Time seemed to stand still for the heroes. At the foot of the Giant King Porphyrion, lay two bound demigods. And not just any demigods.
Two of the Seven, Annabeth Chase and Leo Valdez. Everyone froze, watching with horror as Porphyrion slashed a deep cut into both of the demigods hands, letting their blood hit the base of Mount Olympus.
"With this sacrifice of blood, I awaken the Earth Mother!" he roared as he gleefully watched as the ground seemed to absorb the blood.
I watched in fear as the entire Earth shook as Gaea, the goddess of the Earth finally awoke. I couldn't move. We had failed and the end of the world was probably at hand. Part of me wanted to run to Annabeth and Leo and free them while everyone was distracted. The other half of me was rooted to the ground in terror. I had not even been this afraid when we faced Tartarus, but the overwhelming sense of guilt overcame me.
We had failed.
I tried to move but couldn't. I looked down and saw that I actually couldn't move because the Earth held me in place. I struggled to break free, but the Earth would not relinquish it's hold on me.
The Gods, Greeks and Romans alike, watched in silence as the Earth split open, revealing a chasm that must have gone all the way to Tartarus. A lone figure rose from the gorge and opened her eyes.
I caught my breath. Gaea was beautiful, she was not made of dirt as everyone assumed but rather had flawless skin the color of coffee, her long straight hair was the color of obsidian. She had high cheek bones and a regal expression.
But that didn't change how evil she was.
Her eyes were green, but nothing like mine. Where as mine were sea green, hers was the green of an untamed forest. A bright green, the color that catches your eyes and hypnotizes you. The eyes of a true daughter of Chaos.
It finally sunk in what we were fighting. I've fought Gods and Titans, but Gaea was on a whole other level. I tried to remember what Gaea was. She wasn't just a god, she was a more powerful, she was one of the oldest goddesses.
She was a Protogenoi.
A Primordial.
Suddenly, our chances for winning seemed very low. But we couldn't give up. We had to win.
I turned to my friends.
My family.
"We need to rescue them, Piper and Hazel, can you do that?" I ask them. They nod grimly back at me. I continued, "Jason and Frank, protect them," they both nod but Frank looks at me questioningly.
"What are you going to do Percy?" he asked. "I got Gaea," I replied flatly,"No one touches my friends," My friends just look at me sadly, resigned to the fact that they could not change my mind.
I turned to the gods and demigods. Both were battered and exhausted. Too many were injured. Too many were missing.
Too many were dead.
I raised my sword and spoke clearly.
"I once fought in a great battle, very much like this one. We succeeded against impossible odds. And we will do so again."
"You are the greatest heroes of the ages. Your bravery is unmatched and strength is immeasurable. Today, we fight, not just for ourselves, but for the future. We fight for our loved ones, we fight for the future generations that will look up to us in respect. We fight for a life without tyranny, a life worth living. We fight, FOR OLYMPUS!"
The two armies, one Greek and the other Roman, roared consent as one. Today they might die fighting but they would die in honor. They would die for each other. Today they were not separated by the aspect of their parents, they were family.
They were one.
I took off running as the army charged behind me and started to engage the monsters. I saw my father fight Polybotes and Zeus blast lightning at Porphyrion. I glanced over to my friends and saw Frank, as a giant eagle, carry Hazel across the gorge. I also saw Jason carry Piper using his son of Jupiter powers. Smart. Don't travel by Earth. That was Gaea's domain and her's alone.
And I did the stupidest thing I ever done in my whole life.
Worse than fighting Ares, worse than bathing in the Styx or even fighting Kronos.
I charged Gaea.
A sneer adorned her face as she waited for me to approach. A sword appeared in her hand. A sword that looked hewn from the mountainside. Its jagged edges looked deadly as she swung it lazily back and forth. "So the lone demigod has come to defeat me," she mocked me. I shivered unintentionally. Her voice did not match her appearance, it was rough as if she hadn't used it for centuries. It reminded me of two rocks being ground against each other.
