"Wonderboy is no more folks!" Hades cackled.
Galatea snapped her head towards Hades, like an angry lioness. She ran up to the unsuspecting Hades and punched him. He actually was affected and the gods were let go. Hera and Zeus cried, mourning their beloved son and the rest of gods looked on solemnly.
Meg's crying droned on.
Hercules was dead. Galatea turned back to her parents and walked over slowly to her mother. She sunk to the ground beside Meg and they cried, holding eachother as they mourned. But Hades interrupted.
"Well- this didn't work. But I do get this prize and another prize…I have an appointment with fate. You have a friend who's dying to see you."
Galatea snapped out of it. "Athes."
She got up and ran to Pegasus and hurried on. She told Pegasus to go, and with one last look at Hercules, they left. They went as fast as Pegasus' wings could take them.
But when they got there, Phil had a sad look on his face.
"No!" She gasped as she hopped off Pegasus. She ran over. "Athes!" She curled into a ball.
"Gal…You're tough. I know it hurts now…You looked distressed before…Where's…" Phil stopped. He understood. They'd lost him. "Galatea…Herc was a good kid. In the end, things never change."
"They do." Galatea stood up, the eyes of Hercules blazing bright with fury and determination.
"Where's my father? And Athes!" Galatea demanded, riding in on Cerberus.
Hades chuckled. This girl lost the two people she valued most in her life, and she still kept it together enough to face off a god without her otherworldly powers. He knew he'd already won.
"This way, c'mon." He showed her River Styx.
"You love deals. Take me. Let them go," she offered as she saw Hercules and Athes' souls floating around.
"Sure…but…one for one. Only one comes out. Choose wisely. Get one of them out- they go…you stay."
Galatea gulped and looked at the two people she loved and dived in.
"Oh wait! You'll be dead before you reach either of them! Not a problem right girlie?" Hades called after she was in the water already.
She saw Athes and then Hercules. She gulped and knew what was the right thing to do. She went after her father. She aged rapidly, growing weak. The Fates got ready to cut Galatea's thread of life…and….it wouldn't cut!
"What is wrong with these scissors!" one asked.
"The thread won't cut!" Said one, pulling on the string.
"2nd time in 16 years!" the final one spoke.
Galatea came out holding Herc's soul. Her strength was restored completely and she punched Hades into River Styx. She then dumped a few gallons of leafy water into the river. What a horrid great-uncle! At least he wouldn't remember anything. She returned to Olympus and revived Hercules.
"Gal? Meg?" he asked.
"Hercules!" Meg breathed and she pulled him to her in a kiss. Galatea watched her parents. She, still mortal turned to leave to tell Adonis and Helen the news and she suddenly glowed an orange light.
"You are a goddess now. The goddess of light and all that's pure." Zeus and Hera told her. "You sacrificed yourself to save your father, and everyone is grateful. You weren't selfish. You didn't choose Athes."
Galatea had to choose. A mortal life- with Phil, Pegasus, and her parents…or an immortal life on Olympus as a goddess- with her grandparents. But neither held Athes. Both felt…empty.
"You proved yourself today because you chose to save me instead of Athes. Thinking only of your mother and I…and everyone but yourself. Sometimes the right thing is different from what you want." Hercules told his daughter., holding Megara to his side. She nodded.
"I've made my decision. I choose…immortality." Galatea closed her eyes for a second- waiting for someone to pop out and say- IT WAS ALL A DREAM! But that didn't happen. "Sometimes you have to let go of what you love." she looked at her parents.
Aphrodite looked at their sullen new goddess as she hugged her parents goodbye and saw a few tears escape the forever-young goddess. She was upset that true love had not come to their new goddess. She drifted over to Zeus and whispered something in his ear as Gal furiously hugged Phil. And when she was hugging Pegasus, Zeus smiled and nodded to the goddess of love and beauty.
"Pegasus- you can visit whenever you want." Galatea told the crying horse. But she cried too.
"Alright Galatea. Your bravery and heart is rewarded with a second chance…at love." And she let go of Pegasus to see Athes standing before her. She saw Athes turn the color of the gods and glow. An immortal?
"To be with you." Zeus answered her quiet thought. "Please note- I don't make second chances very often and making a mortal a god is an extreme one time thing. Do you hear me?"
"Yeah Grandpa. I'll owe you forever!" And she hugged Athes. "I can't believe you're here." She griped him. "I thought I'd lost you."
"Never Galatea. I love you."
And then hand in hand, the new gods walked through the gates into Olympus, and their clothes changed. Galatea's tunic became a shining white and Athes' outfit was golden. She never, ever wanted to let go of his hand. They had all eternity to enjoy this magical, fantastical land.