Iolaus of Thebes, age seven, only son of Skouros the warlord, tossed his golden curls in the Autumn breeze and twirled around, arms outflung, in the center of the wildflower strewn meadow, warmed by�the caressing sunshine.

He loved the hill, the rise and fall of the land, the fleet-footed animals that capered on the gentle slopes, the wild yet friendly goatherds with their stories and their pipes.� He loved looking down on his village and pretending he was one of the wild, free goats.� He loved the scents of wild grasses and meadow flowers.� Most of all, he loved the sense of freedom and the notion of being close to the Gods themselves.

The only thing he didn't love was Alcmene's decision that Hercules was too young to come with him.� That had come as a nasty surprise.� Iolaus had been looking forward to showing Herc all his favorite private spots, to sharing the specialness of the hills, and to introducing him to the goatherds and dancing with Herc to their piping.� Iolaus loved to dance, and Hercules was perfectly willing to dance with him to his�heart's content. Herc was perfectly willing to do anything Iolaus wanted to do.

Iolaus pouted a little in the sunshine, his perfect happiness marred by Herc's absence.� Not that it was Herc's fault; he had tried.� Iolaus had been dutifully impressed by the rare display of whining followed by a full-blown temper tantrum that Alcmene's ruling had provoked, but she had held firm.

"He's too young to look after himself, Iolaus, and you're too young to look after him," she had tried to explain, but Iolaus had refused to understand.

"Herc's not too little!� He's as big as I am,"�Iolaus had argued, "And I've been going to the hills by myself for years and nothing bad ever happened to me!"

Alcmene had pulled a 'grown-up' face then, pressed her lips tightly together, and firmly shook her head 'no'.� Herc had pulled out all the stops, whimpering and whining so pitifully that Iolaus had been sorely tempted to scrap his trip and stay and play with Herc instead. Alcmene had nipped that idea in the bud by sending a pouting Hercules to his room to cool down, handing Iolaus a slice of honey-cake, and wishing him a good day.

The whole business puzzled Iolaus.� He could sense that Alcmene was mad at somebody, but he didn't think she was mad at him for wanting to bring Herc along, and she was only a little bit mad at Herc for having a tantrum. Still, whoever she was mad at, he and Herc were the ones suffering.�It wasn't fair.

Iolaus shook his head, dismissing the incident as yet another 'grown-up mystery'.� He would bring Herc back some smooth stones from the streams, some flowers from the meadows, and some feathers from the birds that nested in the hills and it would almost be like Herc had come along after all, and, next year, he really could.�� With that happy thought in mind, Iolaus dashed through the meadow, chasing butterflies, on his way to adventure.

All in all, it was a wonderful day, even without Herc. The herdsmen all remembered him, and they played their pipes for him, and told stories, and shared their meals.� He chased goats, both wild and domestic; found Herc several smooth, pretty pebbles in the brooks; found a nest of late baby birds hidden away in some rocks (but didn't touch); picked armfuls of flowers, discarding some as he found brighter and better ones; got chased by some bees when he stumbled onto a hive and stole a handful of honeycomb; and, blissfully exhausted and happy, he dozed in low meadow underneath an ancient, twisted apple tree.

It was that last part that got him in trouble.� He dozed too long, and when he woke up the sun was already low in the sky and he knew he would never make it home before dark like his Mom wanted.� Quickly picking only the best, least wilted flowers, he tucked them and his other treasures in his shirt and dashed down the hills towards home, trying to outrun the sun.

"Oh, darn!" Iolaus exclaimed as he watched the Sun sink below the horizon in front of him.� He had to slow to a walk as the landscape darkened around him.� He was late for sure, now, but he took comfort in the knowledge this was the first night of the Full Moon.� While he wasn't afraid of the dark like Hercules, he wasn't keen to be roaming this far from home at night without light.

'Not�like there's monsters out here,' he thought to comfort himself, trailing�hand to his side so his fingers brushed through the cool leaves of the bushes alongside the path. Oh, he had heard there were monsters about - who hadn't? - but he had never actually seen one and he had been out alone on many a night.

He checked inside his shirt, making sure his treasures were safe, and he smiled mischievously to himself.� 'Since I'm late anyway, I might as well stop and visit Herc,' he thought happily, visions of Herc's delight at the stones, flowers, and feathers dancing�with memories of warm honey-cake and Herc's soft, cozy bed in his brain.

The Moon rose, silvery and full, low and huge over the horizon behind him, her bright light spilling over the land, casting every bush and stone in fine detail and lighting his way.

"Thank you, Sweet Selene," Iolaus prayed gratefully, giving her a smile over his shoulder before breaking into a trot, headed straight for Alcmene's.

�You're welcome, Iolaus,"�Selene murmured fondly, but he didn't hear.

Reaching the bottom of the hill, Iolaus shivered in his thin shirt.� While the Full Moon was generous with her light, it gave out no heat and the Fall air was growing progressively chillier since the setting of the Sun.

'Momma won't mind,' Iolaus decided, already picturing himself all snug and warm, curled next to Hercules. His Mom had told him this morning that it would be all right to sleep over, as long as he wasn't out after dark.�� And if he slept over with Herc, he would have plenty of time to show and share his treasures to Herc and his brother Iphy.

So, cold, hungry, and wanting to reach Alcmene's as soon as possible, he did something he never would have done otherwise.

He took the shortcut through the Grumbleberry Bog.

Selene smiled down indulgently over her sleeping land, watching fondly as Iolaus' curls, bleached white in her light, vanished into the tangled bushes of the Bog.� High up on the hillside, she spied the goats huddled against each other for warmth among the rocks, and the weary herdsmen nestled in their blankets, their dogs asleep at their sides.� She gazed with concern upon a late traveler on the far shore of Greece, and she cast a few of her brightest beams towards him, so that he wouldn't misstep on the narrow cliff-side path.�� She smiled like a fond mother at the sight of the Satyrs capering in her light, merrily dancing to the tunes of their own piping.

�Now!� Now!" the hooded figure exclaimed gleefully, dashing deep into the Grumbleberry Bog before throwing off the hood.�� "Help!� Help!� Sweet Selene, help!" the figure cried, reaching�entreatingly towards the night sky.

�Iolaus?" Selene murmured with concern, and, pulling on her own Cloak of Night, she stepped down from the sky.

"Selene!� You came!� Oh, thank you, kind Lady of Light!� the figure cried with delight.

