The God of Olympus Page 24

  Meanwhile Hercules and Hades both looked down at the battle below, that, for all intents and purposes, was now all but over. Hercules looked at Hades and said, “Hades, it is over now! You have lost! Your army is destroyed!”

  “Not yet!” retorted Hades. Hades extended his staff. “You still forget my power, which is the most powerful of any God!”

  Hades lifted his staff in the air and fired a blast of magic that blew Hercules back against a pillar. It hurt Hercules, but it could not kill him. “Your magic is useless against me Hades!” retorted Hercules. “Now that I am a God I cannot die by any magic you possess!”

  “Well then, let’s see if you can survive this!” Hades suddenly shot a series of shots at several columns of the edifice. “I will destroy the pillars off this building and see if you die then!” Suddenly the roof above Hercules shook and began to fall apart. He knew he only had a few moments. He lifted up Pegasus and pushed him out of the way of the tumbling building. As he did so he was covered by tons of concrete.

  Hercules meanwhile moved towards Hades. Oh and how did Hades hate this man, this man that was now a God!

  “Gods fight against Gods and mortals against mortals! Do you not know what you will end up with?” mocked Hades. “Just another eternal war! And that is exactly what your parents created you to avoid! Ha, but in death they have still failed!”

  Hades laughed for a moment, but watched as Hercules heaved the remnants of the building from off of him. Hades realized Hercules had strength unlike that of any he before possessed. “Oh, you just won’t die!”

  Hercules lifted up his sword. Hades laughed and fired a blast of magic that hit his sword and flung it several feet away. “Very well, let’s see if you can fight me without your sword!”

  Hercules didn’t attempt to retrieve his sword. He felt if he did so Hades would send a blast of magic at Pegasus and kill him.

  “Now no weapon,” laughed Hades.

  “I trained with no weapon,” said Hercules. “I wrestled great and terrible beasts with no weapon. I certainly can fight you.”

  So Hercules rushed at Hades like he did in the final event of the Olympics. He pushed Hades back and Hades hit the ground, his staff falling away.

  Both Hercules and Hades were now fighting hand in hand. Hercules remembered and used all the training given by him from Philoctetes and Milo.

  So the two wrestled there against each other in the Parthenon, between the broken pillars. Hercules suddenly realized that this wrestling was really no different than the wrestling of a lion, or a Manticore, or Milo. Both of their fists were locked together as they pushed with all their might to defeat the other. It was then that Hercules remembered the trick that Milo taught him. He quickly pushed back one of his fists and ducked to avoid a blow from Hades’ fist. He then used that fist to hit Hades had in his chest. This flung Hades back to the ground against a pillar. Hades let out a screech in pain.

  Hades suddenly laughed as he looked over the city of Athens from the Parthenon. “Look at what you have done Hercules! You have filled the city with death and destruction. If you were not here the people would have merely submitted to my will and we would have had peace.”

  “Under your dominion there would be no peace!” retorted Hercules.

  Hades looked out and watched as all of his men were fleeing away. “But no, you had to be a noble hero! You and your ideals caused so much death! But you forget it is I who control death and so all these souls will merely go to me and be under my control. I can only imagine the thousands upon thousands of souls that now linger in the underworld just waiting for me.”

  “Not anymore,” said Hercules. “Your underworld is no more a prison for mortal souls!” Hades suddenly spat on the ground and backed away.

  Hades looked back for a moment and noticed from the corner of his eye his staff, lying on the ground at an angle so Hercules could not see. He began to fake his injury with tact. “You may yet die after all Hercules…” Hades suddenly grabbed his staff and prepared to fire a terrifying blast at Hercules. But, while Hades was so focused on his staff, he didn’t see Meg come running from the side. Just before he could fire his blast at Hercules Meg grabbed the front of his staff and made him fire in another direction. “Ah!” yelled Hades. “Meg you will pay.”

