discord. gg / vjtaaaygvq (remove the spaces.) Anyways, here is my discord channel, join the server and feel free to ask me questions regarding the stories. Or you know, if you just want a friend to talk to.
The bright flash of light that occurred in the middle of the throne room dimmed and revealed four people that had been summoned by the fates, at the request of their Master.
The four people looked around the throne room in awe, their chest rising up and down as they heaved large breaths, feeling the air of the upperworld hit their lungs for the first time in decades. Their eyes misty, tears falling down their faces as they saw the sight of their old friends sitting together inside the room along with the gods, staring at them with similar tears-streamed faces.
"Bianca," Nico whispered, his voice ragged, thousands of emotions strolling through his heart as he watched his sister once again. The most notable emotion pain.
He had imagined hundreds of scenarios where he would be able to see his sister again. Being a god hadn't pushed those hopes out of his mind, that one day Bianca might be in front of him again. He had imagined himself joyful and ecstatic at every single one of those dreams, but never had he felt the pain he was feeling right now.
The joy, the happiness of seeing his sister subsided by the pain he felt when he saw her. His mind reeling back and flashing to the day when he had last seen her, dressed in silver clad armor, leaving for the quest. He remembered hating her for abandoning him and joining the hunters, yet being worried about her at the same time.
Then he remembered the moment Percy had told him about his death. He flashed back to the hatred, pain, and resentment he had felt at the moment. Not just at Percy, he had resented Bianca for dying and leaving him alone.
How could a person blame someone for dying? He was disgusted at himself, but it was all he had felt at the moment. Then the weeks had passed and the guilt and pain had settled on as he came to terms with his sister's death.
Now, seeing her in front of him, all those emotions he had thought he had processed already, came back at full force.
Rising from his seat, he moved slowly, afraid of moving fast, worried that his sister would melt into shadows at any given moment. As soon as he was in front of her, he broke down; the usual passive god that showed no emotions to anyone other than his boyfriend broke down. Heart-wrenching sobs left his throat as he fell to his knees, his body glowing as he changed back to the age he had lost her.
A 10-year-old Nico stood in front of everyone as his age shimmered, his little arms wrapping around his sister's legs as he cried to his heart's content.
Bianca cried too along with her brother, pulling him up to his feet and wiping away his tears, kissing at his cheek she whispered him words of assurance, and after a while it worked. Nico transformed back to his usual 18-year-old body, and hugged his sister as tight as he could.
"Stop crying little brother," Bianca spoke next to his hear. Seeing a certain son of Apollo's worrying gaze, she smiled a little, "You still have to introduce me to my future brother-in-law."
Nico's misty eyes turned back to their usual devoid of emotions black hole, but his cheeks had turned pink instantly. Taking his sister's hand in his, he took her to where he was sitting and introduced her to a certain blonde that had his heart.
Clarisse couldn't believe that her friend was in front of her again. Her cold demeanor melting as the barrage of tears left her eyes, she stood up from her seat and ran towards the group.
As soon as she had reached the middle of the group, her arms stretched out and she welcomed Silena into them. Making the girl in front of her smile, and step forward in her embrace. The effect was immediate; both Silena and Clarisse started crying into each other's shoulder.
One for the relief she felt at seeing her friend again, and the other for the thankful friends she had. Clarisse might deny it, but Silena couldn't deny that she had betrayed her and everyone. She was the reason a lot of people had died, and it stuck with her even after death. Even in death she blamed herself, but for right now, she enjoyed being back with her friends.
When both the friends separated, their eyes turned to meet, beautiful kaleidoscope eyes staring at Silena. "I have heard a lot about you," Piper smiled at Silena, and it lit the room in light, the goddess' smile putting everyone at ease.
"Nothing good I presume," Silena said back jokingly, yet the self-deprecation and doubt was discernible for both Piper and Clarisse. They both made note of that and decided to look out for her throughout the reading.
"On the contrary, everyone who knew you spoke highly of you. Apparently, no daughter of Aphrodite knows how to handle a spear quite like you." Piper chuckled at her half-sister.
She could distinctly remember herself being alone with Percy at the Argo II at night, having trouble sleeping, and thinking if she was any worth to the quest or not. Doubting herself at how a daughter of Aphrodite could keep up with powerful demigods.
She remembered Percy quelling her doubts and putting her at ease and confident about herself. Recalling the night and the conversation they had, where Percy told her all about the fearsome daughter of Aphrodite, her half-sister that fought with him on the battle of Manhattan. A girl that, despite being afraid, stared down the face of a Lydian Drakon to fix the mistake of her past.
Piper had always looked up to Silena, and now she would do everything in her power, to ensure that Silena knew the hero she was.
"You're Charles Beckendorf?" Leo was the one who stood in front of him, raising his head to be able to look at Beck's taller frame.
After hearing about the famed son of Hephaestus, he had always wanted to meet him. Beckendorf was always someone Leo had looked up to, hearing stories of his skills in building things out of metals; he had always wanted to see his work for himself.
Not many in cabin 9 would speak of him, other than that he was a good brother and a great blacksmith, and many more. Now, Leo could fulfill his wish of seeing his elder brother work for himself.
"It's a pleasure, little brother," Beck smiled down at Leo, and both brothers made their way to where Leo was sitting. The Immortal Demigod introduced his girlfriend to him as they started talking among themselves.
From his seat, Pollux stood up and walked across the room to embrace his twin brother in a warm hug. Their tearful reunion warms the hearts of many as the brothers see each other for the first time in decades. Something they could have never thought would be possible until now.
Seeing that the others had gone to sit down, Pollux motioned for his brother to move towards their father's couch and sit down with him.
After everyone had done their meet and greet, and sat in their seats. Their eyes all turned to Percy, the people just summoned, and the people from the future shot him thankful smiles and gave gratitude filled bows, for giving them the chance to meet their old friends again.
"You might want to introduce yourself," Apollo cut through the emotional scene, impatient about hearing who these new additions were. He winced as he felt the glare of Artemis for interrupting them, but he couldn't wait to know who all these people were.
"Silena Beauregard, daughter of Aphrodite,"
"Charles Beckendorf, Son of Hephaestus."
"Castor, son of Dionysus."
"Bianca D'Angelo, daughter of Hades."
As the people from the past all nodded and got acquainted with the new additions, Athena cut in.
"If all the introductions are done, perhaps we should start?" Athena questioned tracing her fingers over the edge of the book, as she impatiently waited to read the book.
"Of course, dear," Percy replied, smiling at his future wife, to which the goddess smiled back and opened the book. I AM OFFERED A QUEST
"You should not have been given a quest so early. You're untrained," Athena interrupted herself just after reading the title. Heroes of their time had at least a year long training before they were even sent out for a mild quest. Perseus was just a child, an ignorant child that didn't even know about their existence a few days back. He should not have been allowed to go on a quest. Her mind crossed over all the reasons for how unwise it was to send an untrained demigod out on a quest.
"Story of my life," Percy sighed miserably, and continued, "But there were extenuating circumstances, that demanded for it to happen."
