"HERCULES! HERCULES, LOOK OUT!"

There was a rumbling from above, before Hercules felt someone shove push at him violently, sending him rolling along the floor just as someone hit the space where he once was.

Spinning around, Hercules felt the air leave his body as he spotted a familiar figure lying under a fallen column.

"ALADDIN! NO!" he screamed in desperation, rushing over and straining at the column, his face growing red with the effort of lifting something ten times his own weight. Suddenly, it felt like his skin was knitting back together, the aches and pains disappearing as he managed to lift the column high above his head, gasping in relief.

"What-what just happened?" he gasped, throwing the column over the edge of the cliff.

Aladdin smiled weakly up at him, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, a sign of severe internal injuries, "Jafar… Hades, whoever he is… he-he made a promise remember? He promised I w-w-wouldn't be hurt!"

"Aladdin…" Hercules rushed over, gently lifting Aladdin's head onto his lap, as he tried to avoid hurting the other man any further, "…What-why did you- "

"Are you… always this articulate?"

Hercules couldn't help but chuckle slightly, ignoring the tears streaming down his cheeks, "Why?! W-why would you- "

"- People d-do crazy t-things, when t-they're in l-love." Before Hercules could say anything, Aladdin spoke up again, "Y-You don't have m-much time, y-you c-can still stop H-Hades!"

Phil then moved to sit by him, giving Hercules a reassuring smile. "I'll look after him Hercules… I promise." They both knew it was a promise to be there for Aladdin when he did go… but neither of them were willing to say that out loud.

"You're going to be alright Aladdin…" Hercules whispered, almost desperately, "… Promise me?"

Aladdin simply stared up at him, a soft smile on his face… he couldn't promise anything.

Not wanting to hear any false promises, Hercules rushed over to Pegasus and ordered him to fly to Olympus.

Hades needed to be stopped.

…..

"I swear to you Hades, when I get out of this I- "

He was stopped in his tracks as the rock encased him fully, meaning he was unable to see Hades conjuring up a throne of his own, "I'm the one giving the orders now bolt boy…" he chuckled, conjuring a beer out of thin air, "… and I think I'm going to like it here."

"Don't get too comfortable Hades!"

Hades spun around and growled at the sight of Hercules and Pegasus flying straight towards him.

"Hercules!"

Slicing through the chains with his sword, Hercules smirked, "This oughta even the odds!"

When he realised that all the Gods, aside from Zeus, were now free, Hades screamed in anger and frustration.

"Yes!" Hermes cheered, grabbing Pain and Panic and throwing them into the distance, "Go Hercules!"

"GET THEM!" Hades ordered the Titans, watching as the Lava Titan went on the attack…. spewing lava all over the Lord of the Underworld as he went. "No! Not me, them!"

It was the Ice Titans' turn, his ice breath freezing Hades solid as it attempted to freeze Hercules in mid-air.

"Follow the finger! T-T-t-t-the s-s-schmutz w-w-with t-the h-h-horse!"

Within seconds, Hercules made his way over to where Zeus was being held, and ripped the frozen rock away from the God, bright light shining through until an explosion sent the pieces flying everywhere.

"Excellent work my boy!" Zeus slapped Hercules on the back as Hades screamed in anger and frustration.

Meanwhile, as Hercules was helping the Gods, Pegasus shot down to where Pain and Panic where trying to run away.

"Oh God, please don't hurt us!" Panic begged, "Our intentions were pure!"

"Yeah! We really were attracted to you!"

Needless to say, Pegasus didn't listen.

Grabbing lightning bolts out of the air, Zeus cackled in glee, "Time to watch your old man work!" He bellowed, as the Titans visibly took a step back…. Before running away.

"GET YOUR TITANIAN REARS BACK HERE!" Hades ordered, "GET THEM IN GEAR AND KICK SOME OLYMPIAN BUTT!"

He then felt a cool breeze on his head.

"Woah, did my hair go out?"

…

Grabbing the end of the Tornado Titan, Hercules span it around until it was facing the other Titans, quickly sucking them into the tornado, before he started to swirl the tornado around and around and around, mixing them all together… and then letting go.

The Titans shot up into the sky, shooting off into the distance and disappearing without a trace.

"Yes! That's my boy!" Zeus cheered, slapping his son on the back as Hercules whooped in glee.

