Bitter Lament

By

Jinx

Hercules lay curled in a fetal ball next to the smoldering embers of a small fire he had made a few short hours ago on the lake shore where he had placed the torch. The warmth of the flames were meant to keep him warm, though it would never touch the coldness that permeated his heart now.

Iolaus was dead.

He slept fitfully as his eyes rolled sporatically around behind his lids, caught in the land of Morpheus. He relived the day before as he watched Iolaus jump in the way of a sailing knife as it hurled its way towards Nebula.

Suddenly, as he relived holding his best friend in his arms, feeling the last breath leave the warrior's body, Hercules found himself standing on a flat plain: sand beneath his feet and not a tree or hill in sight.

Only nothingness.

Much like his heart.

A sound brushed next to his skin behind him and he twisted around to find nothing but the vast expanse of emptiness. This was repeated, again, behind him, and as he turned, only the voided plain greeted him.

He turned around and around, seeing he was alone in this nonexistant world, feeling the lonliness of the place comparable to that which lived in his heart since the day before yesterday.

The two were one.

So, too, were he and Iolaus. Best friends since childhood. Vowing to die battlefield heroes, back to back. Where one was, the other was sure to be nearby.

Two souls that were one.

Though, no longer.

One of the souls had been torn from the other, leaving the one left confused. Disoriented. Lost.

This oblivion-world spun around the demi-god, mocking his singularity.

Alone.

Empty.

Gone.

"You were friends." A voice whispered behind him. Whirling, there was nothing there.

"He trusted you." Breathed against his other ear.

"...was always there for you..."

"Where were you?"

"...didn't want to come..."

"...would follow you anywhere..."

"...talked him into coming..."

"...would die for you..."

"...has before..."

"...didn't want to come..."

"But, you insisted."

"...was afraid..."

"...didn't care..."

"...time to broaden your horizons..."

"AT. WHAT. COST?"

Voices and words slamming into him from different directions, pummeling him worse than fists or arrows.

Hercules fell to his knees, clamping his hands over his ears, trying to stop the damning words from penetrating his mind.

But, they wouldn't stop.

"...took him for granted..."

"...was always there for you..."

"...didn't care..."

"Did you notice?"

"...no..."

"Did you care?"

"...no..."

"YES, I DID, DAMNIT!" Hercules cried out, still kneeling in the sand, screaming his words to the sky. Tears were cascading down his face unnoticed.

"...didn't want to come..."

"Did you listen?"

"...no..."

"Did you care?"

"...no..."

"Yes. I did!" The words were weaker, but still vehement. Still being flung to the heavens.

"...would die for you..."

"Did it matter?"

"..."

"Did you care?"

"..."

Hercules curled in on himself, dropping his head on the sand in front of him, hands pressed against his face. He rocked forward, keening. His whispered words were barely heard:

"yes, i do"

finis