The Legend of Hyracles

by BlueColton

Mt. Equus

Mt. Equus

Mt. Equus. Home of the gods.

From atop the tallest mountain in Equestria, what future generations would refer to as the Canterhorn, sat a throne of clouds in which rested a magnificent city. Bathed in all colors of the rainbow, this metropolis was home to the great deities of Ponykind, the ancient gods who watched over their children since the beginning of ages.

As it stood, there was a troubled cloud over the city. Literally. A large black cloud boomed and thundered, sending bolts flashing above the palace, a multi-structured building whose roof could have held up a modern city. Statues of the gods lined the parapets like sentinels, the storm doing little to stem the shine that radiated off their sheen surface like sunlight.

From inside the palace, a host of celestial equines were beginning to gather for a summit imposed by their king, Divine Thunder. Among them was Fillysophia, goddess of wisdom, peace, and friendship. The unicorn goddess had her face buried in a book while she walked, which is why she didn’t see where she was going and bumped into a mass of muscle.

“Oof!” Fillysophia winced as her book slammed into her muzzle. She fell back on her rump in a very undignified manner, eliciting snickers from the various gods around her. She was dressed in a gown of flowing lavender silk, the fabric having been made from the night sky itself, the stars flickered before returning to their full sheen, gently rolling along the surface like a living mosaic. Fillysophia quickly fixed her tiara, gently moving strands of lose hair out of her eyes before glancing upward.

“Stunning!” She cried.

Her brother, donned in red and gold armor from head to hoof, peered down at her with his magnificent blue eyes. “Filly!” He said, quickly extending a hoof to help her up.

She glowered even as she accepted his hoof. “You know how I hate that name. It makes me sound…mortal.” Her gaze fell to her book which she quickly picked up with the use of her magic, placing it in a saddlebag she carried with her. Much like the ponies they protected, the gods of Equus each resembled one of the three pony tribes: pegasus, unicorn, and earth. As unicorns favored intellect over brawn, careful calculation over rash action, and possessed an affinity for the ether they dubbed “magic”, Fillysophia was one of their patron gods.

Of course, they were also a tribe of skilled warriors and that’s where her brother came in. Stunning Shield, the god of war and of heroes. Unicorn warriors would call his name during battle and offer praise to himwhen they won, which was usually a lot. What they lacked in strength and numbers, the unicorns more than made up for in technique and grace. Also, it didn’t hurt that they were the best metal workers in all of Equestria. Having focused their settlements in the mountainous regions of their new home, the unicorn tribe had access to the rarest metals that allowed them to forge weapons and armor that were the envy of the other tribes.

Stunning Shield removed his helmet, releasing his cobalt blue mane over his well-pronounced shoulders. Despite the bulkiness of his armor it fit him like a second skin and didn’t deter his movements in the slightest. It was lighter than silk and yet stronger than any steel the mortal ponies could ever hope to make.

Holding his helmet under his arm, Stunning walked beside his sister. “I’m sorry. I just can’t help it. You’ll always be my little sister.”

Rolling her eyes at that, Fillysophia’s eyes glanced across the room. “Father isn’t here yet,” she stated more than asked. “Makes sense. Why show up for the congregation that you yourself called?”

Stunning’s face grew grim. “He went to Tartarus to meet with our uncle. You know how those two are.”

“Tartarus?” Fillysophia stopped. “Why is he meeting with King Umbral?” She scratched her chin while her brother turned around to look at her. “Father never sees him unless something big is going down. Something like…” she gasped. “The Titans! Are the Titans escaping again?” Her outburst caused half the room to gasp. All the gods feared the Titans, the mighty creatures that ruled the world before the rise of Equus. It had been Divine Thunder who had led his brothers and sisters to victory against them in a war that lasted centuries, culminating with the Titans being imprisoned in the pits of Tartarus. There, King Umbral, lord of the dead, made sure they remained there for all eternity, less they rise up and attempt to destroy Mt. Equus.

“Keep your voice down,” Stunning said in a raised whisper. “Things are tense enough around here.” He looked left and right before speaking to her again. “Something has Father worried and I think it has to do with what’s happening down on Equestria.”

