THIS IS A DISCLAIMER. I OBVIOUSLY DON'T OWN HERCULES OR THERE WOULD BE A LOT MORE HADES. I WROTE THIS LATE AT NIGHT DURING A SUGAR-HIGH.
My life has pretty much been the lowliest, most wretched existence up until the point I met Wonderboy.
My mother died giving birth to me, and without her around, no one was there to stop my father from abusing me.
When I was a teenager, I went to Prometheus Academy. Everyone mocked me, but strangely, Adonis was "nice" to me. When he was attacked by a serpent, and he lay there dying, I called on Hades, saying I would trade my soul for his. And how did Adonis thank me? The next day he slept with Helen!
At one point, my time working with Hades was the most blissful part of my life. Yes, he used me for sexual pleasure, and made me do his dirty work, but he did appreciate me to an extent. That was more than anyone had ever done for me before. Later, though, he made me betray the man I was unwillingly falling in love with.
And after Hercules became a god, I thought the blow was going to come again. That I would end up lying on the ground, crying, doomed to lose love over and over again. Maybe I'd sell my soul to Hades again. Working for him was the only thing I was ever really good at anyway. But to my surprise, Herc gave up immortality for me!
Aphrodite arranged for our wedding to be on Mt. Olympus, and she and Athena made the most amazing wedding gown to ever be worn by a mortal. And my honeymoon with Herc was fantastic in more ways than one. For someone who is in many ways still an awkward teenager at heart, my husband is wonderful in the bedroom. Better than Hades could ever hope to be.
When I found out I was pregnant, I didn't know what to think. I got to invite all of the goddesses to my baby shower. And that's where my story begins.
We were in Aphrodite's house surrounded by all of the goddesses. I was opening a present as Hera, Athena, Artemis, Amphitrite, Demeter, Hestia, Aurora, Iris, Nike, and the Muses looked on. I had just opened the last present- full of baby blankets -when Persephone walked in.
When I first heard that Hades had fallen in love, I thought someone was playing a trick on me. It was two months after my own wedding to Hercules when Demeter told me, saying "Hades stole my baby!" -hysterical as any mother would be if their daughter had been taken by the lord of the dead. She asked me to go to the underworld and get her back, and when I got there, I was amazed that Cerberus seemed to remember me. Anyway, I found my way to Persephone, surrounded by a garden of black roses, and asked her how she planned to escape. To my amazement she told me of her many stories of how she reciprocated Hades' love and was even a willing participant of her kidnapping. I knew what it was like to have love sweep you away when you don't want it to, so I sympathized with her, even if her husband used to own me.
I made Hermes deliver the message to Demeter. That was two years ago, and though mourning, Persephone's mother has usually relented her winter near my house.
Ever since then, Persephone and I have been great friends, and in the spring, my garden is always more fruitful than any of my neighbors'.
So it was surprising to me that she was late to my baby shower. It was autumn, and the smile on her face when she walked through the door didn't quite match the dismal black robes she was wearing.
"Hey Seph!" I called, "Why're you late to the party?"
Persephone was beaming, and she bit her lip in anticipation, like she couldn't wait to tell us something. After I asked she exclaimed, "I talked to Hades…He said he would vote yes!"
"-You have to hold up your end of the deal, babe!" Hades shouted from outside. Funny, we hadn't known he was here.
All of the goddesses let out a simultaneous cheer at that. Aphrodite eventually piped up. "What did you have to do to get him to agree?" She asked.
Before Persephone could let us in on her dirty secret, I decided I couldn't take it anymore. "WHAT ARE YOU GUYS TALKING ABOUT? I mean really guys? Can't you let Megara in on your little secret?" Yes, my anxiety combined with pregnancy hormones caused me to refer to myself in third person. I'm not proud.
They looked at me and stifled their laughter. "Here, take my hand," Persephone said, "It's a surprise!" I thought we were walking somewhere, but she opened the door, looked at Hades, and we disappeared with him in a cloud of smoke. A second later we appeared on Mt. Olympus. I guess I was the only one who noticed that this was Seph's way of getting out of answering Aphrodite's earlier question. Knowing Hades, it must have been something extremely sexual. I didn't want to know.
"Guys, I'm never going to get used to that. It makes me dizzy." I gasped as we landed on the clouds.
