Chapter 31
Greetings readers! I hope that all of you enjoyed the previous chapter!
I would like to thank mfeer for your continued support!
I would like to thank mysiwnnn for your continued support! I am very glad to hear that you enjoyed the previous chapter!
In response to Audrey Lucenio Royo's reviews, yes, I am also really excited about the DC crossover. I love this trilogy a lot. And it'll always be my favourite. But I am also itching to explore new tropes and adopt different writing styles which I have planned for the DC crossover and my other stories. In fact, I've even written quite a bit of flash notes to nail down the general outline of the story. It'll not have very long chapters and will also have much less world-building than this trilogy but it'll be filled with more action and adventure as well as explore many anti-hero tropes. And relax, Percy will most certainly not be nerfed. He will not be as OP as he is in this trilogy, but he'll definitely not be weak. He'll be reasonably OP, if that's a thing. I'm also very excited to write the end of this trilogy since I plan to end it with a bang. Thank you for your continued support!
In response to TheGratefulHuntress' review, I should be the one apologizing for the super late update. I just got bogged down with a bunch of stuff. I am very happy to see the super positive response to the way I ended the Atlas Arc. I had a few doubts, I am not going to lie, because it felt very unconventional. But I wanted to keep in line with Atlas' portrayal as a sympathetic villain. Besides, it also means I can reintroduce him, in this story or give him a spin-off of his own, which I am going to talk about in the footnote. I'm not sure, I think I am going to join the Emerald Library and have my own channel rather than my own server but whatever it is,I will put up an AN once the server is up! Thank you for your input and thank you for your continued support!
I would like to thank Nice for your continued support! It means a lot to me that you enjoyed reading the previous two chapters that much!
In response to NotLordChaos' review, thank you for giving such motivating feedback. I am so glad that you have been able to enjoy this trilogy and I really, really look forward to treating you with even better work. Thank you for your continued support!
In response to NoTredOnSnek's review, I am very glad that you liked the conclusion of the Atlas Arc. It did take quite a bit of time to wrap it up properly but I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for your continued support!
In response to the guest reviewer (the one who reviews frequently), I am sorry for making you guys wait so much again. It's just that I hit a patch of bad health and then it took a lot of time to plan how I had to end this story and trilogy and that took even longer. It's just that with this trilogy so close to its conclusion, I have to be very careful with where I take this.
I am very happy that you liked the way I ended the Atlas Arc. It took a lot of rewrites to come up with that but I managed to do it finally. And coming off the back of what I consider my best arc ever, I just had to make sure that I manage to end this story on a high rather than making readers feel like I am just dragging it on. It's been two years since this journey started and you have been with me along each step. I really can't quantify how important your support is. And I am determined to end this trilogy in the best way possible. Thank you for your continued support!
In response to HPJ1's review, I know that it was a bit of a shocker to give Atlas a chance to reform but I felt it was believable, given that he was always set up as an anti-villain rather than as the big bad. And I am glad you liked it! Thank you for your continued support!
In response to fugy's review, I know, I actually struggled to go forward with this story because for two years, the Atlas Arc had been the ultimate pedestal. It was all I had planned towards and set up. In a way, it would have been perfect to end the story and trilogy there, with only a short epilogue afterwards. But you guys deserved much better and I was determined to end this trilogy off on an even greater high. So I look forward to enthralling you with the final part of this amazing journey! Thank you for your continued support!
In response to Ryan Fowler's review, thank you for your glowing feedback! I am extremely happy to hear that you enjoyed the end to the Atlas Arc this much! I intend to finish this trilogy off in an even better way and I want to thank you for being such an integral part of this journey! Thank you for your continued support!
I would like to thank HellRaiderS for your continued support! I really hope to pick up the pace with these updates!
Finally, I would like to thank Arden2709 for your continued support!
All credit for the characters goes exclusively to Rick Riordan.
Percy was in the Underworld for a very important occasion, it was the anniversary of Achilles' death. And he was here today to talk to Achilles' spirit. It was something that he had put off doing for the past two years, even though he had been in every position to do so.
In fact, it was the first thing his uncle had offered to do for him as soon as he had been resurrected but Percy hadn't had the courage to face his nephew then. And he had only mustered the courage to do it two long years after his resurrection.