One of the goddess’ eyebrows went up. “Since when is something not happening down on Equestria?”

“Come on, Fillysophia. You’re the goddess of wisdom. You of all goddesses should be well-informed as to the goings-on of mortals.”

She blushed at that. “Yeah well, I’ve been kind of busy too.” They began to walk again. “The unicorns have been creating new spells. Just the other day I had Nocturnia help me enter the dream of a mage who was having trouble finishing a very special cantrip, one which will be able to turn metal, any metal, into gold.”

“Sounds like some spell,” Stunning admitted.

“It is. It’s called alchemy.”

“Al-chemy?” Stunning repeated the strange word.

“It’s a type of science. They’re…”

“Sci-ence?”

Fillysophia rolled her eyes again. “Please, Stunning. I know you’re the god of war and all that, but you’ve got to catch up with the times. Science is the wave of the future and I’m going to make sure that unicorns are at the forefront of this new age of discovery.” They made their way to the refreshment table. After pouring themselves a cup of ambrosia, the nectar of the gods, the two siblings walked over to the balcony where they had a sweeping view of the mortal world beneath them.

Fillysophia sighed. “Look at it, brother. Those are our ponies down there. They fight, they struggle, and yet there’s very little we can do to help them.”

Stunning’s reply was pragmatic. “If we do too much, they become dependent on us. They need to be tough. This new home they found may be beautiful, but it is dangerous and not for the weak. The other races will take it from them if they don’t learn to stand up for themselves.”

“I know. I know.” The goddess leaned on the railing. The wind caught her midnight-black hair, running through it like invisible fingers. It also kicked up her gown, providing a glimpse of her cutie mark: an open book and quill with a black feather.

“Plus,” Stunning went on, resting his golden helmet on the railing, “We can’t directly interfere in mortal affairs due to our treaty with the demons.”

Fillysophia nodded. The gods had a peace treaty with the demons that stated that neither side can become deeply involved with mortal affairs. Oh they can influence events on the mortal plane, gently nudge ponies on the paths of righteousness or evil, but they cannot openly support sides during a time of war or fight enemies on their behalf. That was all on them.

“Still, I wish we could do more. They really need our help, Stunning.”

The god of war agreed. “Maybe that’s what we’re about to do. Father wanted us all here for a reason. Perhaps he agrees that now is the time for action.” When Fillysophia looked at him, he said, “There are still some things we can do. There are new champions rising across Equestria everyday. Their numbers are small but growing, and their victories are inspiring ponies to fight back.” A large smile appeared on his face. “Don’t lose hope, sis. I’ve seen some of these ponies in action. And let me tell you, they are really kicking some flank down there.”

“Always thinking with your muscles, huh Stunning?” A soft, female voice said behind them. The siblings looked back to see a bright pink pegasus mare wearing a lovely white gown that cut down the sides so as to provide a view of her long legs. She was absolutely beautiful, a goddess without equal, as she should be.

Stunning lost his voice. “C-Cadenza!” The flush of red on his white cheeks was all too apparent as he addressed the goddess of love. “When did you get here?”

“Just now. I must say I’m surprised at you, Stunning Shield.” Cadenza swayed her hips as she approached him, eyelashes fluttering. “Wearing all that armor to a family get-together? Don’t you get hot under all that metal?”

Stunning was hot alright, though it had nothing to do with the armor. Beside him, Fillysophia looked away so as to hide a smile.

“Not really. I mean, I like wearing armor. It suits me.” He smiled awkwardly.

Candenza stopped mid-stride.

“Suits me. Get it?”

Fillysophia groaned. Really, brother?

Candenza put on a friendly smile. “Heh-heh. Suits you. Yup. Funny.”

Stunning Shield didn’t move. He couldn’t. He knew he just lost points with that bad joke and didn’t know what to do next. Luckily, Fillyophia subtlety kicked him with her hind leg and he snapped out of it. “Oh…Filly! You’re here too.” Looking to Cadenza he asked, “Cadenza, have you met Fillysophia?”

“We’ve met,” Cadenza giggled.