"Oh, you!� You're not Iolaus!" the Moon cried, dismayed.

"No, I'm not, fair maid!" the tousled-haired figure sang back, "Now give us a kiss!"

"No, you wicked thing, you!" Selene replied, fleeing through the tangled bushes.

Giggling wildly, the fair-haired figure gathered the folds of its cloak with one hand and gave chase.

In the depths of the Bog, the Night Terrors, the children of Nyx, stirred and stretched.

"A mortal," one whispered happily.

"A dreamer," purred another.

"One touched by Destiny," murmured a third.

"Here in the Bog with us," a fourth sighed with delight.

But Iolaus, far too close for comfort, heard none of this.� All he heard was a chirping and a high-pitched chittering from the inky darkness all around.� He had stood, frozen, since the darkness had suddenly dropped down around him, for the footing in the Grumbleberry Bog is treacherous indeed when you cannot see where to step.� He wondered where the moonlight had gone. If he hadn't been assured of the Full Moon to light his way, he never would have ventured within the Bog.

Selene raced through the tangled bushes, laughing breathlessly, for she knew the shrouded figure meant her no harm.� The capering Satyrs on the hillside meadows heard the Moon's soft laughter, and trotted down to join the chase.

Iolaus heard the soft thud of running footsteps and glimpsed an uncanny sight; a woman, clad in darkness,�her pale, sandal-shod feet flashing as she ran past,�silvery shining hair streaming behind her.� Close behind came a flash of giggling green with fair hair, and right behind that panted a tumble of Satyrs, their pipes banging against their hairy bare chests as they pranced by.

The Moon was so busy ducking between the prickly Grumbleberry bushes that she never saw the Night Terrors until she tripped and stumbled among them. The Night Terrors shrieked and scattered as Selene's silver hair shown so brightly in their midst.� One Terror, bolder than the rest, charged forward and gave her a shove that sent her tumbling into the deep, dark, damp hole where the Night Terrors slept away the days and the Moonlit nights.

"A game!" the Satyrs cried joyfully, "A game of hide and seek!� We see you, Selene!"� and they capered and pranced around the hole, clapping and laughing at Selene's cleverness as the green-cloaked figure rushed forward and knelt to offer a hand to the goddess, helping her out of the hole.

But the Night Terrors weren't afraid of the Satyrs, who cast no light, so the Terrors clamored around, clawing and driving the confused Satyrs away.

Then the Night Terrors turned on the Moon and her rescuer.� They snatched at the Cloak of Light, so that Selene, in her struggles to pull free of their grasping hands, thrashed and twisted so that the hood fell over her hair, dousing its light.� Some of the Terrors had grabbed ahold of the green-cloaked figure and they dragged it off into the darkness, despite Selene's cries of dismay.� Iolaus watched�all this through wide, wondering eyes, too amazed to move until Selene caught sight of him during her struggles and shouted "Run, child, run!"� Only then did he flee, able to see by the light of her shining hair.

Chittering with joy, the night Terrors shoved the poor Moon back down into their hole, rolling a huge rock over top of the opening so that she might never again spoil their wicked fun by driving them into the shadows to escape her pure, beautiful light.�Some of the terrors skittered after the fleeing Iolaus, who had managed to find his way free of the Bog before the hood hid the light from Selene's hair.� Terrified, he ran towards the safest place he knew.

He ran towards Alcmene's, and his friend Hercules.

Deep in the darkness of the Bog, the green-cloaked figure went suddenly limp in the arms of its captors.� The Night Terrors gasped with surprise and dropped the figure, edging nervously away, for the Terrors have a secret that they jealously guard.� Since Night Terrors exist to frighten the living and keep them from venturing into dangerous places after dark, they fear the dead, for the dead are beyond their reach.

Fearful that they had frightened the green-clad figure to death, and a ghost would rise up to wreak vengeance upon them for their wickedness, the Night Terrors fled, leaving the still figure lying�among the Autumn leaves.

After a few long minutes, the figure cautiously raised its head and glanced around, giggling softly at the foolishness of the Night Terrors.

"Now, how are we going to save Selene?" it murmured, leaping to its feet to trot after the fleeing boy and the Terrors that pursued him.

Iolaus fled, as fleet as a frightened fawn.� The light had gone away again, plunging him into deepest darkness, but he was in familiar territory now and fear enchanted his other senses, aiding him in his flight.� He really wasn't thinking about running to Alcmene. He was too frightened and confused to think at all.� He longed for safety, and so he ran toward the place he felt the safest.� Behind him, the eerie chittering grew louder The twisted things he had seen back in the Bog were after him and they were gaining!� All around him he heard the weird slithery, skittery rustling of the Autumn leaves.� The he scented the familiar sweet smells of Alcmene's garden ahead and his heart leapt with joy.

Something brushed his leg and he gasped, twisting away and thumping into something with the hollow thud of�a wooden wall.� Frantically, he felt for a door as the skittery noises surrounded him.� Finding it, he yanked it open, threw himself inside, and slammed it tight behind him.

Only then did he realize that he was inside the outhouse.

The skittery, twisted things had surrounded the outhouse, chittering and scratching their sharp little claws against the wooden sides.� Iolaus cowered inside, fervently wishing they would go away.� But they had no intention of going anywhere, until they saw the light coming from inside the house.

"Shoulda done that before you came to bed," Iphicles grumbled, blinking blearily as he pulled on his pants.

"I did," Hercules protested miserably, timidly reaching and fumbling under the bed for his sandals.

"Little brothers are too much trouble," Iphy teased, pulling on his own sandals, "I'm telling Momma to send you back."

"I won't go!" Hercules pouted.� It was terribly unfair of Iphy to get so mad at him over something he couldn't control.� It wasn't like he wanted to go out in the dark to visit the outhouse, he just had to.� He had tried not drinking before bed, but he had gotten so thirsty that he just had to drink the cup of water, and just hope for the best.� It had only been a little cup, anyway.� This just wasn't his day.� First Momma wouldn't let him go with Iolaus, and now this.� There would probably be monsters hiding in the outhouse, too.

"Well, you can't stay here." Iphy said mean-spiritedly, "We don't want you anymore!"

"I'll go live with Iolaus!" Herc countered, finally finding his sandals and sitting on the cold floor to�put them on.� "He wants me!"

