This story is continued from Back to the Light
After two nights at the inn and a good rest for both Iolaus and Hercules, they relaxed over what would be their last breakfast before heading out of the village. "This was a great suggestion," Hercules said. "I haven't stayed at an inn for quite a while."
Iolaus could tell that Hercules looked better than he did a couple days ago. "I finally got warmed up, and now, we're going out again," he laughed. Then his tone turned serious. "Hercules, I know I said I wanted to go to Thrace, but I've changed my mind."
"Iolaus, we can do whatever you want to, Buddy."
"Well, I was thinking, what if we try to find the other Iolaus?"
"Are you sure you want to?"
Iolaus nodded; chewing, swallowing and trying to talk all at once. "Yeah. Ever since you told me about him I've realized he's pretty important to you. And well, I'd like to meet him."
"He's only been with Nautica for a week. Do you think it's too soon?"
Iolaus studied Hercules' face. "Maybe you're right. We can go to Thrace."
Hercules thought for several minutes, smiling at his friend. Iolaus was just like he always was: spontaneous, full of energy, always looking for the next adventure. "You know, I think he would be surprised to see me and enjoy the fact that I'm still thinking about him."
Iolaus grinned widely, "There you go, Buddy. From what you've told me, I bet he really misses you. Only thing is, how do we find him?"
"Just....leave that to me," Hercules smiled.
They left the inn and walked slowly in the direction of the beach where Hercules had said good-bye to Iolaus just days ago. It would take a couple of days to get there, so along the way, they found shelter, spent a night in a cave, and arrived at the beach the following day early in the afternoon.
"This is the last place I saw him," Hercules said. "He was so happy."
Iolaus enjoyed seeing the spark of happiness that had been gradually returning to Hercules over the past couple of days.
Suddenly Hercules yelled into the air, "Aphrodite?"
A radiant, shimmering light appeared nearby and the beautiful Goddess of Love stood before them. "Hi, big Bro'," she smiled, delighted to see Hercules. "And Curly, the original Sweetcheeks, welcome back!" She walked up to Iolaus and gave him a big hug.
"Dite, it's great to see you!" Iolaus grinned from ear-to-ear.
"Aphrodite," Hercules said, ready to beg if necessary, "I want to see Iolaus....you know....the other Iolaus, and say hi to him, see how he's doing and all."
"And introduce him to Curly here?" she smiled.
"Yeah," Hercules replied, hoping Aphrodite would understand.
"Sure, Bro', I bet he misses you too. You just wait here." She squealed with delight and dematerialized from view.
"Hercules," Iolaus said, "I'm glad you have at least one person in your family who's normal."
Hercules laughed. "You've got that right. I can always count on Dite for anything."
Aphrodite materialized in an open cave under the sea. "Knock knock," she said cheerfully. "Anyone home?"
"Dite?" Iolaus answered, "Is that you? Come on in!"
"Yeah, Curly, it's me." She squealed and continued. "It's so good to see you."
"You too, Dite," Iolaus smiled.
"Welcome, Aphrodite," Nautica said. "We're just about to eat. Will you join us?"
"I'd love to," she answered. "I don't actually eat, you know, being a goddess and all. Just as well, though, because I want to keep my girlish figure."
Iolaus smiled, embarrassment creeping through him at the recollection of walking around the village with the half-dressed Aphrodite.
"I'll sit here with you. I want to tell you something." Aphrodite sat on a large rock.
Iolaus suddenly looked serious. "Is everything okay?"
The goddess laughed, "Everything is fine, Curly. I brought a message for you. There's someone on the beach who would like to see you." She wasn't going to say a word about the other Iolaus; that was Hercules' job.
Iolaus thought a second. He didn't know anyone here....except...."Hercules?" he questioned. A huge grin spread across his face.
Aphrodite nodded. "He misses you, Iolaus, and wants to see how you're doing."
"That's great!" Iolaus exclaimed. "But what about....?" He looked at his newly-acquired fish tail.
"Don't worry, Curly. I'll change you back so you can go ashore if you'd like."
"Yeah, I'd love that," he said, then his smile faded some. "What about Nautica?"
"No Iolaus," Nautica said. "You go alone and visit with your friend."
"Are you sure?" Iolaus asked.
"I'm sure. Tell him 'hi' for me, okay?"
Iolaus smiled at his new wife. He had known her for such a short time, but he loved her like he had known her forever. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised, and kissed her. Then he added, "I shouldn't swim for an hour after I eat."
The two women just looked at him. "It's a joke!" he said, "I'm kidding!" and the women laughed.
Aphrodite said, "Curly, you just swim to the beach and you'll be transformed when you get there."
Iolaus did as she said, and as soon as he reached water shallow enough to stand in, he had legs. A wave of Aphrodite's hand, and he was wearing brown leather pants and boots, and a light blue, sleeveless shirt. Aphrodite thought blue was a color well suited to each Iolaus.
