Ξ Frank's P.O.V Ξ
I'd always known Percy was powerful and the fact that he was envious that I could turn into an elephant was laughable. What I was learning was how powerful Annabeth truly was. I'd always known she was powerful, I mean, I'd seen it, before they fell and even after they returned. But her strength of mind, I had under estimated that.
Even with having a strategy as a gift from Mars, I wasn't sure I'd be able to do what Annabeth had. Maybe I could learn more from her than just how to release finger traps, though I was really grateful that had come in handy for the both of us.
I decided I would ask her. I'd always felt able to ask Annabeth for help.
Chapter 27 – Annabeth
Nyx lashed her whip again…
…An army of shadows appeared…
"Oh gods" I whispered, Hazel squeezed my hand and nodded next to me.
…more dark-winged aria…
"Not those things again!" Thalia said, I turned to look at Annabeth she offered me a small smile when she noticed, and Percy's hold on her tightened. 'Not good' I thought to myself, hoping that they wouldn't have to fight them again.
…Geras, the goddess of old age…
"Oh so she was like serious about that?" Leo pitched in and it drew some laughter, especially when Piper clipped the back of his head. It settled the building tension a little.
…Eris, the goddess of strife…
…dozens of demons and minor gods, each one the spawn of Night…
"Gods, that's bad" I said before I could stop myself. I looked apologetically at Lady Vesta she smiled warmly at me, like she didn't mind. I was grateful for that.
Ξ Thalia's P.O.V Ξ
Couldn't they get a break? Like seriously, they've just faced down curses, poisons and misery and now there's an army of demons and minor gods. I was incredibly thankful for my life with the hunt, but I couldn't help but think if I hadn't taken the oath to join that maybe I could have eased some of their suffering, of course there was the very real possibility that we'd all be dead if I'd had been the child of the prophecy. I still felt immensely guilty for pushing the first prophecy onto Percy the way I had. But I did believe it had always been Percy who was meant to be that hero, not that that eased any of my guilt. Father's rant last night about Jason and I being less powerful had brought a lot of that guilt back to the surface.
'Thalia, we've spoken about this, you have nothing to feel guilty for, Percy doesn't blame you." Lady Artemis spoke in my mind.
'I know he doesn't, but perhaps he should. If it was my choice that lead to all this, he most definitely should.' I thought back.
'Percy had a lot of options that could have prevented him being the child of the first prophecy and even being involved in this second one. If he had wanted to take them, he would have. This isn't on you, but you should talk to him. It'll help.'
'Yes, My Lady' I responded before listening to the reading once more.
…Annabeth wanted to run…
…But if she ran, she would die…
…Percy's breathing turned shallow…
…I am a daughter of Athena, she thought. I control my own mind…
Athena looked like she couldn't have been prouder of Annabeth in that moment for all of two seconds before she heard Annabeth say, "Do I?"
"Yeah, you do." Percy answered her, and I noticed Annabeth's dad nod in agreement.
… "I guess we could get one picture for the scrapbook,"…
… "Y-yeah, you guys aren't photogenic."…
"Not Photogenic, Classic" Leo chimed.
I wasn't sure whether it was classic, but I knew Annabeth had a plan, and like she'd previously stated she was a daughter of Athena, which meant she always had a plan. And I knew Annabeth well enough to know when her plan was a genius plan.
… "How dare you not tremble before me!"…
… "My son Hypnos once put Zeus to sleep!"…
… "Hypnos hid in my palace…Zeus did not follow. Even the King… fears me!"
I laughed, I laughed harder than I had in all the time we had been here. I probably should have done what Jason did, which was to groan and look embarrassed, but after the berating he gave us last night about not being powerful enough, all I could do was laugh. My friends and I laughed until my father had had enough, and thunder boomed outside of the throne room. He didn't say anything when we finally stopped laughing. I suspected it was because I had been the one to start laughing first. That or the look Lady Hestia was giving him was enough to keep him quiet. Who knew the kindest goddess had such a kick as glare?
… "Well, it's getting late. We should probably get lunch."…
…"Then we can find the Doors of Death"…
… "They lie at the very heart of Tartarus. Mortals such as you could never reach them, except through… the mansion of Night!"…
Silence fell in the throne room. We all knew that they made it to the doors of death, heck, we all knew their quest had not been all sunshine and rainbows. But to have ventured into the mansion of Night, to find their way to the heart of Tartarus, a place not even the King of the gods would go. What had once been so humorous, now was not.
Ξ Poseidon's P.O.V Ξ
As amusing as it was that my younger brother wouldn't enter the house of Night, it made the fact that my son and his girlfriend had, all the more terrifying. They must have gone through it if it had been the only way they must have. That thought alone almost gave me a heart attack. I tried to regain control of the waters below and around the palace, the last thing I needed when I returned to Atlanta was for Amphitrite to berate me for my loss of control. Even if it was for a valid reason.
…Floating in the abyss,…
…was a doorway of black marble…
…Annabeth's heart pounded…
…That was the way forward – but it was so far down…
…If they missed, they would fall into Chaos…
Rationally I knew they didn't miss. They were sat in front of me with their friends and mortal parents but just the thought of them falling into Chaos. I wasn't sure what was worse, them having to travel through Tartarus or Chaos – if the latter was even possible.
"Gods" said Frank, he looked so pale as did the others that had been in Greece when we fought the Giants. I looked at Sally she seemed to be holding herself together well, all things considering, much better than I thought I was at any rate.
…Annabeth realised what needed to happen…
"When do you not?" Aphrodite's daughter, Piper, teased Annabeth who just rolled her eyes.
