Disclaimer: I do not own Disney's Hercules, however any characters that I have made up, do belong to me. Neither do I own "Work it out" by Beyonce. I suggest that you listen to the song with the link on my profile, in case you haven't heard it already.

As Greek mythology is an incredibly complex thing, where one tale may have many versions, there may be mythological characters which I may have tweaked the stories of, present in this story.

Chapter 1:

Prologue

It had only been a month since Hercules had defeated Hades, and proved himself a true hero on earth. Oh it was a time for rejoicing and rejoicing we were, when my sisters and I were invited by the Gods to party it up, deity style, on Mount Olympus. I, Calliope, and my sisters had been extremely busy, after all, Hercules was all the artists wanted to write about! So naturally, I, Muse of Epic Tales, of Poetry, of Eloquence and Language…well, I was pretty booked up! My sisters were also equally occupied, fleeting about from one historian, playwright or comic to another.

It certainly was a time to regale, to delve into entertainment. Just about all of Greece was swept up in the spirit of heroism, and the courage that was born from the first true Hero, Hercules. My sisters and I, well, we'd been keeping an eye on our baby boo...Consider us his Godmothers! He was happier than he'd ever been, living with Meg in that fabulous villa of his. Philoctetes was the same as ever, wise-cracking and nymph chasing. Tee hee, oh they certainly were a happy bunch! Occasionally we'd catch up with Pegasus for lunch on Mount Olympus, and he'd fill us in all the Herculean happenings.

Oh, it definitely was an era of enjoyment…However; my sisters and I, particularly my sister Melepomene had a bad feeling about what was to come.

Why don't I start from the beginning? So baby, here goes…

"Dayyyy-um Girl!" burst Thalia, Muse of comedy "Oo-hoo-hoo, gimme some of that suga su-ga!" She shook her posterior with splash of vigor. Calliope, the beautiful long-legged Muse of Epic Tales, strode over to her stout drooling sister.

"Now, Thalia! You're blocking everyone's view!" reprimanded Calliope, ushering her sister away from the statue of Hercules.

The five Muses had been invited to dine on Mount Olympus by Zeus, to celebrate the achievement of his son Hercules. In honour of Hercules's victory, the blacksmith to the gods, Hephaestus, whom they affectionately called Heph, had built a beautiful statue of the demigod out of gold and platinum, which Thalia was now cosying up to.

Melepomene, Muse of Tragedy, strutted over to both her statues and pried them away from the statue. She tossed her knee-length black hair behind her.

"Now! It's our day off, can't we chill up here in Zeus's digs without an argument?" she burst.

Calliope nodded, Thalia too, albeit grudgingly. Olympus was beautiful, or rather, heavenly, to be cliché. The beautifully moulded floating cloud palace was more than divine. It was surrounded by more clouds, with the colour and smoothness of golden peaches. Waterfalls cascaded out of clouds shaped like white marble. This place wasn't a cloud with a silver lining, it was lined with gold, pure gold!

Just then the remaining two Muses appeared Terpsichore, Muse of Dance and Clio, Muse of history. "Sup girls! What's poppin'? Where is everyone?" sang Terpsichore, smoothing the black tendrils sticking up on her head. The five Muses walked together, up the heavenly stairs and towards the golden gates to Zeus' 'Crib', as Thalia liked to say.

Just then a little blue God with wings and equally blue glasses flew by. "Girls! There you are!" he exclaimed "Thank Zeus you're here, Apollo's been demanding some entertainment, and well, they nearly made me do my Narcissus impersonation, you know the one with the hairbrush? Well…It wouldn't go down to well with Mr.Heavenly himself!"

The Muses laughed. Calliope stepped forward; take her place as the leader. They strutted up the marble steps, while the little winged messenger opened the gate for them.

"Don't worry Hermes. Boo, we always gotcha back," Thalia called out, her deep voice full of confidence and zeal.

