This chapter, or the idea for part of it, is what actually inspired me to write this story in the first place...

So look forward to that.

"AARON!"

The sound of Percy's pained voice reached through Limbo, shattering Aaron back into reality where the weight of the Sky pressed upon him unlike anything he had ever felt. He couldn't even scream, the pain and pressure was far too vast. The world a blur of red and white, his brother's image swirled before him, barely reconizable. He felt his brother's essence approach him, though he could barely see it, and felt Percy's cool hands on his cheeks.

A booming voice spoke behind them "Ah, how touching."

Something odd happened then, Aaron stopped seeing the world through his eyes and started seeing them as if he was standing next to himself, as he had before with Thalia in Limbo. Looking around, he saw himself shuddering under the Sky, blood dripping from his eyes, his aura weak and ready to fizzle out. Aaron knew he was close to death, his connection to his body was only mantained by his weak magic and that was it.

He was mere minutes from death... not even a full hour from it.

Turning back, he saw the General, Atlas, radiating power in his brown silk suit. At his side were Luke and half a dozen dracaenae bearing the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. Alabaster was nowhere to be seen, which was quite odd to Aaron... perhaps he was going over Aaron's notes on healing Kronos?

"Luke," Percy snarled, oozing more hate then he though his brother was capable of. "Thalia's dead, because of your capturing Artemis and Aaron... I hope your happy."

Luke stepped back, shuddering with horror in his eyes. "She's dead?" Shaking, he closed his eyes. " She made her choice, serving the gods. I miss her, always will, but it was her choice."

The General chuckled. "So much for old friends. And you, Zoe. It's been a long time. How is my little traitor? I will enjoy killing you."

Aaron groaned, looking at Zoe and realizing how utterly similar she was to Atlas. All of Atlas' attractive qualities were hers, magnified by whatever her mother looked like. The same cheekbones, the same strong jaw, the ruthlessness in their eyes.

"Wait a second," Percy, foolishly, said. "You're Atlas?"

The General glanced at him. "So, even the stupidest of heroes can finally figure something out. Yes, I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and terror of the gods. Congratulations. I will kill you presently, as soon as I deal with this wretched girl."

"You're not going to hurt Zoe" Percy said. "I won't let you."

The General sneered. "You have no right to interfere, little hero. This is a family matter."

Percy frowned. "A family matter?"

"Yes," Zoe said bleakly. "Atlas is my father."

Percy growled. " Release my brother, now!"

Aaron sighed, loving his brother but wishing he was smarter. "Someone has to take my place, Perc, less the sky crush the world around here."

Atlas walked closer to his body. "Perhaps you'd like to take the sky for him, then? Be my guest." Atlas smirked. He knelt next to Aaron's body, and brushed his face. Aaron noticed then how his hair, already white from his death and conversion to a mystical being, burned with grey streaks. Atlas actually brushed the grey streak. "Stress has done this to him. He had mere moments to survive, that he has lasted so long is true testament to his power and strength of will. Be proud to be connected to one so... interesting." Atlas smirked at Percy, who shuddered with rage.

Despite himself, Aaron actually felt flattered.

"I don't understand," Percy said. "Why can't Aaron ust let go of the sky?"

Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape." Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you." He approached them, studying Bianca and Percy, both armed and oozing hate and power. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," Percy, again foolishly, said. "And let's see."

"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."

"So you're another coward," Percy mocked.

Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Meggy, of all people, standing in the background."As for you, daughter of Aphrodite... I wonder, why serve this mortal boy? Why serve the gods, who so unkindly banished you for being what you were born to be?"

Meggy sighed. "Meggy does not serve Aaron, she loves him. He is her brother. I helped him and he serves the gods, I help them to help him. Nothing more." Then, to his pride, she sneered with all the might of Aphrodite herself. "And tell Meggy this, why should I serve the Titans, who threw my forebearers into Tartarus for being Ugly? And the Heckatonkaries? No, you are as worthless as the gods, more so as you don't even have Aaron's allegiance. Meggy will aid only those that deserve it, you are no thta.t"

Behind Luke, the golden sarcophagus began to glow. As it did, Aaron saw images in the Mist all around him: black marble walls rising, the ruins becoming whole, a terrible and beautiful palace rising around them, made of fear and shadow.

