Ugh I suck. I will admit lately I just have not wanted to write. I've worked insane hours, flopping between 3pm-11pm and 11pm-7am shifts, or my favorite the 3pm-7am the next day. As you can imagine I haven't slept right in a while. So being constantly tired I just have had no motivation to write and I apologize. I'm sure I've lost every damn follower I had, but nonetheless. Here's an update to throw at the void.
Chibininjah: Yes, Aphrodite was the one who kissed Phil at the end of the movie. I do plan to keep as much from RW as possible, including the Alex/Jason pairing, and the dog. I have to change some things to line up better with mythology (namely Meg's past) because when I wrote the original story I knew virtually NOTHING about the myth. I know more now, so I will try hard to get canon and mythology to compromise best I can.
I was lying on the divan in the den fiddling with the trinkets on the table next to it trying to distract myself from my own thoughts when Hercules came back inside. I was still feeling bitter about my encounter with Aphrodite. Just because I had become a part of Hercules's life did not mean the entire Pantheon had become a part of mine.
"What do you say we change those bandages before we head to Phil's?" Hercules suggested, and I agreed. He gathered the supplies we need and we sat at the kitchen table. Upon removing the soiled bandages we were both pleasantly surprised at how well the burns looked. Already the orange blisters were drained and there was no notable scar tissue. There were still some blotches of deep red but even the pain was significantly reduced.
"What is in those herbs? Unicorn tears?" I asked incredulously.
"Whatever it is we'll have to thank him next time we see him," I nodded in agreement. While I wasn't exactly fond of the idea of his divine relatives popping in and out of our lives, looking at my wrists I couldn't help but be grateful. Without the medicines he provided I may have lost much of the use of my hands.
Before I had mentally prepared myself for the impending panic, we were outside of Pegasus's stable and I was being hoisted on his back, Hercules hopping on in front of me. I grabbed him tightly as we took to the air, squinting my eyes, unsuccessful at subduing the pathetic whimper that was luckily barely audible over the rushing wind. I had my arms around his middle, fingers clutching his tunic so tightly I'm surprised he didn't try to pry me off. I carefully opened my eyes when I felt and smelled the salty spray of the ocean. True to his word, Pegasus was hugging as close to the waves as he safety dared. The Idea of falling into a tumultuous ocean was no comfort, but it was certainly less fear inducing than being above the clouds. Gods forbid I fell I would at least survive the fall.
I was so relieved when we reached Phil's island I nearly fell off Pegasus in my rush to get onto solid ground. I felt queasy, and took a few moments for my legs to feel strong enough to move.
"See, not so bad," Hercules chimed obliviously.
"For you," I retorted, but managed to collect myself. We walked towards Phil's cabin to find the Satyr sitting outside waiting for us.
"Hey, there's the two kids!" Phil called cheerfully, waving so enthusiastically I suspected poorly masked sarcasm. Him and I had never seen eye to eye, nor gotten along with each other. But I owed him a second chance, he had given me one.
"Hey Phil!" I watched the pair embrace for a moment, Phil giving Pegasus a hearty rub on the nose after the snorted indignantly.
"Come inside, come inside. Got a surprise for the two o' ya," He seemed quite excited about said surprise, which left me feeling apprehensive. Was it a new training schedule? More mementos to decorate the villa? I followed the pair inside the small house, and a ball of fur collided with my legs.
I looked down, and saw a puppy that must have been all gray-black fur. Tipped ears were trembling with excitement. A tail, so busy it looked out of proportion with the rest of it's body, wagged its entire backside. He gave a small whine, leaping up against my knee. I couldn't help but smile a little and bend down to pet the exuberant critter.
"When'd you get a dog?" I heard Herc ask while the ball of fluff leaned against my knees his tongue lapping at the air as he tried to bathe my face which was just out of reach. I chuckled lightly at it as it flopped over onto it's side.
"Well I got those letters talkin' 'bout all your issues with security so I got you guys a guard dog. Loyal beasts these dogs!" Phil smiled. "Strongest of the litter, first pup the mother grabbed with the flaming rag test."
"You got us a dog?" I asked, making sure I heard him right.
"It's just a pup now, but I had one of these dogs for years. Make great guard dogs. Should give the crazies second thoughts 'bout invadin'. His name is Echo, he barks right back at me when I talk t'him," Phil explained, and I looked at the pup,
"A chatterbox, huh?" I said to it, getting a high-pitched yip in return.
"See?" Phil sounded proud.
