Greece

"I'll try"

"It's alright, I think we were all so angry," Alea replied, "Taking out our aggressions on whatever we saw."

"If you are to start a new life then it should not be in the Underworld" Demetrios said walking towards them

"I could not agree more," Alea replied, "I actually have a thought. I have never been accepted as a goddess... I feel that I should be allowed to live permanently within the walls of Mount Olympus. If I am to be treated as an equal I shouldn't have to feel like an outsider."

"That's what we're trying to strive for."

Alea looked around, "Good. All that's left is destroying that!"

Hecate moved the box close to her and narrowed her eyes at Alea, moving back from her, "Acknowledge it for what it is Alea... you can't just make the things you don't want to face disappear. Accept it!"
"I understand the need for crying, you cry because you're emotional and it hurts. But I'm not going through that, I'm fine... it happened. I'll move on and just forget about it. Besides, I'll live... I've still got the amulet."
"No you do not..."
"Where is it? Give it back to me. I'm the only one that knows how to use it... I need it back. Who took it? Was it you Apollonis?!"

"You don't need it" Apollonis said

"I do need it! I felt stronger and it protected me. I promise I'll be good with it, I just need it back."
"It has been destroyed."

Alea turned to Hecate angered and lightning struck the ground near the other goddess. Hecate wouldn't take this threat calmly and showed the younger witch was real power could do binding her to the spot.

"Release her now witch or I will kill you" Apollonis snapped

"She doesn't deserve her powers! She's no different than her evil mother. I was asked by Apollo to spare your life, that you would be different. You would be special... And you think special means that you can take on a stronger opponent. You're not strong enough alea! You need to learn not to chose fights you cannot win."

Apollaine moved forward, "alea, what if Apollonis takes the box to a lovely part of the underworld and I can take you to mount Olympus to rest?"
"It's not even a thing! Hardly even a baby... It wasn't alive. It never lived... And I killed it. Just take it far from me."

"The child shall live forever in the fields of Elysium" Apollonis said

"Then fine... go... do it..." Alea said brushing him away. Hecate though only narrowed her eyes and a fog covered them as she disappeared.

"What's going on?" Apollaine asked worried, and as she looked down she screamed in shock. Gone was her flowing blonde hair replaced with white long waves, and her gold attire was a blue robe. Her arms matched the look being wrinkled and old looking, and as she touched her face it was an old woman's face. She was even more shocked when men and woman emerged from the water as transparent figures and bowed before her.

"Tell us again the story of the serpents and how you saved us all?" they asked. Apollaine looked at the others and shrugged in confusion.

But Alea looked out at the water as two small children materialised, they sat on the sand, both showing off their array of powers, the boy being able to call a bird down from the sky and have it land between them, and the girl went to pick up the bird before suddenly they started burning, and vanished in a series of screams. Apollaine was also shocked that her followers also vanished in the same manner.

As the fog disappeared both woman turned back to the men. Apollaine asked them, "Did you both see anything strange just now? Visions of the future?"
"Future? What rubbish Apollaine? That was just a trick to get me to think my future would be like that. That I'll live happily ever after with two small children... of course though, they were destroyed along with everything. Burned alive... everything I know has gone up in smoke at some stage. That's the future I'll accept."

"I saw smoke and nothing more" Apollonis said looking over at Hecate "but you will tell me what is going on and don't lie or I will be forced to pull it from you."

"Let's just say... I'm invested in your future. I want to help you. I want Alea to see that it is her thoughts alone that purge the world into fire. I chose Apollaine's possible future as the easiest, telling the world stories you will be telling when you're as old and time riddled as I am. The story she would have told those people, mortals... was a story about Alea."

Apollaine added, "But before I could tell it, the vision turned to fire... killing the mortals."

Hecate swept her cloak back from the water, "It isn't what will come to pass, but a sign of the good fortunes you could have if you want it. But I don't think you do. The future of your family will be determined in these next few months. And so long as you live in the past, you'll never find your future. Teaching you is a waste of time.

"You are no better than the rest of the old gods" Apollonis said "They had plans for all of us, wanting us to fight their battles. Choosing our fates for us. Well we've gone beyond that. We've made our own destiny, our own fate. We don't need your visions to tell us what will happen because all it is smoke. Crawl back to whatever corner of the underworld you haunt and stay there."

