I hate how Rick portrayed Persephone... so I may be making her a tad OC ish, but she is freaking Queen, a ruler, why is she never portrayed as acting on it? I think she is one of his worst portrayals really.

Also, I am basing the whole Champion/Patron Relationship based on Hera from myth and how she helped Jason... also on how Hades helps Nico. I mean the kid got a Zombie, a blade, and a ring. Percy got a fountain and Riptide. I think the gods can do more than they say, but choose not to... But I think their gifts are more about how you go about things, instead of bombarding them with gifts. Tools vs the means.

Three months ago- The day after the Empousa attacked.

"Vide praeter velum!" Aaron muttered, focusing hard as he cast his first intentional spell as he looked into a busy sidewalk. The magic took instant effect, his lifeforce naturally ebbed as his new grimoire mentioned and he felt weaker. His vision shimmered like heat off of the summer road and suddenly he felt a strain in his eyes. He saw colors dancing around everyone that passed by. Some were purple, his grimoire said that was a sign of magic. Others were red with rage, some black with power, others grey with sadness and loss. Some were inhuman, their energy too bright and potent to be mere mortals.

The spell broke after he fainted, the loss of lifeforce too great for his weak mortal frame to handle.

"... and after three months, I learned to see auras." Aaron told Percy and Annabeth as he held the shoes Luke gave them. They were on the train, just an hour or so from their final stop in L.A. " I can sense magic too, both tied to divination. They are the only magical skills I can do without a spell or some focus like a potion or rune or spell bag, those skills drain so little magic that I can manage it safely."

Percy nodded, eyes wide. "What do you see when you look at the shoes? I mean they were crafted by a god, right?"

"Good question..." He focused, lowering his eyes into the veil. He recoiled immediately, tossing the shoes at the ground. "Those are cursed."

Annabeth gasped. "That can't be true!"

"Annabeth, I saw Godly magic, the energy I see in Luke and his siblings, but I also saw dark magic, hateful and evil, the color of sickly green fluids. The magic was subversive, hiding, the signature was familiar. Luke himself cast the spell, I could taste his aura on it. He is powerful, I would never forget that kind of power."

She shook her head, eyes wide... only to freeze, tears in her eyes. "The ... he can suppress auras, it's how his thieving powers work, it happened when we were on the run... I... I ... he hates the gods, he was never the same after his quest..." Her eyes widened more. "Oh gods he is the one that stole the Masterbolt and Helm. No one else has the skill or power, we were all at Mount Olympus when..."

Percy frowned. "We have to report this!"

"We can, easily." Closing his eyes, he focused on prayer. 'Persephone, Luke Castellan cursed the shoes that we were given, I cannot tell what they did. Annabeth is almost sure he stole the Bolt and Helm, can you contact Dionysius?"'

To his pleasure, the goddess answered. "I will send a message immediately."

Percy sighed. "What about my mother, I... I went on this quest, majorly to see her, to get her back."

"Aaron, his mother was already sent back to her home. My husband did this after the boy swore his oath." Aaron passed the message on to Percy, who frowned.

"Wait, if he did this... then who is the god who turned?"

Aaron frowned right back. "Someone might be supporting Luke... Percy, where exactly is this Pit in your dreams?"

"I know it's in the Underworld, and there are Spirits that are... well, they try and stop me from going into the Pit."

"That wouldn't be Hades, he commands the dead so they would not disobey him more than likely... maybe... maybe it is an older force, something in Tartarus? I mean there is supposed to be an Entrance in Hades, right?"

Annabeth hissed. "I... I know who it is, if it is not Hades... Our... My... The Father of the Gods himself. He would have the hate, the power and the..."

"But he was chopped up and cast aside into Tartarus." Aaron frowned. "Who would have the means to help Luke on a physical level? It is male, the prophecy says God who turned... His Father maybe?"

Annabeth shook her head. "Doubtful, he is the patron of all the Unclaimed, he wouldn't endanger them all I think..."

"Then who?" Aaron frowned. "I wish I had enough skill to scry the past, that is simple magic in theory but it takes power I just don't have, even channeling your blood..." He frowned and closed his eyes. 'Lady Persephone, do you have all that? Is there anything you can use that we just figured out?'

"Yes... there is only one god that I can think of that would be stupid enough to do such foolish things. Ares and Ares alone is the only one that would. I will report to my father immediately. Be wary, my Champion and make your way to my realm, stop only in protected places, like the Beach if you must, for prayers are open communications and Ares may have overheard your calls. Hades will protect you all until we are certain all is safe. Even if I am wrong, and Ares is not the culprit... "

:::

"Are you sure, daughter?" Zeus asked from his Throne.

Persephone nodded. " He was sent to find the thief, alongside Artemis, Athena and Hermes. We all know that Hermes would have returned the Divine weapons, he is too duty-bound to do otherwise, as are the others. I am not saying he the thief outright, but we all know it is likely. Have him swear on Styx, or simply read his heart as I know you can do. Do this, and if nothing more clear the air. If I am wrong, I will offer him something in return."

Zeus nodded and in minutes The council was filled, all summoned by Zeus' silent command.

After a few moments, her father revealed her accusations and Ares snarled at her. "You dare accuse me, sister?" He flared his aura, as if he was a threat to her.

Hermes frowned at her. "My son would never do that, he takes care of too many to risk harming them."

