Hey, so, this came to me in a dream, and something told me to write it and I did and then it took flight and that was a lie. Actually I was thinking- hey, what if one of the gods was forced into their group? Couldn't abandon them? Blah blah blah. So, Alexetia was born. Not really. I went through seventy three different names before I gave up. This is all I've gotten written because it took so long, and I don't want to fall into a pit of whatever until I know it's not terrible. So, please review, favorite, follow, something, so I know to either continue or give up this.
Either way, I'll keep writing, but I probably won't post it.
This is my first PJO fic, so please don't hate me too much if I get something wrong.
Disclaimer: I do not now, nor will I ever own Percy Jackson, unfortunately, or Poseidon would be in more of the book and Percy would have visited Atlantis much more often, etc, etc, blah blah blah. Anything you recognize from myth, media, etc does not belong to me.
A clammy sweaty hand shoots to his arm, clutching desperately. "Nathan, it hurts- it hurts-" A raw voice cries and 'Nathan' places a hand to the woman's head, sending calming waves to her. It doesn't help much, as she cries out again, breathing heavy, and throat sore. She clutches at his hand and he lowers his head, knowing what her fate would be, but having no way to change it, not with his current delivery alongside him; a soul -sort of-, an essence, more like. An Olympian, a goddess, one of the oldest, and he had to breathe it into the child being birthed, by the woman that held his hand with strength that surprised him, slightly. Zeus had fathered the child being birthed, but when the goddess's essence was poured into the mortal child, the goddess would become the equivalent of a half-blood, to a degree. 'Nathan' sighed, looking to the doctor, 'Dimitri', who shook his head. 'Nathan' was to kill the woman when she was through childbirth. A scream ripped through the room, and he grimaced, grasping the woman's hand.
"All will be well, my dear, I swear it." 'Nathan', murmurs, wanting to scream out to Olympus alongside her. This woman was good, and kind, and he was about to kill her. With a final scream, it's over, the baby is there, in 'Dimitri's' hands, and he's holding her, he's holding his granddaughter, the half-blood that isn't really. The package he has in his pocket weighs him down, more by the second, and he sighs, nodding at 'Dimitri', and after wiping the babe, hands her to the woman and walks out, letting her hold the baby once before she would come to her end. After a few moments, he walks back in hand behind his back and stands next to 'Nathan', who grabs the steel sword from the doctor. He walks from the room quickly. 'Nathan' grabs the baby and sighs, laying her in a crib, now swathed in a light pink blanket, soundless. He turned back to her and she smiles a weary, tired smile of someone twice her age. He tells her to sleep, and when she closes her eyes, he pulls the blade out and with a quick flick of his wrist, her head is detached and the baby wakes, crying as if she knew what had befallen her mother. 'Nathan' drops the sword, grabs the crying baby, and rushes to the hall, calming her quickly, quieting her cries. He finds 'Dimitri' with his head down, no longer in the form of a doctor, now back in his favored form, a teenaged boy, dressed kindly in a button up bright yellow shirt, unbuttoned and tucked into black dress slacks.
"Apollo! We must take leave, the mother is absent, and here is not the best place to... deliver what I have brought." Apollo looks up and nods, and they ran, out of the house, across the street and into a clinic, which had appeared with a flick of Apollo's wrist. The main room is large, near the back and Apollo leads him there expertly. There's a wide table in the middle of the room, it's padded and there's an indent just a little larger than her. 'Nathan' held the baby to his chest, looking either way before he set the baby on the table, and turns to the god of the sun, who nods and calls other gods and goddesses into the room. Zeus is the first to step inside, followed by his elder brother, Poseidon, then Hades after him, Aphrodite, Artemis, Hephaestus, Ares, Atmos, and Athena. The surround the table and some exchange nervous glances, it wasn't good for them to all be in one place.
"Hermes, hurry along now. It is unwise for us all to be in one place." 'Nathan's' head shoots up and he purses his lips, nodding. He pulls out an old drawstring bag and clutches it tightly, before passing it to Zeus who gathers his brothers grudgingly, and holds the bag out, it's an unspoken consensus among the three that they will do it together. Hades stands at the head of the table, he needs to guide the essence, he controls the souls, of course. Poseidon stands on one side of the table, Zeus on the other and he opens the bag while Zeus holds it. As soon as its open, tentative, silvery blue wisps escape, beginning to wander and then Hades begins to direct it, blocking every direction except one, straight into the babe's body.