Pan, Hercules' pet kitten, yawned and rose at the mention of Iolaus, his second-most-favorite person in the whole wide world.� Pan peered expectantly at Hercules as he sat on the floor, but the boys ignored him.

"What if his Mom and Dad won't let you?" Iphy persisted, leading the way across the room, candle in hand.

"Then we can live in the treehouse and eat rabbit for dinner every night!" Herc replied.

As they exited the room with Pan following, Pan's mother, Blackberry Winter, rose silently from the foot of Iphy's bed, where she had nestled herself after the boys had dropped off to sleep earlier.� Blackberry had followed Hercules and Iolaus to Alcmene's two months earlier, found her missing baby happily living there, and decided to stay.� Alcmene had named the previously nameless mother cat, inspired by her silken black fur. Blackberry was an 'outside cat', but with the onset of cold weather she had decided being an 'inside cat' was far better, and had taken to slipping inside just after dinner and hiding beneath Iphy's bed until he fell asleep. From the start, she had staked Iphy out as 'her person', and Iphy responded by sneaking her bits of treats and letting her play with his long hair. Now she sensed danger, and protectively followed her baby and her person to the kitchen.

Iphy snorted.� "Who told you that?"

"Iolaus did.� He said we could live there together and he'd take care of me," Herc said smugly.

Iphy rolled his eyes.� The only kid in the village weirder than his little brother was his little brother's friend.� "You can't go live in the treehouse, Hercules."

Hercules stuck his tongue out at his big brother.� "Can too!� Iolaus says!"

"What-ever," Iphy yawned, losing interest in the game.� It was no fun if Hercules didn't get worried.� He reached for the door latch that was still too high for Hercules, then stopped.� "Hey, where's your coat?"

Hercules shivered in the Fall cold.� "Forgot it," he admitted, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

"Momma will have a fit if you catch cold," Iphy grumbled.� Looking around the kitchen by the feeble candlelight, he spotted the basket of clean laundry that Alcmene had folded off the line but hadn't had time to put away before dinner. Going over, he rooted through the basket and found a clean sheet that he wrapped around his little brother's shoulders.� "There.� That's better than nothing."� Unlatching the door, he took Herc by the hand and led the way outside, towards the outhouse.

Unnoticed by the brothers, the kitten and cat slipped out the door as well.� Pan hesitated, then followed his mother as Blackberry faded off into the darkness

Halfway between the back door and the outhouse, Iphy suddenly stopped, clutching his little brother's hand tightly.

"Iphy?" Hercules asked.

"Why did all the crickets just stop chirping?" Iphy asked nervously, lifting his candle to peer warily into the darkness that filled the yard.

The outhouse door creaked slowly open.� Hercules spun towards the sound, eyes wide, mouth open,�hand gripping Iphy's so tightly his brother winced with surprised pain.� "Iphy, did you hear that?" he whispered, cringing against his brother's side.

"Yeah," Iphy whispered back.

"What was it?"

"How should I know?" Iphy demanded, gulping.

All around them, the Night Terrors gathered in the shadows were so busy listening to the brothers that they forgot all about Iolaus.� Clever Iolaus slipped out of the privy and snuck towards the back of the house, where Herc's mother kept brackets of extra torches in readiness for when the village ladies visited and stayed until dark.� Carefully feeling around, he found the torches and lifted two from the brackets.� Then he bravely snuck back around the Night Terrors towards his friends.

The Night Terrors were very confused by the brothers.� They could tell Iphy was mortal, but they couldn't figure Hercules out.

"Not a mortal," said one.

"Not a God," argued another.

"Not a satyr," fussed a third.

"What, then?" worried another.

Iolaus couldn't help shivering as the Night Terror's chittering started again, making Iphy start with surprise.� They both jumped as Hercules gasped, "Who said that?!"

Iphy stared down at his little brother.� "Who said what?" he demanded. "What are you talking about?"

"Somebody said somebody wasn't a god or a mortal," Hercules said worriedly, returning his brother's confused look.� "Who's out there talking in the dark?� Don't you hear them?""

"I don't hear anything but crickets.� You're imagining things again. You're always imagining things, like when you thought that tree was talking to you," Iphy complained, edging cautiously forward towards the privy.

The Night Terrors knew better, and their chittering rose in volume as they chattered to each other with excitement.

"He understands!" exclaimed the first.�

"Must be a God!" insisted the second.

"A satyr's child?" countered the third.

"A GHOST!" shrieked the fourth, for Iolaus had leaped forward, passed his torches over Iphy's candle, and, as the torches burst into flame, Iolaus thrust them in front of him into the dark. At the exact same moment, Pan and Blackberry jumped down from the outhouse roof, hissing and with their fur all puffed out.

"Eeek!" screeched Hercules, so startled by Iolaus' sudden appearance that he jumped back, and threw his arms out, making his sheet flap and float in the flickering light.

"Eeek!" yelled Iphy, quickly jerking the candle away from the flying sheet.

"Eeek!" screamed the Night Terrors, fleeing away into the darkness.� Not only did they think Hercules was a ghost in his flapping sheet, they were afraid of Pan and Blackberry too, for cats are Walkers Between Worlds and they have sharper teeth and claws than even Night Terrors.

"Thank the Gods they're gone!" Iolaus exclaimed happily.

"Iolaus!� It's you!" Hercules exclaimed, so happy that he gave his friend a big hug, which made Iphy screech again and drop his candle so he could grab Iolaus' torches before the sheet caught fire.

"Hercules, watch it!" Iphy said, annoyed, as the purring cats twined themselves around the boys� legs.

"Herc, we gotta get help!� Those things have some poor lady trapped under a big rock and they dragged her friend away into the Bog!" Iolaus panted, trying to wriggle free of Herc's embrace.

"Forget that!" Iphy exclaimed, jamming one of the torches into a holder at the edge of the yard.� "We've got to get inside where it's safe!� You can spend the night here, Iolaus.� The grownups can go look for that lady in the morning."� He grabbed Hercules' hand with his free one and started dragging his brother towards the cottage.

"But I still gotta go!" Hercules wailed, digging in his heels and tugging Iphy towards the outhouse.

"Hold it!" Iphy panted, pulling hard in the other direction.

"Can't!" Hercules whimpered through gritted teeth.

"I'll stand guard," Iolaus offered loyally, taking the torch from Iphy and waving it in front of him to show how he would fend off any attacking Night Terrors.� Now that he wasn't all alone he didn't feel nearly as scared as he had before.� He never felt scared when he was around Hercules, and he would never let anything hurt his friend!.