Nodding to him, Athena started the chapter.
The next morning, Chiron moved me to cabin three. I didn't have to share with anybody. I had plenty of room for all my stuff… And I was absolutely miserable… or as normal as you can be when you're a half-blood — I'd been separated out as if I had some rare disease.
"Why is everyone treating my son like that?" Poseidon asked in a slightly furious tone. Not liking how everyone had singled out his son. He should be treated like royalty. He thought to himself, but didn't voice out his opinion. Knowing that the other gods might start yelling at him.
"We were afraid," Travis confessed, "For weeks the weather had been bad, signaling the moods of the gods. When Percy came up tearing through the woods and killing the Minotaur, we already knew he was different. And after he got claimed, the weather had only gotten worse, everyone knew that Zeus was angry at Percy's existence, and with the hellhound from the field of punishment summoned, and solely targeting Percy. We were afraid of being seen with him."
The past gods frowned hearing that, hearing how much the half-bloods feared them. Their children, little kids, who should be happy and mingling with everyone, afraid of even talking to a fellow child, on the thought that it might upset the gods. Had they really fallen so far?
Despite his anger at having his child singled out, Poseidon understood their fear, and while he couldn't blame the children, it didn't stop them from sending a withering glare at Zeus and Hades. Both of whom looked away from his eyes.
Nobody mentioned the hellhound, but I got the feeling they were all talking about it behind my back. The attack had scared everybody. It sent two messages: one, that I was the son of the Sea God; and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill me. They could even invade a camp that had always been considered safe.
The other campers steered clear of me as much as possible.
"This is horrible," Hestia commented, tending to her hearth, as she was carefully listening to every single thing that was being read. She might not participate in conversations as often as the others; that didn't mean that she wasn't paying attention.
Her heart ached to see the damage her family had done. The kids should have been accepted by Percy from the start, no matter the danger, like all families do. But the fear in their hearts stopped them from doing so, and in the end it was the gods, or more specifically, the Olympians, who were the reason.
The book had barely started, but she could tell from the start that this bunch of people from the future were all pure of heart. Sure, they might have their differences in private, but their hearts held no malice. Even the daughter of Ares, who showed herself as emotionless and appeared to be a bully at the book; she also possessed one of the most compassionate heart Hestia had ever seen.
The Demigods from the future all frowned at their own actions. Their heads were bowed in shame as they refused to look up. Even if they were friends with Percy now, it didn't stop the guilt that had washed up over them.
Their thoughts and fears were all valid, but Percy was also a kid when all this happened. A kid who had just lost his mother, and was thrust into a world of myth with the burden of stopping a war. They shouldn't have singled him out like that.
The other campers steered clear of me as much as possible. Cabin eleven was too nervous to have sword class with me after what I'd done to the Ares folks in the woods, so my lessons with Luke became one-on-one… After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself: "Quest . . . Poseidon? . . . Dirty rotten . . . Got to make a plan ..."
Annabeth's face contorted into a scowl as she was reminded of how she had treated Percy here. While everyone of her friends and sister wives were laughing at her, her brain thought back to everything that had been read until now. The constant loneliness Percy found himself in, the psychological put down he had faced in his house by the hands of his stepfather.
Her snarky remarks and insults couldn't have helped his self-deprecating thoughts in any way. Even though she knew that Percy loved her with everything he had and didn't hold any resentment from those days, it still had her frowning with guilt.
She looked around to see that everyone was laughing except Hestia. Even Poseidon wasn't offended or anything, but rather amused by her earlier actions. Only Hestia seemed to have been thinking the same things she was, the goddess of Hearth caught her eyes and smiled slightly.
"Don't think much of it, you were a child, you shouldn't feel bad for what you did when you were a child." The Goddess spoke directly in her head and flared her aura around the room, making the doubts and guilt melt away from Annabeth's mind.
Even Clarisse kept her distance, though her venomous looks made it clear she wanted to kill me for breaking her magic spear. I wished she would just yell or punch me or something. I'd rather get into fights every day than be ignored.
"You should've said so prissy," Clarisse laughed as her eyes got an evil glint, "I would've loved to pound you to dirt."
"Didn't know you loved toilet water that much Clarisse," Percy shot back at her with a crooked smile. His smile got wider as everyone started laughing and Clarisse flipped him the bird, with her face red in embarrassment.
Rolling her eyes at their childishness, Athena started reading again.
I knew somebody at camp resented me, because one night I came into my cabin and found a mortal newspaper dropped inside the doorway, a copy of the New York Daily News, opened to the Metro page… Police urge anyone with information to call the following toll-free crime-stoppers hotline. The phone number was circled in black marker.
As soon as the passage was read, the temperature of the room dropped down several degrees as multiple people's eyes had turned cold. Their glares aimed at the book intimidated a lot of people from the past.
"What is a newspaper?" Athena asked curiously. She didn't know what this thing was, but going by the reactions of everyone, it must be something important.
"It's a printed publication of paper that contains information about things happening all over the world." Annabeth explained, "What this particular piece of paper is showing is, that Percy, a 12-year-old boy somehow kidnapped his own mother, and has had many mental problems in the past."
"But that isn't the truth?" Apollo asked confused.
"It doesn't matter. Someone with influence or money can have anything they want shown in such papers, in this case, Percy's step-father was the one who had it published." Nico was the one who explained this time. His black eyes glowing slightly as he thought about the kind of punishments he should inflict upon Gabe, once they returned to their time.
The past gods were all angry hearing that. However, before they could do anything or say anything, the smell of ozone had filled the room as sparks literally shot through Thalia's eyes from the glare she held. "He left it there, didn't he?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper; yet everyone could tell that she was holding back an insignificant amount of anger from the strain in her voice.
Thalia could feel her power churning, her instinct screaming at her to release her power and blast something, anything out of oblivion to release her anger. She had known that Luke was manipulative; she had certainly seen the signs of it on Annabeth when she had gotten out of her tree. But this? Going after Percy with the one thing that had him pained, for more than anything, she understood what Kronos saw in him, a cruel heart.
"They are blaming all that on you?" Danae growled in an un-Hestia way. The malice in her voice surprising her father and mothers, both, along with many in the room. A small ringlet of fire had surrounded her, and the hearth of the room had flared so high, that Hestia had trouble controlling it.
The room had been turned deathly silent as the goddess of peace got angry. The past gods were astounded by the power radiating from the ten-year-old.
Percy stood up from his seat, where he was sitting with his wives and walked towards the hearth, sitting next down to his daughter he whispered words of assurances in her ears, and it worked. The anger left the little goddess and the room could feel the aura of a hearth taking over them again. Sooting everyone into a calm and peaceful mood.
I wadded up the paper and threw it away, then flopped down in my bunk bed in the middle of my empty cabin.
"Lights out," I told myself miserably… They grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, and the wind rose.
Hades sighed miserably, "At this point I should just resign myself to the knowledge that you two will never learn anything. Fates only know how much your two's petty squabbles are going to make my work harder."
