CHAPTER SUMMARY
Percy saves his family. The Grangers settle into the Burrow. The questers arrive at New Arcadia.
BEGINNING NOTES
Chapter Rating: General Audiences
Content Warning: Violence (mild)
Word Count: 3890
To answer your question, no I don't know why this is the second Star Wars reference in a month. I don't even like the movies that much. It just... happened.
And all the characters are owned by JK Rowling, or Rick Riordan.
Credits at the end.
_PERCY_
The Ares cabin basement was the definition of an armory. Every piece of equipment any of his children owned hung on the walls; so many items crowded the walls that Percy could only make out the blood-red paint in a few places. The metal floor hurt to sit on, but at least the Greek fire lanterns wouldn't go out no matter what happened to the power.
Percy didn't have time to appreciate the architectural design, though. He just woke from a nightmare and was ready to punch the Lord of the Sky in his stupid, immortal nose.
"Are you crazy?!" Rachel hissed. "Zeus will kill you if you step foot upstairs!"
"He's trying to kill my family! They're in that tornado trying to fight off a gargoyle! Am I supposed to sit here and do nothing?!"
Hazel was on the same page as Percy. "I'll go with you. Jupiter can't get away with this after what he did to Leo."
"Fine," Rachel said, and stood. She raised her eyebrows at Percy's bewildered stare. "For all I know, Jason, Piper, Leo, and Calypso never made it to the Big House, and all our other friends are dead. I'm not going to sit here worrying about you two too. Besides, there are ancient laws against killing the Oracle, which means Zeus can't kill you if I'm close enough to get hurt."
Percy didn't like the idea of using her as a life jacket, but his parents were out there. Two innocent followers of Hecate were out there. Annabeth was out there. "Fine. Let's go."
Rachel took both of their hands, and they climbed out. Immediately, Zeus slapped him in the face with harsh winds. "They're by the Golden Fleece!" Percy shouted. It was a miracle the others heard.
Rachel's grip tightened on his hand. Her head snapped forward and- Percy knew something happened, but it went too quickly for him to see.
"Rachel?" he shouted over the winds.
Rachel heaved. "Delphi is restless. Nico left without a prophecy, and I know I have one for him. It's uncomfortable, but when they come back everything will be okay. I can't give a prophecy after they complete their quest."
"Has this happened before?" Percy asked her.
"No-but-Percy, we need to get your family and get out of here! This can wait!"
She pulled them further into the storm. It was like running through molasses. They made it past the flying debris and found the Fleece violently ripping back and forth, somehow still fastened to its tree. Peleus the dragon was nowhere to be seen.
"Wait!" Percy cried. "The Fleece has healing properties, right? We can use it to save Leo!"
"I'll get it!" Hazel shouted. "Jupiter and Pluto hate each other less than Zeus and Poseidon. I have a better chance!" She braced herself, then let go of Rachel's hand and hoisted herself up into the tree. She unfastened the Fleece from its perch while dozens of objects flew at her. "I got it!" She held up her prize for all to see.
A bolt of lightning hit the tree, and it came crashing to the ground. Percy and Rachel ran to the smoking mass. The two of them ripped branch after branch apart, trying to dig Hazel out from under. "I see gold!" Rachel shouted. Percy dug where she pointed and, yes, the Fleece was there. "Hazel?! Can you hear us?!"
"M'okay! The Fleece healed me!" They pulled a bleeding Hazel out from under the tree. She'd wrapped her chest and head with the Fleece to protect her vital organs. She tried to stand, but her legs were broken. Rachel tied the Fleece around Hazel's waist like a towel, and Hazel sighed in relief. "I'm good," she reassured them.
Percy heard his mom scream. He sprinted to its source with his friends right beside him. His parents, Blaise, and Hestia cowered in front of a mangled, fallen tree as a gargoyle swiped at them again and again. The few times they had an opening, they threw rocks and shot spells, but nothing was working. All five of them were injured.
Percy drew Riptide. Hazel held him back, concentrated for a moment, then smiled. "I'm covering us with the Mist."
Percy grinned. "Hecate helped us for once."
When the gargoyle dove down again, Percy slashed its hands off. It screamed in pain, screams that increased in volume as Riptide tore it limb from limb. One last jab and the monster met its end.
"Big House! Now!" Rachel shouted. "I, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, give you permission to enter the camp!"
