I'm so glad everyone liked the last chapter at the reveal, I love all of you so much, though I know many of you saw it coming. And I did consider drawing it out longer, making Percy think Nico was dead for a lot longer and possibly having him have shadow travelled himself to the Labyrinth where he hit his head and got amnesia which would have caused a lotta angst but I couldn't do that to ya- there's more angst to come after all. And yeah, no one dies in this one- though there will be deaths before the end of the Last Olympian. Anyways I hope you enjoy this chapter.
There was a long moment of silence after the goddess left, and then Nico was straightening up, "Right, I'll take Zoe and Bianca first since they're injured, after that it'll be Leo and mom and then I'll come back for you does that sound okay?"
"Of course." Luke nodded, "Mom?"
"Yeah." Sally nodded, one hand still resting on Leo's shoulder, "Percy-honey-"
"I know mom."
"Be careful okay? Your father will protect you I'm sure but-"
"I know mom." Percy gave a tight smile, "We'll be home before you know it."
"You'd better be." Sally turned to look at Dr Chase, "You must be Annabeth's dad right? I'm Sally Jackson, Percy's mother-"
"Ah, yes the woman who's been looking after Annabeth-thank you." the smile he gave was genuine.
"It's a pleasure-really it is your daughters a wonderful girl. I'm sorry we had to meet like this- I'd like you to know that the offer for you to come and visit us still stands-"
"I may just take you up on it- would that be okay Annabeth."
"Of course." Annabeth nodded quickly, "I love you dad-"
"I know-" he was cut off by the woosh of large wings and Percy lifted her head to look up at the sky, letting out a bright laugh.
"Blackjack!" Three pegasi descended through the fog: two white winged horses and one familiar black one who landed directly in front of her.
"Boss Lady! You didn't get killed without me."
"It was a pretty close thing." Percy smiled as she laid a hand on the pegasus' nose, "You're our rides to Olympus yeah?"
"Yeah, I brought Guido and Porkpie with me."
"How ya doin?" The other two pegasi asked, and Percy laughed.
"Better now that you guys are here-"
"Is she okay?" the stage whisper came from Leo, and Percy let herself laugh.
"My dad's Poseidon, he made horses so I can talk to them Flameo."
"Oooh, I like that." Leo grinned, "I'm the great Flameo!"
"Do you want us to stampede the weird kid?"
"No!" Percy gave Blackjack a look, "Behave. Now we need to get to Olympus pretty fast, you guys up for that?"
"There's only three of us boss-"
"Only Annabeth, Thalia and I are going." Percy reassured him, "Relax-"
"Why's the mortal lookin' at us like that?"
That came from Guido, and Percy looked over at Annabeth's dad, who was staring open mouthed at the pegasi.
"Fascinating," he said. "Such manoeuvrability! How does the wingspan compensate for the weight of the horse's body, I wonder?"
Blackjack cocked his head. "Whaaaat?"
"Why, if the British had had these pegasi in the cavalry charges on the Crimea," Dr. Chase said, "the charge of the light brigade—"
"Dad!" Annabeth interrupted, fighting a smile.
Dr. Chase blinked. He looked at his daughter and managed a smile. "I'm sorry, my dear, I know you must go."
He gave her one last awkward, well-meaning hug. As she turned to climb aboard the pegasus Guido, Dr. Chase called, "Annabeth. I know… I know San Francisco is a dangerous place for you. But please remember, you always have a home with us. We will keep you safe. But I understand if you choose to stay with your friends- they seem like good people."
"Thank you dad." Annabeth was on Guido's back, and Percy pulled herself onto Blackjack, as Thalia hesitantly climbed onto Porkpie.
"Nico." Percy gave him a serious look, "Be careful okay?" her voice shook very slightly, "I can't-"
"I'm okay Percy, I promise." Nico gave her a serious look, "We can talk when you come to camp. I promise."
