And Farther Still Than That
Chpater One: Claudere
On the day August 18th was the day the gods won the Second Titan War. The day recognition was brought upon the minor gods. The day the world was saved. The day the Titans fell. Everyone—that saw through the Mist and knew the true events—should be celebrating. The demigods and gods celebrated this glorious day.
All but a selected few. Because three heroes died that day. In the Greek, the campers grieved the death of their leader and former friend. Percy Jackson, first and last daughter of Poseidon died to save the world. Luke Castellan son of Hermes died a hero's death, he was the one that defeated Kronos along with the former. Up on Mount Orthys, the same day and time, in the arms of a young sobbing girl lied a dead boy known as Jason Grace the son of Jupiter and champion of Juno; he died to save the world too.
When the Muses sing at the celebration on Mount Olympus, they'll sing about the heroes' death and the Greeks will be puzzled because only two real and great heroes died that day—but then they'll place the third hero as the daughter of Aphrodite who died a hero's death too. They'll sing about Fate because no three heroes can die at the same time.
And as they celebrated, a daughter of Athena will be crying her eyes out for the death of her best friend and for the boy she loved. On the other side, a daughter of Bellona will be crying for the same reason she was. The atrocities created by the seas and skies never really stopped since that day.
And down and down in the Underworld, three heroes that were heralded and grieved for meet.
LxPxJ
"Fancy seeing you again," said Charon, stuffing a distinctly rumpled looking narcissus into a button hole on his wrinkled, expensive suit. He eyed the three demigods before him. "Drowned in the bathtub again, Percy Jackson?"
The unfamiliar and taller blonde raised an eyebrow, intriguied.
"It should be the last time," Percy smiled sadly, flipping him a drachma and stepping into the elevator. The two blondes—so similar in coloring that they could have been brothers—followed her example. Charon stared after them; somehow, despite what she's said, he doubted that it'd be the last time he saw those three in front of him, asking for passage. Stuffing the drachmas in his pocket, he entered the boat, waved at his passengers and started rowing the boat. As she stepped off the boat, the daughter of Poseidon waved at him, telling in to have a nice life and he couldn't help but snort at the unfairness of it all.
Never in his immortal life would Charon admit that he was fond of her and that he wished she was one of the demigods in the world above, alive and celebrating their victory over the Titans. The daughter of Poseidon doesn't belong in the Underworld, where the spirits were merely shadows of what they once were. And Percy was like a beacon among them, her body and spirits still intact as they were back when she was still alive. She had no regrets, she chose to die for her friends and to save the world and she regretted nothing.
Charon watched as she and her two companions faded into the distance before leaving.
Percy led the two blondes, taking them down the familiar road from her first quest to the long lines, petting Cerberus along the way. To her surprise, the lines part before the three demigods, and there, sitting at the judges' table, were the three first judges of the dead.
"Elysium," the two judges that Percy did not recognize said the moment they saw her.
"Aeacus and Radamanthus." Jason said helpfully.
Luke turned to the third and only familiar judge to him. "Oh," he said. "I thought Hades' cast you into Tatarus or fire you."
"Bah," Minos glowered at the three demigods, but Radamanthus rapped him smartly on the head until he spit out, "Elysium, Elysium!"
"Unless," added Aeacus, "you'd like to try for the Isles of the Blest."
"She can?" Luke asked.
"She saved the world," Radamanthus said. "Of course she can."
She shook her head. "I'm good, guys."
"Well then," Radamanthus announced, smacking an official-looking stamp on an official-looking piece of paper. "Perseus Jackson, Elysium. Next!"
Jason stepped forward and since Minos had no agenda against him, gave him Elysium once he was revealed to be the son of Jupiter and died a hero's death.
"Jupiter?" Percy asked softly, eyebrows furrowing in faint confusion. "Isn't that the Roman name of Zeus?"
"Tell you later, once we reached our destination."
"Jason Grace, Elysium. Next!"
It was Luke's turn but instead of the same treatment like the other two demigods... "Luke Castellan," Aeacus growled. "I don't approve him going to Elysium. Fields of Punishment!"
"Seconded," Minos said nastily.
"Fields of Ashpodel," Radamanthus said, being the most sympathetic and fairest of the three. "You saved the world too, but it still wasn't enough to make up for the deaths done."
The son of Hermes merely nodded in resignation, he'd knew this was coming. But he didn't see coming was the outburst from both Jason and Percy.
"No!" the daughter of Poseidon yelled. "That's not fair."
"Yeah," the son of Jupiter agreed though he didn't sound as vehement as his cousin.
Aeacus frowned, obviously no one had defied him like this before. He snapped his fingers and images shimmered before the three demigods. Luke couldn't see anything but a darkened whirlpool but the looks of anguish and bitterness on his companions' face told him that whatever they saw made them feel bitter jealousy.
When the images faded, Radamanthus said sadly, "You two children of the Big Three lost this life. That's why the both of you deserved Elysium along with the good deeds you've done." Then he turned to look at Luke distastefully. "But this son of Hermes helped the enemy, he realized too late. Not enough good to be in Elysium and not enough bad to be in the Fields of Punishment. But alas, I'm outvoted on the Fields of Asphodel. Eternal damnation it is."
"No," Jason insisted. "He was misled. In the end, didn't he saved the world too?"
Finally, Aeacus sighed, glaring at the three demigods. "Not enough good and bad."
"Why don't we divide the blame?" Minos suggested gleefully, wanting the daughter of Poseidon to suffer too.
"All three souls will be consigned to the Fields of Asphodel as Radamathus suggested."
Radamathus' jaw dropped. "I didn't suggest the children of the Big Three too!" Then he sighed and looked up at the two innocent demigods. "I'm sorry, Jason Grace, Percy Jackson, the both of you could've been heroes in Elysium."
Luke stared at the two demigods, stunned even as they pulled him away and led him to a pavilion. He managed to croak out, "Why?" hoarsely, feeling his eyes burn in a way he'd forgotten it can when he was about to cry. "You could've been happy."
"Percy told me what happened," Jason said, frowning. "While I disapprove of your earlier actions. You still saved the world we died to protect. The judges were unfair."
"Yeah," Percy said, slipping her hand into Luke's. "Unfair."
Luke didn't really know these two that well. Sure, he knew Percy from battles and only in battles. But even through the battles they fought, he could see that she fought to protect what she hold dear. Jason, they met him when they were on their way to Los Angeles, to Charon. They traveled together and fended off the monsters—Soul Eaters; even in death and spirits, they were still edible to monsters—and learned more about one another. Still, they really weren't that close like family—there were still times they withdrew from the others from time to time.
"Let's go through this together," Percy said, smiling gently his way, her other hand grasping Jason's so that they wouldn't be separated in this place full of souls, where they were shades and it would be impossible to tell from one face to the other.
Luke nodded mutely as they turned to face the golden fields that seemed to go on forever. Spending an eternity doing nothing with two strange demigods and nameless shades wasn't something Luke expected after death. But as Percy's small hand squeezed his in a reassuring way, he reckoned that it won't be as bad as he'd originally thought.
LxPxJ
A/N: Right. A threesome. Is it too confusing for you? And if Jason seem to attach to Percy, there will be a reason for that - it wouldn't be revealed until later; continue reading to know. Tell me what you think; review!