Zeus was proud of the children of Castellan. They were good leaders. He could admit if only to himself that if fate had run its course how it was the first time then he would have seen them as a threat. But after talks with his mother and the mortal therapist, he was glad to see their helping hand.
He had better relations with his wife and kids than he had in centuries. The relations that he had with his siblings were better. They had even managed to make sense of the relations between Hades and Persephone and Demeter. [His darling little chaos-bringer could now visit each realm whenever she wanted to. And from what Hermes told him, the underworld had gotten an even bigger upgrade in floral.]
And delegating the tasks freed up a lot of his time. It was why his relationship with Hera improved so much. It gave him a better understanding of why she felt so offended whenever his attraction waned from her.
[But it never did. The attraction and love he felt for the others were as fleeting as the lightning he wields. He controlled the sky and the love he felt for Hera still could not be contained by it. She was his love and his everything. He still tried though. Now that he understood the pain she felt whenever he stepped out on their marriage… whenever he unintentionally mocked her domain and hurt her down to her essence… he was doing his best.]
[He could not believe that Little Malcolm had made her 'The World's Best Grandparent' mug and not him. And she used it for everything!]
But watching them now as they took control of everything. It was a blessing. It gave him a chance to look over the prisons that they already had. Calypso was technically free of her punishment; though she didn't know it. They instead reached out to her to have her teach magick to those that wanted to learn.
Circe was still changing men into guinea pigs in the sea of monsters, but as long as she stayed there then they didn't really care for anything else. Of course, they also gave her the chance to visit Ogygia. She and Calypso had been gossiping forever, exchanging spells and clothes and gossiping.
He turned his attention to the Roman camp as Mars and Juno had already gone down to prepare them for war. They were definitely ahead of Camp Half Blood, but he knew that with the way that the children of Castellan were training them into the mud that they would catch up quickly. The little auger at camp was a little strange, but Apollon was watching him carefully.
[He was confused on how the boy seemed to read their messages through the stuffing of plushies, but he was surprisingly right on more than one occasion. Though Diana and Venus did have to go down to him once and make him understand that his general sleaziness was not to be accepted. He was protective of Jason though and that was all that mattered.]
He turned his head towards the entrance as he could sense his niece making her way up the mountain. She had reports in hand. He wondered if he was the only one to see the way divinity clung to her like a second shadow. It made him wonder why hasn't he tried harder in the other timeline to turn her into a goddess.
Ariadne stepped into the council room and bowed before him. He smiled at her, power flashing as the room shrunk down to her size. She smiled back as she stepped forward to hand him the paperwork that she brought forth.
Castellan was growing rather quickly. She was already drawing up plans to make a mirror version in the ancient lands. If he was being honest, it was only a matter of time before they told her of the roman camp.
[He had the mental note to tell Leto to speak with Apollon about where he placed his markings on the girl. Zeus was not interested in the way that Poseidon looked as if he wanted to castrate him each time she showed up with a fresh bruise.]
He flipped through the paperwork absently, taking note of how her mind seemed to be further away from Olympus. Sitting the papers down, he summoned a small chair for her to sit in.
"What is on your mind," he questioned as he looked at her. She appeared startled by his words before a small smile flickered on her face. "Nothing much, uncle. I am… I am just confused by the weavers. They sent us into the past for what? Their own amusement? They wanted us to put in the work to change the future yet once we started making the moves to do so… they tossed us away to not affect fate? What was the point?"
He could see why that would seem confusing to her but–"It's not that you didn't affect fate because you did. It wasn't a big change that's in your face. It was smaller things. You made us aware and in doing so, we became more self conscious of the choices we made. There were certain events that were unavoidable of course, but there were others that we managed to prevent." He thought of the decisions that they–he would have made if it hadn't been their words of caution. Maybe in some cases the world suffered for the hindsight but it also greatly benefited from it. Just look at Pan… the satyr was resting in Asclepius' hospital as his domain fluctuated. The mortals may not care for global warming, but the gods had taken it all into account. If they destroyed themselves, oh well. The gods were going to survive and start anew. They did it once. They would do it again.
"The burning of the library of Alexandria for one. Apollon managed to save it and instead converted it into Olympus' library. The Salem witch trials came from a daughter of Hades and a son of Hekate that practiced their powers and cursed some villagers. We managed to contain it before it could get too far. And in doing so, the children of Hades at camp half blood are more accepted. Actually, they have a strange alliance with the Demeter cabin that makes their respective parents gag in disgust until their pulverizing other cabins."
The girl giggled at his words and he was suddenly reminded that despite her immortality… she had grown too quickly for her age. Her soul was both young and old. She had to be an adult long before she had to be a child. It reminded him of Thalia… by the ancients, it reminded him of his children [The twins and Athena especially]. It reminded him of he and his siblings.
