AN:

Here we are. The last chapter of the original series arc. Thank you all for enjoying my work; I'm glad I can bring you joy five thousand words at a time. Now, with thanks out of the way, I'd like to get right into it. Here's chapter 13 of "The Spartan"

Manhattan, August 2009 CE

Percy woke up to the sun shining down into his eyes. It was a cloudless day, the sun left unimpeded as its piercing rays scorched the eatrth. Patting the ground next to him, he found it wasn't ground at all, but rather open air. Suddenly alert, he scrabbled quickly away from the open gap in the bridge, the memories of his fight with Perses in the night flooding back to him.

"Damn, how long have a I been out." He groaned to himself. He was caught off guard by the sound of his own voice. It was raspy and weak, filled with dust and residue from the collapsed bridge. Taking in his surroundings, he found himself encompassed on all sides by debris. His back lay on burning hot asphalt, no doubt having been heated by the August sun.

He stood slowly, allowing his body to readjust to the land of the conscious. Looking around, he found a motorcycle discarded nearby. Hopping on top of it, he found the keys still in the ignition, no doubt left by the owner when he began to fall asleep. He felt kind of bad about commandeering the bike, but he had a schedule to keep, and he was kind of behind.

Riding through the streets of Manhattan, he noticed the civilians beginning to stir. That didn't bode well. Riding deeper into the city, he expanded his senses, hoping to find any sign of the campers. Drawing closer to the Empire State Building, he finally saw them.

In the distance he saw a giant iridescent wall, expanding like reaching arms towards the sky. It surrounded the Empire State Building, and in turn Olympus above it like a protective barrier. A pit in his stomach told him it was anything but.

At the base of the wall, he saw a mass of monsters laying siege to the few remaining campers and hunters. Behind the monsters was an army of undead, so large it could only have been summoned by Hades himself, leaving carnage in their wake. The skeletons caved through the ranks, led by a dark chariot carrying the god of the dead.

Percy revved his engine, picking up speed. He made it to the rear of the skeleton army in record time. Bringing the motorcycle to a standstill, he pulled up to the skeleton army, wading through it unimpeded. The undead soldiers payed him no mind, allowing him to shove through them like he wasn't there, their entire focus on slaying monsters. That was good. That meant Hades was helping the demigods.

Reaching the other side, Percy found himself face to face with the monster army. He drew Anaklusmos with great joy. He may have been late to the battle, but he was determined to make his presence felt. With a roar, he charged into battle, his sword a tool of destruction. The monsters stood no chance.

After only a few moments, the monsters had taken notice of the powerful warrior tearing through their ranks. They began to give him a wide birth, instead focusing on pushing towards the other demigods. Normally he would've pressed that advantage, but he needed to get to the remaining demigods so he could get an assessment of the situation.

Pushing through, he found himself reaching the demigod line. When he got there, his heart dropped. There were fewer than he had expected. Whether they were dead or injured, he wasn't sure, but either way he felt guilty. While he had been sleeping off a fight on a bridge, they had been getting slaughtered. It weighed heavy on his conscience.

As a few brave monsters still attempted to attack him, Percy allowed his body to go on autopilot, sword and shield working in tandem to defend him while he scanned the remaining faces for Zoë, Alex, Annabeth, or Thalia. He knew they were the demigod leaders, and he needed to get to one of them.

After a moment, he was able to spot Zoë. Her midnight hair twirling around as she fought drew his attention, and the twin hunting knives flailing around her body with dangerous precision confirmed his belief. However, there was a good deal of monsters between them.

Percy quickly swiped his sword violently towards the monster army, a wide slash that sent with it a wave of water drawn straight from the air, pushing all the monsters back; even vaporizing a few. With the moment of respite, Percy ran over to Zoë, placing himself by her side as the fight began to rage on again.

"Where've you been?" Zoë hollered over the sound of battle. She cut a hellhounds throat with one of her silver knives as she spoke.

"Oh, you know," he began, raising his shield to block a blow from a cyclops' club. "I got stuck in traffic." Percy quipped. He dropped low, sweeping the cyclops' feet before stabbing him as he fell.

Despite everything, Zoë smiled as she replied. "Well nice of you to show up."

"Wouldn't miss it. Where's Alex? Or Annabeth? Or Thalia?" he questioned. Although she couldn't see his face through the screaming mask, Zoë had a feeling a look of worry was gracing it.

