Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus Series.
Story: Champion of Olympus: Child of the First One
AN: Sorry for the late update. I was away from home visiting the wilds of Alaska. I'm back now, so stay tuned for more updates. I will be focusing on this story until completion.
Chapter 21: A Choice
Third Person POV
Mount Olympus
Loki smiled at the lifeless body of the Champion of Olympus. He turned toward the group of gods and demigods that stood on the other side of the force shield he had erected. He saw the tears of the daughter of Athena and sad expressions on the faces of the gods. The daughter of Zeus cried into her brother's shoulder.
"Now to complete the ceremony," Loki exclaimed. He stalked toward Gaea and Rhea; the two immortals stared into the black and lifeless eyes of the Norse god. "We need one more goddess to complete this ceremony." Loki looked at Hera; she was unconscious near the base of the thrones. He walked over to the Queen of the gods and dragged her limp form over to Gaea and Rhea. He chained her to one of the thrones. He stepped back a few feet holding his scythe high above his head. He began to chant in the ancient language of the Norse gods. A white mist formed above the three immortals. The cloud descended upon them. Gaea was the first to scream as she felt her powers begin to drain away.
Zeus and Athena stared in shock at the sight before them. "Is there no way to stop him?" Zeus asked.
Athena looked up at her father. Zeus gasped. Athena's grey eyes were dark like rain clouds. Her face held no hope. "We can't get through this force field," she began. She looked around at the other gods. She saw Poseidon; he sat on the ground by the force field. Percy's death hit him hard; she knew that he blamed himself for anything bad that happened to the boy. She turned back to her father. "We can pray for salvation."
Zeus stared at his daughter; he was still in shock at her hopeless expression. "Pray to whom?" he asked.
The Void
The glowing white orb entered the void. The orb had travelled millions of light years in only a few moments. The ball of light bent space and time to its will. The void was pure darkness; no stars or any object of light was visible. The orb moved quickly through the void until a speck of blue light appeared in the distance. The orb moved toward the light like a moth to a flame. The blue light grew brighter and larger as the orb approached. Suddenly, the blue light exploded. Blue energy engulfed the white orb.
A few moments after the explosion the ghostly image of a dark haired boy dressed in a white robe stood in the middle of a cobalt blue lake. The boy floated above the water. He looked off into the distance; his eyes were pure white and glowed like a star. He saw a large building that was made out of a beautiful blue crystal. The building looked like it was made of angular pieces of glacial ice. The crystals were arranged in an organic pattern like a coral reef. The boy walked towards the building and stepped onto the base of the structure. The crystals glowed as the boy walked across the surface of the structure. He stepped into the building and looked up at the ceiling that towered above him. He walked deeper into the building until he saw a throne made of a black substance that was so dark that the light from the crystals moved away from it. A glowing cloud of debris like a comet settled over the throne. The cloud began to spin and the light within it brightened. The boy looked away from the throne. The light receded and the boy returned his gaze. On the throne sat a being made of energy. The creature glowed with the power of a star. The glowing being had no eyes or facial features, but the boy smiled at the creature.
"Chaos," the boy said the name like he was in a trance.
"Perseus," Chaos replied. His voice came from all around the room and not just from the creature on the throne.
"Where am I?" Percy looked around the room frantically; he looked like a child that woke up in a strange place.
"I'm afraid, you died."
Percy's ethereal form flickered for a moment as the reality of the situation struck home. "What about my home, my family and Annabeth?"
The darkness around Chaos grew thicker and heavier. "They are at the mercy of Loki."
"No, that can't be." Percy paced in front of the creator of the universe. "My vision was true; I failed them."
Chaos's body glowed brighter for a moment. Percy had to look away. "You didn't fail. You were only a mortal. You could've never beaten Loki, but there might be a way."
Percy's face lit up with hope. "I'll do anything."
"You have a choice. The last part of the prophecy is not complete. You can stay here in the void with a part of your family." Three lights appeared in the throne room; they moved toward Percy. They stopped just a few feet from him. The lights grew incredibly bright before they dissolved into the ghostly images of two men and a young woman. The oldest man had white hair and beard. He had a golden eye patch over his left eye and he held a golden spear. The other man was younger. He had long blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He wore silver armor and held a great hammer in his hand.
Odin, Thor," Percy said. The two men smiled at the boy in front of them.