"Thank you!" Hercules gasped gratefully, twisting free from Iphy's grasp and bolting for the outhouse.� "I'll be quick," he promised, leaving the door half-open, just in case.

Iphy just sighed, rolled his eyes, and picked up the candle he had dropped.� "Little brothers are too much trouble," he grumbled.

"Herc can be my little brother if you don't want him to be yours anymore," Iolaus offered from in front of the privy.

"And friends of little brothers are even worse!" Iphy snarled in reply.

Iolaus grinned.� It was fun teasing Iphy back.� Iolaus was trying to teach Hercules how to do it.

"All done!" Hercules sang happily, popping out of the privy door.

"C'mon then, let's get inside already!" Iphy urged, making a grab for Herc, who ducked behind Iolaus.

"You won't be a bit safer inside, you know," a voice told them from the shadows.� They all three froze, but the kitties trotted away into the darkness, purring loudly.

"Who's that?" Iphy demanded shakily, stepping in front of the younger boys protectively.

"A friend who needs help," said the green-cloaked figure, stepping forward, the hood over its fair hair, Pan cradled in its arms.� Blackberry trailed alongside, rubbing against the figure's ankles.

"Hey, you're the guy those little monsters dragged off!" Iolaus exclaimed, peering around Iphy's back.

"Hey, I thought you said there weren't any monsters!" Hercules whispered accusingly.� Iolaus shrugged.� "Who knew?" he whispered back.

"Tell me about it!" the figure shivered visibly.� "I don't much care for Nightmares as a whole, but Night Terrors are the worst!"

"Nightmares?� Those things looked pretty real to me!" Iolaus protested.

"That's why they're the worst - they can manifest on the mortal waking plane," the figure explained with a sigh.� We've gotta get Selene outta that hole before those Night terrors get too fulla themselves and do something we�ll all regret."

"Like what?" Hercules asked, peering around Iphy's other side.

"You!" the figure gasped.

"Oh-oh," Iolaus muttered, yanking Herc back behind Iphy.� The blonde boy was getting used to strange adults taking an interest in Hercules.

"What?" Iphy asked, bewildered.

The figure giggled softly.� "Things are looking up, that's what!" it exclaimed cheerfully.� "Listen, kids, we gotta work fast before the Terrors get too frisky.� Right now they're just runnin' wild, tossing stones at houses and nonsense like that, but sooner or later they're gonna get brave enough to try creeping indoors and then we'll really have trouble!"

"Gee, I'd like to help the lady and all, but wouldn't it be better if we got some grownups to help?" Iolaus suggested.

"Grownups might be a problem.� They can't see the Terrors as well as kids, mostly 'cause they don't want to.� You boys have a better chance," the stranger said, putting down Pan and picking up Blackberry to scratch her chin.

"But what can we do?" Iphy asked.

"We can scare them," Hercules suggested from behind his back.� "They thought I was a ghost and they got scared an' ran off."

"Herc, you could understand those things?" Iolaus asked, throwing him a puzzled glance.

"Yes, 'cept I don't think I was supposed to, 'cause they sure sounded upset about it," Hercules replied, shrugging.� He was pretty puzzled about the matter himself.

"Be that as it may, as some of my younger and more pompous relatives are fond of saying..."

"Huh?" the boys chorused, interrupting the green-cloaked figure.

The figure giggled.� "We've got to think of..."

"Oh!" Hercules abruptly exclaimed.� They all turned to stare at him.

"I've got a plan!" Hercules announced proudly.

It took a little while to get everything together, and to talk Iphy into going along with Hercules' plan.

"Momma is gonna kill us for cutting up her good sheet," Iphy said glumly as he watched his brother and Iolaus do just that.� Hercules held the sheet taut while Iolaus carefully cut out three holes by stabbing the point of his dagger into the material, then gently sawing the hole wider.� He was being very careful not to cut Hercules while doing this, but that wasn't making Iphy feel any better.

The green-cloaked figure appeared out of the shadows from the direction of the vegetable patch, whistling happily, a nice, medium, pumpkin tucked under each arm.� Putting one pumpkin down at Iphy's feet, he held the other next to Iolaus' head, hood tilting critically.

"Yep, that should fit," he judged, handing the pumpkin to the blonde boy. "Now, remember to empty it from the bottom, and, for goodness' sake, don't forget nice, big eye-holes!� You're gonna have a hard enough time navigatin' in the dark without trippin' over things too!"�� So saying, he turned and trotted back towards the vegetable garden, the cats both trotting after him curiously.

"Momma will forgive us for cutting up the sheet when we tell her about the Nasties," Hercules told Iphy, using the nickname he had come up with for the Night Terrors.� He carefully folded the sheet and set it aside to pick up one of the pumpkins and turn it upside down for Iolaus to cut.� "We can't just let them go 'round scaring people, Iphy, and we've got to help that lady Iolaus saw."

"Yeah, but what if they hurt us, huh?"� Iphy sighed.

"Don' think 'bout it," Iolaus advised, sawing through pumpkin.� "It'll work out.� Always does 'round Herc. You gonna just sit there or are you gonna help?"

"Yuck!" Iphy grimaced when he reached in and scooped out a handful of pumpkin, "It's all gooey and slimy like that jiggly stuff Momma tried to get us to eat with dinner!"

"Jiggly stuff?" Iolaus wondered what could be so disgusting even Iphy, who liked squid, wouldn't eat it.

"Jellyton," Hercules told him, making a 'yuck' face. "She put boiled eggs in it!"

Iphy reached in, scooped up another handful of pumpkin innards- and threw them at Hercules.� Hercules ducked, but not fast enough.

Splat!

"Ewww!" Hercules cried, dove for the pumpkin, and gave Iphy a faceful of gourd guts right back.

Iolaus giggled, then ducked as both brothers turned towards him, gleams in their eyes and pumpkin slime in their hands.

The cloaked figure giggled along with the boys, glad to be out of the line of fire, and picked two more pumpkins, figuring, correctly as it turned out, that the one they were working on was a lost cause.

A short time later, pumpkin-heads firmly in place, the three goo-splattered young heroes stumbled and grumbled their way across the dark Greecian landscape.

"How come we gotta be on the outside?" Iolaus muttered, hitching up the corner of the sheet that kept tangling around his ankles.

