HELLO ALL! Thank you all for being so patient and supportive! Also, thank you so much for 706 reviews! I really appreciate you all and thank you all for your love of this story! Anyways, I hope you enjoy chapter 36. We are nearing the end and it has been a wild ride with all of you! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series.

All I can claim is this plot line lol.

What had once symbolized Rome's opulence and superiority was blown back off its hinges by the force of the barricade exploding.

The formerly grand city gates of Rome, with its numerous golden eagles both sitting guard atop the gate and swooping down across its bars, had been ripped away from its bonds and had toppled inward toward the city. The left gate had fallen back onto the first house behind it and cleaved off the outer right quarter of the building, exposing its insides to battle in the streets below. The right gate had mimicked its counterpart in landing on the house behind it, but this building was managing to support the weight of the gate for the time being. But the stone structure was beginning to shake under the dense mass of the gate and it would only be a matter of time before the entire building crumbled.

The barricade itself had blown in all directions, impaling both soldiers on the ground and atop the wall. Shrapnel zipped through the air and Piper's lungs heaved as she sprinted away from the blast, watching as Roman soldiers to the left and right of her dropped their weapons and ran for their lives. Out of the corner of her left eye, she saw a particularly big splinter shoot itself right through the chest of a Roman, blood exploding from his sternum as the wood skewered him. She could see the swishing red capes of Spartan soldiers ahead of her and of the debris. She spotted a few unlucky (perhaps lucky though, for they were still alive) soldiers from both sides, who had sustained survivable wounds from small pieces of wood, impaled in their arms or legs.

From her right ear, Piper heard a whistling sort of sound approaching her and before she could do more than acknowledge its presence, a heavy Roman gladius, flying in a diagonal line, embedded itself into the center of the Grecian shield that Piper carried over her head. The sheer force of the blade's momentum ripped the leather arm straps away from Piper's grasp, burning her skin with friction, as the sword carried the circular shield another foot to her left. She had no time to pick up the shield and so she ran onward, gladly accepting the sting of the leather's burn on her forearm rather than a Roman sword in her skull.

As Piper ran further, she could see where a group of people, only a small minority of them being Roman, had begun to slow their running. Piper took this opportunity to look over her shoulder and could see the smoking mess of what remained of the barricade. The number of dead bodies that littered the battlefield, both Roman and Greek, both slain by sword and by shrapnel, was so staggering Piper couldn't believe she hadn't tripped over a dead soldier in her haste to outrun the explosion. Piper stilled her running as she came upon the mass group of people who'd done the same; all of them, silently looking out onto the field of loss and carnage. Admittedly, there were far more Roman purple capes lying dead than Spartan red, Athenian silver, or Aegaean gold. But still, as Piper looked out over this field, all she saw was a waste—a waste of time, a waste of energy, a waste of life—and all she wanted was for it to end. But as she witnessed some Romans who had made it out of the explosion raise their weapons as other Romans lowered theirs and surrendered, she knew there could only ever be true peace once Jupiter was gone.

The few swords that clashed quickly faded away from Piper's ears, though she wasn't sure if it was because the few remaining rebels had been vanquished or if she'd simply willed it away. A gentle breeze ran through a few loose hairs that had fallen into Piper's face and the sky was as blue as she had ever seen it; apparently the day itself had not yet learned of the travesty that it beheld. Piper remembered the time when she'd stood at the outskirts of the Roman city and seen its gates for the first time; how innocent she had been back then. And for a moment, Piper closed her eyes and wished she could go back to those moments before she'd lost everything.

She wished she could wake up in her father's house, with her only concern being if he'd burned their breakfast because he'd become too distracted playing his citole. She wished she could watch her father sing in that dingy old tavern, as the townspeople danced to his music. She wished she could walk to the stone that marked her mother's grave, even though she knew that, back then, her feet would've been sore afterwards (though nowadays, she made much longer journeys and her feet were too calloused to be bothered by it). She wished she could go back to a time when the only "weapon" she'd ever held was a sheep-shearing knife.

