Chapter 13

The Bull of Heaven

O-O-O-O-O

Asterios had never run so fast in his life. Across rivers, through valleys and trees, over canyons, mountains, and through clouds. He ran and ran, and never once slowed down as he sprinted towards the mountain of the Titans. He did not dare use the Labyrinth to transport himself to Othrys, not when so little time remained on the Demigods' quest. He couldn't risk the gamble of time distorting itself while he was within, or running into the many monsters who were no doubt alerted to his treachery.

He allowed no other thoughts other than his single-minded desire to catch up to the Demigods reach his mind. No more questions, no more confusion, and no more memories. Those could wait. Now, all there was left to do was run.

And run he did. He surpassed cars on the freeway as the world around him faded into a blur as inhuman strength filled his body and fueled every muscle he could spare. He caught the barest glimpse of the border between the states of Arizona and California, signaling his rapid approach to his final destination. Day turned to night, and night once more gave way to day as he ran, the clock ticking down to the winter solstice ever so slightly.

Finally, his goal revealed himself. Mt Othrys loomed in the distance beyond the mortal city of San Francisco, as though it were a great beast challenging him to slay it.

Faster, faster.

He tore through the streets of the city below, leaping over cars and mortals that stood in his way. The sun was falling. Unless he intended to fight his way through the armies of Kronos that gathered on the beach, his only path to the summit of the Titan's mountain was through the garden of the Hesperides. And when the sun sunk below the horizon… that path would be barred to him. Today was the final day before the solstice. He could not afford to miss this opportunity.

The sky began to burn orange as sunset began.

Go.

The sun kissed the ocean's surface, as though Apollo were charming a sea nymph.

Go.

The sun had sunk halfway beneath the waves.

Go!

The sun had sunk completely, with only a sliver of its fiery blaze burning on the horizon. Above him, the stars began to twinkle.

GO!

The last of the orange-red residue faded as the constellations revealed themselves-

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

A final surge of power propelled him forward as the Mist warped the world around him away and unveiled the truth. He stumbled as he landed in the garden of sunset, where the golden apples of Hera lay.

Golden apples guarded by a very angry-looking dragon.

"Oh? A final intruder barges into our garden just as the gates close for the night." The voice that spoke like a melody reached Asterios' ears. But from where in the garden, he could not tell.

"What is it, sister? Another hero, seeking to aid his friends up ahead?" Another voice from nowhere sang. It was unique from the first, yet no less beautiful.

"Nay. 'Tis but a monster, far from home. The spawn of the Bull of Crete." Around him, the voices began to titter with amusement. Even their mockery was beautiful, yet it did not conceal the obvious contempt the three… no four held for the intruder.

"Far from home? Surely you jest, sister. He has no home. He is the one who betrayed his own comrades and bit the hand that sought to raise him up. All that is left for him is a prison below the earth. No less than what a brute like him deserves."

Asterios growled. "Shut up! I don't care what you have to say! Fight me or get out of my way!" His words were somewhat blunt and choppy, but he didn't really care about speaking eloquently or what he sounded like when he was quickly running out of time.

"So uncivilized." one of the voices hissed.

"You talk so boldly Minotauros." another of the voices challenged. "An attractive quality in any man other than a beast like yourself. But we, the Hesperides, are a neutral party. We trouble ourselves not with fighting gods, heroes, or monsters," the voice continued, spitting out the last word with vitriol. "In fact, we will abstain completely from your little goal of joining the Demigods atop Othrys- you have our word that we will not interfere in any sort of way with your plan. Go, Minotauros. Join your little friends. All you have to do… is pass Ladon."

As if on queue, the hundred-headed dragon coiled around the tree roared, the horrific smell of its breath causing even Asterios to flinch. His jaw set grimly as he drew Labrys from his belt and crouched into a runner's starting position. He looked past- Draco -Ladon and its tree at the path that lay behind them, leading up to the peak of the mountain. He estimated that it would take about twenty of his longest strides- practically leaps- to make it through the garden and out of the dragon's range.

Fine then. Twenty strides it is.

Above the garden, sunset had long since passed as the stars shone their brightest. At the base of Othrys, where the sky itself swirled and gathered all the stars the heavens had to offer glimmered at once, regardless of the season. And among those stars… was Taurus.

Strength overflowed through Asterios' body as he burst forth. He had made it ten strides forward before Ladon's hundred heads converged on him in tandem, intent on tearing the starry one to pieces. He leaped over the first head as it snapped at him, ducking under another as he slid one more stride forward, until a head smashed itself down in front of him, forcing him to roll back two strides.

Nine strides forward.

Three of Ladon's heads shot at him like oversized arrows, their fangs salivating with horrible venom. Yet despite how terrifying they were, Asterios stood his ground. He let the strength from Taurus flow through him, and with a mighty cleave of Labrys, all three heads were ripped from their necks. Blood sprayed and Asterios bolted forward another three steps as the other heads roared in pain and fury.

Twelve strides forward.

Suddenly, his instincts screamed at him to dodge, and he jumped forward one more stride just as a stream of acidic poison melted the ground he had once stood on. He turned around to face the dragon as he landed, only to see its heads surging forward in a single mass, all intent on devouring him. It was not an attack, it was more akin to a tidal wave of scales and poison. Bracing himself, Asterios raised Labrys above his head and swung them down as hard as he could, letting his swing lead him into another attack as his arms became a flurry of blades tearing through one head after another.

Thirteen strides forward.

Labrys swung with reckless abandon as gore and dragon chunks filled the garden. Acid sizzled as it splattered on his skin, yet just as quickly healed. But something was wrong. He hadn't slain a hundred heads yet, but he had certainly thinned the crowd. So why then, did the mass of writing serpentine heads look just as thick and lively as it did when they first clashed?!

"You foolish brute," One of the voices snarled. "Do you think that you are the only one who draws power from the heavens? Did you not realize just who it was that you so arrogantly challenged?"

The stars- Ladon. Yes, the guardian of the golden apple tree. His opponent was none other than Draco. Here, where the earth and sky met, both were capable of drawing their power from the stars.

"He is the dragon of one-hundred heads. That is to say, he always has one-hundred heads, no matter what you do."

The voices were right. Ladon was nothing but necks and heads. Asterios couldn't make out any hint of legs within the squirming clump of necks that made up its body, nor could he even see a point where these hundred heads were even conjoined. Unlike the Hydra, which regrew and multiplied its heads when they were cut off, Ladon worked as though its heads were never cut off to begin with. A severed neck-stump would vanish into the mass of living heads just as another one shot forth.

No point in trying to beat it then. He just had to cut his way through until he reached his goal.

Thirteen strides forward.

As another head surged toward him, instead of slashing it when it got within Labrys' range, he blocked. Locking his blades into the upper and lower jaws of the dragon head's mouth to prevent it from closing on him, Asterios rode the head back to the mountain path. It carried him about six strides before realizing what he was doing, spitting him out onto the ground.

Nineteen strides forward. Just one more-

With a horrific screech, Ladon lashed its heads out en masse once again, cutting off Asterios' escape and surrounding him, coiling around him like a python. With a roar of his own, he lashed out against the dragon, tearing apart necks and heads as they encased him in a veritable sphere of serpent heads, attacking him from all directions. From above, below, and all sides around him Ladon's heads snapped and spat poison. Asterios responded with a furious assault, cleaving through a hundred heads just as a hundred took their place. Teeth sank into his flesh, tearing apart muscles and filling his body with burning poison. He fought through it all, skin and bone knitting back together and toxins dissolving in his blood as Taurus did what it did best and blessed him with as much of its power over stamina and fertility it could manage.