"'Cause we look bigger and scarier with the tallest one in the middle and I'm tallest," Iphy replied smugly.

"Dunno why we gotta be one big Hydra anyway," Hercules whined from Iphy's other side, tripping over his corner of the sheet.

"You came up with the idea of pretending to be a monster," Iphy pointed out.

"Didn't mean we all had to be one big monster," Hercules protested sullenly.

"One big monster is scarier than three li...er, not-so-big monsters," Iphy said with implacable Big Brother Logic.

On either side, two little heroes pouted, grumbled, and tripped.� A few feet ahead, leading the way, the green-cloaked figure giggled softly.

"Ssshhh!" the stranger hissed, motioning them forward to peer cautiously through the grmbleberry bushes.� By now, Hercules and Iolaus had given up and were carrying their pumpkin-heads.� They were feeling rather smug at discovering the superiority of the outside positions.� Iphy, with both arms trapped under the sheet, was still wearing his pumpkin.

"Ohhh!" all three boys gasped at the sight before them. While many of the Night Terrors were busy wrecking merry havoc around Greece, there were still plenty left to guard the moon's prison.� They were dancing around the stone, laughing wildly, shouting, singing, and chanting as they snatched at the tiny glowing specks of light that danced like fireflies over the stone.

Iolaus shuddered.� Even though he could only see brief glimpses of the Night Terrors� twisted forms in the flickering light from the tiny sparks, they were still spooky, and he felt his tummy do a flip-flop.� On Iphy's other side, Hercules shuddered too.� He could make out some of the things they were shouting, and they weren't very nice.

"There are so many of them.� Iphy whispered.� "This is bad."

"Yeah.� My fault, all of it.� Welcome to my nightmare," the green-clad figure groaned.� "Now we gotta fix what I messed�up or we're all in it deep."� He groaned again.� "I'm gonna learn one of these days.� Maybe.� Oh, well.� Heads on, kids."

Iolaus and Hercules re-settled their pumpkins on their shoulders, then they each took one of the spindly broken tree limbs the stranger had been carrying.

"All set?" the stranger whispered, "Now, go out there and be scary!� I'll get Selene free while you kids distract those nasty li'l Terrors."

Tentatively, Hercules slipped his free hand into his brother's and gave Iphy's hand a little squeeze.� Iolaus did the same from the other side. Iphy squeezed both hands back.� "We can do this, right?" he whispered.

"Right," Hercules whispered back, not sounding all that sure.

"Right.� Monster 'R Us- that's our motto from now on," Iolaus added bravely.

"I liked 'friends forever' better," Hercules said softly.

"'Friends forever'," Iolaus swore, "You, too, Iphy."

"Yeah, I like that," Iphy sighed, "Let's go, guys."

The Terrors were ecstatic.� At last they were free to do as they pleased: free to dance beneath the moonless sky; to fling open barn doors and drive the confused livestock into the woods; to knock on cottage doors and fling small rocks at the walls of houses, waking the slumbering occupants; and to merrily chase lost travelers across the countryside.� Already, some were dreaming of the fun of dragging screaming children beneath beds and into closets, and even more wicked things.

It was, they all agreed, a glorious night in Night Terror history!

"Selene can't get out!� Selene can't get out!" they chanted joyfully, the dancing points of light streaming upwards in thin, wavering lines, tiny bits of Selene's essence escaping her prison.

Beneath the rock, in the depths of that dark, dank hole, was one steamed goddess. Now, Selene was a very nice goddess - but even nice goddesses have their limits. "This is the last time I offer to baby-sit those little Terrors," she fumed to herself, tapping her foot, "When I get out of here that sister of mine is getting an earful about this!"

�Buggada-buggada Boo!" shrieked the monster that suddenly burst from the bushes, rushing right at the dancing Night Terrors, waving its long, twisted arms.� The Terrors screeched and scattered at the horrible sight.

Oh, it was a fearsome thing! - with a huge, lumpy body spotted with grime and leaves; six legs that all seemed to be going different directions, three shrill, shrieking voices, and, most horrible of all, three bloated, misshapen heads with huge, hollow eyes!

"Buggada-buggada boo!" shrieked Iphy.

"Go 'way!" shouted Hercules.

"Heee-yiii!" screamed Iolaus.

The 'monster' chased the poor, frightened night Terrors here, it chased them there, it chased them everywhere!

"Buggada Boo?" muttered the green-cloaked stranger, taking advantage of the confusion to slip through the bushes to the stone, "Really!� Still, ya gotta love a nice bit of chaos to round out the evening."� He grinned to himself as a shrieking Terror dashed by, frantically waving all six of its spindly little arms.

Kneeling, the stranger got a good grip on the edge of the stone and heaved. The stone didn't move an inch.

"Huh?" the stranger muttered, shifting his grip and trying again.� Again, the stone didn't budge.

"Ack?" asked Pan the cat from where he sat on the far side of the stone, tail twitching.

"Nope.� I don't get it," the stranger complained, drumming his fingers thoughtfully on the rock's edge.

"Errr?" Blackberry inquired after she leaped lightly onto his shoulder.

The stranger shook his head.� "I am pushing!" he protested in an annoyed tone.� Squinting and ignoring the havoc around him, he reached out and brushed some leaf mold off the stone's flat side, exposing an inscription.

"Oh, great!� That was smart!" the stranger bleated with feeling as he read the runes.

"Love, is that you?" Selene's voice drifted up through the same cracks as the firefly points of light.

"Sweetheart, we've got a problemo.� I can't budge this thing," he called down to her.

Surprisingly, Selene's soft laugh floated upwards.� "Yes, and I know why, you rascal!� Just how many daughters did this poor man have, that he had to enchant a guardstone against you?"

The stranger grimaced.� "Figured that out, did you?"

"Why do you think I'm still down here, Frisky?� Sometimes being the Maiden Moon can be a real drag!� This thing won't let me out!"

"As always, I'd be more than happy to help you with that little problem, My Love, " the stranger offered with a giggle.

"After this fiasco, I'm sorely tempted.� Zeus want to stick poor Artemis with this job, anyway," she replied in a disgusted tone, shoving helplessly up on the stone over her head.

That prompted another giggle.� "Too late!" he warned.

"Wicked!" Selene snickered, "I'd keep that little bit of news to yourself, if I were you.� What Zeus doesn't know won't hurt you."