“We’re family,” the goddess of wisdom deadpanned.

“Yes…because we’re related. Just like every god here. One big happy family. Heh. Whoo!” He began scratching the neck of his armor as if it had suddenly become too itchy. “Love that family of mine.”

Wanting the awkwardness to end, Fillysophia spoke up. “I’m going to get some more nectar. Why don’t you two catch up, seeing as you’re one big happy family and all?” Snickering, she winked at Cadenza as she left the balcony, hoping her brother would have enough sense to throw himself off should he make another horrendously bad joke. No god likes to feel embarrassed, least of all around his little sister.

The congregation was filling up as more and more gods began to arrive. Looking around, she spotted Dioneighsus, goddess of parties and all-around good times, entertaining ponies as she balanced herself on a large ball while throwing flaming knives into the air, her confetti cutie mark apparent for all to see. Horseperides, goddess of the harvest, was having a discussion with Nocturnia, goddess of the night and of dreams, over by the fountain which depicted a group of mares dancing in the forest. Vulcanus, the blacksmith of the gods and creator of objects and weapons coveted by all, resembled a living mountain. The gathering parted before him like a wave as the massive stallion made his way over to a table filled with treats. Solaria, goddess of the sun, her tail and mane made of living flame, stood alone at the end of the room beside a pillar. She looked around nervously for fear of burning someone had made social gatherings rather awkward for her.

Fillysophia decided to go talk to her when a tall, regal unicorn god approached her. “Ah, Fillysophia. How have you been, my dear?”

“Uncle!” Fillysophia forwent all forms of etiquette and threw her hooves around her favorite uncle. Torrent Swirl, brother of Equus and Umbral, god of the seas and one of the most powerful gods in all of Equus. His long white beard tickled Fillysophia as she hugged him, and the great god put an arm around her as well.

“It has been too long, my dear.” He smiled as she let go. “How have you been?”

“Well enough. I’ve been filling my parchments with a host of new spells my unicorns have been creating.”

This made Torrent laugh. He stroked his beard gently as he listened. Whereas most of the gods wore only minor clothing or nothing at all, Torren Swirl donned a long, billowing blue cloak that shimmered with many bright stars. In fact, Fillysophia had based her gown off of her uncle’s attire as a way to show her love and admiration for him. But the most striking thing about him was the, pointy blue hat he wore atop his head. It was as tall as he was and glowed with stars, just like his cloak. Only a hoof-ful of ponies had ever seen his cutie mark: a large rolling wave beneath a field of stars.

“The Fates chose well when they deemed you the goddess of wisdom, my child. You are indeed the brightest goddess of your age.”

Fillysophia blushed at the compliment. “Thank you, uncle. But I’m no smarter than any pony else.”

“You know better than to correct your elders. I speak the truth, and while humility is a valuable trait it can also be a detriment to developing one’s full potential. You should take pride in your accomplishments. Remember that your followers love kindness, but they respect confidence. Never forget that.”

“I won’t.” She truly loved this stallion. Of the three brothers, Father was the most powerful and Umbral the most cunning, but Torrent was wisest, which explains why Fillysophia enjoyed his company most of all.

“Now then, we should talk before my brother arrives. He will no doubt demand everyone’s attention, which will leave us no time to catch up. Tell me about your studies. I hear many things under the sea.”

As Fillysophia and Torrent Swirl talked, a pair of hateful eyes glared at them from the darkness of a shadow-filled hallway. It began to move with purpose, the power from that gaze enough to steal the light from the very walls all around it. In fact, it was this same power that had created the booming storm outside, shaking Mt. Equus to its foundation.

Gods ceased in their conversations as the mountain trembled. Cups and utensils fell to the floor. Dioneighus lost her balance, falling on her back and nearly being impaled by her flaming knives as they fell down with her. Luckily, the mare was nimble enough to twist and turn her body at odd angles to avoid the blades.

