OK, I know you're probably waiting for me to upload my PJ/HP story, but I have a bit of writer's block, so I'm doing this for the heck of it. And before you start pelting me with the nonsense about violating rules, I HAVE the permission of the awesome author, Divine Protector of Mangos, so shoo off!
P.S. Of course, Percy Jackson goes to Uncle Rick.
On Mount Olympus 1998 Winter Solstice just began, and yelling had already started. The topics were always the same: Hera giving her husband an earful about cheating on her for heavens-knows-which-time, Poseidon and Athena screaming about Athens and Medusa, Artemis shooting her twin and half brother because they tried to flirt with her hunters, Hades trying and failing to tune out Demeter's rant about cereal and Persephone, Ares and Hephaestus having a heated match about Aphrodite, and Dionysius sleeping in his throne. The only person that stayed out of all kinds of violence was Hestia, who poked the hearth and sadly watched her family, wishing for the unity and peace of her crazy family.
Out of blue, golden light appeared in front of her hearth. The shine was so bright that even Apollo had to avert his eyes. When the light receded, it revealed a form of girl kneeling, holding a thin book in her left arm.
"Greetings Lady Hestia, Guardian of the Olympus.I plead for safe entrance and stay in your home." The girl's voice never wavered, and her head didn't rise throughout the whole greeting. Hestia's eyebrows shot up: it was an ancient way to greet your host, and it was almost forgotten nowadays.
"State your name and purpose here!" Zeus bellowed, regaining his cool after a shocking event. Girl's lips twitched, almost as she wanted to smile, but she restrained herself.
"My name is Andromeda, but not the one from myths. I am here by the orders of Fates. They had deemed that you need to learn to behave like a family, real one not this messed up. For that, you will be reading a book about two young heroes that changed everything. Listen, and learn something from your mistakes, else everything will be lost." Council sat in shocked silence for the second time.
"But... that means we will change future!" Athena weakly complained. "It was prohibited for reason back in the time of Titans!" Andromeda chuckled.
"What Titans didn't know that there was actually no way of influencing future because of the parallel universes."
„Parallel what?" Apollo was totally confused.
„It's quite simple. Whenever we make a choice, there are always some different options, right? So parallel universes are actually those choices made real."
„So, even if we change this reality, there will always be the one that isn't changed, am I correct?" Poseidon voiced unexpectedly.
„Absolutely correct, Poseidon", Andromeda smiled at him while Athena stared, slack-jawed.
„Shut your trap Bird brain, before something flies in", Poseidon said amusedly.
„You-you said something smart", she said in shock. Andy giggled.
„You need to give him some credit: he's actually smart, but he doesn't show it. Anyways, will you start reading or not?" Athena wordlessly grabbed the offered book and read: Percabeth and the Olympians: Timely War.
„War?" Ares asked with glee.
„Yes, war", Andy said coldly. Aphrodite caught something else, though.
„Percabeth? Is it a ship?" Andy nodded with a smile.
„A ship? What the hell is that?" Apollo asked.
„It's a pairing or relationship you support, and name is usually just a fusing of those two. Go on Athena."
Prologue
Percy POV
I watched Mommy and Smelly Gabe talk from my door, even though Mommy told me not to.
Typical male, spying, Artemis thought.
I just couldn't stand not knowing what was happening to her when she's alone with Smelly Gabe, since he's as bad as Captain Hook in Peter Pan.
„Whoa, this kid has entertaining thoughts", Hermes chuckled. Maybe this won't be so bad.
Smelly Gabe was drinking his special drinks again, which usually makes him really angry and allusive. So far, whenever he's had one of his special drinks (which Mommy told me not to drink), he usually spanks Mommy in different places.
Poseidon's face darkened almost imperceptibly, and sea started acting up. He hated hearing about his lover's predicament, but he couldn't expose his son, not yet at least.
I don't know why, but when I'm bigger and stronger, I'm going to beat Smelly Gabe up and defend my Mommy. Then we won't have to deal with him.
„Go, go, Perce!" shouted Apollo and Hermes. Poseidon smirked evilly, and Hera, Artemis and Aphrodite had smug smiles: this boy was sure different, and he really cared about his mother.
Anyways, so I was watching Mommy try to stop Smelly Gabe from shouting, when Smelly Gabe smashed the bottle of his special drink on the table next to him.
Poseidon sucked in his breath, but this time Hades and Athena noticed it.
Is that your son, Kelp-for-brains? Athena asked telephatically, and Hades listened intently. Poseidon gave them a small nod, but his eyes begged for silence.
Please, it'll sure tell us at some point, don't rat me out now. Hades patted his arm, and Athena leaned back. She won't tell her father anything yet, but if the book doesn't tell them soon, she would.
I don't know how, but one of the pieces flew right at Mommy and hit her in the chest.
„Why that disgusting male..." Artemis hissed furiously in perfect sync with her stepmother's „When I get my hands on him..." Male gods shifted slightly away, knowing that it wasn't prudent to anger Queen and Goddess of hunt.
I quickly, and silently, closed the door, and called 911, like Mommy told me to.
"911, what's your emergency?" asked the lady on the other side.
"Hello," I said, "My name's Percy, and my mommy's hurt."
"What happened?" asked the lady.
