Hyapollo and Hermcus double date, Icarus' new forays, Will's terrible adventure
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Hyacinthus and Crocus grieve. Two demigods and two gods have a double date.
Apollo makes a request.
Icarus grapples with survivor guilt
Will has a no good, very bad day. Apollo shows his destructive side.
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Hyacinthus
In the heart of Sparta, under the shadow of the shrine of Hades, Hyacinthus, the Prince of Sparta, and his best friend, Crocus, the Son of Poseidon, stood solemnly in front of the dark altar. Their hearts were heavy with grief as they mourned the loss of Smilax, Crocus' betrothed and the daughter of Aphrodite. The air was thick with the scent of burning incense, their silent prayers ascending with the smoke, pleading with Hades to welcome Smilax into Elysium for her eternal rest.
As they burned incense, Hyacinthus began the prayer, "Hades, lord of the underworld, we beseech you to be kind to Smilax. Welcome her into Elysium."
Crocus, his voice choked with emotion, added, "May she find peace in your realm, far from the strife that marked her end."
A year had passed since Smilax's tragic death. Neither Hyacinthus nor Crocus had been present at the time, but they had pieced together the events from the accounts of witnesses. Smilax had met with her mother, Aphrodite, and a heated argument had ensued. In her fury, Aphrodite had struck her daughter dead, transforming her body into a shrub. No explanation had been given for this cruel act of a lack of maternity, but people's imaginations had run. Thankfully, no one was besmeerching Smilax' reputation. She was well known to be a very proper Spartan lady. She was betrothed to a notable warrior and had been a childhood friend of the Crown Prince. Smilax had been well known to be pious. She visited temples regularly and made lavish offerings to the gods. Despite being perhaps the most beautiful woman in Sparta she never flaunted her beauty and was loyal to her future husband. Perhaps that was what enraged Aphrodite. Still, people did not dare to speak out against the goddess either.
The shrub, a living testament to Smilax's memory, was moved to the gardens of Crocus' manor. Hyacinthus had taken a few cuttings from it, planting them in the royal palace gardens and in the wild, ensuring that Smilax's memory would live on.
"Apollo has been my rock," Hyacinthus confessed to Crocus one day. "He has helped me through my grief. I don't know what I would have done without him."
His secret garden held a decent thicket of the shrub and he often liked to ponder life near it. Apollo always pulled him away when the prince took too long. It bothered the god that Hyacinthus could be this sad. As an immortal Apollo didn't quite understand grief. His family and most of his friends were gods, thus undying. Apollo had many children but he knew that they would eventually die, so he did not grieve like Hyacinthus seemed to be doing. He did his best to console his beloved. It was his steady, bright presence that helped the most. It reminded Hyacinthus that he still had love and joy in his life.
"I did not have friends when I was small. The boys always tried to show me up and got mad when they could not. The girls would just giggle and try to touch me. Among the Spartides my age, Smilax was the only one that could hold a normal, intelligent conversation with me and would keep her hands to herself."
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Feel the Burning Light by Dewy_Pink_Morning_Roses52
FanfictionWhen Hyacinthus died, Apollo grieved the loss of the love of his life. He asked Hades to return his love to him but was denied. Less than a century after the disc struck, Hyacinthus of Sparta was reborn as Icarus of Crete. Once more, he loved and wa...