He was so close. He was so close! He couldn't fall here, not when he had come so far.

Nineteen strides forward.

"▂▂▃▃▅▅▅▅▅▅!"

One last burst of strength pulsed through Asterios' very being. He concentrated all of his efforts directly forward, ignoring the fangs and venom that tore at his back. In a spray of blood and flesh-

He made it one stride forward.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!" Asterios' feet hit the dirt path as he howled in triumph. Though his skin burned and smelled like eucalyptus, it did nothing to diminish the overwhelming pride he felt. He had done it! He had overcome the mighty Ladon! There was finally something to his name that he could truly feel proud of! Glancing behind him, he saw Ladon once more wrapped around the tree of golden apples, all two-hundred eyes glaring at him with unparalleled fury. But Asterios had reached the end of the garden. There was nothing more the dragon could do to him. Even the beautiful voices of the garden's attendants were silent. Whether they were shocked speechless or fuming with rage, he did not care. He had won, and now his final trial awaited.

Asterios charged up the mountain path, the ground beneath him quaking with each step he took. Up ahead, a lone cyclops sat at an outpost. He was likely among the few monsters who remained on the mountain to protect it, with the rest of the Titan army welcoming their comrades from the Princess Andromeda flagship down on the beach. The heroes who came before him most likely snuck past the cyclopean guard in an effort to conserve their strength for the inevitable battle with Atlas, but Asterios had no time for such subtlety. The cyclops immediately took notice of the heavy pounding of Asterios' footsteps, his single eye widening as he saw the bull-horned monster barreling up the mountain like a man possessed.

"H-hey! Stop! What are y-" No sooner did the one-eyed giant brandish his spear to halt the intruder did Labrys' blade split him down the middle, the two halves of his body scattered to dust in the wind as Asterios charged straight through them without pause. Further up the path, more of the guards took notice of his charge as they rallied their sparse numbers to rebuff him. A triad of dracanae fired a volley of arrows at him while a lone telekhine loosed a four-foot-long scorpion from its leash and directed it his way.

A sweep of Labrys sent arrows twirling out of the air even as more still sunk into his flesh. But the pain they brought was fleeting and meaningless. Every step he took up the mountain, every inch closer he neared the peak, Asterios felt himself going stronger. It would take far more than a few measly arrows to hurt him. The scorpion let out a chilling hiss as it approached, ready to empty its poisonous payload into his body. With a flash of blackened bronze, the oversized stinger can clean off of its tail, followed swiftly by the scorpion meeting its end under the stomping foot of a monster-man on a mission.

More still of the remaining guards put themselves in Asterios' path in an attempt to hinder his sprint for Othrys' summit, and more still of their blood and dust coated Labrys' blades. Harpies and Stymphalian birds dove down from the sky. He cut them down. A juvenile hellhound exploded from the shadows, its slavering fangs ready to tear out his throat. He slashed through it and charged through. A monstrous viper lunged from the underbrush, a colossal eagle soared down with its talons extended, laistrygonians, dracanae, cynocephali and all manner of monsters mustered all the numbers they could as they met Asterios' charge. But through armor, flesh, bone, and swords, Labrys carved through them all.

Leaping from the cloud of monster dust he had created, Asterios pushed his limits as he reached the final stretch of the mountain path. Around him, the ruined walls of the broken Titan fortress began to shimmer from the mist as they slowly returned to their former glory. Ahead of him, the sky swirled and funneled down to the mountain's summit and the clash of weapons could be heard as the Demigods confronted the final enemy of their quest. And he… he was not here to be their enemy. They didn't need any more of those. What they needed was… What he needed was-

His friend clashed with the man who had betrayed her, while nearby, a duel of godly proportions took place as the Greek goddess of the hunt battled the Titan lord of might. And despite the once-in-a-lifetime event that unfurled before his very eyes, all Percy Jackson could think of was "I never thought that Hell would have been so high above the ground."

Percy couldn't even manage to groan beneath the unfathomable weight of the sky, that would simply have wasted too much energy. Energy that needed to be devoted to withstanding the Titan's curse, as decreed by the prophecy.

"I… can't…" Percy thought to himself, struggling to put that single thought together as if thinking itself wasted the energy he needed to hold up the sky. "How?... How am I even holding up the entire sky? How did… How did Artemis hold up the sky?... How did… Anna… beth…" His head swam as his thoughts and memories blurred into an unrecognizable slurry. He couldn't even remember Annabeth's face when she lay just a few feet away from him. Granted, he didn't even have enough energy to turn and look at her.

Before, on his other quests, Percy would always find himself stuck in these kinds of impossible situations. A hostage situation with Hades, a duel with Ares, a spa retreat with Circe, a wedding with Polyphemus. And yet as impossible as these situations were, Percy always found a way to pull through and survive. He always managed to earn a happy ending, just like the Perseus his mother named him after. But now… Percy wasn't so sure if there even was a way out of this. He was trapped under the Titan's curse, one of the most infamous punishments and prisons in Greek mythology. And now, there was no one left to save him. His friends couldn't help him. Annabeth lay broken from having to withstand the curse as he was doing now. Zoe was hurt and doing everything she could to help her goddess. Grover was fleeing with Ophiotaurus as best he could, even as the serpent-cow's bond to him struggled against it. Bianca… Bianca was gone. And Thalia was…

"Damn it… Thalia…" His thoughts barely manifested into his mind. They were, perhaps, the final thoughts he would ever have. He hoped with every last fiber of his being that if the curse was too much for him, that she would look after his friends when he was gone. There was no one he would trust with Annabeth and Grover's lives other than her. But first, she needed to… "Thalia… you… you have to win!"

Over with Thalia, her spear and shield moved in perfect tandem to block and counter Luke's strikes. Though the two Demigods lacked the same godly power of the two dueling a short ways away from them, their exchange was no less than divine. The vortex of stars above them illuminated their faces as sword clashed against spear and shield, with neither side relenting any ground to the other. Luke's gaze burned with hatred, hatred of the Olympian gods now funneled at his former best friend. His sword strikes parted the wind like the command of Zeus himself, the contradicting mortal steel and celestial bronze of Backbiter putting aside their differences in order to spill the blood of Thalia Grace.

Likewise, Thalia's face twisted into a snarl that mirrored the face of Medusa emblazoned on her shield as she met Luke's strikes with equal ferocity. Lightning constantly shimmered across her skin as pure power coursed through her veins, and every shout and stomp from the daughter of Zeus was followed by a clap of thunder as though the heavens applauded her rage. Whatever tears she had shed over the betrayal of her dearest friend were long gone. The time for talking had passed, and now their differences could only be settled by bloodshed. Luke… Luke was gone now. And he wasn't coming back.

And so Thalia exploded, releasing all the anger, sorrow, and hatred she had pent up all her life. Spear thrusts lashed out like lightning bolts, shield bashes shuddered the air like thunder, and Thalia's howls tore through the night like only the wind and rain could. Thalia reared back, and putting all the power she could into her spear, lunged forth in an all-out attack. So too in kind did Luke lunge to meet her charge, invoking every blessing Kronos had bestowed upon him into one final sword strike.

"THALIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKE!"

The two Demigods screamed their hearts out at each other as their weapons collided. Electricity and magic discharged from the sword and spear, erupting in a ball of light so brilliant that even Artemis and Atlas were given a pause from their battle as they witnessed it. Luke and Thalia were flung backward by the blast, with Thalia tumbling over ruined walls and stones and Luke slamming into Kronos' golden coffin.

"Hero!" Artemis cried out in concern for her half-sister, only for Atlas to press the advantage and force her on the back foot before she could help.

Thalia forced herself to her feet, wincing in pain. At the foot of the sarcophagus, she saw Luke doing the same. Between the two, a crater had formed from the magic explosion generated by their clash, and at the center of that crater, their weapons lay. Thalia looked up from the crater, and her eyes met Luke's. The friends turned mortal enemies held the gaze for a moment that stretched out into an eternity between them. Both knew what they needed to do. Without a word, or even so much as a snarl, both of the Demigod warriors bolted down into the crater and lunged for the weapons.

The spear was a larger target. Luke had been closer to the crater thanks to being launched into Kronos' coffin instead of being sent flying. A millisecond before Thalia, Luke snatched the spear up by its shaft, while his foe reached for Backbiter in response. But at the moment before she grabbed her enemy's sword, she hesitated. Was it because she was unsure of her skill in swordplay? Was she hesitant to use the corrupted weapon of her former friend? Did her instincts tell her not to touch the sword forged to slay Demigods?

Perhaps it was one of those reasons. Or perhaps it was none of them. Or all of them. Perhaps Thalia couldn't bear the thought of continuing this duel to the death with her best friend. But the reason no longer mattered. Because that one instant of hesitation was all Luke needed. Spear gripped tightly in both hands, he thrust the spear forward, sealing her fate with a single strike…

"...!"

Blood splattered as the spear pierced through flesh. Red dripped from bronze with the weapon having penetrated through one side and emerged through the other. Luke felt his blood run cold as he realized what he had done.

"I don't think so."

What Luke had done was run Thalia's spear through the hand of the Minotaur.

"Wha- huh?" Thalia was at a loss for words as the tip of her own spear dripped blood just inches away from skewering her through the face. The Minotaur's hand, run through by the spear, closed tightly around the shaft to prevent it from advancing any further as the colossal bull monster reached over her.

"Minotaur?!" Luke shouted. "What are you doing?!"

Rather than respond, he simply clenched his fist clutching the spear's shaft, and snapped it in two, leaving the son of Hermes with a broken stick. Caught off guard and disarmed, Luke had no way to defend himself from the mighty blow of the Minotaur's other hand, sending him crashing down into the ground at the side of the crater. Confirming the Demigod was down for the count, the Minotaur wrenched the broken spear tip from his hand, with the wound closing itself almost immediately. Tossing the broken implement to the ground, he looked back at the baffled Thalia.

"Need a friend?"

"Huh- bwuh- wha- HUH?!" The daughter of Zeus sputtered as Asterios offered a hand to her. The girl looked as though she had run the world's longest marathon. She almost looked like she thought she was hallucinating from how exhausted she was as she stared at his outstretched hand. The adrenaline rush from her duel with Luke was definitely wearing off now, and she was probably on the brink of passing out.

"I'm here to help. I… I want to-"

"ARGH!" Before Asterios could finish his sentence, the Titan lord let out a roar as he rebuffed Artemis' attacks once more.

The battle between the goddess and Titan was escalating even further and further. Both warriors were throwing out every trick they knew, employing every last one of their divine authorities, and were quite literally glowing with power. They were one step short of fighting in their divine forms, held back only by the knowledge that doing such would vaporize the boy carrying the sky, bringing the heavens crashing down on their heads.

"Do keep up Lord Atlas! It seems to me that you're falling behind!" Artemis taunted. With a snap of her fingers, a golden flash slammed into the Titan of might, staggering him. Before he could regain his footing, the flash slammed into him again from the rear. Then from the left. Then the right. Then above, then from the front, again and again, and again. It was the Ceryneian Hind, Artemis' sacred divine deer. Atlas Swiped his spear at the hind, only to continuously miss as the golden deer bolted just out of reach each time.

"GRAAAH! ENOUGH!" Atlas boomed as he smashed the butt of his spear into the ground, sending shockwaves that sent the hind off balance. Artemis swore and dismissed the deer, not willing to risk its safety anymore. "You dare mock me in my own domain, goddess?!" the Titan bellowed. "I will not be bested by a pampered princess with a bow and-" Atlas cut off mid-sentence as he caught sight of Asterios emerging from the crater. "You."

Fury like no other rippled out from Atlas, but Asterios stood his ground. "Me." He growled back as he tightened his grip on Labrys.

"Were I not so absolutely livid right now, I would applaud you for your audacity, Minotauros. But you have caught me in a very, very, bad mood. So instead, I am going to rip out your entrails and force-feed you the remains of this goddess over and over again."

Asterios let out a contemptuous snort. "God, Demigod, it doesn't matter. I'm sick of eating it. And my name-" The stars of Taurus gleamed brightly directly above the Bull of the Labyrinth as he lunged forward. "-IS ASTERIOS!"

With a mighty swing, the twin axes of Labrys clashed against Atlas' spear. For a moment, the Titan's eyes widened at the immense strength behind his new opponent's blow. While the Minotaur may have been renowned for its strength, the power it displayed now was capable of matching his own. Him, the Titan Lord of strength! With a snarl, he struck back, and the battle began once more in earnest. Atlas' spear blurred in a storm of thrusts while Labrys countered with an unrelenting flurry of slashes. The air rippled and shook as the two bastions of strength warred against each other, vying for supremacy.

A flash of silver slashed across Atlas' joints as Artemis bolted around him like a beam of moonlight. The Titan roared in pain, allowing Asterios to seize the opportunity to land a devastating blow on his chest, cracking his armor and sending him crashing into the reforming walls of Othrys. The Goddess of the Hunt landed in a crouch beside her unconventional ally, twin hunting knives prepared to engage with her prey.

"What a bizarre partnership this is." Artemis mused. "Can I count on your aid in this duel, Bull of Minos?"

"So long as you don't call me that." Asterios chortled.

"Very well. Let us see what you are capable of, Asterios."

Before them, Atlas pulled himself from the rubble and let out a thundering war cry. Casting aside his spear, he raised his hands into a position reminiscent of a modern boxer's stance and rushed the pair. Asterios met his charge with a downward cleave of his axes, only for Atlas to grab him by his forearms and halt his attack in place. Now returned to the most primal form of combat, Atlas was no weaker than before, and much, much faster.

With a vicious kick to the sternum, Asterios was sent tumbling backward as Atlas pressed his assault. Asterios rolled back to his feet as he landed, tossing Labrys to his sides in order to meet the Titan's fists with his own. As Atlas approached, Asterios threw a mighty punch that slammed into his face with the force of an exploding warhead, yet the Titan braced himself steady and retaliated with an equally ferocious blow to Asterios' gut. The two behemoths stumbled back from each other before engaging again, landing blow after blow, strike after strike.

"Thou who rests in the Sea of Stars, answer my call and come from beyond." But behind the two clashing hulks, Artemis began to glow as she invoked her divine power and tugged on her connection to the constellations. "Hear my voice and lend me thine bow… ORION!"

