Thank you everyone who has read this fanfic, I've been quite surprised by the response. I was expecting two maybe three views at the most over the coming week yet it got forty views in the first three days! Colour me surprised. Good to know that there's still Hercules fans out there.
Thanks to the Guest and whitetigerwolf for the reviews and whitetigerwolf and Vonbaron for the favorites.
Anyway on with chapter two!
"Phil I'm home!" called Hercules as he opened the door to Phil's house and subsequently entered it. The young hero in training braced himself for Phil's shouting but it surprisingly never came, the living room (if you could even call it that) was deserted. Hercules then headed upstairs, intent on finding the satyr.
It didn't take long. After about a minute of searching Hercules found his mentor and trainer fast asleep in his hammock, which was puzzling. Phil was always awake when he got home, no matter the time. Yet here he was sleeping in his hammock.
However instead of pondering the matter further the son of Zeus let out a yawn and headed for his bedroom, suddenly overcome by fatigue. As he laid down in his hammock a thought ran briefly through his head, he'd never felt this tired before out of nowhere. Though Hercules had no time to ponder it was he soon fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of a certain feminine gorgon.
Meanwhile in the Underworld the scene was not so peaceful…
"CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS! I HAD JERKULES TURNED TO STONE! STONE! AND YET HE STILL GOT OUT OF IT!" shouted Hades as he glowed bright red while shooting fire in a variety of directions.
"But your fieriness couldn't you just get Medusa to turn him to stone again?" suggested Pain as he cowered in a corner of the throne room with Panic.
"SHE'S THE ONE WHO TURNED HIM BACK FROM BEING STONE!" shouted Hades as his flames almost scorched the two imps. "THAT LITTLE BRAT TRICKED ME WHEN I HAD FINALLY FINISHED HIM OFF! AND TO TOP IT OFF APHRODITE SHOWED UP AND REJECTED ME, AGAIN!" The two imps closed their eyes braced themselves, preparing to get burnt to piles of ash and eyeballs, but opened them when they realised that the temperature in the room was decreasing.
"Ummm are you alright your blueness?" asked Panic as the two imps watched their boss turn back to his usual laid back blue self.
"Of course I am boys." said Hades as he took a deep breath in and out, in and out.
"Urmmm boss what are you doing?" asked Pain, each imp confused by Hades's behaviour.
"A calming exercise boys. Learnt it from Hypnos at his anger management class a few days ago." said Hades as he stretched his arms above his head. "Helps me cool down."
"Who's Hypnos?" asked Panic.
"What's an anger management class?" asked Pain.
"Oy minions." muttered Hades to himself as he let out a sigh. "Hypnos is the God of Sleep. Thin greyish guy who's a bit of a recluse."
"But I thought Mor…" said Panic before Hades interrupted him.
"Morpheus is the God of Dreams. Hypnos is the God of Sleep. Two different things boys." said Hades as he sat down on his throne. "And anger management class if where you learn how to manage YOUR ANGER!" The imps then cowered again as more flames shot around the room.
"So why are you going then?" asked Panic.
"Yeah doesn't sound like something you would go to." said Pain.
"Right you are boys but here's the thing. Ares, Poseidon and Zeus are going to it as well." said Hades, seemingly pretty pleased with himself. "See why I'm going now?" The two imps then shock their heads prompting the Lord of the Dead to facepalm. "I'm going because I'm likely to get the scoop on what makes them angry. Thus I use that in a scheme against them and bada boom bada bing I have three gods acting without thinking things through and subsequently making bad decisions."
"Oh that makes sense your craftiness." said Pain enthusiastically
"Precisely boys, but before I come up with a snazzy scheme like that I need to get revenge on Jerkules and that gorgon." said Hades as he stroked his chin.
The next morning…
"Morning Phil." greeted Hercules as he entered the living room of Phil's home.
"Hey kid." greeted Phil as his trainee sat down across from him at the table. "So where were you last night? I didn't see you come in."
"I was out with a friend." answered Hercules truthfully after he took out bit out of a piece of bread which had been laid out for him.
"Sure it was a 'friend'." said Phil with a smirk, making quotation marks with his hands as he said friend. "Let me guess it was a lady 'friend'."
"Phil!" blurted out Hercules in annoyance.
"Relax kid I'm just messing with ya." said the satyr as he top a sip of his drink.
