Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

This is just an idea I've had in my head for some time now and I hope you all like it.

Ashes…

'Ashes' was a good word to describe what was left of a very small, rural town in upper Maine.

The sky was filled with thick heavy clouds the color of charcoal and the only sounds that could be heard were the occasional low rumble of thunder and the crackling of the fires that still danced across fallen buildings and houses.

The roads were empty, littered only with the remains of battered objects and tattered fabric.

There were no cars, no people, and not one sign of life.

Everything was gone.

Not one person could have predicted what would happen that day, what would happen to the things and to those that they loved. Nobody knew that after this day there would be nothing to remember of the peaceful place they called home.

Nothing to remember at all…

As the first drops of rain fell, adding to the air of misery, a being emerged out of a shadow cast across the ground by the flickering flames. If a person were around to see them, they would barely be able to make out the form of a man. He was tall, strong, slender…and dark. That much was obvious from the black robes that adorned him and the mysterious power that rolled off him in waves.

He barely paid any mind to the storm that was starting above him and the torrent of rain that was about to fall. The only thing that could hold his attention at the moment was the horrible sight before him. The man started walking through the ruins of the town, taking in just how bad this calamity was. He scanned the remains of buildings, belongings, and the occasional corpse that would normally be mistaken for something other than a person.

The man closed his eyes and messaged his temples, groaning slightly. Though he saw things similar to this almost every day of his existence, it didn't make this one very easy to stomach. He usually felt nothing toward scenes such these, and probably wouldn't have if he didn't come across a certain sight.

There just a few feet to his left, lay two figures under what remained of their supposed home. One was of a young woman and the other was a young boy. Both were covered in blood and dirt and their clothes were burned and torn. The woman's body was slightly on top of the boy's, evidence that she had tried protecting him.

Then suddenly, he felt as though ice filled up inside of him when he realized why they had caught his attention: they somewhat reminded him of the bond that his last two half-blood children had. Though that joke of an oath had been annulled, he hadn't sired any heroes. He simply didn't have time, and he was content with the two he had. Even though his daughter had died before the annulment, his son kept him busy enough.

And then he lost contact with the boy.

After that, simply bringing up his children's names was enough to ignite the Lord of the Underworld's rage.

Seeing those two innocent people lying there dead was no exception.

Hades continued walking, quickening his pace and trying to put out the emotions that were rising up inside him. He kept going until he reached the outer edge of the town, which was also the location of the one structure that was still definable.

An old lighthouse was the only thing that remained standing.

The only thing that showed this now wasteland had once been inhabited.

Hades leaned against the stone cylinder, patiently waiting for two certain people to show up.

Just as the rain began to fall heavily, he felt their presences.

"You better have a good reason for calling us out here."

"Yes, what could possibly be so important that we need to be here in the middle of the night in this freezing rain?"

Hades turned around and glared at his two younger brothers, "Only you two would be stupid enough to appear with your backs to the very reason I called you."

Zeus and Poseidon hesitantly turned around. The moment they lay eyes on the ravaged land, time might as well have stopped.

All they could do was stare at the ghastly sight.

They thought this was problem would easily be dealt with, that there was nothing to worry about.

But now…

"I told you," Hades snarled.

Zeus was able to tear his gaze away from the scene before him long enough to look over his shoulder and cast a scowl in the dark god's direction, "Hades, don't –"

"I told you so many times, but you never listened to me!" Hades advanced toward the King of the Gods, "And no matter how many times I warned you, you just didn't care! You, the both of you, thought that this was no cause for concern, that it would pass, that it was nothing!" He stopped only a few inches in front of his brother, "Can you say that it's nothing, now?"

"Brother, please," Poseidon had now turned his attention to Hades, "is there any way we can –"

"Quiet," he snapped. "Both of you knew what happened, and we could have dealt with it immediately and have finished off these disgusting creatures when we had the chance!"

Zeus' glare hardened, "And how do you know they'll keep getting stronger? What makes you think this is something for all of us to put most of our time and energy into?"

Hades stared at his youngest brother, his eyes smoldering. His breaths became more rapid and his hands clenched into fists. He took a deep breath and began stalking back into the destroyed town.

"Hades?" Poseidon watched his brother's retreating figure with confusion.

"Come on," the Lord of the Underworld said without looking back, "there's something I want you to see."

The sea and sky gods exchanged glances before reluctantly following Hades. The further they went into the burning streets, the more they looked down. Neither wanted to see what their carelessness and ignorance had caused, even though the result was all around them.

They kept following Hades, stepping over debris and concentrating on their powers keep themselves dry from the pounding rain. Finally, their dark brother stopped and pointed at…something.

"You see them?" Hades' voice was strained with anger. He had brought them to the two youths he'd seen earlier, determined to get his point through. Zeus' eyes widened slightly and Poseidon turned his head away from the gruesome spectacle.

Hades aimed his finger at the girl, "That is Madison Snyder, she was 22. Madison here just finished her third year of college, she was majoring in astronomy. Her brother over there, Noah, would be starting high school in the fall. Unfortunately, he isn't."

Zeus was glaring at Hades, almost like he was outraged that his brother was using mortals to make a point.

"You think that two mortals are enough to change my mind?"

Poseidon turned to Zeus, "Brother, maybe we should reconsider –"

"Mortals are only good for a few things, most of which only benefit us so much." Zeus continued as though Poseidon had said nothing, "Why should we waste our time for them?"

"Let me try getting this through your thick skull from a different perspective," Hades gritted his teeth and scowled, "These monsters will start off with very small towns like this and destroy them. When they run out of small ones they'll move to bigger ones. And they'll just keep terminating bigger and bigger cities until they eliminate the largest cities in the world. And I'm not just talking about the capitols of small states and such, but my Las Vegas, Poseidon's Miami, and your precious New York City! It's only a matter of time before they fell confident enough to take on the best civilization in the world: Mount Olympus."

Hades let that sink in. Something in Zeus' demeanor seemed to change after his speech, it seemed tense, almost worried.

Neither of the above world gods said anything for the longest time. They just stood there until Zeus finally broke the silence.

"I will…hold a meeting to further discuss this issue in a few days. I expect you two to be there," and with that, Zeus dissolved into the air.

"You won't find a solution by saying there is no problem." - William Rotsler

This is my second story that has absolutely no relation to the first, if you like it I'm glad. If you don't, oh well. Please review if you like.

~Fantasila~