"On Olympus. They went after Kronos, but he sealed the entrance off with this damn wall." Zoë explained quickly, dropping to the ground to avoid a strike from a demigod soldier.

"I got him!" Percy shouted, stabbing the demigod violently in the throat. "Can't get through it?" he asked.

"No. But once the monsters are dealt with, Hades might know a way."

"We don't have that kind of time." He shot back.

"Well sorry, I'll let Kronos know to wait for you to get through traffic next time." She joked.

He smiled at her, although she couldn't see it. "I may have a way to speed things up. I need you to protect me for a second though."

"I can do that."

Percy nodded, wasting no time. He quickly dropped to his knees, placing both hands in his lap. He closed his mind, doing something Chiron had taught him long ago. He ignored the sound of battle around him, instead focusing only on his one true goal. He expanded his senses, allowing himself to feel everything in the world. With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and began to channel his power.

Thunder boomed overhead, so loud it seemed to shake the world. For a moment, both armies stopped fighting, eyes to the sky. They had thought Zeus was coming to save the day, or perhaps Olympus itself was falling from the sky. Instead, all they saw were massive storm clouds coming together overhead. They were large, billowy, grey things, laden with water. It was almost as dark as night now, the clouds nearly completely blotting out the once bright sun.

Lightning began to strike random spots of the monster army, vaporizing entire squadrons instantly. The monsters began to panic, pushing against each other in fear, running every which way trying to escape the storm.

Rain began to pelt the ground, pounding down in sheets. It was like the ocean itself was leaking from the sky. Even the demigods were bracing themselves in fear now. The earth trembled, shaking everything to the ground, even the god of the dead himself. Raising their eyes, everyone on the battlefield could see only one man standing. The Ghost of Sparta.

Zoë wasn't sure when he had risen, but he was now standing, eyes to the sky, unbothered by the hurricane level storm. He had his arms spread outwards, as if he was looking to embrace the clouds. Zoë had never been more impressed, or more terrified, by a display of power before.

Everyone stared at the mortal with awe, as the storm grew more dangerous. Water materialized over the heads of Percy's allies, acting as a shield. Meanwhile, the monsters were not as lucky. As the rain fell from the sky, it formed together, hardening into very large and very lethal shards of ice, impaling the monsters where they lay.

The storm lasted for only a few minutes, but the image burned itself into the mind of everyone present. The only one not surprised was the god of the dead. He had lived long enough to witness the power of the Ghost of Sparta firsthand before. Still, he had to admit to himself secretly that it was one of the most impressive things he'd seen from any mortal, Percy included.

Percy lowered his arms, stumbling a bit as he did. Zoë quickly rose to catch him, steadying him by his arm. He accepted the help graciously, leaning against her as they walked towards the god of the dead. He slowly regained his balance, but continued to lean on Zoë anyways, enjoying the comfort of her arms on his.

"An impressive display, Perseus." The god of the dead said, his voice icy as always. His eyes though, showed he meant what he said. Percy nodded in response, taking the compliment in stride. He wasn't really in the mood for formalities.

"Thanks. But I'm kind of in a rush. Can you get us through that barrier?" he questioned, pointing to the giant wall that still blocked off Olympus.

"Yes. But barely. I used most of my energy to summon that army that you so kindly killed with your little water show. I can maybe send you through, but that's it. You'll be alone." His voice was grim.

"That's fine. Do it. I have a debt to keep." Percy said hurriedly. Hades nodded, reaching out to touch Percy's shoulder, only to find Zoë pulling him out of Hades reach.

"Percy." She said, her voice thick with emotion. She reached up tentatively, lifting his helmet off his head. She found herself looking into deep emerald eyes, the rest of the campers and Hades himself watching on in silence. She could hear his breath, their faces mere inches apart. She could see his eyelashes flutter as he looked at her.

He opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off. Quickly, listening to the beat of her heart and not the scream of protest in her mind, Zoë pressed her lips to his. Percy felt his brain short circuit for a moment, standing in shock for a moment before responding in kind. Her lips were soft and full, and seemed to fit perfectly with his.

She reached up and cupped his faced, and he grabbed her waist, the campers still watching on awkwardly. Neither of them could bring themselves to care; this had been a long time coming. Finally, Percy disengaged from her, his breath heavy, and his eyes full of love. He could still taste her on his lips as they separated.