  Then what Hercules saw next was too disheartening to forget. Hades hit Meg hard in the stomach with his staff and caused her to fall backward to the ground. Hercules took off towards Meg, but even he wasn’t that fast.

  Hades merely took a moment and only said a few words. “Meg, you have interfered for the last time!” Then he fired a blast of Meg that hit Meg right in the chest, causing her to fall back flat to the ground. Hercules jumped at Hades and, immediately after his shot fired, hit Hades, flinging him several feet. This was the closest Hercules had ever been to flying, because his jump was of so much force that it caused Hades to fling his staff far away into the air and Hercules and Hades to fall down Acropolis hill, each punching at each other as they hit the ground and plowed through trees. When Hercules and Hades had finally stopped rolling on the ground they had reached the bottom of the hill. And there, about twenty feet from the two of them, lay Hades staff—and in front of Hades’ staff stood Philoctetes.

  Philoctetes smiled as he ran his hoof over Hades’ globe. “Now who is the failure Hades?” asked Philoctetes.

  Hades suddenly realized what Philoctetes was going to do. “No, you can’t!” yelled Hades.

  Philoctetes suddenly stomped his sharp and strong hoof down on Hades magical globe, causing it to be break. After it broke the entire surrounding area exploded and all the souls that were under Hades’ banner were suddenly freed.

  “No!” yelled Hades as he went over to grab his staff.

  “There is no power left in it Hades,” said Hercules.

  Milo was next to Philoctetes and moved forward to hold Hades captive in his arms. Then they all watched as Hercules rushed up the hill to find Meg. She was barely alive.

  Hercules picked her up and brought her down the hill to Philoctetes. He saw Philoctetes and said, “Quick you must save her!”

  Philoctetes shook his head, “I cannot save her…hit by dark magic she was, and after all, she was only mortal.” Hercules knew that now, now that Hades had no true God power over the dead, that Meg would not go to his underworld but would go to a different place—a place that he could not go, that he could not follow.

  Meg looked up into Hercules’ eyes and smiled. “Hercules, you have done well…your parents would be very proud…you have defeated Hades! And so I will now go to a peaceful place—a place apart from this world!”

  “No, you can’t!” said Hercules, in tears. “You can’t! Not now! Not now when victory is before us!”

  Philoctetes approached Hercules and placed his hand on his shoulder. There Hercules watched as she died in his arms. “No, not you Meg! Not you! I lost my mortal and heavenly parents, but not you! I cannot lose you!”

  All in the city who yet lived had now gathered around Hercules and Meg. Hercules looked up at the Gods, and noticed Asclepius, the god of Healing. “Philoctetes you must do something, heal her…give her some of Asclepius’s potion!”

  “That will do no good,” replied Philoctetes. “That cannot bring people back from the dead.”

  Hercules was getting desperate and said, “Anyone! Can anyone save her? Poseidon, great God of the sea, can you save her? Or Athena, great God of wisdom? Can any of you save her? One must be able to!”

  But nobody said a word, and tears streamed down Hercules’ face. Hades smiled. Hades looked down at Hercules and mocked him saying, “Look at this! If it isn’t the great Hercules, a being who is so powerful but cannot control death! Your parents may have been able to give their life for you, thereby giving you your godly powers back, but you have yet to control death, for I have power over death and hence your love! And no love endures past death! Despite all your powers you have not power to control death!”

  Then
Philoctetes approached Hercules and said comforting words. “Hercules, there may yet be one way to save her,” said Philoctetes.

  “You can save her!” exclaimed Hercules joyfully.

  “I cannot save her Hercules, but you might!”

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “When your parents sacrificed themselves for you you were given great powers, and if I understand the deep magic like they do then not only did their sacrifice for you allow you to become a God, but a super-God, for they were two Gods. With the powers of two great Gods within you, you can give up the power of one God and place that into Meg. Thus you may bind yourself to her and you two together become a super-God!”

  Hercules then said, “But Philoctetes…how am I to bring her back?”

  “Only you can know,” replied Philoctetes.

