Hello all. Just a prologue for a new story I'll be starting here soon. Let me know what you think of it.
Small update (3/10/15): Altered prophecy slightly. Just word changes.
The sage cries out.
"Open, Gates of heaven. Bless us and bestow miracles upon us!"
The sage cries out in regret.
"Close, Gates of heaven. Save us from all our sins and evil!"
The curtain closes.
The millennium comes to a standstill.
Our dreams, our hope... was a forbidden "failure" from the start.
The stars fall out of the sky.
Space closes up into nothingness.
The pathway to the center is shrouded along with our sins.
'Would it kill that crazy praeceptor to let us use calculators? Calculus is already hard enough without having to use an abacus,' a young man thought to himself as he walked along the stone pathway heading away from the campus.
The young man waved to some fellow students as he strode off the campus. It was his second year attending the rather private school, and if – gods willing – he would graduate with his degree in another two. The same however could not be said of his girlfriend. She would probably need another three years to finish her intended major, but he would wait. 'It'll take a lot more than one lousy year in our programs to wedge us apart.' He stopped by one of the many ornate fountains that littered the city and pondered.
'Where will we go from there? She said that staying in the Camp would be enough for her; still plenty of reconstruction going on for her to find work, but is that what I want? We've already seen so much of the world together and I want to keep that going, if I can.' The young man thumbed something in his pocket and sighed. It weighed more to him than even the entire sky had all those years ago.
"Earth to Percy, anybody on the other line?" a sweet voice pulled the son of Poseidon out of his thoughts. He looked the young woman that was talking to him and smiled warmly.
"Sorry, I'm going through a tunnel," he joked as she punched him in the arm. He feigned pain in the attacked spot, but couldn't keep he smile from his face. "So how was your day?" The young blonde woman crossed her arms, looking miffed.
"Don't even get me started. First, that idiot professor had the nerve to make a remark about even the daughters of Minerva. Naturally, I corrected him to her Greek counterpart and that started another huge debate in the class that would make these Senate meetings look tame. Then I got another message from Reyna saying her sister still expected me to design the Amazons a 'headquarters that would even put Olympus to shame!' Other than that I'm peachy."
"Hylla still bugging you about the redesign, huh?" Percy asked her, to which the woman nodded her head. Percy rolled his eyes before his expression became somber. "Listen, Annabeth, there's something we really need to talk about." The daughter of Athena's eyes flashed over her boyfriend's face, trying to read his emotions.
"What is it?" the blonde godling asked cautiously. She didn't need to be the child of the Wisdom goddess to know that this conversation would only progress one of two ways. His sea-green eyes met her stormy-grey ones half-heartedly. Before he could open his mouth to continue the conversation, a man in traditional Roman dress ran up to the couple.
"Perseus Jackson, Annabeth Chase, your presence is requested at the Forum by Praetor Ramírez-Arellano. She insists that both of you come at once," the cursor – message carrier – informed the two demigods.
"What is the cause for our summons, tabellio?" Percy asked the messenger. Annabeth shot him a look as the messenger looked confused for a second.
"Percy, he's a message carrier, not a legal clerk. Are you sure you don't need help with your Latin classes? I mean I offered to –"
"I told you I'm doing fine," Percy shot back at his girlfriend, before clearing his throat, looking a bit flushed. So Latin didn't come as naturally as the ancient Greek did to him, it didn't mean she had to jump down his throat about it. "Sorry about, that, but what is the reason?"
If the messenger had been offended, he gave no sign of it. "The Praetor did not say, but please hurry, she sounded most urgent." The two godlings looked toward one another before they nodded to the other man, and he led them to the Forum.
*Scene Shift*
It had only taken Percy and Annabeth a short while to reach the plaza, where they saw the Praetor of the Twelfth awaiting them in the middle of the Forum, surrounded by the ten centurions of each of the five Cohorts. One of the centurions, a well-built twenty-something man with curly black hair lit up at the sight of the two Greek godlings.
"Percy, it's been too long!" the slightly older man said to son of the sea god. He grinned as he sipped on a cup of red liquid. Percy offered out his hand, but the centurion pulled him into a bear hug.
"It's good to see you haven't changed too much, Centurion," Annabeth greeted lightly as she bit back a chuckle. "Although, why have all the Roman brass come out today?" Dakota let Percy go from his death-grip and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, before snapping his fingers.
"Oh yeah! Praetor Zhang is finally returning from his meeting with that Son of Plu—er Hades out in the Midwest. They've been discussing the idea of a third encampment in the Heartland to serve as a neutral territory and a future meeting place for our two camps. Talk about synergy!"
Percy was about to say more on the topic, but Reyna had taken notice of their presence and walked down to greet them.
"Hail son of Poseidon and daughter of Athena," Reyna greeted formally, as she joined the trio. "Centurion return to your place before Praetor Zhang returns," she commanded Dakota, who got the hint. He waved goodbye to the two Greeks and returned into line.
