Disclaimer 2: The Buffy scene in this chapter was taking right from the episode "Chosen". I managed to find a script of it on this website, so no I didn't write out the dialogue...just the detail (since I didn't catch the whole last episode and all I'm winging it on what exactly they were doing at the time). The website is -
Friends Reunited and a Tattle TellThe large wooden ship rocked back and forth as the ocean waves crashed softly against its boughs. The wind was nothing more then a light breeze carrying with it the gentle sounds of seagulls and crashing waves. The sun in the west barely touched the surface of the ocean, and one could almost imagine the gentle hiss of its hot surface against the cool waters. The sky itself was lit magically with gentle oranges and pinks that seemed to dance across the belly of the clouds and light the harbor that was slowly coming into the view.
Upon this wooden ship bodies shoveled as seamen called out orders to make ready to pull into said harbor. The sound of children running across the deck echoed as mothers called for them to settle down and make ready to leave. A few other passengers silently watched as the small dot of land grew more visible, silent whispers of excitement becoming evident. One of these passengers was silent though, sharing little of his thoughts with the others. No, he was much too loss in his own thoughts.
Hercules, hero to the people and famed son of Zeus, shifted his weight as his elbows found themselves resting upon the short wall of the ship. Within his hand he held a folded parchment of paper, one he occasionally peered at before he returned his gaze to the growing harbor. He had been on the Isle of Eire, visiting his dear friend Morrigan (a demi- god like himself), when an urgent letter was delivered to him biding him come to the City of Delphi. It was from his friend, Iolaus.
After the defeat of the Titans, and Hera's renewed goodness, Hercules and Iolaus continued their travels of the world. It was only a year later that the two went their separate ways: Iolaus staying in a village near the city of Delphi with a girl he had become quite taken with, while Hercules continued his travels by boat. The two continued to keep in contact when they could, though for the better half of the year Hercules heard nothing of his friend. He was even beginning to suspect the worst until he had received this, oh so, urgent letter.
Again, blue eyes moved to the folded parchment within his hand. His mind began to churn over what could have possibly brought about such a letter that left little to no information about the situation that was 'so dire that' he must come as soon as possible. It was as the ship slowed to a stop that Hercules lifted his gaze, his thoughts faded as the sight of waiting families and merchants met his gaze.
The City of Delphi was much like the other cities within Greece, granted not as large, but enough to be crowded with shops and buildings alike. The sound of welcoming voices drifted through the air along side the familiar smells that filled the closed area. Hercules had almost forgotten the feeling of crowds, having spent so much time out in the open of the other lands, that now he wasn't sure if he even remembered his way out of the city and to the village that Iolaus was currently settled at.
Moving down the ramp and onto the docks Hercules skimmed the unfamiliar faces about him when, to his right, shouted a very familiar voice.
"Hey! Herc!"
Turning slightly, he peered towards the beginning of the docks where that very familiar voice was matched with a very familiar face. Iolaus stood just on his toes waving his right hand wildly in the air, a goofy grin plastered on his face.
Hercules could not help but smile a little before he was soon moving towards the shorter man as a few honey brown strands were brushed aside by the ocean's breeze.
"Iolaus!" Hercules greeted as he pulled the man into a bear hug and gave him a hefty pat on his back. "I got you're letter. What was so urgent that you had me come all the way down?"
Iolaus grinned at his friend as he stepped back. He turned, just a little, to motion towards a woman who stood amongst the crowd, quietly conversing with a fish merchant, "Remember Adilane?"
Hercules glanced in the direction Iolaus pointed in, taking in the vaguely familiar form of the girl. It took him a moment before he nodded to his friend. It was the girl Iolaus had given up a life of adventures to stay with, "Yeah. You stayed behind to help her and her father on the farm, right?"
Iolaus nodded a little, his grin spreading even more. "We're getting married."
"What?" Hercules asked with bafflement before it finally made sense. He was soon hugging his friend once more with an even larger grin of excitement. A feeling of relief also joined his happiness, himself glad that the situation contained no monsters or devilish gods of any type. "Congratulations!"
