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Apollo realises just how unfair life is and Clio's curse hits.
Icarus and Nicodemos go on a quest.
The campers speculate.
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The close call that his son had experienced terrified Apollo. He decided to keep and raise the baby in Delos, his sacred isle. There, under the watchful eyes of Apollo and his mother Leto, Asclepius grew, carrying within him the legacy of Hyacinthus. Apollo created the most beautiful nursery for his son. He commissioned from Hephaestus a cradle of the finest protective materials. Apollo himself pained murals of Hyacinthus in the nursery and placed pots of hyacinth blooms. Asclepius would know of his mortal parent. It delighted Apollo to compare his son to the likeness of his beloved. Asclepius was still too young for his features to be very clear, but he definitely had Hyacinthus' gorgeous purple eyes and his sweet smile. The baby was very cheerful and aways smiled and laughed with delight at the sight of Apollo.
Meanwhile, in the bright Olympus, Hyacinthus's mother, the muse Clio, had become a recluse since her son's death. She carried out her duties as a muse perfunctorily and participated in mandatory celebrations. Otherwise, Clio stayed in her palace, which she had turned into a monument to her dead son.
She removed all of Hyacinthus's personal belongings from the royal palace of Sparta and recreated his rooms as a shrine to her dead child. The rest of her palace was lined with statues, tapestries, and murals of her son. The only flower she would allow to grow in her gardens and potted in her rooms was hyacinth blooms.
Among of the belongings that she had removed from the royal Spartan palace was the crown of Lelex, the founder of the kingdom of Laconia. Heirs were given the original crown after being officially recognized. It had been in Hyacinthus' keeping since her son had been fourteen years old. Clio would not have the sons of that horrid woman Diomede to have it. It would remain with her, a symbol of what her son should have had. Her beloved son, the greatest king who never was. The royal family of Sparta would have to establish another ritual to recognize the heir.
Her sisters, the other muses, and their mother, Memnosyne, were worried, but Clio showed no sign of returning to her former self. Her grief was a testament to the enduring love she held for her son, mirroring Apollo's own sorrow. However, a spark of life returned to Clio when Apollo informed her that he had created a child with the essence of Hyacinthus.
Clio decided to visit her grandson in Delos. Upon seeing Asclepius, she was enchanted by the baby. She whispered to him, "You have your mortal father's eyes, Asclepius. And something more... you have a touch of my Hyacinthus."
Clio visited regularly but not too often. It pained her to see the little boy grow up, so similar and yet so different to her beloved son. Asclepius was always glad to see her, often bringing her flowers and healing herbs. Clio accepted his offerings gracefully. She always had tales to tell him of his mortal father. Much like she had with Hyacinthus, she taught her grandson the lyre and all of the lullabies she had composed for her son. Even if the foolish mortals insisted on calling Asclepius the son of Princess Coronis, Clio would ensure that he knew of his real mortal parent.
Apollo, hoping to secure his son's future, approached Zeus with a request.
"Father," he pleaded, "recognize Asclepius as the son of Hyacinthus, and thus the rightful heir to the throne of Sparta."
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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...
