Amari412: Morpheus and the other gods of dreams, can certainly be cruel when it comes to dreams. Sorry for the delay in update, been working on this chapter for a while, finally posting it. Hope you enjoy.

Mors

Roman equivalent of 'Death' or 'Thanatos'

They coiled around one another like snakes in water. Tongues clicking against upper jaws. Eyeless faces twisted in grins to hide away grimaces of pain. Around them crackling fire perched on rocks. A string in mid cut. The tapestry luckily left in tack. The eye which allowed them to see their grim surroundings twitched, rolling around, unsure if it should return to its mistress's; or keep out of the rain of fire which shot through a furious god.

"Where is she?!"

Bellowing loudly Hades stood over the fates, who'd stumbled clumsily. His pitch fork pressed underneath each of their chins. Their rough flesh enough to prevent him from piercing through. Teeth gritted, Hades eyes snapped towards the middle fate, who laughed, though it sounded more like she was choking on water.

"You don't understand Hades.. Your protection, your lies is what drove her to be so easily consumed."

Eyes turned crimson with anger. Rising his arm, Hades whacked the fate with his arm. A deathening CRACK of the armour protecting his arm breaking followed by a THUD as the fate landed sprawled on her side. Scrambling backwards like a worm; Hades followed. Boots crunching the earth, as he pressed all of his weight against her chest, watching as she began to wriggle around, yet she dared not harm him. Instead of coming to their sisters aid, the two fates laughed with glee.

Atropos stepped forward. Minding Hades eyes which followed her with care.

"Remember not so long ago, that your immortality was based on the mortal's fear their pain. Its consuming you once more. Your blind love for your daughter will ruin you."

Hades fingers wrapped tightly around his pitchfork. Stomach churning. He knew Atropos well. She liked to toy with mortals, it was why she was given the task of measuring out life. Ignoring her slimy words, Hades focused on the fate under his boot.

"Tell me where she is."

With every word Hades twisted his boot, driving it deeper into the decaying robe. Twisting around, turning her blind face towards her sisters who'd moved to morph around each other, she spat, causing her long thick tongue to slap against blunt fangs.

"The demand requires payment." - A pained gasp passed her lips, as Hades slammed his foot on her chest. - "Tell him you fools!"

The fates prized for being true immortal beings. But when ever one sister felt pain, it hit them a hundred times worse. Covering up their whimpers with cackles or hisses, Atropos stepped forward, hand stretched out exposing her long clawed finger nails. Hades rose himself up, causing his shadow to consume her. Stepping backwards, head bowing in mockery respecting Artopos hissed words, that made Hades blood run cold.

"Melinoe is stuck in the shadow lands. A land you can not rule, under Zeus's law."

Eyes growing wide in rage, Hades smothered himself in thick black smoke, vanishing from the fates who could only laugh at his sudden realisation.

Darkness surrounded a strange valley like a blanket over an unmoving corpse. No wails. Not even shrill cries could be heard. Silence. Melinoe watched in braced terror, seeing her own breath float around. Throat ached. Cheeks red in chill. After endless unknown hours of screaming, she'd finally given into the silence. Tears trickled down her face. They tasted like venom on the tip of her tongue. Stumbling forward, unsure on where the ground would end, as it seemed to shiver and shift as if she was walking on a monsters back.

An endless looming mist changed direction, sometimes showing a path covered in thick roots, other times a shimmering light. Every time Melinoe scrambled forward, the mist would change its direction, it seemed to almost push the light as if it was nothing more than a leather ball. If Melinoe looked hard enough she could swear, there was something else moving in the mist. A dark black shadow, which rose on two legs with something curved sprouting from a thick head.

Holding her breath, Melinoe forced herself to remain calm. Walking through the mist which felt like a sea of thick rope, Melinoe noticed whatever it was hidden in a strange silhouette had yet to notice her.

No! Please!

Melinoe wanted to shout, but only her mouth moved as if lip singing. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. After tip toing a couple of steps, the mist seemed to almost spin, then before Melinoe knew where to look the large silhouette was charging towards her. A pair of red circles hovering where thick fog for breath could be seen panting. Though Melinoe ran nothing around her was changing. Everything remained still. Melinoe didn't know how she tripped. Spinning around, shoulder blades pressed into the ground, her mouth opened. Instead of hearing her own silent scream, a truly loud cry erupted.