"Thanks," Iolaus stated back with a giddy grin on his own face. " The Weddings tomorrow night, and I wanted you to be there. As my best man."
Hercules looked at his friend for a moment before draping his arm around his shoulders, turning him towards the market place where the 'wife to be' now purchased a bundle of fish. "I wouldn't have it any other way!"
"Great! We didn't think you'd make it on time," Iolaus admitted. "Then we got your message. Adilane will be very happy to see you again!"
"Of course she would," Hercules announced with a joking grin as his large hand tousled the blond curls of his friend's head. "I would too if it meant I'd have to wake up to your face every morning here after."
"Hey!"
*
The village was small and quaint, no different then how Hercules had left it a year ago. The moon hung low in the sky, and the sound of crickets reigned the night. Most of the lights in the surrounding houses and huts were out, leaving the majority of the small village in a comfortable wave of silence. Save for one house in particular.
It stood a little ways from the village, resting on a small rise on the green ground. A wooden fence outlined a large portion of the land from the village, and it stretch far back into the rolling plains. Cattle grazed quietly here, while sounds of laughter filtered from the house placed just near the front of the fence's gate, facing the village. Lights lit the wooden windows, casting soft shadows upon the ground a few moths slipping in and out of the opening.
"And so Iolaus bursts out of the room dressed in this dress," Hercules explained as laughter only grew at the expense of his friend.
The group sat about a small wooden dinning table as they gasped for breath and tried too keep from laughing too hard at the story of the old adventures the two had shared. Iolaus sat at one end of the table; beat red and trying to shield his own laughter while his bride to be sat at his side. Her own laughter mingled well with the group of men that consisted of the woman's father, Iolaus, and Hercules. And it was she who decided that she had dallied long enough, and that cleaning needed to be done.
"Well," Adilane started, "I'll go clean the dishes." Dainty hands set about collecting the empty clay dishes and utensils as she smiled.
"Here," Iolaus started as he stood to help, "I'll help."
"Nonsense," the petite woman chided as she gave him a little frown. "If I do remember correctly, I am to be the wife here, not you. Besides you washed dishes last night, remember?"
Iolaus could not help but smile slightly at her words before settling down once more.
"I should go close up the barn," Adilane's father, Mepaclise, then announced as he slowly stood as well.
Mepaclise was a stout, sturdy man of his early fifties. And despite his rather stern and husky appearance, Hercules had come to find the man to be quite a 'jolly' fellow. He was a good man, and a funny one at that taking full part in torturing Iolaus with his own stories of the past year.
"It's good to see you again Hercules," Mepaclise stated as he once again clasped hands with the son of Zeus.
"You too sir," Hercules replied as he gently patted the man's shoulder with his free one.
Iolaus watched the two fondly from where he sat at the table before finally speaking up, "So how was Morrigan anyway?"
Hercules reclaimed his seat as he looked across the table's length to his friend with a small shrug. His thoughts shifted to the Irish vixen he had visited, smiling slightly at the image that came to mind. She had changed much since the last he saw her. She had grown out her short red hair, turned in her armor and sword for a dress, and had settled down with a small family away from the world. "She's fine. Two kids."
"Really?"
Hercules nodded a little with a smile before a scream ripped through the house. Immediately both men were on their feet looking at each other for a second before rushing to the kitchen. There Adilane stood, broken clay dishes at her feet as she stood as far as she could from the window that rested over the basin of water.
"Adilane," Iolaus immediately moved to her side, worry etching over his face. "What is it?"
"A man," Adilane managed out as she pointed to the window, "He appeared in the window."
Hercules did not need much to make him walk to the back door and slip outside. Rounding the corner, he searched the shadows for any threat that may have lingered. Slowly he moved until he was before the very window that was witness to the figure Adilane claimed to have seen.
"Are you sure you saw someone," Hercules called as he eyed the roof of the house.
