Pegasus carried Megara up to the window of Antigone's room. Trying not to think about how far the ground was below her, Megara crept through that window and hopped down to the bed below.
Antigone gave out a shriek at her arrival.
"Miss me?" Megara launched herself across the room at her cousin with her claws out.
Outside, the screams intensified as if there were more of those creatures summoned by the force of Antigone's rage.
"Why won't you die?" Antigone snarled, pulling Megara's hair while Megara aimed her talons at her eyes.
"Because life just got good!" Megara jutted her knee into the softness of Antigone's guts, stealing her wind, and pressed her advantage to slam her to the ground.
Dazed though she was, Antigone kept fighting. Clawing, biting, and shrieking, the daughter of Oedipus intends to take Megara out.
"You're going to Hades, you know," Megara sneered down at her. "Even if you defeat me here, you won't get away with this outrage. You're despised of all the gods now, Tigs. You're as worthless as your brothers!"
An unearthly howl escaped Antigone, and she fought with Megara even harder than before.
Megara's powers had never lain with her physicality, but at last, she was now faced with an opponent of equal stature and strength. Both girls had lived in the palace for the majority of their lives and had exerted themselves mostly in weaving. Only one of them wore Athena's armor.
The two of them rolled around the floor, first with Antigone grabbing control and then with Megara slowly forcing her to drop back down.
This could not go on much longer. Megara would not allow it to.
She grabbed a pillow off of Antigone's bed and pressed it down on her cousin's face.
It was no easy task to hold it there, but the longer she held the pillow, the quieter the commotion outside became.
Finally, Antigone's body went slack.
If she had held the pillow in place much longer, Antigone would have had no more problems. Megara didn't want to see what problems would arise if she were the one to smother her, so she didn't release Antigone until she heard all the screaming stop.
It either meant that everyone was dead or that Antigone couldn't concentrate on keeping the monsters going.
She hoped it was the latter. Shutting Antigone up was a far better outcome than killing her. Megara didn't need to be hounded by the proper Furies, the ones who didn't pop when kicked hard enough.
With great hesitation, Megara moved the pillow off of Antigone's face. She wasn't sure what would happen next, but she thought she'd done enough to get the woman out of the room.
"You don't look dead," she told the limp, prone figure of her cousin. "I bet you'll wish you were in a minute, though. Nobody liked you before, and they definitely won't now. You'll see."
But how would she get her there?
The screaming had stopped. Some people cried.
Hercules called her name.
Ah, yes. The faithful pack mule had volunteered his services.
Megara hauled herself back to her feet, watching Antigone for evidence that the woman wouldn't wake while she opened the door and called back to Hercules.
He charged across the palace to her, grinning. "Nobody died!" he announced with great pride. "There were so many of them, but I fought them all off!"
"That's great, honey." Megara patted his cheeks lightly. "Do you think you could grab this one so we can make her face trial? I think it's pretty obvious now that she summoned the Furies, but we need to understand how she got that power and let Menoikeus pass judgment."
"Oh, sure!" Hercules beamed and hefted Antigone across his shoulders.
Megara scrutinized this position. "Is that how you'd carry me if I passed out?"
"Oh, definitely not. I love you. But see? This avoids anyone getting the wrong idea!" His smile grew even broader.
"Great job, Wonder Boy. You locked an insecurity of mine before it could open."
Hercules raised his head higher with pride. "Let's get this over with so we can enjoy what's left of this party!" He carried Antigone to the center of the throne room.
People crouched and hid behind overturned tables, but the room had mostly emptied out. Hercules found a chair and dumped Antigone into it, then wrapped her with a tablecloth and knotted it so she couldn't get up.
"You've not escaped justice yet," Megara said, smacking Antigone across the face to wake her up. "You don't get to die without taking responsibility for what you've done to Thebes."
It took the same amount of time for the Theban royal family to recoup themselves after the attack as for Antigone to awaken.
She raised her head to see that her former fiance, her cousins, aunt, and uncle were all aiming condemnation at her. Megara wished she could see it from Antigone's perspective but then recalled that she'd been through multiple similar situations in the past. At least this one was deserved.
"Antigone, daughter of Oedipus," Menoikeus said, sounding as if he'd been a king for longer than a day, "you hereby stand accused of endangering the city of Thebes and for soiling this sacred day both in the face of our family and our city. You could not allow us to heal; you forced us to contend with horrors rather than celebrating our good fortune as a family and a people. How do you contend with these accusations?"
"You have all brought down the condemnation of the gods for your foul treatment of my brothers!" Antigone said. "You don't get to move on without repercussions! Your true kings lie dead and dishonored while you feast!"
"Our 'true kings,' as you call them, forced us into a war that would have annihilated us as a people," Menoikeus reminded her. "You cannot claim greater honors for them than they gave to us."
"They are the heirs of Oedipus!"
"You are the heir of Oedipus," Megara shot back. "You've inherited his denialism.
"Shut up, Meg! I was talking to the usurper!"