The baby wiggles, but she doesn't cry, and then she begins to glow, a reddish-orange glow with tendrils of white-blue, bright green, and gold. Hades seals the soul inside the baby girl and she begins to change, ever-so-slightly, her eyes turn blue with hints of gold and green, something a baby would not have, what little hair she has gets lighter, blonde, her face thins, baby fat falling away, not by much, it's still there, just less of it, her legs get a little longer, and her body grows a few inches more. The pink blanket grows with her and a name begins to form, Alexetia.
Then it's over, the glow fades until it's barely visible, and the baby makes a sound, a bare whimper. The three brothers step away and allow the lesser gods and goddesses to surround the baby. Athena is the first to pick up the baby. She whispers a blessing in a language unknown to man and a golden thread drips from her lips to join the swirling aura around the babe already. She hugs the babe and hands her to Atmos, who does similar, and a blue thread pulls and joins the golden one, intertwining with it, and he sighs, hugging her close to his chest and he sighs. Athena has left before he hands the child to Ares, and he watches the god of war warily, and waits with the others as he whispers a blood red blessing, which twines around the two blessings that wrap around the girl. Apollo grabs the girl and smiles, his blessing an indescribable color, white, gold, pink, and light brown. Then Hermes has her again and his dazzling smile has no effect, except a twitch from the sleeping baby, his blessing white gold and brown. Hephaestus takes the baby more gently than should be possible for the burly god. He grounds out a blessing which flickers red, yellow, and orange, like fire, and hands the baby to Artemis, who smiles and whispers silver, pressing a kiss to the baby's temple as her blessing finds the others, twirling around in the light aura. Aphrodite's blessing is pink and she laughs, smiling wickedly, as she blesses the girl. When she hands the babe to Hades she steals away with Ares and only six gods remain now. Hades' blessing takes longer, and it's black and silver when it leaks from his lips. Zeus is next and he smiles, holding her close as an electricity races from his lips and sparks the other threads. He reluctantly hands her to Poseidon, who rocks her gently and blesses her, a blue dripping from his lips like the water he controls, and it's over.
He holds the baby, still and no one speaks. No one knows what to say. "Who will she stay with?" comes to mind, but not one of them says anything. Hermes, 'Nathan', speaks up.
"I'll take her." Poseidon's head shoots up, eyes stormy, waves crash in the distance, and thunder rolls overhead, as Zeus whips around, and the ground shakes as Hades crosses his arms. They were near Los Angeles, close to the sea, near the Underworld, open sky, clear atmosphere, more convenient than Los Angeles itself. "I'll even stay here, in Los Angeles, for a time. When she turns twelve, I'll take her to the camp, she can visit Olympus, we won't have to hide anything from her, it will be safe. I'll find a house, right out here, right by the sea, open sky, near the entrance to the Underworld, you can visit her easily, we can all keep her safe."
"Close to the sea... I can visit whenever I like?" Hermes nods at Poseidon who hums in acceptance, smiling down at the baby.
"Near the Underworld. Can she visit me?" Hades' eyes brighten. Hermes nods slowly.
"And you can visit her, which is much more likely."
"Open sky? I can watch over her?"
"Yes Zues, you can all be here sometimes."
"Who will be on protection detail?"
"We can figure that out later. Apollo, Artemis, Atmos? Would any of you be willing to protect her from time to time?" Apollo and Artemis shared a look and nodded simultaneously. Atmos scoffed, shaking his head.
"What do you take me for? Of course I will watch over her."
"Yeah, Artemis and I will always be on call."
"So... We have it under control? Good..."
"For now, we take her back to Olympus, and we can have Hephaestus build a proper home for her, and we can set up a safety perimeter. No monsters will enter here. We need a sacrifice, from one of our children." Hermes sat down beside Poseidon, looking down at the baby.
"I suppose we could do that... She can stay in Olympus for a time."
"And in my palace." Poseidon murmurs, smiling down at the sleeping child. Amphitrite wouldn't like it, but, who cares? Not him, not when he was holding this child in his arms, with the promise of holding her again.
"Mine as well?" The others share a look.
"I think it would be better to wait until she can walk before she goes to your domain, Hades. The Underworld is no place for a babe." Poseidon shoots Zeus a look and sighs.
"Zeus is right, Hades, the Underworld is dangerous, and for a mere baby, it's more so. You can visit her here, but she can't visit the Underworld until she's much older." Hades rolls his eyes and settles back, knowing a fight was useless, it would do nothing but upset the baby.