"Positive," Adilane replied, her form still clinging to Iolaus's.
"Well," Hercules soon leaned into the window, "Whatever, or whoever, it was is gone now."
"Hey," Iolaus coaxed, "It was probably just one of the village kids wanting to poke some fun."
Adilane looked to the blond, before managing a small nod and a deep breath to be released from her lungs.
"I'm okay now," she finally muttered as glanced to him for a moment and pressed a smile on her lips. Her gaze then dropped to survey the broken dishes upon the floor before she frowned a little. "Great, these were the good ones…"
Strife frowned and muttered a few colorful words as his form appeared in a haze of smoke within the depths of the cavern. If he had known the son of Zeus was going to be there, he probably would not have so boldly appeared! No, this changed everything and yet made everything even more sweet. His plan for revenge would be even greater then he expected. His frown, how do you say, turned upside down.
Hercules had beaten Strife once before, but not again. No, he would not attack Hercules head on. He would do it from another angel. Like his grandmother had. The other gods mocked him, laughed at him when he told them he would be a god more powerful then them. Even his Uncle, Ares, had told him to give up his fanciful ideals. But he refused to.
Running both hands through wild black strands, Strife spun about, facing the cloaked figure before him.
"You," Strife pointed as he moved up to the figure, "what do you see in my future."
The Oracle of Delphi remained silent for a long moment as his old eyes peered at the godling before him. The god of Strife, son of Discord and nephew to the god of war, looked at him with hungry eyes, eyes hungry for something he could not posses. It was not often a god from Olympus came to him in search of knowledge for the future; they often went to the fates for such things, even if it was simply a godling. But recently this one came to him often, and at random times of the night and day, to ask him the same question. And every time, he gave him the same answer.
"You will fade," the Oracle proclaimed with guiltless ease. "You will be forgotten, and you will be as you are. You are a self-proclaimed god, with no followers. You will be as all like you are."
Strife twisted his face into one who was holding back a scream of annoyance, as his form twisting away from the oracle. It was as if the last bit of sanity that he held had been squeezed from him in the past year. He managed to gain control over what feelings coursed through him though, before spinning back to the oracle and gathering what wits remained. "Are you sure?"
"I do not lie," the Oracle replied.
"Gah!" Strife exclaimed as he tossed up his pale hands and began to pace the small cavern muttering incoherent words. He was frustrated and angry. He wanted not to be forgotten, or anything resembling this. If it had not been for that blasted Hercules, and his father, he could be sitting on Mt. Olympus right now with the rest of them. But no. Not even his Uncle harbored him any longer. According to the god of War, Strife was an embarrassment.
"I wouldn't let a hair on my head be seen with you," Ares spat as he turned his back from his nephew.
"But I can do better next time!" Strife argued in defense as he managed to climb to his knees from where his Uncle had painfully shoved him.
"There is no 'Next Time'," Ares said "If you weren't my sister's son I would finish you myself."
His own uncle, can you believe it? Strife could barely believe it himself. It was after that, that Strife began to ponder over a plot of revenge. Granted he was no match for Hercules, but if it was Hercules's friend, that was a different story. Curiously, he cocked his head to the side, peering back at the Oracle.
"What about the little guy?" the Oracle arched a hidden brow at the odd phrasing of the godling's question. "You know, the one that always travel's with Hercules…Iolun…Iowa…"
"Iolaus?"
"Yeah," Strife nodded with a wave of his hand. "What's in his future?"
"He will marry his bride," the Oracle informed earning a frown from the godling, it was clearly something Strife knew already, "and their children will bare children, who will bare children, who will…" it was here the Oracle stopped.
"What?" Strife asked curiously, suddenly appearing at the side of the all-seeing Oracle. "What do you see??"
"He and his Wife," The Oracle began once more, "will bear offspring that will bring forth the Chosen."
"The what?" Strife inquired with a little frown. He did not like the sound of this Chosen stuff.