"You don't get to tell Meg off like that; she saved everyone," Hercules said, wrapping his arm around her waist. Sure, I did a lot of the work, too, but she's the one who got rid of your Furies."
"Antigone will continue this behavior and must be punished permanently to prevent it. You can't trust her. Nobody can. She is only out for herself and the dead."
As subtly as anyone could, they looked to Haemon for an objection.
The red-faced rage never emerged. Haemon stood defeated, his arms hanging at his sides. Evidently, someone had bandaged the cuts he received fighting the furies, and he'd taken plenty of damage to his forearms. Antigone's wrath had not spared him. Out of the whole family, it appeared he had taken the brunt of the attack.
"I've seen too much," Haemon said when he sensed the eyes upon him. "Under different circumstances, I may have pitied her for her love of family. But now I see… this is mania. There exists no cure for this zealous hatred but to be rewarded for its viciousness." He bowed his head once more and departed.
Ismene followed him without a word.
"In light of your defiance and the great harm you have done to your people, Antigone," Menoikeus drew a deep breath, wincing at the need to pass judgment on his own cousin. "As your preference above the living is the side with the dead, you are to be…" he faltered, looking green as he spoke. "You shall be entombed at the mausoleums."
"Typical," Antigone huffed. "Are you trying to rule as if you were your father?"
"I'd have had you flogged already were I the king!" Creon snapped. "As I am not, we live under the softer hand of my son."
"I do this with great reluctance," Menoikeus said, still wincing. "I did not want my reign to begin under such a cloud. We ought to be a family united by kindness. Why do you force my hand in this way? Your father would never have forgiven your brothers for their behavior, yet you staunchly defend their villainy."
A flash of blue filled the room, and a goddess– or rather, on second thought, a demigoddess– stood between Antigone and the throne. Her winged wolves hovered close by, waiting for orders. "My, my. One little act of witchcraft, and you've already made such a splash, Antigone!"
Megara looked at her brothers and parents, none of whom seemed aware of how to address Hecate, but before she could look Hercules's way, he was off.
"Hecate, get out of here or, so help me, I'll wallop you and send you back to Hades!" Hercules shouted.
Though she tried to hide it, a flash of fear registered on Hecate's face. "Hercules? What are you doing here?"
"I'm here with my fiance," Hercules said, puffing himself up to look like the greatest possible threat. "How could you help Antigone almost kill her whole family?"
"Chaos is what I do! Well, witchy chaos. It's a subset I share with Eris. But anyway, why are you so bothered? You got the chance to be all heroic, just the way you like it."
"I'd rather be…" Hercules blushed. "Well. Meg and I were having a good time."
"Of course… Megara…" Hecate floated over to her. "My dear, you had such a promise when you were considering witchcraft; it's such a shame you changed your mind."
"Better options opened up," Megara said nonchalantly.
"Hm," Hecate folded her hands, unimpressed. Options fluctuate, and if someone raised you a better offer, maybe you'd reconsider. After all, while I love the viciousness of Antigone, she's too volatile. You, though, are calculating and intelligent. You could do something real if you only gave witchcraft a chance."
"I'm afraid another difference between my dear cousin and I is how she has far worse taste than mine. I prefer an Olympian vintage." It took a second after she said this for her to notice Hercules's ears turn red. "She's been condemned to death. You'll have her all to yourself from now on. Nobody wants her here."
"It's such a shame you've missed your true calling and thrown away such promise on a mere boy," Hecate sighed. I could have molded you to such greatness, and instead, you'd rather be a hero's broodmare."
"It's really sad how you'd rather hurt people than do the right thing, but I've moved past that dark little hole you live in. Maybe one day you'll understand the value of something besides power and greed."
Hercules joined Megara and provided a bulwark against Hecate. "If you want to take your witch and get out of here, just promise not to cause further issues for Thebes."
"Oh, I swear…" Hecate said. "I wouldn't want any of my dear friends to die…" Her mouth stretched, revealing pointed teeth in her too-broad smile.
"Anything you do here, you answer to me," Hercules reiterated. "Don't make me remind you who my father is."
"It always comes back to the dear old papa, doesn't it?" Hecate clicked her tongue. Well, I'll be off, then, since it seems I'm not welcome."
Her wolves picked Antigone and the chair she sat in off the ground.
"I hope to see you again, sweet, deluded Megara!" She blew a kiss, and then she and her wolves vanished with Antigone.
The festivities were muted in the wake of this, but nobody wanted to discuss Antigone or what might happen to her now that the Underworld had claimed her.
At the end of the night's revelry, Phil directed Hercules to Pegasus. It was probably for the best. If they were allowed to stay together for even one night, they'd get up to something they may soon regret. Neither of them had quite enough.
"I'll see you at graduation," Hercules whispered. I've got to study real hard and keep up with all my exams…, but it'll be so worth it to see you there." He squeezed both her hands. See you soon, Meg."
As he flew away, Megara forced herself not to imagine what might happen between that night and the next time they were permitted to see one another.