Aurthor's Notes: In my home page, there are links that show what had happen in the Spring of Canathus and on Triton.
A few weeks went by, Hades hadn't bother Hercules, yet. Hercules was never the same. The guilt was getting stronger each week and Meg was starting to take noticed. But when it came to questioning him about it, he would just smile and turn her down. He always had told her everything no matter how silly or terrible he thought it was. Meg needs to get him to talk before something horrible happens, but how?
Meg pondered this for a couple of days. She needed to find way to get her husband to talk to her at least. Maybe she that way would be found when a postman delivered a scroll addressed to Hercules.
Hercules sat in his bedroom reading the scroll delivered. He went straight to his room when it came. He was in fear that Hades sent it to him and he didn't want Meg to see it. He slowly opened the scroll and read the words. His heart lifted as he read. This was the greatness news he had ever read since Hades made is visit. As he continued read, the hero fell away and an excited little boy took over him. Soon he couldn't keep his excitement in, he raced down stairs. He raced towards Meg and scooped her up, smack his lips on hers. 'What got into you?' Meg laughed as he placed her down.
'My high school reunion is only a few days away. Isn't that great?' A huge smile came across Hercules before pressing his lips back on Meg's.
'Then we better get ready,' Meg's heart was racing, Hercules never kissed her like that before.
'You're right, I better go tell the boys,' raced back to the backyard. Meg was glad to see her old wonder boy back.
'Dad, are we there yet?' Zack sat in the chariot as it flew through the air. They had been flying for hours, he was a bit sick.
'C'mon Zack, I thought you like flying.' Hercules smiled at his son.
'On Pegasus,' Alexis felt like he was going to be sick.
'Dad, you know that there….there,' Zack felt his breakfast coming up his throat but forced it back down.
'A normal way of riding Pegasus,' Alexis finished Zack's sentence before he felt the need to see a doctor.
'Yeah, but this has more room, personally, I don't want be to squashed between you two and your father.' Meg said standing next to her husband as he drove. Meg was over her fear of height after having almost very trip riding on Pegasus. Hercules laughed, he had completely forgotten about Hades. 'Don't worry boys; I can see the school from here. We'll be there in no time.' Hercules pointed to the buildings down below. Alexis and Zack looked down but were too sick to stare at it for a longer time. 'Just tell us when we are on land,' Alexis and Zack sat low in the side of the chariot.
'Ok, boys were on the ground,' Hercules smiled at the twins once they landed. They jumped out, grabbing the dirt and screamed, 'LAND, ROCK SOILD LAND.' Meg laughed very loud and long. Then Zack looked at his dad, 'When we leave, we are walking,' Zack was very serious about that. Hercules laughed at him.
'We mean it, we are not going on that chariot again,' Alexis backed up his brother.
They all walked together through the campus. It was Saturday so all the current students are off enjoy their day of freedom. Hercules couldn't help but smile as a flood of his school memories return to him. It seemed only yesterday he just graduated and now he is a grown man coming to his reunion. He felt a bit old as he walked. He hoped that all his old friends would be here as saw a group of adults with their kids.
'Bow and step to the side, commoners to the left, nobodies to the right. All make way for the royal family.' Hercules felt like he was back as a 16-years-old as that familiar voice reached his ears. Meg heart begun to build up anger as she remembered who that voice belonged to. Their heads turned but that only justify their suspensions of the owner. Alexis and Zack turned their heads too, to see what was happening.
Eight, muscular bronze men wearing uniform carrying a huge platform made out of gold. On top of the platform were three matching seats with three people on top. There was a dark bronze man with blonde hair, wearing a light blue chiton. A gold crown sat on his head as he showed it off proudly. In the next seat sat a beautiful young woman, with long, red, wavy hair with a silver crown careful place behind her fringe. She wore a dress that was like Meg's but it was sliver. Her green eyes reflected pride and control. The last person sitting in the chairs on men was the young prince of Thrace. He was about the same age as Alexis and Zack. He had reddish hair with green eyes that wondered through the crowd. He wore a chiton that was aqua with a green band tried round his head.
'You are only royalty back home. Here you're just the same as everyone else.' Meg stared at the royal brat that almost destroyed her life.
'Do my ears deceive me? Megara is that you?' Adonis smirked as he looked down from the platform. 'How kind of you, you came all the way to Athens just to see me, of course who could blame you, but unfortunately for you I'm no longer available.' He placed his hand on his wife's.
Meg was disgusted at what he just said to her. 'First of all, you are not the centre of the universe. Secondly, I live in Athens. And thirdly, the only reason I'm here is because I no idea that my husband went to the same high school as you.' Hercules was by her side with total support. He didn't know that Adonis and Meg had a past but he completely understood why most people in the right mind hated him. 'A copy of me, I'm sorry, Megara, but you can't replaced the original.' Adonis looked at Hercules carelessly, not recognising who he was.
