Work Text:
Nyx had never felt attraction toward anyone. It simply did not interest her. She had too much work—both before meeting Hades and after. There were no suitable candidates, not even among the gods. All of her love was devoted to her children, whom she had created herself, without a partner.
Although, judging by everything, Night had given her children very little love. Once, Melinoë approached Nyx in the House of Hades. Because of the many restoration works, it was difficult for the goddess to hide, so the girl found her quickly. The request was rather unexpected—to speak with Eris at one of the corners of the Crossroads. Night, of course, agreed, if only because she herself wanted to talk to her daughter. They had not seen each other for so many years.
During that meeting, the goddess learned news that was unexpected for her. Apparently, she truly had not given enough love to her children. Eris literally burst into tears while accusing her mother of all mortal sins. Nyx managed to calm her daughter with great difficulty, but she decided to ask her other children what they thought about it. Many tried to soften the truth, to lie or steer the conversation away, but the conclusion was the same. She really had been poor at giving love to her offspring.
After that, Nyx firmly decided to fix this problem. It was necessary to bridge the abyss of misunderstanding that had been accumulating for years between her and her children. So the goddess decided to communicate with them much more often, especially with those who were currently at the Crossroads. Even before, they had rarely spoken, and because of Chronos’s actions, their bond was hanging by a very thin thread.
***
The first oddity Nyx noticed occurred while she was speaking with Nemesis. The girl answered her mother’s simplest questions very awkwardly. That was understandable—she was not used to such attention from Night. Because of this, the goddess felt even more ashamed of her past self, who had been so blind to the problem.
Suddenly, a bright glow appeared far away in the sky. The goddess continued the conversation but felt slightly surprised. If she remembered correctly, Astraeus was not planning to add another star to the firmament anytime soon, so where had this bright glow come from?
Then, unexpectedly, the glow stopped and fell downward, astonishing Nyx even more. Could this be Selene’s doing? In distant childhood, she used to misbehave together with the stars—perhaps she had decided to do so again to let off some steam?
“Interesting,”
Nyx murmured under her breath. Nemesis flinched and looked at her mother again.
“What, sorry?”
The woman smiled and shook her head.
“Nothing, don’t worry. It has nothing to do with you. So, what were you saying about your task here?”
The girl blushed awkwardly and began to chatter faster about what she was doing, actively hinting that she was very useful. The goddess merely smiled and made a mental note of it.
***
The second oddity happened when she was inspecting one of the houses in Ephyra. It saddened her to learn that the place where her close friends had once been worshipped had been destroyed for the sake of Chronos’s rapid troop movements. Nyx wanted to see how soon they might restore its former grandeur.
While on one of the city’s outskirts, she noticed that one of the glows had vanished. This interested her slightly—perhaps her son or Melinoë had taken one of the shades from here?
Approaching the house and stepping inside, Nyx froze in shock at what she saw. It was not an ordinary light source that had gone out, but a candle. A candle bearing her own image. In fact, the entire house looked like a miniature version of her temple, only less pompous.
Scrolls lay scattered everywhere—later she would read them and discover they described various deeds of the goddess. Paintings ranged from very new to extremely old and carefully restored. There were many figurines of the woman, well made, though missing some details of her attire. Everything was neatly arranged on tables that had been repaired and firmly secured.
“Interesting,”
she whispered, squinting as she examined one of the restored paintings. It was a portrait made on an animal hide. Apparently, the artist had once seen the goddess long ago and tried to recreate her image from memory. Nyx did not even remember which mortal had managed to see her at work in the past.
Then she noticed a bright glow outside the window—someone was trying to hide it. The goddess straightened and looked toward the window. Someone darted away, and despite their efforts, the glow became brighter. The woman slowly moved in that direction to see who this mortal was who had decided to spy on her.
When Nyx placed her hands on the windowsill, tapping it with her nails, the light shot upward, disappearing into the sky. Night blinked in surprise and squinted after it. Perhaps this was the owner of this miniature temple—and apparently, not a mortal at all, but a god.
That was unexpected, considering how little the gods liked her, but it was fascinating.
***
The third oddity was noticed at an unexpected moment—during a private meeting with Nemesis. Melinoë once again decided to speak with Night about one of her daughters. She told her about Nemesis’s strange behavior during the war.