But at the same time, she knew that she wouldn't trade any of it away. It was true that she'd lost almost everything she'd ever had—her father, her home, and maybe a decent chunk of her humanity—but she'd also found everything she had now. She had friends who would fight with her and die with her, but also live and laugh with her, and she'd gladly do the same for all of them. She'd gained a purpose past being stuck in her small village; she fought for the freedom of those who couldn't fight for it themselves. And she'd found a pair of the kindest blue eyes and blonde hair so soft that it rivaled the texture of his lips; a man, who was brave enough to lose everything along with her, so that they could make something that was so much better.

So Piper took a breath and tightened her grip on Katropis' handle, staring down the now open gateway to Rome. Jupiter was inside those walls. She would make him pay for taking everything from her and then she would build anew with everything she'd found for herself. She would create a world without Colosseums and village raids; a world that did not kill noble kings or steal fathers from daughters. But in order to do that, she first had to get to Jupiter and make him surrender, one way or another.

The sun had not yet reached its midday point, so Piper held fast to the promise that the war would be finished by sunset.

Jupiter heard the explosion and did not flinch.

Even though his palace resided in the center of the city, the great building still shuddered slightly as if it feared what was to come. Jupiter scratched his beard and silently cursed his forefathers for not having the forethought to invent such a powerful tool as Greek fire. But still, Jupiter was not afraid. Rome was the mightiest city the world had ever seen and Jupiter was the mightiest leader the city had ever had, and Jupiter doubted that this petty squabble with the Greeks would change any of that. Or at least, that is what he told himself as he watched his servants nail the final protective boards into place, completing covering his windows.

With the last bit of sunlight sealed away, the only light that remained was that which came from the numerous candles set about the room. As his servants scurried from the room like terrified mice fleeing from a feral cat, Jupiter was left alone with the dim light and the sound of war off in the distance. All throughout his throne room were the memories of Rome, with paintings that told the stories of the great emperors of the past decorating the ceilings and walls. There on the front-left corner of the ceiling stood Trajanus, the powerful military leader who had won Rome many of its lands, a purple cloak draped proudly over his right shoulder. And on the rear-right corner of the ceiling, sat upon a rock overlooking the sea, was Marcus Aurelius, the most intelligent emperor in Rome's vast history and the savior of its law and economy.

But on the left wall, sat astride his horse and surrounded by his army and adoring people, was Jupiter's least favorite: Augustus, conqueror of Egypt, Dalmatia, and Julius Caesar. He had always viewed Augustus as the usurper, though it had been Brutus who had held the knife; a man who had seen the opportunity for power and had taken it. This reminded him of his own son; a man of weak patience and will, who would sooner let a rightful ruler be assassinated to grab his power than to work diligently for his own. Some hailed Augustus to be the greatest ruler in Roman history, a man adored by his people for his generosity and improvements of infrastructure; a man who claimed he had found Rome as clay and shaped it into marble.

But Jupiter knew better than this. He knew the true dubious nature of people, especially of those as simple-minded as the common folk. Being well-liked meant nothing in the long run, for even one good intention with undesirable results would cause even the most loyal supporters to morph into spiteful enemies. The only way to maintain one's power was to stand above all others and look down upon them, until they feared the might and strength of the giant who ruled them. This was the only reliable method to ensuring stability in one's empire; all had to fear what would happen if they tried to rise from their knees. Jupiter only wished that Jason had better grasped this concept; such a disappoint, that was.

Less of a disappoint was the young woman who entered the throne room from it's right side door. Jupiter looked at the raven-haired woman, with the purple cape of a city that was not her own fastened to her shoulders. Her hair had grown slightly longer, barely brushing past her shoulders now. She had taken the longer strands from the front and tied them into a tiny knot atop her head, so they would not impair her vision as she fought. Jupiter knew that this girl would stay by his side until they'd won this war (or at least until she'd killed her goddess of a mother), unlike that traitorous King Hephaestus, who somehow expected his people to lovingly welcome him back to the city he'd betrayed.

