Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus Series.
Story: No Stopping Fate: Reading Divided Soul
AN: I know what many people are thinking. "How can he do one of these stories?" Well, I thought it would be interesting to do one based on a story I wrote and Divided Soul was the perfect choice in my opinion. You may see some changes from the original story, but those are some corrections that I've wanted to do since I began DS over a year ago. This story will be based on Jason, Piper, Leo, Thalia and Annabeth reading the PJO books and the Lost Hero with the gods. As Divided Soul is my take on the remainder of the Hero of Olympus series no more stories will be read. I hope everyone enjoys this. As usual, thanks for reading.
Chapter 1: A Fateful Surprise
Third Person POV
Mount Olympus – Throne Room – One year prior to the Lightning Thief
The twelve Olympians plus Hestia were in the throne room. The five demigods stood and were ready to leave. They had spent a week reading about Percy Jackson and the beginning of the war with Gaea.
"Apollo, I must admit your future self has done us a great service," Zeus proclaimed.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you did well little brother," Artemis said.
Apollo smiled mischievously at his sister. "Thanks sis, but don't forget, I'm older," Apollo said.
Artemis smacked her brother on the back of the head. "I'm older you idiot," she yelled. The five demigods tried to hold in their laughter, but they failed miserably.
Zeus cleared his throat as he sent a glare at the twins. "Before we summon Hecate to send you back to the future, we shall take a break. You may say your goodbyes to your parents." Zeus said before he smiled at Thalia and Jason. The demigods stepped out of the throne room, but Zeus, Athena and Poseidon remained.
Zeus looked at his daughter and brother curiously. "You know why we stayed behind?" Poseidon asked.
Zeus shook his head. "I have no idea," he replied.
Athena rolled her eyes at her father. "We need to change our ways. We must recognize our children. The stupid oath of the big three will end in disaster for many of our children," Athena explained.
"What would you have me do?" Zeus asked.
"We must abolish the oath, it didn't work anyway. We must carry on with my son's plan. We must make sure to claim all our children and we must respect the minor gods," Poseidon said.
"I must agree with Poseidon. We can prevent the war by doing this," Athena added, although she looked uncomfortable agreeing with her rival.
Zeus just stared in wonder at the two gods before him. If Poseidon and Athena agreed on this, then it had to be a good idea. "I agree; we can prevent the war with these simple acts. Even the war with Gaea; she's only taking revenge because Kronos lost," he said. Poseidon and Athena nodded.
"Let us say goodbye to our children," Athena said. Zeus and Athena stepped out of the throne room, but Poseidon stayed behind. He looked down at the ground sadly. He let out a long sigh as he thought of his son and his current fate in the future.
"What is the matter, dear brother?" Hestia asked.
Poseidon smiled at his older sister. "My son wasn't with them. He is at the Roman camp," Poseidon explained.
"Your son is an exceptional boy or I should say man. He may be the greatest of heroes. You should be proud," Hestia reassured.
"I love the boy dearly. I wish he didn't have to live through all this conflict and death," Poseidon said sadly.
"Don't worry brother. You and the others will make sure the war never happens," Hestia said.
"I hope you're right. It's only a year before his first quest. Not a lot of time to rectify all these years of mistakes," Poseidon said.
The doors to the throne room opened. The demigods all wore broad smiles as they entered the throne room. They sat down on the chairs that the gods had setup for them. Zeus and the other gods sat on their thrones.
"Before we summon Hecate, I would like to make an announcement. We have seen the error of our ways. The oath of the big three shall be abolished. Demigods will be claimed by their thirteenth birthday and we shall honor the minor gods with their own thrones and cabins at Camp Half Blood," Zeus proclaimed. The demigods cheered at the news. The gods all applauded at the welcome news. Even Hera looked pleased.
Three bright lights appeared between the gods and the five demigods. Everyone turned away at the sight. When the lights faded three beautiful women in white dresses stood before them. Zeus stepped down from his throne and bowed before the three women. Poseidon and Hades followed his lead. Athena motioned for the others to bow as she knelt before the three Fates. The demigods bowed before the three women, except for Leo. He would have remained seated, if Piper hadn't pulled him to the floor.
"You may be seated," the three Fates said with one voice.
"We are honored to have you here," Zeus greeted.
The Fates stared at the King of the gods sadly. "We wish we could be here with better news," they said.
Zeus and the other gods looked at them warily. "You have bad news for us?" Zeus asked.
"I'm afraid that we cannot allow you to change history," the Fates began.
Hermes stood from his throne. His face was red with anger. "You cannot allow us. What gives you the right to tell us what we can or cannot do?" he asked angrily.
The Fates turned their gaze on the god of travelers and thieves. He fell on his throne at the power of their glare. "We are the Fates. We control the fates of all men and women. Whether they are mortal or immortal," they explained. "We wish that there was another way, but the events that will take place over the next several years must continue as outlined in the books you read. The lives lost must remain lost. We are sorry Lord Hermes, Lady Aphrodite, Lord Apollo, Lady Artemis, Lord Dionysus, and Lord Hades. We wish it wasn't the case, but their lives and deaths served a purpose. The second Titan War and the upcoming second Giant War must take place."
