Daughter of Darkness || Once Upon a Time

Chapter Thirty-Two | The Fates' Design

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|The Underworld, Six Weeks Ago|
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Megaera had a perfect view of Hades' "secret" conversation from her ledge in the Throne Room. He was standing across from the three Fates, talking to them about someone Megaera recognized very well.

"This woman, Zelena, what will become of her?" Hades asked.

"Nothing good," one of the Fates replied. "You should stay as far away from her as you can."

"You have lost her before you will ever find her," the second Fate added.

"And you will be left with nothing," the third finished.

"And if I don't stay away?"

The Fates nervously looked at one another, unsure whether or not they should tell Hades everything they knew.

"I know about Megara or whatever you'd like to call her!" He said. "When does she come into play?"

The second Fate sighed. "She comes as an act of revenge. But I warn you, lord of the Underworld, do not fall into the trap of revenge so easily. For you shall regret your decision and I cannot see which path the world will take once your revenge is complete."

"What's done is done, I won't change the past."

"It is not done yet," the third Fate corrected. "It has yet to happen for all of us save Megaera herself."

"Whatever. Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"Hades," the first Fate spoke up. "Persephone will find out about Zelena whether you want her to or not. Tread carefully." With those words, the three Fates vanished.

Hades scoffed, "Like I'd listen to the ramblings of three crazy old ladies."

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|Present Day|
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Zelena and Arthur had caught wind of Persephone's request for them to be expelled to Tartarus. Persephone's requests seemed to be the only topic of talk in the Fields of Punishment that day. So Zelena forced the ferryman to take her and Arthur back to Storybrooke.

"Do you have a plan or are we just winging this?" Arthur asked as they rode the ferry back to the Overworld.

"Of course I have a plan! I'm going to stop my sister and her boyfriend from taking my daughter!"

"Haven't they already done that?"

Zelena laughed, "That's why we're going to have to wait eight months. Belle may be able to hide her pregnancy from Gold, but she can't hide it from me."

"So we're making another time portal?"

"Yes. We're making another time portal. And this time, I will be the only one going through it, not Hook and Emma."

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Hades was about ready to go after the Fates himself when they appeared in the Throne Room. He snapped his fingers so Neal and Dorothy, who he still had captive, couldn't hear the conversation. But he wasn't aware that Megaera was listening from her hidden ledge.

"Where have you been?!" Hades demanded.

"Watching you not heed our warnings," the first Fate answered calmly.

"Where are they?! Where are Zelena and Arthur?!"

"Where do you think?" the second replied as calmly as the first had. "In the Overworld."

"So this is the part where Megaera comes in, is it?"

Megaera tensed. Why would she just be coming in now for those in Storybrooke? It wasn't possible that they didn't know who she was... was it?

"It doesn't have to be."

"YES IT DOES!" Hades bellowed. "I need her in my past and I need revenge."

"You will never forgive yourself."

"I'll never forgive her is more like it! She wants to be alive with her petty king? FINE! I'll show her what the pain of being alive is like! Get out! All three of you! I have plans to make!"

The Fates vanished in swirls of light blue smoke and Hades stormed over to Dorothy's cell, undoing the magic that had caused her and Neal to temporarily go deaf.

"I need your help."

"No." Dorothy didn't even look up.

"It involves revenge on Zelena," Hades bribed.

Dorothy slowly looked up, a grin growing on her face. "Tell me more."

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|Storybrooke|
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The cabin Zelena had used before she pretended to be Marian looked as if it hadn't been used since she had last been there, meaning no one would even think about going there. It was perfect.

"We need a plan," Zelena said after she had locked the door and stuck the key back in her pocket. "We have eight months to get the Dark One's dagger, my sister's heart, and somebody's courage. And in the end, we will only have to be there for the birth of Belle's baby. It won't be the product of the truest love, but it will work."

"Guess we'd better get to work then?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"I guess so."

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|The Underworld|
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Dorothy stepped out of her cell after Hades opened the door. She glanced back at Neal, tempted to ask Hades to let him in on the plan too. But she knew he would never agree if it hurt Emma or one of her friends, so she kept her mouth shut.

"MEGAERA!" Hades called.

The fury appeared next to the god and Dorothy. "Yes?"

"We have work to do. I need your help getting revenge on Zelena. Will you join us?"

Megaera knew exactly what the revenge was and she was tempted to say no, but if she denied getting revenge on Zelena, Hades would know something was up. So she put on an evil smirk, "Gladly."