The Fates (Book II)

6.4 - Against the Shadows

Here we are back in the Cave! :)

With a Fate whom many love, and whom some love to hate - let's see just how the bringer of death feels about herself...

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Scene 4: Against the Shadows

2020 B.C. 

The Fate itched at the sense of a familiar, uninvited presence.

“Can you stop creeping up on me like that?" she snapped. "Standing over my shoulder all the time? Your big fat primordial shadow is a bit distracting.”

Chaos let out a quiet laugh. “I am sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“I said distracting,” Atropos restated, staring steadily at her work. “Not interrupting. When I’m set on something, I stop for nothing.”

“That is well. I’m glad that you are set on your task. You do seem to be snipping with purpose, of late,” the grey-eyed goddess observed.

“That’s because I’ve been doing my damn job.”

“And getting better at dealing with distractions, it appears.”

“Now what the hell is that supposed to mean?” the Fate spat the words in sync with her next snip, which may’ve been a bit too violent.

“Love, there’s no need to get defensive,” Chaos coolly reassured her. “I had meant simply that you’re doing a fine job of staying focused on your task despite the fat distraction of my shadow.”

“You know damn well that’s not what you meant,” Atropos countered, shears still in hand as she turned to meet the stormy gaze over her shoulder. “What are you, spying on us while we’re down on earth? Scoping out all our weaknesses, our failures—as if mine aren’t clear enough to me, without another pair of prying eyes to see?”

The storm-greys flickered in a swift and subtle blink.

And in that blink, it looked as if they’d witnessed all the weaknesses and failures of which the Fate had spoken.

The harsh words of the Egyptian convict ringing ever in her ears, since that cruel night in the pharaoh's court of blood: blaming her for the loss of his brother, decrying her existence as the breath of death itself. Her pang of self-hatred upon realizing how much time she’d wasted during her dalliance with King Shulgi. The wound that Gilgamesh’s denial had dealt to her pride and her sense of self-worth, whatever little she could even claim to have.

Atropos hoped to have since found strength in those struggles, determined to be more than a monstrous seductress of doom. But the fight in her spirit was built on the basis of doubt and defeat. She struggled in spite of herself, strove against the shadows in her own immortal heart, loathing what lay in its depths and afraid of the dark.

“Oh—it looks like I’ve interrupted you,” the honeyed coo broke through her hateful thoughts. “So sorry. Please, proceed.”

The Fate shrugged it all off. “Go preach to my little sisters instead, if you must. They may be more likely to fall for your maternal coos. More willing to pretend that you could ever fill in for our mother.”

“I didn’t mean to preach, or to pretend,” the platinum-haired deity declared. “I had just wanted to express that I am proud of you.”

“That is exactly what I meant,” Atropos snarled. “You don’t get to take pride in me. You are not my mother. You will never be.”

“As I’ve said, I don’t pretend to be Ananke,” Chaos claimed. “Just the womb of the entire world. The mother of the universe. That’s all.”

And Atropos realized that, if Chaos had the last word now, it was because she knew herself, embraced herself, and didn’t hate herself.

That was why the deathly Fate had nothing to say, as the dark primordial shadow slipped away.

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I know that was a bit short - please don't hate me!! :3  Some scenes have to be, for the purposes of this story. And don't worry; in each episode, the short scenes tend to get balanced out by some longer ones :)

P.S. Dedication to @WriterAngelique, winner of the fan art contest in the 2014 Fateful Olympics, for her absolutely beautiful entries - we already saw her drawing of the three Fates (posted as a media image with Scene 6.1), and her drawing of Atropos has been posted with this scene! :D

Next scene, we'll visit Lacey and Ryder on their honeymoon in Greece...

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