Hecate had apparently chosen to remain silent about the dark daughter’s recklessness, and the goddess could not blame her for that. Perhaps the witch saw herself in Nemesis’s past and forgave everything with indulgence. But Melinoë… Melinoë spoke of one of Nemesis’s outbursts of rage during bathing, and how one day they had even fought seriously.
But that was not the most interesting part. The most interesting thing was that Nemesis always had bloody calluses on her hands. Hades’s daughter at first could not understand where they came from, since Nemesis did not train much at the common training grounds. Most of the time she stood at her post, and during her escapes she did not often swing a sword. That was until the young witch saw Nemesis going somewhere, and until Heracles told her about a strange clearing in the forest.
Nyx remembered this and decided to talk to Nemesis about it. Especially since her daughter herself unexpectedly asked for a meeting—and very conveniently, at her secret training place.
Of course, the girl actively tried to convince her mother that everything was fine, that everything was good, and that there was no need to worry. But the woman was not blind. She clearly saw how Nemesis grew anxious when Night approached, how she searched for Nyx when she heard she had arrived. And after Eris’s sincere breakdown, the goddess no longer believed Nemesis’s words that everything was fine.
Naturally, the woman noticed the observers—Heracles and a strange maiden. She had never seen this odd girl, whose hair was hidden beneath a lion’s pelt. Nor did Night understand why this boy had decided to spy on her conversation with her daughter. Was he planning to cause trouble in the Underworld again?
So, ending the conversation on a good note and kissing Nemesis on the forehead, leaving a trace of her lipstick, Nyx vanished. She went deeper into the forest to think over everything that had happened—with her daughter, with the strange surveillance by Zeus’s son and the unknown girl.
Suddenly, somewhere far away in a field, screams and a bright light appeared. Nyx looked in that direction in surprise and squinted.
“Interesting,”
she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
***
The fourth and final oddity for Nyx was a plush toy of herself. It was unexpected and even pleasant. The woman was simply strolling through the forest to better understand why her children and Melinoë wanted to stay here to live. The place truly was wonderful, though in Night’s opinion, too… quiet. Apparently, she had grown accustomed to the noise in her friend’s house.
Suddenly, the same unfamiliar girl who had spied on the goddess together with Heracles flew past her—along with Heracles himself. They were rushing somewhere, noticing nothing around them. The string on the bag on the girl’s back tore, and it fell to the ground. The unfamiliar girl, apparently leading Zeus’s son, did not notice this and flew on.
Nyx slowly approached the bag and picked it up. Whoever this girl was, perhaps the answer to why she was pursuing the goddess lay inside. Carefully opening the slightly torn bag, the woman pulled out… a plush copy of herself.
It was well made and almost completely replicated Nyx’s appearance. Even the stars in her hair were rendered quite well, made of some rare material. Night had heard of such materials but had never seen them. Some details were missing, but the plush goddess was still very well crafted.
“Interesting,”
the woman murmured, examining the item. So her theory was correct—the unfamiliar girl had created that altar. And apparently, she was the one who had fallen from the sky back then. Well, it seemed it was time to find out who she was. She was unlikely to cause harm, of course, but it was at least interesting to learn why she was doing all this.
Nyx carefully placed the toy in the most visible spot in the forest—on an ordinary tree stump—after which she vanished into the night.
***
So, she learned who the mysterious girl was. Esther. One of Zeus’s illegitimate daughters. A guiding star. A rather secretive demigoddess, despite her occupation. As Nyx understood it, Heracles had decided to take his sister under his wing. Perhaps he wished to compensate for the parental care Hera had taken from him. Or perhaps he wanted to turn the girl into someone worthy.
Nyx was surprised that such a demigoddess had taken an interest in her—and as she understood it, genuine interest. There had never been any malicious intent, not even close. It seemed the young star had fixated on Night, and… it was undeniably interesting.
Strange as it sounded, Night was experiencing such attention for the first time. Yes, she was worshipped, and yes, both mortals and gods fell in love with her—but this… this was something entirely new. No one had ever gone mad over the goddess, had never worshipped her every breath. No one had ever built a temple dedicated solely to her image and her deeds—not her power or authority, but what she did and how she looked. It could be called an unhealthy obsession, but the goddess wanted to study this interest as thoroughly as possible.