As the five sisters entered the inner sanctum of Olympus, Clio noted that Zeus' really had thrown a grand soiree. Wine was pouring out from several fountains, of which Dionysus was indulging freely. The turnout of deities had been pretty fantastic, besides the twelve Gods and Goddesses who were Zeus' regulars, many of the lesser known, but just as entertaining divinities had shown up, enjoying Olympus in full. Everywhere one looked, there were statues of Hercules, in various heroic poses, but the one that took precedence above all the others, was one of him and Meg, holding hands.

"Bah," blurted Thalia, gesturing at the Meg rendered in gold "I got more game than her!" Calliope threw a disapproving look at her shortest sister. Then, upon a flirtatious glance from Apollo, she turned her scowl into a smile.

"Apollo, baby!" she said happily, strutting over to the Sun God, while Thalia stuck her tongue out at her. Clio and Melepomene giggled, they adored the antics of their sisters. Just then Zeus, the King of 'em all appeared next to the two giggling Muses. Solid and muscular, Zeus had a presence which could not be ignored, even by the other Gods. His purple toga set of his sparkling eyes beautifully, and his white beard made him more distinguished than anything else.

"Clio! Mel!" He boomed "How are my girls? Enjoying the party?"

"You bet!" replied Clio, 'Mel' nodded alongside her sister.

"Girls, looks like it's time for your musical number, we've all been waiting for it!" responded Zeus, a bigger twinkle in his eye. Just at that moment, Hera approached, her fuchsia sparkling like her pride in her son.

"Clio, Melepomene, it is so good to see you again, you really should come around more," Hera spoke warmly.

"Oh we would, but it's a tough job, you know? Inspiring artists, bestowing talents, singing about Herc'…" listed Melepomene.

Hera smiled, taking her husbands' hands. "Well, I do how we'll see a musical item from you girls…oh, it looks like Calliope is all set for it," she pointed at their sister on the stage, Thalia and Terpsichore in their places. Melepomene and Clio hurried over to the stage, aware that Calliope was never happy to start a musical number late, especially not in front of such a divine crowd!

Then Hermes appeared, complete with his saxophone, drum and maracas. Calliope ushered Melepomene and Clio into their places, then turned to the audience. She truly did love the pedestal style stage they had set up from the clouds. The deities in the crowd all turned to face the five Muses on stage.

"Apollo, baby, this is for you!" called out Calliope. The handsome God just winked at her, sending a ripple of whispers and smiles amongst the gods.

"Hit it Hermes!" she yelled. Hermes started the funky beat with his drums, playing a sexy staccato with his saxophone at the same time. Calliope and the girls started dipping their shoulders to the soulful beat.

Then Calliope sang, "How you doing honey baby? You know I don't ask for much but, for a girl spending time alone can be pretty rough. But I hear a knock on my door; you know it's yours for sure…"

"They're excellent, aren't they darling?" Hera remarked, to her husband

"The very best!" said Zeus.

"Is y'all alright?" Sang all the Muses, snapping their fingers "I don't know, but I know what's happening to me girl! Is y'all alright?"

"Uh," Thalia grunted mid-song "break it down now!"

"See you gotta work it out? See you gotta work it out! A brotha gotta work it out!" they sang together, grooving to the jazzy rhythm.

"Child, blow your horn now! Come on, Child, BLOW YO' HORN NOW!" Calliope belted out, her voice ringing throughout Olympus, and possibly all of Greece.

At the end of the number, everyone applauded, particularly Apollo, who'd been eyeing Calliope from the start. Partying Olympus style was certainly something else!

A few hours had passed, most of the Gods were drunk, particularly Dionysus, but of course, everyone expected that from him! Hermes was trying to chat up Aphrodite, which he always did, and always failed. Calliope had disappeared with Apollo, while her sisters continued to enjoy the immense banquet. Melepomene and Athena were discussing Grecian fashions while Terpsichore was somewhere on some cloud, dancing to her own tune.

Clio, the Muse of History was absorbing it all; after all, it would go down in the history books as the party of all parties! Truly, she was happy to have been invited to an Olympian party, but she couldn't help feeling the Gods' had forgotten the real purpose for the party, which was to celebrate Hercules' triumph over his trials, and his worth as a hero. Perhaps she herself would have to remind others, starting with all the historians on earth.