…it was a long shot…
"Not everything has been a long shot, sweetheart." Sally informed her with all the kindness and love she had to offer. Apparently, she was immensely fond of Athena's daughter, if I had had any question about Annabeth, which I didn't, that would have swayed my decision.
"Thank you Sally" Annabeth said with a small almost shy smile.
…In a way it calmed her down…
…This was familiar territory…
"Annabeth" Her father said with an edge of heartbreak, Annabeth offered him a small and shy smile in return as well.
… "one picture… one of you with your favourite child? Which on is that?"…
"Smart" Hades commented, and Athena looked affronted that he had to even say that out loud though for almost the first time that I can remember she held her tongue. I suspected it had a lot to do with Annabeth being her favourite child.
I would have said something, but Hestia was pinning me with such a pointed glare that I didn't dare.
Ξ Percy's P.O.V Ξ
"Hestia is totally staring Dad out right now" I whispered to Annabeth so only she could hear me.
"Well he shouldn't pick favourites so openly, and then maybe she wouldn't." She whispered back matching my volume.
"Excuse you, favourite child of Athena." I whispered back gently pinching her side in teasing.
She smiled at me knowingly but said nothing before cuddling into me once more. I smiled, glad to have broken the chain of whatever thought she was thinking about after her dad had called over to her.
…the goddess shifted uncomfortably…
… "All my children are terrifying!" …
"A good way of saying none of them are." Rachel noted.
"I don't think that's the point. Though she's dodging your question." Reyna said.
Nyx was dodging our question and I suspected a lot of parents would when asked who their favourite was. Whether that was because they didn't want to choose or because they had already chosen one, I didn't know. So I nodded in response to Reyna because that was the only answer I had.
… "Seriously? I've met the Fates… Thanatos. They weren't so scary"…
"Speak for yourself" Hazel muttered, I noticed Frank take her hand and squeeze it reassuringly. I offered her an apologetic smile I understood why she had a fear of the God of Death. I was sorry to remind her of it now.
… "You've got to have somebody…who's worse than that"…
… "The darkest, The most like you." …
"It is truly terrifying what happens when your brains work together." Thalia said to Annabeth who just gave a smug smile in return. I liked to think we made an unbeatable team when our brains synced up. I didn't voice that though. I just hoped that we'd continue to be that way.
... "I am the darkest," hissed Eris...
... "I am darker still!" Snarled Geras...
... "Yeah, yeah ... Show me dark!"...
"Annabeth" Thalia groaned, and I could see her losing faith in the plan the longer that it went on. But we were just getting to the best part, the part that made Annabeth's plan so genius!
... "Behold my darkness!"...
... "Wait!" Nyx called ... "I can't see anything."...
Annabeth tensed next to me and I pulled her closer to me. "It was almost like being blind again." She whispered. I pressed a kiss to her forehead to show her I'd heard her and that we were okay. Annabeth laced our fingers in response.
"An ocean metaphor Annabeth, you've been spending too much time with Percy!" Will teased. I pressed another kiss to Annabeth's forehead, and concentrated on how proud I was of her.
... "I did that!"...
"Wow, they're seriously going to fight over who caused the darkness aren't they?" Clarisse asked and Annabeth nodded.
"And here lies the genius of Annabeth's plan." Rachel teased but all our friends nodded in agreement.
... "Stop it!" Nyx yelled...
... "Eris is hitting me!" ...
... "I did not!" ...
"Gods, they sound like little kids." Piper said shaking her head.
...She squeezed Percy's hand "Ready?" ...
... "Poseidon's underpants, you can't be serious."...
"Percy" My father groaned, Hades, whose name was often used in vain, looked amused, as did most of my friends and my parents. I offered my father a sheepish smile as I rubbed the back of my neck.
..."Somebody give me light!"...
"I can't believe you got her to say that!" Hermes said stifling a laugh.
... "The demigods are escaping!"
"I've got them,"...
... "No, that's my neck!"...
"They're making the Gods look incompetent" Zeus groaned.
"Not the only ones" Thalia whispered quietly so only Annabeth and I could hear her.
... "Jump"...
...They leaped into the darkness, aiming for the doorway far, far below.
"Holy Hera, you actually jumped into the abyss." Leo said, "And I thought I was ADHD."
"You are!" We all replied, while Hera sent Leo a glare which was promptly ignored by all.
Ξ Sally's P.O.V Ξ
The mood in the throne room was fairly light considering the kids had just jumped into the mansion of Night. The thought terrified me, but I tried to concentrate on the fact that they were both here with us. They'd made it out and they were alive. I used Annabeth and Percy's mantra to calm myself down. The baby needed me to be calmer than I felt, that had to be my priority right now, not how terrified I felt for my boy and his girlfriend.
Percy looked calmer today, happier today, I was very glad for that. It also helped calm me, seeing him more settled today than all the time that he'd been home. I realised why of course, acceptance, acceptance of who he is and what he'd done from his peers and us. Paul had told me about the conversation he'd had with Percy last night. I couldn't love the man sitting next to me anymore than I already did, if I tried. I was beyond grateful to him for managing to put Percy's worries at ease. I never wanted him to feel unwanted in his home, our home, because it would always be his home. Even when the day came that he and Annabeth moved into their own home, and I had no doubt that that day was on it's way, our home would always be his home too. And he would always be welcome.
Ξ
~Author's Note~
Hi, all thanks for reading this chapter! Apologies in the delay in updating life just got in the way. I always try and update when I can, but work is particularly busy right now offering me not a great deal of write. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!
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