"Don't you dare die up there." She murmured, tears in her eyes. He couldn't bring himself to respond, instead opting to nod his agreement. Sliding away from her, he felt her hold on to his hand. He relished the feeling of her hands, small and soft on his, before pulling away completely.

"Send me up." He said finally to Hades. He felt the god touch his shoulder, and he braced himself to be sent to Olympus. He wasn't sure what to expect when he got there, but he braced himself for the worst. Without another thought, his world disappeared in a flash of white.

Throne Room of Olympus, August 2009 CE

Percy wasn't sure what he expected when he appeared in the throne room, but what he found when he got there wasn't it. Thalia was nowhere to be seen, but he did see Annabeth and that satyr, Grover, both lying incapacitated on the ground. Standing in the middle was the son of Hermes, Luke, if he remembered correctly, host of Kronos, his body smoking. Alex was next to him, hand extended offering a dagger. Instantly, Percy noticed the eyes of the Hermes child were blue, not gold. He realized what was happening.

"STOP!" he called, his word ricocheting off the scorched walls of the throne room. Instantly all eyes whipped towards him.

"Not enough… Time…" the Hermes child groaned.

"This is my choice Percy. I give him the dagger and he ends it, or Kronos is unleashed." Alex said, moving to hand him the dagger again.

"Alex it doesn't have to be that way. There's a third option. He can live. Let. Kronos. Out." Percy begged.

"You're crazy!" Luke cried. "Alex, hurry!"

"Why? Percy. Just tell me why." Alex begged. Percy could see that he was conflicted. He wanted desperately a way to save Luke's life, so he was holding out hope there was some reason to go with Percy's plan. But Percy could also see he was scared and needed a little push to agree.

"Because, Alex. Thousands of years ago, I promised Hermes I would do anything and everything in my power to save that boy." He said, pointing towards Luke. "And as much as I despise what I may have to do, it is within my power to end this, here and now, while Luke may still live." Percy said, his voice low.

"And you're… You're sure? You're sure you can do it?" Alex asked hesitantly.

"Yes. Yes, I'm sure. But this is your choice, Alex. It's always been yours. It's been your destiny from the start to make a decision here and now. I trust you to make the right one. The question is, do you trust me?"

"I… I trust you…" Alex responded quietly, throwing the dagger away from Luke. It landed on the ground with a clang, clattering to a stop near the hearth.

"No! You've doomed everyone! You've-" Luke cried. Suddenly, he began to glow with a blinding light. He gave off immense heat, shining like the sun itself had arrived in the throne room. Without warning, the son of Hermes gave off a shockwave, sending everyone in the room flying.

When Percy looked up again, he saw that he was the only one still conscious. He was glad for that, because he knew this was going to be something he didn't want anyone to see. This was going to be a duel between two of the most dangerous beings the world had ever seen.

Standing, he looked towards the center of the room, his helmets masking his face. Lying on the floor was an unconscious child of Hermes, smoking gently. His chest moved in shallow breaths. Percy smiled, realizing he had kept his age-old promise to the messenger god. Now he had just one more problem to deal with.

That problem took the form of a mountain of a man in the center of the throne room, smiling sinisterly at the lone spartan. His eyes were pools of liquid gold, and his smile was disturbingly unsettling. His body was covered in hundreds of uniform scars, a permanent reminder of him being cut to thousands of pieces by Zeus eons ago.

Power rolled off him in waves, warping the air around him as if his power was so massive it was threatening to tear the very fabric reality. In his hands was the most feared weapon in the history of weapons. The scythe of Kronos.

"You have truly doomed Olympus. You truly think you can best me, mortal? Not even the Olympians can save you, weak as they are from Typhon. My power is absolute, and soon, so too will be your death." Kronos jeered. His voice was jarring, sounding like a knife scaping across rocks, yet it still held a regal tone. Percy shuddered at the noise but didn't let fear overcome him. A spartan never turned down a challenge.

"Yea, here's the thing about you immortal types Kronos," he spat the name. "You all think I'm just going to bow down and let you win because your blood is gold and my blood runs red. I don't fear defeat, and I don't fear you."

"You will. Believe me boy, you will."