"Thanks a ton Wonder boy" He heard Hades snarl from above, "But at least I've got one, small consolation prize! A friend of yours, who's dying to see me!"

Hercules, who was chasing after Hades on Pegasus, stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening in realisation. "Aladdin!"

…..

Aladdin groaned and winced in pain, his breaths coming in shorter and faster… unaware of what was happening far below the earth.

A string was being drawn taunt.

….

Hercules knew he was pushing Pegasus to the limit, but he had to get back to Earth.

…..

Sharp scissors were brought closer to the taunt string.

…

Almost there, he was almost there!

…..

The scissors closed, and the string was cut.

Up above Aladdin's hand went limp in Phil's grip, just as Hercules and Pegasus touched down.

"Aladdin!" Hercules cried out, taking a step back at the ashen look on Aladdin's face.

Slowly, Phil twisted around to look at him, only to shake his head sadly and move away, allowing Hercules to kneel by Aladdin's side.

"Aladdin, Oh, please no!" he begged, pulling the other man's head into his lap. When there was no response, his shoulders started to shake, and tears made their way down his cheeks as he pulled Aladdin into a hug.

Almost five minutes passed in complete silence, broken only be the sound of Hercules sobbing.

"I'm sorry kid…" Phil whispered, kneeling by his side, "… there are just some things you can't change."

Immediately, Hercules's entire posture changed. Slowly, he lowered Aladdin back down to the ground and pushed himself to his feet.

"Yes… I can."

….

"AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

Pain and Panic ducked for cover as fire filled the room, burning the stone walls.

"WE WERE SO CLOSE!" Hades screamed, "So close! We tripped at the final hurdle, why? Because Ali just had to get all noble!"

Suddenly, his chamber started to shake violently, rubble dropping down to the ground. Seconds later, the stone wall exploded, and Cerberus burst through, Hercules standing on his head, ears in his hands.

"Where's Aladdin?"

"Well, well, well…" Hades got to his feet, "… look who's here! Wonder boy, you are too much!"

Clearly beaten, broken and burnt, Cerberus lowered his head, allowing Hercules to get off and grab Hades by the collar, practically pinning him against his throne.

"Let. Him. Go!"

"Oh, get a grip!" Hades sounded amused, prying Hercules's fingers away from him, "Come on, I'll show you around."

Slowly, he led Hercules to a stone ledge, that over-looked a green, swirling pool… made up of the souls of people.

"It's a small underworld after all, isn't it…" Hades mused, gesturing at the pool.

As he stared down, a familiar face caught Hercules's attention. "ALADDIN!" he knelt down and tried to grab the soul floating past, only to yelp in pain and pull his hands back, wincing at the sight of them being all wrinkled and aching.

"Ah, Ah, Ah!" Hades shook his head, "Not for touching! You see, Aladdin's running with a new crowd nowadays, and not a very lively one at that."

Hercules was silent for a short time, before a smirk appeared on his face and he turned to face Hades. "You like making deals, right? Take me in Aladdin's place."

"Hmmm…" Hades raised a hand up to his face, "… the son of my most hated rival, trapped forever in a river of death."

"Going once!"

"Huh, is there a downside to this?"

"Going twice!"

Hades held up his hands, "Alright, alright, alright! You get him out and he goes…. You stay."

Without another word, Hercules dived into the pool, desperately swimming to where Aladdin was floating.

Of course, with the speed that he dived in, he missed Hades's next words.

"Oh, you know what, it just slipped my mind…. You'll be dead before you can reach him. That's not going to be a problem, is it?!"

In the pool, Hercules could feel himself aging, his bones getting stiffer and stiffer and his skin wrinkling under his gaze.

…..

The string was pulled taunt, and scissors edged closer.

…..

He was so close!

He could almost touch him!

Just a few more seconds!

…

The scissor blade snapped together…. But the string didn't cut.

Instead, it glowed a shining gold colour.

"What's the matter with these scissors?!"

"The thread won't cut!"

…

Hades felt like he was going to be sick as he watched a glowing, gold hand reach up to the ledge and grab it, muscles tensing as Hercules pulled himself up onto the ledge, Aladdin's soul cradled in his arms.

"Th-that can't be possible!" he found himself stammering, ""Y-you can't be alive, that would make you a-a-a- "

"A God?" Both Pain and Panic finished at the same time, as Hercules stood up tall, his entire body on fire.

"AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Hades screamed in anger and frustration, "Hercules! You can't do this to me, you can't- "

A fist hit him in the face, his face disappearing under the force as Hercules casually strode past.

As his face morphed back, Hades shrugged. "Alright, well I deserved that!" He shot over to Hercules and tried to stop him from leaving, "Hercules! Hercules can we talk?! You know Zeus right? He's the fun guy right, so maybe you can put in a good word with him and- "he paused, lifting Aladdin's head up to make it look like he was looking at Hercules, "-Aladdin please. Speak to him!"

Hercules's face twisted in anger, and with a snarl of fury, he struck the God into the face, propelling Hades into the green pool, continuing on his way out as the God struggled.

"GET OFF ME! DON'T TOUCH ME! GET YOUR SLIMY SOULS OFF OF ME!"

Up on the ledge, Pain and Panic were watching in alarm.

"He's going to be so mad when he gets out of there!" Panic hissed.

"You mean, if he gets out of there."

Turning to Pain, Panic smirked, "If… If is good."

"Oh, I don't feel so good…." They heard Hades groan down below, "… In fact, I'm feeling a little FLUSHED!"

With a desperate cry, Hades was gone…. Dragged to the bottom of the pool by the souls that were once under his guard.

…..

Slowly, without taking his eyes off Aladdin's soul, Hercules knelt by the broken and battered body of his lover, ignoring the gasped shocks of Phil and Pegasus as he gently placed the soul back into the body.

The change was instant.

With a loud gasp, the wounds on Aladdin's body disappeared and his back arched, like he'd received an electric shock right through his spine as the colour returned to his skin. When his eyes finally opened, they landed on Hercules and narrowed in confusion.

"Hercules? What- Why did you- "

Slowly, Hercules lifted him into his arms and pulled the younger man closer. "What can I say… people do crazy things, when they're in love."

"I-I-I- "

"- Are you always this articulate?"

Aladdin couldn't help but chuckle at this, his eyes focused on Hercules as they moved closer together. Seconds before their lips could connect, there was a flash of lightning and a cloud appeared beneath their feet, lifting them up into the sky and through the clouds.

Within seconds, the cloud had arrived at the top of Mount Olympus, where the Gods and Goddess's all stood cheering outside the golden gates.

"Three cheers for the Mighty Hercules!" Ares whooped

"Wahooooo! Go Hercules!" Hermes cried out beside him.

Turning away from Aladdin, Hercules stared up at the group of Gods and Goddess's, instantly spotting the man who was his Father, and a gorgeous woman standing beside him. Slowly letting go of Aladdin's hands, Hercules made his way up the stairs, with the woman rushing down to meet him halfway.

"Hercules…" she cooed, pulling him into a hug, "… I'm so proud of you!"

"…. Mother?"

As she nodded, Zeus came up and pulled Hercules into a hug of his own. "Well done my boy! You've done it, you're a true hero!"

"You were willing to give your life, in order to save this young man." Hera gestured at Aladdin, giving him a small wink as Aladdin tried to turn away from all the attention.

"For a true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart…. Now at last, my son, you can come home."

The golden gates opened wide to reveal the marble structures of Olympus, with the Gods and Goddesses crowding around Hercules immediately, all shouting their congratulations and exclamations of joy.

And Aladdin could only watch from the bottom of the stairs, the joy of being alive fading quickly. "Congratulations Hercules… you'll be a great God." He muttered sadly, turning away from the happy scene.

Meaning that he completely missed Hercules twisted around to try and see him, a big beam on his face…. until he saw how dejected Aladdin looked.

"You know… this is what I've always dreamed of." He stated, eyes still on Aladdin, "… Mount Olympus… being with you guys…but a life without Aladdin, even an immortal life would be empty."

At the mention of his name, Aladdin spun around, walking forwards as Hercules raced towards him.

"I'm sorry…" Hercules whispered, turning to his parents, "… But I've made my decision. I'd rather stay on Earth… with Aladdin. I finally know where I belong."

Zeus and Hera glanced at one another, before smiling.

Within seconds, Hercules stopped glowing as he grabbed Aladdin around the waist and kissed him solidly on the lips as the rest of the Gods and Goddesses cheered.