Jumping High

Jumping High
Hera's Curse AU

By Kristina Andersson
kriscat@gmail.com
Pairing: Just a brief mention of C/S. This was supposed to be just about Bliss, but Recess sneaked in at the end.
Category: Humor
Feedback: Feedback feeds the muses. :)
Summary: Sometimes rivalry can be inherited.
Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters that have appeared on Xena:WP or Hercules: tLJ. This takes place in Scorpio's Hera's curse AU, and she owns Recess. It's also sort of an Astrid Lindgren crossover... So I don't even claim to own the plot... Read more about it in the author notes in the end.
Hugs to Carrie for betaing this really fast. And, an early Merry Christmas to Jesse.




Most people assumed the whole thing began when Bliss came to live with Psyche for the summer, but it actually started much sooner.
Before Psyche moved to the village, Nemesis was, uncontested, the most beautiful and famous woman there. Her Olympian connection just added the awe from her neighbors. With Psyche came competition.
Although neither Psyche nor Nemesis would ever admit it, they both felt envy and jealousy towards each other. But appearances had to be kept, and disliking someone for her fame and beauty was just too shallow to be admitted in public. So, Psyche and Nemesis became best friends. Competing best friends.
Nemesis would come to a party in a new dress, only to be upstaged by Psyche wearing an astounding necklace. Psyche's song recital would just happen to collide with Nemesis' archery show at the fair. If Psyche baked two pies for the village feast, one could bet a thousand dinars Nemesis brought three. If Nemesis got her cottage repainted, Psyche's cottage would soon be both repainted and given a new roof. Both their gardens where the finest in the whole district, filled with lovely flowers, bushes and trees, but if Psyche planted a new rosebush, you could be sure Nemesis would plant two the next day.
And during all this, they were the best of friends. Always smiling, never saying a unkind word to each other. Always giving compliments to each other. Psyche would smile and sweetly say, "I just love your new dress, Nemesis. It's amazing what you can do with such inferior material."
And Nemesis would smile right back and say, "Thank you, Psyche. Oh, and I love your new azaleas. You know, most people would do their best to get them as big and in blossom as possible, but you manage to keep them just right, so they don't dominate the rest of your garden."
Nemesis' favorite subject was her son. "It must be so hard for you to be away from your son," she told Psyche sympathetically one day. "I don't understand how you can stand it. I would *die* if someone took my son away."
Psyche forced out a smile and sweetly said, "Oh, it's hard, but Bliss sends scrolls at least once a week. Did you know he's been able to read and write since he was three?"
Nemesis paled but smiled back, "Really, that's amazing. Of course, Evander walked and even ran before his first birthday. Without balance help from wings or such."
And so it continued.
"Evander did a perfect back flip! He's becoming such a big boy. I'll probably have to send him to Charon's academy soon.."
"Bliss made this painting for me. Isn't it beautiful?"
"Evander caught his first pray with bow and arrow today!"
"Bliss actually understands what that Pythagoras fellow is talking about."
"Evander drove the chariot all by himself."
"Bliss knows four languages already. Without using his god hood."
By the time Bliss came to the village, both boy's hated the other, who they'd heard so much about
It had been suggested that Bliss should know his mother's legacy and therefore spend the summer as a mortal. And while he would miss his Daddy, Dad Strife and sister Recess a lot, Bliss was happy to spend some time with his mother, even if it meant he had to be mortal to do it. So, Bliss arrived sans wings and godly powers. Something Evander immediately took advantage of by challenging him and the other boys in the village to a race, which he won, of course.
Bliss countered by impressing all the girls with his skillful lyre playing. And so the competing begun. Swimming, reading, archery, singing, arm wrestling, making tree houses, chopping the most wood; it didn't matter, they just had to compete. They even competed about who could remove the most weeds.
All this competing naturally became entertainment for the rest of the kids. As soon as a challenge was issued, verbal or not, children came running from all places to cheer the contesters on and making bets.
"Come on! Evander and Bliss are gonna see who can fit the most marbles in their mouth!"
"Did you hear? Bliss and Evander are going to see which one can eat most pies!"
"I bet Evander will win!"
"Are you crazy?! Bliss can win this one with his hands tied behind his back!"
So when Evander invited Bliss to a high jump competition, everyone was there.
At first, Bliss figured winning this would be a piece of cake since he'd always been good at jumping. Unfortunately, he soon realized it was a lot harder without having wings to flap to help him in getting higher.
Evander and Bliss jumped and jumped. The bar was raised higher and higher until Bliss, when he landed on the soft grass, could hear Evander giving out a triumphant cry. He turned around. Yes. The bar was on the ground.
He'd lost. Bliss bit his lip, ignored his friends who where patting his back, saying it was just bad luck and that he would do better next time, and looked at Evander. The boy stood among his friends who were cheering at him, he was smirking and preening in their admiration. "Told you I was better than you!" he gloated to Bliss.
