Chapter 20 - When Your Family Is A Godly One

~Hera's POV~

"Mom..."

I clutched my chest as a sudden pain struck it.

"Your Majesty?" Artemis asked. "Are you alright?"

"My daughter..." I gasped. "My daughter! She's in grave danger! I have to save her!" I lunged for the Doors of Death but Hades and Apollo stopped me. "Get out of my way! I have to save my daughter!"

"No!" Hades said sternly. "You must not. It's too dangerous."

"You are in no position to order me, Hades! Get out of my way!" I pushed through them but they grabbed me by both arms, restraining me. "Let me go! You will pay for this!" I screeched. "My daughter! Ariacalyssa!"

~Artemis' POV~

I watched silently as Uncle Hades and Apollo struggled to restrained Hera. I focused on the faint tremors reverberating across the landscape. Something is happening down in Tartarus. A battle, perhaps? Other than, I found something that surprised me. Fear. More specifically, it was Tartarus'.

What's happening down there, to the point of frightening the God of Evil?

I snapped back to reality as the atmosphere shifted suddenly.

"Please calm down, Your Majesty!" Apollo said as he struggled.

"No!" Hera insisted. "My daughter!"

I looked up and my eyes widened in surprise. The others must have noticed my gaze. They, too, looked up and stopped in their movements.

Up above, the night sky had parted, showing the Olympian landscape. Emerging from it, armed and riding their chariots, were the other Olympians. Leading them was my father, his Master Bolt crackling with anger filled his expression.

~Christine Galliardo's POV~

The last thing I remembered was an evil tendril of smoke slamming at us.

My consciousness came back very slowly. I blinked and found myself hundreds of feet above ground. My head throbbed and my ribs screamed in pain. Warm fluid seeped from my left arm. I must have injured it from the impact. I tasted something metallic in my mouth. My breathing turned desperate. The world spun until I came to face with a huge pitch black vortex. At that moment, I snapped back to reality. Tartarus! I squirmed, trying to break free, but he tightened his grip. I screamed in pain.

"DO NOT BOTHER, YOUNG GODDESS! THERE IS NO ESCAPE!"

From the corner of eye, I saw Alexios sprawled on the ground. One of his wings was buried under a huge pile of rocks. He roared. The desperate sound reverberating across the landscape. Our eyes met. Electric blue to electric blue.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" I screamed as Tartarus' hand tightened.

"YES, SUFFER! OUR CHASE US OVER, ARIACALYSSA. YOU, THE YOUNGEST OF ALL OLYMPIANS, SHALL BE THE FIRST TO PERISH!"

I tried to summon lightning or anything to no avail. Pain racked my body to the point of being numb. My voice grew hoarse. I saw my life flashed before my eyes.

The sixteen mortal years I spent happily and contentedly with the Fates. The warmth of Aunt Beryl's- my mother- hands as she held me and the motherly love she kept hidden behind the folds of a mortal disguise. My time in camp. My friends. My descent to the Underworld. My fall to Tartarus and the hardships I went through. The reason of my existence and the history behind my power. My successes and failures.

I reached out my hand to do anything just to escape. I could see the Doors of Death, an escape so close yet so far. From the corner of my eye, I saw the same Titan and Giant before. Iapetus and Damasen. Pain once again slammed like a wave. I felt my energy being taken away. As my consciousness faded away, my mouth muttered one word.

"Mom..."

~Apollo's POV~

I will never admit it. I didn't hide behind Uncle Hades when Father and the other Olympians landed down. Nor, did I whimper even subtly. No. No. I'm not scared. I'm a god. Why would I?

As soon as they landed, Father approached us. His face, a true demonstration of the word angry. Artemis glared at me like, Get your act together, you idiot! I truly have such a caring twin little sister, don't I?

Father looked at each of us. He's totally unimpressed by the sight of us. "All of you? Even this child of Hades?"

"Umm...what do you mean?" Nico asked, confused.

"No. He doesn't know." Hades said, coming into the defense of the demigod. "And speaking of, I just recently learned of it. Though the other details, I'm eager to hear it later."

"And you?" His face contorted into displeasure.

Atè smiled widely, ignoring Zeus' glare. "A TRUSTED acquaintance of the daughter of Hera." Intentionally, she emphasized the word trusted.

He glared at me. O Olympus! Why art thou harsh on me? He skipped Artemis, his expression softened briefly. No fair! Why can't he do that to me?

