Disney Fan Fiction - A Herculean Effort Ch 1

“So, tell me something Hercules,” said Rumpelstiltskin as they materialized inside the city of Thebes. “Was the cell that the Evil Queen had you in enchanted to deal with your strength?”

“I believe so,” answered the demi-god. “I tried as hard as I could to break out but nothing worked. I tried for a long time too until I gave up. I don’t understand how magic could make the walls so strong.”

“Uh, guys?” asked Elsa.

“Did she say anything as she locked you up?”

“Nothing important really. She did make a remark on how I tend to value my strength more than my other gifts.”

Rumpelstiltskin actually broke out in laughter bewildering all present.

“I don’t see what’s so funny,” huffed the satyr on Pegasus.

“Uh, guys?”

“Ha, ha, it’s funny because Hercules could’ve escaped at any time!” explained the warlock. “Instead of banging on the walls and door like a trapped bull, you could’ve used other means like picking the lock.”

Hercules hung his head in shame. “I didn’t think of that.”

“Yes, I got that,” said Rumpel turning to Phil. “You should really put escaping from traps and prisons in your hero training.”

“Normally, the hero rescues people rather than the other way around,” grumbled the goat-legged man.

“Hey, everyone, why is this city so empty?” called Elsa and everyone turned around to see that she was right. They hadn’t noticed while they were talking that there was no one around. No pedestrians or chariots or sellers with the only movement coming from pieces of parchment and flags flying in the wind. Thebes was essentially a ghost town.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” said Rumpelstiltskin.

“Yeah, you and me both,” said Hercules.

“All in favor in leaving this city, raise your hand,” said Phil as he lifted his right hand. Pegasus whinnied in agreement and Elsa and everybody else also raised their hands, their bodies pressing closer together.


Suddenly, a low growling could be heard through the buildings. Everyone looked around for the source, but whatever it was stayed out of sight. Soon the growling was accompanied by other snarling sounds. A screech sounded above them and they all turned to see a giant, black-feathered bird with teeth lined in its beak that looked to be the same size as the gwythaints Rumpelstiltskin had encountered earlier. It was accompanied by what he could recognize would be a gryphon with black feathers on its eagle half and black fur on the lion half. A large lion and boar appeared on their left, a Minotaur and a gorgon appeared on their right.

“I get dibs on the girl,” said a voice from behind them and they turned to see a large blue centaur that was eyeing Elsa. They were completely surrounded with their backs against a building.  

“Nessus,” said Hercules recognizing his first monster that he had fought after he had finished his training.

“Everyone pick a partner,” said Rumpel and he vanished only to reappear next to the gorgon. Pegasus flew up to engage the giant bird and the gryphon. Hercules and Nessus were engaged as well with the demigod flattening the centaur. The boar and lion charged after Phil, who gave whoop and took off as fast as his goat legs could carry him. Meanwhile, the Minotaur charged from the other direction. Elsa got an idea and froze the cobblestones in the path of the lion and the boar. Neither of them noticed until it was too late and the two quadrupeds began to slip and slide in the path of the incoming monster. Phil had nimbly stepped aside at the right moment to witness the collision of all three monsters. Before any of them could recover, the queen quickly covered the mass of bodies with ice thick enough for none of them to break out.

“Now that’s more like it!” congratulated the satyr.

“Couldn’t have done it better myself,” complemented the imp who had returned after cutting off the gorgon’s head. When Phil asked, he simply said, “You never know when something like a gorgon’s head could come in handy.”

There was a loud crash and they looked to see Nessus buried under a pile of rubble from another building. However, before congratulations could be given Pegasus swept through the streets only to be followed by the two winged monsters. Instantly Rumpelstiltskin created a cage that enclosed the colossal bird, and it rolled through the streets only to crash into the wall, knocking the creature out, the cage unharmed. Hercules dealt with the gryphon with a swift upper cut that sent it crashing into another building.

“That wasn’t so bad,” said Elsa cheerfully smiling at the warlock. Before anyone could say anything, a loud growling and hissing could be heard around them.

“Dearie, that was just the first round,” said Rumpelstiltskin and they turned to see a monster larger than any of the others come around the corner. It was serpentine with a body covered in purple scales and a long neck and tail. Two legs, with claws as big as a man, pulled it along. Its head had horns and spikes jutting out of its skull, while its mouth was lined with razor sharp teeth. Its yellow eyes looked from the group to Hercules, and it seemed to recognize its old foe because it proceeded to make its way to the demigod.

“Hang on, I want to try something,” called Elsa and she unleashed her power at the head and neck of the monster.

“Wait, what are you doing?” asked Rumpel, panic crossing over his face.

“You’ll see,” smiled the queen and once the monster’s head and neck had been completely frozen, she created a large, sharp icicle and sent it to the creature. Rumpel attempted to stop her but it was too late as the icicle cut through the neck, breaking the monster into bits.

Everyone groaned as the saw the headless monster fall down. Only Elsa was proud but looking at all of the sullen, she began to get confused.

“What? That was pretty easy.”

“Five…four…three…two…one…” counted the imp and as soon as he finished a low rumbling could be heard from the fallen creature. The body began to pick itself back up, and from the stump three new, identical heads appeared and eyed each of the heroes.