"Reyna," Jupiter greeted, coolly. "How are the preparations coming?"

"Excellent, my emperor." Reyna bowed to him. "Those Greeks won't make it past the city."

"Just as they did not make it past the city gates?"

Reyna dropped her head. "I apologize for my miscalculation, emperor, but please understand, I can promise you that the Grecian army will not be able to enter this palace."

"Very well." Jupiter replied, sternly. "And the garden window?"

"Uncovered as ordered, sir."

"Good." Jupiter nodded with satisfaction. "Jason wouldn't dare to come in through that window."

Reyna's brows furrowed for a second. "Then why leave it uncovered, sir?"

"Because he knows that I know he wouldn't dare. And when he has no other options, he'll do it, and you, my dear," Jupiter turned his gaze upon her, "you'll be waiting for him when he does."

Reyna's head cocked to the right in what Jupiter discerned to be either confusion or annoyance. "But, my emperor, I'm needed outside, I must command my men."

"And I must command you, Reyna." Jupiter narrowed his eyes at her. "You will do as I ask."

Reyna's lips twitched into a contemptuous sneer for a brief second, before she conceded. "Yes, my emperor."

She bent at the waist into a steep bow and exited through the door from which she came, the polished spear on her back catching the blurry reflections of the hanging lanterns as she passed. Jupiter took a deep breath once she was gone, knowing that it was very likely he would have to face his son that night and that he could not show him any mercy. Jason was a traitor and pulling his sword upon the Emperor of Rome would only solidify that status. If Jupiter saw his son tonight, he would have to kill him, and Jupiter surprisingly felt at ease with this revelation. It was Jason who had made the choice to betray his city and it would be Jupiter, who would make him pay. This time, the mighty Caesar would not fall to the naive Augustus.

This is the way things would have to be, for Jupiter knew that from the simple marble Augustus had claimed to leave behind, he alone had carved Rome into the glorious statue it was now. It had been Jupiter, who had painstakingly chipped away at the rough stone to reveal the fine details of a regal face and strong hands. It had been Jupiter who worked day and night to shape the sword at Rome's left hip and the victory laurels that sat upon its head. It had been Jupiter who had tirelessly dedicated his blood, sweat, and tears to form the very pedestal upon which Rome stood. It was Jupiter who had brought Rome into the modern age; Jupiter who had served as Rome's valiant protector for decades; Jupiter who had spent his life molding the entirety of Rome from a block of marble to the strong statue of a warrior that it was now.

And he'd be damned if he let Jason cut its head off.

Once the Grecians had reorganized their ranks and taken care of any Roman stragglers, they raised their weapons and made their way toward the now open gateway.

The new sense of purpose and feeling as though they had the upper hand gave the Grecian forces a renewed bout of energy. They shouted out battle cries as they made their way to the Roman city, ready to finish this war once and for all. Piper looked up at the wall and could see some Roman archers lying limp against the edges, blood dripping from their wounds, while a few others, who had been far enough away from the blast to avoid major injury began stumbling about, searching for usable arrows. Piper smiled, looking upon the wall she had passed through so long ago when she'd come to free her father and her village from their Roman kidnappers. She had failed then, but she would not fail now, and as she felt the warmth of the rising sun upon her, she imagined her father's warm hands on her shoulders and knew that he'd be proud of her.

To Piper's left, she saw Annabeth and Percy sat astride a different horse than the one that Annabeth had started the battle with. Percy sat behind her and though it may have been improper for a queen, both of his hands rested at her hips, as he whispered something into her ear. Annabeth stared straight ahead and only nodded at his words, and for a split second, Piper saw the corner of Annabeth's lips flick upward at something Percy said. Because Piper was distracted from looking at her friends, she didn't noticed Jason come up beside her until he'd slipped his hand into hers. Piper's breath caught and she jumped slightly in surprise. She turned her head to see Jason's sheepish grin.