Several rattled comments and hushed whispers later, a tall figure began to exit from the darkened hallway. Easily the tallest mare in the room, and the tallest deity by far, her horn shined a vehement red as her gown fluttered about her. She took long and deliberate steps, each eating the distance between her and the front of the room as quickly as possible. When the other gods saw who it was they immediately bowed, or stepped away, or bowed and stepped away. A few did neither, resorting to baleful glares as the goddess stepped past.

Queen Jealoustia was a stark-white pony with green and black hair that seemed to move of its own accord. She wore no smile, did not acknowledge any of the other gods as she walked, her eyes dead seat on the throne of Equus. Sitting beside a table to feed her animal companions, a pegasus goddess winced as one of Jealoustia’s hooves nearly stomped on a tiny chipmunk. Luckily, the goddess was able to pull her tiny friend away just in time. The chipmunk whimpered and clunk to the goddess, as did the other animals, for this creature that had just walked by was far more fearsome than any of the beasts below.

Torrent Swirl and Fillysophia were unaware of the queen’s approach, their backs to her, as they regarded the golden throne of Equus. Torrent Swirl was giving his favorite niece a history lesson, the goddess listening intently, all while Queen Jealoustia spread her wings as if to encompass them both…for unlike all the other pony gods there, she was the only one, besides her husband, to possess features of all three tribes: thick hooves, a horn, and a pair of wings.

“Boring the girl, are we Torrent?” Jealoustia’s voice was low but powerful, the tremor shaking the ground beneath them. Fillysophia literally jumped, having been completely unaware of her approach until that moment. Torrent, however, remained undisturbed and unshaken. He casually glanced back at his sister, the queen of Equus.

“Pleasure of you to join us, sister.” He didn’t hide the contempt in his voice. He offered her a fake smile which she recognized immediately for its insincerity. “If you don’t mind…”

“I do mind, dear brother. You see, everything that happens, both on and off Equus, is my business.” She strode around until she was between him and the throne, literally looking down on him. “And I have to admit that I don’t much care for what I’ve learned.”

“Pray tell,” Torrent said. He spotted Fillysophia cowering off to the side, the unicorn deity trembling before the sight of her queen. “What have you heard?”

Jealoustia lowered her head until it was mere inches from Torrent’s. “Don’t play coy with me, Torrent! You know damn well what it is I speak.”

“You mean the Sirens?” Torrent feigned ignorance.

“I mean Hyracles!” She growled. Much of the room had fallen silent, the crowd’s attention focused solely on the confrontation before them. “That brat has been running about Equestria doing whatever she pleases while my husband does nothing! Just the other day she destroyed one of my temples, burning it to the ground, and wounding many of my priests.”

Torrent stroked his beard. “As I recall, those priests were secretly a cult that was recruiting young colts and fillies to fight for your army. Enlistment wasn’t voluntary, if I’m not mistaken.” There was a glint in his eye. “As for the temple, didn’t it once belong to Solaria?”

Hearing her name, Solaria looked away as several gods looked her way. She quickly hid behind the pillar, but her radiance shone through, lighting up to either side.

“Solaria!” Jealoustia spat. “What does she do but raise the sun? Not all creatures fear the day. It is my power and my followers who protect the ponies from those beasts that would eat them.”

“And in turn, you demand they forgo worship of all the other gods and pay homage only to you. Those that refuse or otherwise question your absolute rule are henceforth banished from their respective homes and villages to make due out in the wilds, where said beasts you mentioned are never quite fully diminished by those loyal followers of yours.” Torrent tilted his head sideways. “Give a pony a choice between the chain and the sword, and he’ll usually choose the one that doesn’t cut too deeply. Though I imagine the sword would be much quicker and far less painful than enslavement.”

Jealoustia’s eyes flashed. “How dare you?”

“How dare I what?” Torrent glared up at her, completely unafraid. “Speak my mind? Ask questions? The very things you seem intent on suppressing in all beings, pony and god alike? Perhaps that is why Hyracles dislikes your temples and your cults. She prefers to let ponies choose their own destinies.”

Jealoustia bared her teeth, which were as sharp as fangs. “She defies the will of Equus!”

“She defies you.”