"So it's finally happening?" Percy asked the daughter of Bellona. Ever since the Greeks and Romans had first united in the fight against Gaia three years ago, it had been his dream to see the two worlds he had come to love brought together as allies. He knew they could never be one, but the more friends the better.
"It seems that way, Percy Jackson," Reyna commented thoughtfully. She turned to Annabeth fully and also nodded her head. "And Annabeth, your efforts were appreciated, but it is unbecoming of my praetorship and not even to get started on the rules involving fraternization, to associate with one of the probatio." Annabeth smirked mischievously.
"Even if he was super cute and a son of Mars Ultor?" Annabeth replied. She winked at Percy, but the conversation was lost on him. Reyna didn't seem to notice.
"Even if he was cute," Reyna replied to the other woman, before she flushed slightly. "That is to say – you know what Aphrodite had told me in Charleston. It would never work out with a demigod anyway. Regardless that is not the reason I have called you. As Dakota said, Frank Zhang will be returning soon and I assumed you both would like to greet him."
As if on cue a giant Chinese dragon twirled its way through the hills and hovered above the Little Tiber. It descended into the Forum before transforming back into a much more human appearance.
"If it isn't my great-times-one-thouhsand-nephew," Percy welcomed his shapeshifting kin. Frank, the giant of a young man now, grinned as he saw Annabeth and Percy. He saluted to the Centurions and his fellow Praetor quickly. "How did the talks with Nico, go?"
"Better than expected, he's really warmed up to me. I mean as much as a son of Hades can be warm. Speaking of warm, have you guys heard from Valdez, yet, or is he still off island-hopping with his goddess?" Annabeth smiled slightly at the mention of Leo and Calypso.
"He is still A.W.O.L. since his last appearance at Christmas," Percy replied, looking a bit glum. He was happy that Leo had managed to find happiness with Calypso, but he still had never forgiven himself for not checking up on the stranded goddess.
"If you don't mind, Praetor Zhang," Reyna began, "we have a debriefing to get to with the Senate. There will be time for friends during the feast." Frank nodded dutifully before bidding farewell to the couple. The two Praetors and the Centurions left the Forum.
*Scene Shift*
A few hours went by until the entire Twelfth had gathered for the nightly meal. Naturally, Percy and Annabeth were guests and were seated with Reyna, Frank and Hazel at the head-table. The teens chatted idly as the hall was filled with the dull roar of small-talk among the five cohorts.
More moments ticked by before Frank got up and called for silence. Percy and the rest looked on in silence, waiting for him to speak.
"Fellow Romans, as you know I have been away meeting with representatives from Camp Half-Blood in the Midwest. For now, a mutual agreement has been reached for a test Camp that will combine the best of what both Greek and Roman have to offer. This is the beginning of a new era of alliances and prosperity for both Rome and her ally!"
The Twelfth erupted into cheer at the news as Frank sat down and continued to dig into his food. Annabeth shared a smile with Percy.
'Maybe this new camp could be our new home; after all it will need a designer.' Percy thought to himself with a small grin. He knew Annabeth would follow him anywhere once their college experiences were complete. He thumbed his pocket again before taking her hand in his. 'A new era of prosperity' sounded pretty good to Percy in that moment. So what is most heroes were fated a tragic end, it didn't mean they all did.
His father had once told him that the sea did not like to be restrained. Percy knew this to be true now more than ever before. He wouldn't be bound by anything or anyone, especially something like Fate. And in that moment he knew it would all work out.
KRACKA-THOOM
A burst of radiant blue light exploded in the center of the dining hall. Energy arced all around the room and bathed it in a light-blue glow. Standing in the middle of the hall were two figures. Percy froze at the sight of both of them.
"Son, it seems we must once again call upon you," one of the figures said.
"Nephew," the other's voice boomed as all the legionnaires fell to their knees in a bow. "We have much to discuss. There is a problem in the East that threatens all of Olympus. Come."
It wasn't a request, but a thundering command. Percy rose from his seat obediently and Annabeth stood with him. The King of the Gods made no qualms with the presence of the blonde godling as they both entered into the light and vanished with the gods.
*Scene Shift*
Rachel Elizabeth Dare was sitting with Chiron, the centaur activities director of Camp Half-Blood, playing a game of pinochle on the porch of the Big House. Things had been pretty quiet around the camp recently. School had started back up and only a few year-rounders still inhabited the cabins.
Abruptly, the young Oracle dropped her cards as green mist swirled around her. Chiron looked up in worry at the girl, but then clenched his jaw as he realized what was occurring. Rachel's eyes opened and glowed white as she began to speak in a voice that was her own and not her own all at once.
Travel towards the Rising Sun
To seek out he that the crossroads shun
Forging iron on a hill of swords
Paving the way for new accords
To embrace both the East and the West
By the daughter of War he must be blest.
So what do you think of my latest delving into the world of Fanfic? Also a small update for my followers, Fated Death is on the front-burner and will be out by my birthday, so..wait shouldn't you be getting me something? But that means end of April at the latest. Let me know what you think of this and message me your interpretations of the prophecy? It's probably easy to guess the plot of this, but who knows? Later days!
~PI