"You got us a dog?" I repeated. I remember having dogs as a kid, and knew that the creatures did make excellent guards with the proper training; they were more loyal than any human could be. There were always at least five dogs trotting around my family's villa at any time. After the death of my mother my father stopped breeding them. Hercules came up beside me and began petting Echo as well, the pup languishing in the attention.
"I got you a dog," Phil answered. "Well come on, sit down. Got some soup on the fire, baked a little bread, let's sit down for some lunch and ya gotta tell me all about that crazy girl you wrote about," Phil gestured to the small table near the fire. The inside of his house was very small for two adults and a Satyr to move around comfortably, but it appeared to suit Phil just fine. I sat at the cramped table while Hercules gathered a few bowls to set the table, and setting the flat-bread loaves on the table. He helped serve the soup into the bowls and we all sat down to eat together. My initial apprehension was beginning to ease as his cheerful mood seemed genuine.
"What's with the bandages?" Phil asked, gesturing at my wrists. I quickly stuffed a bite of food in my mouth, uncomfortable talking about Hades with Phil. Hercules stepped in, seeming to recognize my discomfort. He explained my burns, about Helen's invasions and alliance with Hades. Phil's smile crooked and he sighed, "Good thing I got ya the dog. Sounds like with Hades help this Helen girl is more than just an annoyance, huh?" Phil took a large bite of food, and Hercules had already finished his first bowl and was busying himself filling a second and grabbing another chunk of bread for himself. "Seems like Helen got herself your old job huh?" Phil directed at me and I stiffened, again shoving food in my mouth to suppress the flurry of curses that rose to mind. His comment sounded intentionally instigating. I explained in short what led to my enslavement when I had tried to get Phil to help me rescue Hercules from the Cyclops, but I had left out many details; this had apparently left Phil yearning for more, and it sounded like he was trying to goad me into defending myself so he could learn the whole story.
"My concern is with Helen claiming to be the head of a fanclub she'll recruit more people next time she invades," Hercules mumbled through a mouthful of food, luckily changing subjects. He spoke again, his words indistinguishable.
"Herc swallow your food then talk," I advised, barely able to understand him. He swallowed hard, taking a swig of wine, and wiped his mouth.
"Sorry. I need to look into the guards I have working for me, there's obviously an issue if she keeps getting in,"
"Herc I've told you before she... umm... bribes the guard with a particular type of favor," I explained, wording myself carefully, knowing Herc's innocence and trying not to be too blunt about it. Echo was sitting next to Phil's chair looking up at him longingly waiting for a scrap of food to drop, letting out the occasional whine.
"Why would they let that happen?" Herc asked, and for a moment I couldn't tell if he was joking, or was honestly that naive.
"Herc..." I sighed, and Phil seemed to share my reaction rubbing forehead.
"Kid. Think about it for a minute," Phil answered and after a moment's contemplation he looked aghast. I admired the fact that Wonderboy was so chivalrous, but at the same time it made me concerned he was so naive about what people were capable of. He fought so many monsters, natural disasters, and acts of divine intervetion that it felt strange he was still so shielded from the worst of human evils.
"Guess I need to hire some new guards, because the others on duty with him are clearly looking the other way," Hercules said sadly, pausing for a moment. "Which guard is it?" He asked, furrowing his brow.
"The tall man with the long curly black hair..." I paused, trying to think of any other distinguishing features, and shook my head, "I'll know him when I see him but I haven't been at the villa long enough to remember a lot more. And Phil, where did you look to cook? This food is really good," I commented, surprised that the burly satyr could almost rival Jason.
"Live alone on an island long enough and you get sick of eating the same thing day in and day out," He shrugged.
"What are you talking about Phil, I've seen you literally eat a jar," Hercules answered, but didn't rebuke my statement that the food was damned good.
"A well crafted clay jar is just as as good as a good meal!" Phil defended. Echo gave up on sitting near Phil waiting for food to drop and came over to sit next to my chair, hoping for better luck. But I had grown up with too many dogs to fall for that trap. However, once I was finished my meal I happily gathered the furball onto my lap. Hercules served himself a third helping, and Phil a second, and I couldn't help but chuckle at Wonderboy's voracious appetite.
"Anyways, Herc once we get home you need to deal with your security issue," I was concerned that with Hades on her side no matter how good the security she would find a way in. What Hades wants, he seems to get. But dragging Wonderboy into my anxieties wasn't going to help anyone. We could tackle that problem after we tried fixing security.
"What you guys gonna' do 'bout Hades?" Phil inquired, and I flinched at the mention of his name. After Phil's last tactless quip regarding him I wanted to avoid this subject. "Ya whipped him, he just lookin' for another butt whoopin'?" He continued.
