Chapter Sixty

Once upon a time, according to Greek Legend, two forces ruled the world; Chaos and Oblivion.   Each possessing personalities equal to their names. Chaos rained down change upon the world with his topsy-turvy ways.  However, Oblivion was intent on destroying it. Whenever something from Chaos began to grow and take shape Oblivion promptly destroyed it.

Not satisfied with sharing power and having to watch his hard word come to nothing, Chaos, Father to all Titans and hence Grandfather to all Olympians sealed Oblivion in a pit in the deepest darkest depths of the Underworld.  To keep Oblivion happy in his pit and away from, what was slowly becoming, a civilized world Chaos decreed that all those souls in the Underworld who happened to perish there or who had been so horrible in life that they held no chance of rebirth would become the subjects of Oblivion. Thereby giving Oblivion a Kingdom of his own, one that he was far apt to be comfortable and happy with as it would be filled with souls who were just as wretched as he was.

Centuries later Chaos’ Son, Zeus, would cast him into the same pit deep in the Underworld and then reign as the God of Gods and King of All Olympians throughout Time itself.  By the way the Earth shook Oblivion was only too happy to see his old friend Chaos though Chaos may have felt differently.

After that, Zeus charged his Brother, Hades, with the task of lording over the Underworld and with the duty of seeing to it that Oblivion never escaped his pit.  From that day until this Hades had been vigilant in his duties and Oblivion never once came close to escape, in fact, he never even gave it an honest attempt.  By the time Hades arrived on the world scene Oblivion had become content in his new kingdom though he was known to grumble loudly from time to time.  Being Lord of the Underworld is a big responsibility and it is not to be taken lightly.  Not only does it entail babysitting Oblivion but keeping track of the comings and goings of millions upon millions of souls. As such, Hades, though vigilant did become a little lax in his hands-on guarding of the pit, instead he turned that responsibility over to several of the Shadows.  It was they who were standing guard on the day an unexpected thing happened.

Hades been in the Black Palace indulging himself in the Kingly spoils that he’d become accustomed to, still being young for an Olympian he was still brash—though not as brash as Ares—and he still had many wild oats to sow. Persephone had been visiting with her Mother, Demeter, so what was the harm in a little indulgence?  In the middle of his little pleasurable encounter suddenly the whole of the Underworld shook and trembled so hard that it cracked the marble of the Black Palace threatening to bring it down around him.  The women he was with went running and screaming away from the falling debris. Hades hauled himself out of the bed and went stumbling through the palace trying to stay on his feet although the rocking of the ground beneath him threatened to have it otherwise.  Out in the Elysian Fields the good souls of the world were also screaming and running for cover in blind panic.  A great rumbling echoed through the Underworld something that sounded deep, dark and sinister and filled with anger and hate.  A darkness crept over the Underworld but not just any darkness it was  more like Nothingness rather than the mere absence of Light.  Hades knew Oblivion was stirring up trouble and he rushed to the pit but by the time Blaine the Monorail ushered him to it the shaking and rumbling stopped.  Hades stood at the edge of the pit with his Shadows watching a putrid steam rise from it. “What happened?” Hades demanded but before the Shadows could answer a small rustling was heard. The Shadows drew their weapons while they rushed to stand in front of Hades to guard their Lord from approaching danger.  However, what approached was not danger.

“It was you.” Hades said as they gathered in Nick’s house and Hades spun his yarn. He looked around at those with him with nostalgia clear in his dark eyes. “You crawled out of the pit, you were filthy and you were naked.  So small. So very small, Little One.You were, wild. Feral.” He looked at the others, “she couldn’t even speak, didn’t dare to come near.”  He looked back down at Calla with a kind smile. “To this day I don’t know why Oblivion cast you out but he did. I didn’t even know that he could do such a thing until that moment, the moment I first saw you.”

Hades took pity on the poor little wretched creature which found herself in unknown territory.  He had a hard time getting her back to the Black Palace but, as with most creatures, food is great incentive and he used it to coax her into Blaine the Monorail where she huddled in a corner during the ride greedily devouring the food of the Underworld.  For weeks and months Hades tried to determine her identity and failed.  Still, surely, she had a soul as he could feel it within her it was bright, cheerful, graceful and light.  If she came from Oblivions’ world then she must have passed through the Underworld first yet there was no record of her.  It was as though the Kingdom of Oblivion birthed her and as far as Hades knew nothing grew in Oblivion’s kingdom. Nothing.  All that resided there was the emptiness of a collective of reject souls. They didn’t breed, they didn’t procreate.  Where did she come from?

Not finding answers Hades had no choice but to surrender his curiosity and to give over to the fact that the little creature before him was one thing and one thing only.

“What is that, Uncle?” Calla asked as she gripped Daniel in fear.

“Proof that Light, Life, can come from Nothing, from Darkness. That’s what you are, Little One, what you have always been; Light. Life.”