My stride faltered. I was injured and exhasted from fighting all day. Even if I was at full strength, how could I even hope to defeat Gaea?
My thoughts were interupted by a harsh laugh from Gaea. "Doubting yourself now, Perseus Jackson?" I cleared my head. Even if I died today, I would die protecting my family.
I met her strike with my own.
For a second, her smile faded, but returned ever so quickly.
"Look around Perseus, you can't possibly win. The Gods are tiring and my sons are still strong as ever. Look around at the demigods, how many of your brethren are dead or missing? Give up and you will have quick death,"
My vision turned red.
"One, my name is Percy. Two, stop threatening me with death, it's getting old. And three, never mention my family!" I yelled.
I shoved her back and tried for an upward slash. She blocked with her blade faster than I thought possible. "Don't you see? Everything you are fighting for will fall, it's not a matter if but a matter of when. Just give up now,"
"Never!" I snarled glaring.
We fought back and forth, parry, thrust, block. Every move I tried was blocked by her impenetrable defense. And every time she attacked me I could barely deflect the attack. Each hit felt like a battering ram.
I don't know how long we were fighting, but I could hardly move my sword. My moves were getting sluggish. I saw Frank and Hazel free Annabeth and Leo and they headed towards their parents to help fight the Giants.
Then, with horror, sick realization hit me.
Gaea was only toying with me.
She was not even showing me a sliver of her true power.
And that made me mad.
With a final effort, I shoved her back, surprising her. I took a few steps back. Gaea, sensing victory, offered me one last chance. "This is your last chance Jackson, give up now and you will suffer less," she smiled smugly, assuming I was giving up.
I did no such thing.
Grasping the last vestiges of my powers, I focused my most powerful ability. The hurricane.
As it's power was building up, I raised my sword and charged one last time. Gaea laughed as she lifted her sword to what she thought would be her final blow.
It didn't happen that way.
I feinted to the left.
And Gaea fell for it. Her eyes opened up in horror as I spun to the right and thrust my sword into her heart.
She laughed, "I am a Primordial, one strike cannot-"
She didn't get any farther as a hurricane erupted from within her.
She screamed as my most powerful attacked ripped her physical form apart, this hurricane was the strongest I had ever made and my already low energy drained dangerously lower.
She managed one last glare filled with utter loathing as she crumbled into golden dust.
The battlefield was silent as everyone watched with awe and respect at the single demigod who had taken down a goddess.
Then I blacked out.
I sat up gasping for air. I blinked furiously as I tried to take in my surroundings.
"Sit back little one," a soft voice spoke from my right. I looked to my right and saw a beautiful woman.
She had black straight hair that fell to her waist. Her skin was the color of cocoa and her eyes were a deep, dark blue, almost black in color. She wore a traditional Greek chiton and golden sandals that climbed up her ankle. She also looked surprisingly familiar.
"Who are you?" I managed to croak out. She smiled sadly at me, "I think you know Perseus,"
"It's Percy,"I replied automatically. But she did look familiar.
My eyes traveled down to her dress. It flickered and wavered but I managed to catch a glimpse of something very familiar.
It was an old teddy bear. A thrown away dream.
I knew who she was.
"Lady Styx," I said respectfully, bowing my head slightly.
"You recognize me," she noted.
"Where am I?"
She sighed, "You are in my domain, the first river if the Underworld, the Styx,"
To say I was confused would be an understatement. "If this is the Styx, why does look like this?"
A second later, I asked the more important question. "And if this is the Styx, why haven't I dissolved yet?"
She smiled warmly at me. "It appears like this-" she gestured around the room, "because I willed it too,"
Her expression suddenly darkened. "I will answer your second question shortly," I opened my mouth to argue but she just flicked her hand and my mouth shut with a snap.