"A being that will bring an end to Dahok's First Evil," the Oracle confirmed, "and save the world from ultimate destruction."
Strife was once again where he had been pacing, his feeble mind turning over what he had been told. Slowly, but surely a small smile graced his pale features his eyes lighting with the feeling of accomplishment.
The Oracle saw this, and could not help the feeling of anxiety that came of it. "You should not mess with things unknown to you."
"You stick to the things you know old man," Strife said with a sly grin. "And I'll stick to the things I know." With a puff of smoke, Strife was gone from the Oracle's humble abode.
The Oracle slowly shifted before standing from where he had been seated, he moved across the stone floor to pause where the godling had once stood. He glanced down at the ground for a moment before peering skyward. The look of foreboding danced across what features were visible beneath the hood of his cloak.
"I fear I have spoken too much," the Oracle stated worriedly. "The actions of Strife will surely bring destruction to us all if he succeeds. The powers will not be pleased."
*
She sighed slightly as she quietly walked the path leading to her front door, her mind slowly turning the past event over in her mind as a blond strand was shoved aside. Her gaze slowly dropped to the amulet within her grasp her mind turning the words spoken over in her head. It had been near an hour since she had left him in the cemetery, and yet she could not help but let her mind wander there. Back to the darkness of the tomb, back to the words they shared.
"I, uh, brought something else," he had said as he pulled the amulet from his pocket before holding it up for her to see. It was simple really. A two-inch diameter round crystal pendant sat in a silver starburst setting, hung from a coarse silver chain.
She shook her head slightly before she spoke. "I can already tell you, I have nothing that goes with that."
"It's not for you."
"Splainy?" she asked with a confused knit of her brow and a cute little pout.
"I don't know everything," He began as he watched her. "It's very powerful and probably very dangerous. It has a purifying power, a cleansing power, possibly scrubbing bubbles. The translation is, uh-anyway, it bestows strength to the right person who wears it."
"And the right person is?"
"Someone ensouled, but stronger than a human. A champion," he locked his gaze upon her own. "As in me."
"Or me," she immediately countered.
"No," he frowned at her. "I don't know nearly enough about this to risk you wearing it. Besides, you got that real cool axe-thing going for you."
"So you're gonna be with me in this."
"Shoulder to shoulder," he replied with a small grin. "I'm yours."
"No."
"No, what?"
"No," she repeated as she turned to walk away. "You're not gonna be in this fight."
"Why the hell not?" he asked with a hint of anger lacing his voice.
"'Cause I can't risk you."
"You need me in this."
"No," she stated again, "I need you gone."
"Why?"
"If I lose, if this thing gets past Sunnydale, then it's days- maybe hours- before the rest of the world goes," she said. "I need a second front, and I need you to run it."
"Okay," he crossed his arms not ready to let this go so easily. "That's one reason. What's the other?"
She was soon leaving the crypt they had been occupying. "There is no other."
"Is it Spike?" The simple question caused the girl to stop and turn. "You're not telling me something. And his scent, I remember it pretty well."
"You vampires," She groaned with a frown. "Did anybody ever tell you the whole smelling people thing's a little gross?" Turning again she began away.
Persisting the subject, he followed. "Is he your boyfriend?"
"Is that your business?"
"You in love with him?" he quickly caught himself. "Okay, maybe I'm out of line, but this is kind of a curve ball for me. I mean, we are talking about Spike here."
"It's different. He's different," she answered. "He has a soul now."
This brought him to a stop before he dropped his gaze that then lifted it. "Oh…Well."
"What?"
"That's great," he said before adding on a few words to himself. "Everyone's got a soul now."
"He'll make a difference."
"You know, I started it. The whole having a soul," he stated much like a jealous child would, as if his soul was some sort of a fashion trend. "Before it was all the cool new thing."
"Oh my God," she glanced over at him. "Are you twelve?"
"I'm getting the brush off for Captain Peroxide," he grumbled. "It doesn't necessarily bring out the champion in me."