His parents and the followers of Hecate passed through the border. As they ran, hundreds of branches, rocks, and dead wildlife hit their arms, legs, and faces, trying to knock them down. They jumped over more than one fallen trunk, some on fire from a lightning strike. Finally, they reached the Big House porch and made their way into its crowded basement.
They opened the door. Forty campers looked up in unison, all with varying degrees of shock. "Hazel!" Frank shouted. Hazel ran into his waiting arms, sobbing in relief. Percy saw Jason, Piper, Will, and Calypso sat in the corner. Leo lay bleeding between them.
"You have to heal Hazel's legs," Percy told Will. "We can give the Fleece to Leo, but she got hurt pretty bad." Will beckoned her over. She untied the Fleece from her waist and gave it to Calypso, who threw it over Leo. Hazel shuddered as Will got to work.
Leo opened his eyes. Everyone held their breath. "I saw Lou Ellen, Grover, and Reyna run into the Hephaestus Cabin," he croaked once he was strong enough. "Last time I checked, they were alive."
Percy should've breathed a sigh of relief. His family was safe. All his friends were alive and accounted for. There was only one person missing.
Annabeth.
_NICO_
Even though it was the middle of winter, Ceres' domain was unaffected. Of course it was, since winter was the goddess's annual tantrum. Why should she harm herself? No, she only wanted to starve a few billion mortals, no big deal. He shouldn't complain, though. After running through a blizzard for sixteen hours straight, eighty degrees and a clear, blue sky were welcoming indeed.
The palace sat in the center of New Arcadia, surrounded on all sides by vast crop fields. A wide river separated the land into sections designated for different crops. Countless varieties grew in acre-wide squares. One-lane bridges connected the sections, each with a sign specifying if it was the cucumber part, the barley part, etcetera. Crops were watered by a sophisticated irrigation system stemming from the river, and fertilized by its regular flooding. Nymphs, satyrs, minor gods, and adult demigods-probably her children-were hard at work planting, maintaining, and harvesting the crops. Nico and the others walked down the long, dirt road to the palace, occasionally jumping out of the way of an incoming tractor or bulldozer.
They were in the tomato section now. It had been so long since Nico ate; it took too much willpower to resist the crops, but Ceres would know if anything was missing. He wouldn't die the way Bianca did. That would be too cruel.
It took another hour for them to reach the palace. It was ten stories high and made of clay bricks, built into a huge mountain and under the enormous waterfall that fed the river. Water mist rose from the waterfall, glazing the clay so it glistened in the sun. Beams of smooth river stones held the clay bricks in place. The roof, doors, and window shutters were made of grass woven so tightly that they looked like they could hold against an iron cannonball. It was too simple to be the stuff of nightmares, but, for Nico, it certainly was.
When Alastor poisoned him, Nico felt the pain of the Styx and the anxiety attack of alihotsy set in, then the dreamy whisper of the Draught of the Living Dead lulled him into a Cocytus-fueled trip to Tartarus. In his last moments of consciousness, he assumed he'd die, right then, right there, like he knew he would from the beginning.
But here he was, at the door of the palace, frozen in fear in front of a woven grass door. "Okay, let's go," he squeaked to his questmates. His feet turned to lead with each step closer to his demise.
They walked into a crowded reception hall. Nico caught Thalia's eye, silently asking what their next step should be. Persephone may have requested Nico to go on this quest, but Thalia came out as the de facto leader. Yesterday, he would've resented her for it. But Thalia was different than the other Hunters. She was hot-headed and arrogant, but also tough and courageous. He'd come to respect her and the tight ship she ran. It didn't matter that he was a boy, as long as he kept his temper under control and didn't get in her way, they were cool.
"Why don't we try the front?" Thalia offered.
"Is that such a good idea?" Ianthe asked. "We're traveling with a son of an enemy. I don't think Ceres will give us an easy time."
"Ex. Son." Nico corrected through gritted teeth. "How many times do I have to tell you-"
"We can get ourselves out of a fight," Thalia reasoned, cutting him off. She shot him a warning glance. "Ianthe, I get what you're saying, but let's try the front door. Her daughter sent us. Ceres might want to hear what we have to say."
"I agree with Ianthe," Alabaster said. Ianthe looked scandalized. "Why don't Nico and I go in alone? If something goes wrong, we'll have you three as back-up."