“You never say that it was easy,” continued Rumpel as he avoided a strike from one of the heads.

“Watch the teeth, watch the teeth,” called Phil from the sidelines and Elsa sent a large snow bow into the maw of another head. The sudden cold caused it to jerk and contort uncontrollably for several seconds.

“Brain freeze,” joked the queen as she glanced for approval at Rumpel.

“I see that by hanging out with me has given you a sense of humor,” remarked the wizard as he used magic to blast at his monster’s head, forcing it to back away. “It’s corny but a start.”

“Hey, if you two aren’t too busy, how about coming up with a plan to deal with this monster?” said Hercules as he was gripping the jaws of his monster head to keep it from cutting him in half.

“I’ve got one,” answered Rumpel, sending a spell that dispelled fireworks into the eyes of both his monster and Elsa’s. “Run.”
Without a word, he took off down one of the roads.

“I thought your boyfriend was some sort of wizard,” remarked the demigod as he punched the head of his monster into its fellows.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” retorted the queen. “But if he’s got a plan it’s best to follow his lead.”

She blinded the trio of heads with a pelting of ice before following Rumpelstiltskin. Whistling for Pegasus, Hercules and Phil hopped onto the flying horse as it followed the two magical people. Seeing its prey fleeing, the hydra hissed in annoyance and chased after them.

The demigod held out his hand for the queen, who took it just before a head took a swipe at her, its long tongue nicking her ankle. Soon the horse took flight to escape from the hungry mouths that approached closer and closer. The chase was on as the monster pursued the company through the empty streets leaving a path of rubble through the stone, marble, and tile. Pegasus ducked and weaved, corkscrewed and free-felled, and yet the hydra continued to hunt them. The company could only watch in horror as more heads continued to grow. Like a lizard’s tail, if one of the monster’s heads was stuck underneath rubble, the beast would pull hard enough to separate it, and within a few seconds, three more would grow from the stump.

At long last, they managed to catch sight of the blue clad wizard waving from a building close to the edge of a cliff that overlooked the sea. Narrowly missing an attack made by three heads, Pegasus shifted direction and aimed toward Rumpelstiltskin. On the back of the horse, Elsa continued to fire blasts of ice and snow at the coming monsters but it was getting difficult. If one of the heads got blasted back, two more took its place.

When they reached the place there was no sign of the warlock. Before they could decide what to do, the hydra crashed through another building, throwing blocks of masonry and marble in the air. Hercules managed to knock away any that Pegasus couldn’t avoid but now they were at the edge of the cliff.

“Do you think that you could ice the ground again?” asked Hercules as he watched the hydra run forward.

“I can try,” replied the queen as she began.

“I can’t believe that Rumplshiltseen ran off like a coward,” grumbled the satyr. “You might want to hurry up, your highness.”

“I’m doing the best that I can,” retorted Elsa. “By the way, you saw Rumpelstiltskin in this area. I have faith that he’s got a plan.”

“The last time I had any faith was when Hercules here-“ argued Phil but he was interrupted by Hercules.

“Look out!”

The hydra wasn’t slowing down by the ice, and Pegasus was forced to fly further from the cliff. The monster stopped at the edge and hissed in frustration at seeing its prey escape from its grasp. None of the heads was long enough to reach the flying horse, and the company was safe for the moment.

“Now what?” demanded the satyr, but he was answered by the cliff beginning to crack. Long, deep cracks began to form all over the cliff face like a spider web. Only one or two heads out of the dozen managed to notice but by the time that they warned the others it was too late and the cliff began to break apart, the monster tumbling down into the sea followed by pieces from the cliff.

Seeing Rumpelstiltskin a slight distance away, the company flew down to meet him. Hercules congratulated him, as did Phil, though grudgingly, Pegasus licked his face, and Elsa beamed at him.

“I was wondering what was taking all of you so long to catch up,” commented the imp as he wiped his face.

“Well, how are we supposed to know where you went if you keep vanishing all of a sudden only to reappear and then vanish again?” questioned Phil.

“Because I was running in the direction of this cliff,” he answered simply. He nodded at the wreckage in the city. “By the way, nice trail blaze.”

A shout coming from their right made them turned to see someone approaching them. It was a tall and very slender woman wearing a long sleeveless dress and auburn hair tied in a ponytail. Four out of the five members immediately recognized her and Hercules rushed to meet her.

“Wait a minute,” protested Rumpel but the demigod doesn’t hear him as he continues to run. Before the two lovers could reunite Rumpel appeared between them, his arms outstretched in an effort to stop.

“Hercules, wait. Something’s not right!” he continued to object but before anyone could make a move, Meg grabbed hold of Rumpelstiltskin’s arm making it glow.

“GOTCHA!” shouted Meg as her body separated to reveal the two demons, Pain and Panic. Both immediately began to glow before Rumpel crumbled to the ground. Laughing, the two demons flew away. Elsa, Pegasus, and Phil rushed forward as Hercules gently lifted up the imp. He looked at his hands in shock and amazement before feeling his face, finding that his skin had changed back to before he was cursed.

“Rumpel…you’re…” began Elsa as she looked in amazement.

“Back to normal,” he finished.