He didn't know what exactly had stopped him from doing this earlier. It was perhaps the combination of crushing guilt of being indirectly responsible for Achilles' death as well as the fresh, raw pain of holding his nephew's lifeless body in his arms, that were still etched into his mind as soon as he had woken up.
After all, when he had woken up from his three millennia long coma, from his perspective, it had only been weeks since Achilles' death. And he had not had time to process his grief back then due to the fight with Tartarus. And even after being resurrected, he had been thrown headfirst into another divine conflict where he was forced to confront another demon of the past that was of his own making.
It had taken him an arduous amount of physical, mental and emotional effort to somewhat come to terms with what he considered one of the two greatest mistakes of his life. And he was now here to ask forgiveness for the other. Who knew? Perhaps he could even find inner peace here and vanquish another one of his own demons. He was brought out of his musing when his uncle and cousin materialised in front of him.
"Percy! It's always a pleasure when you visit us here." Persephone warmly greeted as she gave him a hug which Percy gladly returned.
"The Underworld is just the perfect place to go to when you need some time to introspect and some peace and quiet. And of course, your hospitality only makes my visits here all the better." Percy sincerely answered.
"Unfortunately, it's not been quiet that peaceful around here nowadays. Iapteus has risen once again and his forces are constantly at war with mine. The attacks have only intensified since you defeated Atlas and monsters seem to be pouring out of Tartarus practically limitlessly. The Forces of the Underworld are the first barrier of defence that prevents monsters from entering the surface world, so we need to be resilient and repulse all armies to ensure the war on the surface doesn't reach our seats of power at Olympus." Hades shared some important information with a weary sigh.
He had done his level best to hold back the hordes of monsters by using his armies of ghosts, all led by capable historical figures and heroes. He had also received plenty of support in the form of weaponry from Olympus and Atlantis that had been crafted in the forges of Hephaestus and the Elder Cyclopes. But it was not enough because aid in divine reinforcements had been very limited.
It was mostly Nico and Thalia who came to aid him and lead his armies, since they had been assigned to the Underworld. But the rest of the manpower of the Divine Forces, whether mortal or immortal, had been focused on repelling threats on the surface and the sea. He didn't blame them since they were the ones with more at stake, since they had to protect innocents, but he would be lying if he said he didn't want some powerful divine reinforcements.
"I know, Uncle. Nico informed me of the situation here which is one of the main reasons why I am here. While I hope to speak to Achilles, who from what I gather is currently one of the commanders of the Forces of the Underworld along with Nico and Thalia, I also intend to stay here for sometime to aid the faction of the Divine Forces that are here and vanquish all the armies of monsters that are pouring out of Tartarus." Percy informed them of his purpose, pleasantly surprising both of them.
"That is some much needed good news, nephew. While the other Underworld gods and I are doing everything possible, the true Ancient Laws limit our scope quite a bit since immortals have seldom been involved in this conflict. But now, with you leading all the armies, I am confident that we will be able to wipe out all the monsters here. And of course, you are welcome to stay here as long as you want." Hades stated, with a rare smile on his face.
Hades had really come to hold Percy in very high regard. He did not say it loud but he genuinely held immense affection and respect for his nephew. The man was in Hades' eyes, the most bankable person in the world. Whenever his family needed him, Percy would find a way to be there. He was their Trojan Wall. Impregnable. Eternal. Infallible.
"Before I forget the main purpose of your stay here, let me summon Achilles. I have given him a solidified form to allow him to fight and I must say, he is truly a formidable fighter. Of course, like all souls in Elysium, he cannot afford to get too damaged or he will be forced to reincarnate, but you don't need to worry about that. I have made sure that he is well protected even in battle." Hades reassured Percy. This was the least he could do for the man in front of him.
"Yes, he was always a beast in battle. Not at all surprising since he was groomed to be my successor. We all believed that he would be the one to inherit my will. He was supposed to be my lieutenant, you know. The successor of the destroyer who brings damnation, he was supposed to be the one who brought distress to our enemies. That is what his name meant. But it was not meant to be." Percy stated with a distant, pained look in his eyes.
