Ok peeps, same deal third story (and it's a good one!) ok, fifth if you want to get technical about it… I don't own Disney's Hercules (unfortunately) but Persephone, Thanatos and all the other original characters and places that pop-up belong to me…
This story takes things from both the film and the series while it also contains some carrying themes from it's forerunners; Plight of Persephone & Daddy's Little Hellraiser (plus a few things from both short stories too) so read them first… Also, because constantly being asked the same questions is starting to grate me: please don't rely on Greek Myths, this is Disney and they twisted a lot of myths around, I have done the same and explanations can be found in my Little Notes sections in relative chaps… having said that though, some knowledge will kind of give you a small glimpse into where this fic is heading..
Little hint: if you haven't read it's forerunners then you will get confused because some things that have happened in past fics are coming back in this fate-filled fic..
And a little reminder… Disney twisted a lot of myths for their storylines so I have to do some minor tweaking of my own to make this work…
…enjoy x
Review Reply:
AngelOfDarkness1959: No worries, just grateful for the review. Been busy myself so know how it is! Pain and Panic really are great big brothers… Once again poor Mel has been pushed aside in favour of her brother X
BlackDiamond07: Again, your gonna have to wait until Hades is over this 'obsession' with Thanatos' scheming to find out… the fiery god is getting suspicious of his son X
DiscordantPrincess: I'm sure Hades doesn't mean to forget about his daughter, he just has a one-track mind and when Hades is suspicious everything else goes out the window, so to speak. I gotta say though, I think Pain and panic would be offended by the 'Ben and Jerry's' comment… but they are super big brothers for sticking up for Para X
Fireleaf: Hmmm, I've never even considered a Hermes/Cya pairing before. Though I'm sure I wrote somewhere she had the hots for Apollo… Maia (Hermes' mother would be thrilled by the set). It's nice to see you so keen on the couple and I can see it, they have the same sort of friendly personality, even though Cyane is definitely much shier than Hermes… X
Nyx27Seth: Yup… Than looks at Playgod! And I don't want to know what Than looks at, with only the choice of immortal or dead the god could be into anything! And that argument between the imp brothers gave me a massive migraine! X
Coldblue: Yeh, in the next two chaps it will definitely happen! X
Wonderwomanbatmanfan: Yes indeed it is! After this chap! X
The Importance of Thanatos
Dedicated to all who survived the end of the world: Merry Christmas…. Love Ditzy Xx
Chapter Fifty-Two:A Princess arrives in Thebes
Iole arrived at the villa of Hercules a few days later just as agreed. The young princess had never been outside the city of Pherae before so staying with this family and learning to fend for herself was going to be a whole new experience, one the princess had actually been looking forward to. Not only was she going to be living in the home of the living legend Hercules and his nice family but she was also getting the chance to discover things for herself without her parents or their servants citing proper royal etiquette to her.
Hercules welcomed Iole warmly and ushered the dark-blonde princess inside, taking her large trunk of belongings and lifting it as if it were merely a grocery bag. As usual his feat of strength impressed the young princess and her candy-pink lips curled into a perfect 'o' shape. She'd always heard he was strong but had never actually seen him perform anything before. It had taken two struggling servants just to carry her trunk to the front door.
'Wow Mr Hercules..' Iole sounded in her soft well-mannered voice. '-you really are strong.'
'Heh, I know.' Hercules replied casually, he was used to comments about his strength when people first saw him lift heavy things.. 'For some reason people always think that my strength is just a rumour but you'll get used to seeing it the longer you're here.' He flashed her a warm boyish smile and the young princess smiled back, some of her initial nerves about living with a new family fading.
'So, is it really true you're actually a son of Zeus?' Iole asked curiously, unable to help herself. Hercules put her large trunk down at the foot of the large staircase to the second floor of the villa and turned to look at the young princess. Iole immediately flushed with slight embarrassment thinking she'd gone to far, her parents had often scolded her for prying too far into people's affairs… apparently it wasn't 'proper' for a princess to ask questions concerning one's private life. The middle-aged hero only smiled warmly towards her and her fears about her question melted away.
