Herc blinked his eyes as he slowly came to. His somewhat groggy mind kept him from panicking as he tried to figure out what was going on. For some reason he felt very light, almost as if he was weightless, and he wondered if this is what one felt like after drowning and being eaten by a giant fish. The last thing he remembered was sinking in the water, and he wondered why he wasn't begging a ride across the river Stix from Charon by now.
After a moment, he realized that he was breathing, and that instead of breathing through his nose as he was acustomed to do, he was breathing through his mouth. On the heels of that discovery, he found out that someone was clinging to him with their lips locked to his. His eyes slowly focused underwater and he saw that the being he was mouth to mouth with was a certain blond mermaid. ::Not a bad way to wake up:: he thought to himself. Then he mentally grinned, ::Iolaus is going to be *so* jealous::
It was much too soon, in Herc's opinion, that they reached the surface of the pond. He reluctantly broke away from Cemia and they climbed onto shore. After catching his breath, he glanced at Mia who was sitting near him. It was then that he realized just what she had done. He had no idea whet she traded with the gods to give her merform back so she could save him, but whatever she had given up, he was grateful. "Thank you. For saving my life, I mean."
"Thank you for saving mine." Mia replied.
Herc smoothed his wet hair away from his face. "What was the deal?"
Mia watched him for a moment. "I don't know." At his quizzical glance, she elaborated. "Artemis gave me back my sight, but I don't know what the price is yet. I am to go to her sacred falls to find out. I may have to pledge my life to her."
Herc's expression softened. "I can't believe you did that for me."
Cemia looked into his eyes, "Whatever the price is, I want you to know that it was worth it to save your life." She smiled. "You're going to grow up to be a great man, Hercules. A hero. You will save many people. I know that whatever the price Artemis asks of me, it is less than what would happen to the world if you no longer existed to fulfill your destiny."
He lifted his had to caress her cheek. "Thank you." he said again.
"You're welcome." she murmmered.
Without really realizing it, he drifted closer to her, and she followed suit. Blue met green as they lost themselves in eachother's eyes. Closer still they leaned, and slowly they closed their eyes. Two pairs of lips drifted closer... and closer... and were about to meet...
"Herc!" Someone shouted. Hercules and Cemia haistily broke away and saw Iolaus running over a hill toward them. A moment later, many Corinthian guards appeared over the hill.
"I thought... we might need... the help..." Iolaus gasped as he tried to catch his breath and explain at the same time. He wondered why his both his friends were flustered, and why Herc was acting just like he did whenever Iolaus walked in on him and Cyane. Surely Herc and Mia weren't... were they? ::How come Herc always gets the girl?:: Iolaus grumbled half-heartedly.
The guards caught up to the threesome, and looked around for the fish. Not seeing their adversary, the head guard stepped forward and spoke to the two soaked cadets. "Then the monster has been defeated?"
"Yeah." Herc replied.
"In that case," The guard and his men smiled, clearly glad not to have to fight anything today, "King Jason has decreed that there will be a royal celebration of this occasion once you arrive back in Corinth."
Herc and Mia grinned and Iolaus shouted, "Party at the palace!"
After a moment, he realized that he was breathing, and that instead of breathing through his nose as he was acustomed to do, he was breathing through his mouth. On the heels of that discovery, he found out that someone was clinging to him with their lips locked to his. His eyes slowly focused underwater and he saw that the being he was mouth to mouth with was a certain blond mermaid. ::Not a bad way to wake up:: he thought to himself. Then he mentally grinned, ::Iolaus is going to be *so* jealous::
It was much too soon, in Herc's opinion, that they reached the surface of the pond. He reluctantly broke away from Cemia and they climbed onto shore. After catching his breath, he glanced at Mia who was sitting near him. It was then that he realized just what she had done. He had no idea whet she traded with the gods to give her merform back so she could save him, but whatever she had given up, he was grateful. "Thank you. For saving my life, I mean."
"Thank you for saving mine." Mia replied.
Herc smoothed his wet hair away from his face. "What was the deal?"
Mia watched him for a moment. "I don't know." At his quizzical glance, she elaborated. "Artemis gave me back my sight, but I don't know what the price is yet. I am to go to her sacred falls to find out. I may have to pledge my life to her."
Herc's expression softened. "I can't believe you did that for me."
Cemia looked into his eyes, "Whatever the price is, I want you to know that it was worth it to save your life." She smiled. "You're going to grow up to be a great man, Hercules. A hero. You will save many people. I know that whatever the price Artemis asks of me, it is less than what would happen to the world if you no longer existed to fulfill your destiny."
He lifted his had to caress her cheek. "Thank you." he said again.
"You're welcome." she murmmered.
Without really realizing it, he drifted closer to her, and she followed suit. Blue met green as they lost themselves in eachother's eyes. Closer still they leaned, and slowly they closed their eyes. Two pairs of lips drifted closer... and closer... and were about to meet...
"Herc!" Someone shouted. Hercules and Cemia haistily broke away and saw Iolaus running over a hill toward them. A moment later, many Corinthian guards appeared over the hill.
"I thought... we might need... the help..." Iolaus gasped as he tried to catch his breath and explain at the same time. He wondered why his both his friends were flustered, and why Herc was acting just like he did whenever Iolaus walked in on him and Cyane. Surely Herc and Mia weren't... were they? ::How come Herc always gets the girl?:: Iolaus grumbled half-heartedly.
The guards caught up to the threesome, and looked around for the fish. Not seeing their adversary, the head guard stepped forward and spoke to the two soaked cadets. "Then the monster has been defeated?"
"Yeah." Herc replied.
"In that case," The guard and his men smiled, clearly glad not to have to fight anything today, "King Jason has decreed that there will be a royal celebration of this occasion once you arrive back in Corinth."
Herc and Mia grinned and Iolaus shouted, "Party at the palace!"