"Cousin, the dead can come back to life. There are ways to bring them back using the Physician's cure, if you have any powerful child of Hades with you, especially one who has been trained by him personally. It would of course be a breach of Ancient Laws, but he wouldn't be able to do anything about it." Persephone covertly suggested and to Percy's surprise, Hades stayed silent.
Hades knew exactly what Persephone was insinuating and knew that it was certainly possible. And he would immediately smite anyone else who tried to betray the laws and grasp of the Underworld. But, he made a very, very special exception for his nephew.
"You will not believe how many times that thought has crossed my mind. It was the first thing I evaluated after Nico unlocked his full potential. Athena, Asclepius, Apollo and I had even devised a way. Athena and Apollo would create a mortal body exactly similar to Achilles', Asclepius would create a tweaked version of the Physician's Cure and I would sneak into the Underworld and steal Achilles' soul with the help of Nico, who would then inject the soul and anchor it into the body. And that would be when we administered the Physician's Cure, bringing him back to life. And to avoid the onslaught of Ancient Laws, he would instantly be turned into a complete immortal immediately after being brought back to life, with a Golden Apple Of Immortality." Percy revealed his plan to his uncle and cousin.
"Why am I not surprised that you had such a meticulous and bulletproof plan crafted. However, I am curious to know why you never went through with it. What stopped you? Certainly wouldn't have been me or the rest of our family. And I am sure some tale could have been concocted for the minor gods and the rest of the world." Hades curiously questioned.
"Perhaps. We could have escaped from any consequences and successfully brought back Achilles. But fate never lets you get off scot-free. Achilles would have had to maintain an extremely low profile upon being resurrected and I know my nephew enough to say that he wouldn't have been able to. And besides, there are a few lines that should never be crossed, unless the fate of the world depends on it. Death is supposed to be an irreversible point in the flow of fate, uncle. To make a mockery out of it, violating Ancient Laws and whatnot, will unleash much greater consequences on the world." Percy answered with a resigned sigh.
"If I use it to revive my dead nephew, just because of my grief, it opens doors to abuse by other gods in the future as well. What is stopping one of my own Olympian or Atlantean brothers and sisters from trying to do the same with their children? And on what grounds can they be denied? They have been dealing with this for millennia. How can I claim that my grief is superior to theirs and that it warrants an exemption?" Percy asked with a distant look in his eyes.
"Yes. Death is supposed to be irreversible. Or else, all order in life will fail. That is my job. That is why, no matter how many times I am tempted, I do not abuse my powers to try and revive my demigod children, even though I can. Nephew, with great power, comes great responsibility. And I am very proud that you exercised that responsibility." Hades solemnly stated and in an unusual show, he laid a supportive hand on his nephew's shoulder and a sorrowful silence enveloped the room before being broken by Persephone.
"I think Achilles is in the midst of repelling an attack near the entrance to Tartarus, at the banks of the River Styx, along with Nico and Thalia. So you may have to wait a bit before you can see Achilles again. I can show you your room for your stay and brief you on our defensive positions in that time." Persephone politely offered.
"Thank you for the gracious offer. But I will take it up later. Instead of waiting for my nephew, I shall meet him at the battlefield and fight side by side with him and vanquish all our enemies like I always desired." Percy stated with a nostalgic smile on his face before disappearing in a blue mist, once again pleasantly surprising the rulers of the Underworld.
Achilles was having a long, arduous day. It had all started with Nico and Thalia informing him that a thousand monsters, including a dozen Aethiopian drakons had gotten out of Tartarus. They were heading for the surface and Achilles immediately knew that they could not afford to let this army reach the surface world.
So, they had come near the entrance to Tartarus and had intercepted this army with an army of the undead. And a battle had been raging for a few hours. It was especially tricky since the lack of any opposing immortal meant that they could not rely on any divine reinforcements.
Achilles had just killed another drakon and was about to target another one when a tall, extremely well-built man materialised above it. He wearing a simple pale green shirt tucked into black dress pants with the sleeves of his shirt folded. Along with that, he was wearing brown leather shoes and from the angle Achilles was viewing him from, had royal yet windswept hair.
Before Achilles could call out to the man, the latter's aura exploded and his fist turned an ethereal white as he slammed it down on the drakon's head. A second later, a shockwave erupted from his fist that pulverized the drakon and caused it to explode into golden dust. Achilles instantly found out who this man was. It was his uncle.