"Sorry." He muttered with a small chuckle. "I didn't mean to scare you.

Piper shook her head and squeezed his hand. "It's okay. I'm glad you're alright."

Jason nodded. "I'm glad you're alright too."

Jason looked ahead of them, to the city that he'd once called home.

"It's a bit strange to be back here." He said. "Especially as an invader."

"It'll be all over soon." Piper reassured him. "All that's left is to find Jupiter and..." Piper bit her lip, searching for the right words,"...give him a good scolding."

Jason snorted at that. "Right." He paused. "A good scolding..."

"Jason," Piper began, "you know that he can't stay in power and you know that he won't willingly give it up."

Jason nodded. "Yes, Piper, I do know that. If you think that I'm worried about possibly having to kill my father, I'm not."

Piper's eyebrows scrunched. "Then what's wrong?"

Jason looked down. "I'm worried about what's going to happen after we win; when I become emperor. I'm worried that my people won't follow me. I'm worried that they'll see me as a traitorous prince, who abandoned them and then attacked them. I'm worried that Rome will be so weak when all of this is over that it will just crumble. I'm worried that—" he took a breath, biting his lip, "I'm worried that I will be just like my father. I want to be a benevolent and fair emperor, but I'm terrified of making the same mistakes that he did."

Piper stopped walking, forcing Jason to stop too. She gripped his hand as though she was afraid he'd slip away and when he wouldn't meet her eyes, she gently lifted her free hand and pushed his chin until his pupils were in line with hers.

"Jason." She said softly. "You are nothing like your father. You are far more caring and compassionate than he could ever dream of being. You are fighting for a better future for your people. Jupiter would never do such a thing. You said it yourself, you want to be benevolent and fair; all Jupiter has ever wanted to be is feared. I know you, Jason. I know your heart. You will be so much better than him. I can feel it."

Jason smiled down at her, bringing up his other hand to graze against her cheek. "Thank you, Piper. You always know what to say to me. With you by my side, I know we can lead Rome into a new era of happiness and peace."

Piper's heart jumped slightly at his choice of words and for the first time in a long time, she thought of the future. She had been so focused on fighting a war, she hadn't even stopped to consider what she might do once it had ended. When she first chased after her father, all she wanted to do was to bring him and her people home. Since then, the only thing she had ever imagined about the future was that she would finally be at peace. She had been so scared of truly planning what she'd do after the war, only to have it taken it away from her, so she'd pushed it all to the deepest crevices of her mind. But now, with the war so close to ending, she allowed those thoughts to come forward.

When all of this was over, what would she actually do? She could imagine herself and her friends, laughing around a dining table as they ate without fear of a surprise attack. Though she treasured Katropis, she would gladly leave the blade sheathed at her side for years to come. She thought about returning to her village and helping rebuild what had been destroyed. Being with Jason was the easiest thing for Piper to imagine, but imagining the two of them living in Jupiter's palace was next to impossible. She knew she loved Jason, but could she really lead an empire with him?

Jason chuckled, breaking her trail of thought.

"What?" Piper asked.

"You're doing that thing with your eyebrows."

"What thing?"

"That thing where you scrunch your eyebrows when you are unsure of something."

Piper shook her head, trying to cover her tracks. "I am not—"

"I know you just as much as you know me, Piper." Jason smiled at her. "I know you have not planned anything past tomorrow, and that's okay. You don't need to be sure of anything right now; we can figure it out together later."

Piper returned his smile. "Thank you, Jason."

Jason bent his head down to capture her mouth with his in a quick kiss. "I love you," he murmured against her lips.

"I love you too." Piper rested her forehead on his. "One more day."

"One more day." He whispered back.

