01/01/2018

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: Ok, so the last chapter and this one certainly can't called my best. I'm sorry about that. I reall struggled with them. I hope everyone is still enjoying the story though and I'll try and make up for it. I just write what comes to mind, you know? That's what came to mind. I don't see the point in rewriting the quests except for bits that are different. Mostly they're pretty much the same except with Thalia and Luke instead of Percy and Annabeth. Enjoy and welcome to 2018! I hope it's a good one!

Thalia was quiet as she slipped out of her cabin and headed to the beach where she and Luke had agreed to meet. She faltered, though, at the sight of another man in a tracksuit greeting her closest friend.

"Ah Thalia!" The man said with a smile. "Come and join us won't you little sister?"

"Little -?" Thalia frowned for a minute before she recognized him from the disastrous day last year. "You're Hermes!"

"That's me," he agreed. "Lord Hermes, God of Trade, Travel, Merchants and Thievery, at your service."

"Why are you here Father?" Luke asked and Hermes sighed grimly.

"What do you two know of the events of since Athena and Ares' treachery was discovered?" He asked them and they exchanged bemused looks.

"Ares is in prison and they've both been stripped of their positions as members of the Olympian Council," Thalia said finally.

"Athena is still on the loose," Luke added. "And so is," he faltered. "Annabeth."

Hermes nodded. "Oh get on with it," the female snake, Thalia thought Luke had once said her name was Martha, hissed. Hermes scowled but nodded.

"It took Akantha nearly three months to be restored to her full strength after being injured," he started. "It's a testament to her willpower that she survived at all really. Even Titans have been known to fade from Phlegethon poison. Ares is imprisoned in a cell on Olympus, as we fear that Tartarus is no longer secure, what with the Titan king beginning to stir.

The trouble is domains aren't actually granted by Zeus, despite popular belief. A god is, for lack of another word, born, with their domains. And we gain strength from them. Meaning Athena and Ares are both still quite strong.

Our fear is that Athena has hidden motives behind poisoning the guard tree. Not only is the Camp made vulnerable to invasion but Akantha is once again fighting the same poison that she defeated last year. The healers fear she does not have the energy to survive it again, especially not so soon."

The two demigods gripped each others' hands in distress at the news as Hermes continued. "Akantha is the only one able to calm Zeus when he is in a rage. He trusts her above all. I don't know what he will do if she fades but it won't be pretty. And Poseidon will also be enraged by his daughter's loss. She is his favourite child and has been since before being made immortal.

And Olympus is already weakened by losing two Councilors. We needed to elevate Akantha to make up the numbers at the coming Solstice, no other goddess has enough power to become a Council member."

"So what do you want from us?" Thalia asked finally. "Clarisse is already off searching for the Fleece. What else can we do?"

Hermes looked seriously at them. "I want you to help her. She is strong yes, but her chances are slim without help."

The two didn't hesitate, giving sharp nods.


Hermes sighed as he reappeared on Olympus in a flash.

"Well?" Aphrodite asked. She had been waiting tensely in his rooms. A gold framed mirror stood beside her, showing an image of a young girl with Native American features, bent over a computer with a similar looking man. One of her daughters Hermes supposed.

He nodded to her. "They're headed to join the Ares girl now," he told her. "They'll meet her soon enough."

Aphrodite sighed. "Good." She turned back to the mirror with a tired expression. Hermes studied her. Aphrodite seemed to have lost her spark since Ares' treachery was discovered.

"How are you?" He asked softly. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

"Humiliated," she admitted. "Akantha warned me you know. She told me that Ares didn't deserve me, that I should be a better wife to Hephaestus instead of punishing him for Zeus forcing me into a marriage without my wants being considered. I should have listened. And I don't know if Hephaestus could ever consider reconciliation."

Hermes ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know what to say," he finally admitted. "But perhaps you should speak to Hephaestus."

Aphrodite swallowed. "I don't know if he would hear me out."

Hermes shrugged. "All you can do is try," he pointed out before switching subjects. "Who do you think should take Ares' seat? Dionysus or Hades?"

Aphrodite frowned in consideration. "Hades would be more appropriate," she mused. "He is the only child of the Crooked Lord without constant access to Olympus. But without Akantha to convince him, I don't think Zeus would agree to it. She's the only one who can reason with him when he's being paranoid."