"How cold. Achilles, are you just going to stand there and not even give your old man a hug?" Percy jested as he landed a few feet in front of Achilles. Behind his sea green and gold framed aviators, his eyes glistened with unshed happy tears at the sight of his nephew.
Achilles looked very similar to how he had when he was alive, with his long, golden-blonde hair tied in a formal ponytail, a scruffy stubble adorning his face and his pale green eyes shining in determination. He did look a lot paler than earlier though, he had lost his sun-kissed skin and his face had also hollowed a little, along with his frame being a bit less muscular than before.
"It's been three thousand, one hundred and seventy two years since I last saw you. It's been two years since you came out of your coma and now is when you decided to visit me. Were you so disappointed by me in life that you hold it against me now even in death?" Achilles asked with his voice cracking at the end.
Percy did not answer him immediately. Instead he slammed his palms together once, blasting blue mist that teleported away Achilles, Nico, Thalia and the rest of the Underworld's armies. He then turned to the ghoul leading the army of monsters before removing his aviators.
"Spread the word that General Perseus Diaboles is here to destroy every single enemy of the gods. And tell every monster, every ghoul, every rebellious spirit that those who stand against me will not only be annihilated, they will also have their souls, essences or whatever it is that powers them, ripped apart and consumed by my swords of destruction." Percy stated with his eyes violently glowing while swirling like a hurricane, paralyzing all his enemies.
He then finished up his work here by slamming his ethereally glowing hands together and immediately, a monstrous, swirling radial bluish-white dome of destruction erupted and decimated the entire army in a blinding flash.
After that, without skipping a beat, Percy disappeared in a blue mist. He rematerialized in Persephone's garden, where Achilles, Nico and Thalia were waiting patiently.
"Did you just destroy an entire army that we had been fighting all morning with a goddamn clap?!" Thalia incredulously asked.
"Yes. I'm awesome like that. You know, I could even give your fathers and my old man a run for his money in my current form. That's how powerful I am with my swords." Percy cheekily responded.
"Clearly, that was the only thing the swords augmented. They also inflated your ego to huge proportions." Achilles responded with a cheeky smirk before his face turned serious.
"Now, you owe me an answer." Achilles stated with his arms crossed. Nico and Thalia immediately excused themselves, not wanting to intrude. Percy's eyes turned distant as he took time to answer Achilles.
"I failed you in life, Achilles. I was more concerned with upholding unrealistic ideals than fulfilling my duty to my family. When you killed Hector, rather than exiling you, I should have taken you back to the sea with me. I should have given you a chance to reform within our family rather than forcing you it to learn outside. I thought that I was making you a better man. But I ended up leading you to your death by forcing you to continue fighting in that accursed war. That is undoubtedly the greatest failure of my immortal life. And even after I was resurrected, I never could find the courage to meet you, because in a way, I was responsible for your death. And I didn't know if you would every forgive me for failing you." Percy apologized, breathing out a cold blue mist with his eyes closed and fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.
"That is definitely the stupidest thing I have ever heard you say." Achilles flatly stated causing Percy to look at him incredulously.
"I don't know how you got this into your head but you were not responsible for my death. Paris was. Tartarus was. I was. I died because that was the punishment for my actions. I should have listened to you when you tried to prevent me from entering the accursed war. But I didn't. And I committed far too many brutalities to be left off the hook. And unlike most of the others who took part in the war, I was not being manipulated by Tartarus to act the way I did. No, I committed all those atrocities of my own volition. I died because I deserved to die. And you had no part to play in it." Achilles admitted with a remorseful sigh.
"But-" Percy started but he was cut off by Achilles.
"No buts, uncle. You were there for me my entire life. Guiding me. Helping me. Protecting me. From the day I was born, whatever you did, you did in my interests. But I was the one who betrayed that trust. I was the one who did all the things I was not supposed to do. I was the one who failed you, uncle. And I thought, that was why you didn't want to see me again. I thought you hated me." Achilles apologized with his voice cracking at the end and Percy immediately engulfed him in a hug.
