Too close to the Sun

flowers 🌹

Usually, I'm all about love and keeping the peace, but that Athena is just... UNBELIEVABLE. And where is Heliē anyway? With Hercules? I don't think so; Heliē's brothers would kill him for merely showing his face. Could she be with Nyx? But she left the moment Hades walked in, poor thing. Cupid could help... but that would be wrong because Hades is already with Persephone. Sigh... love can be brutal.

I walked slowly through the halls. Maybe because of how dark it was, the halls seemed endless. I hate the dark. My fear immediately spiked when I saw a silhouette emerge from Heliē's room. Heliē must be in trouble. I increased my pace silently, hoping not to be noticed. I can't believe I'm running towards it instead of away. I walked closer, holding my breath. A low pink glow slowly emitted from my hands, ready to attack... until a moonbeam settled on the mysterious man's face. Oh, it's just Hades. Thank goodness. No wonder all the lights went out. Dark Lord strikes again, I guess.

Heliē's doors were still slightly open, so I peeked through them and saw her tucked in and fast asleep. I stared at Hades' back for a while. He seemed lost in thought, probably thinking about his sister as he always does. I wished all her brothers were as caring and loving as Hades so she could be happier. Alas, what could I expect from buffoons like Poseidon and Zeus? I sighed and was about to meet Athena when it hit me: I still don't have anything to wear for tomorrow, and I promised I wouldn't keep Andreas waiting again. I'll meet Athena right after.

I walked toward my room but halted when someone called my name. It was Hades - that's odd. I immediately answered, almost making Hades shriek.

"Were you following me?" he asked.

"Of course not. I was just checking on Heliē, but she was sleeping, so I wanted to meet with that brat Athena because she 'summoned me'—what a snob—but then I realized I hadn't gotten my dress for tomorrow morning yet, and that would take a lot of time and... it was just a coincidence, or what humans would call 'good timing,' I hope..." I smiled nervously. 'You're blabbering again, Aphrodite,' I sighed inwardly and quickly thought of a way to change the subject. "Anyway... what do you need?"

"Flowers," he smiled. That was unexpected.

"Flowers?" I had to double-check.

"Yes, flowers, for Persephone," he affirmed.

"Aww, that's so sweet," I squealed.

"Yes, yes, but no one can know about this. It'll ruin my reputation as an evil, soul-sucking, dream-crushing demon," he muttered, making me cringe just a little. "Okay? Weird... Meet me at the gates in 20 minutes." Knowing Persephone, only one particular kind of flower came to mind.

"I know the perfect flowers," I assured him and went on my assigned task.

...

I walked slowly toward the garden. This was the only place on Mount Olympus that Heliē and I loved and cherished the most. Today seemed different, though; it wasn't as bright as it used to be. I looked toward the endless night sky; the moon was almost gone. I guess Nyx isn't at her happiest tonight, and I can't say I blame her. Ugh... concentrate, Aphrodite. You're on a mission.

'Alright, where did I plant it?' I asked myself as my eyes scanned the garden. The variety of flowers was almost endless. Did we really have to plant so many flowers? Sigh... this'll take more than 20 minutes. I can't let this stop me; love is at stake. I looked everywhere, chanting the words "where is it?" at every nook and cranny. I was just in the middle of my pep talk about how "giving up was not an option" when I heard rustling sounds from the bushes. Oh no, not another heart attack. I immediately stood ready for whatever was coming. I guess I'll have to use the skills Andreas taught me rather early. I thought I was prepared, but little did I know that a grown man would jump out of the bushes and start screaming at me like I was the problem.

"Aphrodite?" I heard through my shrieking.

"Hercules?!! What the...? How did you...? What on earth is wrong with you?!" I exclaimed once I finally caught my breath.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I thought you were Heliē," he apologized.

"You do this to Heliē?!" I panicked. I'm gonna kill this guy.

"Okay, calm down. Usually, Heliē attacks me even before I jump her."

"Serves you right. What are you even doing here? Aren't you banned from Mount Olympus?" I inquired.

"Since when did you start caring about what Zeus says?" He smirked.

"Since I learned that it’s landing you in certain demise."

"The Great Goddess Aphrodite cares for me?"

"I care for all..." I scoffed. "Well, except Zeus and Poseidon, and that brat—"

"Athena? Yeah, she sucks," finally something we agree on.

"And besides... if Zeus kills you, I... I mean... Heliē will be pretty bummed out."

"Oh really? And what about you?" he asked as he walked closer to me, so close that I could feel his breath. I gulped hard, ready to start blabbering again—I do it when I'm nervous, okay? You can't blame me. I prayed to the heavens not to say anything foolish until I caught a glimpse of what I was looking for: the Gardenia. I quickly picked a handful and turned to Hercules.

"Like I said, I care for all. Better don't get yourself killed..." I turned to leave but stopped in my tracks. "And another thing, don't step on my flowers." He looked at his feet and saw the tulips he had cluelessly murdered. I scoffed at him, but he just smiled back at me, making me flutter a little. I quickly ran off before I could say something crazy. Okay, maybe I had the tiniest crush on Hercules, but he likes Heliē. And if Heliē likes him back, then I don't think I can ruin that with my feelings. I just can't...

...

I stood at the main gate, but Hades hadn't arrived yet. Lost in my thoughts, everything that happened kept coming back in flashes. Ugh... Aphrodite!!! This can't be happening. I shook my head slightly before catching a glimpse of Hades. I beamed and handed him the flowers.

"They’re very rare night bloomers. Heliē and I grow them in the back. Persephone is going to love them," I assured him.

"Thank you, Aphrodite."

"You're very welcome," I beamed. "But... Gardenias? These are Heliē's favorite."

"They’re also Persephone's favorite. The two most important women in your life aren't that different," I smiled, sighing softly as I stared at the flowers.

"Don't you mean three?" he said suddenly. My eyes widened as I stuttered, "three."

"You care for Heliē almost as much as I do, and you'll always have her back as well as mine. You're basically like a sister to me, Aphrodite, and yes... the third most important woman in my life." I almost cried tears of joy. Okay, yes... I DID cry. I've never had a sibling before, and now I have a brother in Hades. He patted my hair and gave me a warm smile before leaving with the flowers. I wiped my tears, the smile still bright on my face.

I have a brother...