"The changes you made were small in size but big in impact. So even when we moved to Rome, we were more conscious of our actions than usual. Even the way we interacted with our children was brought under careful consideration."
A flash of something appeared across her features before he remembered just whom he was speaking with. The demigoddesses had carved a place for herself into the hearts of the gods and utilized the full strengths of those around her to her own benefit. There was no telling what information that she had gained from the previously timeline. She was also knowledgeable beyond her years, which could be the influence of Apollon's essence flowing through her veins, and yet they all knew that it was just something within her.
She hummed absently before turning back to the papers he put aside. "You have done well," he told her. "All of you have your own strengths and weaknesses and you've all contributed a lot to improving our world. Do not falter under the faults of the past. The Moirai have made their choices and have a plan they do not see fit to share. But remember that you are blessed by Ananke and Chronos themselves. You all are Fated."
He signed off on the papers, waving his hand for the seats to resume their normal size. His niece stared absently at the floor as she turned at his dismal. Yet as she neared the doors, he called out to her, "Remember your worth, Ariadne. Your priorities are in check, you are very smart, independent, beautiful, and your heart is genuine. Never forget to appreciate yourself seeking the validation of others."
Triton could see how his younger siblings earned the title of the Twin Swords. He had already seen Ariadne in action, but Percy?
The boy was a whirlwind as he tore their best warriors. Each swipe of his sword was given with precision as he hit target after target. He never overshot on his swings. It was hard to believe that he didn't feel comfortable with Stormsurge in his hand as he never let up.
Of course Triton figured that it was mainly because of the fury that powered his moves. The nobles of the royal court had been idiotic enough to infuriate the boy after all. Reports were already coming in about the tsunamis that occurred in the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea in response to his anger.
He couldn't even fault him as he too would have taken offense at the slights. He didn't understand why the nobles thought it was a smart idea to insult the younger's intended as if he hadn't proved the lengths he would go for his loved ones. He understood that they cared nothing for Athena's brat after what she had done… but it was stupid of them to dehumanize the girl in front of him. And she was so polite too!
Still–Percy's anger at the disrespect was distracting and one look from his mother had him pulling the younger away. Training had worked wonders for Kymplomeia to soothe off any anger. His younger sister had been delighted when he brought forth Percy, throwing him at the masses to check and see how far her students had come.
[He would never tell Rhode or Benthesicyme that he preferred their more destructive sibling to them. But the storms that Kymplomeia raged felt like hugs and she had told him plenty of how his presence was as soothing as a silk woven blanket.]
Rhode stepped to his side as they watched their younger brother, "If the court has responded in this way, I wonder how they would react when they finally acknowledged the eventual marriage of Ariadne and Apollon."
"Hold your tongue lest the wandering ears hear you. They barely acknowledge the official courtship," Triton laughed. "You know just as well as I that the nobles would fall to their feet and bang the ground. Just as they had not forgiven Athena… they still curse the sun god's name."
Kymplomeia laughed from where sat above them, "Can you blame them? The man did curse little Orion just for having the same name as the giant that ensnared his sister."
"The same little Orion that followed in the footsteps of his predecessor," Rhode pointed out. The three snickered as Kym stated, "The same little Orion that refused to heed our warnings for if he loved the goddess as he claimed then he would have not made any advances."
"I wonder if Ariadne knows of the curse," Benny questioned. "She doesn't seem like she would accept such cruelty."
"You forget that she has told us that she would have let Arachne kill Annabeth for the simple fact that Percy preferred the other girl to her. Cruelty in the name of their siblings does not exist for them."
"They're perfect for each other," Rhode laughed incredulously. Kym snickered, "A match made in tartarus." The youngest of them then yawned when one of the warriors sailed over their heads. Percy flipped through the air sending two more crashing into a sand dune. Rhode winced when the younger reached out and spun someone away breaking their arm and nose as they hit the walls.
"We should stop that," Benny commented. Triton waved his hand, "No. It's okay. He has a lot of anger to work through."
Hermes wasn't surprised to walk in on the sight of Apollon pressing Ariadne against a wall and trying to stuff his tongue down her throat. He could sense the divinity wafting through the air and could sense that the girl was love drunk off it. She clutched to the elder god tightly.
That was nice and all, but training started ten minutes ago and he didn't know how much longer he could keep the kids entertained.
Hermes coughed loudly, watching as she sprung away from his brother. Apollon gave him an annoyed look that he raised a brow at. "We're supposed to be training."