"Good." Percy let out a breath, "I'll see you back home." then she patted Blackjacks neck and they were taking of, Guido and Porkpie following her lead, Guido on her right with Annabeth and Porkpie on her left as they soared over the bay and flew towards the easter hills- and soon enough Francisco was only a glittering crescent behind them, with an occasional flicker of lightning in the north.
Percy kept an eye on Thalia, who was clinging to Porkpie tightly, but to give her credit she was handling herself well-pale and exhausted looking but she managed to meet Percy's eye and give a tight smile to signal she was okay, though it wasn't long before she was shifting and laying forward, her head resting on Porkpie's neck as she fell
asleep-which showed just how exhausted she was.
Once Thalia was asleep Annabeth spoke.
"Percy... if you don't wanna talk we don't have to I just- what happened? Alabaster was trying to pull you up and then he was slipping off the edge. I was so scared, none of us could get to you in time."
Percy stared straight ahead for a long time as they flew before she managed to find the words to respond. "I did it." she could feel Annabeth's eyes on her. "It brought back all those memories of that day in the Underworld. I begged him Annabeth, I begged him to pull me up and he just stared down at me. And... if he'd pulled me up-if I'd let him save me it would have just been worse-he'd never stop Annabeth. And I... I was tired. I... I missed Nico and I was tired."
"Percy-" Annabeth's voice was soft, horrified not at the fact that Percy had essentially dragged Alabaster off the cliff though. "You-you could have died. You didn't know Luke and Nico were there."
"I know-"
"Percy-" and Percy turned her head to look at Annabeth-she could see the other girls eyes shining with unshed tears "I can't lose you. Please Percy... please-"
"I don't want to die Annabeth." Percy's voice was soft, "I just... I would have rather died than let him save me in that moment."
"Promise me."
"I swear Wise girl, I'm not about to go and do anything stupid-" she paused, "Well, not that kind of stupid anyway."
"Good." Annabeth shifted slightly, "Do-do you think he's dead?"
"I don't know. I don't see how he could have survived."
"I hope he is. I know that sounds bad but... the world's better off without him."
"It is." Percy closed her eyes, a soft smile on her lips. "I feel safer already is that crazy?"
"No, no it's not. I feel safer too." and with that they lapsed into a comfortable silence for the bulk of the journey, and soon enough, up ahead Percy could see it, a huge white-and-yellow glow spread out before them—the lights of New York.
"How's that for speedy, loss?" Blackjack bragged. We get extra hay for breakfast or what?
"You're the best Blackjack." Percy smiled gratefully, "Seriously dude, the best."
"There it is." Thalia's voice startled Percy; she'd woken up. She was pointing toward Manhattan, which was quickly zooming into view. "It's started."
Percy followed her gaze, eyes going wide. High above the Empire State Building, Olympus was its own island of light, a floating mountain ablaze with torches and braziers, white marble palaces gleaming in the early morning air.
"The winter solstice," Thalia said. "The Council of the Gods."
"Am I the only one suddenly incredibly nervous?" Percy glanced between Thalia and Annabeth, and Thalia snorted.
"Nope, definitely not."
"We did just save Lady Artemis." Annabeth pointed out, "She won't want us to be blasted."
"I really hope you're right." Percy muttered, and then they were flying again, circling over midtown Manhattan, making one complete orbit around Mount Olympus.
Percy would have definitely preferred to take the elevator like they had last time- she didn't mind flying if she was on Blackjack, but flying straight up to the palace while thunder and lightning swirled around it was that much more terrifying.
Together the three girls flew through Olympus-Thalia looking around in awe- which made Percy realize that the older girl hadn't seen it before- Annabeth had more than once on trips and when they'd came to return Zeus' bolt.
Though Percy had to admit she had been pretty injured and unsteady before-which was probably why it seemed even more beautiful now that she was actually able to take it all in.
