Prologue
The three Fates sat in front of the vast loom before them and admired the grand tapestry of life.
The lives of mortals and gods were represented by several multi-colored threads that made up different patterns woven into one endless tapestry. The threads of those who still lived were connected to a spool until the day that it would be cut by the scissors of Death, one of the instruments of the fates.
The three sisters ran their fingers through the selection of beautiful threads. Mortal threads were composed of a paler color while threads that belonged to gods were more vibrant. Clotho held a spool of glittering black thread in her hand and studied it curiously. It was a thread made of the highest quality. It could not be cut by the ordinary scissors of Death for this one belonged to an immortal.
Clotho’s sister, Atropos, looked up and glanced at the weave of the Gods. The tapestry of the immortals’ lives and destinies were separated from that of the mortals but everything was still connected in some way. Instead of the gods’ threads being placed on the walls, it was placed on the ceiling because the threads glowed brightly and served as illumination for the loom of the fates and for the entire room.
The threads of the Gods’ lives dangled from the ceiling and trailed down the floor. The tapestry of the Gods didn’t need much help from the Fates for several of them were already free to map out their own destinies. Besides, they lived forever and their destinies need not be rushed like those of mortals who were only in this world for but a fleeting moment.
Still, there were many of the gods who still needed the Fates’ design and their hand to aid them in weaving their destinies. Clotho and her sisters looked at the thread she was holding and wondered what kind of destiny they should weave for it.
“Sisters, maybe it’s time that this thread is intertwined with another,” she said. Lachesis and Atropos nodded. The owner of this thread has been alone since the dawn of time and it was time to grant him his one desire—a love that will consume him for the rest of eternity.
Atropos looked for a thread which would match and complement the black spool in Clotho’s fingers. They glanced at all the threads that belonged to the gods and ran their fingers over the pattern. None gave the black thread the resonance they were looking for.
They searched for hours but still came up with nothing.
The three old women sighed at that. Silence reigned for a long while as the sisters pondered what to do. Suddenly, an idea crossed all three minds at the same time.
The air became charged with their excitement as they started to work by threading the glittering black thread into the hooks. They smiled as a particular pattern of destiny came into their minds.
Because nothing matched the black thread, then they would make a new one for it.
And it shall be perfect.
“We shall make him someone who will sit on the throne beside him, someone who’ll complete him. Someone who will make him fall in love and feel emotions he hasn’t felt before. Someone who’ll wake his heart from its slumber and heal it,” Clotho said as she spun the thread of life on the pattern of the weave before her.
“Yes. He shall be a lonely God no more for he shall have someone to rule by his side. But we must teach him a few things too! He must learn to value her, to let go of the loneliness in his heart for him to be happy. He has been burdened too long,” Lachesis agreed as her nimble fingers skilfully weaved another artful pattern.
“She shall be a fitting queen for him as she shall possess qualities no other person has. She shall change not only her King but the entire Underworld. She shall have compassion, bravery, honesty, responsibility and most of all hope... For this is what the shades in the Underworld need most,” Clotho told her sisters.
They worked for a long time and weaved the best pattern they could. “But how is this to be? Shall she be born a mortal? An offspring of the gods?” Clotho asked her sisters. Both frowned and they placed their hands on their lap as they thought of what to do.
“Sisters, maybe it’s time we did something we’ve never done before,” Atropos said.
Her sisters looked at her and understanding dawned on both of them. “You want us to make her, ourselves – a life granted by the Fates. One created from our spirit and by our own powers,” Lachesis said.
“Then truly she shall be special – our very own daughter,” Clotho added. Atropos nodded as well and three pairs of hands went back to their loom.
“Zeus shaped man out of mud and breathed life into it. We shall shape her from one of our best patterns and all three of us will give her life,” Clotho whispered as her hands flew over the loom.
For hours they worked, creating a pattern that they deemed to be their best one yet. Their fingers flew over the loom, the skin on their fingers chafed raw. But they didn’t care. This would be their best creation yet and it will be perfect.
When they were done, they sat back and viewed their work with a critical eye. They took the pattern from the loom and Clotho placed it on a small table. Then all three of them leaned forward and breathed life into it.
A bright light suddenly filled the room and they closed their eyes and lifted their hands to shield their vision. When the light dimmed, they heard a newborn’s cry. The three fates had tears in their eyes as they beheld their daughter for the first time.
Truly, she was perfect. She had hair of the palest blonde and skin that was so white that it looked very radiant. Her eyes opened and all three of them gasped as they saw its unusual color – striking, violet eyes. It was the same color as the newest thread that appeared in their tapestry.
Clotho picked her up and cradled the baby to her chest. “She’s perfect,” Atropos whispered as she touched the small fingers. Lachesis had tears in her eyes as she took the baby from Clotho and placed a kiss on her forehead.
“What shall we name her?” Atropos asked.
“Aerith,” Lachesis suggested.
“An unusual name for an unusual girl. I like it. Hello, Aerith,” Clotho cooed.
The baby smiled and looked at the sisters with her beautiful violet eyes.
“But for her to have all the traits that we want, she shall have to live a mortal life. A life filled with difficulties which will shape her into the queen Hades wants and deserves,” Clotho told her sisters. The two others sighed and wished they could keep their new daughter
They were the Fates and they knew that some things weren’t meant to be. Some things have to be sacrificed for the greater good. This was one of them.
They waved their hands and the walls of their own realm faded away along with the threads, the loom and the Grand Tapestry. They emerged into the porch of one of the orphanages in the crowded city of New York. It was night but there were still a lot of mortals milling around and the cover of darkness wasn’t enough so Clotho waved her hand and turned all of them invisible.
With another heavy sigh, they placed their daughter on the steps. Then, they stepped back and prepared themselves to leave. She was in their lives for a few minutes only but leaving her tugged at their heart.
“Wait!” Clotho shouted.
She closed her palm and when she opened it there was a golden locket. It was in the shape of a heart. The front was engraved with her name. When the locket was opened, the left panel showed a two-pronged trident, the symbol of Hades. Then, the right had a small sandglass. It would count down to the time that her thread would be intertwined with the thread of the god of the Underworld. Lastly, the back of the locket was engraved with a loom, a thread and a spool—the symbol of the Fates.
The Fates whispered their final blessing and with one last look, disappeared from the mortal world and back to their realm.
They faced their loom once more.
“It is done,” the three Fates whispered altogether.