And she did so once. She asked her son Hypnos for a favor. She wanted to enter one of the girl’s dreams and fully control it. Her son quickly agreed and gave his mother access to the girl’s dream. Then Nyx recreated her chambers from the House of Hades and decided to have a little fun with Esther.
She dressed both herself and the girl in what she considered the most shameless attire—a transparent nightgown that hid nothing of the beauty of their bodies, but rather emphasized it. If Esther wanted to look at Night so badly, then why not? Besides, it was a good way to study the little star more closely.
Surprisingly, the demigoddess’s appearance differed from reality. It was more ordinary, without porcelain skin or cracks, though at least her hair remained just as glowing and long.
And then… oh, then Nyx had quite a bit of fun with Esther. Watching her tremble, afraid yet simultaneously wanting to cling to Night, was so entertaining. Watching the demigoddess awkwardly and clumsily try to please the object of her adoration with her mouth—oh, it was such a delight to observe. Nyx wanted to press the embarrassed, frightened body closer to herself, so the girl would never run away, so she would accept every word and action of the object of her worship.
It was a pity it did not last long. When the woman moved on to a more detailed examination of Esther’s body with her hands, the girl vanished. Apparently, she had woken up somehow, leaving Nyx alone. With a sigh, the goddess lay back on her couch.
“Interesting,”
she said with a sly smile. Now Night knew what a fascinating daughter of Zeus she was dealing with—and had a rough idea of what she would do with her for such impudent spying.
***
Nyx absolutely did not want to listen to her secret follower’s monologues. She simply wanted to walk through the forest again, to feel the atmosphere of silence and solitude that her children had grown so fond of. It was somewhat difficult, but the goddess would surely figure it out.
During her walk, she noticed Esther flying over the ground, wrapped in a simple piece of cloth. The girl flew to the house where the hiding place was and went inside. The woman was surprised that the girl lived in such a place and, judging by everything, had just bathed in a nearby stream. Shouldn’t she have a home? Why had she come to this half-ruined place?
Nyx knew, of course, that the little star was far from wealthy, as she constantly refused human offerings—but was everything truly so bleak? Even her brother Heracles had not lived so poorly in his worst years.
Slowly and quietly, she approached one of the windows to see what the girl would do. Perhaps she would once again create an image of Nyx—a statue, a plush toy, or a candle. Or maybe she would restore something. Or perhaps she would fall asleep again, and Night would ask her son for another favor.
Unfortunately, Esther simply took the plush version of the goddess and began talking to it. At first, it was pleasant for Night to listen to what she was saying, but the longer she listened, the more she frowned. She could not understand the nonsense the girl was uttering. It was as if the star was blind or foolish to speak such things.
Self-deprecation and belittling her own achievements came from nowhere. Nyx might not be a great aesthete, but she could clearly see that her follower’s works were good. The star even called her own appearance ugly. Yes, perhaps the cracks on the girl’s body were not the most pleasant, but the goddess saw nothing terrible in them—there was even something reminiscent of Eastern art. Esther also began criticizing her own power, as if without the ability to destroy something, she became defective.
And her words about the Moirai began to genuinely irritate Nyx. Of course, even the goddess did not know the paths of the sisters, but to call them foolish and useless? If they decided to do something—even to create a strange follower for their mother—then it was necessary. And apparently, Nyx herself needed to better understand why they had done this, and whether it was just another of their amusements.
The woman slowly appeared inside the house when she heard the girl’s breathing deepen. Esther lay in one corner, where pillows of varying quality were piled. Nyx approached slowly and, summoning one of her nocturnal veils, covered the little star.
“Interesting,”
she murmured, watching as the girl, who had been tossing and turning moments ago, calmed down and settled more comfortably into the fabric.
***
After what seemed to Nyx a short time, they finally met—not through spying or intermediaries, but face to face. It happened mostly by chance. Heracles unexpectedly requested a meeting. Of course, through Melinoë—meeting the woman personally was unlikely, as she simply did not want to.
Nyx was surprised but agreed. It was interesting to know why Zeus’s son wanted to speak with her. Their last encounter had ended on a poor note. The man had caused too much chaos in the Underworld, and the woman was understandably angry with him. And she could not give him anything.
