Work Text:
Disclaimer: I do not own Hercules.
Mental health is real, please take care of yourself.
Hercules had married a mortal, named Iona- I for short. They had had a daughter and named her Dareia. She was tow-headed like her mother
and had blue eyes. She grew into a beautiful twelve-year-old. Dareia-Dare for short- idolized her
father. When she was six, Hercules started taking her to train with him, since he thought it would
help her get over her shyness. It had, but it had also made her start trying to work out.
Hercules had laughed watching his then six-year old trying to work out. But as she grew,
Hercules could tell she was serious, as she had no
interest in things other girls her age liked, like dolls, boys, dresses, and make-up. Iona wasn't too
happy about how her daughter was growing
up, and tried to persuade her to do other things. One day, while Dareia was eating her breakfast,
Hercules told her "I'm going to the Pantheon
to run and walk up and down the steps. Do you want to come?"
"How many sets do you want to do?" Daereia asked.
Hercules laughed. "I'll take that as a yes, then."
"Of course I want to train with you, Father. Will Phil be joining us?" She had met the satyr and
liked him. They even joked that Dareia would marry Phil's son, Damon.
"Yes, and I think Damon will be there, too." Daereia laughed. She really liked Damon. She
finished eating and ran to get dressed. She got
dressed and slipped on her sandals. She ran to her father and called good-bye to her mother.
They left the house. Dareia again asked her father how many sets they would do.
"You best only do six. I'll do eighteen. Tomorrow, I'll do twenty-four."
"Do you add six everyday?"
"Yes. And remember to pace yourself. Don't count until you get to the bottom."
"Yes, sir. One day, I'll do eighteen." Hercules laughed.
"Careful, Little Warrior. I've always told you to pace yourself."
Zeus appeared in the form of a white lion. He always appeared in the same form so that his
granddaughter could recognize him.
"Grand dad!"
The lion smiled as Daereia stroked him. He spoke.
"Let her push herself. I never told you that you couldn't do something."
"Father, I don't want her to push herself too hard."
"I let you push yourself. Remember when you were doing those tasks for King Eurystheus?"
"Yes, but that was atonement for killing someone under temporary insanity. I also want Daereia
to concentrate on things other girls are concentrating on."
"Like school?" Daereia asked innocently.
"Yes. Like school."
"She does well enough in school. Remember that test she had on the gods and goddesses?"
"Yes. She got an "A" on it. But I worry about the boys. She says they pick on her."
"I ignore them."
"But they still bother you, Dare?" Zeus asked.
"I think it's because of Father. Let's get to the Pantheon and start training." Daereia started to
lead the way. Zeus swept his granddaughter up
and put her on his back. Since he was larger than the average lion, he could carry her. He took
off toward the Pantheon, with his son running behind.
"Maybe I'll just do six." he panted.
When Zeus got to the Pantheon, he lowered himself to the ground. Daereia jumped off. She ran
into the Pantheon and saw Damon and Phil first.
"Damon, Phil! Hi!" She ran down the steps and hugged both satyrs.
"That doesn't count." Hercules called. Dareia headed back up to the top, then back down. One.
Back up, then down. Two. She tried walking backwards, but her father stopped her.
"No showing off."
"Yes, sir." She turned around and went the rest of the way. She made it back down. Three.
"Almost there, Dare." Damon encouraged her.
"Your father said you were trying for six."
"One day, I'll do eighteen, like him." Her father was almost done.
"Keep trying." Up. Down. Four. She tried to think of a way to keep her mind occupied. She
remembered her Latin test that was coming up.
Simian. S-i-m-i-a-n. Monkey. Annus. A-n-n-u-s. Year. Ante Meridiem. A-n-t-e m-e-r-i-d-i-e-m.
Before noon. Aqua. A-q-u-a. Water. Bene. B-e-n-e.
Well, good. Canis. Dog. Caput. C-a-p-u-t. Head. Circus. Circle. C-i-r-c-u-s. "Six." Damon tried to stop
her when she came back down, but she continued.
"I know Father told me to only do six, but I said I'd do eighteen."
"I know you're hard-headed, but I don't want to get into trouble because of you."
"I'll take responsibility."
Hercules and Phil had moved on to weights. They laughed as they watched Daereia keep on
walking up and down.
"She said she'd do eighteen one day. I guess she meant today." Hercules said.
"Eight." Daereia counted. Simian. S-i-m-i-a-n. Monkey. Annus. A-n-n-u-s. Year. "Nine."
Ante meridiem. A-n-t-e m-e-r-i-d-i-e-m. Before noon. Aqua. A-q-u-a. Water. Bene. B-e-n-e. Well, good. "Ten."
Canis. C-a-n-i-s. Dog. Caput. C-a-p-u-t. Head. "Eleven."
Circus. Circle. C-i-r-c-u-s. Greek goddess Artemis was the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin sister of Apollo. "Twelve."
She is the goddess of hunt and wild animals and sometimes she is also associated with the moon.
"Thirteen."
Hebe is the goddess of youth. She is the daughter of Zeus and Hera, which means she is the sister of Ares and Eileithyia.
"Fourteen."
Bellerophon. He was the son of the Greek god Poseidon. His mother was either Eurynome or Eurymede, and her husband, king Glaucus, was his earthly father.
"Fifteen."
Up, down.
"Sixteen."
Up, down.
Seventeen.
Up. Down.
"Eighteen!" Damon gave her a high five.