"What exactly were you trying to do when you doused yourself in the rivers?" My mouth finally opened, "I have no idea what your talking about,"
She threw her hands up in exasperation, "Fine, I will remind you. You had an idea that using the five rivers will-"
I cut her off, "Will cause someone to fade rather than die, destroying their soul completely, leaving no chance for an afterlife,"
She looked at me carefully, her eyes flowing like that of a river. "And you wonder why it didn't work,"
It wasn't a question.
"When you immersed yourself in the water, you did dissolve," she said quietly, looking down. "Then how am I alive?" I asked, scared and curious about her response. What she said chilled me to the bone.
"You are immortal,"
I froze, my thoughts traveling at a million miles an hour. After what felt like forever, I managed to stutter out, "Wh-What?" My expression must have been priceless because she laughed, a soft laugh that echoed before falling silent. Her eyes glistened with mixed emotions, joy and was that sadness?
"Percy," she began, "When you bathed in the rivers, it dissolved your mortal soul, they were too powerful for you too handle, including that you gave up your demigod abilities which means you had even less power,"
"That doesn't explain why I'm here,"
She looked proudly at me, "You managed to do the impossible Percy Jackson," her voice full of respect.
"When your mortal soul was incinerated, your body absorbed the essence of each river, making you immortal. In your body lies the essence of each sacred river; Styx, Acheron, Phlegethon, Cocytus and Lethe. You have united my sisters once again and for that, we are forever grateful,"
"I still don't see what that makes me," I finally said.
After what felt like eternity, she finally responded, her voice impossibly soft.
"Percy, you are the heart of the rivers, the son of the rivers. You are my son," she said, holding her hands out.
My mind went blank. I could have a new family, a family that would love me.
What I did next surprised me and my new mother.
I lunged out of my bed and ran into her arms, embracing her as she whispered loving words in my ear as any mother would. "I always wanted a son," she whispered as sobs racked her body.
I made up my mind. Nothing would harm my new family. "I will love you forever, I swear it on Styx," I whispered back at her. I couldn't see her face as she hugged me but I knew she was smiling.
Eventually, she pulled away, tears staining her cheeks. I used my hand to brush them away. She smiled and in her eyes I saw something I had only seen in a few people.
Love, Pure love. She loved me and I loved her. And I would never leave her.
"Come, lets meet your other parents," she said while pulling out the door. When I finally exited the room, it shimmered before disappearing. For the first time, I saw the Styx while not dissolving.
It was beautiful.
The water was dark but pure. I could see through the river perfectly but I assumed that was because "I was one with the river". We walked along the riverbed as I could feel the emotions of the river. I tried to remember the power the Styx had. It was the greatest oath you could swear but it had domains as well. The Styx was the River of Hate as well as the River of Mortality and Invulnerability.
I was pulled out of my musing when we approached four beings. They had to be gods, they emitted power that just flowed out of them. But I didn't feel any urge to bow and grovel at their feet, they felt almost familar.
That thought was wiped from my mind as I was tackled.
I hit the ground with a grunt as I was enveloped with a hug by a women with bright red flowing hair. She kept crying and muttering, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I looked up to my mom with an expression that clearly said help me!
She just chuckled and said, "Don't look at me and why don't you say hello to your other mother,"
I froze again as the women on top of me pulled back just enough for me to see her face. She had bright red hair that formed curls, her pale skin accented her rose red lips.
But what captivated me were her eyes.
They moved and flowed like the Styx except her eyes were flames. Continuously moving, never halting in their actions. I knew who she was. Her eyes reminded me of a certain river in Tartarus.
"You're the Phlegethon," I guessed.
She squealed happily and hugged me tighter.
"Now now, little sis, don't kill our new son so quickly," a new voice called out.
Phlegethon let go of me as I turned to see the owner's of the voices. I already assumed they were my other parents.