Hera stood. "What purpose is served by the death of children?" she asked. The gods and demigods stared at her in wonder. They couldn't believe that she seemed to care for the fates of demigods.
The Fates smiled at the Queen of the gods. "We are glad that you've seen the truth Lady Hera, but the events must continue. You and Ares or Mars in his Roman form shall play an important role in the giant war. A role that neither of you will like," the Fates explained.
"My son is lost. Why can't we change our future?" Poseidon asked mournfully.
The Fates stared into the god's eyes, but Poseidon never flinched. The Fates smiled at his courage. "Your son does you proud great Lord of the Seas. Your future must remain the same, because it is their past," the Fates said before they pointed toward the five demigods. "The events of their past shaped their future; a future that cannot be altered."
"Why is it wrong to change the future, when it hasn't happened yet?" Athena asked.
The Fates smiled at the goddess of wisdom. "A wise question, but the answer should be obvious," the Fates replied. "The wars are fated to happen, but changes to your future will play into the hands of the Titan lord and Gaea. We foresee the downfall of Olympus, if your future changes."
Zeus, Poseidon and Athena both sunk down in their thrones. "We cannot change the outcome?" Zeus asked.
The Fates stared sadly at the sky god. "You would change the future, but the outcome would be an end to everything. All demigods would die and the gods would be imprisoned for all eternity," they explained.
Zeus stood and looked around at the sad faces of the gods and the demigods before them. "It pains me to say this, but we cannot change the future," Zeus began.
"Would another book help you?" the Fates asked.
Zeus looked at the three immortals before them. "Another book?" he asked.
"Yes, a book that will go beyond the story of the Lost Hero," the Fates said. "A story of the Giant War and the greatest hero to ever live, Perseus Jackson."
Annabeth stood. "Lord Zeus, let us read about Percy," she urged.
Zeus looked around at the gods; they all nodded in agreement. "Let it be done," he said as a book appeared in Annabeth's hands.
"We shall leave you to read. This story will explain the future and why the demigod's past must remain unchanged," the Fates said before they disappeared into a shower of golden light.
"My dear, please read first," Athena said as she sat down on her throne and watched her daughter thoughtfully.
Annabeth opened the book and said, "Chapter one, Staff of the Sea."
Everyone in the room looked at Poseidon. "I don't know what it means."
"Somewhere in Hawaii, five weeks after the events of the Lost Hero," Annabeth read.
A tall man stood on the edge of a black sandy beach where large ocean waves were beating the shore mercilessly, like the ocean itself was angry. The man looked to be in his early to mid-thirties. He had coal black hair and wore dark sunglasses. He stood watching a young man clad in golden armor fight with a group of zombielike soldiers. The young man's head was covered with a gold Roman helmet with a red plume. He wielded a golden gladius expertly against the undead soldiers, his moves fluid and tireless. He fought as if the battle was a dance.
Ares smiled at the description of the boy's fighting prowess.
"This is in the third person," Athena said curiously.
"I wonder who that might be." Poseidon said, but everyone shrugged. It was pretty clear that they might never find out.
The older man smiled slightly at the sight before him. He looked almost like a proud father who was finally seeing his son ride a bike without the training wheels for the first time. The fighting stopped as the young warrior pulled his sword out of the chest of the last undead soldier before the creature melted into the black sand.
"Hades is that you?" Zeus asked.
"I don't think so. I don't like Hawaii, too much ocean," he said. Poseidon rolled his eyes.
"Very good Scipio," the older man said. "You have improved much over the past few weeks." Scipio walked back up to the older man, and then he knelt on one knee and bowed his head.
"Thank you Lord Mars," Scipio said firmly. The older man's smile grew at the adoration of the young warrior.
Everyone looked at Ares. The god of war shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"What are you doing there? Olympus is supposed to be closed," Zeus questioned.
"I don't know father," Ares said quickly.
"Now let us continue your lessons, somewhere less hazardous," Mars said, as he looked at the large waves that continued to beat the shoreline. Scipio followed Mars into a small beach house that was tucked far away from the ocean waves. The modern looking house was made of concrete, steel and glass. It seemed out of place near the rugged shoreline. The two entered the house and walked to the kitchen. Mars took a water bottle out of the refrigerator and handed it to the young man.
Poseidon glared at the book. He could tell by the description of the ocean that he was angry about something.
"Thank you sir," Scipio said before downing the entire contents of the bottle in one gulp. The two men sat at the bar top kitchen counter, as Mars snapped his fingers and a book appeared on the counter top. Mars frowned at the book, but then he opened it roughly, as he scanned its contents. The two began to converse in Latin before they continued to discuss Roman history, culture and battle strategy. After three hours of study, Mars ordered the young man to his room to rest. The boy looked tired from his long day. He obediently nodded, before walking to his room.
Athena gave Ares a mischievous smirk. "Reading a book, huh?" she asked.
"That's Mars, not me," Ares defended.