"Yea, I'm real scared of a glorified cuckoo clock." Percy shot back. Kronos eyes slimmed in anger at the comment. Instead of retorting, he began to walk towards Percy, his blade dancing through the air.Percy made to move but found it to be like trying to force himself through molasses. He strained violently, fighting against the time control powers as Kronos approached him lazily, feigning a yawn as he did. Finally, Percy broke free of the control, quickly going on the offensive.

Percy noticed the way Kronos' eyes furrowed in frustration at his regular movement. If he had to guess, Kronos was still adjusting into his immortal form, and it was causing his powers to fluctuate. Percy would have to use this to advantage.

Percy quickly struck for the titan's leg, aiming to hinder him and even the playing field a bit. Kronos saw through it the whole way, blocking it easily with his scythe. Percy wasted no time grumbling about his failure, instead pushing on with another attack. Despite the titan's immense speed and strength, Percy started to gain ground.

Kronos felt himself start to sweat. This mortal was skilled. Beyond skilled. He was out of practice, having spent eons reforming, and this mortal was besting him. He was on the retreat, only able to defend against the flurry of strikes sent his way. He started to panic, desperately tugging on the strings of time, urging it to respond to his touch again.

Finally, it did, and he grinned crookedly as the spartan began to slow. With glee he began to push the offensive, his blade now beginning to leave cuts of his own on the Spartan demigod.

Percy felt his arms begin to slow and cursed. He began to hunker behind his shield, doing his best to play defense with his now severely outclassed speed. Even with all his skill, he still felt cuts litter his body. Each one exploded in excruciating pain, he felt the blade itching and scratching away at his soul.

Percy did his best to weather the onslaught, waiting for Kronos' power to fluctuate again. He pushed against the heavy weight of the slowed time with all his might, feeling it shatter again. Now, he was the one on the offensive, quickly driving Kronos back again.

"You know, for an all-powerful titan lord, you're kind of a punk bitch." Percy taunted. His voice was arrogant, but his breath was ragged. Fighting against the flow of time itself was exhausting even without the skilled lord of time against him.

"ENOUGH!" The titan lord bellowed. Perc felt his body slow to nearly motionless, the flow of time at a near standstill. Kronos quickly swept his scythe, unhindered by time unlike the world around him, knocking Anaklusmos and the shield of Leonidas from Percy's hands.

Kronos went to strike at Percy's neck, but his control on time slipped from his grasp again. Percy dodged quickly, thanking the fates for the timing. He could tell that Kronos was getting stronger though, and he was without his weapon and shield. He needed to end this, and fast.

"What's the matter Kronos? Having performance issues?" he goaded. Kronos roared at that, attacking Percy with ferocious speed. Even without time being slowed, Percy was hard pressed to dodge all the attacks. Finally, he saw an opening, ducked under a swing of the scythe, and tackled the lord of time.

Rolling along the marble floor, Percy and Kronos scrambled and brawled for control of the scythe. Punches and kicks were thrown, and somewhere along the way Percy's helmet was sent careening off to the side. After a long struggle, Percy found himself trapped underneath Kronos, his legendary scythe placed on his throat.

"You fought well. Despite your insolence, you've earned the right to speak final words." Kronos spoke, his breathe heavy. Percy turned his head to the side, spitting on the ground. He wasn't entirely sure if it was more blood or spit, but at this point it didn't really matter.

"Suck a fart out of my ass, you old bitch." Percy said, refusing to give the titan lord the satisfaction of hearing him beg for mercy.

Kronos' face went red, his golden eyes scrunching in hate. He pressed his scythe into Percy's throat, not enough to kill, but enough to draw out a violent scream of terror. The lord of time was relishing in the pain of the demigod with the insolent tongue.

Vaguely, through the pain, Percy thought about the line from the prophecy he had heard so long ago. 'The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap'. His soul was certainly feeling positively reaped right about now. With a groan, he did something he had sworn he would never do again. Regardless, he knew it had to be done if Olympus was to survive.

Kronos laughed gleefully at the screams emanating from the mortal, until suddenly, they stopped. His hand had stopped pressing the scythe into the throat of the spartan. He tried to push it back, but despite all his efforts, his hand wouldn't budge. His hand shook vigorously as he tried to take control back from whatever was guiding his limbs, but he couldn't fight it. Glancing to the mortal beneath him and seeing his look of concentration, he realized it was his doing.