Bliss scowled and snorted, "Anyone can jump from the ground and up. I bet I'm better than you at jumping from top to bottom."
Evander blinked, "You're on! I bet you don't dare to jump down from..." He looked around the field. "The Goblin stone!"
The stone in question was a rather large rock in the middle of the field. Named after the fact that it *did* somewhat resemble a goblin. If one had imagination.
Bliss eyed the stone. It was big, but the distance to the ground didn't seem to be too high. "You're on!" he said and started to climb up on the rock.
When up there, he looked down, took a deep breath, and jumped. He landed on his feet, without stumbling or loosing his balance but he could feel his teeth rattling in his mouth. "See? I did it!" he smirked to Evander and enjoyed his friend's cheers and congratulations.
Evander scowled.
Bliss grinned, "And I bet you don't dare to jump from..." he looked around and thought about it for a couple of seconds until his eyes settled on an object. "I bet you don't dare to jump from Halidus' hay cart!"
Halidus' hay cart was the farmer's pride and joy. It was the largest cart in the whole district and the whole village used it during hay making season. Right now it was parked on the field for some minor repairs.
Evander just sneered at Bliss and silently climbed up on the hay cart and up on the rail. He had to wave a bit to get back his balance, then he jumped. He wobbled a little, but he stood on his two feet and tried to act like he did things like this everyday. "Beat that!" he said to Bliss. Evander's friends cheered while a girl from Bliss' group shouted, "Oh, he can do better than you! Isn't that right, Bliss?" The rest of the gang started to chant, "Bliss, Bliss, Bliss!" as Bliss tried to think of some way to beat Evander.
Suddenly he knew. "I'll jump from the old oak!" he exclaimed. His fans cheered while Evander's friends looked at him doubtingly.
The old oak tree was huge and old. It was so old the grown ups said it was dying inside. Since the tree had once been blessed by Demeter, the villagers didn't dare to cut the tree down completely. But since the old oak had been the children's climbing tree for generations, mothers where afraid that a child would get hurt, falling down when a rotten branch gave in, a compromise had been made. The lower branches had been cut off so that no child would be able to climb up in the tree. Unfortunately, that only served to illustrate that when there's a will, there's a way. Now it was even more exciting to climb the tree. And since it was harder to do so, those who managed it where very admired for the feat.
Bliss had spent a whole week figuring out how to get up after he'd seen Evander do it once. So he knew exactly where to put his feet and hands on the trunk to get up to the lowest branch. Which wasn't low at all...
Sitting on the branch he took a deep breath, and went completely still. How was it that the tree branch seemed even higher up than usual?
"Ha! He wont do it!" a girl from Evander's cheerleading squad shouted.
Bliss scowled at him. "Yes, I will!" he said, and jumped. He landed on his knees, and it hurt a bit, but he tried not to let it show as his friends came to help him up. Patting his back, basking in his glory. He'd done it! Even Evander's cronies was cheering for him now.
Evander pouted. Everybody was ignoring him and just focusing on Bliss. What was so special about jumping down from the oak, anyway? Sure he'd never done it, but he would've. If he'd thought about it first. He would've! He'd show that stuck up Bliss! He'll... well, do something. He noticed some movement in the grass. A little frog. Absentmindedly he picked it up.
Bliss walked the way over to Evander. He smirked like to say, beat that!
Oh, how he despised Bliss. So much that it felt like he was about to explode! He just had to take him down a peg or two! And now all the other kids where on Bliss' side. The traitors! He had to do something to win them over. "I... I'll..." he shouted over all the cheering.
"You'll do what?" Bliss asked a bit snidely.
Evander wanted punch his lights out, or at least wipe that smug look of his face. "I'll eat this frog!" he blurted out, and then paled when he realized what he'd just said.
Everyone got quiet. Bliss just stared at Evander. "No way!" he said.
Evander's supporters quickly moved away from Bliss' cheering section and back to Evander. "Sure he will! Evander can do anything, if he puts his mind to it!" Evander's friend Rolf said.
Several others agreed and slowly started to chant, "'Vander, 'Vander, 'Vander!"
One of Bliss' friends loudly said, "I bet my leather ball against your animal skull, Hergon, that he wont do it!"
A boy from Evander's side, shouted back, "You're on! He'll do it! He's Evander!"
"You'll do it, won't you, 'Vander?" Rolf said, his eyes full with hero worship.
Evander bit his lip and looked at the little frog. He really didn't want to, but he couldn't back down now. He couldn't let Bliss win! He closed his eyes and put the frog in his mouth. It was wriggling and squirming in his mouth. He felt like throwing up. He opened his eyes. His friends where eagerly looking on, still chanting his name. Bliss stood a bit back, completely still, slowly shaking his head. Oh, so Bliss didn't think he could do it, did he? He'll show him! Evander swallowed.
Evander could feel the frogs legs moving as it went down his throat. He felt sick. He looked at Bliss, the other boy looked pale. Served Bliss right for making him eat the frog! "See? I did it!" he bragged. "You're such a loser, you and your mother could take that show on the road. The worlds greatest losers! Maybe if you get famous, Psyche can keep a man!"