  Hercules looked down into Meg’s eyes and didn’t know how to bring her back so he simply leaned down towards her, ran his hands through her hair, wrapped his arms around her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. But it was not the kiss that brought her back. It was Hercules’ word. After he kissed her he said, “Meg, as my parents did with me, I surrender my God-power into you. By the power of Zeus and Hera now gone may you yet live, even it costs me my life!”

  After a few moments Hercules saw Meg take a deep breath and open her eyes.

  Immediately after Meg had risen Phil’s words returned to Hercules with great force: “The one thing that can defeat Hades is the selflessness of two individuals, two individuals that make one hero—individuals to connect the mortal world and the God world! Only after the God becomes in the same state as the mortal and the mortal as the God will all things be at right again!” Hercules realized that this was finally a fulfillment of Philoctetes’ words. Hercules and Meg were now one—one great hero. Hercules had been in the same state as a mortal when he lost all of his God powers because of the storm. And now Meg was a God. All things had been made right again!

  Meg awoke, looked up into Hercules’ eyes, and smiled. “What am I doing here? Are we both dead?”

  Hercules shook his head. “No, not both dead, but both Gods!”

  “Gods?” asked Meg. She had never thought about being a God before. Meg had to admit that she felt different. No longer did she feel all the pain and weakness she felt before. No, instead she felt stronger and when she looked down at herself, she saw a bright light emanate from her being.

  She looked up at Hercules and they kissed each other most passionately. The moment that Hercules and Meg were reunited was a miraculous moment, a moment far grander than any previous to it. In these moments both saw each other for who they really were. Hercules saw Meg, not only as a great, beautiful goddess, but as a woman whose love extended far beyond that of any other person he met. He saw in her the happiness of a forgiven soul, a soul who walked with great confidence and hope. And she saw Hercules, not as a man who had everything given to him, but as a man who had earned all that he had achieved. This was how the evil of Hades, and his maniacal plan to destroy their love, actually proved quite fruitful in the end. Then Hercules lifted Meg up from off the ground until she stood up beside him. This was a great miracle, a miracle that Meg was again able to live to be with Hercules.

  But as Hercules and Meg looked over the battlefield they realized that this was not the only miracle that had happened or was to happen.

  The fires that had raged were not completely extinguished by the water Poseidon hurled over the battlefield. And now the water itself was beginning to sink down into the ground and wash away the filth. Although buildings had crumbled to the ground, and although many people were killed there was a sense of new life in the air now.

  With the sun beaming brightly now Hercules watched as many souls emerged from the water and bathed in the light. These were the souls that were previously bound by Hades and weighed down in guilt and regret. But no longer did these souls feel this way. They were finally free. They stood there in the sun and let its light dry them.

  Hades’ fallen heroes, such as Herakles, looked down towards the ground in shame, and realized that following Hades was a grave mistake. They approached Hercules and bowed before him, pleading for his forgiveness. “We but ask that we may be forgiven, so that we may go in peace!”

  Hercules nodded. “Very well! I see that you are sincere. Go! Be at peace!”

  The evil Gods, such as Ares, Hephaestus and Dionysus, however, did not return to help Hades. They saw him, but abandoned him there and went to their own land to live afar off, apart from the land of the true Gods. Hades hated these Gods all the more for leaving him there in bondage.

  Hades’ flying servants also left the land, to go hide in their caves for the rest of their lives.

  Those from Sparta, Athens, and neighboring cities who fought against Hades rejoiced to finally see the battle end.

  But still some Gods did many great things. Demeter raised his hands and caused the land to grow up with vegetation and crops again. Asclepius wandered throughout the land, healing all those who were injured.

  But the ordinary people and the land was not all that changed. Philoctetes also found that he had miraculously changed. No longer was he hideous and covered in fur. But he found that he had his old noble, human form again. He realized that the curse that he had, the cursed that had given him enough God-power to break Hades’ globe and unleash all of Hades’ evil magic, was now gone. This brought Philoctetes great joy.