The silhouette seemed to freeze. Transfixed. Melinoe didn't stop screaming. Its large hands rose up, grabbing hold of outlined ears, gripping tightly. It staggered. It swayed. Suddenly it started to break up. If it had a real body, the flesh would be ripping from the bones. Melinoe continued to scream. Only when it vanished, did she take in deep gulps of air, as if she'd been starved of it. Cheeks flushed. Teeth chattered. Burning pain causing her throat to thump sorely. At first she expected the silhouette to sprout from the ground. Nothing. Even the mist seemed to stop its taunting movements.

"Melinoe..."

Breathing became strained; Melinoe turned her eyes, not daring to turn her whole head. Flapping of a cloak, danced in the corner of her eye. Turning around slowly, Melinoe gasped in fear.

"Thanatos"

Olympus shimmered in glory. No longer did it hold its previous scent of greed. A typical scene of Olympus gods sat on their thrones, Demeter shimmering brighter due to winter coming to an end. Zeus congratulated Demeter on teaching the mortals to store their food during the winter months.

"Pardon me, but it was Persephone whom-"

Words became lost as darkness over took the see through marble floor. Roaring golden flames turned blue. A chill ran through out. Apollo who remembered a situation all to familiar reached defensively towards his choice of weapon. An arrow. Zeus however rose his hand. Though his body showed confidence there was fear clearly hidden deep within darkened pupils.

"Leave. Now"

A firm order sent the gods away. All of them feared the sudden show of their darker family member. They could taste his hatred. Demeter hesitated for just a moment, before Zeus shot her a firm look. Just as Demeter vanished from her throne, a heavy padded boot peered out from the darkness, followed by a armoured leg. Hades stepped forward. Eyes a blaze with furry. Brow still covered in sweat from his previous encounter with the fates. Zeus didn't even leave his throne before, Hades stretched his hand, sending his brother slamming backwards. Grunting; angered by such force, Zeus wasn't able to draw his brow into a glare. Hades had already pinned him a second time, keeping him in place.

"Brother. What is the meaning of this."

Zeus spoke through clenched teeth, as he arched his back, hands twitching trying to rip them from the arms of his throne. Hades sneered. All to quickly he started to blame his brother for another misdeed. Locking his darkened eyes towards his brothers own clouded brown, Hades hissed in a tone that only a wounded parent could carry.

"Melinoe, is stuck in the shadow lands."

Outside of the closed doors leading to the large throne room of Olympus, Demeter remained. Mouth covered to muffle a wounded cry. Tears pricked. A shimmer, caused Demeter to turn around sharply looking towards Persephone. No words spoken. Demeter caught Persephone holding her tightly as the young goddess began to sob against the motherly neck. Their weeping could be heard through the thick doors. Hades made no move to release himself in order to comfort his sobbing wife.

"Allow me entrance to the shadow lands. Let me bring my daughter back."

Zeus felt a shiver run down his back as his throat grew tight. The scene reminded him to much, of when he allowed Hades lose on the mortals so many years ago. "Let me lose upon them. They will pray again." Much like before Hades wasn't asking; he was demanding. But he did it in such a way that you would step in line, without even knowing it. Zeus this time was firm. There were laws even he couldn't step around.

"I can't brother. You know the law. No one is allowed in the shadow lands."

Hades felt burning white pain flashing behind his eyes. It wasn't physical. Tears burned. They trickled down his cheeks, becoming lost within his trimmed beard.

Vines coiled around her body, pinning Melinoe against a tree which seemed more like a temple pillar. Twisting her neck, cheek pressing against the bristle trunk, Melinoe watched as Thanatos returned from being hidden within the mist. Lips pulled back in a spiteful looking grin.

"I don't have much time; so I will be frank."

