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Before he could think twice, Zephyr charged towards the Titan with a war cry. He reached into his robes, hoping to withdraw a legendary weapon worthy of a hero. He longed for a Herculean club, for Achilles’ spear, even for Apollo’s bow. But his eyes widened as the scent of fried onions filled the air, and he retrieved a squished hot dog from his pockets.
“Help me, wind man!”
Zephyr glanced at the hot dog, and narrowed his gaze at the Titan. Well, it might not be the finest weapon in Olympus, but it was better than nothing.
“Take this!”
With a roar, Zephyr hurled the hotdog at the Titan. It soared through the air like a javelin, until it struck the creature in the eye, in an explosion of mustard and onion. The Titan howled in pain, before it stumbled towards the precipice of Olympus and plummeted into the void with a ferocious roar. Zephyr gasped as Iris tumbled from its claws, and summoned his winds to break her fall.
“Iris?” Zephyr drew a shaky breath as his winds gently laid her on the marble floors of the palace. “Iris, are you okay?”
With a groan, her eyes fluttered open, until they gazed at Zephyr in surprise.
“Wind man… you saved me.”
“Of course I saved you!” Zephyr sighed with relief, before he helped the goddess to her feet. “Iris, I have something to tell you. Something I’ve been trying to tell you for some time now.” Zephyr drew a breath as he tried to summon the right words. “You might be the most infuriating pixie woman I’ve ever met…”
“Is that so?” Zephyr gulped as Iris broke into a fierce scowl. So much for finding the perfect words. “Well, you’re a big bag of hot air.”
“Let me finish! You’re reckless, you’re hot-headed, and your harebrained ideas have nearly ended the world countless times. And yet…” Despite the murderous glare in Iris’ eyes, Zephyr broke into a smile. “Being with you has been the greatest adventure of my life. And I never want it to end.”
“You… you really feel that way?” Iris’ scowl softened, yet her uncertainty remained. “But what about your new hero friends? Don’t you think they’ll have a problem with you hanging out with a technicolor troublemaker like me?”
Zephyr pulled his hero’s license from his pocket, knowing he had to make a choice. He smiled as he gazed at the document, knowing it was his ticket to finally fitting in with the rich and famous of Olympus. And yet, as he returned his gaze to Iris, he knew this was the easiest decision he’d had to make in a lifetime. With a grin, he tore the parchment in two, and chuckled as he heard the shriek of the Muses drift from the Heroes Bar.
“I don’t need a piece of paper to tell me I’m a hero. Because when I’m with you, you make me feel like the greatest hero in the world.” Zephyr glanced at Iris nervously. “That is, if you’ll have me by your side?”
Iris’ brows furrowed in thought, until her scowl eased, and her eyes sparkled once more.
“Well, I suppose we do make quite the team.” Iris’ hair turned into a kaleidoscope of colors, until she broke into a smile. “You’ve got yourself a deal, wind man.”
With a joyful laugh, Iris leaped towards Zephyr, until their lips met in a glorious embrace. As they held each other for the first time, the winds danced in delight, while rainbows arced through the sky in celebration. At once, a golden flame roared to life within the hearth of Olympus, until the palace, and the heavens beyond, were filled with a radiant light.
“I… I don’t understand.” Zephyr looked in surprise at the beautiful sight. “The flames have returned. But… how?”
“Love, Zephyr. That was always the key to saving Olympus.“ Hera smiled as she emerged amongst the wreckage of the party, before she gazed pointedly at the pair. “For the flames to return, we needed all of our Sons of Olympus to find their true love. Yourself included.”
“Me?“ Zephyr spluttered in shock. “Do you mean to tell me this was your plan all along? That you’ve been meddling this entire time?”
“Oh, whatever would give you that idea?” Hera broke into a calculated smile. “I merely promised that you would both find the greatest treasure in the world. And it looks as though you’ve finally found it.” Hera’s eyes sparkled joyfully as she gazed at the embracing pair. “Now, I certainly won’t let a Titan’s tantrum stand in the way of our festivities. We have a party to enjoy!”
With a clap of her hands, the merry-making resumed once more. Zephyr watched as the Sons of Olympus and their true loves joined the festivities. He smiled as Luc and Calli took to the dancefloor, chuckled as Thea scolded Locke for pocketing ancient relics, and marveled as Shadow and Zoe guided a group of will-ó-wisps to perform a beautiful light show for the onlookers. As Valentine and Elle soared through the heavens in a shimmer of stardust, Zed, Ash and Kai raced across land, sky and sea, much to the dismay of their partners. Everywhere Zephyr turned, he was greeted with scenes of laughter and joy. And as the Sons of Olympus’ hearts filled with love, the flames of Olympus burned brighter, until the last of the shadows melted away.
“Looks like we saved the day.” Zephyr sighed with relief, and smiled as he held Iris in his arms. “I, for one, am looking forward to a well-deserved rest.”
“Not so fast, Zephyr.” Hera appeared beside the pair, while her lips curved into a smile. “I have a job for you.”
“You’ve got to be kidding?” Zephyr spluttered with indignation. “I’ve only just finished this one!”
“What can I say?” Hera smiled, as if delighting in torturing the long-suffering Olympian. “There’s no rest for the heroes of Olympus.”
“Oh, no…” Zephyr shook his head at the calculated gleam in his queen’s eyes. “I refuse to meddle in the affairs of any more Olympians. Your love lives are hardly fairy tale romances. They’re nightmares!”
“Well then, perhaps this assignment will be more to your liking.” Hera’s eyes flashed with a calculated gleam, before she handed Zephyr a parchment of instructions. “I need you both to visit the town of Ever After. It’s a perfectly picturesque town home to all manner of fairytale folk. But if my information is anything to go by, its happily ever afters have gone awry. And you need to find out why.”
“Fairy tales?“ Zephyr shook his head. “But, Hera...”
“I won’t hear your excuses, Zephyr. Ever After is in terrible danger, and the only way to save it is to help its residents find their happily ever after.” Hera turned to Zephyr and Iris pointedly. “Which means someone has to play matchmaker.”