"You were the apple of my eye, Achilles. Along with Athena and the rest of our family, you were one of the pillars of my life. You gave purpose to it. You gave me joy. I enjoyed each and every second of watching you turn into a fierce warrior from a curious toddler. I could never hate you. In fact, if I could have my way, you would have been by my side, as the inheritor of all my will and power." Percy stated in a hoarse voice, calming Achilles down. He then positioned himself such that he was staring into Achilles's eyes, with his hands on either side of Achilles' shoulders.
"Kid, you were the son I never had. You were such an integral part of my life back then that after I woke up from my coma, I found it practically impossible to live in a world without you. I was in denial for so long. And then, my own demons popped up and battered me continuously. I realised I was in a drastically different era. I realised that I had enacted immense pain on the woman of my dreams and the rest of my family by my so called sacrifice. And I had to confront the snowballed effects of another one of my greatest failures in the form Atlas and Calypso's revenge. I was a mess, kid. And I am just starting to piece myself together now. So in that state of mind, I was in no position to meet you then. And I am truly sorry about that." Percy once again apologized, with absolute sincerity.
After that heartfelt conversation, a comfortable silence enveloped the two of them for a while, as they walked around the garden, just enjoying this long awaited reunion.
"Do you ever think about what could have been if I hadn't been so bull-headed back then and had actually listened to you?" Achilles asked in a subdued voice.
"Always. I have spent many sleepless nights envisioning how wonderful it would have been if you were still alive. By now, you would have eclipsed me and assumed my mantle. You would have been better than me in every way. You would have ensured that the Divine Forces stayed coherent. But apart from that, you would have given great solace to our family during my coma. And I would have had everything in the world after I woke up. But it was never meant to be." Percy answered with a poignant smile.
"I wanted to know, when you and Athena have a son, is he going to be at least part mortal like you?" Achilles suddenly and seriously asked, surprising Percy with the nature of his question.
"Despite the fact that my mortal soul now perhaps makes up less than a tenth of my life force, I am still technically a mortal by the definition of the Ancient Laws. As such, any kid I have with Athena is naturally going to be born as and stay as partially mortal unless they are turned into full immortals, that mortal soul will never be fully replaced. However, how it works is that he'll be born mortal and then rapidly have almost all of his mortal soul converted into an immortal essence and by his twenty-first birthday, he'll be more immortal than I will ever be. But that sliver of a mortal soul will always classify him as a mortal." Percy answered after thinking for a few seconds.
"So, it's possible for any soul to be reincarnated into the soul of your son?" Achilles asked, with hope shining in his eyes.
"Of course. However, like I explained, whose ever soul it is that gets reincarnated into that of mine and Athena's future son, will be converted mostly to an immortal essence soon, so it'll turn practically immortal. What prompted these questions, Achilles?" Percy asked in a calm voice.
"I'm thinking of taking reincarnation once this war is over. And there can't possibly be a better reincarnation than that as being born as your and Athena's son." Achilles stated with a wide smile. And immediately, a similar smile made its way onto Percy's face.
"That would make me the happiest man alive, Achilles. It truly would. In fact, I am so happy about this that I will talk to Athena about it as soon as possible and ask her how she feels about it. I'm sure she'll be ecstatic but I just need her consent as well. There's also the problem of the Fates since Clotho is the one that controls reincarnation but I am going to talk to them and fight for you." Percy enthusiastically responded. Achilles reincarnating as his son would be even better than a dream come true.
"Okay, let's step on the brakes a bit, uncle. This is just a hope. The Fates may not be kind enough to do this. And even if they are, this is quite a few years down the line. I mean, you guys aren't even married yet. Also, what exactly are you waiting for, uncle? I am not saying you need to get married tomorrow but doesn't it feel weird for you to refer to Athena as just a girlfriend or lover? She definitely deserves to be more." Achilles calmly pointed out.
"Geez kid, calm down. I have taken measures to rectify that. For now, let's just focus on mowing down our enemies." Percy replied with a confident smirk.
Achilles felt a similar smirk growing on his face. It would be a thrilling and amazing experience to fight side by side with his uncle once again. He didn't know what the Fates had in store for him in the future but even if this was last good thing to happen to him, and even if he was not given a chance to be reincarnated as Percy and Athena's son, he would forever be happy with the fact that he got to do what he was meant to do by his uncle's side. He failed his uncle in life. He would not fail him in death.