"Opposite... I couldn't care much... the end of the world wouldn't concern me Apollonis. Nor do I have any need of you both, however... you cannot deny me for wanting to ensure that magic is being properly used! Using magic to kill people! God?! I saved Alea's life... and I had hoped that in return it would bring the world a goddess that I could be proud of taking my role.

Surely Apollonis, a man like yourself has ambitions for the future? I don't want to have to reveal them for everyone. How would you feel if those big desires went to waste? I'm sure the rest of you have people you love? Could you imagine them being burned alive?"

"But I don't understand, what do you actually want us to do?" Apollaine asked looking at Alea who had left them to stand by herself.

Hecate's words were unexpected, "Remove her powers, kill her or have your futures destroyed by her misuse of magic!"

"No" Apollonis said "if we are going to take her powers then we should all give up our own. Will you give up your powers? Can you promise me that if you are allowed to keep them that you will not use them for some 'evil' purpose or allow someone to manipulate you into using them for immoral reason?"

"I will not be remaining Apollonis, my time is finished. I will diminish to other parts of the world and be forgotten. When you have been forgotten, your powers too no longer exist. I want to offer them to Alea, to fullfill the true propose of a goddess of magic, but of good and evil magic. To stand and watch justice. And protect those like I did for her.

Do you know what really happened to your mother?!" Hecate said ending the last in a higher voice so Alea heard it from where she stood. She turned in surprise, but before she could say anything, the older witch continued.

"Apollo found the young witch scared of her magic. He offered to help her and together she learnt the ways of magic. Until she had you. Thinking her life was perfect she shunned Apollo away, using her magic more and more for greed and personal gain. I had no choice, I had to do my duty and find a way to get her to change her ways. The townspeople believed my words and arrested her for being a witch. Rather than deny it, your mother showed them her powers and I ripped them from her in rage, before she could kill them. They took her up to the volcano but in their fear they brought you with them. Apollo was in a state of shock and begged me to step in.

In the final moments, we both appeared, Apollo going to her first to warn her about her magic. She felt threatened and told him, no one would take her magic. Apollo though begged for your survival and she misread it as being only concerned for you. So in rage, she threw you to the fire first, the amount of magic your mother was using caused the volcano to break up and she fell back into the fire.

Apollo thought all was lost until I emerged with you in my arms."

Hecate paused and then looked at them all, "And Alea has just done what her mother did. Lose a child and almost ended all life with her magic!"

"She did not know what she was doing" Apollonis said defending her "she has been controlled, manipulated and lied to. All of that has made her do things she would never do, turned into something she is not and you are as much a part of the problem as was I or any of us. What her mother did means nothing to me, it proves nothing."

Alea moved amongst them and raised her hands, "It's okay... its alright... Hecate is right. I wouldn't had lost the baby if I had taken more care. I enjoyed what the magic did... I enjoyed being the best and the most powerful. We swore we wouldn't let it go to our heads, but I do believe that the amulet tested me. Wanted to see what I would do if I consumed all its resources. It wasn't a good picture. I almost died... I would've if Apollaine wasn't here to help."

Apollonis sighed looking down.

"I probably deserve the death my mother got..." Alea began, "Hecate if you want to-"
"No!" Apollaine objected, "You're talking crazy things... its not like you Alea. You're strong, you've endured so much and battled through it. As for thinking you are a bad person for using evil, you were tempted... you tried and you found that we won't let you kill and destroy people. Look deep in your heart Alea, and remind yourself of the recent battle... could you stand that day and watch people die? You had to leave... you cannot stand and enjoy a man's death. You have just gone through one of the hardest things you could go through... the death of another loved one.

Alea please... my brother would go to the ends of the earth for you, and has done that. Accept his help, together you'll find a way past this pain. Take the box... and deliver it to the women of the underworld to lead him to beautiful pastures."

(not exactly sure what to do right now)

(Aleas finding it hard to believe that she can have a life that's good. She's also refusing to accept that losing her baby probably wasn't her fault and more importantly hiding the box away couldn't last forever. Hecate discovered it and thinks its a crime to not honour the death and give it a proper burial so the soul can pass to the eternal life without having anything to ground it.

To do this could be that Apollonis takes her arm without a chance to object and makes her confront her fears with him at her side, or he tries to tell her that there's a beautiful future he has just seen. Alea wouldn't doubt his words even if he hasn't seen a thing.)

(Didn't bury the dead in ancient Greece. The rich and aristrocates buried them in elaborate tombs or creameted them, the poor tossed them in a mass grave. For them though I'd guess it'd be up to Alea)