'No. That, I'm afraid, is just a rumour..' Hercules replied lightly, though inside his gut twisted uncomfortably. When he and Meg had decided to keep the gods out of Hyllos' life they'd also agreed that he would also believe that Alcmene and Amphitryon were his true grandparents. Though initially unhappy about this both Zeus and Hera agreed it was for the best, any godly blood in Hyllos would be very faint and he would most likely live a mortal life like his mother Meg.
'Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry..' The young princess said softly, instantly apologising for her curiosity.
'Ah, it's alright Princess Iole..' Hercules waved her off with a smirk. '-if you don't ask you'll never know.'
'Iole..' The young princess corrected the hero. 'Please just call me Iole.' She smiled sweetly at the hero.
'Alright. Iole.' He then gestured her to follow him. 'Well, everyone's been looking forward to you coming and their just as eager as me to get you settled. Let's go say hi.' He led the young princess through the large villa out towards the veranda at the back of the house. Hercules hoped that Meg would at least make the effort to be civil to Iole, she'd been acting strangely frosty ever since finding out the young girl was going to be staying with them for a year. Despite living in the lap of luxury in Pherae the young girl couldn't help but be impressed by the comfort that Hercules lived in, he certainly made a decent living from his heroic deeds.
Iole barely got to see what the veranda or the outside garden of Hercules' home looked like when a girlish shriek of joy and something small and green shot towards her and enveloped her in a massive bear hug.
'Ahhh! I've been looking forward to meeting this girl!' The excitable voice of the green being squealed in delight. She turned out to be a forest nymph with ever-green coloured hair, dark eyes and wearing a deep wine coloured chiton. 'Let me look at you cherry-blossom!' The green-skinned nymph then took Iole by the face and began to examine her. The nymph's dark rose-coloured lips then widened into a girly smile and she let go of Iole squealing in delight again. The princess looked utterly confused by this.
'Ooh, she's so pretty! Isn't she Hyllos?' The green-skinned nymph then turned and winked at the son of Hercules who had been lounging with a homework scroll. He actually flushed at the nymph's teasing expression.
'Oh I, uh..' He started but was spared trying to string a sentence together by his father who cut across him.
'Hey, don't embarrass the kids Syrinx.' Hercules sounded with a slight laugh and a wide smile as both Iole and Hyllos were flushed a slight pink shade. Meg, who had been sitting by her son with a fiction-scroll in her lap, rolled her violet eyes at this.
'Iole this is Syrinx, she used to date my late coach Phil and has been a friend of the family for years.' Hercules sounded introducing the princess to his nymph friend.
'Eighteen years to be exact honeysuckle.' The forest nymph threw the hero a cheeky-yet-girly smile. She was now the only one in the villa who knew Hercules in the awkward stage of his adolescent years.
'Yeh, I know..' Hercules rolled his eyes before his attention turned to his wife who had purposely kept her eyes on the fiction-scroll in her lap. 'And I'm sure you remember my wife Meg..' He smiled kindly to the princess and Iole smiled girlishly at the middle-aged wife of Hercules.
'Of course, hello Mrs Hercules..' The young dark-blonde maiden sounded respectfully and Meg's eyes looked straight at the young girl in front of her.
'Yeh, hi there..' She sounded in a clipped tone before turning back to her reading.
'Honey..' Hercules sounded with a slightly anxious smile, his tone hinting at a reprimand. '-be nice.' Megara's violet eyes instantly turned to her husbad's blue ones and she dropped the scroll onto the stone bench beside her.
'Oh. I'm sorry where are my manners..' Meg's voice sounded in a falsely sweet tone before her face set into a cool look once more. 'I have laundry to do.' She immediately pushed passed her husband and headed down the steps of the veranda and around the corner of the building to where the outside laundry building was located.
'Meg..' Hercules called out but his wife ignored him.
'Let her go Hercules..' Syrinx sounded lightly. 'She'll be fine.'