"My mommy was trying to get Smelly Gabe, my stepdaddy, to stop yelling," said Percy, "since he always yells when he drinks his special drinks. He got really angry this time, and smashed his special drinks' bottle on the table next to him, and one of the pieces went into her chest. Is Mommy going to be all right?"
"Yes, she will, sweetie," said the nice lady, "I'm going to be sending some help to your house, okay? Do you know where you live?"
„Maybe we can visit Percy", Aphrodite said with a pondering look on her face. Seeing the incredulous looks she relented. „I mean for punishment." Whole council smirked, totally agreeing with her. Andy grinned evilly sitting nearby Hestia. Oh, I can't wait to see their faces when I show them his punishment.
"Yeah," I said, remembering the address Mommy told me in case I got lost, "It's 191 Aqua Street, Upper East Side, Apartment 11.
"Thank you sweetie," said the lady on the other side, "help is on the way. Stay hidden, but where people can still find you."
"Okay, nice lady," I said, before hanging up the phone. I hid under my blanket, since Gabe sometimes checks up on me to see if I was sleeping whenever he has his special drinks.
„At least he knows drinking is bad", Demeter said looking pointedly at Dionysius. „He must've eaten enough cereal."
„Shut it with the cereal, woman!" Hades exploded. „Cereal isn't all-powerful!" Before Demeter could disagree, Athena carried on reading.
Soon, I heard police cars outside, and the door opening. I waited, and soon, I heard people talking, and Gabe yelling. After a while, his yelling stopped, and I heard less voices. I was just about to get out of my bed, when my covers flew off of me. I faked sleeping, when I heard a voice say, "I found the kid guys. Looks like he's sleeping."
„Ooooh, I wish he was my son", Hermes said appreciatively. „He's a good faker."
I peeked a look at the guy from under my eyelashes, and saw that it was an officer. I quickly jumped up, surprising the officer, and said, "I'm not sleeping. The lady told me to hide, and Smelly Gabe sometimes checks on me to make sure I'm sleeping whenever he drinks his special drink. I don't know why, but once, when I wasn't sleeping, he grabbed me from my neck, and almost threw me into the wall, or that's what my Mommy told me."
Poseidon barely controlled his anger now, hurricanes creating on the East Coast as response. Now Aphrodite, Hestia and Artemis caught the meaning of his anger, and looked at him with the sympathy.
„Why are you so angry, brother?" Zeus the oblivious idiot asked.
„It's nothing", Poseidon sighed leaning in his throne. "I'm just furious that someone would hurt a child." Zeus nodded; everyone knew that Sea King had a soft spot for kids.
"When did Mommy tell you that happened?" asked the officer
"She said that it was four years ago," I said, before counting on my fingers how old I was when it happened, "so I was two years old when that happened!"
I showed them my hand with two fingers up, and I felt proud of myself that I got it right. They chuckled, and I felt even prouder.
"All right kiddo," said another officer, who came in while I was counting, "we're going to take you to the hospital, okay?"
"The h-hospital?" I gulped, "but I don't want my shots. Mommy said that I got all of them."
Aphrodite smiled. He's so cute, she thought. I'll have fun with him. Unfortunately, Andy heard her, and gave her a chilling look. He's in love, Aph, and nothing will separate those two.
"Don't worry, kiddo," said the second officer, who I named 2, since he was the second one in my room, "you're not getting any shots. You're Mommy's in the hospital. She got a big booboo from your stepdaddy, so she had to go to the doctors, okay?"
"Okay," I said, "I'll hold onto my Mommy's hand so she feels better when they give her a shot."
"I think she'll like that," said the first officer, or as I like to call him, 1, "Now come on, we better get over there as soon as possible."
"Wait a minute, Bernard," said 2, "we should first check if he has any other family here."
"Nuh-uh," I said, shaking my head, "Mommy said that Daddy was lost at sea, and that Granny and Grandpa are in the sky somewhere. When I get older, I'm going to get a big boat that becomes a submarine, and look for my Daddy, and bring him home."
"You do that kid," smiled Bernard, "Now come on, we have to get to your Mommy so she can hold your hand when she gets a shot, okay?"
"Okay," I said, before holding onto his hand and following him out, "wait, will Smelly Gabe come back?"
"No," said 2, "he won't go back. He was being a bad boy, so he's got in trouble. He has a time-out for a long time."
"Oh, okay," I said, before following them once again, this time with no interruptions.
„Well, it was certainly informing, this chapter", Hephaestus commented. Hestia nodded.
„He will be a great hero if he continues like this. Niece, can I read the next one?" Athena gave her aunt the book, and Hestia opened it on the next chapter.
„Oh, before we continue, I'm warning you: some of the heroes will be here momentarily", Andy sing-sang airily. On the que, golden light appeared again, and deposited a boy and girl in front of the council.
„Introduce yourself!" Zeus thundered.
„I'm Bianca di Angelo, and this is Nico, my brother. We're..." Andy placed her hand over her mouth.
„No spoilers, Bi", she chided.
„Whoops", she said embarrassed. Nico snickered.
„What are doing here?" he asked.
„Reading a book about Perce and Beth", Andy answered.
„Wheee! Perfect blackmail!" Nico shouted, much to gods' amusement. Andy waved her hand, fashioning a sofa for siblings and sat next to Hestia.
„Continue, Hestia."