"Something strange happened last night though when I got in." said Hercules after a few seconds had passed. "I'd just found you asleep when I suddenly became tired, like my energy had just vanished."
"Sounds like what happened to me Herc. I was just clearing up some weapons when I felt like I was going to drop from fatigue." replied Phil. "Probably nothing though."
"Phil I don't think suddenly feeling exhausted when you didn't feel like it before is nothing." said Hercules seriously. "What if it's one of Hades's schemes?"
"If you're that hung up on it kid you could ask Hypnos." said Phil as he finished off his bread.
"Hypnos?" asked Hercules in confusion, having never heard the name before.
"Yeah Hypnos, the God of Sleep. He's a very reclusive guy who keeps a close eye on us mortals." answered Phil before smirking. "Maybe he wanted ya to be rested up for when you see your lady friend again." The son of Zeus merely glared back at the satyr as he continued to eat his bread, this was getting old real quick.
Meanwhile they day was just beginning in a small village east of Athens and the townspeople were going about their daily life, none of them noticing the figure moving through the shadows of the town's alleyways. If anyone had taken notice of the direction the figure was heading in they would notice that it was heading towards the town's collection of temples. Eventually the figure came to a halt in the shadows by one of the smaller temples and surveyed the nearby area. Then the figured scurried into the temple and slammed the door behind it, breathing and hissing in relief.
"Geez how hard does it have to be for a monster to pay her respects." joked the figure as it stepped into a ray of light coming from one of the temple's windows, revealing Medusa holding a small basket. The young gorgon then headed towards the centre of the temple where a statue of Aphrodite stood, radiating beauty into the cold stone temple.
Medusa kneeled in front of the statue once she reached it and placed the basket in front of the statue which now towered over her.
"Aphrodite, Goddess of Love I offer you this as thanks for the heart-glasses you gave me yesterday." said Medusa awkwardly, trying to remember how offerings were done. "Ummm sorry that it's only berries and some flowers in a basket, it's kinda hard for a gorgon to find anything else to use as an offering." The gorgon held her left arm awkwardly as she apologized before she jolted back in shock, her snakes hissing in surprise as she did so, as the basket glowed pink for a few seconds before disappearing completely.
"So that's it then?" asked Medusa to the empty temple as she stood up. "Well bye then." said the gorgon as she turned and headed out of the temple, thankfully that the square outside of it was empty. Hopefully the journey back to her grove would be just as uneventful.
"I've got it boys!" declared Hades as he stood up from his throne, having sat there the whole night trying to think up a scheme. Immediately Pain and Panic stood to attention in front of Hades as the Lord of the Underwood rubbed his hands together.
"What is your plan your schemeyness?" asked Pain curiously.
"Hypnos is boys. You see he's a fairly weak god on the whole but he has the power to send almost any being to sleep, even his fellow gods. Once upon a time he put Zeus to sleep during a scheme which of course resulted in a rift between the two. I plan to capitalise on that!" said Hades, seemingly pleased with himself. "He makes either Jerkules or Medusa fall drift off during a lovey-dovey moment a couple times and bada bing bada boom they break up! I'll get two birds with one god!
"But sir what if Hypnos doesn't want to help you?" asked Panic nervously.
"Oh he will help me when I offer him something he wants. You see boys old Hypnos loves mortals, takes way to much interest in their affairs than most gods. Thus I offer him the ability to shape shift into a mortal and bada bing he'll be more than cooperative with my plan." said Hades.
"An excellent plan as always your cleverness." said Panic.
"Preciously. One broken up romance coming up! said Hades as he teleported away in a burst of blue flame.
Hercules stretched as he walked over to Cassandra who was standing by her locker inside the grounds of Prometheus Academy. A surprised expression crossed the face of the usually passive seer for a brief moment when she saw him.
"Morning Cassandra." said Hercules as he reached her.
"Morning to you." said Cassandra bluntly. "What are you doing here so early? You usually barely make it here in time."
"Oh well I had a really good sleep last night." said Hercules as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I woke up early than usual because of it, nothing that unusual."
"Well I suppose that's a good a reason as any." said the seer.
"So I was wondering if you ummm want to hang out with me, Icarus and Medusa after school today." said Hercules a bit awkwardly, remembering that Cassandra had no knowledge of Medusa being the gorgon.
