door. "You said you know where Apophis is. Lead the way."
Soul lost his patience when they passed by the Fields of Punishment. "If this snake is as big as you described, why haven't we seen it already?" He fidgeted with the oars in his hands, disliking the fact that there was a monster loose in his lands.
Arachne snickered haughtily, adjusting her skirts from under her. "Why, he's traveling like we are, of course. Or he was, at the very least. Either way, Apophis wouldn't leave much of a trail then, would it?"
Soul glanced down into the murky water of the Styx that their boat floated on. Then he glared suspiciously at Arachne. "How do you know so much?" He tightened his grip on the scythe. "And don't think of lying to me."
She let her hand drift above the Styx's surface, almost touching the water. "My sister wanted me to work with her, you see." She grinned. "I decided to be altruistic, instead."
Soul snorted. "Right. Understand that after this, you're not allowed back into the Underworld."
She started fanning herself again. "I'd be hurt if it wasn't so cramped and dark in here. Who'd want to live in a place with no sun?"
"I manage pretty well," Soul said crossly.
"Do you now?" a voice whispered behind him.
Soul registered Melinoe's voice just in time to stop himself from answering out loud.
However, Arachne's sharp eyes didn't miss how he started from hearing Melinoe's voice. "Something wrong?"
Soul ignored Melinoe's laughter, grateful for once that no one but him could see her. "Nothing."
They rode in silence until Arachne pointed to the riverbank suddenly. "There."
Soul guided the boat to where she pointed. The boat brushed up onto the shore. He grabbed the scythe that he had laid on the floor and clambered out of the boat, careful not to let the water touch him.
Arachne followed him. She gestured to the trail that led out of the water and onto the land. "After Kid granted me passage, I tracked Apophis up until this point. When Apophis left the water, he became much faster and I lost him in the darkness."
Soul looked unhappily into the dimming light, aware that Melinoe stood right beside him. He nervously adjusted the grip on his scythe. "If the snake went into Tartarus…"
"Even if Apophis has been in the Styx, he still has a sense of self-preservation. He wouldn't dare enter there," Arachne assured him.
They followed the trail in the growing darkness. Soul cursed himself for not thinking to bring a torch. The trail went on until they reached the stone wall of the Underworld. To Soul's astonishment, there was a hole in the wall. Open-mouthed, he walked right up to the hole, reaching out to make sure it was really there and it wasn't his imagination.
He looked to the left and right of the hole. And it wasn't just one, there were several holes dotting the wall but only the one in front of him was big enough for him to fit in.
"These have never been here before," Soul said slowly, swallowing hard. Melinoe, who'd been right by his side the whole time, giggled hard.
Arachne didn't answer him.
The hairs on the back of Soul's neck raised, a twitchy feeling coming over him. He whirled around, scythe whistling through the air.
Melinoe's red eyes greeted him but Arachne was gone.
Soul's heart plummeted. "You tricked me," he growled to the air.
A sardonic snicker and then Arachne's voice floated from somewhere above him. "You really shouldn't have trusted me in the first place."
A not-so-distant rumbling surprised Soul, knocking him off his feet and into the air. He landed in the mouth of the hole with a thump.
Melinoe giggled harder beside Soul. "He's coming," she sang.
Soul scrambled to his feet. "What did you do?" he yelled, holding the scythe defensively.
The rumbling grew louder as the tunnel was flooded with an unnaturally bright light.
"Follow the spiders, Soul," Arachne called from where ever she was. "It'd really be in your best interest to follow them."
Soul felt something crawling over his foot. He glanced around him. Spiders were crawling on the walls, all scurrying in one direction.
A hissing sound behind him caught his attention.
Soul turned around slowly, dread filling his chest.
A snake that could have easily been the length of his throne room bared his fangs at him.
"Apophis," Soul murmured in shock.
Apophis' black scales shimmered with the silvery glow, the only sign of his transformation from the Styx.
Soul gripped his scythe tightly. He was about to charge at the creature when the light went out.
He backed away, tripping over his feet. Landing on the ground with a crunch, he felt something sticky on his hands.
Spider guts lay on his hands, glowing iridescently in the darkness. Arachne's words sank in.
Follow the spiders.
Soul grabbed his scythe and pushed himself to his feet. He could feel the snake lurch forward, then get stuck in the mouth of the entrance, its body nearly too wide to fit in the tunnel.
In the complete darkness, the walls lit up from the spiders' bodies, enough for Soul to make his way through the tunnel but not enough to see the snake, which blended in with the walls with its black scales.
Soul broke into a run as he felt the snake succeed in squeezing its whole body into the tunnel.
He swore as picked his way through the darkness. He had no choice but to hope that Arachne's advice of "following the spiders" didn't lead him to a dead end.
"It won't," Melinoe assured him, running besides him.
Soul's eyes widened as he took her in. "Why are you still here?"
Melinoe shrugged. "He thought it might be fun."
Soul scowled but didn't argue, putting his energy into running instead.
Ahead of him, the spiders continued their steady march forward.