Lost Legends of Olympus (Greek Mythology One-Shots)

Ex: In Need of Assistance (Hebe x Heracles)

Prompt: This is an example of fiction I decided to do. Many know the myth of "Hercules". However, Hebe plays an underappreciated role in his story. She is the last wife he ever had, and they were said to have had a brilliant marriage. This story illustrates their relationship before they were wedded. 

Her feet once again struck the grass as her dainty form fell from the air. She heaved a sigh of dissatisfaction as she stared up into the leaves of the towering tree. It was her seventeenth attempt to jump and grasp the bitter yellow fruits hanging from the branches. Unfortunately, her divine gift of strength did not make reaching them any easier.

As Hebe walked through the magnificent halls of Mount Olympus that morning, she felt the ground beneath her shake as thunderous voices echoed throughout the palace. Before she could process the commotion, the graceful silhouette of a redheaded goddess in golden robes stormed down the hall without looking back. It was her mother, Hera. No doubt she and Zeus had another row over his extramarital affairs. It pained Hebe greatly to see her parents so dreadfully unhappy. While Zeus could be a gentle and compassionate father, his capability to be a loving husband was limited. Hera was none too compassionate either, yet she did not deserve to be betrayed. As a gift to brighten her mother's spirits, Hebe ventured to the base of Mount Olympus to collect a basket of pears, Hera's favorite fruit. However, reaching them seemed to be a different task entirely.

With a tired and pitiful huff, Hebe collapsed on the ground, curling her knees beneath her. 

"Could not the fates have bestowed upon me the gift of height?" she asks aloud, humor-laced within her breathy voice. 

As she played absent-mindedly with the red poppies sprouting around her, she heard the clapping of a horse's hooves approaching from behind. Turning, Hebe's gaze fell upon the muscular figure straddled atop a bronze stallion. Auburn locks cascaded to the base of the man's neck and framed a dazzling pair of cerulean blue eyes. Draping from his head down his broad shoulders was the hyde of a massive lion, forever frozen in a proud roar. 

The famed Greek hero Heracles, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene.

Her lover.

It baffled her that someone with as much power and fame as Heracles possessed would ever look at a minor goddess like herself. Hebe was shy, profoundly optimistic, and as soft-spoken as a baby bird. She was a far cry from the women with whom he had been romantically involved during his mortal life. On the day Heracles ascended Mount Olympus and achieved immortality, Zeus practically threw Hebe at his feet as a prize. Not wishing to cause her discomfort, Heracles persuaded Zeus to let him properly court her before they decided upon marriage. Surprisingly, they rather enjoyed each other's company. Hebe relished hearing tales of his many adventures and he cherished her affection despite the many atrocities he had committed.

"Well, what lovely sight I have stumbled upon," he joked, a smile gracing his strong chin. Dismounting his steed, he walked over and brushed a strand of ash-blonde hair away from her azure blue eyes. She released a sigh of contentment as she leaned into his touch.

"What do we have here?" he asked, gesturing to the empty bowl lying on the ground.

"The Queen is in distress, so I thought I would bring her a basket of pears to lift her spirits."

"The merciless Hera does not deserve such a generous daughter."

Hebe sighed. She was made aware of Heracles' and Hera's strained relationship before his rise to Olympus. While they agreed to extend the olive branch, old wounds created everlasting scars on their pair of them.

"Your contempt for her may be justified, but my mother does not deserve to be deceived by the man she loves. A basket of fruit is a poor consolation, but I believe she could do with support at this time."

She once more gazed longingly at the fruit.

"My Aunt Demeter has graced these forests with impressive fruit-bearing trees, but I have not the stature to reach them."

Heracles examined the tree with a roguish grin. He knelt on the grass and looked at his lover expectantly.

"Far be it from me to leave a damsel in distress."

Hebe eyed him curiously. "What are doing?"

"Offering my assistance, of course," he replied, gesturing to his knee. 

Hebe giggled amusedly as she approached him, tucking the bowl beneath her arm. She grasped his muscular shoulder for stability as she placed both feet on his thigh. She reached once more for the closest pear, yet her fingers barely grazed its skin.

"Alas, it's still too high," she moaned. 

Heracles silently studied both Hebe and the branch before breaking into a playful smirk. He deftly moved his hands so that he cupped her dainty waist. She inhaled as a pink blush spread to her dimpled cheeks. She had never been touched in such an intimate fashion before. 

"Do you trust me?" he inquired.

Hebe looked at him sideways. "Of course, but wh-,"

Before she could pose any further questions, he lifted her effortlessly onto his shoulder as he rose from the ground. Flexing his arm, he raised her higher into the air. 

"Might you be able to reach them now?"

She nodded excitedly as she plucked a pear from the branch and rolled it into the bowl. They spent the next few hours collecting pears until the bowl was nearly overflowing, laughing all the while.

"This will most definitely be sufficient," she states animatedly. "I will be certain to offer a serving to Aunt Demeter for her blessing."

Heracles skillfully maneuvered her so that she lay in his arms, clutching the bowl snugly against the chest. He bestowed an adoring kiss on her lips as they mounted the horse.

"Apollo's last light is fading," he remarked, admiring the brilliant rays of gold that were slowly moving beyond the mountain peaks. "I should return you to Olympus."

They journeyed up the steep, serpentine passage until they reached the golden entrance lined with marble statues. 

"Truly, I cannot thank you enough," she stated sheepishly. 

"You needn't thank me, Hebe. I shall always be here in your hour of need."

"Most wouldn't share your sentiment," she muttered dismally. "To most, I am merely the girl who pours wine at feasts, tends to my mother's chariot, or shadows Aphrodite. I am the Goddess of Youth and innocence. I am not a goddess to be admired, a warrior to be honored, nor a ruler to be feared. "

Heracles smiled knowingly. "Perhaps not, but you are also the goddess of forgiveness and everlasting life and happiness. You speak ill of no one and inspire those around you to become their best selves. You have far more admirable qualities than any other who dwells on this mountain. A fallen warrior with as many vices as myself appreciates that. "

He leaned over and kisses her rosy cheek. "You had best deliver those to Hera."

"Oh please, won't you come with me?"

 "But of course! Let us worsen Hera's mood with the addition of my presence!" he chuckled sarcastically.

When he noticed her gaze fall dejectedly to the floor, he tenderly grasped her chin in his fingertips. "You go on. I shall see you tomorrow night."

She nodded and smiled before leaving for Hera's sacred garden, offering the mighty warrior cherishing glances until she could see him no more.