If anyone had a better idea, they didn't speak up. So, the two of them went to the receptionist, a Native American woman in her forties with a pixie cut and a grass green dress. "Hello, how may I help you?" she chirped.
"We'd like to speak to Ceres," Alabaster replied. "Proserpine send us."
The woman hit a few buttons on her computer. "Ah, Nico di Angelo, I presume?" She folded her computer into tablet mode and stood from the desk. "I'm Dea Dia, Roman goddess of fertility and Lady Ceres' personal assistant. It would be my honor to show you around the palace."
"Ma'am we don't have time-" Dea Dia waved Alabaster's complaint away.
Another woman stepped behind the table. Dea Dia started down a hallway made of windows, her heels clicking with each step. "Come along!"
They reluctantly followed her into the first room. Huge machines groaned and whistled, connected by a network of pipes hooked up to the river. "As you can see, we have a state-of-the-art filtration system. I'm sure you saw our irrigation and flooding networks on your way here. This is where that water comes from. We take from the river, clean it, then transport it to the dam on the roof. The dam provides us with electricity and lets us control the the river. Here at New Arcadia, we pride ourselves on the freshest of crops, and you can't grow anything without pitch-perfect soil!"
They turned the corner. Now forklifts drove behind a glass window, transporting stacks of crates down a tunnel. "The basement holds our distillery. The tastiest liquor you will ever drink, made from the finest of ingredients! All home grown, you know. While we specialize in grain-based drinks such as beer and whiskey, Olympus asked us to produce wine until Bacchus's ban ran out. New Arcadia gladly stepped up to the challenge."
It went on like that for some time. Dea Dia showed them compost piles, washing stations, manufacturing conveyor belts, the juicing room. Nico checked his iPod: 4:02 PM. They only had until 4:28. "Ma'am!" Nico yelled, cutting Dea Dia off. "Believe me, my life would be nothing without carrot juice, but Ceres is going to go to Olympus in twenty minutes. We have to speak with her before sundown!"
Dea Dia stopped walking. Her back was to them, but Nico saw her tighten her grip on her tablet. "Right this way."
It took five minutes they didn't have to get to the throne room, all while Dea Dia stalled. "We usually focus on grains in the winter since Karpophoroi join together in the spring. Things do go quite faster when Despoina Proserpine is here to help us." Dea Dia giggled. "I suppose we must call her Despoina Fanous Proserpine now. Such a loss, when Fanous faded, but there was no greater goddess to absorb his duties." They stopped before a door towering three-stories high. "Ah, here we are. Go on in, Lady Ceres is expecting you."
_RON_
Ron and his siblings spent the entire day converting their attic into a makeshift apartment for Hermione and her family. It was hard work, especially for him and Ginny since they couldn't use magic, but the place turned out decent enough. Percy earned Ron's begrudging respect by transfiguring some of their junk into four queen-sized mattresses for the eight Grangers to share. It was complex magic; he forgot how good his... ugh, brother was at that sort of thing.
They used some old Hogwarts trunks to store their clothes. Despite Mum's protests that a guest shouldn't work, Fleur insisted on traveling back to the ski lodge to collect the Granger's belongings. She wanted to go to their houses too, but Merlin had only connected the ski lodge to the Floo Network, and it was too risky to apparate into predominantly muggle neighborhoods.
After a meal, wash, and fresh clothes, the Grangers were in much better shape. Hermione's extended family was still in shock about the existence of wizards, but they were grateful for the hospitality.
Ron felt sorry for Hermione at dinner. When all eighteen occupants of the Weasley household were finally together, the storm became a key topic of conversation. She was bombarded with questions she couldn't answer without revealing the Greek gods' existence. And that was a conversation neither of them wanted to have.
"How did you know the snow was enchanted, Hermione?" Percy asked over Mum's best potato stew.
"Oh! Er... I read about the way some Death Eaters targeted Muggles when You-Know-Who was in power, and the storm had all the hallmarks."
"I'm with my daughter on this one," Mrs. Granger said. "Scientists are baffled with the weather. I should've guessed it was magic, but that isn't usually the first thing that crosses my mind."
"Magic..." Tanisha mumbled. Ron's heart went out to her
"D'you think Death Eaters did it?" Bill asked.