"We will raise Mount Othrys right here," Luke promised, in a voice so strained it was hardly his. "Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Look, Percy. We are not weak."

He pointed toward the ocean, and Aaron almost shit himself. Marching up the side of the mountain, from the beach where the Princess Andromeda was docked, was a great army. Dracaenae and Laestrygonians, monsters and half-bloods, hell hounds, harpies, and other things Aaron could name but only wished he couldn't. The whole ship must've been emptied, because there were hundreds and in a few minutes, they would be here.

"This is only a taste of what is to come," Luke said. "Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. "

There was a long painful pause... and then something changed in the air.

"Now," Percy suddenly said and he charged with Bianca at his back. Biancawent straight for the dragon women bodyguards, Percy went straight for Luke but despite his sickly appearance, Luke was still quick with his sword. He snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked.

Meggy went straight for Atlas, to Aaron's complete and utter horror. He laughed as she approached. A huge javelin appeared in his hands. His silk suit melted into full Greek battle armor. "Go on, then!"

"Meggy!" Zoe said. "Beware!"

Meggy swung her sword, clanging loudly agaisnt Atlas' Javelin. Even with her great strength, she slid away, buckling under the strain of the monsterously powerful Diety.

"Fool!" Atlas screamed gleefully, swatting aside one of Zoe's arrows. "Did you think, simply because you are a Cyclops, that you could stand up to me?" The javelins point slashed toward Meggy like a scythe. She slashed it with all her strength, barely knocking it aside long enough to full on tackle Atlas and send him flying back. The man actually gasped, shocked she did that.

Meggy taunted him loudly. "Modern combat, Meggy knows more then just Greek Fighting. " She rolled to the side to dodge his swing, rising upward with an uppercut that actually filled the air with a crack. Her hands glistened with bloody Celestial Bronze Knuckles, making her every strike devistating. "Meggy is not to be trifled with, you petty pathetic excuse for a Titan!" She ducked under another strike, slamming her fist into his face, breaking his nose making him choke on blood.

"FOOLISH FATHER!" Zoe bellowed as a volley of silver arrows sprouted from the armpit chink in Atlas's armor.

"ARGH!" He bellowed and turned toward his daughter, a dumb move as it gave Meggy the chance to slam her foot into the side of his knee, making him scream in agony. Before he could retaliate, Meggy ... who was suddenly literally glowing a deep pinkish red, oozing the power of Aphrodite and Ares at once, grabbed Atlas by the straps of his armor and threw him as hard as she could, sending him flying back so hard he slammed into Aaron knocking him back and firmly setting the horrid weight of the Sky onto the Titan's shoulders once more.

The weight of the sky dropped onto Atlas's back, almost smashing him flat until he managed to get to his knees, struggling to get out from under the crushing weight of the sky. But it was too late.

"Noooooo!" He bellowed so hard it shook the mountain. "Not again!" Atlas was trapped under his old burden.

Like being in the middle of a vacuum, Aaron felt his essence suck back into his body at speeds so blinding it actually hurt his very soul. The world went dark for but a moment, then everything blurred red as he opened his still bleeding eyes. Shaking, everything ached like nothing else, it was worse then when he was under the Sky. Reaching down, he grabbed the loose earth on the Mountain and breathed in the Life of Gaia, feeling the sweet subtle magic soothe his various aches just enough that he managed to pull himself to a sitting position.

"Brother!" Meggy screamed as she ran towards him, her massive brown eye leaking tears. "Your alive." She barrled him into the most delicate hug, sobbing harshly into his body. "I felt your lifeforce fading... I thought you were a goner."

"So did I, I was so near death I astral projected on principle..." he shuddered, thinking of the damage done to his body. He wasn't dumb, he could feel the reality of his situation. If he wasn't healed, soon, he would have permanet damage. "We need to leave... now."