Hercules sighed heavily and put a hand against his face wearily. He'd hoped Meg might warm up to the idea of having another girl around the house but his wife remained oddly cold. She'd always had trust issues before but she'd usually give people a chance first..
'Uh, hiya Iole..' A nervous young voice brought Hercules out of his stupor to find his son greeting the princess timidly. '-it-uh it's nice to see you again.' He smiled anxiously as his hand rubbed the back of his neck. Iole tittered in a friendly fashion.
'It's nice to see you too Hyllos.' She then flushed a little. 'I still have the bear you gave me.'
'You do?' Hyllos blinked his violet eyes in amazement.
'Sure. I brought him with me..' She sounded lightly.
'Tell you what Hyl..' Hercules sounded, instantly reminding the kids that he and Syrinx were still there.'-why don't you show Iole around while Syrinx and I finish getting her room ready.'
'Your in the one next to me sweet pea.' The forest nymph sounded playfully.
'Heh, ok Syrinx you can show her to her room later but for now let's just leave the kids to it..'
'Oh, alright Mister Bossy Sandals..' Syrinx sounded with a mock-pout before her bright cheery self instantly returned. 'Catch you saplings later..' She waved them off.
'Have fun..' Hercules said warmly before he and Syrinx headed inside the villa, leaving the two teens to it.
'Don't they just make the cutest couple..' Syrinx trilled happily, clutching her green fingers together.
'Yeh..' Hercules replied lightly before a slightly saddened look crossed his face. 'I just wish Meg could see it too.'
'Aw, she'll come around honeysuckle..' Syrinx replied lightly. 'You'll see..'
'I hope so Syrinx, I really do..'
A few days later things had not really changed much in the villa of Hercules as Iole tried to get used to her new surroundings.. The young princess bonded instantly with Syrinx who taught the thirteen year old girl all the basics behind putting on her own make up, coordinating her clothes with accessories and styling her own hair. Iole had always had these things done for her by servants but her pale blue eyes lit up with delight at the chance to finally choose how she wanted to look. As well as this Syrinx also taught Iole about gardening, which had always been a passion of hers being a nymph.
'You used to know the goddess Persephone?' Iole blinked in amazement as Syrinx was now showing her how to care for flower bushes.
'Oh sure. We used to always run into each other at the Harvest Moon festival in Satyrville, but that was before she married the ol' Pyro-God an' moved herself on down to the big basement. Y'know my Philly-Goat never understood why a gal like that would wanna be with a blow-heart like him but she musta seen somethin' in that guy the rest of us missed.' Syrinx sounded brightly. Iole had learnt early on that this forest nymph was quite talkative but her bubbly, friendly nature made her impossible to find irritating.
'What do you mean?' The young princess asked as she fiddled with the rose-bush in front of her. Iole's pale blue eyes widened in interest.
'Well sugar-bean, I've seen them both together since gettin' hitched and between you an' me she has definitely tamed those flames.'
'Really?' Iole gasped in incredulity, she'd heard about the Lord of the Underworld with his firm judgement and unswayable attitude, this seemed so far-fetched to her.
'Just shows what the love of a good woman can do. Even to a god like Hades..' Syrinx beamed happily as she caught Iole glancing off in the direction of Hyllos distractedly as the red-headed boy was messing around with the winged-horse Pegasus in one of the lower gardens.
'Ouch!' The young princess squealed out as she accidentally pricked her finger on one of the thorns of the rose-bush.
'Here, let me take a look.' Syrinx said lightly taking Iole's dainty wrist and looking at the cut. 'Oh, it's just a scratch.' She then smirked. 'That'll teach you to keep your mind on what your doin' instead of up on cloud nine.' The nymph teased her lightly causing the princess to blush fiercely. At this point the two of them went back to pruning there rose-bushes.