A swirling body formed from countless stars pulled itself free from the heavenly vortex above the mountain, taking on the muscular form of a man armed with a bow and a club. The man said to be the greatest hunter who ever lived, Orion.

It was not the same Orion who had been welcomed as the first man in Artemis' hunt. It was not the Orion with who she had spent many carefree days roaming the world. It was no more than a memory, a memento of a dear friend of hers that was taken away too soon. But those memories had power. So long as she honored the life he had once lived, Orion would wander the Sea of Stars as a constellation.

And now, that memory was here.

Drawing his mighty bow, the Orion constellation fired a volley of arrows made of stars. They streaked towards Atlas and pierced his armor, more akin to laser beams than projectile weapons, bringing the Titan down. With his enemy brought to a kneel, Asterios lashed out with renewed vigor, pummelling the Titan of Might with the fury of a hurricane. Likewise, Orion wordlessly lunged with his club and joined the horned warrior in his assault, with Artemis rushing in to assure the Titan's defeat.

And yet, even with three incredibly powerful beings simultaneously thrashing him, Atlas had not yet fallen. His armor cracked and crumbled away under their collective onslaught, but the Titan beneath it endured the damage and still did what he could to guard against their strikes. Forced to his knees, stripped of his armor, and forced to endure the pain and humiliation of defeat, rage beyond what he had ever known began to bubble up within Atlas. The indignity of it all. The audacity some low-born monster and the spoiled goddess had. They dared force him to kneel?! He, Atlas, the mightiest of Titans?! General of the greatest army the world had ever seen?!

"NO!"

Dark blue power erupted from Atlas, flinging his three assailants backward. Just as Artemis landed, he was before her. His fist crashed into her face before she could so much as react, knocking her back down onto the ground. Then, grabbing the goddess by the leg, he swung her over his head and slammed her on the ground once more, as if she were a hammer. Artemis hit the ground with such force that she bounced off of it, gasping in pain and shock as the breath was slammed out of her body.

Orion drew his bow once more, firing a volley of arrows to save his summoner. With the same aura of power as before, Atlas swept away the beams of light and lunged at the starry hunter, relinquishing the wounded Artemis. Orion attempted to leap back and switch his bow for his club at short range, but the Titan lord was already upon him.

"ENOUGH! I will not be defeated by the likes of you!" Atlas snarled as his hand plunged into the chest of the Orion constellation. With a savage yank, he pulled it free again and the astral body of the hunter shuddered before it began to disintegrate into starry motes of light. "Not by the sheltered goddess who knows nothing of true war! Not by the half-giant reject slain by a mindless fiend!" Atlas whirled around like a tornado, viciously backhanding Asterios who had charged him from behind. "AND NOT BY YOU, YOU ABOMINATION BORN FROM THE WHORE DAUGHTER OF HELIOS!"

As Atlas' hand caught the side of Asterios' face, he felt a sense of weightlessness as his feet left the ground. Then, he felt a sense of dizziness as he spun through the air. Then, as he landed, the pain of the blow and the pain of hitting the ground caught up to him. A loud, painful sound of shattering could be heard, but Asterios wasn't quite sure what it was. His vision spun as he tried to open his eyes, and he could barely manage to crawl in his impaired state.

Atlas stood triumphantly over the fallen bodies of his foes. He stalked back and forth as if he were a scavenger deciding which carcass to devour first. His eyes settled on Asterios. The traitorous monster who had challenged him believing that some meager strength borrowed from the heavens would be enough to topple him. His mouth curled into a wicked sneer as he reached down to take the turncoat half-breed into his grip.

"I'll start with you first, freak."

But from behind him, a silver arrow streaked for his back. Against any other target, it would have severed the spinal cord and left them helpless. But against Atlas, it simply bounced off of the field of power now surrounding his body and disintegrated. But it was enough to get his attention. Atlas turned slowly, simmering with an intense, silent, fury and gazed upon his daughter, Zoe Nightshade.

Though battered and bruised from their previous confrontation, she stood firmly on her own two feet. Another arrow was already knocked into her bow and drawn, aimed steadily for her father's face. She had placed herself in between the fallen body of Artemis and him.

"First, you run off smitten with a hero," Atlas sneered. "Then, you go cavorting off with that goddess and her posse. And now, you protect a monster? Have you no sense of responsibility, or loyalty?"

"Sh-shut up!" Zoe shot back. "You have no right to lecture anyone about responsibility. The only 'responsibility' you have attended to for eons is the punishment enforced upon you by the gods! My responsibility is to pay back the debts of honor I owe to the Min- to Asterios for saving my life, and the life of a fellow Hunter. And for standing alongside my Lady against you! And my loyalty… My loyalty has always been for my Lady Artemis! I will never leave her side. Not until my final breath."

Atlas scowled darkly at the conviction Zoe spoke with. "Until your final breath then, was it? That can be arranged."

With a roar, Atlas lunged at his daughter. He did not have the same ferocity as when he fought Artemis and Asterios, even if he still fought with deadly force. Perhaps he didn't think that Zoe was worthy of his full power. Perhaps his battle with the monster of the Labyrinth and the Goddess of the Hunt had exhausted him. Regardless of what it was, from the pure malice in his eyes, it was clear that it was not for any sort of hidden paternal love for his daughter.

Zoe dove out of the way and fired her arrow into Atlas' flank, only for the arrows to uselessly bounce off like before. Atlas lunged at her again, and again she dodged, but he was getting closer to her each time.

Asterios' mind was spinning, but he knew he had to do something. Taurus may have granted him godly levels of power and stamina, but against a true, living Titan, the Titan of might no less, even that boon had its limits. He needed more power. Otherwise, he couldn't… he wouldn't be able to…

He pulled himself away from the clash between father and daughter and towards the vortex of stars that touched down on the mountaintop. He could feel the thinnest ebb of power reach him, slowly returning strength to his limbs, but it was so slow and so little. The well of power seemed to have run itself dry. But it was enough. He felt the smallest hint of power return to his legs, and he forced himself to his knees. Another drip of power, and he was able to rise to one leg. One last drop of power, and he was standing on two feet, still shambling his way to the burden of the sky. It felt as though he had islands chained to his limbs, dragging him down and holding him back, but he forced each step he took and slowly advanced.

There, bearing the weight of the heavens, was Perseus Jackson. To say the boy looked exhausted would be an understatement. All color had left his face, leaving him as pale as a ghost and cold as a corpse. His face, his whitening hair, and even his clothes were completely soaked through in sweat. His eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and shallow, as though he was a dead man clinging onto his body for just a little while longer. He was just like… the Hunter-girl.

Just a little off to the side from him was his friend, the blond Demigod girl that the Manticore had kidnapped. She was still in the same, withered state he had last seen her in when Artemis had taken the sky from her. Even after days, she had barely stirred from her exhausted coma.

Guilt gnawed at Asterios' heart, but he brushed it aside. That didn't matter anymore. That's why he was here after all. Gently, he placed his hand on the swirling sky. Its texture was bizarre as if he were touching glass that was billowing fluidly like a cloth in the wind. A sort of gentle power radiated from it and into his hand.

With that one hand, he lifted upwards. All of the strength he could muster went into trying to lift up the sky, even if only by a few inches. Anything to ease the burden by just a little bit of Percy. With the weight lifted ever so slightly off of his shoulders, Percy's hands dropped and he slumped forward, unconscious. With his other arm, Asterios quickly caught Percy before he could hit the ground and slid into his place underneath the sky. The unfathomably massive burden settled on his shoulders, with one arm holding it in place from its perch on his back, the other cradling the collapsed body of the son of Poseidon.