She just sighed. "I, and my husband, have reported Kronos' stirring for years. It went ignored, as have we. Your son has lost a great deal, and even now I can feel his loathing. If you truly wish to prove innocence, then make an oath on Styx, that alone would be enough."

Dionysius shivered suddenly. "The boy, Luke, is gone from that blasted Camp." Everyone turned to him, and he sighed. "Persephone informed me of the accusation before Father summoned me. I had Chiron arrest him, just to be sure. He escaped, using a blade that summoned a ripple. A blade of Steel and Celestial bronze."

Hephaestus snarled. "That would require great sacrifice to create, mortal sacrifice, what would he be doing with that?"

Hermes went pale. "My son I..." He turned to Ares, anger in his eyes. "Did you... Ares, did you find him and the weapons?" Hermes' tone was dark, so much so that even Zeus looked unnerved.

Persephone turned to her brother, they all did, and Ares finally snarled and snapped his fingers, revealing the weapons in question. The Bolt and the Helm. "Yeah, I found the brat and I..."

"Why not keep them?" Persephone asked. "That is not like you, dear brother?"

"No one tells me what to do, god's don't dream." Ares growled out.

"What dreams, Ares?" She said, and everyone looked at him.

Thunderous and loud, Zeus roared. " You would dare, dare steal from me Ares?"

Persephone summoned the Helm. "I will be returning this to my Lord, I trust you to deal with your Son, Father? Or we will, Hades and I, for Theft. Ancient Laws demand a punishment."

Her father, knowing he could not ignore her as she was a Queen, nodded. "Yes, daughter, he will be punished."

"Perfect, Mother... I will return in a few hours."

Demeter scowled. "Fine, dear Kore."

And in a flurry of shadowy flowers, she vanished, moving from Olympus to Her true home, the realm of Hades. Her beloved Husband was waiting for her with an expression of sheer warmth. "My love." She said, embracing him with pure love. "I missed you."

"And I you, my love..."

She turned and saw her champion and his allies with him. She approached the boy, pulling him from his low bow into a warm hug. "Thank you, all of you, for stopping a war that would have wrecked the world." As the Queen of Hades, Goddess of Spring and Vegetation, she cared deeply for the state of the world. She nurtured life in spring and the dead in winter. Compassion was her purpose. "Aaron, had you not mitigated the violence through the oath of Percy's innocence and saved Medusa, you would have suffered a lot more. The quest would have been far, far harder. That much I can foresee. It was why I asked you to join this quest, I knew you would make it easier and safer and less violent. Your wisdom kept things better."

"It was an honor, my lady." Aaron said, smiling.

"I must give you a gift, but first your friends. I will return to the Beach above us, from there you can make your way home. I will make sure you have the means, take that as my thank you. Our thank you." She gave her husband a look that made him nod.

"Yes, our Thanks... I guess." Hades muttered.

"Aaron will stay here for a few more minutes, I have much to show him. Please wait for him." She waved her hand at them, a shadow appeared around them and they vanished, moving upwards to the surface. With that settled, she grabbed the boy by the hand and together they moved toward her garden. "I have a gift for you, I am rather proud of it. Two gifts actually... My grandfather is rising, Hecate has joined him, so you cannot rely on her children to teach you magic. For that reason, I have compiled you a grimoire of my magics, Necromancy and Nature magic. Nature magic to command Nymphs, Necromancy to command the dead. Both can teach you, and necromancy also helps with sleep control, such as astral projection, so you have more options to learn and contact others."

The boy looked at her with awe. "You really would help me with so much?'

"Yes, you deserve it. It really isn't much though, just the tools you need to help yourself. You should have seen all the help Hera gave to Jason, she all but held his hand." She laughed. "Magic is a hard field to study, you need many books and scrolls or great teachers to learn it properly. In the war to come much will need to be done, you may not ever have the help you need from the living. This really is the best I can do for you, to ensure you gain the power you need, but you must always be willing to actually do the studying and learning. As you patron, it is my duty as much as it is your duty to serve me.

Now, as for your other gift..." She led him to a tree, where they were a necklace dangling from a pomegranate tree. It was Lily shaped and purple, with a silver lining an chain. "A Talisman, a useful tool for all witches. It is not enchanted, that would be too much for me to do sadly due to ancient laws, but what it is is crafted from naturally magical substances. Silver channels all magic well and Amethyst focuses psychic energy and unites the spiritual and earthen realms. As my Champion, the magic I will ensure you learn lies in the in-between of the realms, and so this is a useful tool for you. It can hold enchantments, so feel free to add to it."

The boy nodded, putting it on his neck. "Thank you, My Lady."

She summoned and handed him his new grimoire. "I only give you tools, tools to make your life easier but you still have to study the craft, master magic and be careful... I will never just give you the answers, it is not the way of things and not the way of magic. Much must be done by the one learning, by doing as much as studying. Now... With this, you are officially my champion, my employee for all intents and purposes. Fight in my name and serve me well... now go, your friends are waiting. I have a long goodbye to give to my husband." She snapped her finger and shadow took the boy, sending him upwards and back to the beach above. 'Please, please let me have helped him enough to make serving me possible and worth it...'

Chapter end, tell me what you think in the reviews.

This was a joy to write, a bit rushed but I think it makes a great deal of sense!

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.