Meg was just about to jump onto the platform and slapped that smirk off his face. Hercules grabbed his Meg's shoulders, gently but secretly he wanted to let her go. He spoke calmly through his teeth. 'I assure you, I am not a copy of you.' His voice light up the memory of which Meg's husband was.
'Jeckules, is that you? My, I hardly recognised you but I've heard a lot about you.' Adonis smirked down at him as he saw the fire burning in his eyes.
'Dear, that is quite enough,' Adonis' wife finally spoke out. Her voice was strong and firm. 'Is this the way to behave in front of Darien?' She placed hand towards her son. Darien sat there, staring at the two boys who were standing next to the people whom his father was having a go at. 'But, honey muffin…' Adonis gave her a puppy dog face but she ignored it.
'Don't you "honey muffin" me, these people hadn't done anything. I bet you caused them torment in their lives, by the way you're acting.' She gave him a cold shoulder.
Hercules and Meg were impressed by the Queen. 'It about time somebody shut him up. I'm just sorry it wasn't me.' Meg thought with a smirk. The Queen of Thrace drew her attention to the couple.
'I am a thousand times sorry for my husband's rude behaviour. I am Queen Martha of Thrace and this is my dear son, Prince Darien.' Martha placed her hand behind her son's back. Darien smiled and shyly waved at them.
'No need to apologise, I didn't think he would change that much anyway,' Hercules smiled, knowing he wasn't going to be interrupted. 'My name is Hercules and, as you would have guessed, this is my lovely wife, Megara.' He placed his hand around her shoulders. 'And these are our two wonderful boys, Alexis and Zack.' Alexis and Zack stood there. Alexis had his arms folded in front of his chest, not really interested. Zack waved back at Prince Darien. He was quite curious in the history of their parents. 'I must get going; there are so many others I would like to meet again. Queen Martha, Prince Darien, Adonis, good day,' Hercules politely left the royal family to mixed with their friends.
'Old friend,' Zack asked his parents.
'Hardly,' answered Meg through her teeth as they walk through the campus.
'What the story?' Zack curiosity began to build. Alexis, on the other hand, wasn't in the mood for story time.
'Please Zack, don't hold up the traffic. I want to get in, get out and go home as soon as possible.' Alexis whispered into his ear. 'And personal, I don't want to hear it,' Alexis went further forward than the rest of them. 'Don't worry, son, it's a petty long story anyways,' Hercules calmly said to Zack. Zack face showed disappointment. 'I'll tell you once we get home,' His father smiled at him which brought a small smile to Zack's face.
Just then a loud noise came from above, 'MAYDAY, MAYDAY, oh, man,' a figure fell from the sky and would have landed right on top of Zack, if Hercules didn't pull him out of the way. Now there was a human with wings shape printed on the ground. 'DAD, where are you ever going to learn?' A small boy followed by a much older male ran towards the print. The boy was abnormally short, with black hair. He wore a chiton that covered half of his arms, coloured a dark green. The older male was bald but had grey facial hair and hair at the bottom part of his head. His strong muscular chest was shown and down below, wore a dark green toga. 'Daedalus, is that you?' Hercules asked the older male as his hands were around Zack's shoulder. But the elderly man ignored him and looked down at the hole.
'Icarus, can you hear me?' Zack didn't let his eyes wondered away from the hole as a small human came up.
'WOW, can I do that again?' The man was small with very fizzy black hair.
'Are you nuts? You are lucky that you didn't crushed Mr.,' the boy looked at Hercules and become speechless. 'Herc-herc, you're Hercules, aren't you?' He pointed and then looked at small man from the hole. 'Thanks a lot Dad; you just had to embarrass me in front of the greatness hero of my time.'
'Don't worry about, some things never change,' Hercules laughed at Icarus. Icarus just noticed that his best and only pal from high school was standing right behind him.
'HERC, how's it going? Long time, no see, Buddy.' He crawled out of his hole and, before he knew it, he was in a choke hold with the strongest man in the world. Hercules placed his knuckles on his fizzy hair giving him a childish noogie. 'Miss you too, buddy.' Zack stared at his father. He figured that this small man was his best friend. Zack made a small cough in his throat. Hercules released his gripped and let Icarus breathe. 'Sorry Zack, Icarus, Zack, Zack Icarus,' Hercules introduced his son.
'Hey, I heard about you, the guy who flew too close to the sun, right?' Icarus was about to replied when the younger boy spoke.
'That would be him and unfortunately, I'm his son.' The boy punched his father on the shoulder. 'When were you planning on telling me that you knew the mighty Hercules?'