Asterios let out a gasp as he felt the immense burden on his shoulders. The strain he felt it put on him couldn't even be described, and he was baffled as to how he was even carrying such immense weight to begin with. The power of Taurus began to kick into overdrive now that he was quite literally touching the constellation, feeding ungodly amounts of power into his body only for it to be spent carrying the weight of the sky. The bull constellation began to grow brighter and brighter in the sky, to the point where it almost burned like the sun.

The bright light and the odd feeling of being nestled in the crook of Asterios' arm caused the drained Percy to gain just the barest hint of lucidity. "Wha… Minotaur?... What… are… you… doing?..."

Asterios looked down at the Demigod he carried in his arm. His view of the boy was unnaturally clear, as though he had just removed a blindfold from his eyes. The same boy he had chased for years, intent on killing, he had just taken the weight of the heavens to protect.

"I'm here to help." His voice spoke with perfect clarity. Asterios himself was alarmed at the unnatural sound of his voice without any cursed filters altering it. He spoke for the first time since he could remember, without the curse of the bull-mask. A mask that lay shattered from Atlas' blow.

"I want to save you."

A cry of pain reached his ears as the Lieutenant of Artemis accepted her destiny. Above him, the stars of Taurus glowed brighter than any sun or star, brighter than even the majesty of the gods themselves as the mountain was enveloped by their light.

DIVINE POWER - PA_JA_A

NECESSARY CATALYST(S) - RAIN, THUNDER, LIGHTNING, VAJRA

[UNAVAILABLE]

DIVINE POWER - _A_HAY_SH

NECESSARY CATALYST(S) - DIVINE FORGE, POTION OF IMMORTALITY, ROYAL FLAMES

[UNAVAILABLE]

DIVINE POWER - M_L_C_

NECESSARY CATALYST(S) - PYRE, RITUAL, CHILD SACRIFICES

[UNAVAILABLE]

DIVINE POWER - I_

NECESSARY CATALYST(S) - ZEUS, HERA, ARGUS, HERMES

[UNAVAILABLE]

DIVINE POWER - G_GAL_N_

NECESSARY CATALYST(S) - THE UNDERWORLD, THE HEAVENS, TAURUS, GILGAMESH

[AVAILABLE]

Call its name then. Invoke its power, Bull of Heaven.

"GUGALANNA!"

Atlas had raised his spear to skewer the broken body of his daughter when he heard the shout. He turned to the shout's source, the spot where the brat of Poseidon should have been holding up the sky-

-But instead, he gazed up at a colossal bull made of stars staring down at him.

"WHAT?!" He bellowed. "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

In response, the bull only snorted, its huff scattering the dust and debris within the ruins of Othrys and even causing the Mist to shiver slightly. Then, the bull reared up on its hind legs. As it did, it seemed to expand in size, reaching higher and higher into the sky to become impossibly large, yet at the same time, it remained unchanged in the space it took up on the mountain. It was almost as if it was becoming one with- no it was already part of the heavens to begin with. The entire star-lit sky in the form of a bull, limited in size on the Earth, but infinite in size in the skies above.

And now, that unfathomable size began to drop, bringing its infinitely large hoof down on Atlas. Like the burden of the sky he had carried since time immemorial, the hoof was unfathomable in mass, condensed into a single point. But unlike the burden of the sky that was placed on his shoulders, this condensed point was being dropped on him from the heavens themselves.

"DO YOU THINK YOU CAN BEST ME?!" Atlas thundered as he tossed his spear aside and spread his arms as if to catch the speeding hoof. "I AM ATLAS! I HAVE CARRIED THE SKY FOR AEONS! I AM THE TITAN OF MIGHT, AND I WILL NOT BE-"

The hoof slammed into Atlas mid-sentence and smashed into the ground like an asteroid. The mountain shook as rocks tumbled and cracked. Somewhere on the mountainside, the approaching Titan army was seriously reconsidering their orders to supplement Atlas at the summit.

And indeed, their hesitation was warranted. As the Bull of Heaven lifted its hoof, there was no trace that the great Titan-general of might ever existed. All that remained was stardust that drifted into the night sky.

The great bull pulled back from the crater where Atlas had once stood and turned its gaze over the heroes and the goddess. All of them were badly hurt and sapped of their strength, with only Artemis and Thalia having recovered enough to even stand on their own two feet. But even in their weakened state, they could not help but silently gawk at the towering creature that stood before them.

"What… what is this power?" Artemis murmured. This was not the same as when Asterios had borrowed power from the Taurus constellation. This thing was something… older. Much, much, older, and far more powerful. It felt as though she should have known what this thing was…

The crumbling of stone and the buckling earth beneath her feet snapped Artemis from her thoughts. The bull's attack had cracked this mountain open, and the summit was crumbling away beneath them. The quest had been completed, and she refused to let the Demigods die now.

As if reading her thoughts, the starry bull bent its legs and lowered itself to the ground, bowing its head in submission as a signal for the goddess and her heroes to mount its back. Stopping to lift her battered Hunter into her arms, Artemis shouted for the only other capable Demigod on the mountain.

"Grace! Grab your friends and mount the bull, unless you wish to fall to your doom with the rest of Othrys!"

Artemis leaped up onto the bull's back and laid Zoe's body down gently, then turned to help her half-sister in carrying the bodies of Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase.

"W-wait!" Thalia cried out as they lowered the two other Demigods onto the bull's back. "What about Luke? He- he's still down there!"

"We have no time to waste, Thalia! The mountain crumbles as we speak." Artemis shouted. As if to hammer her point home, a massive fissure split open beneath the bull, causing it to stumble slightly. "We must go now! You must leave him behind."

Thalia said nothing, desperately glancing back to scan the crumbling ruins for her former friend. Her eyes were wide and wild from panic and despair, unable to spot him among the rubble. She looked as though she were on the brink of leaping off the bull's back to dig him out of the earth and stone, but Artemis stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Thalia," She spoke softly. "I may have been a bit too harsh to you the last we spoke, when you still traveled with him and your young friend." Artemis put her hand on Annabeth's weak but waking form, drawing Thalia's attention to remind her of what Luke had done. "So please. Know that what I am about to say does not come from a place of loathing, but one of concern and compassion for you: You need to leave him behind."

Tears were streaming down Thalia's face. She hated the words the goddess had spoken to her. She hated the goddess and all her stupid followers. She hated how they could so easily tell her to abandon her best friend. But this time… she knew they were right.

Thalia wrapped her arms around Annabeth as the girl slowly awoke from her deep sleep. "Thalia…?" The daughter of Athena mumbled as her eyes fluttered open. "What's… what's going on?"

Thalia's hug tightened as she held back sobs. "Damn it…" She whispered. "GO!" She screamed at Artemis. "JUST GO ALREADY!"

Offering a gaze of sympathy to the young Demigod, Artemis slapped the bull's flank. "Up! Take us away from here, Taurus!"

At the Moon goddess' command, the bull stood to its feet. Then, with a mighty burst of power, the bull vaulted itself off the mountaintop and into the blanket of stars above. Looking back down at the crumbling mountain, Artemis silently noticed that the swirl of the sky where Heaven and Earth met was gone.