Zeus huffed, and sat back against his couch, shooting a small glare towards the lord of the Dead; as he spoke, "It is not a petty squabble. My symbol of power has been stolen. I have every right to be angry."
"If I am being accused of something I didn't do, I am not just going to sit back and listen to the accusations." Poseidon said right after Zeus, not missing a beat, and went glaring at Zeus for accusing him.
Hades rolled his eyes and resigned himself to the fact that his little brothers were idiots who couldn't see anything other than his own problems ever. Meanwhile, Hestia raised her eyebrows at this, "That still doesn't matter. Your fighting shouldn't affect the lives of mortals." Her voice was firm, as she stared down at both Poseidon and Zeus.
Both brothers trying to avoid their sister's gaze and looking anywhere but. After a while they relented and muttered a quick apology to Hestia and slumped back on their couch.
I had to stop them. I didn't know why. But the harder I ran, the more the wind blew me back, until I was running in place, my heels digging uselessly in the sand. Over the roar of the storm, I could hear the blue-robed one yelling at the green-robed one, Give it back! Give it back! Like a kindergartner fighting over a toy.
The entire room was silenced, and none dare to speak a word, not wanting to disrespect the King of Gods. Zeus himself looked like he had swallowed his master bolt; his face had contorted into one of anger. His nostrils flared and his face flushed gold in anger.
Leo was the one who first broke down and started laughing. The strain everyone was in trying to keep their laughter at bay broke down, and soon the entire room was laughing openly. The Olympians all snorted, and the accuracy behind those words.
Thunder rumbled in the background and lightning flashed through the sky showing Zeus' emotions. To which his two brothers merely rolled their eyes and continued to laugh.
"Oh, keep it down," Hera said, not bothering to mince her word, "You do act like that." Seeing his wife was also against him, Zeus slumped back down once again.
The waves got bigger, crashing into the beach, spraying me with salt. I yelled, Stop it! Stop fighting!
The ground shook. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil it turned my blood to ice.
Come down, little hero, the voice crooned. Come down!
The jovial mood of the room had instantly vanished and everyone from the past sat alarmed. "Who is that?" All six elder gods asked together. Shocked they all looked at each other and smiled, no matter how much they fought and argued, at the end of the day they were all siblings. Turning back towards Percy, they waited for an answer.
"You will not like the answer to that question," Percy replied, and it was all, most of them, needed for confirmation.
"Zeus…" Poseidon started, to be cut off by the King of Gods.
"He is not rising, it has to be someone else," Zeus shot down any ideas anyone might be having, but it was clear as the sky he ruled, that even he didn't believe himself.
Seeing Hera's hand shaking, Zeus wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against himself, squeezing her for assurance and to make her feel safe. Looking around the room, he could see apprehension in everyone's eyes, but it was his siblings' eyes that held fear. He hoped that it was all just a fluke, but he knew it was futile. Specifically, remembering when the fates had announced Perseus' domains.
Not giving himself to fear, he motioned for Athena to start reading.
The sand split beneath me, opening up a crevice straight down to the center of the earth. My feet slipped, and darkness swallowed me. I woke up, sure I was falling… I heard a clopping sound at the door, a hoof knocking on the threshold. "Come in?"
Grover trotted inside, looking worried. "Mr. D wants to see you." "Why?"
"He wants to kill ... I mean, I'd better let him tell you."
"Really smooth there Grover," Thalia chuckled, "It's not like the boy is already scared." Seeing Grover blush and look around in embarrassment, she found it humorous that he still hadn't changed. Sure, he was more confident, but he still had the same goofiness in him that he held before.
Poseidon raised his eyes towards Dionysus and spoke in an even tone, "I do hope that you restrain yourself from doing anything to my son Nephew. Or I might have to offer some help to make you think things through."
Dionysus gulped at the sea god's open threat. "It is my future self that is doing all this," he tried to calm the sea god, but to no extent.
"Does it look like I care?" Poseidon said smiling, making the god of wine sweat and praying to the fates that he doesn't harm the child in future.
Nervously, I got dressed and followed, sure that I was in huge trouble. For days, I'd been half expecting a summons to the Big House… Dionysus 's twins were walking around in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow. Everybody was going about their normal business, but they looked tense. They kept their eyes on the storm.
"Seriously?" Apollo glared at his father as the passage was read out, "Don't make our kids suffer because you are having your temper tantrums."
Along with Apollo, a lot of gods threw dirty looks at Zeus, getting angry over the fact that their kids had to suffer and feel afraid because of him.
"Mind your tone, and how you talk to me son." Zeus drawled out; he had been silent through a lot. While he couldn't do anything about Perseus or the future gods, he was still their King, and his own son's disrespect was intolerable to you.
"And you mind your anger Zeus," Apollo snarled right back at the King of Gods, "While I may not be able to help my children the way I want to, it doesn't change the fact that I will not sit back and watch as my children suffer because of you."
Zeus stood up in rage, his body covered in lightning, and the master bolt resting at his armrest crackling in energy. "You will not disrespect me in my house, boy." His master bolt flew to his hand, making everyone's spine shiver at the power behind the weapon.
Apollo stood up, his own bow, his symbol of power materializing in his hands as he stared back at his father menacingly. The two gods stood at a stand point, neither of them wanting to back down. "I have stood idle and suffered whatever you have done in the past to me or others silently, father. I do not care for your petty squabbles and everything you do. But when it comes to my children, I will not have it. Unlike you, I care about my children."
Many held their breath as they thought that Apollo had gone overboard, and that Zeus might just blast his own son. However, much to their shock, the lightning vanished from the King of Gods' body and his master's bolt dimmed down. A look of shock covering his face. "I do care about my children," he spoke, and was met with a scoff from the Sun god.
"Really? Look around the room and tell me if your children feel this way. Aside from Artemis or Athena, not a single one of your children can say that they feel cared by you, or that they don't think that they are mere toys for you to hold power over the others." The son of Leto had had it enough with his father. He had been silent for years and watched uncaringly as his father went through the way he did. He never much thought or cared on the matter.
Ever since he had become an Olympian, he knew that his father favored Artemis over him. He never resented his sister over that, but it was still hurtful.
Zeus sat back down, his eyes going over the room to watch the faces of his children; not a single one of them except Artemis or Athena cared to look him in the eyes. Their expression displaying all they wanted to say.
Seeing the look on his children's faces, the King of God felt a sudden weariness he had never felt before. Up until this point, he knew he was paranoid and arrogant; he knew that not everyone liked him. But to see his own children's reaction to him, it was truly shattering. Cause at the end of the day, he was still a father, who didn't know how to show emotions to his kids.
Apollo sat down on his couch and just refused to look at anything, glaring a hole in the ground he listened as Athena picked up the reading soon after.
Grover and I walked up to the front porch of the Big House. Dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke, just as he had on my… "Come closer," Mr. D said. "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father."
A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house. "Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.
