House of Agon #2 'Medusa. Medusalith?'

Luna laid down her conditions and Medusa could only agree and to a degree she understood. Although both of them know that Medusa at that time was under the control of Maximus, it doesn't change the fact that what Medusa was asking Luna to do was exactly what preceded her being a part of losing her home to two madmen. Luna at that time was still young and many things in her life were changing, it was the first instance of the world becoming a scary place. Though Luna was still young, she knew enough not to repeat the same mistake.

"You want my daughter to stimulate your subconscious emotions because you think it might help you rediscover yourself. If we were still on Earth you could get rich off an insane idea like that," Crystal cheered though it didn't match the mocking tone she spoke with or the scalding nature of her stare.

"I know it's a crazy idea, but being part of the Royal Family, being The Queen the first thing you learn is to bury your emotions and you know that well. I have buried decades' worth of emotion. I don't remember what it felt like to be Medusalith Amaquelin. I have been Medusa and Queen Medusa so long, I often forget it is not my name."

"... I'll go along with this, but I will be right there the whole time. Luna, can you do it?"

"I should be able to, it'll just be a bit hard."

Medusa's Bedroom,

Luna collapsed in Crystal's arms while Medusa lay unmoving on her bed, her eyes still glowing with a golden light. Crystal glanced over the two before taking Luna out of the room. Medusa's face distorted seemingly in pain.

Medusa found herself sitting on the throne or rather she saw her younger self sitting on the throne. The rest of the room was empty and her younger self had something between a smug grin and a satisfied smile on her face.

'I remember this Maximus, Crystal, and Karnak really thought they could beat me,' She thought with the same half-grin, half-smile on her older face.

'It's been quite some time since I've beat my little sister in something like this, maybe I should come up with something.'

Medusa continued to ponder how best to torment her sister without realizing that her thoughts had taken on a more childish nature. She plotted silently while keeping her eyes on her younger self, who started to come down from the throne. She watched herself quietly leave the throne room and wander through the halls of the palace. While these halls were familiar to her older self, her younger self had no idea where she was and Medusa could feel the panic and curiosity of her younger self.

"Since you're here won't you come along," the younger Medusa said aloud.

"Yes, I'm talking to you we're the only ones in here. You want to know who Medusalith Amaquelin is right? Then follow along, let's figure out where you erased me and became that shell. No? You're still afraid to face me," Medusalith teased staring at her older self.

Although shocked that the memory of her younger self could interact with her Medusa felt compelled to follow along.

Crystal passed an hour or so at Luna's bedside waiting for Luna to wake up. Eventually, she did and she was just fine. Crystal though needed to make sure and had several doctors check her and even after they gave the okay, Crystal had to check for herself to Luna's dismay. Soon Crystal and a fuming Luna were walking down the halls back to Medusa's bedroom.

"As your mother, it is my responsibility to make sure you're okay," Crystal explained to Luna who was glaring at her back.

"And what did that have to do with making sure I was okay," Luna hissed, her eyes flashing golden light.

"Even if you say you're fine I have to be sure. As your mother it is my responsibility to make sure you're okay," she insisted.

Luna glared at her mother's back before replying, "It was embarrassing."

"I'm your mother."

"That's why it was embarrassing!"

"I changed your diapers."

"I'm sixteen. It was embarrassing."

"Fine, it was a little awkward."

Crystal finally relented, but Luna didn't have much of a chance to press the issue further at that point anyway since they were already at Medusa's door. They immediately entered and found Medusa in the same state Crystal had left her in. She still lay unmoving and golden light shone from her wide-open eyes. Crystal motioned for Luna to go to her. Luna's eyes shone with the same golden light as she inspected Medusa.

"Her aura is strange... It's like it's fighting with itself, it's all tangled, and... there's something right there," Luna whispered moving closer to inspect the oddity she found, "I think she got what she wanted. Her buried emotions the ones she wanted to get to... They're there but it looks like she's trying to force it back down."

I can't help her she just needs to deal with it on her own now," Luna shrugged, she wasn't uncaring for her aunt's current state it's just she couldn't do anything besides watch now.

"Alright, jus-" Crystal was interrupted by a ringing sound from her wrist. A holographic screen appeared. Luna couldn't hear the other person's voice but from Crystal's replies, she could tell she would be leaving.

"Another council meeting. Luna just stay here and watch her please, if anything happens call me immediately. I'll see you later," Crystal said and quickly left.

Luna stared at the door for a bit after it closed before turning to face Medusa. Her eyes flared gold as she sat beside Medusa watching her.

AN; to avoid using 'younger self, older self' too much, the Young Medusa will be referred to as Medusalith, while the older one is just Medusa.

Medusa followed Medusalith down one of the palace's corridors. Though soon she realized she had never seen such a place in the palace, as a child or when she became Queen. It was a seemingly endless hall with numerous doors on either side, she could hear things from each door she passed. A newborn's cry, battle cries, and explosions, her husband's deafening scream, and occasionally her own voice though the tone unfamiliar to her. Medusalith stopped before one of the doors and turned to Medusa.

"If you think you are ready to face then please after you, Queen Medusa," Medusalith mocked Medusa by dramatically bowing and motioning her to enter the door.

"Into the rabbit hole huh," Medusa muttered as she entered the door.

Medusa since again found herself watching Medusalith. Medusalith stood in front of a wall staring intently at it.

"I remember this, this was another challenge of Maximus'. Who could find the secret room in the palace and sneak in?" Medusa said.

"Yes, you remember good for you. But tell me how did you feel when this door opened? Actually, why did always rise to Maximus' challenges? What was it you wanted to prove to Maximus, why did you have to prove anything to Maximus?"

"I never needed to prove anything to Maximus. We were children, we played games it was never about proving anything. And as a child I was curious why was there a person locked away in a secret room?" Medusa said.

"That's only half the truth. Let me show you," Medusalith waved her hand and a glowing light quickly shot through Medusa.

Medusa was instantly drowned in a flood of emotion.

"That's not how it was, this is just you," she screamed.

"And who am I shell? I am you, what I feel you feel. You buried me, sought me out when you couldn't feel anything anymore, and now you try to bury me again I WON'T LET YOU," Medusalith bellowed her voice shaking the palace and Medusa alike.