The bull began to charge through the starry sky away from the mountain. It seemed less like it was flying, and more as though an actual constellation was moving through the night, somehow carrying people on its back.

"What is this?" Annabeth murmured in wonder as she stared at the stars around them. It looked like they were underwater, with the stars glimmering around them being the many fish that lived in the sea.

"Is this the Minotaur?" Percy asked in shock as he struggled to sit up. "I just remember him holding me with one arm beneath the sky, and then that bright light…"

"Asterios." Artemis corrected. "He was given the birth name Asterios by his mother Pasiphae. She had named him for his step-grandfather, the king of Crete Asterion, as well as the Titan of star signs, Astraeus. Among other things, it means 'starry one' or 'lightning'."

"O...kay?" the confused Percy responded. "How did he turn into a giant constellation?"

"I do not know," Artemis confessed. "Something to do with the burden of the sky. It has been said the symbol of the 'Bull of Heaven' is a symbol of strength, fertility, but also the unity of heaven and earth. But what that means in regards to Asterios' new transformation… I cannot say."

"Wait a minute," Thalia interjected. "Percy, what about Mr. Chase?"

"My dad?" Annabeth blinked owlishly. "What does he have to do with this?"

"Oh… crap. Right. I forgot." Percy turned to Annabeth. "Annabeth, we… went to your family for help. We borrowed your dad's car to get to Othrys, so… he knows what happened to you."

Annabeth's eyes widened slightly. "Oh… dad. Oh gods, how much does he know? Does he think I've been eaten by monsters, or brainwashed by Titans, or, or-"

"Lady Artemis," Percy asked the goddess. "Is it alright if we stop by the Chase residence? We really need to… give this family some closure."

Artemis' mouth thinned into a grimace of hesitation. She looked down at the body of her Hunter lying peacefully on her lap. "I think… that we may have to touch down regardless. It seems the prophecy has a final verse to complete." the Goddess of the hunt leaned as close as she could to the bull's ears to speak. "Asterios? Can you hear me? We need to return to the earth. Please, set us down near that mortal city."

The bull offered no response in return, but its glittering form shifted as it began to lower itself to the earth. It circled around above the city of San Francisco as if searching for something, then descended fully to the earth over an airfield, where a man was just about to slip into the cockpit of an old WWI era biplane when he spotted the massive bovine setting down before him.

"Annabeth…?" The man whispered to himself. As he looked at the five figures riding the magical creature's back, he confirmed that his daughter was one of them. "A-Annabeth! ANNABETH!"

Dr. Chase leaped down from the biplane and sprinted towards where the starry bull laid down to let off his passengers. Thalia helped the daughter of Athena off of its back, then held her steady as the girl tried to find her footing. Still weak from the immense pressure of holding up the sky, Annabeth took a few steps before stumbling just as her father caught her in his arms.

From sheer exhaustion, Annabeth couldn't bring herself to fully cry, but tears streamed down her face nonetheless as she returned her father's fierce embrace.

"D-dad-" she sobbed. "I-I'm sorry I didn't-"

"Shhh, it's alright." Dr. Chase consoled his daughter. "It's alright. I'm just glad you're safe. That's all that matters. When you left home I was worried sick, and when your friends showed up years later telling me you got kidnapped by monsters… Well, I was about to hop in some dinky old Sopwith and gun those creeps down myself. But it's over now. You're safe, you're here, that's all that matters to me."

But as the father and daughter shared a heartfelt reunion, over to the side a heartfelt farewell was taking place as well.

Artemis set Zoe Nightshade down on a nearby patch of grass. The Hunter was still breathing, but the breaths were shallow and far between. It was as though she was in a very, very deep sleep. One that she very well may never wake from.

Artemis tried her best to hold back tears, but even still her vision shook as they filled her eyes. Gently, she brushed the hair out of Zoe's sleeping face and cupped her cheek. Never before had she felt such love for one of her Lieutenants since Callisto, and just like then, their parting hurt more than she could ever handle.

"Are you sleeping, my Hunter?" she whispered, unsure if her words reached the sleeping girl's ears. "Whatever do you dream of, in such a deep slumber?"

"My Lady?" Zoe's voice croaked in response. The girl's eyes opened by just a sliver- just enough to see her Lady under the moon and stars. "Is this… a dream?"

"It is not." Assured Artemis. "It is reality. You have completed your quest. You have saved me. You… you are absolutely one of the greatest Hunters I have ever known."

"I… see." Zoe rasped. "I was… I dreamt that my father had died. I had dreamed that he finally got what he deserved."

"Atlas is dead, Zoe. He was crushed by the weight of the Heavens."

Zoe let out a weak chuckle. "That… bastard. He really bit it, did he?..." Zoe let her eyes close again. "Then… if dreams and reality are one and the same… My Lady… may I sleep once more?"

A very quiet sob escaped Artemis' mouth. "Yes. Of course. Sleep, my Hunter. Continue your dream."

"A continuation… of that dream…" Zoe smiled and felt herself fall into a very, very deep sleep for the final time.

Artemis cried very, very quietly. To the rest of the world, she would seem cold and emotionless. But in this one moment, Artemis let herself feel all the love, sorrow, and gratitude she never let herself show.

"Callisto… Orion… Please, look after her." With a final wish from the goddess, the form of a young girl with a bow, running across the Sea of Stars took shape in the night sky.

Between the grieving goddess and reunited family, Thalia and Percy watched forlornly. Both of the Demigods were no strangers to combat and violence. As half-bloods, they were practically engineered for the stuff. But, never before had they taken on a quest that brought as much death with it like this one.

Thalia inhaled deeply and let out a sigh. "It's only going to get tougher from here, huh?" She remarked.

Percy sighed as well. "Yeah. The Titans are coming back, Kronos' army is only getting bigger… It just feels like this is so much bigger than any of us are prepared for."

Thalia hummed in agreement. "Well, it is bigger than what any of us are prepared for. That's why we gotta work together." She let out a huff of frustration. "No more of these gods holding onto their petty pride at the worst possible moments. But… At least we have new friends we can count on." Thalia Percy glanced back at the starry bull, whose body was starting to disintegrate into specks of light. It seemed that the power that had been borrowed was finally starting to ebb away. As the motes of light swirled away in a cloud of glowing dust, Asterios was left in their place. He looked up at the two Demigods staring at him and blinked owlishly.

"Umm… Hello."

Thalia let out a bark of laughter and made her way over to him. "Well, well, well, Beef-Boy. Nice to finally meet you. Well, officially at least." She reached up, standing on her toes, and pinched his cheek. "I never expected such a buff bod would have a cute baby-face like yours attached to it!"

Asterios just shuffled awkwardly, unsure of how to respond to her. His face was finally free for the world to see, with most of his cursed mask broken off in his fight with Atlas. And indeed, behind that mask was a shockingly young face, round with large, childlike eyes that completely contrasted against the colossal titan-like form that his body was.

Asterios eyes, now wide due to no longer having to perpetually squint or glare through the small holes and tears in his mask, darted around and eventually caught sight of the small, crushed canister hanging off of Thalia's hip.

"Oh… Is that your-?"

Thalia let go of his cheek and glanced at the broken can of mace on her belt. "Ah. This? Yeah, she's busted." She unclipped the canister and flicked it open, transforming it into a broken spearhead.

Asterios winced in guilt. "Ah… I'm sorry about that."

