Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series that honour belongs to Rick Riordan. I'm just playing with the characters and story.
This is the third story in my series. Hope you enjoy.
Big Three Quest
"This story begins on the last day of winter semester," informed Percy.
"For you maybe," responded Thalia.
"I was sitting my English exam when Mrs O'Leary burst into the auditorium," said Percy.
"Or you were fudging an essay because you didn't read the book," dobbed Rachel.
"Paul is an English teacher he makes sure Percy reads the book now," defended Annabeth.
"I was sitting my English exam when Mrs O'Leary burst into the auditorium," repeated Percy.
"What is she doing there, I thought you left her at camp?" asked Ares.
"I had. She was barking like mad and trampling the winter wonderland display on the stage," replied Percy.
"How did the other students react?" asked Will.
"The mist would bend reality," said Hermes.
"They thought she was a … poodle," answered Percy.
"They thought a Hellhound was a poodle …. Now that is impressive," said Chris.
"I explained to the teacher that she must have followed me," said Percy. Will quietly began to sing Mary had a Little Lamb until Rachel cuffed him on the back of the head.
"I realised Mrs O'Leary wanted me to follow her," informed Percy.
"What about the exam?" Athena asked.
"I told the teacher I had finished," replied Percy.
"It is hard to write a full essay if you haven't read the book," accused Rachel.
"I followed Mrs O'Leary running to keep up with her. We arrived at a park and I drew Riptide as I was unnerved. Out of the bushes appeared a golden deer," explained Percy.
"The deer had metallic fur and horns that looked like fourteen carats. It shimmered with an aura of golden light," described Thalia. "I had followed it into the clearing thinking it was some type of sign."
"It being the sacred animal of Artemis," said Percy.
"It can't be a coincidence, Percy and Thalia ending up in the same place," hinted Athena.
"We thought a god was messing with us," admitted Percy.
"And you were right," said Nico.
"It grew darker. A patch of darkness passed over the clearing and a boy tumbled out, like he had been tossed out," explained Thalia.
"One minute I was in a New Orleans cemetery, the next minute in New York," advised Nico "I couldn't understand why I was suddenly in a park."
"What were you doing in a cemetery?" questioned Demeter.
"He often visits graveyards," dobbed Will.
"It is easier to raise the dead there," argued Nico.
"Why do you need to raise the dead?" asked Katie.
"To gather information," said Nico.
"The dead are very informative," admitted Percy.
"Why were the children of the Big Three brought together?" questioned Hestia.
"You don't think Kronos is planning something because of the prophecy?" asked Zeus.
"He has tried to manipulate them separately, maybe he is plotting something by bringing them together," answered Athena.
"The ground rumbled and opened up, and we fell into darkness," said Nico.
"We found ourselves in a garden. It was dark and the air was cool and damp, like we were in a cave. Rows of silver flowers glowed reflecting off huge gemstones that lined the garden beds," described Percy.
"You are in Persephone's garden. Isn't it pretty considering it is in the Underworld," said Demeter.
"It is interesting," replied Thalia.
"I warned Percy and Thalia not to eat anything, we didn't want to stay permanently," said Nico.
"A woman approached. Her face was beautiful but very pale and her dress was made of changing coloured flowers that bloomed in the fabric, but was strangely faded. Her eyes were the same way but washed out, like the Underworld had sapped her life force," described Percy.
"Unfortunately the Underworld has that effect on Persephone," admitted Hermes.
"Usually she is brilliant and beautiful," said Aphrodite.
"It is Hades fault for trapping her in the Underworld," grumbled Demeter.
"It is Zeus's fault for agreeing for her to marry me and then rescinded on the promise," argued Hades.
"Persephone welcomed us to the Underworld. Almost immediately Nico began to argue with her," said Percy.
"Apparently they had a little family spat the last time he visited," informed Thalia.
"She turned me into a dandelion," cried Nico.
"You were a flower," laughed the Stoll brothers.
"I'm surprised she didn't turn you into a pansy," said Ares.
"No she is turning them into daffodils at the moment," exclaimed Hermes.
"Your daughter really needs to stop turning demi-gods into flowers," said Hades to Demeter.
"You must have really offended her Nico, she turned you into a weed," said Will.
"She turned him into a wet-the-bed," giggled Katie.
"A wet-the-bed?" questioned Chris.
"Another name for a dandelion," answered Katie.
"She must have been upset," said Apollo.
"Well the result of her husband's affair was in her home," argued Hera.
"I think we should continue with the story," grumbled Nico.
"Persephone admitted that she was the one who had brought us together," informed Thalia.
"Thank goodness it wasn't Kronos," said Athena.
"Why did Persephone bring you three together?" asked Artemis.
"Lord Hades had a problem and we were to help," said Percy.
"I don't need demigods to help me," argued Hades.
"You don't even know what the problem is," exclaimed Poseidon.
"Persephone said that she would do anything for Hades. She however needed our help and quickly. It concerned Lord Hades' sword," said Thalia.
"Hades doesn't have a sword," exclaimed Zeus.
