Amari412 : Minos is certainly an interesting character to write about. Though the Oracle is a minor character, she will be making some appearances. As always thank you so much for the review.
She's gone
Bowing each opponent looked at one another with respect. Rising full blasts erupted from their hands. While rolled to the ground, the other put up a defence stance, waiting with a heaving chest for something to happen.
Clasping her hands tightly on her lap, Persephone watched with her throat in her heat. Only two hours ago she returned, now she watched silently as her daughter showed off fighting skills Hecate taught her. The only difference was that it wasn't Hecate she was fighting.
Wiping her mouth from excess drool, Melinoe stifled back laughter. Standing a few feet away, Hades hadn't even broken a sweat. Stepping forward, Hades sent a blast towards Melinoe. Twisting around on the ground, crying out as her ankle became scorched. Not bothering to slow down by using healing charm, Melinoe sent out two blasts, one after the other. Though small ache travelled rapidly through her joints. Rising his hand, causing the blasts to bounce off of his armour, Hades side stepped. Slowly.
Persephone gripped tightly on the arm of her throne, wanting to jump up put a stop to the fight. A firm hand from Hecate forced her to sink back.
"They're fine. Hades knows not to push her."
Glancing back towards the fight, Hecate could only hope that this was the truth. She couldn't understand what had happened between the two, they seemed almost furious at one another.
Reading her fathers actions like a scroll, Melinoe shot one blast in the direction Hades was heading before shooting a second blast. Dodging the first blast, Hades should've seen the second blast coming. Pain shot through his chest, as he flew through the air, crashing into the wall opposite. The whole room seemed to shake against the force. Listening to Melinoe charging towards him, Hades vanished in a puff of light grey smoke.
Melinoe was meer seconds from slamming into the rock. Stretching out her hands, using a defence blast, Melinoe stumbled backwards. Spinning around on the balls of her heels, eyes wide Melinoe looked around franticly trying to find her father.
"Remember your training.."
Hecate whispered, finding herself on the edge of her seat much like Persephone.
Stepping forward slowly, knowing that her father was near by, ignoring the pain which travelled through her ankle. She knew her fathers motives. She wouldn't play into his hand.
"Come on out."
Speaking through gritted teeth, Melinoe could feel the anger starting to burn within the pit of her stomach. Flashes of her previous encounter with such anger, forced her to breathe deeply through her noes, as she closed her eyes tightly. Everything around her became high lightened. She could hear the sound of her mothers finger nails scratching against the arm rest. Hecate's silent murmurs. What really got her blood boiling as the faint huffs of her fathers breathing, right behind her left ear.
A cruel smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth, though Melinoe forced herself to remain calm, no doubt her father would notice. Opening her eyes slowly, Melinoe walked forward a couple of steps, before turning around. Stretching out her leg she kicked her father in the chest, before shooting a blast just below his chin. Though his form remained invisible she could feel every solid blast.
Grabbing hold of his armour Melinoe, sent them both flying onto the steps. Hand risen above Hades head, Melinoe held onto a ball of thick black smoke, as her arm pressed tightly against his throat. For a moment it looked like Melinoe was able to let lose her magic. A sea of clapping echoed around the room, as Persephone and Hecate stood up. Tears pricked the corner of Persephone's eyes, while Hecate smiled. For a moment she thought that Melinoe would allow her angered magic to let lose.
Curling her fingers Melinoe lowered her hand, before she moved herself off of Hades body. Hands resting behind her back, Melinoe watched with hidden amusement as Hades staggered back up. The anger and humiliation he made her feel during her attempt of escape, still had yet to leave her presence. Deep down it made Melinoe sick to the stomach. She still loved her father, but couldn't get out of her small shell she made for herself.
"Well done Melinoe."
Persephone praised as Hecate looked on with a smile. Bowing her head in thanks, Melinoe looked towards his father as he began to stand himself up, dusting off any remains of their previous battle.
"Hecate has taught you well. I'm very proud of you."
Glancing towards her father, seeing a genuine smile on his lips, though his eyes flickered as if concerned Melinoe once more bowed her head.
"Thank you father."
Speaking in an honest voice, Melinoe watched the interaction between her parents. Though her ankle continued to throb she couldn't shake off a strange feeling, about her dream. About the man under the tree. Such thoughts were banished.
"... sorted out."
As if wiping away cobwebs Melinoe turned her head looking towards Hecate with a confused look, she dampened her lips.
"I'm sorry..?"
The concerned looks from her father and mother, annoyed Melinoe more than comforted her. It was the guilt which festered, fearing that maybe she'd seen to much. Feeling her mothers hand upon her shoulder, Melinoe looked up towards Persephone with a lost gaze before forcing herself to smile.
"I said we should get your ankle sorted out.."
Gazing down at the blistered wound, not failing to notice her fathers inward wince. Melinoe shook her head. Crouching down she placed her hand over the wound. A brief hiss passed her lips. Instincts wanted her to yank back, but Melinoe forced herself to remain calm. All ready power began to make her palm glow, the wounded flesh underneath healed. Slowly. It was painful. Muscles became tense. Just as she saw her mother stepping forward in a bid to comfort, Melinoe pulled her hand back, standing up sharply, showing a newly healed ankle.
"No matter."
Melinoe spoke as she gazed towards their shocked faces. Hecate at least had the nerve to blush. Behind her teachings of defence and fighting, she'd taught Melinoe how to heal herself. It seemed that this was Melinoe's stronger point. It didn't require anger. Stepping forward, eyes briefly examining the freshly healed flesh, Hecate smiled.