"Well, you need to get used to it." Hera said as she and the other goddesses appeared on the fluffy white clouds along with us. I wondered what she meant by saying that.
We walked off to the gathering area, and Hades came up next to me. "So, Wonderboy knocked you up, huh?"
"Why do you care, Hades?" I prodded.
"I dunno, but he stares at you like you're something to eat now, Meg. Probably because you are!" He snickered.
"Ugh, could you get any creepier? I'm pregnant!" I asked as he towered over me.
"Sorry, he just seems to be the type who'd be into that kind of stuff, you know?" He countered.
"Girls, you're both pretty, now move on, we have stuff to do!" Seph said as she led us into the gathering area at Olympus. I was surprised to find Herc there as well.
"Why is Hercules here?" I pondered.
"You'll see in a minute, now sit down." Athena whispered. I decided I was satisfied with that and sat on a couch next to her and Artemis.
"Now," Zeus announced, "I'd like to thank you all for coming, and I'd especially like to thank my daughter Persephone." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Hera frown. "Without her this wouldn't be possible. As you all know, my son Hercules had the ability to become a god, but turned it down in favor of a life with Megara. He has always been welcome to return to Olympus, and now he has accepted." With that, Zeus looked at Hercules, who began to glow just like his father. I felt a menagerie of emotions flood into me. First anger. Why hadn't Hercules told me? Then sadness at the fact that he was leaving, then confusion because everyone was smiling, and he'd promised me he never would leave.
"Of course, my son wouldn't join us without the company of his lovely wife. I've been deliberating with my brothers, Poseidon and Hades, and we have all agreed." My eyes widened with shock at what Zeus was suggesting. "Megara, with your permission, we would like to allow you and your unborn child to join us here on Olympus."
I was speechless, and I'm sure the bottom of my jaw was hanging wide open. Not once had any other mortal been given this chance. I couldn't say anything, but thankfully, Hercules came up and took my hand, and led me to Zeus. "What do you say, Meg," Hercules asked me, "Wanna be a goddess?"
All of the Olympians looked at me expectantly, with the exception of Hades, frowning and slouching in a corner at the realization that my soul could never be his again. "Yeah." I whispered.
"Step back then, please," Zeus said. He took a deep breath and grabbed my hands, and closed his eyes in concentration. I felt a wave wash over me. I grew stronger, taller, and tougher. My bones became sturdier, and my posture was immediately perfect. My hair unwound itself from its ponytail and grew down past my waist, and took on a shine. My skin was smoother, and my cotton dress became silk. My violet eyes gained a radiance they hadn't had before. A golden aura surrounded me, as if I were the sun itself. I was magnificent.
Zeus turned us around and motioned for the Muses to come towards us. They grabbed our hands, and Calliope spoke, "We now give you the two newest Olympians. Hercules, son of Zeus, is now and forever, the God of Heroes!" She raised his arm like a wrestler who'd won a title fight. She then walked to me. "And Megara, wife of Hercules, Daughter of Creon, now and forever known as the Goddess of Perseverance!"
The party afterwards was fantastic, but I have to give credit to Dionysus, he deserved it. Afterwards I met up with Persephone.
"So, I guess I'm one of you guys now?" I asked.
"Yeah. Zeus and Hera really wanted their baby boy back home. But this whole thing was my idea."
"Your idea? Why?"
"At the time, it was a snide comment to annoy Hades."
"I see."
We paused, sitting back and enjoying the party.
…
"Thank you, Persephone." I sincerely told her.
"Megara, I think you're going to like it here. Just promise to visit me during autumn and winter. The underworld's never scared you."
"I could never forget you, Seph."
…
"What'd you have to do to get him to make me a goddess?" I asked her again.
And the things she whispered in my ear were too explicit to tell you here, but I assure you, they scarred me emotionally.
Life on Mt. Olympus, is crazy, but I'm thankful. My story might not have such a happy beginning, but how it turned out is amazing.
Megara, Goddess of Perseverance.
I like the sound of that.
Points for every refrence to another movie/tv show/book you can find. I didn't like the idea of Hera making Hercules kill Megara and their children, so I rewrote that depressing myth.
NOW REVIEW MY STORY!
Love you.