Annabeth
Nyx didn't seem happy to see her daughter either.
Many parents and their children have problems. Disagreements. Even hatred. Annabeth was only able to reconcile with her father five years after she ran away from her home.
But Nyx and Hemera were something completely different.
It is almost redundant to explain why Day and Night would be opposites. Night gave birth to Day, but according to the stories they from the first look on one another could not stand the other's presence. Annabeth could see that these were not just stories.
Nyx was standing in front of her, Jason and Piper, pointing her dagger at Hemera, who didn't look very impressed. Day was wearing a stunning dress, gold and blue. Her hair was blonde and flowing. She emanated so much light that Annabeth had to narrow her eyes to even have a glimpse of her.
"I haven't felt such darkness in the world since you and Uncle Erebos... I won't even go on about that, that day was like a horror movie" Nyx seemed to blush slightly, and Annabeth felt both disgust and curiosity at the same time "What do you think you're doing here again? I thought you liked that disgusting pit."
"I didn't like the pit, dear child. Much to the contrary" replied Nyx, her posture as this dark force of nature made Annabeth get goosebumps, but it was comforting enough that this anger was not directed at her as it was in Tartarus. "I had my own realm, but then, your dear uncle decided to kick me out of there so your aunt could slaughter me."
Hemera looked distressed. The light emanating from her failed for a moment.
"Sure, he gets tired of you and the responsibility is mine!" exclaimed Day, and the light intensified so much that the demigods had to cover their eyes. Nyx rolled her own eyes and waved a hand in the direction of the three, who now had a shadowy aura around them that allowed Annabeth, Jason and Piper to look at Hemera without being blinded. "Since Ouranos was killed, that's always what happens. You causing me trouble, and that psychopath giving everyone trouble!"
"I'm just helping my dear friends." she pointed in the direction of the three. Annabeth was flattered to be called a friend by Night herself, but she wondered how true that was. "To keep the... psychopath, as you said, from waking up. You know very well that interference laws don't really apply to us, after all you wouldn't even be here if that was the case, shiny. Since when you have any authority in the Earth?"
Hemera looked furious at being called by that nickname, and she gave the demigods a malicious look. Annabeth instinctively backed away, Day's presence was almost as intimidating as Nyx's.
Mother Night seemed to notice the look Hemera gave them.
"Lay one finger on them," Nyx threatened, "and I promise I will make the murder of Ouranos look like a joke."
Annabeth could sense honesty in Night's words. She really was willing to protect them from her own daughter. It was a big change in attitude compared to the first meeting she had with Nyx, but that seemed like the distant past. Nyx positioned herself in front of them, making everything darker for the three of them. Still, a few rays of light from Day penetrated the barrier of darkness.
"My problem is not with them, I assure you. My problem is with you. I've wanted to do this for so long." Hemera's tone was cold as a glacier, cutting as sharp as a knife. "Why does the night exist anyway? Don't tell me those demigods weren't afraid of you, mother. I could hear that one over there," Hemera referred to Annabeth, who shuddered as she looked into Day's extremely golden eyes. Annabeth had stared into golden eyes before, when Kronos had possessed Luke, but these were different. They were like two miniatures of the sun. The eyes themselves emanated light. They were not like Kronos', which were an evil gold. Still, Annabeth felt very threatened. "Saying my name when you confronted her at the pit. Even your supposed "friend" knows how much better I truly am. The day is when everything gets better. Everyone is at peace, happy, the Sun shines. Night just brings chaos and fear. And not chaos that would make the creator happy. People are afraid of the dark. I can't let you live to keep this madness. I thank Tartarus for giving me this opportunity. I'm tired of just arguing with you for millennia. This needs to end today."
Hemera then conjured a sword. Like everything related to her, this sword also emanated light from its blade. It was made of a white material, but very different from the drakon-bone sword that Damasen had given Annabeth. She wondered if there was any chance that this sword was made of clouds. Hemera seemed to read Annabeth's mind.
"That sword was created by Chaos itself. You know that sword, don't you, Mother?"
"Of course. I gave it to you." Nyx spoke dryly. She looked apprehensive but did not seem to cower.
A dark aura more powerful than any Annabeth had ever felt enveloped Night. Within seconds she was wearing armor that was the darkest thing Annabeth had ever seen. But apparently that was something that was going to happen a lot in Nyx's presence, to find that there was always something darker.
If Nyx stays with them.
Hemera glanced disdainfully at her mother, and with a giant flash, she too was wearing armor, which appeared to be of the same material as the sword she carried. It would be no surprise to say that it was the brightest thing Annabeth had ever seen, so much so that even Night's protection couldn't stop the rays of light from nearly blinding her, Piper, and Jason. They all covered their eyes again.
Nyx turned around, her purple-black eyes emitting various emotions. Fear, anger, regret, but mostly concern. Annabeth was not a super expert at identifying emotions but she was clearly worried about them. Annabeth now realized how Mother Night's eyes were like a nebula.