"I think that's enough showing off for now."
Hecate teased. Watching as her parents lent against one another, all the tension in the air now gone, it seemed almost to good to be true.
The Elysian Fields were just as beautiful as Persephone remembered. With her foot soaking in the pool, ticklish chuckles passing her lips every time scales from the fish brushed against her sole. Sitting on a large rock to far off, Melinoe sat with her arms wrapped around her legs, so that her cheek rested upon a bony knee.
"Do you really have nothing to tell me?"
Glancing towards her mother, who looked so at peace Melinoe felt her words die on her tongue. She'd been trying to gain the confidence to speak about the strange dreams. It felt like they were festering in her mind like snakes.
"For once, time flew by. Before I knew it, you were back."
The lie passed easily. Though mentally she could feel her noes starting to grow. Pulling her bare feet out from the lake, Persephone stood up. Being a mother she knew when Melinoe was lying.
"Come on Melinoe. Tell me the truth."
Melinoe knew that keeping her feelings bottled inside would come back to haunt her. Once muffled voices became risen, as anger and boundaries no child should push past their parent became broken.
"Why didn't you tell me the truth?!"
Screaming loudly, Melinoe was pacing around the boulder she sat on moments ago. Persephone called her lips, in an attempt to stop herself from saying something she would regret. Stepping forward, a false wave of calm, preventing her features from twitching, Persephone looked her daughter in the eye. It broke her heart, seeing her child so conflicted with information Persephone couldn't understand how they became to rest upon her delicate mind.
"Because your night ready. What happened between me and your father, is something that not even I can understand. The horrors which loomed over our heads, are enough to turn any decent soul mad."
There were good times. Times Persephone promised to never forget. But what still twisted her soul with terror, which made her so against Melinoe becoming the new Thanatos (something they still needed to discuss with her) prevented her from sharing the tale of how she came to meet Hades. This answer didn't comfort nor being any closure to Melinoe. Banishing her tears with a harsh wipe from her wrist, she laughed coldly.
"So you'll continue to say lies, that you call good parenting?!"
"I have never lied to you!"
Persephone shouted feeling the barrier break. Melinoe scoffed flapping her hands in the air, as if to grab something.
"Of course not. You told me how you and father meet, fell in love etc.. etc.. But not how this came to be. You both left me in the dark. Your both the reason why they came to me in the first place!"
Melinoe felt like she'd been kicked in the gut. The night of seeing the three hideous sisters was one, through many years she tried to believe was nothing but a nightmare. Even now she could smell their breath, hear the snip of the large scissors cutting a line to another poor mortals death. Persephone seemed equally as horrified. Stepping forward, placing her hand on Melinoe's shoulder, trying to hide away the hurt at feeling her daughter tense up under such physical contact.
"Who are you talking about?"
Dampening her lips as she left out a huff laugh, Melinoe shook her head slowly. Her wind pipe started to feel clogged, tears burned her eyes, though she tried to vain to keep them back less she look like a fool to weep over such childish memories.
"The Fates.." - Melinoe stuttered, looking everywhere but towards Persephone. - "They forced me to visit them during my birthday night, then again every blood red moon. They whispered to me about a gift they wished to give to me during my birthday but couldn't. The gift I see as nothing but a curse. It makes me see things between you and farther. Listening to you whisper a different name. Even seeing something so foul on two bull legs, not even Tarturas could hold it."
Persephone heard enough. She wrapped her arms firmly around Melinoe pulling her against her bosom. The hug was short lived. Twisting with the speed of a viper, Melinoe staggered back shaking her hand angrily as she pointed an accusing finger.
"No. No you don't get to comfort me out of some guilt. You've both kept me hidden in the dark mentally and physically for to long. I've had enough."
A fire so cold it was able to chill Melinoe's body while heating up her heart, burned within her eyes. Hands became black. Smoke covered her body banishing her feet to make it look like she was floating. At first it looked as if it was Melinoe was pulling the stunt, but as realisation dawned and fear was able to cover her eyes in a mental blindfold, she looked around in sheer terror.
"Mother!"
As the scream erupted from her throat an invisible force tugged her, causing her upper body to disappear into the smoke. Arms out stretched as she began to claw helplessly on the floor, leaving marks in the ground.
Persephone at first did nothing only to stare in shock. It was the cry of her daughter which made her run forward, their finger tips barely grazed before a mothers worst nightmare was brought to life.
"Mother..! No...!"
Melinoe vanished.
Remaining upon her knees staring at the spot where her daughter struggled, Persephone opened her mouth screaming in agony. She grabbed the rocks, foolishly pulling them with all of her might, causing her hands to burn and blister. Tears spilled down her face turning her eyes sore and puffy. The sound of crackling smoke didn't bring her comfort.
Hearing the screams even in the judgement room, Hades looked down to see his wife clawing at the floor. Rushing towards her side, he pulled her back, causing Persephone to kick and scream. Pulling her against his chest, grunting with every hit, he turned his face into her neck.
"Persephone, stop this madness at once.."
It wasn't his words that caused her struggles to stop, but sheer exhaustion. She turned her head slowly gazing towards Hades, before whispering four words that were able to break even his heart.
"Melinoe's gone... She's gone."
Hate leaving you guys on a cliff hanger, but it had to be a done. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review.
- Signed The Broken Ghost