Hermes nodded heavily. "And without her, there won't be any goddesses strong enough to finish off the Council. We will be too weak to defeat the Titans if it becomes a proper war."

They fell into a dark silence, contemplating the dark future ahead of them if the quest failed and Akantha faded.


Aphrodite hesitated at the entrance to her husband's forge. Usually she was full of self-confidence but faced with trying to reconcile with the husband she had treated so cruelly over the centuries, she had no clue what to say.

"Are you planning on coming in or are you just gonna stand there?" The god of forges' rough voice came from within.

"Of course," Aphrodite tried to sound calm. She strode inside, lifting her long pink dress off the floor.

"Aphrodite," he greeted, rising up from his bench. "What can I do for you?"

"Can a wife not come to visit her husband?"

"You've never done so before," Hephaestus patted out a small fire in his beard.

Akantha's voice whispered in her mind. "He deserves to know why you never gave him a chance."

"It wasn't your looks," Aphrodite blurted out. Her husband raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Or anything to do with you really. I was angry. Angry that everyone looked down on me despite the fact that I was the eldest of the gods. That Zeus thought he could just marry me off without my consent to someone I'd never met. That my children and I were looked down on and judged because of Athena's influence.

I couldn't take out my anger on Zeus, he is the king. I couldn't get revenge on Athena when she was his most favoured child. But you, I could take it out you. I wanted a target for my anger and you were the only one available. I chose Ares originally because he was what would hurt you most. Then we had our children and I genuinely started to love him. I'm the goddess of love, I couldn't help it. But, if you would agree to it, I want to try and have a proper marriage with you."

Hephaestus was silent for so long Aphrodite feared that he was going to refuse her. She opened her mouth to try and convince him again, but was cut off by him giving her a hesitant, but warm and gentle, kiss.


Thalia stared heartbrokenly at Annabeth. "I don't understand Annabeth," she said defeatedly. "I know that the gods aren't perfect but the Titans would be far worse. You're going to destroy the world if you keep on with this!"

"Well it's not like the world's ever done much for me!" The daughter of Athena retorted sharply. "Now don't make me ask again. Where is the Fleece?"

"What do you even want with it?" Luke demanded, He glanced at Thalia from the corner of his eye. Don't mention Clarisse, he told her silently. She gave a slight nod in reply. Hopefully Grover would be sensible enough not to mention that Clarisse had taken it ahead to Camp either.

Annabeth's face softened as she looked at him. "We can hurry Lord Kronos' restoration by putting it over the sarcophagus," she explained waving at the golden coffin. Thalia realized with a hint of distant incredulity that she had a crush on him. She wondered why she had never figured it out before. Then she abruptly realized someone was missing from the deck.

"Where's Athena?"

Annabeth's eyes narrowed. "Mother is taking advantage of Akantha's weakness," she said simply. Thalia felt dread rise inside her at the ominous words. Luke and Grover also looked worried. "Enough of this. Kill her and the satyr but leave Luke alive!"

The next few minutes were a messy blur of fighting, yelling and the timely arrival of Party Pony reinforcements.

Thanks to centaur speed, they arrived back in time to see Clarisse placing the Fleece over the lowest branch.


Akantha groaned as she opened her eyes.

"Akantha!" Apollo's relieved face was the first thing she saw and she smiled weakly at him.

"Well congratulations on once again surviving something no one else has," Hermes told her cheerfully as Artemis and Epione helped her sit up while Paean carefully checked her over. "Really are we certain you aren't really the goddess of impossible things?"

Akantha let out a weak laugh. "Fairly. What did I miss?"

The Olympians exchanged looks and Akantha noticed with a jolt of alarm that Zeus had a faint hint of guilt in his eyes.

"What is it?" She demanded worriedly. "What happened?"

"Never mind Daughter," Poseidon said soothingly. "We will tell you later. Focus on being fully recovered for the Solstice. It's in three days."

Akantha pursed her lips but knew from their faces that no now would say anything to her. She reluctantly inclined her head in acceptance. As she opened her mouth to ask if a decision had been made on whether Hades or Dionysus would receive the sixth male throne alongside her, the door burst open and Enyo rushed in, wearing a frantic expression.

"Ares has escaped!"