Melinoe rolled her eyes, biting back a snide comment. A silent whimper escaped her lips, when Thanatos brought himself up close, eyes lingering towards her neck which Melinoe stretched in an attempt to put as much distance between them as possible. Melinoe tasted Thanatos on her tongue. It was what gave her the knowledge of his name. Thanatos seemed to notice this as he purred in pleasure. Stepping back, rising on his tip toes to keep eye contact Thanatos grinned oily.

"Your parents haven't told you about me before. Have they?"

Melinoe narrowed her eyes. Thanatos was mocking her.

"I heard some things. That you became greedy on limited power. Wanting the world to tremble before your feet, like when they did after they found out about you. About death."

Thanatos smirked. He wasn't insulted. Being feared was something he craved on. It gave him power, like it did for Hades. His eyes soon became narrowed hearing Melinoe speak once more.

"Pity... Once they found out about healing herbs you just became another fifth leg in the circle they call life."

Melinoe arched her back in pain as Thanatos made the vines grip tighter. No doubt there would be bruises. Pushing his noes against her cheek, not caring that his breath smelt of decaying flesh, Thanatos hissed, taking pride as Melinoe's flesh began to change colour.

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge, spawn of Hades. I tricked your father. Made him turn on your mother. On the mortals."

Thanatos watched as sweat began to trickle down Melinoe's neck despite the cold. He was tempted to lap it up, though refrained from doing so.

"But that's a story for another time. I came to tell you, you'll be stuck here in this cursed land with only yourself for five years. You left the Underworld to early; we can't have you messing up the Fates prophecy."

Melinoe felt her whole body growing numb in terror. Looking towards Thanatos, expecting the once god of death, to chuck back a laugh, she saw for just a flicker of a second, pity. Thanatos was telling the truth. Opening her mouth to question him. To ask how he knew any of this, the vines released themselves from her body. Landing harshly on the ground. Hands stretched out to prevent hitting her head, Melinoe snapped her gaze forward, not carrying about the dizziness which suddenly over took her.

Once her vision returned, she noticed the mist looked thicker where Thanatos once stood before it morphed back to normal.

"Thanatos!"

Screaming in outrage finding herself now alone, just as Thanatos hissed; Melinoe in her desperation thumped her hands against the ground, remembering that the mortals would do this in order to call her father. Though Melinoe knew it was a lose cause, she wanted to try everything. Anything, in order to reach Persephone and Hades. Tears trickled. Chin quivered. Lowering herself down onto her stomach, clutching tightly onto the ground, Melinoe pressed her cheek against it, sniffling. Weeping silently.

"Father... Father.."

"Melinoe... I'm so sorry."

Standing in Melinoe's room, holding the horse model she fondly named Troy, Hades twisted it around slowly in his hands, looking at every small dent and scratch. It had always been her favourite. Placing it with care upon her pillow, Hades couldn't remember the last time, he felt so lost. Alone. Even with Persephone standing behind him, starring towards their daughters bed, neither knowing when it would be next slept in, they seemed almost like two perfect strangers.

"Hades.."

Turning his head, unaware that Persephone, lightly gripped his hand with her own, Hades sighed before removing his feet which felt like they had melted on the floor. Walking in silence, pressed up against each others sides, Persephone led Hades back to their room. There was nothing they could do but wait. Wait for a sign that their daughter would be returned to them.

Hecate who watched from the door way of her room, her loyal dog sat by her heels, pitifully whining, somehow knowing what had taken place, no one spoke. There were no words of comfort that could be given. Bowing her head, Hecate let out a sigh, before turning closing the door lightly behind her.

Once they reached their room, Hades and Persephone stripped one another down to their bed clothing. Each kissed in desperation before drawing the other underneath the covers, where they held tightly, almost afraid of vanishing. Persephone buried her face against Hades neck, while Hades hid his face into the curls of Persephone's hair, closing his eyes tightly in a bid to fight back his tears. His hands mimicked Persephone's, as he ran them up and down her bare back slowly.

"We'll find her. I promise..."

Persephone whispered against his chest, before sleep consumed them both. At least in their dreams, Melinoe was still with them.

Much like with a chapter from 'Wrath of the gods' I had to get this chapter done and out of way. This chapter has changed so much. Introduced a familiar face before adding some emotions. Do hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review.

Signed The Broken Ghost