"Phil... I never told you what happened when I went to the Underworld to rescue Meg after..." He trailed off, shifting uncomfortably. "After she... died." He mumbled that last sentence and avoided my gaze. Hercules went on to explain the deal he had made with Hades, and what Hades had said to me. Phil's brow furrowed,
"You talked to 'yer dad 'bout this?" Phil offered. "Especially right after tryin' t' takeover Olympus don't think ol' Zeus would appreciate Hades getting so feisty already." He continued. He placed his bowl on the floor once he fished eating and Echo ran up to it excitedly, licking the bowl and pushing it across the house in the process.
"No not yet. What can Zeus even do? If Hades is right..."
"Since when is Hades right 'bout anythin'?" Phil interrupted.
"Hades makes his deals black and white for a reason," I offered, reluctant to bring up this subject with Phil. "Less 'fine print' as he says. Harder to find a loophole when the deal is so cut and dry. Herc's soul for mine, and he's kinda lacking one of us," I explained.
"All the more reason to go see Zeus! If anyone knows how t' get outta a deal with Hades, it's his brotha'. Zeus has had half an eternity to figure out Hades, I'm sure he can help." Phil sounded fairly confident in this idea, but I doubted him. Hard to find a way out of trading A for B. Maybe the best choice would be for me to go to Hades myself one night and try to convince him that he had Helen, give me some peace before he reclaimed me.
"You worked with him" Phil started, and I flinched again, tossing him a scowl.
"For." I clarified, not trying to hide the anger in my voice. "Involuntarily I might add,"
"Okay, for." Phil snapped back impatiently. "You know him better than Hercules or I do. Maybe you have some insight on what to do?" I sighed and struggled to reign in my temper. He was trying to help afterall, despite his tactless appraoch.
"He makes his deals black and white. If I told you I'd give you a denari for this jar of wine, then walked away without paying you would would feel entitled to either repossess the jar or demand the denari," I explained. My soul for my former lover's, my freedom for Herc's weakness, Herc's soul for mine. It was always cut and dry.
"Talk t' Zeus," Phil advised again. I doubted Zeus could help. He didn't help when as an idiotic girl, barely more than a child, I sold my soul to a malignant entity. I prayed, for months prayed. But not once did Olympus help me. Why would they help me now?
"We'll go to his temple tomorrow," I looked over at Hercules and shook my head,
"Leave me out of it. You can go and talk to the King of the Gods, but you will not drag me with you," My bitterness about Aphrodite's uninvited intrusion resurrected at the mention of being dragged to Zeus's temple to discuss a matter involving my soul. The idea of the Gods being so involved in my life made me feel incredibly anxious, and the thought of meeting Zeus was enough to almost make me vomit up my dinner.
"But Meg, its about you. You should come,"
"Herc, I love you 'n all, but I am not ready to meet your parents yet. Let alone your divine ones," I explained.
"That's not why I want you to come. I mean, bonus. But not the core reason," He tried to defend. "Meg Hades is trying to reclaim your soul. I didn't go to the Underworld to rescue you just so you can resign yourself right back there,"
"Don't you think I know that?" I snapped, "But I just don't like the idea of involving more deities in the ownership of my soul. It's... unsettling," I sighed, resting my elbows on the table and rubbing my temples. "I want a solution as much as you do. But I'm worried involving Zeus will only upset Hades more, if not show him we can't handle this on our own. Showing Hades weakness is never smart. Trust me," And I if Phil were to bring up any more quips about my interment I would break his nose.
"What if he does something. If his deals are as black and white as you say, what if he simply takes you one day?" He sounded hurt, and I felt guilty about my tone. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself before I continued.
"There's more to this," I whispered. Hercules was right, he could have just grabbed me whenever he wanted. "You're right. He could have snatched me at anytime if he actually had claim over my soul. There's more to this..."
"All the more reason to go to Zeus," Phil offered, and Hercules was nodding his agreement.
"We'll talk about it tomorrow," I relented. "That does not mean I'm saying yes. When it comes to Hades making an impulse decision never ends well, trust me."
"Okay," Hercules replied, giving in as well. We changed subjects.
I wanted to give "Kemper" a more appropriate name. Echo is a word with routes in ancient Greek, and fits the pattern of how they would name their dogs. The "flaming rag" test was how they would determine the merit of the pups in a litter. They would put a flaming rag near the puppies and see in which order the mother dog brought her puppies away from it. Yes I realize I had Phil buy the dog rather than Hercules, but I feel like it fits better. Also I know this is out of order from RW, in RW Meg met Herc's adoptive parents before the dog showed up but again I feel like this fits better. I hope this chapter was long enough for you.