"It's good to see you nephew," Thor said.
"My boy, you've made me proud," Odin exclaimed.
Percy looked down at the ground. "I've failed. How can you be proud of me?" he asked sadly.
Odin smiled at his grandson. He looked over at the young woman at his side. "I've always been proud of you, and so is your mother," Odin said.
Percy looked at the dark haired woman beside his grandfather. She had bright blue eyes and tanned skin. She was dressed in a white robe similar to his. "Mom," he said.
The woman smiled warmly at him. "Perseus," she exclaimed. "Yes, I'm Skjalff, but your father knew me as Sally."
Percy stepped forward and hugged his mother. The two beings of energy were able to touch, but their close proximity caused a halo of light to float above them. They pulled apart after a few moments.
"Do you want to know the other choice?" Chaos asked.
Percy turned away from his mother. "The other choice," Percy repeated.
"Yes, you can stay here with your mother or you can travel to Yggdrasil, the tree of life. There you can unleash the power necessary to stop Loki," Chaos said.
"What happens to me after I unleash this power?" Percy asked.
"You have great power within you. Much more than you can imagine, but you will have to use all of it to survive the journey to the tree and to unleash its power. I'm sorry, but even I cannot foresee your fate, if you choose that path," Chaos explained.
Percy looked at his mother sadly. "If I make the first choice, what will happen to my home and the rest of my family?" he asked.
"Earth will be destroyed like Asgard and your family and friends along with it," Chaos said.
"If I make the second choice, is there any guarantee that Loki would be destroyed? Percy questioned.
"No, Loki is very powerful, but if you succeed, there is a chance to defeat him," Chaos said.
Percy looked at his mother. She gave him a sad look, but he could see the understanding in her eyes. Percy turned and looked at the creator of the universe. "So, I can stay here and my friends and other family will die or I can go to the tree, unleash this power, and we might have a chance of defeating Loki," Percy said.
"Yes," Chaos agreed.
Percy could feel the eyes of his mother, uncle and grandfather on his back. He could sense the piercing gaze of Chaos. They awaited his answer. He could stay in the void with his mother or he could go on one last mission that might lead to the defeat of Loki. That mission would most likely end his existence. He would use all his power and nothing would be left of him, but could he leave Zeus, Athena, Hestia, Hera and most of all Annabeth, to their fate. Could he let them die? Could he just give up?
"I will go to the tree of life; I need to stop Loki," Percy announced. He gave his mother a sad expression, but he was surprised at the smile that crossed her lips.
"You've made me very proud. You are a true child of the Aesir. I love you my son," Sally said.
Percy smiled brightly at his mother. He thought she would be sad, but the Norse always surprised him. They were all about duty, honor and family, above all else. Sally knew he had to do this. He walked to his mother and hugged her one last time. They separated before Percy walked over to his uncle and grandfather.
Percy stood before Odin. "Grandfather, do I have your blessing?" Percy asked before he knelt on one knee before the Allfather.
Odin smiled at his grandson. The pride and love he held for the boy was clear. "You have my blessing, but you have my love, above all," Odin said as he pulled Percy to his feet and hugged him tightly. When they separated Percy's white eyes shined even brighter.
Thor moved toward his nephew. "You've made me proud. You're a great student my boy. You will always have my blessing," Thor said as he pulled him into a warm embrace.
Once all the farewells were completed, Percy stood before the creator of the universe. "My lord, I am ready for my last mission," Percy proclaimed.
Chaos's body glowed brightly before the darkness that surrounded his body moved toward Percy. Percy gave one last glance to his mother, uncle and grandfather. They waved goodbye before the darkness engulfed him. "Go with my blessing. I dub you the guardian of the universe and protector of life. Go forward and unleash the power of Yggdrasil; the power of life," Chaos said. Those were the last words Percy heard before he succumbed to the darkness. The energy within his body pulsed before he felt himself fly from the void toward a great shimmering light. He watched the white light increase in size. He could feel the energy drain from his body. He traveled at speeds beyond imagination. The light grew closer; the last thing he saw was the shape of a great tree with limbs that were so long that they connected themselves to the nine realms and beyond. This was the tree of life.
AN: A short chapter, but stay tuned I will continue this story until it's completed before I work on my other two stories. So please be patient and stay tuned.