"I would mind my words and tone, if I were you dear Nephew. I might not be such temperamental in the future as I am currently. But I assure you, my future self hasn't forgotten bringing down wrath on others. That being said, harm a single hair on my son's head, and I will rip you to shreds and feed you to the crabs in my kingdom." Poseidon casually threatened Dionysus like it was another just task for him, but the people in the room could detect the slight hint of danger behind them.
Dionysus gulped as he could feel the danger Poseidon's warning foretold. Unlike his father, the sea god actually cared about his children, and he had full confidence that if anything were to happen, the god would fulfill his promise.
Hoping that his future self had more sense than to anger Poseidon, he gulped down the entire chalice of wine he was holding.
Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth. "If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames… "Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.
"Nonsense," Dionysus said. "Boy wouldn't feel a thing. Nevertheless, I've agreed to restrain myself. I'm thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."
"Now, I don't have any qualms against that." Poseidon's serious and solemn look melted away and an amused expression took its place. "I could keep him with me on Atlantis and not break the ancient laws in the process."
Percy's mouth dropped as everyone around him started laughing. Specially, his children and wives. Turning to look at Thalia, he shot back, "At least it's still better than a pine tree."
Unlike the outcome he had thought of, Thalia continued laughing and merely flipped him the bird in response. Causing him to pout at the end.
Piper looked at her husband and said through chuckles, "Don't pout, I am sure you would've made a cute dolphin."
"Yeah… Like a cute guinea pig," Annabeth continued, laughing again, remembering the time Circe had turned him into a guinea pig.
For the most part of the story, Reyna had continued to control herself, but as soon as Annabeth said that part, she gasped, "She didn't?"
"Oh, she did," Annabeth replied.
It was all it took for Reyna's dedication towards staying emotionless to crumble, and she got lost into heaves of laughter at her husband's expense. Wishing that she should've seen him at that time. Her amusement only increased as she saw her husband's puppy dog look like he had been kicked.
"Mr. D — " Chiron warned. "Oh, all right," Dionysus relented. "There's one more option. But it's deadly foolishness." Dionysus rose, and the invisible players' cards dropped to the table… Chiron laid his cards on the table, a winning hand he hadn't gotten to use. "Tell me, Percy," he said. "What did you make of the hellhound?" Just hearing the name made me shudder. Chiron probably wanted me to say, Heck, it was nothing. I eat hellhounds for breakfast.
Chiron who had been silent through all of the readings, and discussions spoke up. "I do not understand the actions of my future self, dear boy. But here I am sure that I would not have expected an answer such as that."
Percy smiled back at his mentor, even though he had become a god now. Chiron would always remain his mentor and have his undying respect. The centaur was the one person Percy respected above others in the room, even his father Poseidon.
"It scared me," I said. "If you hadn't shot it, I'd be dead."
The past gods raised their eyebrows at Percy, having seen him fight, and saw the way he handled Alecto. The Minotaur, the sighting of the fates, and the hellhound attack; they could not believe that the child would admit so openly that he was afraid.
Specially because he was the son of Poseidon, a child of the elder gods. They tended to inherit their parents' rage and, most of all, pride. It wasn't an ordinary even where a child of an elder god would openly admit their fear or flaw, to anyone.
"You admitted you were scared?" Heracles asked in absolute astonishment. The thought of admitting of his fear unknown to him. He wasn't a stranger to fear; it was what he had felt a lot of times during his quest as a mortal, but to openly acknowledge it to others was a hard concept for him to grasp.
"There is nothing wrong with admitting to one's fear or flaw cousin," Percy spoke with a shrug, "I could have lied, but I would not have been lying to Chiron, but rather myself. Fear keeps us alive, we all fear something. Whether it's a monster, death or ourselves. By not admitting to our fears, holding back or lying, we stop ourself from growth. I have been afraid many a times in my life, but I never shied away from it, and worked hard to overcome it."
His little monolog left the room in a completely new light. It was true, everyone felt afraid of something. They tended to avoid the things or situations that scare them, but how would they defeat that fear if they didn't even admit it to themselves?
Artemis, her hunters, they all looked awed and shocked that a hero would admit to their own fear, but not be ashamed of it. The slight inkling of the future danced in front of their eyes, helping them understand something. The attraction of Artemis and Zoe towards him, he truly was an odd male, tearing through the image of males they had all constructed over the years.
"You'll meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you're done."
"Done . . . with what?" "Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?"
I glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers. "Um, sir," I said, "you haven't told me what it is yet."
"Good," Artemis commented, "Don't accept any quests or unexpected gifts from anyone without question." She turned to Chiron and frowned, "Why haven't you told him what the quest is yet, Chiron? This is highly unusual."
"I am in the same darkness as you are My lady. We shall see what it is." Chiron replied to the goddess with a bow of his head.
Chiron grimaced. "Well, that's the hard part, the details." Thunder rumbled across the valley… "Only the Oracle can determine." Chiron stroked his bristly beard. "Nevertheless, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries.
Everyone except Poseidon and Zeus groaned, before looking at the brothers' direction haughtily. Even their minor quarrels meant trouble for everyone, but their worst one might possibly put each of them on overtime to control their domains or mortal realms.
"Why can't you two idiots ever talk things civilly?" Demeter asked, rolling her eyes at her younger brothers. The amount of time the sisters had to convince their brothers to stop fighting was uncountable. Seriously, you'd think that two millennia old gods would have more sense than fighting like kids every other day.
"My bolt is stolen," Zeus grumbled, and at the same time, Poseidon went, "I do not like to be called a thief."
"Cry me a river," Demeter replied, and went back to eating a piece of fruit she had summoned. "You two should eat more grains, it might fix your stupid heads."
"Oh! For fuck's sake woman, can you stop with the grains. It's all that goes in and comes out of your mouth," Hades shouted in frustration.
"Obviously a daughter stealing bumhole like you wouldn't understand the nutritional qualities of grains." Demeter yelled back, and soon the brother and sister were having a full-on yelling match with each other.
Poseidon leaned to the side of the couch, where Zeus was sitting on his couch. "She calls us out for always fighting, but the old hags fight about incessant topics more than us." He whispered to Zeus, who nodded wholeheartedly, even as Hera slapped both of the brothers' heads.
"What did you say?" Demeter asked, breaking away from her fight with Hades.
"Nothing," the brother said simultaneously, and gave her a big innocent smile. Making the goddess smile back and went back to yelling at Hades. Instantly making Hades wish he could bury her somewhere in Asphodel for a decade or so. Hey! That's a really good idea. The Lord of the Dead mused to himself.
Hera and Hestia looked at each other with tired expressions. Their faces saying, how are those idiots our siblings?
They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt." I laughed nervously. "A what?" "Do not take this lightly… which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."
"And it's missing?" "Stolen," Chiron said. "By who?" "By whom," Chiron corrected. Once a teacher, always a teacher. "By you."
A look of rage had crossed Zeus' eyes; his beard twitched, and the master bolt sitting at his armrest cracked again, before he could utter even a single word; a blast of cold water from Arctic had hit him in the face.