As Bliss' face got redder and redder, Evander realized what he'd just said. He really didn't mean that about Psyche. It was just that Bliss made him so mad. And he really wished he hadn't eaten the frog right now. He felt like throwing up.
Evander was just about to apologize to Bliss about the stuff he'd said, when the other boy walked up in his face; and with a deadly silent voice which showed exactly how angry Bliss was, said, "My daddy says that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. However, my Dad Strife would say that you have the face not even a mother could love and an IQ lower than a satyr. And you smell." He took a step back from Evander and turned to the others. "And I'm going to jump from the barn roof," he proclaimed.
Most of the children cheered, but Rolf's sister Dara exclaimed, "He's crazy! He'll get killed!"
But since no one listened to Dara anyway, all the children followed Bliss to the barn. Even Evander, who when no one was looking sneaked behind the barn for a while.
A ladder was easily found and Bliss climbed up on the roof. He slowly managed to get him self to the end of the roof ridge where he stood. Then he made the mistake of looking down. Bliss froze, it sure looked a lot higher from the top than from the ground...
"He's chickening out!" Rolf cried out and even jumped up and down in excitement. "I knew he wouldn't do it!"
"Well, I don't see Evander up there!" A girl called Sera, who was on Bliss' side, huffed.
Rolf frowned at that and looked around. "Where *is* Evander?" he asked, just as Evander appeared from behind the barn.
"There he is!" Hergon shouted. "Come on, Evander! Bliss is backing out. Show him how it's done!"
Evander looked at Bliss, at the roof, and the distance to the ground and looked a bit undecided.
"He wont even get up there!" Sera snorted. "And Bliss will jump. He's just gathering his thoughts and finding his focus. Jumping off roofs is serious business, something Evander doesn't dare to do!"
"Oh, really?" Evander growled, and started to climb the ladder. "Just watch me!"
Growling all the way, he climbed and crawled all the way to were Bliss was. Bliss was strangely reminded of Grandpa Ares...
"Let's do this!" Evander snapped... and looked down. He paled. It looked a lot longer to the ground from here.
On the ground all the children had started to cheer and chant on their favorite.
"Come on, Bliss! Show them!"
"'Vander! 'Vander! You're the man! Show that Bliss what you can!"
"Bliss! Bliss! Bliss!"
Evander looked at Bliss.
Bliss looked at Evander. "I'll jump if you jump," he said.
"I'll jump," Evander answered.
They stood like that for a little while listening to the children below.
"Jump! Jump! Jump!"
Bliss raised an eye brow just like Grandma 'Dite had taught him. "Well?"
"I'll jump! I'm just resting a bit!" Evander snapped and moved closer to the edge.
Bliss did likewise. "I guess this is it," he said.
Evander nodded and looked down again. The village kids looked almost scary now. He hesitated, "Wait a minute! How do I know you don't just climb down after I've jumped?"
"How do I know you don't do the same if I jump first?" Bliss countered.
Evander thought about that, "Lets jump together, after counting to three." He suggested.
Bliss nodded, and the boys moved even closer to the edge.
"Jump! Jump! Jump!" the village kids shouted.
Evander looked at Bliss, and Bliss looked at Evander, and together they said, "One! Two! Three!"
And they jumped.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recess entered the room by jumping backwards. "You're both very stupid," she said cheerfully to Bliss and Evander. "Jumping down from roofs like that!" She turned to Bliss, "Did you forget you didn't have your wings anymore?"
Bliss scowled at her, "No I didn't forget. Why don't you go and bother someone else? I'm sick."
"No, you're not." Recess grinned and walked up to her brother's bed. "You're just suffering from stupidity and have a couple of broken bones because of it." She leaned over, "But I'm glad you're ok," and kissed him on the cheek.
Before Bliss could let out an indignant howl at her for doing something that mushy in front of other people, Recess moved away and danced across the room. "I'm going to talk with the muses and find the perfect bard to make a story about this, so other children don't do something this stupid!" With a giggle she twirled around and left in a shower of pink and purple butterflies.
"Oh, great," Bliss moaned. "She's learned to mind move! This will make baby sitting her Tartarus!"
"I'm more concerned about the fact that she's going to get the muses to spread this out all over Greece.!" Evander muttered.
Bliss shrugged, "Don't worry, she'll probably have forgotten all about talking with the muses tomorrow. I doubt she'll think about it again for at least a millennia or two."
In the next room, they could hear Psyche and Nemesis yelling at each other.
Evander sniggered, "I guess we were a bit stupid."
Bliss let out a giggle, "I think we were a lot stupid."
"Why did we start competing for in the first place?" Evander asked.
Bliss frowned, "You know, I can't remember. It just felt like I had to."
"You mean we've been competing like this for no reason at all?"
"I guess so."
"That's so silly!" Evander laughed.
"I know!" Bliss giggled.
"I can't believe I ate that frog," Evander chuckled.
"Me neither!" Bliss sniggered and confessed, "I thought *I* was going to throw up just watching you eat it!"
"I did throw up! Behind the barn!" Evander exclaimed.
They were both howling with laughter when Psyche and Nemesis came into the room. "What's so funny?" Psyche asked.
The boys looked at their mothers, and then at each other, and then just laughed even more.
In the other room the healer smiled. Laughter could help healing a lot more than broken bones.