Almost as in response to his words, Luke let out a pained scream. They both turned just in time to see Bianca and Percy easily overwhelm the powerful Son of Hermes, slicing new wounds onto his chest past his armor. Then, as one, they booted him as hard as they could, sending him flying over the cliffside. Aaron actually felt the boys lifeforce wane the moment he landed, however he also felt Kronos' power latch onto Luke...

" He's still alive." Aaron croaked out, as his sister lifted him. "I can feel monsters approaching, we need to flee fast." Percy and Bianca rushed over, with a limping pale Zoe doing the same. Percy beamed at him, eyes wet with happiness. Aaron smiled. "I'm alive, I know... Percy, I need you to slit Atlas' throat, I can use the blood with Meggy to teleport us far away. He is nearly as powerful as the Big Three, his blood is that powerful."

Percy went pale. "I... I can't do that."

"I can." Bianca growled, pulling out a hunting knife and approaching A struggling Atlas. With cold precision, she slashed through the Titan's throat, making him choke and look at her with hate and fear. "That was for Thalia! I felt her die, watched her soul leave her body... your people will not win, if I have to die to make sure of that... I will."

With a stunned Meggy's aid, Aaron put his hand on the fountain of blood squirting from Atlas. Charged with tremendous power born of the Most powerful of the Second Race of Gods, the two mages focused and uttered a single spell.

" Ut nos ad ripam Elpei amnis!"

The Mist, already potently gathered, swirled around them in impossible density. Then, obeying their spell, the Mist blasted them through Space and Distance until finally they appeared where they had commanded the magic to take them.

Straight to Mount Olympus! Or, technically, right at the base of it in the Empire State Building. Not that Aaron noticed a thing as the strain of the spell was too great, given his injuries and immediatley he passed out...

Only to wake as the Familar power of Apollo washed through him, making him gasp and sit ramrod straight. He felt his body heal, the cracks in his bones fusing, the tears in his muscles knitting together, the damage to his spirit body connection fully reconnecting. A year of recovery and physcial therapy all at once. However that was not what stood out to Aaron... no, what stood out was the wave of Magic that literally rippled from his body and soul, crashing onto the various gods and Demigods near him in a massive wave.

"Wow!" Apollo said, smirking with honest amusement. "You were strong before, but now that you've held the Sky up... your even stronger. Your souls evolved even further then when you fought old Agnes and her group of Ghosts. I'd say that in terms of raw mystical energy, your close to a Child of an Olympian, maybe a Child of Hepheastus or Hermes? Good on you kid, most people would have broken from that, you just got stronger."

Nodding, Aaron stood up from the cot he was on, looking around to see the Full Council of Olympus looking down at him, and his saviors standing behind him with amusment and shock. Bowing to the gods, he smirked a little at a relieved looking Dionysius. The god in question smiled at him, warm and freindly and full of palpable relief.

"Thank you, all of you, for your time and you Lord Apollo for you aid. I fear what would have become of me without it."

To his shock, Apollo actually embraced him, he smelt wonderful and his powerful muscles felt great. "You saved my sister, single handedly while being mind controlled. I may still not like you, but I definitley respect you. From here on out, I've got your back." The man pulled away and moved back to his Throne, becoming giant and sitting down.

"Welcome, heroes," Artemis said as soon as her brother sat down. "And you Aaron, you I give a particularly warm welcome and thank you for rescuing me." She too smiled at him, warm and kind and without an ounce of the previous coldness she once held.

"Mooo!" The sound drew Aaron's attention, and the entire rooms, to the corner where a Cow Serpant wa swimming happily around in a sphere of water, swishing his serpent tail and poking his head out the sides and bottom of the sphere. He seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble.

"Is that... is that what I think it is?" Aaron turned to Artemis, who nodded. " The Ophiotaurus. I thought it was fake... wow... a being of pure innocence. How'd it get here?"

Meggy's voice piped up. "Meggy sacrificed the Nemian Lion Pelt... oh we fought the-"

"Nemian Lion, I saw basically your entire journey until Thalia's death, then I walked with her into Hades. She got into Elysium, by the way." Aaron saw his freinds turn away, pain in their eyes. He felt pain eminating from a wounded Zeus. "But that is for another time... What is going to happen to the creature? Killing it wouldn't be wise, the magic would still exist in the gods that took it's life even if you don't sacrifice it. It would create a loop where the power to kill a god would linger in you all, giving any one of you the means to one day kill the gods or create the means to do so. More then that, I can... I can almost sense that this beast is not tied to the Prophecy, I am new to this type of magic but I can tell that much."