"Do not say anything you might come to regret little brother," Poseidon warned, his hand wrapped around his trident and his eyes a darker color than it were a minute before. "You have been hearing my son's thoughts up until now, he doesn't know of our existence, my existence. He couldn't have stolen your bolt." His celestial bronze trident gleamed in light, a small but distinct ethereal green aura emanating from it.
A reminder for everyone and Zeus that Poseidon's patience should not be tested right now. It would not take much for the Lord of the seas to lose his patience and act out.
The look of rage withered away from Zeus' face as he turned to look at Percy; the god who was cradling his youngest born daughter in his arms. His eyes looked back at his, and Zeus remembered the sensation of having his chest torn apart.
Shaking the thought out of his mind, he nodded to Poseidon, and motioned Athena to pick up the reading again.
My mouth fell open. "At least" — Chiron held up a hand — "that's what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense… Now, a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly… "But I didn't—" Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief."
"This is idiotic, even for you Zeus," Athena said, shaking her head. Her frown aimed at her father only deepening when she saw his shocked look.
"Do not give me that look father, I have been your most trusted advisor since the moment I was installed as an Olympian in the council. My future self might be supporting you, not because of the evidence, but solely for my prideful nature, and my hatred towards Poseidon. But, I will not. Not after everything that has been revealed." The goddess' words couldn't be disputed, and most of the people in the throne room proceeded to nod with her.
At least Zeus had the decency to look ashamed. Seeing that her father wasn't going to offer any statement, she picked up the reading.
"But I've never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!"
Thunder rumbled in the throne room as Zeus took offense to what was read. Causing most of the room to scoff at him, "Do not blame the boy, you are acting crazy." Hera replied, ignoring the fact that she was agreeing with a demigod.
Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. The clouds didn't seem to be parting around us, as Grover had promised. They were rolling straight over our valley, sealing us in like a coffin lid. "Correct," Chiron said. "And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offense at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war.
"This is getting more and more foolish by the minute," Artemis said, a look of displeasure on her face at that. She craned her neck gracefully and shifted in her seat, looking over at her father; she couldn't help but shake her head at his stupidity.
"Even you Poseidon," she called out, to the Lord of the seas, "If you two brothers have had thought this through with clear minds, and not with your arrogance and cocky testicle for brains. You might have cleared this issue with a simple meeting."
"What do you mean niece?" Poseidon asked frowning.
"There is a god of truth in the council with us." She replied, waving her hand in a nonchalant way, "You could have summoned the boy, and simply ask him, if he stole the bolt. All of this fighting, threats and paranoia would've been over. But no, you had to go around making everything dramatic and huge."
Her statement had a lot of eyes widen; something so simple was right in front of them, and they hadn't thought of that. Poseidon and Zeus sat back with open mouth, not having anything to oppose Artemis' word.
"Idiotic males," she muttered, making her hunters nod their heads with her.
"But I'm just a kid!"
Hermes opened his mouth to speak; but before he could utter a single word, a golden arrow had lodged itself deep in the couch he was sitting on. Barely an inch away from imbedding itself on the messenger god's thighs. At the same time, a full torrent of cold water had hit him directly in the face, courtesy of the one and only Percy Jackson.
"Don't you dare," both Apollo and Percy shouted at once. Looking over at each other, the brother-in law gave each other brief nods.
"I have heard your cattle stealing stories way too many times, and I do not want to again." Percy said in an exhausted tone.
"Imagine how I feel, I have been hearing the same story over and over for millennia," Apollo replied to Percy, obviously still mad about his cows being stolen.
Both of their reaction had Hermes pouting.
"Percy," Grover cut in, "if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you… "But I didn't do anything. Poseidon — my dad — he didn't really have this master bolt stolen, did he?" Chiron sighed. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style.
"Thank you, Chiron," Poseidon said, smiling, "I knew at least one of my brothers would have more faith in me."
But the Sea God is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense.
"We try," the three sisters said together miserably.
But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full-fledged war would look like, Percy?"
"Bad?" I guessed. "Imagine the world in chaos. "Bad," I repeated.
"Bad is the understatement of the millennia," Thalia muttered, "Seriously kelp head, a war between two elder gods, and all you can say is bad?"
Percy shrugged, "It takes too much energy to describe things." He said nonchalantly, and received a bolt of electricity at his arm.
While the husband and wife bickered, the room was silent and thinking about what Chiron had said. Such a war would split nature apart and have a devastating impact on mortals. Millions would've died because the two brothers were too prideful or paranoid. Bad Indeed.
While they thought this through, Athena couldn't help but shake the feeling that something larger was at play here. If not Percy, then who would have stolen the bolt? She was starting to see a pattern, and she started to take note of everything and the possibilities of what it might mean.
"And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."
It started to rain. Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky. I had brought this storm to Half-Blood Hill. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because of me. I was furious.
"So I have to find the stupid bolt," I said. "And return it to Zeus."
"My bolt is not stupid," Zeus shouted, his bolt thumping in power by his side, "It's a weapon of mass destruction, it's the most powerful weapon to be created." He took a moment to think and added, "Until now." Referring to when he had felt the power behind his quindent.
"Yeah I agree," Percy said, smiling, "I see better now, your bolt is smarter than you are."
Laughter ensued through the room at the King of God's expense. Who was busy sulking and glaring daggers at Percy for the disrespect, angry that he couldn't do anything against the God.
"What better peace offering," Chiron said, "than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus's property?"… "Why can't you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?"
"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge."
Poseidon gulped, feeling the anxiety his son was feeling at the moment, "Good reason."
Athena smirked, hearing that, I swallowed. "Good reason."
The sea god smiled, along with his whole family. "Like father like son, I see," Amphitrite said, watching her husband and sons smile at each other. Having seen Triton and Poseidon act similar to each other in more ways than one, she knew that Percy would share similar traits with his father, too.
Specially, since the boy looked like the carbon copy of Poseidon, a much younger and more powerful version, but a carbon copy to be sure.
"You agree then?" I looked at Grover, who nodded encouragingly. "Then it's time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron said. "Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you're still sane, we will talk more.
"Remain still sane?" Apollo asked with a curious glint in his eyes. He had already known that something was off with his oracle in the future, but he didn't know what it was.
Aside from him, the rest of the gods and Chiron turned to look at future gods, to learn their answers.
"Chiron was just trying to drill it into his head, about how important meeting the oracle was. Just trying to scare him," Annabeth replied with a roll of her eyes. Having seen and heard it that day herself.
A number of people nodded at her answer, while Poseidon turned and glared at his half-brother, "He's already scared enough as it is." He muttered in a low whisper. Making the Centaur avoid his gaze, not wanting to feel the storms build in Poseidon's eyes.
Four flights up, the stairs ended under a green trapdoor. I pulled the cord. The door swung down, and a wooden ladder clattered into place.
The warm air from above smelled like mildew and rotten wood and something else ... a smell I remembered from biology class. Reptiles. The smell of snakes… and leathery over her skull, and her eyes were glassy white slits, as if the real eyes had been replaced by marbles; she'd been dead a long, long time.