Jason squeezed her hand before pulling away from her, and they both trudged on towards the gateway, ready to end the war.

The streets of Rome were a scene of chaos.

There were Roman citizens running about, screaming at the mere sight of Grecian swords and cloaks. A fearful mother, carrying a baby in her arms while holding the hand of her child, darted up the street, fleeing from the approaching invaders. She looked back over her shoulder, a wild terror striking through her eyes as she bent down to pick up her older child so that she could run away faster. Her fellow Romans followed her lead, running towards the center of the city, towards Jupiter's palace, to beg their emperor to protect them.

One Roman soldier, cleverly disguised as a elderly man, hid beneath a cloak until a Grecian soldier neared. The Roman drew back his cloak and stabbed the Grecian through his gut with a knife, before he was quickly overcome by other Greeks, who made quick work of him and carried off their wounded comrade. There were a few lingering Roman soldiers who did their best to fight off the advancing Greeks, but they were simply overwhelmed by their larger numbers. The only remaining threat in the streets of Rome came from above.

Piper watched as a Grecian soldier not too far ahead of her and Jason took an arrow to the ear. The soldier's hand immediately went up to his wounded ear as he stumbled in a dazed confusion. Piper sprinted forward, catching the young soldier just before his knees gave way beneath him. Jason followed behind her and knelt beside her, examining the wound. The arrow had caught the soldier at an angle. It had not embedded itself into his ear, but merely sliced off the top half of it. The laceration was bleeding profusely, staining the shoulder of the man's tunic red. The downward trajectory of the arrow could be seen in the wound and the small scratch it had left along skin behind his ear. Piper looked up at the rooftops of the buildings, searching until she found was she was looking for: an archer.

"ARCHERS!" Piper shouted as loud as she could.

Grecian soldiers around her began to repeat her warning, before several looked up and began to break away from the Grecian ranks, bursting into houses to take care of the archers that sat atop them. Piper spotted Thalia in the mass of people aim an arrow upward at a building, striking a Roman archer before he could finish notching an arrow. Piper imagined that, if she was as brilliant as Leo made her out to be, the former princess of Sparta had come with this strategy. It was a smart one yes, but one that reeked of desperation—one last feeble attempt to diminish Grecian numbers before they made it to the palace. Piper looked back at the injured soldier before her, balled his silver cloak into her hand and pressed it to his wounded ear.

"Apply pressure." She spoke slowly and clearly. "Find a medic or you'll lose your ear. Do you understand?"

The soldier nodded before pushing himself up to his feet. He seemed a little shaky first, but if he could make it to a medic by himself, then he would have to do it. They didn't know what would be waiting for them when they arrived at the palace and therefore would need as many men as they could muster. The soldier fell back into Grecian lines to search for someone that could quickly stitch up his bleeding ear, as Piper and Jason turned their attention back towards the battle at hand. Following the lines of arrows being shot, Piper looked up to a building that still had an archer atop it.

She looked at Jason, who had clearly spotted the same archer. "I got this one. You go ahead. Stay safe and I'll catch up to you soon."

For a second, it seemed as though Jason wanted to protest, but he took a breath and nodded, before drawing his sword and running off to join the fight.

Piper drew Katropis from her holster and ran towards the building with the archer atop it. When she arrived at the door seconds later, she drew back her foot and push-kicked the door open, breaking the lock as she went. She burst into the building to find a mother with her arms securely wrapped around her two trembling children. The mother gasped at Piper's abrupt entrance and looked at her in the way a wounded gazelle would eye a lioness. Complete and total fear was painted across the woman's face as she pulled her two children closer to her, as if she were afraid Piper had come to kill them. A pang of guilt reverberated in Piper's chest, as she shook her head and quickly sheathed her dagger.

"No." She whispered to them, moving closer to show them her now empty hands. "It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you."