Thalia shook her head and chuckled. "Eh, it's alright. I'll miss it, but you kinda saved my life." There was a glint in her eyes as she smirked. "But you know, if you keep gripping the shaft that tightly, it only makes sense it would break when you jerk it around like that. I had to train my ass off to get as good as I am handling spears and other poles like that. If you want, I can show you how…"

Asterios stared at her as she trailed off. "You're a really weird girl, Thalia Grace."

Thalia laughed. "Weird good, right?"

He smiled back. "Yeah. Weird good."

Behind Thalia, Asterios noticed that Percy was hanging back, watching the two of them talk with some apprehension in his eyes. Thalia followed his gaze and stepped aside, gesturing for Asterios to go talk to him. With a bit of hesitation, he shuffled over to the son of Poseidon. The two stood before each other silently, waiting for the other to start the conversation.

Asterios' hands anxiously fidgeted with his mane before he finally gathered the courage to speak. "I… I'm sorry about trying to kill you." Percy raised an eyebrow. "I… I don't really have an excuse for what I've done. I guess I had a lot of pent up… issues from my first life, and I-I must have pushed them onto you so-"

"Hey, hey, okay." Percy cut him off. "It's cool dude, I get it. I mean, not really, but you've obviously been working through a lot of crap and I don't want to hold it against you when you're trying to do better."

"Oh. Um, okay." Asterios paused awkwardly before speaking again. "Um… sorry about your mom."

"What? Oh no, it's okay. She didn't actually die." Percy let out a half-hearted laugh. "If she had actually died, now that would be unforgivable."

"Well then, can you tell her I said sorry?"

Percy smiled at the bull boy. "Sure thing Asterios."

Asterios.

That name… made him feel happy. A wide smile spread across his face and a warm feeling bloomed in his chest as he heard it.

"Hey, ah," Thalia interjected. "I hate to be the one to break up the warm fuzzies, but I think it may be time to go." The daughter of Zeus gestured at the approaching Artemis, who had concluded her mourning.

"Indeed." Artemis concurred. Her eyes were still red from crying, but she had wiped away her tears. "It is the morning of the winter solstice, and the meeting of the Olympians will be beginning soon. As the heroes and subjects of this quest, your attendance will be required as we discuss some very sensitive matters."

A sense of unease settled over the three Demigods, but there was little they could do in regards to refusal. Their fate would be decided at that meeting, by a cabal of very powerful, and very trivial gods. But, it was either now or later, and there was no point in putting off the inevitable.

"If you like, I can take you there myself." Artemis offered. "For you, the heroes who saved me from the Titan's curse, my chariot is yours." With a snap of her fingers and a blast of light, Artemis' chariot of the moon manifested itself, a silver carriage drawn by mighty stags made of pure moonlight.

With some hesitation, the Demigods stepped into the divine chariot. Annabeth gave one final hug of farewell and promised her father she would visit as she joined her friends. But as they gathered together in Artemis' chariot, Percy noticed Asterios staying behind.

"Asterios, aren't you coming along? You helped save Artemis too."

Asterios gave a small smile and shook his head. "No, that wouldn't be right. The stars are one thing, but Olympus… I don't belong there. You're the heroes of this adventure, I was just following along to… get some closure."

Thalia pursed her lips in concern. "You know Kronos' army is going to come after you, right? There aren't that many places where someone as big as you can hide. If you come to Camp Half-Blood…"

"No, it's alright. I don't want to make things any more difficult for the half-bloods than I already have." Asterios laughed. "And besides, you'd be surprised at the number of tight squeezes a big guy like me can hide in!"

Thalia blinked before a broad grin spread across her face. "You cheeky little fuck. Give us a call sometime, okay?"

As the chariot began to race away, drifting across the sky alongside the moon, Asterios waved his first friends goodbye.

"-and with the confirmation of the death of Titan Atlas as well as the disappearance of the pillar of the sky and the Titan fortress beneath it, that makes one more Titan bound within Tartarus, and a valuable strategic position of the approaching Titan threat destroyed. Well done heroes." Zeus declared grandly as he wrapped up the discussion of recent unfolding events. With his congratulations, Percy and Thalia let themselves breathe a sigh of relief.

"However." Zeus continued, causing Percy to cough as he choked on his sigh of relief. "The fact still remains that the two of you, as children of Poseidon and I, are a major security risk to the continued existence of Olympus and the Greek gods. Death or no death, something has to be done to address you two." Zeus glanced over at his brother. "I trust we can at least agree on that much?"

Poseidon let out a hefty sigh. "Yes, well, we can't just keep putting the prophecy off forever. We need a way to tackle this issue, and quickly."

"Indeed. Daughter." Zeus turned his attention to Thalia. "Your sixteenth birthday is tomorrow, and thus you have the largest stake in this discussion."

Thalia was taken aback. "You… remembered my birthday?"

Zeus regarded her quizzically. "Of course I did. Why are you so surprised?"

"N-no reason. I just- well-"

"Wait, wait, time-out." Apollo interrupted. "Now I hate to be the one to dish out spoilers here, but-"

"Apollo," Zeus warned, glowering menacingly.

"-but the prophecy- of which yours truly is the god of- explicitly states 'A single choice shall end his days' when referring to the hero of prophecy. Which would, of course, imply that the 'Half-blood of the eldest gods' is male. So really, that kind of absolves Thalia of a role as the harbinger, doesn't it?"

The room went silent from the intensity of Zeus' glare. "We, the Olympians, had agreed to not discuss details of the prophecy in front of possible participants."

Apollo put his hands up in a placating manner. "I just thought that was a detail too important to ignore. Deciding the fate of someone who probably isn't related to the prophecy."

"I would think," Zeus rebutted. "That you of all people would understand the inherent flexibility of pronouns, even if they are spoken of in an ages-old prophecy."

Apollo shrugged. "Guilty as charged."

"Furthermore," Zeus continued. "I am not so whimsical as to stake the fate of Olympus on a single difference of 'his' or 'her'. The vague nature of prophecies means that the 'he' referred to in that line is a completely different individual from the half-blood hero. Precautions must be taken, including this one."

"Father, if I may?" Artemis spoke up.

"Speak, Artemis."

"If Thalia is the topic of the discussion, I may have a solution I can offer to your problem."

Zeus stroked his beard thoughtfully. "And that would be-?"

Thalia's eyes widened in shock as the gears clicked in her head. "W-wait a second-"

"Thalia, if it be your decision, I, Artemis, would be honored to welcome you into the Hunt."

Thalia was at a loss for words. "I- I- I can't." she blurted out. "Lady Artemis I appreciate your offer, but I don't think I could handle that. I couldn't commit to the Hunters, I just can't. I'm sorry."

There was something saddening about Thalia's refusal. It seemed like she genuinely wanted to accept the offer meant to protect her, but couldn't bring herself to push aside her feelings and join them. The rift between Thalia Grace and the Hunters of Artemis was just too great after this quest.

"Thalia," Zeus warned. "You understand what refusing the offer and allowing yourself to turn sixteen entails, correct? The fate of Olympus- and your own life, now rests on this one choice."

Thalia just shrank into herself more. "I'm sorry…"

"Ah-" A voice spoke out from the chatter amongst the gods. From the base of Artemis' throne, where her Hunters had gathered to honor their fallen Lieutenant, the Hunter Phoebe had spoken. "-My apologies, Lords and Ladies of Olympus, but I just had a thought."