"Well, if I can't move this thing, at least I know somebody who can," the stranger said, looking around for the 'hydra'.

"No adult, god or mortal, will be able to move it unless they're truly pure of heart," Selene grunted, giving the stone another shove, "I'm stuck here until the Promised One comes!"

"This is your lucky night, Love," the stranger commented as the 'hydra' thundered by, a half-dozen screaming Night Terrors fleeing before it.� "And there goes your salvation now!" he giggled.

Then Hercules, with his too-long legs, tripped.�� He pitched forward and the sheet ripped in two even as Iphy and Iolaus tumbled over him.

The fleeing Terrors immediately skidded to a halt.� "Mortals?" several of them shrieked with delight as they reversed direction, charging right at the jumble of junior heroes.

"Oh-oh!" Iolaus gasped, untangling himself from Iphy to throw himself between the dazed Hercules and the charging Terrors, his stick-arm grasped like a baseball bat.� "Stay back!" he warned, eyes flashing.

Chittering joyfully, they snatched at Iolaus' arms with their sharp, clawed hands - and leapt backwards with screams of surprised pain as electric sparks arced from the boy's bare skin at their touch.

"How'd I do that?" Iolaus wondered, amazed, reaching down one hand to help Hercules up.

"Well, I'll be Zeus' uncle!" the stranger exclaimed, "I could have sworn it was the other one!"

"You are Zeus' uncle, Silly!� What's going on up there?!" Selene demanded.

A few of the braver Terrors threw themselves at the boys.� The cats abandoned the stranger to join the fray, caterwauling and clawing back at the attacking Terrors.� Iphy kicked and smacked, Iolaus whomped them with the stick and more sparks flew as the occasional Terror was unwise enough to try grabbing the small blonde boy, but even with all that, a few got through to Hercules, huddled behind his brother and his best friend.� Hercules batted at them awkwardly with his stick.

"Hey, I thought you were gonna free the lady!" Iolaus shouted, smacking a Terror right off its feet.

"I'm working on it!" the stranger shouted back, reaching towards him.

A Terror ducked under Hercules' stick and grabbed his arm - and screamed as its hands burst into flames.� Hercules produced a pretty good scream, himself, as he jerked away.� As soon as the contact was broken, the flames died.

"As if things weren't confusing enough," the stranger griped.

Then Alcmene- Alcmene!- burst from the bushes, a burning torch clutched in each hand, a few bedraggled-looking Satyrs panting after her.

"Get away from my sons!" she cried angrily, jumping between the Terrors and the boys.� She didn't hesitate a second to use the torches and the Terrors shrank back before her fury.

"Momma!" Hercules exclaimed happily, starting forward only to be yanked backwards by a firm grip on his waistband.� He landed on his tush next to the stone.� Iolaus landed beside him.

"You two move that thing!" the stranger commanded, hitching up his cloak hem with both hands and leaping forward.� As he did so, the boys caught their first glimpsed of his legs -�and what legs they were!� The knee bent the wrong way, they were covered with soft, pale curls, and each one ended not with a foot, but with a neat little�gray hoof!

The friends exchanged startled glances; then scrambled to their knees and started shoving the stone.

Meanwhile, the hooded stranger thrust out one delicate hoof and stamped firmly.

The ground trembled, and everybody froze.

"Quit that!" Selene shouted from under the rock.

Everybody ignored her.

"Trick or treat?" the stranger asked the Night Terrors.

"Trick!" the Night Terrors shouted back, but only some of those present understood.

"Can't say you didn't ask for it!" the stranger muttered, crouching down to bring his gaze even with the Terrors.� "You've been very bad," he crooned softly, "And you're making me very mad.� That's so not a good idea, little ones."

Iolaus blinked across the rock at his best friend.� "Herc, do you feel that?" he whispered.� Hercules nodded, blanching.

Everyone and everything in the clearing 'felt that'- a seeping, creeping, dreadful feeling that something very, very bad was going to happen very, very soon.� The hair on the back of everybody's neck went up, especially the kitties.� Alcmene tugged Iphy away from the crouching figure, staring at the stranger with wide, wondering eyes.

"I hate when he does that," Selene muttered beneath the rock, shivering.

"Move that rock, kids!" the stranger barked, never breaking eye contact with the Terrors.

Hercules jerked with surprise at the shout and the sudden movement shifted the rock a few inches, creating a small gap.� A bright beam of light streamed skywards from the hole.

Hercules gasped, "Look, Iolaus!" and both boys shoved as hard as they could.� The stone shifted, then slid, landing in the damp leaves with a soft thud.

Brilliant light cascaded from the hole, throwing everything in the clearing into sharp relief.� Everybody gasped and fell back from the light - everybody except the hooded stranger, who rushed forward and reached down into the hole.� Two shining hands reached upwards to clasp his own, and he gently lifted the goddess free of her prison.

"Ohhh." Everybody, mortal, Terror, satyr, even Cat, chorused as they beheld Selene, Lady of Light,�in all her glory for the first time.

She had let the Cloak of Night fall back behind her white shoulders. Her shining silver hair was tousled, its brightness framing the softer radiance of her round, gentle face.� Her skin shown with pale, soft light and her gown shimmered with tiny points of light, like a thousand twinkling stars. Only her eyes, in all the hues of the night-sky, didn't glow with inner light.

"Whoa!" Iolaus exclaimed impressed despite the brief glimpses he had caught of her earlier.

"That's my gal," the stranger sighed, tipping his head back to look up into her face, the hood at last falling to reveal a tangle of long, pale curls and the tips of two tiny, pinkish horns, all the others could see of him, since he faced away from the group.

Selene smiled fondly, reaching down to pull the hood back over his hair. "Thank you, Love," she murmured, before turning her attention to the cringing Night Terrors.

"You have been very, very naughty, pushing Auntie Selene in that hole!" she scolded them, wagging her finger in their collective faces.

"We're sorry, Aunt Selene!" they chorused.� The clearing was filling with more and more Night Terrors, drawn from all over Greece by the bright light that flooded upwards into the night sky from Selene's hair.� They slunk back to their home in the Grumbleberry Bog, knowing that their taste of freedom was done.

"Sorry is not going to hack it, young...things.� You'll be lucky if I don't call your mother right now!" the goddess threatened.