"Alright, fine. You should return soon, though, the solstice is in a week's time, I will meet with you then." With that, he spun into the shadows and returned to the Underworld.
"You heard him, we must leave. To Olympus. Hermes, ensure the babe safe travel." Zeus disappears with a flash of lightening and a burn, smoking where his feet had been. Artemis and Apollo leave as well, Hermes and Atmos sharing a look over the sea god's head.
"Poseidon?"
"Father?" Atmos steps closer and kneels in front of him. "Father, we have to return to Olympus. You know mother would not approve, come father. Please?" Poseidon's head rises and he nodds absently, looking back at the baby, smile on his face as he stands, grabbing his trident.
"Let us go, Zeus might have a fit if we do not hurry." Together, the gods of Atmosphere, the Sea, and the messenger leave, appearing in Olympus moments later.
When they arrive Poseidon is holding the girl to his chest, and his trident to the side. He sits in his throne, moved to directly to the right of Zeus, Hera to the left.
"You took long enough. Now, who is to have her first?"
"My Lord, should she not be here?"
"Athena is right, she should be here where we can all protect her, with the might of Olympus on our side."
"I have made a decision already, she shall stay here for a time, in Poseidon's domain, and then to a house near the mortal city, Los Angeles. Where a home will need to be built. Hephaestus, would you be willing to build her home?"
"More than willing, it will be better than the villas built for us in Greece herself."
"You are dismissed Hephaestus, begin work on the plans immediately. We will meet again for the summer solstice, next week. Hades will be joining us this year, to discuss further the fate of the child."
"Thank you, father. I will bring multiple choices of villas for your approval next week." Hephaestus bows and leaves, beard smoldering as he begins to plan.
"Poseidon, I assume you will want to take her after the solstice ends?"
"Hmm... Yes..." Poseidon responds distractedly, stroking the child's head softly, a smile playing on his lips.
"Poseidon!"
"What Zeus?" Poseidon's annoyance flares as he looks into the eyes of his younger brother.
"I assume you want to take her when the solstice ends?"
"I think I will stay here for a time, look after her, and then bring her home. No matter what happens, she needs to know us all. I will visit, yes, from time to time, and I will bring her along, and we will stay while we are welcome. No longer than that."
"Alright, I suppose you have a right to such. Any opposed?" Zeus casts an eye over the throne room.
"I am. She is my mother, I want to be able to visit her." Zeus looks at his elder brother, eyebrow raised.
"And you can, Atmos, any of you can, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Hermes, Aphrodite, Ares, Hephaestus, even Hades. Although, you must give proper warning, not all the sea monsters in my domain like all of you." He looks pointedly at Athena, who purses her lips. "Zeus too, if he would like."
"I would." He states simply, reaching for the pink bundle in his arms. Poseidon reluctantly releases her, settling into his chair more comfortably, keeping an eye on the babe. "For now, she needs a name, correct?"
"Why not her actual name?" Athena rolls her eyes at Ares, glaring at him.
"Because monsters would get suspicious. As would all other enemies and threats to her."
"Alexandria Rose."
"Cynthia?"
"I like Alexandria, but Rose..."
"Zora?"
"Her mother's last name was Penna, correct?"
"Alexandria Rosette Penna? I like it."
"I as well."
"I'm up for it."
"It does sound nice."
"It is decided. Alexandria Rosette Penna."
Alexandria Rosette Penna's life began at that moment, she knew nothing of her godly life, not for a long time.
A blessing of wisdom, in troubling times, from Athena. A blessing of atmosphere, and direction, when it was impossible to breathe, from Atmos. A blessing of strength, courage, and battle, in times of war, from Ares. A blessing of health and light, when sickness surrounded her and all seemed dark, from Apollo. A blessing of safe travel, wit, and thievery, in times of travel and desperation from Hermes. A blessing of discovery, ingenuity, and protection from fire, for when ideas were low and flames were high, from Hephaestus. A blessing of archery, and sight, for when she was lost and nothing could be found from Artemis. A blessing of beauty, luck, and love, when she was lonely and all hope was lost, from Aphrodite. The blessing of the Underworld, and life, when she was hurt, from Hades. A blessing of respect, authority over air and it's dwellers, and safety in his domain, when such was called for and she was needed to lead, from Zeus. A blessing of safety from/in water, storms, and authority of the sea and it's creatures, when in trouble and the storms raged on, from Poseidon. They all gave her a piece of themselves and their powers for the next twenty five years of her life, to protect her and help her on her quests and journeys.