"I have no idea," Hermione admitted. "I put it together when, erm, my friend Annabeth-the exchange student, from King's Cross?-warned me. She said... that the same thing happened to her in New York, and she didn't want me getting hurt."
" 'ow did she know zat you were in New 'ampshire?" Fleur asked.
"I ran into her at JFK. Nico's friends Blaise and Hestia were on my flight, and she went to pick them up. We left Hogwarts together. That's how I got Harry's belongings, Annabeth gave them to me. They ended up with Nico after the... incident."
Hermione's aunt stood. "Well, I'm stuffed. Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, for your hospitality. I think I'll turn in. It's been an ordeal." Ron thanked the gods-dinner was over.
Percy followed Hermione and he back to his room after they finished dinner. "You don't think Death Eaters caused the storm, do you, Hermione?"
"She doesn't know!" Ron snapped. "I thought you left all that You-Know-Who stuff behind when you came home!"
"I forgave you for going against common sense, and realized I was an idiot for making rumors come between us, but you have to be deluded to think-"
"Why are you obsessed with You-Know-Who?!" Ron shouted. "Don't you see all that talk ruined our lives?! Could you stop your power grab for one minute and look at what you're doing?! You're a selfish git, and you're lucky Mum and Dad forgave you, but the rest of us can't! Now get lost! I want time with my girlfriend without you breathing down our necks!"
Percy was red in the face. "You sound like those idiots organizing that protest tomorrow!"
"She tortured Harry. We both saw it with our own eyes." Ron and Percy turned to Hermione. Neither Ron nor Percy had expected her to say anything, but there she was, as serious as Ron had ever seen her. "We are going to that protest, for him. Right Ron?"
"She..." Percy turned stark white. Hermione had given him his much needed wake-up call.
"I'm with you, Hermione," Ron declared.
He could hardly believe it when Percy said, "Me too."
_NICO_
Ceres' throne room was small and cozy compared to Hades'. Three thrones sat on a clay platform in the center of the room: the one on the left was made of woven wheat stalks, like a straw hat, the one on the right was wooden, with flowers blooming on its surface and fruit clinging to its sides, and in the center was the largest throne, made of soil and tangled roots, so it looked like it grew out of the ground. Behind them, windows showed the fields, and the setting sun cast the thrones in an orange halo. A sundial kept time in the center of the room. A woven grass carpet separated their feet from the dirt floor.
Ceres sat on the root throne, and an old man sat in the straw one. The wooden throne, Persephone's throne, was empty.
Ceres was a stern woman in her late fifties. She had the same tanned skin as Persephone, but brown eyes, not glowing hazel. Her brown hair had some grey in it; it was held off her shoulders by a Roman headdress made of woven grass. She wore a dress the color of golden wheat and a belt of more woven grass. On her feet were moccasins, sprouting with roots. Criss-crossing strands of yet more woven grass lined her arms and legs like really long bracelets. On her finger was a ring made of clay, glazed a million colors, so it looked tye-dyed.
"My husband, Triptolemus. He sheltered me in his home as I looked for my beloved Proserpine," Ceres said, motioning to the man on her left: your typical farmer with curly black hair, straw hat, and suntanned skin. He wore jeans and denim shirt. He had a kinder face than his wife's, but that wasn't exactly hard.
"I know," Nico growled. "We've met."
Ceres raised her eyebrows at her husband. "I turned him into a corn plant," he said.
"Then why is he still here?"
"I turned him back."
Alabaster whispered to Nico, "Why do nature gods like turning you into plants?"
"If I knew, it wouldn't happen anymore."
Triptolemus whistled. A flash of brown made Nico and Alabaster duck. "Say hello, Picus," Triptolemus said to a woodpecker perched on his shoulder. Picus chirped. "The Roman god of crops. That is, until Circe turned him into a woodpecker for all eternity."
"Kore will break the spell," Ceres snapped, " Fanous Proserpine, you know. Couldn't be more proud."
"Kore?" Alabaster asked.
"Another name for Persephone," Triptolemus explained. "Kore, the vegetation goddess. Persephone becomes Kore when she ascends from the Underworld."
"Trapped in the darkness!" Ceres wailed. "That good-for-nothing god stole my daughter, stole her name! Proserpine, Queen of the Underworld they call her! Kore is mine!"