"He uses a staff and his helm of terror in battle," reminded Poseidon.
"Persephone showed us an image of skeletal weapon-smiths forging a blade," admitted Percy.
"You are forging a new symbol of power," yelled Poseidon standing up his weapon in his hand.
"I'm not," said Hades also standing weapon in hand.
"You want to over throw me," shouted Zeus his weapon crackling in his hand.
"A new weapon will unbalance the big three power sharing agreement," stated Hera.
"You mean it would make me their equal," shouted Hades.
"Hades has no design against his brothers," said Nico "But clearly they can't understand that."
"I will remind you that your evil father is rising from the depths of Hell to take over the world," shouted Thalia.
"I understand why Hades forged his blade in secret," said Percy glaring at the three gods. The three cousins had decided to ignore any arguments that their fathers had and just continue on with the story.
"In the base of the sword a key was set," informed Thalia.
"A key was set in the base …. Tell me it wasn't one of the keys of Hades," demanded Hades with a groan.
"What are the keys of Hades?" asked Rachel.
"Hades has a set of keys that can lock or unlock death," informed Nico.
"It has the power to imprison a soul in the Underworld… Or release it," informed Hades.
"If one of those keys has been set in the sword the wielder can raise the dead or with a mere touch of the blade, send a soul to the Underworld," said Athena.
"Which was why we were needed to get it back," exclaimed Nico.
"What do you mean get it back?" questioned Artemis.
"Persephone informed us that the sword had been stolen," said Thalia.
"What… How," shouted half the room.
"It was most likely stolen by a servant of Kronos," informed Thalia.
"Kronos can't get that sword," shouted Zeus.
"We were informed that the sword could not have left the Underworld," informed Percy.
"How do you know that?" questioned Zeus.
"I'm guessing I shut down my realm," guessed Hades correctly.
"So nothing could get in or out until the sword was found," said Thalia.
"We were informed that the search couldn't be common knowledge. That Hades' servants couldn't be used in the search," said Nico.
"Why not?" asked Clarisse.
"If they think I am in trouble … they may desert me," guessed Hades.
"And join the Titans," said Nico.
"We wouldn't want that," said Demeter.
"The thief has to be a demigod," said Apollo.
"Why?" asked Rachel.
"No immortal can steal another immortal's weapon directly. Even Kronos has to abide by that ancient law," said Athena.
"Unless he has worked a way around it," hinted Poseidon.
"No that rule still exists," reassured Thalia.
"To catch the thief it was decided to use three," informed Percy.
"And we were chosen because we were the children of the three major gods," admitted Thalia.
"With their combined powers it would be difficult to withstand them," admitted Ares begrudgingly.
"Also when we restored the sword to Hades it would send a message to Olympus that we trust him," advised Nico.
"Father and Uncle could hardly protest against his new weapon if their own children gave it to him," remarked Athena.
"Percy and I didn't want to do the quest as we didn't trust Hades," admitted Thalia.
"Nico will agree to the quest … Hades is his father," said Hestia.
"It was either do the quest or let the sword end up with Kronos," warned Nico.
"We had to hurry. The thief may have had accomplices in the Underworld and he would eventually find a way out," informed Percy.
"I thought the realm was locked?" questioned Katie.
"No prison is airtight," said Dionysus.
"Not even the Underworld," admitted Hades "souls are always finding new ways out before I can close them."
"How are you going to find the thief?" asked Will.
"A stupid potted plant," answered Thalia.
"It was a sickly yellow carnation with a few green leaves. The flower listed sideways as if trying to find the sun," described Percy.
"The plant guided us," informed Nico "The flower always faced the thief and as he got closer to escaping a petal would fall off."
"If all the petals fell off it meant that the thief had reached an exit," said Thalia.
"I knew by Nico's expression that he was going to do the quest with or without our help. And I couldn't let him do it alone," confessed Percy.
"You wanted to make your dad proud; even if he is difficult to love," said Clarisse understandably to Nico.
"Percy told Persephone we would do the task if Hades swore on the River Styx that he would never use the sword against the gods," informed Thalia.
"I would never…" stated Hades.
"Persephone was confident he would do it, as payment for our help," said Nico.
"Another petal fell from the carnation. I informed Thalia that I would hold the flower and she could beat up the thief," said Percy.
"Naturally I agreed to that deal, and we began our trip through the Underworld," admitted Thalia.
Author's Note: My guess is that the Sword of Hades will take three chapters.
I was ask why I am not doing the Bronze Dragon or Stolen Chariot. The Bronze Dragon because it doesn't affect the overall story. The Stolen Chariot because Percy and Clarisse promised not to discuss the incidents involved. If Percy can keep Thalia's fear a secret he can also keep Clarisse's secret.
Also the characters from the Heroes of Olympus will not be making an appearance in my story. They don't exist yet in my story universe (Percy hasn't been demigod napped by Hera). Also I have enough characters to remember to use in the retelling and responding to the story as it is.
Sorry for the long Author's note, hope you enjoyed this chapter.
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