Ariadne blinked slowly as she came down from the high of it all. Her smile was a little dopey as she turned to him, the blue hue of her eyes darkened considerably. He looked away, as the moments he too had her looking similarly passed through his mind. She nodded once then twice, "Training. Right, yes. Training, okay. Okay."
He passed her water bottle, watching as she chugged the salt water in the same manner that Dionysus drank wine. Apollon looked smitten as he watched her. It was sickening if Hermes was being honest. They were so in love.
Ariadne shook herself once as if to rid her nerves before she was strolling into the training grounds. He wondered if the reason that she asked for him and his brother was to help train? The kids were lined in rows. Some of them looked reasonably nervous and scared.
Ariadne was one of the famed Twin Swords and she was their queen. With one of the Archer Twins at her side, she was even more dangerous.
[He kept mum on himself though he knew that Ariadne would sing him praises that would make Apollon seethe with jealousy.]
Even the mortals stood in the lines wanting whatever training that she would be able to provide. He snickered to himself because he highly doubted that they would be able to keep up. The kids had their inborn reflexes, but it was going to be like teaching a baby how to walk for the mortals.
[But the mortals that stayed in the newly dubbed Valdez Village tended to do well after Annabeth put them through the ringer. Crime rate was at zero. Though that also may be because Ariadne had ordered for the hell pups and hydra cubs that they had been raising free roaming around the kingdom… anyone that vanquished them had to spend time in the dungeons or apparently listen to Annabeth's rants about architecture or Rachel's color theory. (The girls had been offended.)]
"Good," Ariadne smirked. "You're all here." She stood on the small stage above them with Hermes and Apollon standing to her side. "Most of you have lived here for years and have never seen a battle. You've grown up here… you've raised families here. You've trained and survived and lived."
Her brows furrowed with guilt lining her face. "When we brought you here or when you were led here, we promised you a safe haven. We promised to keep you all from being hunted down like animals." She got to her knees and bent down in front of them. "I offer my sincerest apologies for failing to maintain that promise."
One of the older people… one of his own kids, hair shining silver shook their head rapidly. "Stand up, your highness. Off your knees. Up. Up!" Ariadne stared at them with wide confused eyes. "You owe us nothing. You, your brother, your family… we've watched you all work tirelessly to ensure that this was a safe place for us. Look at me; I am 85 years old. I have lived to see my great-grandchildren because you all protected us."
"I wasn't even here for all of that. They shipped me off to Olympus," she mumbled. His child smiled at her, "And you came back healthy and whole. Look at us. Look at the home you have provided us all. You cannot keep danger from getting to us. And unfortunately, you cannot keep evil contained. You've kept us safe and taught us how to survive. Please, do not lose hope. Teach us and those that come after us how to live."
Ariadne blinked once then twice before looking around. The elder generation that stayed in Castellan since they reopened their doors nodded their heads in agreement. Those that had been plucked from war torn countries and harsh living areas. "I—"
"You should listen to them," Hermes told her. She spun around to look at him and he smiled at her as softly as he always did. "You promised to give our kids a better future."
"And then came the day, unlike any other… in a place hidden by time and space," his child atoned from in front of them. One of Apollon's sons stepped forward, "When the Fated pushed against the strings of fate."
A child of Poseidon stepped forward, "The sea." As did a child of Kymplomeia , "The storm." One of Ares' broods appeared, "The bull." Their wife, a child of Athena, stood at their side, "The owl." Another kid of Apollon smiled at their father, "The sun." While one of his disciples stood to the side, "The oracle." A child of Hades that ended up being a grandchild of Demeter emerged into the sunlight, "The shadow." One of Artemis' followers stepped forward, "The archer." One of his daughters shot him a wink, "The thief." As his son hovered in his shoes . "The herald." A son of Demeter nodded his head, "The harvester." And another child of his own, "The psychopompos."
One of Dionysus' kids stepped forward, "To fight foes that no simple demigod could withstand: time-controlling conquerors, cursed soldiers, jotuns of earth, and masters of evil." One of Hephaestus' kids looked up from the sword he was inspecting, "The Fated vanquished them all." Aphrodite's son carefully averted his eyes from the three of them , "And finally, when the world was at peace, the heroes built lives of their own."
Sally Jackson smiled from where she was standing; eyes locked onto Jackjack sitting on the sidelines , "The sea and the owl fell in love as did the bull and herald." May, his sweet May, softly smiled as she gazed out into the kingdom, "The shadow found his light and the thief stole the heart of the harvester." David Beauregard looked between Apollon and Ariadne as the god took her hand in his. "The storm became a gentle breeze as the sun embraced her in her entirety."