He turned to Hera. His words firm and his voice restrained. "Where is my daughter?"

"M-My lord! She...she's..."

"Where is she?"

"In...Tartarus..."

Finally having his answer, he turned to the ready Olympians. "Ready your weapons. We're heading to Tartarus."

"We will join you, brother." Hades said.

"...Very well. The others, wait here. But don't think you're off the hook. After this, I will have a talk to all of you. Especially you, Hera."

He rode back to his chariot and went ahead. I summoned mine and followed the others.

~Hermes' POV~

The place was worse than I knew. The landscape was completely thrashed like some giant stomping on them just because he got his candy stolen from him. Speaking of a giant, a fifty times bigger than usual Tartarus was standing by the ruins of the ruins of my ruined temple which drove me into anger. Really? The temple's already ruined and then, you will ruin it again? Have you lost your mind? Monsters began to rush toward the battlefield, apparently attracted to the smell of demigod blood. Even from far away, I could see the almost lifeless body of Christine Galliardo within the colossal grip of Tartarus. Not far, the most beautiful and magnificent dragon I've ever seen lay buried under a huge pile of rocks. I got a feeling I saw that one a long time ago.

Father began giving orders. "Demeter, Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, Artemis and Hephaestus, drive those filthy beasts away!"

"What?! But I want to kick Tartarus' ass!" Ares whined.

"Do it or I will be the one to kick yours!"

"Fineee."

"Hermes! Free Alexios!"

"Alexios? Who's that?" I asked.

"Ariacalyssa's dragon. That one." He pointed.

"It's her dragon?!" I asked in surprise. "Wait? When did she had a dragon?" I thought for a moment. "Oh...yeah. I remembered now. That's why. Wait...it has a name? Oh, well. I will go and rescue it."

"The others will go with me! We're going against Tartarus and save my daughter!"

We shouted our battle cries and then, separated to our assigned tasks.

In the monster-slaying team, Demeter began summoning thick vines and throwing various kinds of fruits while swinging her scythe at the not-so-vegitarian monsters. Aphrodite just glared at the empousa saying, That IS so not the latest fashion trend! Before zapping them into crisp. Ares was laughing like a maniac while trampling down monsters with his chariot and decapitating them. Apollo and Artemis were both shooting down monsters together. Lastly, Hephaestus was summoning fire and some of his awesome automatons.

Above, in the Tartarus's butt kicking team, Zeus was bombarding the protogenoi with lightning and wind, sending nuclear bombs on his face. Poseidon was splashing huge torrents of water and briefly, sending out earthquakes to throw off Tartarus' balance. Hades had summoned a huge skeletal army and helping Poseidon in throwing off Tartarus out of balance. Hera was blasting Tartarus with beams from her staff and had summoned some of her most ferocious beasts to attack the god. Athena was stabbing with her spear and had summoned some owls, her sacred bird, to distract the god to gain some opening to retrieve Christine. Lastly, Dionysus grew vines to tie down the god and slow his movements.

I briefly watched Tartarus struggled against the my fellow gods, blinding swiping and summoning tendrils of smoke before going to my task. I quickly flew, avoiding flying monsters, and descended down beside the dragon. It growled as I approached it, threatening to burn me.

"Whoa there!" I said. "I'm an ally. Don't fry me."

It growled, clawing on the ground. It glanced at Christine before returning back at me.

"You want to save her?" I asked. "Then, be a little cooperative and we'll get to that, pal."

It growled and glared at me one last time before settling down. I moved back and aimed my caduceus to the pile of rocks.

The dragon glared at me. His voice rang in my ears. If you make any small mistake, I will kill you.

A beam shot out and blasted the rocks to very small pieces. Immediately, the dragon soared up and grabbed Christine Galliardo as Tartarus lose hold of her. The dragon lose control and they crashed down. I hastily flew to their direction and inspected them. The dragon lay sprawled on the ground, one of its wings broken. Beneath the other was the demigod. She's badly injured and her left arm was bleeding. I could barely see and feel her breathing. No...she will no longer be if not treated immediately. I desperately motioned for the others.

Apollo rushed to us. His chariot turned into an ambulance big enough to carry the dragon. We quickly loaded the two as the others covered for us. Apollo began attending them as I took wheels.

Zeus shouted a command. "Olympians! Withdraw for now!"

With that, the Doors of Death disappeared. I could still hear Tartarus' roar as we all vanished in a flash of light back to Olympus.