Percy and Athena were enjoying their romantic night out in Olympus. It had been ages since the two of them had a romantic getaway to relax and bask in each other's presence. And it was a night that they were enjoying to the fullest extent.
Percy had taken a small break from his recent activities in the Underworld to spend time with Athena. And he had pulled out all stops for their date. He had gotten them a private booth at the Olympian Theatre for Dionysus' latest romantic drama. And after that he had booked them the best seat in Olympus' best restaurant that gave them the view of the entire city.
They were also dressed appropriately for the night with Athena wearing a beautiful black cocktail dress that went all the way to her ankles and hugged her in just the perfect way. Percy had also gone for a more formal look with a black turtleneck paired with a khaki blazer and khaki slacks.
"Thank you, I had a fantastic time tonight. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun." Athena stated with a radiant smile on her face, once they were done with their meals.
Her long luscious hair was styled perfectly, with some of it curled and left to cascade over her shoulders while the rest reached the middle of her back. And her soft, red lips provided such a perfect contrast to her stormy grey eyes full of love that Percy was just lost in her timeless beauty for a few seconds.
"Have I told you just how beautiful you look tonight?" Percy replied, with his gaze locked with hers.
"Yes, around a dozen times." Athena answered with an amused yet fond chuckle.
"That's because no matter how many times I say it, I simply cannot put into words how beautiful you look. You are warmth, elegance, beauty and intelligence personified. You are simply perfect." Percy softly stated as he reached out and gently cupped her cheek.
"Says the most desirable man in the Divine World right now. Who happens to be completely mine." Athena stated with a proud smirk.
She had to say, Percy cut quite the dashing figure. His neat, short stubble and silky hair that somehow had a windswept yet royal look complimented his tall, muscular build very well. And his vibrant sea green eyes swirled as they glowed with power.
"You know, now that you have defeated Atlas all on your own and are on par with the Big Three in terms of power, there have been many subtle murmurs, that you deserve a promotion from being just the General of the Divine Forces. They're saying that you should be the king of the gods. To them, it also makes sense since you are involved with eldest daughter of the current king and are a natural heir. They say that father has had his time at the helm and that you could do a much better job." Athena stated with complete seriousness.
"I have heard those murmurs. And I know I don't have to tell you this, but the last thing I want is to go after Uncle Zeus' throne. It's mainly because it is absolutely against my morals to depose my own uncle. And beyond that, let's be honest here, ruling is not really a forte of mine. I mean sure, I did govern Pearl for a while but even then I wasn't fully involved in all the administration." Percy answered calmly as he leaned back to sip on his glass of Nectar.
"Both of us know that is not entirely true. You transformed Pearl into a mega polis that was the most advanced city under the sea. And while you may dislike it, you are excellent at diplomacy and expertly navigating complicated political environments." Athena retorted as she mimicked Percy's actions.
"Perhaps. But, while I may be a qualified for the role and may also have legitimate claims to the Olympian Throne and even if you ignore that I have a moral compass for one moment, the crux of my rationale is that I don't really want to rule. I never saw it in my own destiny to be a king. I was always a general. And while I have followed and envisioned my own vision of ideals more often than not, at heart, I was always just a decorated warrior. Someone who always had to be on the frontlines of any conflict. I lived with that mentality my entire life. And also, I really don't want all that extra responsibility. In fact, I have even grown weary of my role as a general. I just want to spend time with the woman of my dreams." Percy expounded in detail.
"Does our future really mean that much to you, Percy?" Athena asked in a whisper. Even after all these years, Percy's humility and total lack of lust for power baffled her. And the fact that he was willing to give up everything – fame, titles, power, just for her, completely melted her heart.
"Of course it does, Athena. You have waited three millennia for me. You have sacrificed so much to just cling on to a hope that we would one day be reunited and have our happily ever after. The day I was resurrected, I made a promise to myself that I would fulfil all your dreams and desires. I don't need anything else precisely because you are the queen of my world." Percy sincerely answered and Athena's heart just melted with that statement.
"Oh Percy." Athena soft-heartedly stated with watery eyes causing Percy to smile widely at her.