"What happened to my oracle?" Apollo gritted out, his eyes had started glowing, and the room was almost blinded by the light radiating from him. Even his fellow gods had to close their eyes to not get temporarily blinded by the sun god's wrath.
The usual handsome face of the god had twisted into an ugly sneer as he heard about the state his oracle was in. She was the seer that spoke his domain, prophecies; what could've made her like this.
"Apollo calm down son," Zeus said in an impassive tone.
"Calm down?" The sun god gritted out, the temperature of the room flaring, the sun's brightness increasing so high, that if not for the fates protecting the mortal world, it would've started burning by now.
"You would threaten war when something of yours gets stolen, and you will tell me to calm down when my Oracle is in such state?" Apollo yelled back.
"Apollo," Rachel was the one who spoke this time, catching the gaze of the sun god; she could feel the rage he was feeling; after all, she had been the oracle once herself. She knew the reason why it had happened, and it took everything in her to not glare at Hades for that.
"Everything will be revealed later, there is no point in scaring the children." She said, not backing out a bit, even as her eyes burned from looking at God's raged form.
Seeing his nephew and niece clutching on to their father's fingers, scared, the rage left Apollo in an instant and he flopped down on his seat. Making the rest of the gods sigh in relief, and remember once again that Apollo was one of the most powerful gods in the pantheon for a reason.
Looking at her sent chills up my back. And that was before she sat up on her stool and opened her mouth… I wanted to say, No thanks, wrong door, just looking for the bathroom. But I forced myself to take a deep breath.
Laughter and snickers filled the room at his thoughts. Amused at how silly Percy's thoughts can be at times. It served as a good distraction to relieve the room of the previous tense atmosphere that had still been lingering.
Athena put down the book and sighed in resignation, "At least we know that you don't stop thinking stupid things even in serious or dangerous situations."
"To be fair, one would think that he says or thinks more stupid things, while on those situations," Grover helpfully told the room. The future people all nodded, completely, agreeing with Satyr.
Percy looked at Grover, betrayed, "I thought you were on my side?" The only reply he got was Grover looking away from him to nib at an apple he had summoned. Making the room laugh at his peril.
The mummy wasn't alive. She was some kind of gruesome receptacle for something else, the power that was now swirling around me in the green mist… But not particularly interested in killing me, either. I got up the courage to ask, "What is my destiny?"
"Seriously? Could you be anymore dramatic," Annabeth groaned out loud. Her amused smile showed that she wasn't serious at all, but rather enjoying the time to annoy her husband.
"Yeah, that was a little too dramatic," Artemis chimed in, rolling her eyes at the over-dramatic behavior of a boy.
"What?" Percy shouted, "I think that was a correct question. I don't see what's wrong with it?" He huffed and sat back with his arms folded in front of his chest. Refusing to back down.
"You're right, I think that was a good question. I loved it." Apollo gave his opinions on the matters. Immediately making Percy groans and turns to Artemis and Annabeth, "Now I can see why would think that."
At once the room started to laugh at Apollo's indignant face, and the way he pouted.
The mist swirled more thickly, collecting right in front of me and around the table with the pickled monster-part jars. Suddenly there were four men sitting around the table, playing cards… Gabe turned toward me and spoke in the rasping voice of the Oracle: You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.
Deathly silence reigned inside the throne room as the first line of the prophecy was spoken. The past people had turned so still, you would think they were statues.
After a minute or two, people started whispering to each other. Discussing what it could probably mean. Fearful glances were thrown at the Olympians by the minor gods, to see their reaction. None of them dared to show a single emotion and listened to everything silently. Even Dionysus, who was always drunk and passed out, had been uncharacteristically silent and serious.
Hades scowled at his seat as the prophecy was spoken, knowing perfectly well that Zeus and the others would point their fingers at him first.
His buddy on the right looked up and said in the same voice: You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.
A small smile descended at the King of Gods' face as he heard that.
The guy on the left threw in two poker chips, then said: You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.
Despite the heavy atmosphere of the room, Percy couldn't help but snarl internally at that. His hand unconsciously went up to his palm and rubbed a finger over it, like he could still remember the pain that stinging had brought.
Annabeth moved from her spot beside Thalia, and walked forward to where Percy was sitting with his 5 children. Leaning against Mrs. Oleary, she went up and sat next to him, taking his hand in hers and squeezed it for assurance.
Percy smiled at her, and felt glad to have such good people surrounding him.
The past gods didn't know what would happen in the future, but given the way Annabeth had moved to reassure Percy, it must've been terrible, they thought.
Finally, Eddie, our building super, delivered the worst line of all: And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.
"What?" Zeus yelled as soon as the last line of the prophecy was done being read, "How will you fail, when the prophecy says that you will return the stolen object safely?" The vein in his forehead was bulging and sparks flew from his body.
"Calm it down numb-nuts," Percy replied with a roll of his eyes, his voice coming out through gritted teeth. "What matters the most to me is not your little toothpick." He was getting more and more annoyed by Zeus' constant remarks about little things.
It had been decades since his first quest, but the anger and the pain were still there. He could still remember the hopelessness he had felt watching his mother vanish in front of his eyes. He remembered crying his eyes out every night, feeling the loss of his mother.
Zeus was about to shoot back some insults, but seeing the look of rage in Percy's eyes, he thought better.
Athena thought about what could matter to Percy more than stopping a divine war, and she didn't have to think much. Her mind remembered the times the book Percy had talked about going to the underworld, and she knew that he would not be able to save his mother.
The figures began to dissolve. At first I was too stunned to say anything, but as the mist retreated, coiling into a huge green serpent and slithering back into the mouth of the mummy, I cried, "Wait! What do you mean? What friend? What will I fail to save?"… My audience with the Oracle was over.
Apollo smiled sadly, "Apologies, but once the spirit of Delphi has given out a prophecy, she will not speak or give information furthermore."
"Why is that, Lord Apollo?" Clarisse asked, remembering her first quest, "Prophecies are always deceiving, when I had gotten mine, I spent all the time thinking it would fail, because the situation wasn't adding up. But at the end, everything happened exactly the same way it said it would. Why can't the oracles just give out a clear prophecy?"
Percy, Annabeth and Grover knew exactly what she was talking about. Considering they were the only ones who had known what the prophecy was, Clarisse hadn't even told Chiron the full prophecy.
She had been given the task of retrieving the fleece; the prophecy said that she would fail without friends; yet no one had been willing to go on the quest with her. She had thought that the quest was doomed from the start without friends, yet at the end. Situations changed, and Percy, Annabeth and Grover, who were loosely friends with her at the time, helped her.
The prophecy had come true, so why couldn't it have been clear from the start?
Apollo grimaced, knowing perfectly where the demigods were coming from. Hades, his own family, the mighty gods didn't understand the work of prophecies, and these were just kids.