THE END

Author's Note:
Most of the plot in this story belongs to Astrid Lindgren. She wrote a short story about two boys competing in jumping down from things, before I was even born. In Swedish, it's called, 'Hoppa högst', the English title might be 'One jump too many'. But I'm not sure it's even been translated, since this isn't one of Astrid's most famous stories. This needs to be said. This story was not written to disrespect Astrid Lindgren and her work in any way. In fact, it was meant the opposite.
When Astrid Lindgren died, the 28th of January 2002, I thought that if Recess were real, she would be very sad right now. Astrid Lindgren is most known as the creator of Pippi Longstocking, and was Sweden's most known children's author. But you don't have to be a child to enjoy her books. If you ever come across 'The Brothers Lionheart', 'Ronia the Robber's Daughter' or 'Mio, my Mio'. I recommend you take the chance to read them. 'The Brothers Lionheart' became my favorite book when I was ten. It still is. It's not just something so unusual as a children's book which deals with death and the afterlife, it's also, in my opinion, one of the greatest fantasy novels ever written.
Astrid Lindgren once wrote; 'I don't consciously set out to educate or influence the children who read my books. The only thing I dare hope for is that my books may perhaps encourage a more human, life-enhancing and democratic outlook among my readers. But books that set out to be nothing more than a reading experience must be allowed to exist. I was once handed a note by a stranger which read: "Thank you for bringing some glitter into my gloomy childhood." That's enough for me. If I have been able to bring some sunshine into a single child's life, then I am satisfied.'
She brought a lot of sunshine into mine. And if I ever have children of my own, I'm sure she'll bring joy to them too.
I hope Astrid has a wonderful time in Nangijala. No one deserves it more. (What Nangijala is? Read 'The Brothers Lionheart' and find out. ;)
Ever since I heard of Astrid's death, I wanted to write something involving Bliss and Recess, and her books. I considered letting Bliss and Recess meet Pippi or Emil, but I soon realized that I could never do Astrid's characters justice. Not until now, did my muses decide to help me. I remembered a short story that always been a favorite of mine. Why not let Bliss be one of those competing boys? Why not let the other boy be Evander?
And so, this story was born. And I firmly believe that if Recess could've chosen an author to write down her brother's stupidity, Astrid would've been her first choice.

/Kristina



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