Iolaus ran out of the sea toward his friend. "Hercules!" he exclaimed. He ran and embraced his tall friend. "You came to see me!"
"Hi Iolaus," Hercules laughed and scooped Iolaus up off the ground just like he had with the other Iolaus a few days earlier, surprised at just how glad he was to see this friend. He slapped Iolaus on the back and was delighted to see that Iolaus was still so happy.
Iolaus pulled away, apparently not even noticing that someone else was standing there with Hercules.
Suddenly, Hercules hoped the shock wouldn't be too much. For some reason, he hadn't given that any thought until this instant.
Iolaus looked to Hercules' left and his huge smile suddenly went somber. He was looking at....himself! The color was draining from his face.
Hercules needed to say something quick. All he could think of was, "Iolaus....I'd like you to meet....Iolaus."
Of course the Iolaus who had been standing next to Hercules knew he was about to meet his counterpart from the alternate universe, so he was mentally prepared. He extended his hand and with a big smile said, "Hi, it's nice to finally meet you." Seeing that the other Iolaus was not only speechless, but motionless as well, Iolaus reached down and took the other Iolaus' right hand and shook it vigorously with both of his own hands.
The other Iolaus, stunned, his mouth agape, couldn't say anything. He looked up at Hercules, a thousand questions that he wanted to ask all at once.
"Iolaus, you're not going to faint on me, are you?" Hercules smiled. "I'm sorry, I guess Dite didn't tell you."
"N..no," Iolaus stammered. "Hercules, how....?"
"Well Iolaus, it's a long story. Would you like to come with us for dinner and we'll talk?"
"Yeah," Iolaus answered, "I would. That is, as soon as my heart starts beating again," he laughed nervously. "Are you really....Iolaus?" he asked, staring in disbelief at his double.
Iolaus smiled, "Yeah, I'm really Iolaus."
"Wow," Iolaus replied, "You're a legend....a living legend!"
Iolaus laughed. "Well, I don't know about THAT. What's Hercules been telling you, anyway?"
"Only the truth," Iolaus smiled. He couldn't keep from staring at this purple-vested Iolaus, the Iolaus he had heard so much about. "Hercules?" the stunned Iolaus questioned, looking up at his friend's face as they walked.
The trio arrived at a nearby village and found a quiet corner of an inn where they could talk while enjoying a good, hot meal.
"Hercules," Iolaus finally said, "You told me you tried everything to bring Iolaus back. What happened?"
Hercules filled him in on the story of the Archangel Michael, the four horsemen, the near destruction of the world, and how Iolaus had snuck away from The Light to come back to warn him of what was coming.
Iolaus loved the story, and for the first time since he had met Hercules, he saw a light in his eyes that had not been there before. The fact that Iolaus had been able to come back was unbelievable to this Iolaus, but he was extremely happy that as impossible as it was to believe, the other Iolaus was back with Hercules. Finally, he shook his head and said, "This is just so perfect!" He looked at his mirror image, who was wearing the very clothes and medallion he had heard Hercules describe, and continued, "I only saw you briefly in passing that time...."
"Yeah, I remember," the other Iolaus interrupted with a small laugh."
...."But I feel like I know you so well. Hercules never stopped talking about you, which was okay, because he had so many stories about the things you two did, and I really enjoyed them." He took a deep breath and went on. "Iolaus, you have no idea how much Hercules missed you."
Iolaus smiled, "Well, I'm finding that out more every day." He looked at Hercules, who was trying hard not to be embarrassed.
They talked well into the evening until shadows were falling across the landscape. Finally Hercules said, "I hate to break this up, but we should find a place to stay tonight. Iolaus, you probably want to return to Nautica...." he let out a sound of disgust with himself. "I'm sorry Iolaus, I haven't even asked about Nautica. How's she doing?"
Iolaus' face lit up like a thousand candles. "She's....wonderful. By the way, she said to say 'hi'. She wanted me to come and see you without her so we could catch up. I know it's only been a couple weeks since we saw each other, but I wasn't sure when....or even IF....I'd ever see you again."
"Don't worry, Iolaus, you'll always see me again somehow."
Iolaus thought a second and said, 'Well, I don't know, Hercules. I mean, you have your Iolaus back and I'm married now. You might forget me."
Dumbfounded, Hercules put his hand on Iolaus' forearm that was resting on the table, immediately noticing that Iolaus didn't flinch like he used to. He had truly learned to trust Hercules. "Iolaus!" he exclaimed, "Don't you EVER think that! I was Best Man at your wedding. Best men don't forget their best friends! I don't care where you live or where you go, I will never, ever forget you!" He emphasized 'never ever' as he pierced Iolaus' eyes with his own eyes.