Hera, garbed in silver including her hair, frowned. "You are sure?"

"The magic, the energy and destiny would still be planted one way or another. That is how that magic works, it is not any different then any other kind of prophetic magic, Trying to avoid it would create the future you are trying to stop. Killing the beast is not the right choice. Allow it to live, and be happy but watched over is your best option."

The Mother Goddess nodded. "I trust your judgment, your knowledge of magic is undeniable."

Zeus huffed. "Very well, we will keep the beast alive."

"My dad can hide him under the sea somewhere, or keep him in an aquarium here in Olympus." Percy piped up. "But you have to protect him."

"And why should we trust you?" rumbled Hephaestus.

"I'm only fourteen," Percy said. "If this prophecy is about me, that's two more years."

"Two years for Kronos to deceive you," Athena said. "Much can change in two years, my young hero."

Posiden stood. "I will not have a sea creature destroyed, if I can help it. And I can help it." He held out his hand, and a trident appeared in it: a twenty foot long bronze shaft with three spear tips that shimmered with blue, watery light. "I will vouch for the boy and the safety of the Ophiotaurus."

"You won't take it under the sea!" Zeus stood suddenly. "I won't have that kind of bargaining chip in your possession."

"Brother, please," Poseidon sighed.

Zeus's lightning bolt appeared in his hand, a shaft of electricity that filled the whole room with the smell of ozone.

"Fine," Poseidon said. "I will build an aquarium for the creature here. Hephaestus can help me. The creature will be safe. We shall protect it with all our powers. The boy will not betray us. I vouch for this on my honor."

Zeus thought about this. "All in favor?"

Every hand rose in favor of protecting the Beast, making Aaron very happy. He could sense the raw innocence and goodness in the Beast, even if he had only just met it. He felt sort of protective over it already...

"Heroes," Artemis called. The goddess slid down from her throne and turned to human size, a young auburn haired girl, perfectly at ease in the midst of the giant Olympians. She walked toward us, her silver robes shimmering. There was no emotion in her face. She seemed to walk in a column of moonlight. "The Council has been informed of your deeds," Artemis told us. "They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas's attempt for freedom, and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act." There was some mumbling and shuffling among the gods, as if they weren't all happy with this plan, but nobody protested. "At my Lord Zeus's command," Artemis said, "my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans' cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes…" She turned to face the other immortals. "These half-bloods and Young Aaron have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?"

She looked around at the assembled gods, meeting their faces individually.

"I gotta say"—Apollo broke the silence—"these kids did okay." He cleared his throat and began to recite: "Heroes win laurels—"

"Um, yes, first class," Hermes interrupted, like he was anxious to avoid Apollo's poetry.

"All in favor of not disintegrating them?"

A few tentative hands went up—Demeter, Aphrodite.

"Wait just a minute," Ares growled. He pointed at Bianca and Percy. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here—"

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits."

"Nor will you hurt Bianca." Aaron declared, not caring if he was pissing off the gods. After holding the Sky up and facing Atlas, they seemed so petty. "Hades would not stand for you hurting his daughter." The room shuddered, and everyone turned to him in shock. "She is Hades' child, born before the Oath as many of you know. She is powerful, well trained and loyal to me. I am loyal, as you all know. There is no need to worry about her. I can vouch for her.

The goddess Athena cleared her throat and sa t forward. "There is a security risk here with the other two. It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact that I find ironic. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods… such as Thalia and Percy… are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point."

"Right!" Ares said. "Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin'—"

He started to get up, but a grape vine grew around his waist like a seat belt and pulled him back down.

"Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later."

Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriouslywant to protect these brats?"