"Jason. You can fly. Take them out of here. You won't have time after..." she didn't finish speaking. But all three of them understood, get busy running or get busy dying.
"And Annabeth," she looked directly at Athena's daughter, "keep in your mind that I know very well how you feel about night and day. And I assure you that the night will always be with you. With all of you. Go!"
Jason did not hesitate to call the winds. He held Piper and Annabeth and the three of them quickly left there, heading for the Argo II.
Piper had her eyes teary.
"Have you sympathized with her that much?" asked Jason to his girlfriend. But Annabeth knew he liked Nyx a lot too.
"I can identify the truth in a person's speech. Even if it is a primordial. I hope she survives. She is our hope to defeat Gaea."
Annabeth couldn't argue with that. The daughter of wisdom remembered Clytius words at the House of Hades, "It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you
do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes?" Sure, the world would end to storm or fire, but the means to get to it were getting harder and harder. Nyx was their hope. She wished she could just go back to the deck of the Argo II and watch her conjuring more and more sandwiches for Leo, talking about the mist with Hazel, and with her and Percy about anything. Annabeth hadn't noticed how close Nyx had become to everyone. Even though she had been with them for less than two days, it was as if she had been with them since San Francisco.
A woman's scream cut through the calm on the island of Ithaca. Not a cry of pain, but a cry of war.
And that was when it happened.
Annabeth had seen many battles.
Thalia and Luke killing monsters. Artemis fighting Atlas after lifting the sky, along with Zoë and Percy. Percy himself in his countless battles that she had accompanied him in. The Labyrinth. Manhattan. Olympus. All of the warriors that she met, Jason, Frank, Nico, Piper, Reyna, Clarisse, Hazel, Bob, Damasen, all of them performing at extraordinary levels.
But nothing was ever like this.
The sky couldn't make up its mind on how it was going to look. Even though it was about 3:30 in the afternoon, night and day were fighting for the spot at the top. For milliseconds, it was bright, and for the next few moments, darkness would take over. And this process went on and on every moment, in a period of time shorter than the blink of an eye. These sudden changes affected Annabeth at the depths of her being. It was the most majestic and frightening thing the daughter of Athena had ever seen. She felt unworthy to see a clash of such ancient beings, the ones who actually represented the environment. The Olympians and lesser gods claimed titles, but few of them there were the embodiment of their domain. Nyx and Hemera were day and night themselves, not just immortals who represented day and night.
Annabeth could almost hear the swords of mother and daughter clashing, sending shock waves that made everything tremble. Gaea was not going to be happy if she was destroyed before she woke up.
Unfortunately, Jason seemed to lose control of the flight. Annabeth could also feel, somehow, the winds refusing to be controlled. They would only respond to two beings. Everything would only respond to day and night.
Fortunately, they landed face down on the solid wood deck of the Argo II. Maybe it wasn't so fortunate, but it was better than dying in mid-air.
Percy ran to Annabeth, who had fallen under Piper.
"What the Hades is going on?!" he pointed to the sky, which still continued to change furiously. Nothing could stop that conflict.
Annabeth couldn't speak. Jason and Piper ditto. They could if they wanted to, but there was nothing to talk about. It was obvious. Day and Night were confronting each other, perhaps for the last time.
Without saying anything, she just kissed Percy and pulled him to the table Nyx had conjured up in the first night. Frank and Hazel were already there, apparently they had come to the same conclusion as Annabeth. Nothing could stop this.
The seven of them gathered, Leo and Percy still confused but slowly enjoying the "show". All of them stood in silence.
Annabeth felt many things at this sight. But fear was not one of them. She knew that the night was protecting them.
...
Nyx watched Jason, Piper and Annabeth fly away. She was glad that her new friends would be safe. She would not forgive herself if anything happened to them because of her undoings.
"Ridiculous."
Nyx turned around, and Hemera had a wicked smile on her face.
"Don't you understand that their world is not ours? Our era ended millennia ago."
"Perhaps. But I am willing to make changes. Unlike you, who stays with a clouded heart."
Hemera just laughed, looking amused.
"You really are delusional. Soon you will be keeping Ouranos company. I can see why Erebos left you. You became nothing but a crazy egotistical brat."
She didn't felt insulted, because that was kind of what happened. But what really hurt was her talking about her husband.
"Bring it on." Nyx gritted her teeth and roared, setting off on her daughter. She knew there was no turning back from there.
Hemera looked surprised, but managed to stop her mother's dagger from slitting her throat. She pushed Nyx away, who came to a stop a few feet away.
"You haven't fought in ages, old lady," sneered Hemera. "That is, if you knew how to fight before."
Nyx knew that Hemera was not afraid of the dark. She wasn't going to win this by intimidating Day herself.