Iolaus smiled, still hardly believing after all the months he had known Hercules, that he had such a friend. "Thank you, Hercules."
The other Iolaus witnessed this exchange and realized the deep affection between these two. He was a little envious, but deep down he knew that each of them had found each other at a time when life was being very unfair to them both.
They left the inn and walked out of the village to find a place to camp for the night. Somewhat tentatively, Iolaus asked, "Would I be intruding if I spent the night with you two? Maybe Dite can let Nautica know I'll be here a while."
"Intruding!" Hercules yelled.
The other Iolaus smiled and said, "Iolaus, we'd love to have you stay with us. You said you feel like you know me. Well, I feel like I know you too; sort of like we know each other but have a lot to catch up on. Besides, any friend of Herc's is a friend of mine!" He slapped his counterpart lightly on the back, much to that Iolaus' delight, and they headed out to the open countryside. There was just enough daylight left to find shelter and gather some wood.
Hercules finally broke the silence as they walked. "I'm glad you two like each other."
His two friends looked at him as if to say, 'why wouldn't we?'
Hercules just smiled and kept walking.
After settling into a cave for the night, they sat close to the fire. Night had always been the lonliest time for both Hercules and the Iolaus he had rescued from the other world. Hercules thought about the horrendous nightmares Iolaus had for so long after coming to this world. They became fewer and farther between the longer Iolaus lived here, for which Hercules was grateful. He didn't want Iolaus to have to live in such fear. His silent contemplation was interrupted by one of the familiar voices.
"Hercules told me about the spark jug you invented," Iolaus said.
"It comes in handy on nights like this," Iolaus smiled.
"I took your pack to my house, Iolaus. I'm going to retrieve it as soon as I can. You're right, that spark jug is going to come in handy now that...." He hesitated momentarily, "I guess I mean now that I'm living like I used to." He looked at his oldest, dearest friend who sat with his new afghan wrapped around him. Suddenly Hercules said, "I'll be right back."
Two pairs of blue eyes were on him. "Nature calls," he mumbled to them as he left the cave.
The two Iolauses were alone without Hercules for the first time. After Hercules was gone for a few seconds, each looked at the other and spoke at the same time.
"Iolaus...."
"I just want to say...."
"After you," the vested Iolaus offered.
"Thanks. Do you know how much Hercules has missed you? Oh, I know, I know, I said that before, but I've never in my life seen such a friendship."
The other Iolaus nodded. "I've come to realize it these past couple of days."
Iolaus continued, "Seeing him today, he has a ....I don't know how to describe it....a new 'life' about him."
"Yeah," Iolaus replied, "I've noticed a definite change in him from when he first pulled me back into this world. It wasn't until he realized that I was back to stay that he just seemed to come alive." He paused, then continued. "But what I was going to say is....well...." He wasn't even sure how to say it, "Hercules told me how you saved his life."
The Iolaus sitting on the other side of the fire was stunned. "He told you what? No, Iolaus, he saved MY life when he got me out of that detestable world I was in!"
"Well yeah, he told me about that too, but no, I mean when he met you and realized you needed a friend," Iolaus said thoughtfully. "He told me you gave him a purpose in life again, a reason to go on when he had lost everyone he had ever loved. Well, now that you're here, I want to thank you."
Iolaus was surprised at learning this. "He never told me that. I had no idea. In fact, sometimes I kinda thought I was a burden to him."
"A burden!" Iolaus exclaimed. "Iolaus, don't ever think that. He told me that if it hadn't been for you, he doesn't know what would've become of him." Iolaus took a breath before continuing. "He had lost all reason to live, he was so distraught and lost, and he just wandered around aimlessly for a while....that's why I wanted to meet you.... to thank you for saving his life!"
Iolaus was still stunned. "I never knew that. I was just so glad to have him for a friend."
"I know," Iolaus smiled. "I'm glad Hercules found you and rescued you from that place you lived. I was there for a day and it was like a torture chamber." Iolaus frowned at the memory of that day, wondering how this other Iolaus could have survived it all those years.
"It WAS a torture chamber," Iolaus said.
Just then Hercules returned and sat by the fire. He realized that his two friends were staring at him. "What?" he asked.
"Oh nothing," the Iolaus in the purple vest said. "I guess we should get some sleep. Iolaus," he said to his newest friend, "Would you like to use my afghan tonight?" He reached over and put the afghan on the other Iolaus' lap.
"Thanks," Iolaus smiled as he wrapped up in it. "Won't you be cold?"
Iolaus smiled, "Not anymore." He thought a minute, then added, "Well, probably, but I'll live."
Hercules smiled at these two guys who were the most important people in the world to him. He was thrilled that they liked each other, and knew that this was only the beginning of many more adventures with each of them.
End
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