"Oh, please don't do that, Aunt Selene!" the Terrors pleaded, "We'll be good!" they promised, batting wide, innocent eyes.

The goddess took a deep breath, crossed her arms, and - sighed, as she felt her anger melting.� She could never stay angry at her sibling's children for long.� "All right, I won't call your mother this time, but don't you ever do anything like this again!� I mean it!"

"We won't, Aunt Selene!" the grateful Terrors chorused.

"Oh, you're not off the hook that easily.� Off with you, now.� First get your big brother Morpheus and tell him Aunt Selene wants him to send his sweetest dreams to everybody in Greece, so they'll forget all the mischief you've been up to tonight.� While the mortals are sleeping, you are going to fix everything you've broken, return every strayed animal to its home and replant every crop you pulled up.� Got it?"

"Yes, Ma'am!" the Night Terrors replied, scattering to carry out their chores.

"That's it?!" Iolaus exclaimed, outraged.� "Aren't they even going to get a paddling for being so bad?" he demanded.

Selene shrugged apologetically.� "They were only doing what they are supposed to do, just too much of it and all at once," she explained.

"But aren't you mad at them?" the blonde demanded.

Selene smiled at him, a smile that held a touch of wickedness.� "I'm a little peeved," she confessed, "Which is why I'm making sure this never happens again.� From now on, I'll shine my brightest beams right here, into the Grumbleberry Bog.� The night Terrors aren't going to like that at all!"

Suddenly, they were surrounded by satyrs.� "A party, Selene!" the satyrs demanded, prancing about and peering curiously at the boys.

The goddess smiled radiantly.� "Sound like a plan to me!" she exclaimed, sweeping her arms upwards gracefully.

"Hey, how did we get here?" Iolaus asked, wide-eyed.� The whole group was back in Alcmene's backyard, but it was no longer dark and scary.� Torches blazed all along the edges of the yard and the trees dripped with colorful lanterns in interesting shapes and tiny little twinkling lights.� There were tables laden with sweets and other good things to eat.� The satyrs cried out with joy, leaped in the air, and came down piping.� Within seconds nearly everybody had joined the dance, Iolaus swinging a giggling Hercules, Iphy dancing with Alcmene, the satyrs dancing with each other.� After checking out the buffet table, Blackberry led the attack on the cold cuts at one end, Pan eagerly following his mother's lead, both cats doing a credible job of ignoring the party around them

"Tired, Frisky?" Selene asked the robed figure who was stuffing small party cakes by the handful.

"Mmmfftt?" the figure replied.

Selene reached out and tugged the hood down to reveal dark curls instead of blonde.

"Pan?" she asked softly, but the dark-haired boy, Iolaus' age shook his head.� "Robin," he managed around a mouthful of cake.

She smiled.� "I know better than that, child, but you may use that name if you wish."

"Not my fault, lady, really!" the boy answered, shrinking back from the glowing woman.� Selene had toned herself down, but she was always the Lady of Light.� "One minute I'm lost in the woods, and the next I'm here.� I didn't mean any harm, I swear!� I was just hungry!"

"Shush, child, I know.� Eat your fill, play, and when you're tired I'll take you home to the mountains.� But put Alcmene's jewelry back right now!" she added firmly, reaching into the robe and pulling out several of Almene's best bracelets and necklaces and dangling them accusingly before the boy's eyes.

Eyes downcast, he took the jewelry from her and slipped back into the house to replace it.� She sighed.� "I'd better remember to check him again before I take him home," she muttered, shaking her head fondly.

It was a marvelous party, with dancing and games.� Iolaus danced to his heart's content, and, for once, both he and the boy who called himself 'Robin' ate their fill and more.� Even Iphy smiled, and once he even laughed!

A few hours later, dawn was breaking over the horizon and the weary partygoers were all tucked into bed.� Even the satyrs were snuggled together, happily snoozing in warm, comfy caves, and 'Robin' was safe in his own bed, with one of Alcmene's second-best bracelets tucked under his pillow, a souvenir he would cherish for years to come, even after he, Iolaus, and Hercules met again as adults.� 'Robin' cherished secrets almost as much as pretty jewels.

Selene gazed serenely at the sleeping young heroes, Iolaus and Hercules jumbled together in one bed, Pan the kitten draped over Hercules' hip, while Iphy slept soundly in the other bed, Blackberry curled at his feet.

"I owe you a great debt," she swore softly, "All of you. You will forget most of this night with time, but remember that Selene of the Elders has pledged her help when you need it most, whenever that may be.� What about you, Love?"

The cloaked figure stepped out of the darkest corner, hooves clicking a little as he walked over to stand next to the goddess.� "Yeah, I owe them too," he admitted, "And brother, are they gonna need it!� These three have some real adventures ahead of them, especially the dynamic duo over there."

"Why didn't you let them see you?" Selene asked curiously.� "You're as cute as a button and you know it!" she teased.

"Let's just say I have a notion we may meet again someday, and you know how much I love a good surprise. Let 'em be surprised!"

The goddess laughed softly.� "You're always full of surprises!" she teased, gliding over to Iphy's bed and leaning to lightly kiss the boy's forehead.� The place where she had kissed glowed softly, like the soft radiance of a glow-worm.

Turning, she lightly kissed Hercules and, last of all, Iolaus, ruffling his hair fondly as she did so.

"Sweet dreams, my heroes," she murmured, then turned to tug down the hood and kiss the little goat-god's forehead as well.� "Come along, Frisky," she said, taking his hand and sweeping her free arm upwards, "You owe me a dance!"

From that night on, on those nights when Selene watched over all of Greece, she paid particular attention to one little corner that contained the Bog and the Fens.� And every month during the Dark of the Moon, she would put on her Cloak of Night, step down from the sky, and softly sing to three sleeping little boys who would have great influence on her land in later years, and, in time, she had the chance to honor her pledges of protection to them.

But that's another story, for another night.� Sweet dreams, everyone, and remember to wish the Moon a goodnight.

The End?�

Captive Moon Afterword.

If by now you, the reader, are thinking,' This sounds like a fairytale,' you are right.� It is a fairytale; two of them, actually, if you want to count myths as the first fairytales.�� So, it's a mythological fairytale.