"So you apologized to her then?" asked Cassandra, surprising the hero in training and almost causing him to fall over in surprise.
"Wha…how'd you." stuttered out Hercules as Cassandra merely looked back at him.
"Icarus told me about it. You finding out she's a gorgon, you being a jerk, you going to apologize." explained Cassandra as she listed what Icarus said off with her fingers.
"Oh, well that saves me the explanation then." said Hercules, both thankful that Icarus told the seer and annoyed that he had told her. A friend being a gorgon wasn't exactly the sort of thing you blabbered about.
"I guess it does." said Cassandra bluntly.
"So you'll hang out with us then?" asked Hercules.
"Yeah sure." said Cassandra impassively, noticing an incoming Icarus.
"CASSANDRA, HONEY!" shouted Icarus as he approached the two teens.
"Maybe I could get her to turn him to stone." muttered Cassandra under her breath.
"Medusa!" called Hercules as he walked into her grove alongside Icarus and Cassandra.
"MEDUSA!" called Icarus, seconding Hercules's call.
"Arghh did you have to call so loud." said Cassandra in annoyance as she rubbed her eyes after Icarus's call.
"I'm over here guys." said a voice behind them, a voice Hercules immediately recognized.
"Medusa." said Hercules cheerfully when the three teens had turned around, each met with the sight of the female gorgon wearing heart-shape sunglasses.
"Yeah that's my name." joked Medusa as she walked up to the three of them. The gorgon then stood next to Hercules as she smiled sheepishly at Icarus and Cassandra. "So Herc told you told about…well this." said Medusa as she motioned to herself.
"Well he told Icarus about how you're a gorgon….who told Me." said Cassandra passively, ever so slightly unnerved by Medusa's appearance.
"Eh gorgon smorgon." said Icarus enthusiastically as he walked up to Medusa and stared curiously at her snake hair, one of which hissed back at him. "You're still our friend either way!"
"Thanks guys." said Medusa as she smiled back at the inventist's son and the seer. "That means a lot to me."
"So with that out of the way." said Hercules as he put his arm round the gorgon's waist. "How was your day today Medusa?"
"Well I snuck into the nearby town to give an offering to Aphrodite at a temple, other than that it was the usual hanging around this." said Medusa as she looked back at Hercules, each teen staring into the other's eyes. Or at least one of them was. All Hercules could see was heart-shape sunglasses, causing him to remember Icarus's comment about there not being a lot of eye contact. The hero in training's and the gorgon's heads were getting closer to each other when they were interrupted by Cassandra coughing.
"We're still here lovebirds." was all the seer said, causing Hercules and Medusa to pull away from each other with their cheeks glowing red.
"So ummm anything interesting happen with you?" asked Medusa as she held onto her right arm with left hand arm in embarrassment.
"Just the usual school day with the exception of putting up decorations for the festival of Athena." said Hercules, noticing that an angry expression briefly crossed Medusa's usually peaceful face at the mention of Athena. Although he assumed he had just been seeing things, what reason would Medusa have to get angry at the mere mention of Athena's name? "Although when I came home last night it was a bit weird."
"What was weird?" asked Medusa, prompting Hercules to tell his friends about how he had suddenly felt as if his energy had been sapped from him.
"Sounds like the actions of a god to me." said Cassandra once Hercules had finished.
"That's what Phil said. He said it was likely the actions of a god named Hypnos." replied Hercules as Medusa leaned against him, putting her arm through his.
"Go ask him then hero." said Medusa with a giggle, causing Hercules to blush lightly at her comment.
"Fine I'll go ask him then." said Hercules as he briefly shivered as he felt one of Medusa's snakes brush against his neck.
"Yeah go luck with that Herc." said Icarus enthusiastically, prompting Medusa's snakes to glare at him. "Hypnos rarely ever leaves his mountain. Even I know that and my knowledge of him is zilch."
At the same time Hercules and his friends were speaking…
A temple placed amidst a meadow was perched on the side of a mountain east of Athens, ruinous steps leading up to its doorless entrance which looked unkempt and unused. Around these steps were wild grasses and flowers in full bloom. Nearby by a river flowed down the mountains towards the sea as a light wind blew throughout the area. It was the very picture of peacefulness.
Singing could be heard throughout the meadow, coming directly from a grey figure standing just outside the doors to the temple. The figure had light grey skin, short white hair and was wearing a black and white toga which almost seemed to spiral if you stared at it too long.