The one on the left stepped forwards and I assumed it was the Lady Acheron. She wore greek armor with a red cape. Her brown hair was done up in a bun. She wore a stern expression, the one of a commander. Her eyes were a murky green but they shown with determination and pride.
She ran up giving me a hug and a kiss on my forehead. "Thank you Percy, for reuniting my sisters," I blushed at that.
I turned to the sister in the middle and was confused on who it was. She wore a dark blue chiton and radiated a sense of melancholy. Her obsidian black hair fell down her back. She was dark skinned, much like Lady Styx.
It only took one glance at her eyes to know who she was.
Lady Cocytus
Tears ran streams down her cheeks as she burst out sobbing.
Then I remembered. She was the Goddess of the River of Lamentations.
Oh
I rushed to her side and held her tightly. She clung to me and I looked over at my new parents. They were laughing holding their sides. This must have been common. I just rolled my eyes.
I finally pried her off me and she bounded over to her sisters like nothing happened.
I turned to the final sister. It was obvious who she was. The first clue?
She was not paying any attention.
"Hello? Sister?" Acheron tried but the last sister did not even look up. I sighed, walked up to her and hugged her. Her eyes focused and she looked at me warmly. "Hello mom," her smile grew even larger. "My name is Lethe," she said with a tone of finality. "Really? I didn't know," came a very sarcastic reply from Lady Styx. She wore a pure white dress that shimmered faintly. Her skin was the color of porcelain. Her eyes were gray but not that of a child of Athena. I had to turn away from her gaze, I was starting to become light headed.
I turned to face them. They were my family. A grin spread across my face.
Then, a thought crossed my mind. "If I'm immortal, does that mean I am a god?"
Acheron waved her hand and six seats appeared. "Sit, this will take awhile,"
"Let's start off with this first, do you know who we truly are?" I was confused by this but I still responded, "You are the goddesses of the rivers of the Underworld,"
She sighed and said, "That is only a half-truth. We are stronger than most gods, we are the children of Hydros, the Primordial god of water and Nyx, the Primordial goddess of night. What does that make us?"
Different choices ran through my head. Were they Titans? But I realized something. Primordials are stronger than gods or Titans combined. I had only won against Gaea because I surprised her.
They were Primordials.
"I see you have figured it out," Lethe noticed. "Bu-but how?" I asked stunned. "This is a little known fact, Primordials are personifications, are they not? But then aren't naiads and nymphs simply a spirit that inhabits a natural object?"
"That's what we are, we are the first river nymphs, we are personifications in our own right. And we are powerful."
"You are our son, which makes you even stronger than us," I wanted to speak but Styx's eyes flashed for a moment. "We will continue this conversation later, we have some guests,"
Styx waved her hand and we suddenly appeared on the banks of the Styx. And in front of us were three familiar beings.
"Lady Fates, why are you here?" I ask, bowing low.
"Perseus Jackson," I flinched at my full name, "You have broken an Ancient Law. The Rivers were never to meet, they were cursed to stay in their own domain,"
"That's not fair!" I protested but they continued regardless, "And you have defied the fates,"
That stopped my parents who were walking up to my side to protect me. "How did he do that," asked Phlegethon, uncharacteristically serious.
"The rivers are too powerful to be together, yet he managed to bring them together. He is the heart of the rivers."
"Yeah? So? How is that a bad thing," I asked them frustrated. I knew they were the all-powerful fates but why would they stop the five sisters from meeting?
"And you have returned someone from death, someone very close to you," they said together. I was confused by everything. I brought someone back to life?
The three sisters of fate moved to the side as I saw a prone figure on the ground behind them. I ran to her but froze. It was impossible, but the girl on the ground was an old friend. A friend that died in front of me.
Laying on the ground, very much alive, was Zoe Nightshade.
The long awaited chapter! First I want to thank all of my fans helping me reach 1000 reads(On wattpad). You guys rock!
Sorry for the cliff hangers but you know you love them.
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