"You know, the night is still young. Let's go on a ride. We should reach the perfect island in the Aegean that I have identified some time around midnight, the perfect time for some stargazing. Today also happens to be the day of the full moon so Aunt Selene will impinge us with radiant moonlight." Percy revealed the rest of his plans for the night to Athena, pleasantly surprising her.
"Percy, I know that you are a hopeless romantic at heart and I love that you spent a lot of time planning out this day for us. But tell me, what is the occasion? You have been with me the entire day. You took me on that majestic walk through Athens earlier in the day, brought us back to Olympus for a play that you knew I would love, treated me to this fabulous dinner and possibly the best Nectar I have ever tasted. And upon all this, you've picked what I am certain is the perfect island in the Aegean, at the perfect time. And for the ride, I am sure you would have chosen the perfect route and probably one of my favourite melodies from the Muses. Even for you, this is a very huge romantic gesture." Athena curiously listed out.
"Athena, like I told you earlier, you are the queen of my world. I just want this night to be about you, to be about us." Percy stated with a dazzling smile as he tucked a strand of hair behind Athena's ear.
"Alright then." Athena accepted his gesture with a content smile on her face as she nuzzled into his hand.
The two of them stayed in that position for some time, just enjoying each other's company before they got up. After that, they settled the bill and walked with their arms interlocked when they spotted Jason and Reyna on the lower floor on what seemed like a date.
"Huh, would you believe that? The kid actually took my advice and went through with it. I never would have guessed that he would bring Reyna here on their first date." Percy stated with a wide grin on his face which disappeared as soon as Athena shot an unamused glare at him.
"So this was all your idea?" Athena asked with displeasure evident on her face.
"Not really." Percy feebly defended but it fell apart as soon as Athena raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, it was my idea." Percy confessed sheepishly.
"Of course it was. Percy, I know that Jason and Reyna look like they're adults. But they're still just sixteen years old. Reyna, and even Annabeth, are not ready for something so serious. They're my children. Their fatal flaw is hubris, just like mine. They haven't gained the maturity for a committed, stable relationship. And while Jason is a wonderful boy, his fatal flaw makes it much more likely that they'll hurt each at this point. And the war just complicates everything. So tell me, why now of all times did you encourage them to take the leap?" Athena admonished Percy.
She had been cognizant of the fact that Reyna and Jason had romantic inclinations for each other for quite a while now. But she had always brushed it aside and from what she had gathered, she understood that the two of them weren't too keen on starting anything. And she agreed with their decision. So she was slightly miffed that Percy had taken such a diametrically opposite set of actions, without even consulting her.
"Athena, I understand and share your concerns. But you have to understand, these two are not just your random run of the mil sixteen year olds. These are two individuals who have matured far beyond their age due to a brutal divine war. These are two individuals who have enough wisdom to choose when to pull the trigger. To know when to use their license to kill. And what those two feel for each other is not shallow. I know enough to say this bond between them runs very deep. So, if they have decided it is what they want, why shouldn't we encourage them to do what they want?" Percy calmly defended.
"Those are two very different things, Percy. If they somehow end up hurting each other or Chaos forbid, if anything happens to one of them, it will leave a permanent scar on them. Just like what happened with Calypso left a scar on you. And I know them well enough to say they don't have the same mental fortitude as you to pull through if something happens." Athena softly whispered, sharing her reservations with Percy.
"My trauma, was a product of a different era, Athena. It was the product of a world where the gods were not as benevolent and compassionate as they are now. It was also a product of my failure to do more to salvage my relationship. I was the one who gave up on Calypso and I. But while there was a hefty amount of mistake on my part, I had no other choice due to the scenario then." Percy stated with a faraway look in his eyes, the vibrant sea green of his eyes dulling a little, before continuing.
"But this is a different era. With a more supportive family backing them, they can overcome all their difficulties. They also have far more compatibility than Calypso and I ever had. All three of those pairs want to emulate us, and that's a good thing. Because we are very, very good at this. And we can support them, guide them along the way. We can be there for them, Athena. They won't need as much mental fortitude as I did because they will have us." Percy convincingly stated.