Mars sat at the table, until a bright golden light appeared in the kitchen. The light faded into a dark haired woman with deep brown eyes. She wore a white Greek chiton and a gold crown on her head. Mars stood immediately before he smiled at the goddess before him.
"Hera?" Zeus asked.
Hera looked at her husband. She had no clue why she was there, but it had to do with Gaea and her recent god-napping.
"Mother, you are safe. I prayed you would be," Mars said. "But why are you in your Greek form?" Hera gave her son a small smile before it turned into a stern glare.
"I think this form suits me better considering the boy you house in the next room. How goes the training?" she asked.
Annabeth had a strange feeling that she knew the identity of the boy in the other room.
"Per… I mean Scipio, has done well. I believe he is ready to go to camp." Hera's smile brightened.
Annabeth stood up. "You were going to say Percy. What have you done to him?" she asked angrily.
Poseidon jumped from his throne; he had Ares pinned against the wall in a blink of an eye. "What did you do to my son?" he growled.
The demigods just stared in awe at the sheer power rolling off the god of the sea. The fire in Ares's eyes dimmed to burnt coals. "Uncle, I don't…" he tried to say, but stopped as Poseidon's hands wrapped around his throat.
"I will rip your head off," Poseidon yelled.
Zeus and Hades rushed forward and pulled their brother away from the god of war. Ares fell to the ground clutching his throat. Hera ran to her son, but he waved her off. "Mother, you're behind this," he accused.
Hera stepped away from her son. Everyone glared at the Queen of the gods. "I don't know. This is years away," she said defensively.
"Does he remember anything about his past?" Annabeth continued to read; she had to know more about Percy or Scipio as he was known in the book.
"No, he remembers what we wanted him to. He remembered how to fight and now he even knows the ways of the Romans, but he remembers nothing of his past, including his real name."
The demigods and the other gods glared at Ares and Hera. The two gods avoided the glares and kept their eyes on the ground.
"Very good. Does he know about the Achilles Curse and his weak point?"
"Yes, he does, plus he wears the special armor we made for him."
"I saw on the beach that he uses the gladius and the shield that Vulcan made for him," Hera said. Mars smirked at her knowingly.
Poseidon glared at Hephaestus. Hephaestus shrugged. "I don't have a problem with Perseus," he said.
"Yes, his old sword is well hidden." Hera nodded as she looked out the window of the kitchen toward the rough ocean waves.
"What did you do with Riptide?" Poseidon asked. Mars shrugged his shoulders. Artemis glared at the war god. Her thoughts always returned to Zoe when she thought about Percy's sword. Thalia could tell that Artemis was thinking of Zoe. She gave her mistress a reassuring smile.
"Good. You will need to bring him to camp tomorrow. I may be free, but our enemies are regrouping. They wish to destroy Castra Semideus." Mars followed her gaze out the window.
Jason flinched at the news. His memories had begun to return. Castra Semideus, the name sent a flood of memories into his mind. He felt someone grab his hand. He looked to his left to see Piper smiling at him reassuringly. He smiled back appreciatively.
"What about Neptune? The seas have been getting rougher every day." Hera sighed, as she looked at the tiled floor solemnly.
Poseidon glared at the book. His terrible nephew and his hateful sister would pay if something bad happened to his son.
"My brother loves that boy dearly. I guess for a demigod, he's not bad." Mars gave his mother a sly smile.
"Actually, as Scipio, he's a damn good kid. I can't say the same for the Seaweed Brain." Hera's eyes flashed with anger.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Poseidon yelled. Mars kept his eyes on the ground. Poseidon hit the arm of his throne in frustration.
"Do not say that name. It may be derogatory to most, but that daughter of Athena gave him that name. He must never know of her existence and we cannot afford for him to remember his past." Mars bowed his head at his mother.
Annabeth stopped reading. She stood and walked toward the Queen of the gods. "If you hurt Percy, I'll find a way to destroy you," she warned.
Hera looked up, her eyes flashed with anger. "You dare threaten me," she said.
Athena rose from her throne and stepped in front of her daughter. "Leave my daughter alone," Athena defended. She turned toward Annabeth and sighed. "Please continue to read." Annabeth nodded as she took the book in her hands and sat down once again.
"Forgive me mother. I meant no harm." Hera smiled as she placed her hand on her son's shoulder.
Ares glared at his mother. He was tired of her always bad mouthing him.
"You're forgiven. Do your duty as a good son and we all might live through this crisis." Hera began to glow before disappearing into a golden light.
"So dramatic, just like father." Mars shook his head in amusement.
Zeus stared daggers toward his son. Ares stayed on the throne room floor with his head in his hands. "I'm not dramatic," Zeus protested.
Poseidon snorted. Hades looked at Poseidon before he shifted his gaze toward his youngest brother with a wry smile on his face. "So says the god of theater," Hades quipped.
AN: End of the first chapter. I will try to get another one out tomorrow. Not a lot of action here, but those that are familiar with Divided Soul, there will be plenty of action to come, plus some more in the throne room, so stay tuned.
