Published August 6, 2021
"Spectators"
The triumph of defeating the Titans again, and the jubilation of a father-son victory, was suddenly doused by Hades' taunt as he retreated. Zeus and his comrades caught just a glimpse of Hercules' hatred then, as he mounted Pegasus and started to give chase. But Hades' final words made the winged horse suddenly stop mid-flight; and then Hercules and Pegasus changed direction, racing back to Earth.
As soon as all the gods were accounted for, Zeus demanded answers. "Who was Hades talking about?" he thundered. "Was that a threat?"
Hermes, who had interacted with Hercules and his friends on Earth more than any of the gods, promptly provided a status report. "My lord, Hercules has only a few close friends, and only one of them is seriously injured."
Aphrodite, who knew more or less everything about every mortal's love life, shared more details. "It's the woman he went out with, Megara. She got hurt pushing Hercules to safety. He left her behind to come here and free us."
"So she's dying, now," Hera realized with dismay. She knew, from watching Hercules grow up, that her son had never experienced such a great loss as the death of a close loved one. How would he bear it?
"Will he make it back to her in time?" Zeus asked anxiously.
Aphrodite pursed her lips. "To say goodbye? Maybe. But to save her? He doesn't have that kind of power."
"Can any of us do anything?" the practical Hephaestus asked.
"Perhaps if we asked the Fates—" Hera began, grasping her husband's arm.
Hermes had taken up a position keeping watch, but now he drew in a sharp breath. "It's too late. Look."
As a group, the gods did not often pay attention to the same events on Earth at the same time. But now, they all watched as Hercules returned to Earth, only to find that the woman he loved had died in his absence. He knelt by her corpse, cradled it in his arms and wept.
The lives and deaths of mortals were not generally of great consequence to the gods of Mount Olympus. But they had watched Hercules grow up from infancy, and he had just saved all of them from Hades, thanks to her sacrifice to protect him. Seeing how heartbroken he was, they could not help being moved.
"Poor girl," Athena murmured.
"Poor Hercules," Ares countered.
"This may be one of the hardest lessons he ever learns as a mortal," Demeter said gravely.
Hera shed a few tears, feeling pity for the woman and grief for her son. Zeus drew her into an embrace to comfort her, and for the first time that he could remember, he imagined what it would be like to lose her; the thought made him hold her more tightly. He hid his angry expression over his wife's shoulder. "He wasn't meant for a world of death; he shouldn't have to mourn … and to lose her to Hades, after he did all this!"
"Wait, wait, wait a second, everyone!" Hermes called their attention back to the scene. "Herc is getting up, and he looks—well—angry as hell."
Suddenly Hercules' voice sounded as clearly as if he were standing among them and shouting. "HERMES!"
"Guess that's my cue," Hermes said, getting to his winged feet. He sped off toward Earth, leaving behind the bereaved and bemused deities.
While he was on his errand, the gods began to talk amongst themselves. Hephaestus, Ares, and some others discussed seeking retribution from Hades. Athena and Apollo spoke about how they could prevent another such uprising. Hera pressed Aphrodite for details about Meg and her relationship with Hercules.
"It was short-lived, as you can see," the goddess of love said sympathetically. "But it was real, and it got intense in the end. She was the kind of person who would give up everything for the people she loved."
When Hermes returned, he was agitated. "Hercules is going to the Underworld," he informed them. "He's going to try to bring Meg back."
The news was met with a chorus of incredulous exclamations.
"Doesn't he know how dangerous that is?"
"He does know that he's mortal, doesn't he?"
"Is he suicidal? Does he want to join her in death?"
Aphrodite thought of Meg's previous romantic relationship, and suggested, "Maybe he's going to offer Hades a deal."
"Does he think he can cheat Hades?"
"What if Hades cheats him?"
They all watched Hercules' descent with a strange kind of fascination, wondering how the scene would play out. Never had anything on Earth engaged their attention so much. There was a great deal of exclaiming, and questioning, and anxious muttering.
"He's offering to take her place!"
"What—does he know that that's impossible? Hades is tricking him!"
Zeus was not the brightest of the gods, but he had been waiting so long for his son to learn what it meant to be a true hero, that as soon as Hercules named the terms of the deal, he knew what it meant. "No, it's not impossible," he said. "He's sacrificing himself for her, which means—"
"He'll be a true hero!"
"Then he'll be immortal again!"
"He can do it!"
"He can live, and save her life!"
"And then he can come home to us!" Hera said, looking at Zeus with renewed hope.
As they watched, Zeus gripped her hands like a frightened child. "All of that depends on his strength now—he's aging in the river, and if the Fates cut his string before he reaches her—"
"Come on, Hercules …"
"If anyone can do it, it's you."
"He's almost there—"
"Yes! That's it!"
"He's got her!"
"And he's still alive!"
"He's still young!"
"He's coming out!"
"HE'S OUT!"
"YES! That's my boy!" Zeus exclaimed, his voice booming over the shouts and exclamations among the gods.
More than a few gods cheered when Hercules punched Hades in the face; and even more of them rejoiced when he threw the god of death into the River Styx, where the souls of the dead pulled him down into its depths.
"Does this mean we need to find someone else to run the Underworld?" Hermes asked, ready to add it to the agenda for the next meeting.
Zeus winked at him. "Let's see how Hades does. If he's not out of there in, say, a few centuries, then we'll decide."
"Looks like we have a celebration to prepare for!" Bacchus said eagerly.
Hera grasped her husband's hands, looking at him with more joy than he had seen in her for eighteen years. "Just think, dear: our son will be with us soon!"
"I can bring him up now," Zeus offered, producing a bolt of lightning.
Hera gently restrained his arm. "Let him get Meg's soul back to her body first. And don't just whisk him away. Let her come too, so they can say goodbye."
Author's Note: This chapter is very much inspired by "Wait for Me" and "Wait for Me Reprise" from Hadestown, in which Hermes guides Orpheus to and from the Underworld while everyone watches to see if he can succeed in bringing his love back to life. The movie leaves a lot to be asked about how Hercules made it to the Underworld—is there a physical access point?—so I figured it made sense for Hermes, the patron of travelers and liars, to be his guide. Hermes is seen managing the gods' agenda at their staff meetings in Hercules: The Animated Series.