"Tell me, what do you think a prophecy is?" Apollo asked the group, his eyes silently roaming around the room, to see that everyone, gods, centaurs, heroes were giving him their full attention.
"A prophecy is the prediction of future, to foretell oncoming events." Will Solace said, smiling up at his father.
Apollo smiled at his son and nodded, "Aye, but that is not all a prophecy is, is it? The Oracles doesn't hand out prophecies to just about anybody. She chooses the perfect candidate and gives them the prophecy."
"Prophecies are the words of the fates, to carry out their plans. However, they are also tool to test a hero. To see if the hero has enough patience and strength to see the prophecy come true, and has the wisdom to decipher it when the time comes. I have seen a lot of Heroes who let their prophecies control their action, they lost themselves to insanity. So, it's best to just do whatever your instincts tell you to, and see as things unravel in time."
The room was silenced by Apollo's wisdom once again. His jovial nature, and uncaring attitude towards most of the things had people forgotten that while he may be a snarky, mischievous and easy-going God. He was also, the god of knowledge and logic.
No one was going to outright say it, but even Athena wouldn't be able to stand a chance against Apollo's knowledge.
"No wonder you weren't the child of prophecy, Apollo used the word Wisdom, and as much as I love you. You don't have it." Percy's mind messaged to Thalia, knowing perfectly well that he was going to piss her off. And looking at his other wives, to see them snorting at Thalia's red face, he knew they had heard him too.
"I will kill you," Thalia replied with gritted teeth. Making Percy's smile widen.
"Well?" Chiron asked me. I slumped into a chair at the pinochle table. "She said I would retrieve what was stolen." Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can. "That's great… How could I confess that? "No," I said. "That's about it."
"You should have told him the full prophecy Percy," Annabeth sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"I couldn't bring myself to tell him the full prophecy, considering it pretty much said that I would be betrayed by a friend," Percy replied hastily, his head turning over to the Chiron to see his reaction. Even though this was the Chiron from the past, Percy knew from his expression that he would've guessed that he was holding something back.
Ignoring the thought currently, he turned to Annabeth. "You have no right to lecture me on this matter, considering you were holding back things too." He didn't mean to sound so harsh, but remembering how everyone had kept him in the dark regarding the great prophecy, his annoyance filtered through.
Annabeth winced as she realized the implications behind his words. She couldn't help but feel like a hypocrite considering she knew the great prophecy and never told him more than that. On her quest in the labyrinth, she had kept a huge part of that prophecy secret from him.
And lose a love to worse than death. Annabeth had kept that part to herself and not told anyone. This was the defining part of her life; she had almost pushed Percy away with that one mistake. She knew full well that he had thought she loved Luke like that, and that he had started distancing himself from her.
Thinking back on it, it ached to remember the heart-broken look Percy had given her. She wasn't looking forward to hearing his thoughts about that particular time in the future. Mumbling a small apology to Percy through a mind message, she motioned Athena to start reading again.
He studied my face. "Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Don't dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass… "Ah, think, Percy," Chiron said. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?"
"Someone who gains more power from a war?" I guessed.
"That is a reasonable deduction," Zeus said passively, his eyes moving towards the silent figure of Ares and Enyo; both siblings were definitely crazy enough to start a riot like this in the family.
Chiron seemed taken aback by my words, his eyes widened before he shook his head. "Amusing thought, but think again Percy."
I scratched the back of my head, "Someone else who wants to take over?" I guessed again.
"You should not disclose any arguments with that ease Chiron, specially since the boy might have been thinking in the right direction," Zeus advised his half-brother. After everything that had been revealed, he was trying to listen to things very clearly, and trying to understand things.
Chiron merely nodded and paid attention to the book.
"Yes, quite. Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken."
I thought about my dreams, the evil voice that had spoken from under the ground. "Hades." Chiron nodded. "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."
The glowing gold pillars of the throne room had started turning black as thick tendrils of shadows shot out from Hades, almost covering the entire throne room in darkness. The stench of death followed soon after, making many cover their noses as the darkness scratched at the surface of their darkest fears.
The Lord of the dead had turned silent, and his eyes glowed black, filled with rage.
A warm hand rested on top of his, and the shadows and stench retreated around the room, giving people room to breathe again. Their eyes turned to Hades, who looked ready to throw everyone at the fields of punishment.
"Why is it that I get blamed for everything else?" He addressed the room, for millennia; he had stayed silent. Taking the shit from his family, but this time, enough was enough. "I have never once harmed anyone here directly, while most of you argue over petty grievances, I sit idle at my realm and manage my own affairs without starting troubles."
"Then why is it, that every time I am the one to be blamed for any of Olympus' problems?" He asked again. Waiting for someone to say something, but none dared to speak.
Hestia rose from her hearth and moved to sit next to her brother; taking his other hand in his she whispered words of assurance to him, calming him down with the help of Persephone. The other elder 4 gods had turned silent, never seeing this side of their brother.
"A Fury came after Percy," Chiron reminded him. "She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades." "Great," I muttered. "That's two major gods who want to kill me."
"Back when there were only two gods who wanted to kill you," Annabeth sniffed, reminiscing about the past, "Simple times."
Poseidon choked on the nectar he was drinking; after some serious coughs; he turned to Annabeth, "Only two? Simple?" His head kept bouncing from Annabeth to Percy, hoping that they were joking.
Thalia laughed and nodded, "Two was quite a rookie number for him, as you have seen up until now. Our husband is not a very respectful child. That tended to piss off the immortals." She wouldn't outright say this, but she was proud of how stubborn Percy was. His head only bowed to those he thought deserved his gratitude. It was one of his endearing qualities.
Poseidon leaned back against the couch and started rubbing his forehead. Amphitrite smirked from beside him, enjoying the trouble her husband was facing. He always was cocky about how his blood was defying and challenging; now he will learn just how much trouble it was. "How many?" She asked, her implications clear to how many gods wanted to kill him.
Thalia and Annabeth looked at each other, conversing through their minds. After a minute, Annabeth turned to look at her mother-in-law. "Well, there was Dionysus, Zeus and Hades. Later during this quest, Percy would earn himself a lifelong enemy in Ares. Then there was Athena, who wanted to kill him solely because he was a 'sea-spawn,' and for his infatuation with me."
After her, Thalia picked up, "Then there might have been Artemis in the list too." At the goddess' surprise expression, she explained further, "He was cocky, and you know how you are with males."
Artemis nodded in perfect understanding, and then turned to glare at Percy. The god just made kissing motions with his lips and pointed his finger towards their kids, wiggling his eyebrows. His little teasing had the effect he wanted, as the Goddess of Maidens blushed head to toe and looked away.
"There were also many minor gods that wanted his head." Annabeth closed her eyes, thinking, and then suddenly sat upright, "Oh! And there was also this one time, where Hermes, almost blasted him out of existence."
Thalia nodded sagely, remembering the incident Annabeth was talking about. She had heard everything later from the girl herself. "And that's still not counting the Titans and the monsters. There were so many Titans and legendary monsters that wanted to kill him too."