“SILENCE.” Using the royal Equus Voice, Jealoustia’s outburst brought all conversations to a close. The storm outside boomed and the train came crashing down so hard that the roof visibly shook. Those on the balconies quickly rushed inside for fear of being drowned. All torches, candelabras, and light dimmed until the only thing glowing, besides Solaria’s hair, was Jealoustia’s eyes, a perpetual red of hate.

“You forget yourself, brother. You address the queen of Equus, and your mistress. You will bow to me and show the proper respect.”

“And if I refuse?”

Jealoustia’s eyes narrowed into slits, twin stars of violence on the verge of going nova in that very room. But Torrent Swirl remained impassive, unwavering, before the storm. He was god of the sea, one of the original deities who fought against the Titans, and as dangerous as they came when enraged. The tip of his horn glowed a deep blue, and for an instant one could make out the roiling sound of the sea crashing against the shore. For the longest time, nothing happened.

Then there came a ruckus as a pegasus god came barreling into the room. Horsies smashed into a brazier, knocking it over and causing several of the guests to leap out of the way. She rubbed her head as the impact shook her to the core. Wearily, the divine messenger approached Jealoustia. “Hey, queenie. I have a message for ya from the big guy.” Rummaging through her saddlebag, Horsies produced a small parchment which she offered with a shaky hoof. “It’s a bit wet because of the rain Some weather we’re having, huh?”

“Um…sugercube. Ah ain’t the queen.”

Horsies let her vision come into focus and found herself staring at an orange earth pony goddess wearing a cloak of brown and green with an assortment of fruits drabbed over her person. “Ooops. Sorry, Horseperides.” Horsies bowed her head in head in apology and took flight. When she spotted the queen, she immediately went over and offered her the rain-soaked parchment. “Here’s your message!”

Angrily, Jealoustia snatched the parchment from Horsies, making her yelp and take cover behind Fillysophia who was standing a good distance back from the older gods. Using her horn, Jealoustia opened the parchment and read it to herself before being taken aback. “What!” She crumbled up the paper with her magic and threw it to the ground. “That cur! Who does he think…?” She yelled, “This congregation is over! Get out! All of you!” Without explaining, Jealoustia spread her wings and took off towards the balcony. Gods and goddesses took cover or hurried to get out of her way. She entered the storm, but the rain and thunder did not touch her. The wall of water seemed to part as she passed, allowing her undeterred access to the sky. Only when she was a good distance away, going to a place only she knew, did the water return in full force, drenching the city and its inhabitants.

Fillysophia walked towards her uncle. “What happened?”

Torrent Swirl’s horn lit up and he picked up the crumbled parchment. After reading it over, the wizened deity said, “Hm. Well that is interesting.”

“What?” Fillysophia leaned forward. “What?”

“What she said.” Horsies leaned in behind Fillysophia, eager to learn more.

Torrent glanced at them both. “It seems my brother has just declared war.”

“On who?” The two goddesses asked.

“The queen,” a big smile spread across his face. “He’s sent Hyracles to slay the hydra.”

Author's Note:

Greetings, mortals!

Yes, this story yet lives. I've been having a demigod of a time writing a new chapter for reasons I'd rather not get into. Suffice it to say that the gods saw fit to let my muse out of hiding and she whispered to my ear during the night.

"Sire, remember the Athenians...er Ponies."

And thus, I did.

For this installment, I wanted to introduce some of the other players in this long-winded play of mine. Don't worry. I promise the main actor, Hyracles, will be making her first full-grown debut in the next chapter. But the gods play an important role too. The biggest challenge was coming up with names that sounded both pony-ish and Ancient Greek. Twilight, for example, plays the role of Fillysophia, which is based on the word "Philosophy" from the Greek "Philosophia." I'm rather proud of that one and I think it suits Twi to a T. :twilight smile:

As for the rest, let's' see if you figure out all the cameos. The first one who does gets a round of ambrosia, on me.

Well not really.

Comments

[Oliver]

Eh, I won't be fishing for ambrosia, but I see here shades of Starswirl, Shining Armor, Fluttershy... Jealoustia escapes clear identification though.

Just keep writing, please. I worried this was just another abandoned seed of a gem.