Despite his will, Kronos felt his body rise, standing stock still, scythe in hand. He watched in terror as this mere mortal stood, a look of fury in his eyes. Slowly, he felt his hand raise his scythe, aiming the tip of the blade towards his heart. He fought against it, but his efforts meant nothing. He tried to stop time, but he couldn't control that either. He was trapped in his own body, a mere witness to the man using his body like a puppet.

"What is this? What are you doing to me?" he cried out.

"I'm controlling your ichor. You couldn't fight it if you wanted to." Percy said, his voice filled with hate. "I am honor bound to kill you in the name of Olympus, in the name of Atlantis, in the name of Sparta. And you know what, even if I wasn't, I'd still kill you. You threatened my friends. My family. You threatened the very earth I walk on. There is no escape Kronos."

Percy circled around the titan lord. Slowly, the scythe inched towards Kronos' chest. Percy slowly moved his mouth to Kronos ear, his voice a low and dangerous whisper.

"Now tell me, Kronos. Do you fear me?"

"I fear no man." Kronos shouted, still defiant even now.

Percy was in front of him now, his sea green eyes swirling dangerously like a hurricane. His eyes were glowing with power, and Kronos realized how dangerous this mortal truly was.

"You should." Percy said, his voice deep and angry.

Finally, Kronos felt true terror for the first time in his immortal life. Sure, he had lost to the gods before, but he hadn't been truly afraid. He had expected to win until he hadn't. Here now, his entire being enslaved, he felt like a bug underneath this mortal's feet. He felt defeated. He felt afraid.

Before he could respond, Percy willed the titan lord to press the scythe into his heart. Kronos let out a choked gasp, ichor gurgling out of his mouth. Cracks of glowing light began to spread across the titan's body, tracing the scars from where he had been dismembered eons ago. With one final shudder, the titan lord began to disintegrate piece by piece, grey ash blowing away in a nonexistent wind. Just like that, the lord of time was no more.

Throne Room of Olympus, August 2009 CE

Percy was silent through the arrival of the Olympians. Many tried to speak with him, but he simply couldn't bring himself to talk. He sat near the hearth, staring at his hands as people bustled around him.

Still he didn't speak as the Olympians repaired the throne room. Still he didn't speak as the demigods filed into the throne room. He felt Zoë take his hand at some point, but he didn't even speak to her. His eyes were glued to the ground, ignorant to the world around him.

He listened as the gods rewarded Thalia, Grover, and Annabeth. He listened, impressed as Alex Jackson turned down immortality. He felt his heart swell with pride when he heard the young demigods request. It was a noble one. But still, he did not speak.

He was distraught internally, although externally his face was blank. He hated himself, the monster that he had become. He knew that it was necessary. That he needed to do what he did to keep his promise to Hermes but still adhere to his duty. And for the first time ever, he regretted following his duty.

He regretted not just letting Luke end it. He regretted letting his sense of duty drive him to use his most violent ability. One he had sworn not to use. Even worse, he regretted that he enjoyed it. Regretted how much he had reveled in the feeling of power and just how unstoppable he had felt.

He knew it was his people in him. That spartan drive to be the ultimate warrior. To serve no matter what it took. No matter what it did to him. And that's what scared him. It made him sick. But it wasn't an illusion by any means. That endless desire. That need to do whatever it took. That was who he was. And for the first time, he was truly afraid.

"Perseus. Step forward." He heard. Finally, he looked up. He steadied his mind, rising to kneel in the center of the throne room. He felt the eyes of every demigod, every nature spirit, every god on him as he rose.

"For thousands of years, you have served as Olympus' greatest warrior. And even now, after all this time, you continue to prove that making you immortal all those years ago was the wisest decision this council has ever made." Zeus thundered. The gods around nodded in agreement. The demigod's mouths fell open at that. Never in their wildest dreams had they thought they'd see Zeus be so genuine in complimenting a demigod.

"We do not know how you managed to best Kronos in single combat. Frankly, I'm not sure we entirely care." Zeus continued.

Percy could see through that lie. He knew that Zeus knew about his ability. He knew that Zeus knew controlling his ichor was the only way Percy could defeat the titan lord. He knew that Zeus knew exposing Percy's ability, one of Olympus' most closely guarded secrets, to the demigod world could lead to mass terror. Percy sent a silent prayer of thanks to Zeus for his subtlety.

"What I do care about, is rewarding the greatest hero the world has ever known." Poseidon looked smug as Zeus said those words. Claiming Percy as his champion was easily the smartest thing he had ever done, and he felt he deserved to take pride in Percy's achievements.

