Megara and Hercules have become Hylas and Kleo. This is the finale, when Hercules is welcomed to Olympus.

Chapter 7: A Star Is Born

The gates to Mount Olympus opened wide, and the gods cheered and surrounded Kleo, cutting her off from Hylas' view. He longed to be with her, to stand by her side and share in her triumph, but at the end of the day he had to be happy for her. She was home at last, with her family, and restored to her rightful place. If he could be the catalyst for that, then perhaps he could begin to forgive himself for his actions in service to Hades.

Now if only he could begin to forget his feelings for Kleo. He sighed and smiled resignedly. He hadn't deserved her when she was a mortal hero. Now that she was a goddess? He should feel honored that she'd even look at him.

She'd hate that thinking, he thought with a snort. He knew that she knew she was good, and that she liked the attention for it well enough, but she hated being thought of as someone to be worshipped.

Guess she'll have to get used to it now, he mused ruefully as he turned to walk away. Whatever she did, he knew she'll find a way to do it with a smile.

He was going to miss that smile.

Hylas turned to get one last look at a sight he'll never get the chance to see again: the gods of Mount Olympus in celebration, and at the center of them stood Kleo, their newest member, shining brighter than any of them, looking the happiest he'd ever seen her.

"Congratulations Wondergirl," he whispered, smiling sadly. "You'll make one heck of a god."

He turned back and started walking, ignoring every part of him that was desperate to turn around and run back to where his heart lied. Hylas ignored everything except the thought of how he would convince the birdbrain with hooves to give him a ride back to Earth—which meant he missed Kleo turning to catch his eye only to notice his departure.

He missed her realization at the gulf that now lay between them – for only gods could live on Olympus – and he missed the despair she began to feel.

He also missed how the Lady Hera noticed all of this, and approached her daughter to whisper in her ear. He missed the hope that returned to the hero's eyes, and how she embraced her mother quickly before breaking away from the crowd to run after him.

As he was busy trying to ignore his heart quietly breaking once again, he was entirely unprepared for the echoing cry of "Hylas, wait!" that boomed behind him. He whirled around just in time to catch a glowing goddess flinging herself at him, her powerful arms wrapping around his shoulders. For a brief moment, he forgot everything else except the need to hold tight to Kleo and never ever let go, and had another moment passed he might have thrown reason to the wind and done just that. As it was, the decision was taken out of his hands by Kleo herself, who pulled back just enough to eagerly look him in the eye.

"Hylas," Kleo said, her deep blue eyes determined, and he immediately recognized that here was a woman on a mission. "Do you want to stay with me?"

He blinked in bewilderment. "What are you talking about?"

Kleo huffed. "If there was a way," she urged, "would you want to stay—here, on Olympus—with me? Forever?"

All Hylas could do was gape at her, and for once in his life he was at a loss for words. She couldn't actually be saying what he thought she was, could she? There was no way… "I-I, well, yes," he stammered. "But, h-how-"

"Then will you?" She interrupted, blushing but still looking him directly in the eye. She clasped both of his hands in hers. "Stay, I mean."

"But I'm mortal!" he blurted. "I'm not a god, I'm no hero-"

"Hey now," Kleo stepped closer and cupped his cheek in her hand. "'A true hero isn't measured by the size of their strength,'" she quoted. "'But by the strength of their heart.' I risked my life to save you, but you gave your life to save me. You're just as much of a hero as I am."

Hylas was beginning to feel lightheaded at the possibility. He still didn't feel like a hero, but when she put it that way…

"I'm just a mortal," he repeated weakly. He wasn't sure why he was still stalling, but the whole situation felt unreal.

Kleo smiled. "Mother says the gods can give immortality to mortals they deem worthy. And since I'm a goddess now…" she trailed off and looked at him expectantly.

"…You really want me here? Forever?" He gripped her free hand tightly between them.

"I love you," she told him, stepping closer. "Being here is what I've always dreamed of, but a life without you—even an immortal life—would be empty. I want to be with you, if you'll have me."

"If?" Hylas embraced her, burying his face in her hair and giving himself a moment to reign his emotions back in. "A literal eternity with the woman I love?" He leaned back just enough to smirk at her, despite how watery his eyes still felt. "Where do I sign up?"

Kleo smiled with a mischief he rarely saw in her. "Right here," she said, and tugged his face forward—finally—to press her lips against his.

For a heartbeat, Hylas basked in a kiss that was like nothing he'd ever felt before. Then, starting from their joined lips and moving onward, lightening began to dance within his bones, and a fire like the sun roared in his mind. He broke the kiss with a gasp and slumped into Kleo's ready arms, trembling from the power that was now swirling within his soul.

When he no longer felt so overwhelmed, he gingerly lifted his head from Kleo's shoulder and met her concerned gaze. He was stunned that her blue eyes were suddenly more than blue to his new sight; he could see patterns and tiny flecks of colors he hadn't even known existed. He took in the rest of her features in wonder, noticing little things about her hair and face and smile that he'd never been able to see until now. He raised his hand to her, only to stop and stare. His skin was a pale purple, and glowing besides. Hylas inspected himself in bemusement, taking in the external changes to his body.

"Well," he commented, "this'll take some getting used to."

"Any regrets?" Kleo asked, biting her lip in worry.

Hylas wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. "Not a chance," he grinned, and captured her lips once again. Kleo threw herself into the kiss enthusiastically, and they both laughed into each other's mouths when Hylas decided to lift her up and spin her around—and he marveled at the fact that he actually had the strength to do that now.

When he finally put her down they both finally noticed the gods cheering and whooping around them. Hylas drank them all in, the realization that he was now one of them starting to sink in. At the top of the stairs he saw Lord Zeus and Lady Hera looking down at the couple in wistful fondness. When they noticed him looking, they glanced at each other, communicating in the way that only couples who had been together for a very long time could do, and met his gaze smiling before Lord Zeus nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"I finally know where I belong," he heard Kleo whisper, and he turned his head to see that she'd noticed the exchange between him and her parents. He put his arm around her shoulders, and she in turn laid her head on his shoulder with a happy sigh.

A blue god with a winged cap and sandals, who had been floating just above the crowd, pointed his staff at a group of goddesses standing together and cried out "Hit it, ladies!"

So, here is my first scene in which I change what happened in the original movie. Part of the reason is that I felt like tying it to the original myth a little more; when Hercules dies, he is raised to Olympus and becomes a god. He's also given the goddess Hebe as his wife.

The other part of my reason is that I always felt a little weird about the ending of the movie. He spends a good chunk of the movie striving toward his dream, just to give it up once he's finally reached it. I mean, I can see why Disney went the route that they did, Hercules choosing love over immortality, but I always felt that he pretty much traded a life of belonging to a whole community (i.e. the gods) with a life of a celebrity where he had only a handful of people he could truly be himself with.

Maybe it's just me, but considering the fact that in Greek Mythology the gods bring their mortal loved ones to live with them on Olympus all the time, I thought it makes more sense to give Meg immortality as well so that Hercules could be with both her and his parents.

In any case, I hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review if you have a question or critique!