That wasn’t all she was.

Hades spent many years teaching her to talk and to trust, simply how to wash and to act like a normal human being took over two decades.  How to eat properly with utensils rather than grabbing up handfuls of food and stuffing them in her overflowing mouth took longer still. To speak eloquently and treat others with respect.  Against Persephone’s wishes, Hades though the girl he only called ‘Little One’ would stay with them throughout Time. He had no intention of sending her to the Upperworld, not at first.

The years passed and one day, as unexpectedly as that first had been, Oblivion rattled his cage and the Underworld.  The Little One fled in terror as Oblivion found the strength to reach out from his pit and search for her.  “He wanted you back.  It must have been a…Lover’s Spat…which caused him to cast you out, though I am still not sure. All I do know is he wanted you returned and I could not abide. You were too precious to send to him.  So I sent you here.”  Now he looked over at Ares.  “Her very first life was as Helena.” Hades admitted.  “Hera was pregnant and I thought it was Zeus’ baby, I really did, I thought she should have a home among Us, where she would be loved and protected.”

From the back of the room Ares let out a loud snort. “Sorry,” he mumbled, “really, Hades, loved and protected? Among us?  What were you thinking?”

“You protected her, she fell in love with her Big Brother the first moment she saw you and you with her. Go on…deny it, I dare you.” Hades ventured.  “You two,” he looked from Daniel to David and back again. She loved you as well, very special to her both of you were.”  Hades told a story of two small boys born to a maid in Hera’s household and how they grew up with Helena and formed a friendship everlasting.  Until Hera began to worry about the boys and sent their mother away, that was.  Daniel and David or Nico and Darian as they had been back then.  “Being a good mother and concerned for her too-kind-hearted daughter, she sent you and your mother to another household that was not on Olympus and neither of you were heard from again. Then there was you,” he looked over at Nicholas. “Helena took one look at you and fell in love so deeply she could not get out.  Although it wasn’t what Ares intended the two of you spent many years in the Underworld , under my care, and you were happy.  The Underworld is not a safe place for you and I sent you back here before Gaylord was ready.  Lifetime to lifetime, I’ve hidden you from Oblivion ever since.  It’s just…Fate…that you keep running into these four time and again.”

“Fate?” Calla said with a sorrowful sigh. “I think not, I think that is your doing as well.”

Hades didn’t answer her.  “Lifetime to lifetime each of them has had something to teach you or give you, lifetime to lifetime you have sought them out, Little One. Perhaps now and then I point you in the right direction but it is only because I know how much you need them. So hard for you to live without them, isn’t it? Just the thought of it is enough o make you panic.” Hades shook his head and drew in a deep breath. He was going off in directions best left unexplored. “The last time you were in my domain Oblivion finally discovered you.  He saw you and he identified you and where you went.  It’s my fault, I’m certain, he saw you in my mind when Kanan strapped me into the Chair, he smelled you when you were in my domain.”

“He saw her in my mind too, years before that.” Daniel said. “When I went after you, after Hartley…you rescued me from the chair, you touched it.  Everything was so crazy then but I swore I felt someone watching, watching through my eyes, looking at you, wanting you. Trying to get to you.”

Hades shook his head. “Oblivion can’t get to you on his own because he cannot escape the pit,” He assured Calla. “Lifetime to lifetime you’ve come back to me, back to the Fields but not this time. This time you were destined to be far too close to Oblivion’s grasp.”

“Because of Mother?”

“Yes.”

Calla looked over at Duncan.  “And?”

“And I betrayed you so that you would be forced to abdicate and Colleen would make a Decree saving your soul, which she did. You aren’t damned anymore, Ollie.”

“That’s the secret,” she nodded her head. “You know I never would have….”

“So we had to do it behind your back.” Duncan said cutting her off with kindness in his eyes and his voice.  “Forgive me now?”

“If he cannot escape his pit then I must be delivered to him and this is what Wolfgar intends?” Calla didn’t want for an answer. “How does he know? Who told him?”

Hades wanted to say Rasputin had done it and for all he knew that was actually the truth but, “Bacchus must have known. This is why he came back to Earth, because he figured it out and intended to have Wolfgar deliver you to Oblivion for him.”

“I told you,” Nick said to his Father. “Didn’t I? This all goes back to Bacchus.”

“He has no soul, therefore he crosses between the worlds at will and without being noticed. That it?” Daniel asked of Hades wondering about the children they were going to attempt to bring into this world through the UPs.

“I would imagine so.”  Hades smiled at Calla. “Now my tale is told and I have broken all the rules but I would rather do this then see you with him again. He threw you out, why should he be so fortunate as to have you returned?”

The night grew late and all were weary to the bone.  Calla insisted that Ares and Nicholas stay in the main house tonight and every night until Wolfgar was brought to Justice or the Children returned.  While Ares settled into a room just down the hall from Daniel and Calla, Calla did her best to comfort Nicholas over the loss of his son and wife. 