"You're not getting the brush off," she frowned a little. "Are you just going to come here and go all Dawson on me every time I have a boyfriend?"
"Aha!" he exclaimed pointing to her at her mistake. "Boyfriend!"
"He's not," she stated with a sigh. "But, he is in my heart."
"That'll end well," he turned and walked towards a tombstone that was promptly leaned against.
"What was the highlight of our relationship?" she asked as she moved towards him. "When you broke up with me, or when I killed you? I'm well aware of my stellar history with guys." Soon she was with him, leaning against the tombstone at his side. "And, no, I don't see fat grandchildren in the offing with Spike, but I don't think that really matters right now." She could not help but chuckle at her predicament, "You know, in the midst of all this insanity, a couple things are actually starting to make sense. And the guy thing, I always feared there was something wrong with me, you know, because I couldn't make it work. But maybe I'm not supposed to."
"Because you're the slayer?"
"Because-"she glanced at him for a moment before rethinking her explanation. "Okay, I'm cookie dough. I'm not done baking. I'm not finished becoming whoever the hell it is I'm gonna turn out to be. I make it through this, and the next thing, and the next thing, and maybe one day I'll turn around and realize I'm ready. I'm cookies. And then, you know, if I want someone to eat-" she paused here rethinking her words once more, "or enjoy warm, delicious cookie me, then…that's fine. That'll be then. When I'm done."
"Any thought on who might enjoy," he sighed a little irritated. "Do I have to go with the cookie analogy?"
"I'm not really thinking that far ahead," she informed. "That's kind of the point."
He watched her for a moment before handing her the amulet. "I'll go start working on the second front. Make sure I don't have to use it." With that, he straightened himself and began away.
"Angel," she called after him. "I do, sometimes think that far ahead."
"Sometimes is something," he answered after pausing to peer back at her. With a smile, he resumed his steps.
"Be a long time coming," she called out. "Years, if ever."
He shrugged as he continued his walk. "I ain't getting any older…"
Glancing away from the amulet, she sighed a little shaking her head once more as the memory drifted away. Her gaze rested on her front door before she slowly pushed it open. Stepping inside she froze and blinked with surprise at the sight that met her. Shock didn't last long though, as the girl that had been standing there, to meet her, drew back her foot and delivered a hefty kick to her shin drawing a pained "Ow!" from her as she bent forward to rub the assaulted limb.
"Dumbass," the girl muttered as she folded her arms over her chest.
She looked towards the dining room where her group of friends sat before letting her accusing gaze rest upon the younger of the two males there. Immediately he held up his hands in defense.
"Don't look at me," he said. "This is a Summers' thing. It's all very violent."
Buffy Summers returned her green gaze to her little sister, Dawn, and pouted a little. She had told said man to get her out of town, and yet here she was at home and not happy. Leave it to Xander to let a teenager over power him.
Buffy straightened slightly before she eyed her sister. "If you get killed, I'm telling."
*
Authors Note:
Okay, Okay, okay. I know what you're thinking. "Buffy the vampire slayer meets Hercules: The Legendary journeys? There is no possible way!" Right? (If not, God bless your soul) Well, yes. You have every right to think that (The Lord knows I was thinking the same thing), after all two very unlikely characters in two very unlikely settings. But as a creative writer, I must explore the reaches of unknown! Take on the challenges presented before me with a lifted head! And all that other courageous crap that writers strive for. And so, here it is. Me thinking "If someone can make a pretty descent Buffy/LoTR crossover (which they have) why not a descent Buff/ Herc crossover?" Hence the birth of this oddly paired fanfiction. However, I must admit some of the characters maybe slightly off (especially the one's from Hercules given the show's been canceled a little longer then buffy and I haven't been able to catch the reruns on the SciFi channel) but I've done my best, granted this is only like a prologue I guess you could say. I'd also like to thank my lovely little beta Jessica for helping me get the basic plot of the story together and helping tie up what loose ends we could find.