In the early-morning darkness, torches and fires made the mountainside palaces glow twenty different colors, from blood red to indigo. Apparently no one ever slept on Olympus. The twisting streets were full of demigods and nature spirits and minor godlings bustling about, riding chariots or sedan chairs carried by Cyclopes. Winter didn't seem to exist on Olympus. Percy caught the scent of the gardens in full bloom, jasmine and roses and even sweeter things she couldn't name. Music drifted up from many windows, the soft sounds of lyres and reed pipes.
And of course, towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods.
The pegasi landed in the outer courtyard in front of huge silver gates-and as the three girls dismounted, before they could even try and figure out how to knock the gates swung open by themselves.
Percy swallowed hard, and she felt two hands grabbing hers and she blinked, glancing between Annabeth and Thalia.
"We can do this. Together." Thalia's voice was firm, and Percy nodded.
"Together." Annabeth agreed, "We'll be fine-I mean sure some of them don't like us but we have some of the council on our side."
"At least it's not your first time meeting your father." Thalia muttered with a grimace.
"I mean-my first time actually meeting meeting him wasn't that much better." Percy pointed out, "It was on the Summer solstice, I had literally just come back from meeting Hades and kicking Lord Ares' butt and we came straight here-I pretty much just, my legs just gave out-"
"It was terrifying." Annabeth whispered, shaking her head. "And Lord Poseidon-he was so quick, he caught her before she even hit the ground."
Thalia hissed, "Yeah I can see how that would be bad."
"And Lord Zeus didn't like the fact that I addressed my dad first-"
"I doubt my dad likes anything you do." Thalia's lips twitched slightly, "I'm pretty sure that in his eyes you can probably do no good."
"Well that's true." Percy focused on the three pegasi. "Well guys, thank you for dropping us off here."
"Not a problem boss." Blackjack almost grinned, "Good luck, and hey, if they vaporize you can I use your cabin as a stable-"
"Oi!" Percy poked the pegasus, her eyes narrowed, "Be nice-"
"Yeah yeah." if he could grin then he would be, Percy was sure of that much.
"What did he say?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow-she might not be able to understand the pegasus but she knew he could be somewhat cheeky at times.
"He asked for my cabin to be his new stable if I get vaporized."
"Hah." Thalia laughed, "At least he has a sense of humor."
"We'll see you guys back at camp." Percy told the pegasi, "But you should be going now."
"See ya boss!" Blackjack turned to Guido and Porkpie, "You heard the boss!" and with that all three of them were turning and taking off, soaring out of the courtyard.
"Time to face our fate then." Percy focused on Annabeth and Thalia.
"And hey, at least we'll be going out in style if they do vaporize us."
"Thalia! You're as bad as Percy." Annabeth sounded like she didn't know if she should be laughing or crying at the situation-because there was a chance at least some of them would be vaporized. Both Percy and Thalia were threats to the Gods given the prophecy-though Percy was pretty sure Thalia was more of a threat Zeus probably wouldn't want to kill her though.
He'd definitely want to kill Percy.
Percy took a deep breath as they grabbed each others hands again and stared up at the palace for a long moment before Percy spoke.
"Lord Zeus is not gonna be happy at the proof that Kronos is rising, you know that right?"
"Yeah, I gathered. But at least he'll have to accept it now-"
"It would be a bad idea for me to say 'We told you so, right-"
"Percy if you even think about saying that I will strangle you." Annabeth's lips twitched, and together they headed through the gates, following the same path as Percy and Annabeth had taken with Grover a year earlier.
And soon enough they were stepping through the huge door into the throne room-and it looked much the same as it had last time Percy had been there-except it was filled this time, and there was a thirteenth throne- Percy almost felt relieved at the sight of Hades- he at least didn't want to smite her- though she noticed Thalia tense, her grip on Percy's hand tightening as their uncle turned his head towards them and gave Percy a small nod of acknowledgement, a ghost of a smile flicking across his lips before disappearing.
Then Percy's gaze moved across the rest of the thrones, her breath catching slightly at the sight of all thirteen of the strongest gods gathered, each seat was occupied, all of the gods were fifteen foot tall at least, and they were all turning to stare at the newly arrived trio.