"And so, I offer you one wish. Anything in our power. What do you desire?"

Percy thought for a moment. He hadn't really expected a reward. He had served Olympus for millennia and usually all he got was a pat on the back. He scrambled to think of anything. After an awkward silence he spoke for the first time since killing Kronos.

"I suppose I'll… I want you to give Hestia and Hades a throne. They're just as important as any of you. And I want you to add two more thrones, filled by minor gods. The minor gods can vote gods in to represent them for a period of time, that way they have a say too. You do that, along with Alex's wish, I envision a future for Olympus that is greater than anything we have ever seen. I have served the gods for thousands of years, and I love Olympus and what it stands for, but my service means I know what I'm talking about when I say the gods, all of you, can be better. I think these are the first steps. The beginning of a new era."

"It will be as you say Percy. As much as we gods hate to admit to our mistakes, you speak true." Zeus said, not even sounding too displeased. Percy supposed it was hard to be upset when you had just dodged having your rule ended and being thrown into Tartarus.

"NOW!" Zeus bellowed, eager to put the war behind them as quickly as possible. "Let the celebration begin!" A roar of approval came from the throats of every demigod, nature spirit, and god, as everyone charged outside to party.

Olympus, August 2009 CE

Percy sat on the edge of a fountain, watching the people around him dance and celebrate. He didn't much feel for dancing. Even in the best of moods, he was still someone who would rather sit on the side and people watch than dance, and Percy was far from the best of moods.

He had watched as Alex, Annabeth and Grover had left, yelling something about Rachel stealing a pegasus. He absentmindedly wondered what that was about. Suddenly, he felt a godly presence near him, and he looked up to see four familiar faces. Poseidon, Hermes, Ares, and Artemis had all come to talk to him, and if their glares at each other were anything to go by, their simultaneous arrivals hadn't been planned.

Ares stepped forward first, ignoring the eyes boring into his back. Percy smiled at the god of war. They didn't speak often, Ares was a man of action after all, but he was still fond of him. He was the patron of his home city after all.

"You've done your city proud, Percy." The god said in a gruff voice. "I will tell the Spartans in Elysium of your deeds. They will rest peacefully knowing you carry on their legacy."

"That would mean much, thank you." Percy said, gratitude in his voice. He meant it too. It was a great honor to be considered a hero by his fallen people. Ares nodded, before disappearing into the crowd.

Poseidon stepped forward next, eyes swelling with pride. Percy smiled back, bringing the god into a hug. "Have I ever told you how glad I am you accepted my offer all those years ago Percy?" the sea god questioned.

"You might've mentioned it." Percy mumbled into the gods shoulder. They broke their embrace, simply enjoying the moment for a while.

"Percy… I know what you had to do wasn't easy for you. Chaos knows I don't have the strength you do. But I want you to know, I'm proud of you. For the sacrifice you made to save us all. You aren't my son, but I always wished you were. What happened in that throne room? Didn't change that." And with that, the god disappeared in a cloud of sea spray.

Percy blamed the moisture in his eyes on that. He was still beating himself up for what he had done, but to hear those words from Poseidon meant a lot. The god had essentially been a father to him for two thousand years, and to hear Poseidon had felt the same meant everything.

The next god to approach him was Hermes. The messenger god had a smile on his face, and Percy felt his chest swell with pride. He had kept his promise, after all these years.

"How is he?" Percy asked.

"He's… Recovering. The separation damaged his mind. Apollo says he may never recover fully." Hermes said bitterly, his smile forgotten.

"I'm sorry I…" Hermes held up a hand to stop his talking.

"Stop. You gave him his life. That's more than I ever expected. I just wanted you to try, but you succeeded. You gave my son a second chance. Regardless of how he is affected, I'm forever in your debt, Percy. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything." And with that the messenger god was gone too, probably off to catch up on all the deliveries he missed while fighting Typhon.

Artemis approached last, her face an emotionless mask. Percy felt himself start to sweat a little. He and Artemis were normally on good terms, especially considering his gender, but he wasn't sure where they stood if she had heard about him and Zoë.

"Don't. Hurt. Her." Artemis said slowly. Her silver eyes flashed dangerously, and Percy gulped. He nodded slowly indicating his agreement. Almost like a flip was switched, Artemis' cold demeanor faded, replaced by a small smile. "I'm happy for you Percy. Both of you." She said softly, stalking off with the grace only the goddess of the hunt can achieve.