But as she moved away from the door, she heard shuffling behind her. Piper's back straightened and her eyes widened; she instinctively ducked her head and moved to the side, barely missing the large man who had attempted to grab her. The man tripped over Piper's foot and stumbled, catching himself against the back wall of the building. He quickly turned around to face Piper and by the protective look in his eyes, Piper knew that this man was the woman's husband and the children's father. Piper's first instinct was to draw her dagger, but she resisted it. These people were not soldiers; they were innocent civilians who merely wanted to protect the home that she had just entered.

"Relax." Piper spoke, calmly. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"No," the father spat, "you're here to kill the soldier on our roof. You're here to destroy our way of life. You're here to overtake our city!"

He charged her, an angry growl emanating from the back of his throat. Piper skillfully grabbed his right hand and twisted under his elbow, holding his arm in a painful position. She opened her mouth in an attempt to reason with him, but didn't get the chance as he used his massive size and strength to push her backwards, ramming her into the stone wall behind them. Piper immediately released him from her grasp at the shock of the impact. Both of them stumbled forward, but it was the man who recovered quicker and he took the opportunity to wrap his meaty arm around her neck. Piper barely got her right hand up in time, preventing him from locking her into a choke hold and cutting off her airway. Unfortunately for Piper, her right hand was her dagger hand and her left hand was busy clawing at the man's iron grip.

Piper struggled in the man's grasp, but quickly reminded herself that she needed to remain calm and think quickly if she was going to get out of this. Piper refocused and began repeatedly jabbing her left elbow into the man's ribs, as hard as she could, and with her right foot, she began stomping on his toes. The man grunted in pain, his grip loosening with every blow, until it was finally loose enough for Piper to slip away. She regained her composure and prepared herself to attack the man more seriously if she needed to. She needed to take care of him before she could deal with the archer, but she was still hesitant to hurt him.

"I am not your enemy." Piper insisted. "You may be blinded by Jupiter into believing that he cares for the Roman people, but if he truly cared for any of you, there would be no Colosseum. There would be no starving people in the streets. There would be no war. We are bringing freedom and peace, where Jupiter and his forefathers snuffed it out."

The man scoffed at her. "You are the one who is blind. The only war in Rome was brought here by you, Grecian. You think you have brought us liberation, but you have only given us pain and suffering. If you think a true Roman will silently follow a Grecian's rule—or even the rule of our traitorous former prince—then I'm afraid you are gravely mistaken."

Piper remember Jason's word and shook her head free of them and the notion this man presented. It was completely ludicrous to her; she knew that so many Romans would prefer a peaceful ruler like Jason to the tyranny of his father. She took a powerful step towards him, bending her knee deep, so she could jump up and ram her right elbow into the side of his head. The man stumbled to the side, allowing Piper the space she needed to land a hard kick to the back of his right knee. The man's joint crumpled inward as he fell to his knees. Piper reached for Katropis, swiftly drawing the blade and jamming the hilt into the side of the man's head, forcing him into unconsciousness. Piper sheathed her dagger back into its holster and turned to the woman, who had covered her children's eyes with her hands, but had watched the entire fight herself..

"Please." Piper's tone turned softer. "We truly mean no harm to innocent people. We're fighting for the freedom of everyone. Every Greek. Every Roman." The mother turned her head away from Piper. Piper sympathetically regarded the woman. "You will all see. Soon. I promise."

Piper then raced upstairs and made quick work of the Roman archer atop the roof. She knew it would have been much easier to simply sneak up on him and push him off the roof, but she turned back to her old ways. She knocked him out with the hilt of her blade, knowing the risks of him possibly waking up, rejoining the battle, and killing a Grecian soldier. She knew all this and yet she couldn't bring herself to do it. She even took more time to snap his remaining arrows in half, knowing that her friends could be preparing to bust down the palace doors at that very second. Piper sat for a moment on that roof and considered the man's words.

