"Story 4- Laughing Tracks and Crisis Aparitions" by Sihe Megara Lioz

Mercury came back to Olympus dripping with sweat.

"With my amazing psychic powers... I'm guessing that... Jupiter has asked you to get Bacchus to come to more meetings," Ruby said, her every word dripping with sarcasm.

Mercury gave her a look that meant bad news. Really Baaaaaaaaaaaad news with a capital "B".

 "Jupiter, the giants are planning to attack sir." He said with tones that made existence seem futile.  He then promptly fell on the couch and started snoring like a cat[i].

***

The giant king walked in calmly while Olympus was in a state of panic. "I think you chicky-babes got the wrong lead. I kinda guessed that when your winged sandal dude ran off yelling 'the giants are attacking, the giants are attacking...'"

"That so called winged sandal guy was Mercury!" Ruby replied, seething with rage.

"Well chicky-babes, I've decided to give you a present."

When the present was opened, a laughing track went off.

Instead of being angry, the laughing track made them giggle. Giggle and giggle. Except Mercury.

***

It was dinner when they noticed Chiron sitting down next to the couch. And Mercury.

"Ruby, where do you keep the ambrosia[ii]?" Chiron said, without looking up.

"Ganymede!" Ruby yelled.

"Reporting for duty!" He saluted.

"Uh..." Ruby paused. How to put this, "We need some ambrosia."

Before you could say "Troy/Ganymede is useful," a cup of ambrosia was at Chiron's feet. Chiron opened Mercury's mouth and poured in the ambrosia, hoping he would swallow it. A little colour returned to his face "Ruubyyyyyyy... How did the war go..." He said weakly.

Ruby picked up the laughing track box and opened it laughed louder than ever. Mercury giggled.

"Spoils of war..." Mercury fell asleep again.

"Ruby, help me get him to the surgery." Chiron said decisively.

"Who knew heralds could be so heavy. Oof!" She said lifting up Mercury.

Though the doctor's surgery was only a few metres away, with Mercury on your back, the walk was like the length Tour de France.

Rodrick, the back up herald yelled "Meeting!"

The meeting was pointless, and just made everyone want to go to sleep and not think about Mercury

(perspective and scene change)

One night in a whole month I get to fall asleep on my own and I can't stop worrying about Mercury! "Poor Ganymede..." a voice said eerily "Don't worry... I'm just a crisis apparition of Mercury..." "What are you! What is a crisis apparition!" I yelled, distressed.

But it was gone.

I picked up my copy of Weird creatures that you'll find in Olympus or the Underworld, or any where really by Regalia Size Ohm. I looked up crisis apparitions and it said:

 "crisis apparition: an apparition (see apparition) that appears when the person it represents just died or is in grave danger. Usually the former."

Mercury's dead! Wait... He's immortal. He must be in grave danger! I ran as quickly as I could to Chiron's office.

"How's Mercury," I sobbed, literally begging on my knees for good news.

"Go back to sleep Ganymede," Chiron said coldly.

I ran back and fell on my bed. I stared at the ceiling light. I picked my copy of the Aeneid to cheer me up. But all I could do is sob.

***

"Ganymede, Ganymede... Time for breakfast..." A sweet voice like Minerva's said. Instead of getting up and I fell into a pit of blackness. I tried to think but all I got was "Breath 1, Breath 2..." or "Beat 1, Beat 2..."

***

"Why does a soon as one problem arise that another one gets dumped on me," Chiron complained to himself.

"Sorry Chiron," I said weakly.

"
You're awake Ganymede?" Chiron turned to look at me.

"I guess so." I replied weakly "Chiron, where's Mercury?"

"He's walking about with other gods."

I smiled.