Marina's.P.O.V.

"I'm so glad that is over with!" Lillith moaned, as we exited the classroom. Jason and Iolaus moaned in agreement. I laughed; I had excelled at the exam. I had felt the test was extremely easy. I noticed that Hercules look especially tired. His face was pale and dark shadows were under his chocolate brown eyes.

"You okay, Herc?" I asked. "Yep, just a little sleepy." Hercules yawned. "You do look a bit tired, friend." Jason commented. "I'm just tired, not enough sleep." Hercules explained, his voice slow and sluggish.

I knew that something was off, there was more to this than Hercules was letting on. I could tell by the way his eyes wouldn't meet any of ours. "Get some rest. We're going to go get some good." Lillith said her voice motherly like. "Okay." Hercules yawned. "I'll walk with you to the sleeping quarters." I said, taking Hercules' arm.

We walked to our sleeping quarters. No one was there; most were celebrating the finish of exam week. Hercules pulled his arm away from me. The skin felt fevered and hot to touch. He went and sat on his bunk. He looked so run down and tired. "What's wrong?" I asked, arms folded across my chest. "Just tired." Hercules proffered, not meeting my eyes.

"Cut it out! I know there's more to this, you're a demigod! You can't get this tired from just a night of no sleep. What is it, Hercules? Does it have to do with the gods?" I asked. Hercules sighed. "More like weeks of not sleeping." Hercules whispered. I gasped. "Weeks…?" I asked, shocked. "Yes, my dreams are haunted with images…horrible things! I can't stop it! The nightmares that plague me!" Hercules whispered, burying his head in his hands. I looked at him and I knew that he was scared, "What do you see?" I asked, moving from the spot where I stood and sat beside him on his bed. I lay my hand on his shoulder. "I don't want to talk about it!" Hercules snapped, his voice sharp. He flinched away from my hand. I was taken back and startled, but behind Hercules' anger, I saw true fear in his eyes. "You are afraid." I stated, speaking without thinking.

Hercules looked at me incredulously. Then his eyes softened. "Yes, I am frightened. I'm sorry that I snapped at you." Hercules sighed, his voice drained of all anger. "It's ok." I said, putting my hand back on his shoulder.

"It feels like a god...but it feels all wrong. Usually I would say that Ares would be behind this...but it's too complicated for the god of war. He's more rash and predictable." Hercules explained. "Why doesn't Zeus intervene? I mean he's the god of gods and he is your father? Won't he come to help you?" I asked. My question was answered by a bitter laugh. "My father? I doubt he even knows that I exist, Marina. I'm just a small memory in his mind, if that." Hercules said bitterly. "The gods ways are usually clouded to us, Hercules. You can't expect to understand Zeus' reasons for not paying attention to you or contacting you, but you mustn't think that he doesn't care for you. A parent can't forget his child that easily, even if they are a god." I chided, my words sounding much wiser than I felt. "I know, but it still doesn't it make it any easier to bear with, Marina." Hercules sighed.

"What is your plan of attack against this…dream?" I asked, curious…gods and how to fight them were all still new to me. "I am waiting for the answer…but I can't fall asleep. I don't want to see those images again! It's too terrible!" Hercules said his voice cracking. I had only known Hercules for a short period of time, but even I knew that this was uncharacteristic of Hercules. He usually was not frightened very easily, and I could tell he was shaken at his very core.

"Lay down." I instructed. Hercules complied and lay down on his bed. He looked so exhausted. I made myself more comfortable on the edge of his bed. I ran my fingers through his silky, blond hair. I softly began to sing.

"Under the willow, across the stream, lays a meadow of green.

And in the meadow two lowers in each other's arms lay,

In that meadow they stay,

Their love will live on in the songs and ballads,

If you go to the meadow

You will see two song birds,

Singing of the love of the long ago lovers…"

I softly sang the lullaby that my mother used to sing to lull me to sleep. I kept running my hand though his hair. I slowly began to feel Hercules calm. The haunting melody lured him to slumber. I could see his eyes slowly begin to shut. I kept singing.

For a few minutes Hercules slept peacefully. His eyes never moved. I kept singing. The song was haunting me. As if I could see the story of the two lovers I sang of. I saw the two lovers sitting under the old willow in the green meadow. I could feel the grass and the smell of flowers. The bird songs and the buzz of insects. The wind in my hair and the heat of the sun on my skin. Then I realized that the two lovers looked familiar but I couldn't place the faces because they were hidden from me.

Suddenly, the meadow disappeared. Everything was dark and cold. Screams pierced the air. I was sitting in a cave. Fear laced through me. Then a booming voice filled the cave. "Ah…. demigod, can you save him?" the voice asked. It was male. "Who are you?" I asked, before I thought. It wasn't wise to question a god or whatever it was. "You are brave, hero, but are you brave enough?" The voice prodded. "Show yourself, coward!" I challenged, standing up and taking an attacking stance. "No one calls me a coward and lives…usually!" the voice laughed. A bright light appeared before me, and there before me, stood a man. He was unmistakably beautiful. Light blond hair and sky blue eyes. His eyes bore into mine. He was tall, very tall, standing at least two heads taller than Hercules. "But I can't kill you. You're asleep!" He laughed, I was dreaming! "What did you mean, 'can you save him?' who is him?" I asked. I felt my stomach twist. "Oh my, young demigod. Can you save Hercules?" he laughed.

"You can't kill him; Zeus has put a protection order on him. You would be a fool to try and kill him. You don't look like a fool, but as they say…appearances are often deceiving." I said. The entity's eyes flamed with anger but he composed himself. "I don't do my own dirty work…watch him, Marina. You will see in time. Buh-bye!" he said, snapping his fingers.

Instantly I was enveloped in pure white light. "Don't fear my daughter. This challenge will be difficult, but you will have me by your side. Even if you can't see me I'm here. I know that you wish that I would have been more present in your life, I can't…all will be explained in due time. Protect Hercules; this man does not make idle promises. Hercules is more important to you than you realize. Be a warrior, daughter." the voice instructed. It was warm and rolled like the waves of the ocean. Father…my father, Poseidon. "Be a warrior…"

I woke up. My head was on Hercules' chest. He still was asleep but was moaning and sweat poured from him. "Hercules it's only a dream! Wake up!" I cried, shaking Hercules. Instantly Hercules awoke screaming. His eyes held true fear.

I wrapped him in my arms, singing softly. Hercules buried his face into my shoulder. He was shaking with fear. I rocked him gently, as a mother would rock her frightened child. The haunting melody slowly calmed Hercules. After a period of time, I released him from my arms. "I'm sorry…" Hercules whispered. Sweat still laced him. "It's alright." I murmured. Hercules looked worse for wear than before. "When you stopped singing, the nightmares assaulted me." Hercules confessed. "I fell asleep, I'm so sorry." I apologized. "It's alright, you didn't know." Hercules said. "You want to head to Kora's?" I asked, distracting Hercules from his dreams. "Sure…"Hercules said, but I knew that his thoughts still were of his dreams or rather nightmares.

a/n: Sorry everyone for taking so long to update...wow I haven't been on my fanfiction account in a while! Well anyways I'm back and plan on staying :D Please enjoy! Read and review! Reviews are like the best presents in the world! :D