But when she arrived at the meeting place and saw Esther, the puzzle quickly came together. For the most part, the man had done this for his sister. Night remembered that the girl had been looking increasingly tired, depressed, and lost in the clouds. She did not even notice when Nyx occasionally appeared in the forest—sometimes quite close to her.
The reason for the meeting turned out to be unusual—an apology for stealing Cerberus and a request to meet Hades to apologize to him as well. That could be arranged. Especially since the man might be useful in the future, if only because of his fame.
As for Esther… she nearly fainted just looking at Night. She trembled, even as she tried to hide it. She tried to pull her hand from her brother’s grasp to fly far away. And this behavior… greatly amused Nyx. Fear mixed with embarrassment and the desire to examine her interlocutor as closely as possible suited the little star perfectly.
So the woman decided to satisfy one of the girl’s desires. She took Esther’s hand, gently rubbing it. As expected, her skin truly resembled porcelain. Apparently, instead of ordinary wounds, she had cracks, and human blood could not heal all of them.
But that was not the main thing. The main thing was how Esther reacted—and Nyx nearly laughed at the sight. Despite the peculiarity of her body, the girl blushed deeply while staring intently at their hands. The trembling only intensified, and it seemed that a little more and she would truly faint.
Because of this, Nyx did not hold the little star’s hand for long. After bidding farewell, she vanished back into the House of Hades. She hid in one of the partially restored corners and laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Oh, how interesting,”
she said softly, still smiling. After that, she went to Hades to deal with the matter involving Heracles.
***
The idea came to Nyx spontaneously. She simply noticed that Melinoë never used the baths in her father’s house, preferring the hot spring at the Crossroads. It sounded strange, but the woman was curious to learn what that spring had that the baths in Hades’s house did not.
Moreover, the goddess had heard that Esther had begun bathing there frequently. As Night understood it, this was an agreement between the little star and Hades’s daughter—the young witch provided the necessary salts and access to the spring, and the girl guided her along the needed paths.
So, waiting for a day when Esther decided to bathe, Nyx joined her. As expected, the girl became extremely embarrassed and flushed. She clearly had not anticipated such a meeting. Well, the woman was only pleased—Esther’s reactions were far too enjoyable for Night.
Nyx quietly and slowly began talking, so the bath would not be filled with oppressive silence and to distract Esther as she moved closer. During her monologue, she was able to examine the little star more closely. Her hair glowed and changed brightness, reflecting her emotions and state. Her skin, cleansed by the spring, looked far better—many times better.
But merely observing her follower was not enough. She wanted to do something more. So she slowly ran her hand over Esther’s shoulder, then took one of her locks of hair. After a moment’s thought, she brought it right to her lips.
The girl could not withstand this. Inventing a foolish excuse, she hastily and improperly put on her clothes and flew away. Nyx merely smiled.
“Interesting,”
she said, settling more comfortably into the hot spring. She really ought to enjoy this activity.
***
Nyx must have been terribly bored—there was no other explanation for such interest in this demigoddess. She was so fascinating. Nyx wanted to learn as much about her as possible, to see all her emotions, desires, and reactions—to know everything about her. It was probably an unhealthy interest, but that was what mortals thought; she was a goddess.
Perhaps Night had finally noticed something unusual amid these gray days. After everything that had happened recently, the goddess wanted to better understand her surroundings so situations like those with her children would not happen again. Perhaps it was even her daughters who had decided to set something in motion.
Well, if they wanted something, then their mother was obliged to fulfill that desire. So she asked Hypnos once again to give her Esther’s dream under her control. Only this time, Nyx would leave the little star’s body exactly as it was in reality. Today, she wanted to amuse herself with the girl’s real body.
Choosing for herself a dream-robe that barely covered her body, Nyx slowly stepped out of the shadows. As expected, Esther sat on her couch, dressed in the same robe, in her true form. She looked around fearfully and flinched, blushing when she noticed Night.
The goddess would study her completely—her past from birth to the present, all her friends and acquaintances. Every tiny detail would be examined, tested, and imprinted.
Whether Esther wanted it or not, Night would do it—
to fully satisfy her curiosity.