"Ignore her," Triptolemus advised. "She's always tense during the winter harvest. Most difficult without Karpophoroi together."
Alabaster furrowed his eyebrows. "Karpophoroi? Dea Dia used that word too."
"A Roman demigod?" Triptolemus deduced. "The name Arcadia gave its patron goddesses. Demeter and Persephone, the bringers of fruit!"
"Persephone, Queen of the Underworld, Despoina, Karpophoroi, Pan, Fanous, Kore... how many names does Proserpine have?" Alabaster asked.
"That's what happens when a monster kidnaps you!" Ceres snarled. "My daughter is stretched thin because of him! Always pale and exhausted with so much to do! She should be here, with me, in New Arcadia, ripening the orchards!" She slammed her fists on the arms of her throne and shot up, glaring at Nico. "And YOU! Sent here on your father's orders! You tell Pluto and every ghost in that disgusting land that no, I will NOT stop this trial!"
Triptolemus took her arm and guided her to sit back down. "This stress is no good for your heart, remember what Apollo said."
Ceres' eyes never left Nico. "A mother would do anything to protect her child. Of course, you wouldn't know that."
Alabaster held Nico back from pummeling the goddess. "Let me do the talking." Nico huffed. "Lady Ceres, Proserpine sent us, not Pluto," Alabaster said.
Ceres rolled her eyes. "Of course you would say that. Why would Proserpine want me to stop?"
Nico couldn't help but butt in. "She doesn't want you to stop! These were her exact words: 'I want you to travel to Ceres' palace and convince her to delay the trial!"
"That sounds like Persephone," Triptolemus mused. "And Picus hasn't attacked, which means he speaks the truth."
"Yes, yes." Ceres checked the sundial. "You have ten minutes before I return to Olympus. Delaying the trial will also help Pluto. Tell me, why should I help the god who kidnapped my daughter?"
"My mother needs you since she can't speak to the council against a major god," Alabaster explained. "You're the one accusing Hades, not her, meaning you'll bear all the blame. Proserpine is Queen of the Underworld, no matter what you think about that. She's infused with her domain, compelled to act righteous and fair. She wants to save you from dishonor. You will prevail because you have a strong case. Give Hades time to make his. When you beat him fair-and-square, you'll have your daughter back without ruining your reputation. You're a Roman goddess. Honor is everything to Rome."
Nico glanced down at his iPod. Thirty seconds... twenty... ten...
"She's right, of course, my beloved Proserpine. I will delay the trial until January first."
That was too easy... almost like she was always going to do it.
"Al! It's a trap!"
Nico was too late. A dozen gods ran into the throne room, surrounded Nico, and grabbed him before he had any time to react. As he was manhandled, he caught a glimpse of Dea Dia's smile from the doorway. She winked at Nico, then turned on her heel and walked off.
Ceres transformed into Demeter, with her green eyes, golden sundress, blonde hair, and wheat headband. She smiled at the struggling Nico, watching Alabaster with sadistic glee as he tried to fight his way into the crowd and save his friend. "Until I return, Alabaster, you'll stay as my honored guest. As for that one... let's see how Hades likes losing a child."
Nico fought and kicked, but it was too many against one. He was carried out of the throne room and down twisting hallways, too far for Alabaster to possibly find, much less follow. He struggled harder, but it was no use. His attackers threw him straight into the stone wall of a dungeon cell and locked it shut.
For the second time that day, Nico fell unconscious.
END NOTES
That is a legitimate question, Alabaster. Nico was canonically turned into a plant by two different gods. You'd think at this point he would invest in some pesticides to ward off potential garden gods. (Also Persephone has more names than just those why does she have so many?!)
Technically Picus only specialized in crops and was a fertility god (so the god of ripening crops, basically) but I have a 4,000 word limit and this one's almost 4,000. So, I simplified.
SOURCES:
thaliatook
Wikipedia /wiki/Dea_Dia
Wikipedia wiki/Persephone#Titles_and_functions
God Checker /PICUS
No beta commentary this chapter :/ I couldn't find one that didn't have spoilers.
Credits:
Melody Rose - Author (Tumblr melody0rose)
Oli - Beta Reader (Tumblr paradoxicalpsychic)
Suhalia - Beta Reader (Archive Of Our Own users/milkandtahoney/)
Please comment so I know what you think! See you tomorrow!