'Sorry, little buddy. Hercules, this is my little buddy, Dram.' Hercules broke into a smile as he saw the boy.
'Pleasure to meet you, Dram,' Hercules extended his hand and Dram shocked it.
'Attention, all ex-students,' a bird like person was talking into a megaphone. 'I'm this school guidance counsellor, Mr Parenthesis Junior. Please enter the cafeteria, lunch has been prepared.' Hercules, Zack, Daedalus, Dram and Icarus entered into the cafeteria. 'There you two are. We were looking around for you.' Meg and Alexis walked towards them but three other women were with them.
'CASSANDRA!' Icarus screamed at the top of his lungs. He raced to her; a strong, tall man appeared behind her. He had brown hair that was smooth and gorgeous dark brown eyes. His perfect lips pressed lightly against her check. Icarus stopped dead in his tracks. 'Hercules,' she smiled warmly at him.
'Cassandra, how are you?' Hercules hugged the seer. Hercules noticed a change in old high school friend. She was happy, actually happy.
'I've could never been happier,' Cassandra said with a side of joy and happiness. 'Oh, by the way, this is my husband, Evander.' The man shocked Hercules' hand. A warm smile came onto his face.
'Well, Cassandra did say I was going to meet a celebrity.' Icarus was standing there with the bottom half of his mouth touching the ground.
'Hi, Evander,' he said between his teeth.
'Icarus, I don't want the same thing to happen with Melampus or with any other guy she has been with.' Hercules bowed him, 'faced it. She has moved on.' Icarus signed deeply and shocked his hand.
'Mum, we came, we saw, can we go home now,' a small girl about Alexis and Zack's age showed up.
'Are you nuts? I'm having the time of my life.' Another girl came and stood beside the first girl.
'Oh, I how could forget about you guys. These are my twin daughters, Charma and Lissa.' Charma wore a dark purple chiton with a hit of grey mixed in. She wore her brown hair down with a matching headband. She seemed depressed. Lissa, on the other hand, was the happiest person in the world. She wore a light yellow chiton and her auburn hair was in pink tails. 'Hi Zack,' Lissa said cheerful. 'Alexis told me who you are.' Zack just waved with a weak smile.
'Hey Zack, who's your friend,' Alexis asked him. Zack looked around and realized he was talking about Dram.
'Oh, this is Dram. Dram this is my brother Alexis.' Alexis extended his hand and Dram accepted it.
'Now that everyone knows everyone, let's dig in. I'm staving.' Hercules suggested as he point to the table, inviting them to eat.
Once their bodies were satisfied with the meal that was prepared, the adults began to discuss past experiences. Everyone started to pick on each other. They started with Icarus, who was telling most of his embarrassing moments as if they would his greatness achievements. Then they went to Cassandra. Moments were spilled even before Hercules came to their high school. Now it was the great hero's turn, much to Alexis and Zack's delight. 'Ok, it now it's Hercules' turned.' Cassandra smirked at her famous friend. Hercules went bright red when she looked at him.
'Oh, please do tell,' Alexis moved closer so he couldn't miss any details spoken, he was waiting for his dad's turn since the conversation began.
'Do we have to do this?' Hercules was very nervous; the last thing he wanted was for his kids to know his embarrassing moments.
'Oh, c'mon Herc, everyone had their turn and now it's yours,' Cassandra encouraged him. Hercules paused for a moment, he bit his lip. Then he noticed that Icarus and Cassandra's children were outside playing, which gave him an idea. 'Hey, why do you, guys, go outside and play with Dram, Charma and Lissa?' Alexis and Zack didn't want to go outside; they wanted to about his teenage life.
'C'mon dad,' Zack begged him.
'We sat here listen to everyone else's,' Alexis argued.
'But when it comes to you, we have to leave.' Zack whined. Meg understood why Hercules wanted them to leave. She had to go behind his back because he was embarrassed to even talk about it.
'Right you two, let's go,' Meg got up and pushed them outside. Then she whispered in their ears, 'I'll give all the juicy details, later.' With a smirk on each of their faces, she returned back inside.
'Perhaps the most exciting thing that ever happened since we got here, we can't even hear it,' Alexis hated this.
'Yeah, I know but at least mum going to give us all the details,' Zack was bit disappointed but what else could they do. 'C'mon, let's go see what Dram up to.'
They found him near a fountain, talking to Charma and Lissa. 'Hey, guys,' Zack waved at them.
'Thank the gods, finally I can talk to my own species.' Dram was grateful that he could talk some boys.
'And what are we, dogs,' Charma felt insulted. 'Nah, you guys are more like cats,' Alexis joked. Zack, Dram and Lissa laughed. Charma punched Lissa on the shoulder.