Hush now mortals, it's time to retire,
The day you love so much is about to expire.
Apollo and his chariot, about to come to their rest,
On Mount Olympus, where the gods do their best.
But don't worry mortals as you slumber away,
Hypnos shall guide you into a new day.
While Morpheus ensures that you have good dreams,
I shall ensure that you're safe from evil's schemes.
Because I, Hypnos wish you the best,
As I wish I could walk among you instead of watching you rest.
"Bravo, bravo!" said Hades as he appeared behind Hypnos in a plume of blue fire. "You should do musicals!"
"Save it Hades. Why have you come here, anger management classes not working out?" asked Hypnos, his voice peaceful and free of worries.
"No, no they're working out peachy." said Hades as he put his arm round the God of Sleep. "I have a proposition for you."
"And I don't accept It." said Hypnos as pushed the Lord of the Dead's arm of his shoulders.
"But you haven't even heard it yet!" protested Hades, trying to keep his cool.
"It will be another one of your rule the cosmos plans, which I have no care for." said Hypnos as he looked out over the meadow. "I have no reason to want to unseat Zeus."
"Ok, ok maybe you don't want to unseat Zeus. I get it, I respect your opinion." said Hades putting his arm round Hypnos's shoulders once more, causing the younger god to scowl. "But that song made you sound like you aren't happy with your current job either. I could of course change that for a small favour."
Hypnos was silent for a few seconds before replying. "Go one."
"So you wish to hang out with the mortals instead of watching them sleep, which your can't do due to your powers not involving shape shifting, that my grey friend can be arranged by me if you do something oh so simple for me." said Hades as he sweet talked the God of Sleep.
"Get to the point Hades." said Hypnos in annoyance.
"Geez you're just like a teenager, so impatient." complained Hades. "So you see all I want you to do is this." The fiery god then paused for effect as he spread his arms wide.
"Break up Hercules and Medusa!"
Hypnos then began to walk away from Hades when the bluish god teleported in front of him.
"An answer would be appreciated." said Hades sarcastically.
"Here's your answer." said Hypnos as he began walking away again. "No."
"WHAT!" said Hades as he teleported in front of the younger god once more. "Was I mistaken or did you say NO!"
"I said no Hades. I won't break up Zeus's son and this Medusa." said Hypnos in annoyance as grey energy crackled around his hands. "Now get off my mountain!" The God of Sleep then shot the energy at Hades who was knocked backwards off of the mountain by the blast, having not expected it from the usually peaceful god.
"A tempting offer though Hades, but I will not two mortals' lives so I can get what I want." said Hypnos to himself as he observed his flowers growing in the meadow. The god was about to head back inside his temple when he heard the sound of a mortal mentioning him, carried by the windows. His attention was immediately grabbed by what he heard.
"I'll go ask him then."
"Yeah go luck with that Herc. Hypnos rarely ever leaves his mountain."
Herc was surely short for Hercules, a mortal whose adventures had been followed by Hypnos for a while now and was presumably the first speaker. His question was probably about his interference the night before. Could be interesting to speak to the hero in training.
The god then smirked, he'd also show the other mortal that he indeed did leave his mountain at times.
The God of Sleep then glowed grey for a second or two before disappearing into a black and white spiral, returning the meadow once more to peace.
So as you can see I've decided to go with the Hades trying to break Herc and Medusa up idea, simple I know but hey the show wasn't exactly rocket science!
Your thoughts about the inclusion of Hypnos (and how he acts) would be appreciated. Not really sure of how much of a role he will play but I only learnt of his existence on Sunday and I just had to include him. Although I'm going to alter him ever so slightly, here he will not be the farther of Morpheus and Pahntasos for simplicity's sake. Plus he will also not have wings on the side of his head as he does in some depictions.
So I'm still chucking ideas round my head as to what will happen in the next chapter. I like the idea of Hercules and Medusa going on a date while Pain and Panic try and break them up. Main problem about that is where the hell could I have Herc take Medusa on a date to? Athens and other cities are a no go since she's a gorgon leaving only the countryside and ruins...where I had their date take place in the last chapter. ARGHH WHY MUST GREECIANS FEAR GORGONS...other than the obvious reason of course. Hopefully I'll come up with an idea for that part soon.