"Clio, whatcha thinkin' 'bout?" Thalia asked inquisitively.

Clio sighed, smoothing her ponytail. "Nothing, just that we ought to be celebrating Hercules' victory, not drinking fountains of wine,"

Thalia chuckled, a deep rumbling kind of chuckle "True. Say, do you know where Calliope has gone?"

Clio giggled "She and Apollo were makin' eyes at each other, I'd say she's wherever he is!"

Just then, Melepomene came running towards her sisters. "Girls, we got a problem…" she squeaked in a panicky voice.

"Slow down, honey," Thalia said calmly, stuffing her mouth with ambrosia "Ok, now go,"

"I've just heard some very bad news," Melepomene cried, although she was trying to keep her voice down.

"What?!" Thalia and Clio burst in unison.

"She's back…" Melepomene whispered. Thalia and Clio's faces darkened as though the sun itself had been exiled.

"That ain't good," whispered Clio "Definitely ain't good.

Hades was pacing. Much of his time as Lord of the Underworld, had been occupied with relentless pacing in his chambers. His flaming hair sent sparks hotter than brimstone, flying in every direction. From his chamber window, he spied Charon, the ghostly ferryman rowing his boat smoothly over the River Styx. Hades' glance remained on Charon, who rowed continuously, ushering deceased mortals into their next phase of life without relent. It forced Hades to look around, look around at the bounty bestowed upon him by his dear brother, Zeus, King of the Gods.

His eyes glazing over, what he had once convinced himself was, melancholy charm, Hades felt a cauldron of anger bubbling inside him as he noted the lair in which he lived. Darkness was one word that came to mind, as well as morbid, well…hell. The enormity of the River Styx glowed with the same pallor shade of blue as its dead occupants, now only served to infuriate Hades. Everything was made of stone dark as midnight, and had an almost dripping atmosphere to it. It was always cold, in the Underworld.

Getting out of the dead river is no piece of ambrosia! Hades thought in frustration, recalling how long he'd spent dragged down in that river of dead souls. Striding away from the window, he approached the large map of Greece, inbuilt into the carved black stone of his chambers. The intricately carved map was near useless to him now. After Hercules had come out a 'hero', Hades immortal blood had boiled like lava, sending him into near incurable rage. But now, it was empty. He felt as dead as the Underworld he lived in. So, he paced. He wandered constantly around the dank chamber, never leaving the room, except for to feed Cerberus.

"Your most lugubriousness…" gulped an odd voice, possessed by a stout reddish creature with an arrow-ended tail.

"Panic!" he yelled, accentuated by a burst of his flaming hair. Hades turned around, his ebony robes swirling with him "I told you, under no circumstances, to disturb me during my— er, thinking time,"

Pain, who'd never become used to his masters' theatrics, still shuddered fearfully. "Uh, Your morbid Excellency, you see—"

"PAIN, WHAT PART OF 'GET LOST' DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND!?" thundered Hades, his voice echoing throughout the entire bleak Underworld.

Just then, a green stick-like creature appeared, with the same arrow-ended tail as Pain.

Pain turned to this green creature. "Panic, tell'em, tell boss, he's—"

Hades turned to his minions, his height increasing at a rapid rate, as well as the heat of his hair. Without hesitation, he shot several swords of flames out of his sharp fingertips.

"Now, now, now, is this how you treat your minions? Really, Hades, you ought to be ashamed!" spoke up a new voice. It was an odd sort of voice, husky, yet as slick as oil.

Hades returned to his normal height, and spun around. His eyes widened as they fell upon the owner of the voice.

"What's the matter, Hades? Don't remember me?" she said.

Hades stood, his minions frozen behind him, as he faced his visitor square on

"A pleasure, as always…Medusa,"

Ok, Chapter one isn't the best I've ever written...but I'm just warming up. Don't worry, I will actually focus on Hercules, Meg etc later. If you haven't heard the song used in this story, you can check out the link on my profile. Read and Review! Luv you all!