First there was fear, but that was mercifully brief. Darkness followed, but the warm, good darkness of Winter nights snug and safe under warm quilts; or perhaps, of the womb.
How long that lasted she couldn't tell, but it was followed by light, a thin, teasing trickle at first, and then a flood, blinding in its intensity. That dimmed slightly, and she could see once more.
Two men with majestic wings sprouting from their backs stood before her. One had a solemn, but kindly attitude; the other wore a smirk.
"I am Michael," the kindly one introduced himself. She noticed the smirker didn't say a word, "Welcome."
"Um, hello?" she ventured. She looked around, but all she saw before her were banks of light, clouds, and two pearly gates in the distance. Frankly, she was confused.
"Do you have any questions?" Michael asked gently.
"Where in Hades am I?' she blurted. She had always been the straightforward type.
Michael flinched at the question. The smirker snickered.
"You are not. This is The Light," Michael informed her, sounding a tiny bit strained.
"Oh," she replied, wondering where in Hades The Light was. Part of the Elysuim Fields, she dearly hoped.
"You have been very, very good," Michael announced.
"Thanks," she replied, wondering if that was the correct response.
"You have led an life free of corruption," Michael continued.
Well, that was sadly true, though there had been a few points along the way where she wouldn't have minded being corrupted a little. Oh well, she mentally shrugged, too late to worry about that now.
"Um, thanks again," she answered, wondering when the judging of her immortal soul part was going to start. With all Eternity before her, she found herself a little impatient to get started on the rest of Forever.
"Because of your patience and goodness throughout you life, you have earned a Final Reward," Michael announced.
There it was! About time.
The angels and the newly deceased regarded each other for several timeless moments.
"Speak up," the smirker finally growled, "we haven't got all day y'know."
"Shut up, Lucifer," Michael scolded him gently, before turning his attention back to the soul before him. "You must name your reward, my dear. Anything you want."
"Umm, don't I get to go to..." she trailed off, shrugging helplessly. "Do I go to Tarturus?" she ventured.
This time the smirker, Lucifer, barked out a short laugh. Michael elbowed him in the ribs, none too gently.
"No, what I mean is you get a last reward before you go to your Eternal one," Michael explained, shooting the still-smirking Lucifer a dirty look.
"Oh." She thought that over for a moment. "Anything I want?' she asked, a very naughty thought popping into her brain.
"Anything," he assured her.
"But what if it's...ah...earthy?" she asked tentatively.
"A last chance to get it out of your system," he nodded approvingly.
"Oh! Well, in that case...um, would mind if I whisper in your ear?"
He leaned forward, and she whispered her request. Stepping back and blushing furiously, eyes downcast, she murmured, "If you can't do it, I can understand, it being, you know, sort of not...."
"I can do it. It will be brief, but memorable. A lovely memory to take with you into Eternity. Will that suit you?"
"You don't mind?" she asked, amazed.
"No. Now just close your eyes and relax," Michael instructed.
She closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and felt herself falling.
"Are these ripe?" a tenor voice asked, as warmth caressed her skin. She tried to look around, but everything was a blur of color.
"Yes! Of course! Sir, you will find that mine are the tastiest..." another voice protested.
"I didn't ask if they were tasty, I asked if they were ripe," the tenor replied.
"Sir! You offend me! My plums are the best in the Provinces!" the other voice responded in an insulted tone.
'Plum?!' she thought, ticked. 'He sent me back as a plum?! How is this supposed to reward me?' Maybe Michael had missed the mark?
"Here's a dinar," a third voice said patiently.
"Yes!" the tenor crowed, and she felt herself lifted.
Her sight focused then, in time for her to see bright, twinkling blue eyes and a tangle of golden curls before warm lips caressed her skin teasingly for long moment, causing her to swoon just as strong white teeth bit gently down.
Moments later, Iolaus sighed with pleasure, licking the last of the plum's rich juice out of the corner of his mouth. "That was delicious," he announced.
"I'm sure," Hercules replied, sounding amused.
Iolaus looked up curiously. "What?" he asked.
For an answer, Hercules inclined his head towards the knot of giggling teen girls who had been watching Iolaus avidly. "I suspect, " the demi-god drawled mischievously, "you are going to be starring in a good number of very pleasant dreams tonight, my friend."
The girls, divining the source of the duo's attention, giggled and moved away, most blushing mightily. One, braver than the others, threw a come-hither glance and a wink over her shoulder at the hunter, who dimpled back at her, but didn't follow.
"I don't mind being other folk's fantasy one little bit," he informed Hercules airily, and then broke into giggles at himself. Hercules smiled fondly, heaved himself from where he had been holding the wall up, and slapped his buddy gently on the shoulder. "C'mon, we've got a king to see," he reminded his partner, leading the way. Iolaus paused for moment, looking back at the fruit stall, and then deciding against a second plum. It couldn't possibly match the first.
"That was some plum," he murmured to himself, following Hercules.
"Thank you!" she sighed, as much to Iolaus as to the bemused Michael.
"Then you are ready to move on?" Michael inquired.
"Yes," she sighed, "Ever since I saw him at the festival, all I wanted was a single kiss...but what a kiss it was!" With a little wave good-bye, she waltzed down the path towards the Pearly Gates, humming a happy little tune to herself.
"Why did we send him back again?" Lucifer smirked, "Wasn't that the 12th this week alone? Why didn't we just park him on a little stool outside the Gates and save you all this time and wear and tear on your imagination?"
Michael chuckled. "You have no romance in your soul, Lucifer," he said, "this way, each is in some way unique from the others, special. And Iolaus gets to not only make them happy, he can also protect Hercules. No other guardian is equipped to do both. Iolaus is truly special."
"And busy," Lucifer snickered, "Very, very busy."
the end.....
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