The first, and older tale, tells how Pan, the Greek god with the horns and legs of a goat, fell madly in love with Selene, the first Greek Goddess of the Moon.� Fearing that Selene would reject him outright due to his appearance, he disguised himself with curly white fleece and pretended to be a lost lamb, thereby luring Selene from the sky.� Here the various versions differ, with Robert Graves claiming that Pan did, indeed succeed in his attempted seduction.� But other versions say he did not; that Selene, outraged by his trickery, rejected his pleas of love and gave him the cold shoulder.� While little is known of Selene, since almost all her myths were later changed and transferred to Artemis, this latter version doesn't quite fit with what has survived- that Selene was a warm and loving goddess who took a personal interest in the people of Greece, that she was a goddess of enchantment and love (Lover's Moons were her invention), and that she had a particular soft spot in her heart for shepherds.� Indeed, the best-known myth about her that survives tells of her unrequited love for the Shepherd Endymion.� Entranced by him, she would wait until he fell asleep each night, then neglect her duties as the Moon to sneak down from the sky and lay beside him to watch him sleep.� Or maybe it wasn't so unrequited, since there is a version of that myth that claims Selene had fifty daughters by Endymion - told you she was a warm and loving goddess!

At any rate, one of the more astonishing things that comes to light if you read enough folklore is that the romance between Selene and Pan has managed to survive until the present day, despite the rumor that Pan died centuries ago.� Various folktales and folkbelief, and even modern Wiccan religion, all tell of a romance/relationship between the Moon Goddess and the Horned God. Guess Pan didn't give up that easily!

Selene shows up on many websites if you search under 'Moon Myths', but you'll mostly find the Endymion tale and not much else.� 'The Greek Myths' by Robert Graves tells more about both Selene and Pan, including the suggestion that Pan may be Zeus' uncle (and most certainly not Hermes' son, as widely accepted).� Both these deities belong to a group of assorted Gods and Goddesses who don't quite fit into Classical Mythology as it eventually came to be worshipped by the ancient Greeks and Romans.� These gods and goddesses were imports and 'left-overs' from earlier groups or cults, whose worship was eventually pre-empted by later, 'more important' gods, usually one of the 'big twelve' of the Pantheon. As such, most of their mythology has been lost, not written down by the great poets of the time, yet many of them were still actively worshipped by the 'common people'.� These included Hecate (Goddess of Magic), Triton (God of the Seas), Pan (God of Life, Music and Dance), Selene (Goddess of the Moon), Nyx (Goddess of Night and Sleep, Mother of Dreams and Nightmares), Cybele (Goddess of Love), Helios (God of the Sun and brother of Selene), and others, whom I've dubbed 'The Elders', since most of them pre-date the accepted Classical Gods of Mythology.� I personally find these 'lost gods' fascinating, and at least some of them will show up in future stories.

The second, and perhaps much later myth is a British/Welsh Folktale with a variety of names: 'The Dead Moon', 'The Buried Moon', and 'The Captured Moon'.� As far as I know, it's never borne the title that Allie came up with- 'The Captive Moon'- thanks, Allie!- but it may well be recorded as that someplace.� Not on the internet, apparently, as both Allie and myself failed to find any version under any title, a situation soon due to change, thanks to a very kind collector of Moon Mythology.� Ian Sanders has a wonderful site all on the Moon, including a section of Moon Folktales, and he is in the process of trying to track down the original version of this story to add it to his site.� In the meantime, you can find other wonderful tales from all over the world on his site at: http://www.crosswinds.net/~pignut.. Hopefully.� Ian has been having some trouble with Crosswinds, and intends on moving the site, but not for a few more months (as of 11/2001).

I had originally read the story of' 'The Captured Moon' in a folktale collection entitled, I think, 'Tales of the Fens', which has since vanished from the local library.� Ian did find a book with the same name, published many years ago and long since out of print, but it had no mention of 'the Buried Moon'.� He did find the story recorded in 'More English Fairytales' by Joseph Jacobs, which may be available as a Dover Publications re-print.�� Under the title 'The Buried Moon', the tale also appears in 'The Buried Moon and other stories' by Molly Bang (1977, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York) and in 'More Tales from the Welsh Hills' by Ellen Pugh (1971, Dodd, Mead, and Company).�� 'More English Fairytales' credits the story as having come from 'Legends of the Lincolnshire Carrs' by Mrs Balfour (no date).� Molly Bang gives no indication where her version is from; and Ellen Pugh credits most of her stories as retellings of tales her grandmother told.�� The story makes one more appearance, in Katherine Brigg's 'English Folktales' (1972, still in print last time I looked), this time under the somewhat morbid title 'The Dead Moon'.� This version was supposedly collected by folklorist Ruth Tongue straight from a living source, who was telling a tale heard in childhood.

As you can tell, more research needs to be done.� The version I've used as my source is the one from 'Tales of the Fens', taken from my memory of the story.� The version from 'Fens' differed from all the other versions mentioned in a few details, the most important of which is that in the 'Fens' variant it is a brave little boy who rescues the trapped Moon, whereas in the other versions the rescuer is a nameless traveler who stumbles on the Moon's prison and summons the local men to free her.

All versions of this story place it in a real, existing place.� The Welsh version claims the Moon was trapped�in the 'bleak, broad moor surrounding Mount Plynlymon' , Molly Bang sets her version in 'the land of Carrs'- most likely the Lincolnshire Carrs, Ian tells me.� The 'Fens' version was set in the Fens; once great expanse of marshland� 'in the East of England that extended north to the wash and into Lincolnshire' that was drained by�Dutch engineers centuries ago and converted into farmland.� Ian tells me only a few patches of the beautiful marsh remain.�� See "http://www.streetmap.co.uk" � The Lincolnshire Carrs, the possible 'birthplace' of this tale, are in the northern part of the Fens. Any of these places would be a frightening place for a traveler to be lost on a dark, moonless night, and it was probably this fear that led to the awful 'what if?' story of the Moon no longer being able to light the way of late travelers.

So, there you have it.� I've combined the tale of Pan's attempt at romancing Selene with the kidnapping and capture of the gentle Moon by 'the Bogles and Night-things', added Hercules, Iolaus, Iphicles and a few satyrs, stirred in a dash of my own home-grown mythology by creating the Night Terrors, nightmare children of Nyx and younger siblings of Morpheus and 'The Captive Moon' was the end result.

I would like to thank Allie, for giving so much of her time and encouragement, and Ian, for all his help in attempting to track down this folktale and for all the information about the Fens.

This story's for my brother, born on Halloween.�Happy Birthday, Jimmy.

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