Percy watched her leave, silently thanking the gods that the gods were leaving him alone now. Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning with a sigh, he began to speak, eyes closed, pinching his nose in frustration.

"Look I'm not in the mood can we have our godly chat late- Oh… It's you." He said, finally opening his eyes to see Zoë Nightshade. The huntress who had been the object of his heart for years now.

"Just me?" she asked, a sly smile on her face. He wrapped his arms around her, looking down at her with a grin that threatened to split his face. She stared up at him, and his heart swelled at the love he saw in her beautiful eyes.

"Just you. It's always been just you." He murmured. His words were filled with emotion. He reached up to brush her hair behind her ear, dragging his hand back to brush her cheek. She had always been beautiful to him, but now, with no threat of death looming over them, with nothing but them together on Olympus, he had never been more enraptured.

Slowly, she extended upwards, planting a kiss on his lips. He found himself smiling into the kiss, a huge grin on his face. He had realized something finally. He had kept a promise he had made to a friend long ago, and he hoped that he was smiling at him from Elysium.

"What're you smiling about?" she questioned, though her face was also spread in a gorgeous smile.

Percy looked up to the stars that had comforted him for thousands of years and frowned. For the first time in his life, he had something he loved to look at more than the stars. Looking back into Zoë's eyes, he grinned again, planting a chaste kiss on her lips.

"I finally found my person."

Warning- Long AN Ahead:

Oh wow, that chapter was so much fun to write. So much epic stuff went down. Now I want to unpack a little. First things first, the next chapter may take a bit longer, I'm still deciding at what moment I want to start the "Heroes of Olympus" portion of the story. It's hard to pick where I want Percy to drop in, but once he's there I know where I want the story to go. Now, to address what I wrote this chapter.

First, holy shit was Percy a badass this chapter. We've been building to this awesome display for like 60k words now. Yea, he's a total badass. Now I know, the blood/ichor control is mad OP, but that's ok. The whole point of it is how OP it is. Percy's struggle through the entire story thus far has been putting his duty before everything else. But now, he's found love, and a higher purpose than serving his dead ancestors. This is leading to where we are now. Percy has to deal with the emotional baggage he's carrying from the use of his ability. He'll always do what's necessary, his duty still means almost everything to him, but he's going to struggle with himself over his power. This is for two reasons. One, it's a pretty human thing to regret using such an immoral power, even though it's cool as shit and that adds to his character, two, it prevents him from one-shotting everything via blood control.

Second, Percy and Zoë are finally together! I hope you guys like that it took longer, I wanted it to seem more gradual. I think the payoff is better when you have to wait, just like Percabeth in canon. It's also extra sweet because Percy finally fulfilled his promise to Cyrus to find his person/purpose. He can finally let his memory of Cyrus rest now. He also kept his promise to Hermes. See, I told you things from the beginning of the story would connect later on. I had a vision boys, this shit was mad planned out. I hope you like how his early life affects him so much, even two thousand plus years later.

Third, godly interactions! They were short, but important. I know we all want more Percy/Ares interaction, but in this story, I want the gods to be pretty representative of their domains, I guess. And the god of war wouldn't be a talker, he'd be a doer. Percy gets that. They have a mutual respect even though they're not chatty Cathy's together. Still, he's helping Percy connect with his ancestors, so that's huge. Hermes was thankful but had to go because he's the messenger god (mad busy yo). I hope you like how I handled the Luke thing. The whole splitting from Kronos deal messed him up, but he's alive, which is more than canon Luke ever got. Artemis displayed some protectiveness, which I thought was important to show. Zoë was her best friend for years after all. Finally, Poseidon. Oh, how I loved writing that part. It felt so good to see that no matter what, Poseidon always has Percy's back, and it meant so much to Percy. :)

Hopefully anything that was unclear was cleared up in this long ass authors note. Sorry about these btw. I'm sure they're annoying, but you can just skip them, because writing them makes me happy so I'm gonna keep doing it. Now, it's 4 am here in Michigan and my fingers are tired, so I'm about to sign off. I really hope you all enjoyed. Please let me know in the reviews, because this was supposed to be the most epic chapter yet in my opinion and I want to know if I did it justice. Until next time,

Peace