Downstairs David filled Daniel in on all the comings and goings as Daniel did the same.  “She Drew from me, Danny,” David said and looked around as he kept his voice low, “wanted me to, to …make love to her,” he said hurriedly, “I didn’t, don’t go thinking I did but she was pretty damn insistent about it and I thought if she didn’t open that damn pathway and it was because of me…”

“We’re here and she did.  Are you sure?”

“That she took from me? Hell yeah, even gave me that….” He sighed, “That…give…take..thing she does so sweetly and is so damn hard to say ‘no’ to.”

From behind them someone cleared their throat.  “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, my King.”

“Morgan? I thought you went home with Duncan.”

“I did but only for a moment.”  From the pocket of her long white dress she produced a very fine silver chair. “It’s ready, my King.”  She dropped it into Daniel’s hand. “It would seem that it is so none too soon.  Is this still your plan?”

Daniel didn’t know.  “What is this?”  From his pocket he produced the vial he’d taken from D’Sila and that Adoy said contained the Elixir of Life.

Morgan looked the vial over, uncapped it, brought it to her nose and then took the tiniest taste.  “Where did you get this? On the planet? On Sengul?”

“Yes.” Daniel answered.  “Adoy said that it’s the Elixir of Life but he also said it isn’t ready, is he right?”

“I’m afraid he is.” Morgan capped it and handed it back to Daniel. “What do you intend to do with it, my King?”

“A few months ago didn’t you tell me it would help her?”

“I did,” Morgan said softly, “that was before I heard what Hades had to say tonight. You do understand that the Elixir brings the Dead back to Life.  For it to be of any use to Calla she has to die first and under the present circumstances I don’t believe that is a wise idea.”

“Calla’s safe, Colleen made the Decree.”

“It’s flimsy at best,” Morgan confided and then went on to tell Daniel of the contents of the Decree and how she believed Athena was correct and that Colleen, nervous and unprepared, may have a monumental mistake.  “So, what will you do?”

That was distressing news.

“What do you say, Danny?  You wanna find out if you and me can still do it?” David offered.

“Do we have another choice?”

“Not really,” David said with a sad smile, “but look at it this way, she’s a lot more apt to go along if you it’s just you and me then if …well, you know.”

Maybe that was true. Maybe Calla was a little more likely to at least try this and see if it worked if Nick and Ares weren’t involved.  “Good night, Morgan. Thank you.” He held the necklace in his fist hoping it would provide a little added boost.

“May the Gods guide you.” Morgan returned as Daniel walked her to the front door and she disappeared into the night.

Upstairs David and Daniel found Calla in the room Nick was occupying for the night. He was unnervingly quiet as she sat behind him from the top of his head, down his bare back and up again without speaking.  She looked up when the door opened.  “How ya doin’, Nick?” Daniel asked. Fuckin’ dumb question! The man just lost his son and his wife and his daughter (both of them) had been abducted by a maniac. How good could he possibly be doing?

“Numb,” Nick mumbled, “but I’m ok, I guess.”  He turned on his back to face his Mother. “I think they’re here for you, you should go get some sleep, Mom. I’m ok.”

Calla didn’t want to leave him alone tonight. It wasn’t enough that he was in the house, in this house, not the one he shared with Danny, Kiki and Annie. In a bed which was familiar yet not his own perhaps he could rest a little before the second wave of reality came crashing in around the time the pyres were lit tomorrow night. For a moment she laid down next to him and cuddled her cheek against his shoulder. “Are you sure?”

Nick moved his arm to put it around her and bring her in close for a moment. “Yeah, I’m sure, go on.” He kissed her forehead but held her there a few more moments. She was comforting in her smallness, her soft weight and the scent of her skin.  There was something else. Something strange and lightly buzzing like a hummingbird but it was in his head. For a second Nick thought he was going to be ill.

Daniel put his hand on Calla’s shoulder. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s go to our room.”

If Nicholas was so bereft Daniel’s words would be the sweetest thing in the world.

“Anything I can do for ya, Nick?” David asked and put his hand on Nick’s bare arm.

The hummingbird in Nick’s head suddenly turned a million wasps but Nick wasn’t the only one who heard it.  It frightened him the way it threatened to envelop him and take over with some wild abandon.

Close the gap, Daniel thought and instinctively reached out for David on the other side of the bed.  The swarm of wasps suddenly quieted as little blue tendrils of light rose up between all of them.

“What the hell is that?” Nick gasped as he watched it rise and fall.

Calla, along with Daniel and David, didn’t know whether to be thoroughly disgusted by what was happening to utterly grateful.  Either way what they were raising wasn’t enough.  “Where’s Ares?” Daniel asked with hope and regret.  “I think we need him in here.”

End of Chapter Sixty of
Golden Years
by Moon Mistress
a/k/a Lisa Beth Darling
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Chapter Sixty-One