She thought of the children that Jupiter had placed on his front lines. How many of those innocent children had died at Grecian hands? Piper shook her head. No, that was Jupiter's fault. He was the one who had forced those children to fight. But she reconsidered again. Where there actually people who preferred a fearful life under Jupiter? She supposed that, for some, it might be favorable to war times. But she also supposed that perhaps life under Jupiter wasn't bad for everyone; just those who tried to fight for their freedom from fear. Piper shook her head again. No, any sane person would not be content with living in a city with a literal death arena. But still, as Piper rose to her feet and began to make her way down the stairs, it became plain to see that, as with the family she had just encountered, there were those who didn't want things to change, just as Jason had feared.

Piper made it to the ground level, where the woman and her children were still huddled in the corner, and the man was still lying unconscious on the floor. The woman noticed Piper's reappearance and averted her gaze once again. Piper could see the woman trembling, grasping desperately at the shoulders of her children, fearful of what terrors Piper might unleash on her. Piper let out a small, defeated breath as she made her way to the doorway.

She turned her head to regard the woman one last time. "I promise you: all of this will be over soon and then you will see. Everything will be so much better."

Piper was just about to step through the doorway when the woman's quiet voice hissed out from behind her. "I know that you are lying. How can everything be so much better when so many of our people have died at the hands of yours? You preach of peace and yet you invade my city and come into my home. My husband tried to protect us, but now he lies injured on the floor because of you, and I have no doubt that there is a dead man on my roof."

Piper didn't bother to correct her of that fact. There were many men dead by her hand; it didn't matter than they were lying in fields rather than on this woman's roof.

"You are no harbinger of peace, only of death. Soon," the mother nodded, fear never leaving her eyes, "you will see."

Piper briefly considered saying more to the woman, but she doubted it would do any good. Piper knew she had to hold onto her motivation. She remembered her village burning and her father dying as Jupiter's twisted entertainment. She had been turned into something she tried so hard not to be, and it was Jupiter that had forced her hand. The last semblance of her humanity screamed from within her; she must bring a life to these people that is better than the one they were living. She knew she, Jason, and all of their friends could do it. They would bring freedom and prosperity where there had previously been pain and anguish, even if there were a few people who couldn't see it at first. Piper knew she had to finish this war, so that no one else would have to suffer as she did.

Soon. Piper promised herself. Soon, they would see.

Hi everyone. I'm so sorry for not updating this fic for so long. I was studying abroad in the summer and then this past semester was just really rough on me. I hope you all are doing good and I hope you all have a wonderful winter break!

Also, I am trying to delve more into the psychological aspects of what's going on with Piper and everyone. I think its interesting to have a character who has gone through something traumatic and is therefore motivated to make sure that it never happens again. Bringing in the idea that not everyone would be happy if Jupiter was overthrown is something that was inspired by the American Revolution, and the British loyalists who wanted King George to stay on the throne. I think if I were to do a sequel to this story, it would really involve this idea and be heavily focused on Jason and Piper's struggle to maintain their leadership against those who preferred Jupiter.

And I think its interesting for Piper not to understand why anyone would prefer Jupiter to Jason, because all she's ever seen of Rome is the bad. Rome had the Colosseum, where she was tormented and where her father and close friend died. So for someone to tell Piper that they don't want any of the liberation she truly believes she's offering, it's going to be something that's almost impossible for her understand, let alone accept. I feel like I've tried to delve into Piper's emotional struggles and faults, like her struggle with having to go against a core value when she kills people in order to protect herself and those she loves. Piper had lost a lot and I want to explore that a bit more. So maybe I'll try to make it better when I edit this over the next twenty years.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed. As always, READ AND REVIEW! I really appreciate your reviews and all the support you give me (even though I'm really slow at updating this). If you guys have any particular interpretations for what Piper and the others might be going through, feel free to comment on it! I really enjoy reading what you guys have to say!

SEE YOU NEXT TIME (aka in a year ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) lol

YOU GUYS ARE SUCH AWESOME POSSUMS! :oD