His wives all signed and resigned; they might have been included on the list of people who wanted to kill him, too.
"Of course, the number only grew as he grew up. With a couple of Primoridals wanting his head too." Piper said, shaking her head.
Percy looked up to see that the entire throne room was sitting open mouthed, their jaws almost at the ground with how far down they were. They all looked at him with equal parts fascination and horror. His father looked like he might drop down from a heart-attack anytime soon. Which was weird, considering gods don't get heart attacks.
Amphitrite who was listening to everything jaw slacked, turned her furious gaze at her husband. "This was all your doing. All of your qualities have been passed down to your son, and it is clear that he is a mini you."
Poseidon nodded with her wife's words, taking full responsibility for Percy's stubbornness. "Why must you be like this, my son?" He asked in a tired voice.
"The sea does not likes to be restrained," Percy answered, making his dad groan out loud and for the rest of the Olympians to start laughing at the sea god.
"Now you understand how we feel, every time you say it," Zeus laughed loudly, along with Hades. Both of them taking absolute joy in their brother's misery.
"But a quest to . . ." Grover swallowed. "I mean, couldn't the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine's very nice this time of year."
"I take that back, Maine is never nice any time of the year," Grover shuddered, remembering that particular place and the incidents that had followed.
Bianca, Nico, Annabeth, Thalia, and Percy all nodded wholeheartedly along with him. They wouldn't want to revisit that particular memory, but they knew that the books would cover it. It was too significant to just ignore.
"Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon… Now he was trying to frame me and my dad for a theft we hadn't committed. I was ready to take him on.
Hades raised an amused eyebrow at Percy, "Are you now?" His eyes glowed slightly as he looked at Percy, "Surely, even with your half-witted sea brain, you must recognize how foolish that would be?"
Nico coughed loudly, gaining the attention of the room. Meeting his father's eyes, he shook his head, "You would not want to wager that bet father, sure, Percy currently in the book wouldn't have been any match for you. But later when he has control of Poseidon's domain. Even a demigod Percy Jackson was too much for you."
Hades' mouth dropped open, along with every single god of the past. They understood perfectly what Nico was talking about. A mortal Percy Jackson had fought Hades and won. It was something unthinkable to all of them; a demigod taking down an elder god? They couldn't wrap their mind around him.
Heracles, Perseus, Theseus and Chiron's eyes widened in horror as they looked at Percy. Not knowing what kind of a beast, he would've been, if he took down the eldest son of Kronos.
"How?" Was the only thing that came out of Hades' mouth.
"Percy wasn't just a normal demigod, even for a child of an elder god he was leagues past in his skills and power. As a demigod he had gained many titles, some of which not even the gods could've dreamed to have. After the war, he was hailed as 'Percy Jackson: The Titan slayer.'"
No one dared to speak a word, or breathe loudly. Their fearful eyes trained at the god who was busy playing with his one-year-old in his arms. Ignoring the rest of the room as he and his children all huddled together. They made a note to not piss off or wrong this particular individual, even accidently.
Besides, if my mother was in the Underworld . . . Whoa, boy, said the small part of my brain that was still sane. You're a kid. Hades is a god.
"Look, if we know it's Hades," I told Chiron, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads."
The mood of the room was still tense from the previous discussion. However, some of the pressure was alleviated when Zeus and Poseidon snorted at the mental image of busting through the underworld and smashing Hades.
Hades glared at his brothers but chose to remain silent.
"Suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron said. "Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades — and I imagine Poseidon does — they couldn't retrieve the bolt themselves.
"You're saying I'm being used."
Poseidon flinched at that, his eyes holding thousands of emotions, but the most significant one being pain. "Percy-"
"It's alright dead," Percy cut him off, "I know you care, it's something not the rest of the demigods can say with ease. I know you love your children, demigods or monsters equally, and I understand everything better now. Still, some of my negative thoughts regarding you would come out at some points, know that those were the thoughts of a child who felt abandoned and scared."
Poseidon nodded and sat back, making a note in his head to talk to his son alone, later.
The gods with children understood that their children all felt the same from time to time; they turned to look at the demigods in the room. All of whom expertly avoided their parents' gaze. Making the gods feel worse than before.
"I'm saying it's no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It's a very risky gamble, but he's in a desperate situation. He needs you… "I had my suspicions. As I said . . . I've spoken to the Oracle, too."
I got the feeling there was a lot he wasn't telling me about his prophecy, but I decided I couldn't worry about that right now. After all, I was holding back information too.
The room nodded in agreement, liking the fact that Percy wasn't being a hypocrite. Though in the past people wondered, what kind of Prophecy Chiron might have received?
"So let me get this straight," I said. "I'm supposed go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead."
"That's about right."
"Nothing too difficult," Nico snorted and resumed drinking the nectar he had summoned.
I looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts. "Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" he asked weakly.
"You don't have to go," I told him. "I can't ask that of you."
"You're a good friend," Pan stated to Percy; then after throwing Grover a curious glance, he continued, "Though I believe, my Satyr would do the right thing."
"Always," Thalia, Annabeth and Percy spoke in unison. Making Grover's eyes tear up at his friends' belief in him.
"Oh . . ." He shifted his hooves. "No . . . it's just that satyrs and underground places . . . well . . ." He took a deep breath, then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminum bits off his T-shirt.
"You saved my life, Percy. If ... if you're serious about wanting me along, I won't let you down."
"And you haven't." Percy said, "You have never once let me down G-Man."
"Thanks Perce," Grover replied with a little tint on his cheek, thanking he got such good friends.
I felt so relieved I wanted to cry, though I didn't think that would be very heroic… but I felt better knowing he'd be with me… My mom had never taken me anywhere by plane. She'd always said we didn't have the money. Besides, her parents had died in a plane crash.
At once the room had turned their glares at Lord of the Sky, who efficiently avoided all of their looks and stared at the book.
"Percy, think," Chiron said. "You are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky… if you will accept her help."
"Gee," I said, feigning surprise. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"
Annabeth who was still sitting next to Percy, carefully took Catarina from his arms and shoved him forward, "Oh fuck off, seaweed brain."
"Annabeth!" Percy exclaimed, "Such strong words in front of the children." He motioned his hand towards his four children, who all watched their step-mom and father fight with smirks of their own.
"They are your children; they already have a sailor's mouth. And you yourself watch R rated movies with them." Both the husband and wife went arguing over little thinks. Making their children and friends laugh.
The air shimmered behind Chiron. Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket… The truth was, I did. I needed all the help I could get.
"A trio," I said. "That'll work."
Annabeth, Grover and Percy all smiled at each other. "The start of the most legendary trio ever." Percy said, and his friends all agreed with him.
"Excellent," Chiron said. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan… "No time to waste," Chiron said. "I think you should all get packing."
Athena shut the book softly, a smile on her face and anticipation in her heart for the quest. Raising her eyes from the title of the book, she looked around the room. "Who wants to read next?"
"I suppose I will," A stranger spoke as the room went silent.