"Speak Phoebe. What is it that you want to share?" Artemis commanded her follower.

"Many thanks, my Lady." Phoebe bowed respectfully to the goddess. "My Lady, as you know, with the tragic passing of our Lieutenant and veteran Hunter Zoe Nightshade, the Hunt is left without a second-in-command. Normally, as the next eldest Hunter that role would fall to me, however, I have a solution. Would it not be too difficult to extend a temporary membership to Thalia Grace?"

Murmurs broke out amongst the council and Artemis raised an eyebrow. "You would suggest that we use the sacred blessings of the Hunters of Artemis as a 'get-out-of-jail-free' card for a prophecy?"

Phoebe bowed again. "I mean no disrespect, my Lady. But I must point out that while exceedingly rare, temporary memberships are not completely unheard of amongst us. I speak of Atlanta and Siproites, who only stayed with us for a predetermined period of time before striking out on their own. Surely a year or two, for the sake of allowing just a bit more time to prepare for the Titan threat, is not too much to ask?"

Artemis sighed and rubbed her forehead. "...Just a year or two then. Sweet Aeon, I'm becoming a spa retreat, aren't I? Very well, if Thalia Grace so accepts, she may join the ranks of the Hunters of Artemis for the period of time until the threat of Kronos' revival."

Thalia was no less taken aback than before. "I- I mean- Yeah! Sure. I can handle a year or two."

"Very well then. Do you, Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, swear to pledge thy fealty to the goddess Artemis, abide by the rules of maidenhood, and forswear the company of men until the tides of war subside?"

"Uh, just until the war is over, right?" Thalia confirmed.

Artemis' eyes narrowed. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

Thalia looked away. "N-no reason."

"Then I, Artemis, goddess of the moon, the Hunt, maidens, and fertility welcome you into the ranks of the Hunters of Artemis… until the war is over, of course."

A silvery glow enveloped Thalia, and when it faded-

"Uh, I don't feel any different."

"Yup. That's because you'll always be a loser, no matter what gang you join. There are some things that Artemis can't fix." Phoebe chuckled as she swaggered over to Thalia, throwing her arm over her shoulder. "Welcome to the Hunt, bitch. Hope you're ready for the worst two years of your life."

Thalia swallowed nervously. "I can't help but feel like I've made a huge mistake."

"Hmph. Well, if that matter is settled, this winter solstice's meeting is adjourned. We shall reconvene in six months' time for summer." With the final word from Zeus, the gods began to beam one by one back to their domains. Some hung around to talk, and Artemis talked to Thalia about her initiation as a temporary Hunter.

Percy made his way over to Annabeth as she watched her friend get swallowed up by the crowd of Hunters as she underwent the standard Hunter hazing ritual. "Well, there goes Thalia." Percy mused as the daughter of Zeus' muffled screams were silenced by the rowdy teenagers dogpiling her. "It sure is going to be quiet with her gone."

Annabeth sighed. "I know… It just feels like I got her back after years only to lose her again." she remarked with melancholy as she watched the Hunters begin to paint on the snarling girl's face as four of them pinned her limbs down.

"Hey, it's going to be alright." Percy comforted his friend as Thalia sprinted for her life away from the Hunters only to be dogpiled again. "It's only for a few years. Then, when all of this is over, we'll all be able to hang out and do dumb teenager crap like normal kids together."

Annabeth smiled at the thought. Thalia, on the other hand, screamed. "Yeah… you're right. Who knows? Maybe we'll even get some peace and quiet around Camp while she takes her little 'spa retreat'. Now if only we could convince them to let you join as well, we'll have the most tranquil summer imaginable. Phoebe did mention Siproites after all…"

Percy laughed nervously as the Hunters dragged Thalia kicking and screaming out of the throne room. "I- I don't know who Siproites is. But yeah, it'll be sad to see her go for now."

"Mhm." Annabeth agreed as Thalia's screams faded into the distance. "It was kind of annoying how she kept on making jokes about how much she wanted to fuck the Minotaur though."

"Yeah…" Percy stared outside of the throne room at the vast expanse of clouds below Mount Olympus, taking in the grandeur of what was now his responsibility to protect. His responsibility to fight for. The reason he-

"WAIT, WHAT?!"

Omake: That one deleted scene from The Office, you know the one

"Listen, listen, listen." Thalia rambled as she and the rest of the Hunters trudged through the snowy mountains somewhere in western Canada. "Just hear me out, okay? So he's like, the last son Pasiphae ever had, seeing as Minos kind of strangled her to death after she gave birth to him. That means he's younger than Ariadne, who was around Theseus' age, if not a bit younger. And Theseus was like fourteen when he killed him. So that means he was younger than fourteen when he died, and since nothing ages in Tartarus, he's been that age since. And then he got free from Tartarus, and he's been aging in the mortal world for a few years, so he should be around my age. What do you think?"

Phoebe sighed as she tried her best and failed to block out Thalia's rants again. "Thalia, I really think you're missing the point here. His age was never the issue, it's the fact that he's an eight-foot-tall and growing bull monster."

"Yeah? So what?" Thalia snorted. "Most monsters are half-human anyways. I'm half-human. Did you know that Heracles and Echidna fucked an entire race into existence?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Yes, but that's Heracles. Of course he was horny enough to bang a monster, he's the son of Z-" Phoebe caught herself just as she made the mistake, but it was too late. "Oh God damn it."

"A-HA!" Thalia roared triumphantly. "So you admit it! I'm just built different!"

"Not different enough for the fucking Minotaur!" Phoebe snapped. "Are you actually fucking serious right now? He'd rip you in half! Literally!"

"He's a gentle boy!" Thalia insisted vehemently. "Besides, do you even remember how he was conceived?"

"I try not to."

"Well, the point is, his dad was like, the size of a semi-truck or something. There's a way to make it work, trust me."

"I know I shouldn't invoke the name of someone centuries younger than me, but Jesus Christ Thalia." Phoebe groaned. "Also, that only happened because Poseidon was twisted enough to get Aphrodite in on it and curse Pasiphae. No human or Demigod could actually do what she did."

"Hmmm…" Thalia mused. "Do you think Aphrodite takes commissions?"

"Hey!" one of the younger Hunters, an eleven-year-old named Dione, sauntered up to the two older girls at the front of the group. "Whatcha talking about?"

"Gross boy stuff, go away." As the little girl made an exaggerated face of disgust and walked back muttering about 'cooties', Phoebe turned back to Thalia. "Thalia, what I think is that you've been reading too many of those Japanese cartoons."

"It's called hentai." Thalia huffed indignantly. "And it's art."

Cing Krimson's Qringe Korner: Hey hey hey! Guess who's back! I'm done high school, and I immediately crashed after the adrenaline carrying me throughout the entire year gave out. Now I barely have the physical strength to pull myself out of bed!

But enough about me, let's talk about you! Yes, you! Happy America day all of you Americans! And what a wonderful America day it is, to finish off the final chapter of arc 1 on a... hentai joke.

Hm, well. I suppose I could work on delivering tasteful jokes. But oh well, it's fun to write for the lowest common denominator sometimes. I'm under no illusions that my work is somehow some sort of masterpiece. But yeah, enjoy this new, extra-long chapter (relatively speaking compared to the previous ones) and have a lovely evening folks!

Uhhhhh that's all. Watch the Zelda CDI reanimated collab.