Going the Distance

Chapter 2

I looked at Megara as she was asleep. Her purple eyelids glimmered each time the bouncy rays of the sun made contact with them. I looked down my golden medallion, vivid memories of my adolescence came back to me, including the time when I first came to knowing of my true heritage. The sign of the gods was engraved upon it so I ventured to the temple of Zeus. I travelled far and wide, around mountains, down windy paths and battled ferocious winds. I can remember how scared I was when the normally frozen - in - time statue of Zeus came to life to greet me, and when he told me that he was his father. My mind then skipped to the moment I first met Megara.

   I heard her scream and I immediately directed Pegasus to fly down to the land so I could do my first act of heroism. And there she was. Caught firmly in the grasp of Nessus, the river guardian, she was angrily protesting against the deal he had proposed to her.

   "I like 'em fiery!" I walked up to him (without analising the situation) and inquired to the "good sir" to let her go. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Keep moving, junior."

   "But aren't you a Damsel In Distress?" I replied with the highest degree of innocence and stupidity, making myself look like a fool, looking up at her, raising an eyebrow also.

   "I'm a Damsel... Ugh! I'm in distress... I can handle this. Have a nice day." Between her protests for my help, she struggled to get out of Nessus' grasp. My mind echoed with the sound effect when she plopped into the water, quite ungracefully I must add.

    "I want to stay on Earth with her." The day when I realised that I wanted to be with her more than I wanted to have my godhood restored. At first I just had my sights set on being a hero, famous and widely known, however at the time (before Megara, of course), I didn't know that I would fall in love. To look at her, to hold her, to kiss her.

   Her eyes are the window that I look out of to reassure me when I have come against a lot of tough obstacles, her arms I would fall into when a warm embrace was the only thing to see me through and her lips I would kiss when she had lost all belief in herself.

   She would cry and I would take her in my arms (like she has with me) and hold her to my chest and say, "Even when all you can feel is sadness, when your world is shattered, when your vision is hazy, I will be there to guide you, help you, and most of all, take your hand and love you to the end." She would look up at me with tear stained cheeks and with misty tear-formed eyes and whisper, "I do too, more than anything, but I can always count on you to make me feel better. When I rest my head on your chest, I can feel your heart beating and when you speak of your feelings, your heart beats faster, I really underestimated you when I first met you. You sacrificed your godhood for me, I am very grateful, and I only hope that I can love you as much as you love me."

   My thoughts were distrupted when I felt my heart flutter. Megara kissed my cheek and bit her lip.

   "You do realise you were dreaming aloud?" I immediately blushed, the realisation sinking in that she heard me open my heart (and confess the depth of my feelings) to her. She contently cooed and I chuckled. At least she knows that I sacrificed my godhood because of the strength of my love for her. Suddenly a pang of sadness hit me. I was never able to return home. As if reading my mind, I saw a silhouette of Zeus and Hera (my parents) looking down on me from Mount Olympus.

   "Mi hijo. Mi pequeño Hércules. No, our little Hercules." father smiled down at me. Mother chimed in and I tutted her while wiggling my finger. I winked up at them as Meg looked at me as if I'd gone mad. Time for another explanation... I thought. She raised an eyebrow as the cogs in my mind turned.

                    *    *    *

What is he thinking?! My mind yelled, studying Hercules' expression of bewilderment. He turned and explained that his parents were looking down on him and we're showing how proud of him they were. If that had been Adonis, I would have immediately left the guy, however Hercules was born a god, so I could understand. He'd proven he was a true hero by being prepared to give his life for me.

   The Fates had cut the cord (in which my life could be saved or ended) and Hercules had travelled to the underworld and swam in the pool of the dead souls (in which every time he swam, he became older). Hades thought that it was impossible for Hercules to come out alive (as he didn't know that he was a god) and was absolutely dumbfounded that he came out shining a gold colour and my soul in his arms. If you ask how I know all of this, Phil informed me of all that had happened after Hercules had become mortal. I nodded when he apologised for looking so naive. I nodded as if to say, "I understand, don't worry a Peloponnesian minute." and put my arm around his shoulder blades as the sky turned into a canvas of dark pink roses.

   A star shot across the sky and we gazed into each other's eyes just like the first time we played "hooky" and he told me that he didn't feel so alone when he was around me.

   At that point, I thought he was some rough, average guy who had fallen for me at first sight. I had my guard up and I surprisingly discovered, when he gave me a white rose and kissed me on the cheek, that I actually had feelings for the "wonder-boy".

   "I would have given anything to be like anyone else." I would have given anything to have never sold my soul to Hades.