Later Iole was with Hyllos and Pegasus, standing at the foot of the large tree the winged-horse had built a nest in. The princess had initially been confused about the fact that Pegasus would want to nest in a tree rather than live in a stable but Hyllos informed her that the winged-horse had always been a little more 'bird-brained' than the average horse. Today the two of them were grooming Pegasus as part of the preparations for the Buphonia Festival at the end of the week. Hyllos tossed Iole one hand brush as he took the other and the pair began brushing down Pegasus. The winged-horse made a strange purring noise like a cooing pigeon as they ran their brushes over him.
'So. H-how are you liking it here?' The nearly fourteen-year old son of Hercules asked in a kind but nervous voice.
'It's different, but in a good way.' Iole smiled sweetly at him. 'Everyone's so nice but..' She trailed off at this point, pausing because she wasn't sure if she should say the last part.
'But what?' Hyllos asked her concerned.
'Between you and me, I don't think your mom likes me very much.' Iole confessed with a shy voice, pausing in her brushing of Pegasus.
'What?' Hyllos yelped out in surprise as Pegasus whinnied out in shock, both of them looking at her confused.
'Well, she always avoids me. It's like she thinks I'm invading her home or something.'
'Hah, don't be silly, my mom's not like that..' The red-headed boy sounded, laughing affectionately at this. 'She's just a little guarded with new people. Have you tried talking to her?'
'Um, no.' The princess replied.
'Well there you go.' Hyllos added brightly. 'Try talking to her. Mom's probably just waiting for you to go to her. She's not very good at making the first move in conversation, she prefers it when you start one with her..'
'You really think that would work?' Iole said, kinking a curious brow.
'Can't hurt to try right?' Hyllos sounded lightly.
'Thanks Hyllos, I'll try talking to her later..' The princess smiled at him before returning to brushing Pegasus' hide.
Once the young princess was done helping out Hyllos with his chores she wandered back inside the villa to see if she could locate Megara. When she didn't find the wife of Hercules in the kitchen or the pantry she began to wander through the villa looking for her. She'd be somewhere in the large home doing housework. Meg's refusal to hire help to assist in the housework impressed Iole, Meg was almost like Hestia herself. The place was spotless and she'd love to learn homemaking skills from her, the wife of Hercules must have had one Tartarus of a teacher.
As Iole arrived in the living room, finding it minus Meg, the front door to the villa opened and Hercules appeared through the door. The middle-aged hero was waving out to some unseen person on the outside of the house.
'Good luck with your expedition in Persia Alex, you'll have to write and let me know how you get on..' Hercules called out the door and Iole quickly realised that the hero was saying his goodbyes to his protégé Alexander the Great who had recently announced he'd be leaving for Persia on the orders of the King of Macedonia on some kind of mission… though Alexander had been sketchy on the exact details.
'If I remember to..' Came Alexander's faint but jovial response. '-see ya when I get back coach!'
'Alright but don't forget about hero rule number twenty four!' The hero yelled out.
''Don't start something you can't finish!' I know, I know… bye Hercules.' Alexander called back and the sound of a chariot moved from outside. Hercules sighed heavily as he shut the door.
'Well remember it this time..' He muttered to himself not realising the young Pherae princess was nearby…
…At the same moment hidden behind one of the large purple window drapes…
Paranoia had been assessing the situation that Jealousy and Envy had created. Ever since the Resentment Twins had been told off by their older siblings they had been nothing but supportive to the little blue imp and once Paranoia had done a little training with his older brother Panic he was ready to inspect the damage.
'I'm sorry guys..' The little royal blue imp sounded in a soft voice. '-but there's nothing here I can really use as a starting point.'
'Whatta ya mean there's nothin' ya can use?' Jealousy hissed in a hushed venomous tone so not to be heard by the mortals on the other side of the drape.
'Yeh, we've been busting our tails out here!' Envy sounded.
'A-and it shows fellas..' Paranoia held up his dainty claws in defeat, not wanting to provoke his older brothers. '-what I meant was your just not quite there yet, I need one final nudge to push his wife over the edge.'
'Like what?' Jealousy shot at his brother with a scowl which was mirrored by Envy. Ever since the two of them had been told to back off Paranoia had become a little braver with them.