'Ow, what was that for?' Lissa questioned her sister as she rubbed her arm.
'They just insulted us,' Charma was angry with her sister's lack of mind.
'C'mon it was only a joke,' Lissa giggled. Then her eyes were glowing, her lips began to move uncontrollably, forming words. 'Dead will take the Mighty Hero.' Then it stopped and she returned back to normal. 'Wow, I hope that doesn't happen,' she said cheerfully. Alexis, Zack and Dram were gave her a weird look,
'Ok, what just happen?' Alexis asked Lissa. But before she could say anything, the same thing just happen to her sister. Instead different words came out of her mouth.
'New heroes will rise when evil returns.' Now the boys were freaked out,
'tell me this is something that only twins can do.' Dram looked at Alexis and Zack.
'We just finish each other's sentences,' Alexis raised his eyebrow.
'This has never happen to us,' Zack told him without taking his eyes off Charma and Lissa.
'Look, we're seers, ok?' Charma tried to explain.
'Yeah, we just had a vision. We can see into the future, usually it the not too distance future.' Lissa had said it like it was the most normal thing in the world. 'Charma sees the wonderful and super duper things and I see all the unfortunate events.' She was so cheerful about it, which made it even freakier.
'Ok, we are just going to go over here for while,' Alexis pushed Zack and Dram away from them.
'That was weird,' Zack confessed when they were as far away from them as the school's boarders would allow.
'My dad keeps on telling me that their mum is a seer too, but she see all the bad stuff like Lissa.' Dram explained. 'They must have inherited from her.'
'Personally, I don't want to talk, let alone, think about it,' Alexis wanted to change the subject as he looked behind him. As he looked in front of him, he bumped into a hard and strong figure. He fell down on his butt. 'Ow,' Alexis rubbed his head.
Then a spear was rested underneath his chin. 'Do you challenge me, boy?' A girl that was well built questioned Alexis. She had a tanned body, hair was black and up in a pony tail. She wore a dark green chiton which cut off at her lower thigh and a sword at her side. 'Xena, what is the meaning of this?' A similar woman stood next to the girl. She a golden girdle covered the top part of her body.
'Mother, this boy was challenging me to a fight.' Her voice was strong but obedient. Alexis got up and quickly threw his hands in the air, to show he didn't want to be hurt.
'I didn't challenge you, I bumped into you.' Xena's mother forced her to lower her spear. Then she spoke strongly to Alexis,
'Beware of the princess of the Amazons, daughter of Tempest, for next time you might not be so lucky.' She walked away with Xena following close behind her. Alexis turned around to faced Zack and Dram.
'It's an official; girls are the weirdest creatures on the planet.'
Soon the boys became bored of just walking around. 'Hey, maybe we could eardrop on the conversation that dad kicks us out of,' suggested Zack.
'They would be finished by now,' Alexis told Zack.
'We don't know that for sure,' Zack was really eager to see, 'and besides the best bits are always at the end.' He began to walk quickly towards the cafeteria.
'You want to tag along, Dram?' Alexis asked him not really caring what his answer was.
'Do I have anything better to do?'
All of the three quietly, sneaked into the cafeteria. They manage to get under the table where they the adults were talking. In the smell of wood and feet, they listen to the discussion they were having. 'Hey, remember the time Triton came to school and you showed them around,' Icarus said. 'Man, it was like having two Herculeses within the school.'
'Who is Triton?' Dram asked the twins as soon as heard his father say his name.
'He is the son of Poseidon, god of the seas,' Zack explained.
'How do you know?'
'Dad made us take extra lessons on the gods. He is really keen on us knowing the gods inside out,' Alexis whispered to Dram.
'I have a better one. What about the time when Icarus, Adonis, Pegasus, Pain and Hercules were all turned into babies?' Cassandra laughed.
'Hey, you promised never to talk about that.' Hercules argued.
'Actually, I've never heard that one before. Wonder boy, how come you didn't tell me,' Meg smirked at him.
'One, because that was like the mother of my embarrassing moments and second, I don't remember much,' Hercules groaned.
'Oh, don't worry Herc, I remember everything,' Cassandra smiled evilly.
'Just get it over and done with,' Hercules begged. Cassandra began to tell the tale of the Spring of Canathus. She described everything that had occurred and didn't miss any detail. Alexis, Zack and Dram covered their months and trying to fight back the laughter. Their throats were becoming very tight and filling with air. It was like a bomb that had exploded with their lungs, endless amount of laughter came from underneath the table.
All the adults looked under the table. Alexis, Zack and Dram were rolling on the floor with laughter. 'How long you were guys under there?' Hercules asked his sons.
'Long enough, dad, long enough,' Alexis answered in between his laughs.