  After all this was complete, Hercules ordered Milo to release Hades from his grasp. After this Hercules approached Hades. Hades was now altogether too weak to fight against Hercules and so Hercules did not see him a threat. “Congratulations Hercules, but you have only won the battle and not the war! I will return with greater and more powerful armies to destroy all the people you love!”

  Hercules did not feel like speaking anymore with Hades and said, “For all that you have done to me and my friends Hades, we should kill you, for we together, as a super-God, can do so,” said Hercules. “But considering what you did to unite me with Meg, even with such evil intentions, we will not kill you. But Hades, by the power vested in both Meg and I, together as a Super-God, we cast you out of this land from this moment forward, banishing you from Greece forever!”

  Hades was angry but could not refuse them, for together they were a super-God and so he quickly retreated to his chariot and the flying horses flew him back into his dark underworld.

  Chapter 20: The Aftermath

  It now becomes necessary to disclose what happened after the great battle was over. After the war came to an end and Hades was defeated, but before the night came upon them, there was a funeral for Zeus and Hera.

  Hercules carefully picked up the bodies of Zeus and Hera, and at the very top of the Acropolis, near the now in ruins Parthenon, he dug out a tomb and buried them. All the great Gods were in attendance, as well as Meg, Philoctetes, Milo, and all those humans who remained.

  The funeral of Zeus and Hera was not an elaborate funeral, nor was there a formal invitation. Instead, it was a solemn assembly where all the people of Greece watched as Hercules carried the body of his father and mother up the hill and buried them. No man could touch Zeus’ and Hera’s body except Hercules. Apollo caused that a great light should shine down from the heavens on the grave of Zeus and Hera.

  Hercules looked down upon the grave of his parents, fell to the earth and stared down at the ground. “Father and Mother, the great Gods that I have never truly known! May your rest be far greater than my own!”

  The entire land of Greece mourned over the loss of Zeus and Hera, the two great Gods. However, the death of Zeus and Hera seemed to prove two things—one, that all the Gods they worshiped were human and could, in fact, through will of their own, give up their life, and second, that a great God or power, greater than all the Gods or powers they knew or worshiped, controlled the destiny of their world. This was what Hercules always wanted the people to believe. However, it was difficult yet again to c
ome upon the body of his mother and father. He had lost both his mortal and divine parents and to lose both was very difficult.

  Hercules was then brought to remember the words offered told to him by Zeus when he went to Mount Olympus. He remembered what his father had told him: “With one hurl of my lightning bolt I could have people bow down to me. I could have everyone across the entire world, and not just Greece, worshiping and praising my name! But that is not what being a God is about Hercules. Being a God is about being much more. It is about more than your mother and I. Once you become a God Hercules, you will realize that everything is not about yourself, but about others. Do you not see Hercules? What we really care about, at least in relation to the mortal world, is that, at least in the end, good triumphs over evil. That is what all of our workings in the world are for.” Indeed, their death had been, to Hercules, a testament of these words. Their works, and their sacrifice, had been so that good, in the end could conquer over evil.

  Meg placed her arm on Hercules’ shoulder to comfort him. She then said: “What your parents did for you nobody can replicate and you must know that they are not eternally dead. Nobody is eternally dead.” Hercules appreciated these words and then, once he had paid his respects, he moved away from the grave.

  Philoctetes then approached the grave and spoke these soothing words, “No longer will these great Gods dwell in the earth! Pericles once said these wise words: ‘For heroes have the whole earth for their tomb; and in lands far from their own, where the column with its epitaph declares it, there is enshrined in every breast a record unwritten with no tablet to preserve it, except that of the heart.’ So let our hearts preserve with us the sacrifices of the great Gods.”

  After these words were spoken all the mortals and Gods there departed to rest for the evening. That night was a bitter-sweet night—a night spent morning the loss of all those dead and a night spent in rejoicing over their victory. The setting of the sun on this day did not signify a dismal end, but a bright new beginning.