'I dunno, something that makes all the resentment inside of her boil over.' Paranoia sounded with a wide smirk.
'You want us to push her to the edge of her sanity?' Envy suddenly kinked a brow with intrigue before a wide smirk twisted on his features.
'Yes, exactly!' Paranoia replied eagerly.
'You got somethin' bro?' Jealousy asked his brother curiously. Envy then smirked widely flashing his two brothers a devious look.
'Oh yeh. Jealousy, here's what I need ya to do..' Envy then began hissing something in his horned ear. His twin threw his brother a nasty smirk once he'd finished whispering his idea.
'Bro, you are an evil genius.' Jealousy sounded impressed.
'I know..' Envy smirked widely. 'Now get going, we don't have much time.'
'Aye, aye bro..' Jealousy replied smirking then vanishing in a shimmer of bright green.
…At the same time the imps were plotting…
'I'm sure he'll be fine Hercules.' Iole sounded kindly causing the hero's baby blue eyes to widen in surprise.
'Oh. Iole. I didn't realise you were there..' The red-headed man with a few lingering slivers hairs instantly turned to her looking slightly self-conscious, reminding Iole of Hyllos. 'Heh, your right. He'll be fine, I'm just worrying too much. Starting to know how Phil felt when I used to battle monsters.' He sighed at this point looking momentarily glum before it melted back into a boyish smirk. 'So what are you doing here anyway, I thought you were helping Hyllos out with his chores?'
'I was.' The princess replied with a smile. 'But they're finished now and I was looking for your wife, you wouldn't have any idea where I could find her?' Hercules thought about this for a moment then smiled.
'Couldn't say for sure but she'll be around here somewhere, she likes to keep herself busy.' The hero sounded in a friendly tone. 'Can I help you with anything in the meantime?'
'Oh, no. I just wanted to talk to her.' Iole replied politely.
'Ahh. I'm sure she'll turn up eventually.' Hercules said lightly before adding conversationally. 'So are you looking forward to the Buphonia Festival?'
'Um, I don't think I'm going.' Iole sounded in a slightly glum voice. 'Syrinx isn't going and neither is your wife so I don't know if I'm allowed to go.' The princess flushed slightly.
'Not allowed?' Hercules sounded confused before he began laughing in amusement. 'Don't be silly, you can go if you want.' The hero added seriously.
'I can?' Iole perked up instantly. She'd never been to an ox-slaying festival dedicated to Zeus before and was quite curious to see what it was like, however back in Pherae she wasn't allowed to go if her mother was not attending… it was considered wrong for girls to go out when the lady of the house didn't approve.
'Sure. Just because Syrinx and Meg are both against ox slaying and stay behind in protest doesn't mean you have to stay behind too. I take Hyllos every year to pay our respects to Zeus and your more than welcome to come with us.' The middle-aged hero continued carelessly. The young princess could hardly contain her excitement at his words and immediately she ran up to him, wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him tight.
'Ooh, thank you, thank you, you're the best Hercules!' She squealed out excitably, still clutching him tight.
'Um, your welcome Iole.' Hercules sounded lightly as he hugged her back with a gentle smile, surprised but pleased that she was so happy about going to this festival.
At the top of the stairs, unbeknown to either Iole of Hercules, Meg was standing staring down at the two of them hugging. Her rosy pink lips open in surprise and her violet eyes wide with a mixture of shock and horror. It was like all her worst fears had come to life…
…behind her Jealousy smirked widely to his brothers, who were poking their heads out the curtain, then flashed them an 'oh-kay' hand gesture.
Paranoia threw a twisted leer at the horrifies wife of Hercules.
'Now this, I can work with..' He drawled appreciatively, like someone admiring a work of art.
Little Notes:
Ok peeps, have yourselves a Merry Christmas… this is the last chap I'll be writing before then, may write another in between Xmas and New Year but not sure yet…
Anyway, this chapter is just the set up for my next chapter entitled: The Madness of Megara which hopefully will be up soon…
Stay tuned… and in case I don't update before new year good luck in 2013!
~Ditzy X