Frederick Chase looked disturbed as he looked at little Annie where she sat beside Jackjack as she scolded him for messing with his bandages, "And one by one, the children of the Fated came to be… Children who would one day become a new generation of heroes."
They turned at the sound of Percy entering the field, "But for now, evil lurked within the darkness." He looked at his sister as he made his way closer, "The Titan King and the Crone wanted nothing less than the destruction of the Olympians and all that opposed them." He was still dressed in the royal clothes of Atlantis; hair still swept away from his forehead as his coronet still fastened on his head, "But the Fated stood in their way." The younger twin shrugged, "Thankfully, their defeat was inevitable."
Percy stood with the rest of them in the crowd, looking proudly at his sister, smiling alongside the others, "And as the Fated stood victorious at the hearth of Olympus, they smiled at the world before them and the world smiled back. Because they knew that hope survives best at the hearth."
Ariadne blinked rapidly, speaking something quickly to her brother in amphritian that had the other beings of the sea laughing. The girl shook her head, "Alright. Let's start training for real then. We promised to keep you safe so I'm going to make sure that you have every means possible."
She pulled Percy up to stand with them, "I know most of you are wondering why Apollon and Hermes are here. If you think that you're going to fight them, you're wrong. I'm your opponent. They're here to watch and keep me from going overboard."
Sharing a look with her brother, he moved forward to lead them through some stretches as she headed back up towards her own room.
Hermes watched as she changed out of the flowy gown that she usually wore. She bypassed a few of Apollon's chitons that she loved to lounge around in. The soft oversized clothing that she loved to drown in and convinced him to purchase were skipped over. Instead, she dressed in a sports bra which she then covered in bandages. A pair of tights that fit so well that they seemed painted on. She bypassed shoes instead bandaging her feet. She quickly wrapped her hands.
He was pleased to note that she used the katana that he had commissioned for her. She did a few practice swings, getting used to the weight before she headed back to the training fields.
Percy and Apollon did a double take when they noticed her tying her hair into two buns. It was refreshing as she walked to the middle of the field. He could see her kids watching from their own spots with the others. Her half-siblings? (her siblings since she wasn't born in this timeline and she and Amphitrite fully acknowledge each other as mother and child)… Had come from the sea to watch.
Ariadne did a few stretches as she gestured for the people to surround her, "I'm not going to lie. Percy is definitely better with a sword than I am, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you." She swung the katana a few more times, "When I'm finished with you, the only people around that'll be able to challenge you are the ones in this field right now."
"What about the gods," someone called out in the back. Percy snorted and Ariadne shot him an amused smile. "The gods have been fighting for eternity, kid. Their strength is unlimited and they cannot die."
She faced them once more, moving so swiftly into a position. "Come at me with all you got."
The onlookers paused in shock before Luey sprung up from his seat and swung his sword. She blocked him swiftly and the others took that as a signal to move.
It was easy to see why she and her brother were hailed The Twin Swords. And he was having a hard time believing that if she was this good, then Percy was apparently better if her words were anything to go by.
Ariadne was like a whirlwind as she danced around them all. She blocked every swipe, ducked under some and jumped over others. She moved the katana as if it were nothing but a mere extension. She moved like the element she controlled. Every step was fluid in motion; casually starting the next move as her opponents struggled to catch up with her last.
Percy stood back, laughing to himself as some of them tried to make formations to go against her and she did nothing but push them back. He could see where she got nicked once or twice but Apollon's essence just healed them right over. She smiled as she kicked someone's spear out of their hands, the weapon struck the ground and stuck there. She grabbed onto it, spinning around it like a pole before soaring over their heads. She landed on her feet, attacking once and twice before throwing herself back into the masses.
The line was thinning quickly before Apollon abruptly called for a stop.
Ariadne's sword stopped inches away from Sally Jackson's heart. She stepped back smoothly, eyes flitting up towards her lover. They seemed to have another conversation without words before she walked back to his side.
Hermes squeezed her shoulder when she walked past him, but she reached for his hand and yanked him to her side. She then turned back to the people in front of them, "That is just an inkling of what the world will do to you. The world isn't kind to demigods and monsters even less. Percy, can you split them off into groups and we'll see what we can work on."
Her brother gave her a nod, not paying attention to the nervous glances being sent his way as the others stumbled to their feet. Ariadne smiled lightly she took it all in.
NOTES: Ariadne, learning how to fight from the gods: Percy is better than me.
everybody at percy afterwards: O_O
Ariadne at any chance: Percy is the best person ever. I love him very much and I will destroy you if you look at him wrong.
i just realized that this was at 24 parts and we've only made it past TLT. this chapter is kind of fillerish because i just want to emphasize that they're not putting their lives on hold because the war is kickstarting.