Dionysus frowned. "Yes, I may not have taken my responsibilty towards them seriously in the past, but I do now. They are my kids, and Aaron is my freind and ally. He is one of a handful to treat me with any respect, I will not have him harmed nor those he cares for. However I cannot deny Athena's point... no matter how much it pains me."

"I do not pass judgment," Athena said. "I only point out the risk. What we do, theCouncil must decide."

"I will not have them punished," Artemis said. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it."

"Calm down, sis," Apollo said. "Jeez, you need to lighten up."

"Don't call me sis! I will reward them."

"Well," Zeus grumbled. "Perhaps."

Artemis said. "Which is why I must first make a rewa-" It was then that something slammed into the marble floor and everything broke into Chaos.

Aaron whipped around and saw Zoe on the floor, convulsing. " She's poisoned, what was it?" He ran to her, just as Percy stuff his jacket under her head to stop her from smashing into the marble. "Apollo can you heal her?" he called out, as the God appeared at his side.

The man frowned. "No... she's mortal, injured in a fight. I cannot help her... "

"I thought she was a child of Atlas, her immortal essence should still be present? That should allow her to heal."

Percy suddenly choked, and pulled out Riptide. " This contains her immortality, she made it for Hercules and he betrayed her."

It was then that a brilliant Idea came to Aaron. "Lord Zeus, I can transfer the magic back into her, make her immortal once more... do I have your permission to cast such a spell?" He felt Artemis' eyes on Zeus, he saw the man cringe before nodding. "I need a pool of water, a drop of Percy's blood and some space."

In an flash, literally, he was in a pool of water with the Injured Zoe. Percy tossed Riptide into the water, after cutting his palm and allowing the blood to enter the water. In an instant the water was charged with power, born of Percy's potent blood. Placing hand on Riptide, and one on a barely breathing Zoe, Aaron focused with all of his might. He said no spell, he didn't need too for this...

Focusing on the boundless connection to the Sea, he pulled on the core of Riptide's magic. It shot through him, like electricity, almost snuffing out Aaron's lifeforce due to it's sheer immortal potency. Barely, he managed to grapple the power and allowed it to flow through his opposite arm, straight into Zoe. Immediately the water exploded around them, turning into sheer mist, both mystical and real mist.

As the Mist faded, they all looked at a stunned Zoe, sitting up with wide eyes, her body oozing power. Stronger then before, closer to a Goddess then a Nymph.

"I feel... better, stronger then I was before... when I was a Nymph before?" Zoe frowned, looking at her hands, which glowed the color of sunset.

" Duh!" Aaron smacked his forehead. " The Blade has been passed around for eons, killing monsters and fighting gods, infusing it with greater power then it started. Your stronger then you were before... I'd say you were now a Damion, somewhere between Nymph and Goddess."

The Girl nodded, then smiled showing her beautiful face. "Thank thee... I... you saved me, no?"

"I did."

Artemis' cold body embraced Aaron, just as Apollo had done before. "You are... wonderful, as the Prophecy said you proved a Mortal's Might and Changed the Status Quo by remaking an immortal even stronger then she was before. I will reward you for this...I know you are the type to not be pleased with drastic increases in power, power that is not yours... and so I have just the blessing for you. " Her hands glowed silver, and the moment that light faded, he saw a wolf cub. It was a small grey thing that oozed magic, not unlike the full moon. It was a familar looking beasty, he just wasn't sure where he knew it's aura from. "A familar. She has no name, yet, and she is yours. She was bred by my wolves, wolves that have been blessed by me over a period of eons. Trained and raised, they are stronger then a normal wolf and far smarter. A worthy ally for you, if ever there was one. She will be fully grown in about a month"

The warm, fuzzy cub was more then welcome in his arms. "Thank you, Lady Artemis." He kissed the cute wolf on her forehead, getting a whimper. "I'll call her...Lydia!"

"You are always welcome among my Hunters, child... oh and a piece of advice. If you were trying to practice Shapeshifting, you have enough power to do so. I would start trying if I were you."

"I will keep that in mind."

"Well... I guess that is that..." Zeus decreed. "Since we will not be destroying these heroes… I imagine we should honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!"

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

This was so much fun.

Love, your Ninja Overlord,

Mika.