She remembered her duels and training with Erebos. Her husband. Who she hadn't seen in millennia. She couldn't help but remember all the good times. A tear ran down her face. But she didn't let it affect her. She concentrated, and what he had taught her came to her mind.
Hemera tried a blow from above. She conjured a shield made of her own shadows. Completely impenetrable.
Day gritted her teeth and tried from below, and again Nyx blocked, impassive.
Hemera was annoyed. There was no way that old woman could fight that well. She went for the top, and Nyx cushioned all the blows that were aimed at her. Night could feel the shock waves with each time the swords connected, which were probably felt everywhere.
The two continued their battle relentlessly, neither showing any signs of fatigue. Nyx dodged a blow that aimed to cut her in half, and launched shadow beams towards Hemera, who was hit by one of them. Nyx almost instantly felt her immortal heart clench.
Hemera lay on the ground, still holding the sword, her armor was damaged from Night's attacks.
Without saying a word, she stood up, hatred in her burning eyes. Nyx was startled by this. Not at Hemera's power or presence. But by such a big amount of hate in her eyes. She reminded her of Eris. Nyx had never seen so much hatred in a being as pure as Hemera was.
Day attacked fiercely. Nyx couldn't keep up now. Something inside her would not allow her to defend herself.
In between swings, Night remembered Hemera's birth.
Nyx had asked Chaos itself for a daughter of her own. She had expected someone like her, dark, to say the least. But the creator had other plans. The child from the first second of her existence emanated light. Nyx was fascinated. She loved her at the very moment she saw her.
She saw the moments flashing through her mind. When her, Ouranos, and Hemera laughed at Gaea and the titans from above. When Hemera confessed that she had a crush on Helios for a few hundred years. When she gave her the sword as a gift. The sword that her daughter now used to try to cease her mother's existence. She remembered the words of the creator. "Remember your family."
Nyx had forgotten her family. Erebos was gone. She did not know if he faded, but she never actually cared until recently. The guilt burned in her throat.
She had created a rivalry with her own daughter. Her own ego and pride made her create a hate against light. She had forgotten that the dark isn't supposed to only frighten, but to be bring calm and focus many times.
She was still repelling blows, but with all the misery she was thinking about, she ended up hesitating. Damn you, Akhlys.
Hemera, on the other hand, remained firm, and with a certain blow, she struck Nyx in the region of the abdomen. The armor began to crack. Not only by the blows, but by the Night's willpower ceasing.
The next blow Day delivered pierced Mother Night in her stomach.
Nyx coughed ichor and cried in pain. She was strong. She would resist. If she wanted to, of course. But she wasn't sure she wanted to resist that.
Hemera didn't utter a single word. She just pulled out her sword with a jerk. Nyx fell backwards.
She looked at the cracked dome of Odysseus' palace. She remembered the fun she had a few minutes ago. Would she join the ghouls at the pit? Tartarus would not be happy. Would she fade?
She remembered her new friends. She would not abandon Percy and Annabeth like this. She knew that Gaea would be almost impossible to fight. She couldn't leave Percy and Annabeth. Neither she could leave Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel or Leo. They needed her. And she needed them more than ever.
She started to get up. The pain was excruciating, and she once again screamed in pain. A piece of her had been ripped out, literally.
"Why do you still try?" asked Hemera, her sword poised on her shoulder.
Nyx once again coughed ichor as she stood up. Hemera couldn't sense what was happening.
"I have the willpower to try."
"You are a fool. I don't know how the creator tasked you with such a big responsibility."
Nyx stood up with difficulty. She felt the nebula in her eyes spinning, the whirlpool building up inside her.
"What do you know about Chaos, for you to talk so much about it? Nothing. Perhaps the fool is one who underestimates her opponents, my beloved daughter. Know that the first hour of the day is always covered by the dark. As well as the last. You may take my place for a few hours, but I always return." Nyx did not look as if she had been impaled just a few moments ago. She began to levitate. From her back, her black wings emerged. The world went dark as never seen before. Hemera tried to conjure light, but something stopped her. That had never happened before.
"What are you doing?" questioned Day, her voice trembling.
"Making sure that my place is respected. It has been said that a mother's love can destroy the world. And I agree. I love you, Hemera, but this madness must stop. NOW!"
Nyx's voice came out amplified, as if on a megaphone. Hemera dropped the sword. She had not anticipated this.
"M-mot..." Hemera pleaded, but before she could complete whatever she was tring to say, the world exploded.
...
The seven were completely shocked.
Odysseus' palace no longer existed.
No ruins remained.
The top of the island was nonexistent.
The explosion shook off the world and left their ears ringing. Black fire was all over the island.
The Argo II, however, was completely fine. It was as if nothing had happened. The seven had come out of the "trance" that they were when watching the struggle of day against night, but before anyone could speak a word, a being appeared at the head of the table, carrying a child in her arms.
"I think I owe you all an explanation." Night said promptly, stroking Day's hair.