"Our children don't need to suffer the same way we did, Athena. That is entire point of us fighting. They shouldn't have to go through the pain we experienced. It is our duty to ensure that they can live and love more easily than we did." Percy calmly declared.
"It scares me, Percy. We may be there to guide them but how much in common will we have with them? Our romantic relationship has not really been conventional. We didn't have an inch of romantic inclination towards each other for over a decade and a half, even though we knew each other very well. Our love blossomed and developed during an era of peace. We were also much more mature than these two are now and had all the prerequisites to slowly and organically nurture a loving relationship. Of course, we went through multiple ordeal after but our foundation was always unshakeable. What about these two? What about the other four? We are in the middle of a war. Will they really be able to build anything meaningful right now with a sword hanging over them always?" Athena intensely questioned.
"You make valid points, Athena. But you are forgetting a very important thing – this is what they want. And as family, it is our duty to support them through their choices. I made the same mistake once. I tried to force my ideals on my nephew, banishing him when what I needed to do was be there for him. And that banishment ultimately led to his death. The same thing may not happen here but we should not interfere when it's not necessary to do so." Percy stated with a distant look in his eyes.
"Again, you are comparing apples to oranges here, Percy." Athena stated with the barest hint of frustration.
"Am I, Athena? There are times when we have to interfere in these kids' lives for their good but those moments are few and far in between. That's because they are mature enough to sort their own feelings and come to a conclusion they deem best. And all I ever encouraged them to do was follow their hearts. If this is what it meant, I am ready to give full support to them." Percy determinedly replied. But Athena still remained unconvinced.
"You know what, let's take them with us for the ride. We'll teleport them back once we reach the island. But this will at least give you the chance to observe them closely and grill the hell out of Jason, which I know is exactly what you want to do." Percy offered with a pleasant smile on his face. Athena agreed but a fair bit of hesitation was evident on her face.
"Alright. But only because you asked so nicely." Athena stated with a small smile causing Percy to chuckle.
"Now, what do you say we scare these two a little?" Percy asked with a mischievous smile.
"You're a man after my own heart aren't you?" Athena replied with a similar smile and the two of them walked towards Jason and Reyna, hand in hand.
Up until that point, the night had been a fantastic one for Jason and Reyna, since it marked their first official date since they had gotten involved in a romantic relationship. They had spent the night talking about what would change due to it and afterwards had eased back into their comfortable dynamic and were just enjoying each other's company. Once they were done dining, Jason called for the bill but he was surprised by the spirit's answer.
"Sir, your bill has already been cleared by Lord Perseus and Lady Athena." The waiter informed them before leaving and that's when Jason and Reyna turned to find Percy and Athena stoically staring at them from a few feet away.
"Good evening you two. I hope you enjoyed your dinner. Now come with us, we want to have a chat with you." Athena stated with a polite smile but Jason and Reyna shivered a bit at that sentence. They knew the politeness was a façade.
"Yes ma'am." Jason half-squeaked out. A second later, Percy and Athena turned and headed out while the two partial immortals meekly followed.
"It was nice knowing you, Reyna." Jason muttered and it took all of Percy's willpower to not burst into laughter right then and there. This was going to be fun.
An atmosphere of tension had filled the Ferrari Roma of Percy as it glided through the air at supersonic speeds, at least from Jason's viewpoint. Percy and Athena though, were more amused than anything as they observed the antics of the fidgeting son of Zeus who seemed like he was a nervous wreck. Everyone knew that he was a bit afraid of Athena, given his feelings towards Reyna.
"Now Jason, since you're done fidgeting, let's talk about your date today. Looks like you didn't pull any punches and went all out, treating Reyna to what seemed like a fabulous dinner. You even ordered a bottle of Eurus' exquisite Nectar. Not bad. You have good taste." Percy casually complimented to make Jason feel comfortable.
"She only deserves the best, Percy." Jason sincerely answered causing Reyna to blush and Athena to cringe a little.
"Is that what we usually sound like?" Athena rhetorically asked.
"Dear, we sound far cornier than this." Percy answered with a chuckle, and the others followed. His statement broke the ice and put Jason at the right spot to take on Athena's next question.
"So, you both seem very serious about this." Athena voiced her observation as Percy put the car on autopilot and the two front seats rotated such that they were now facing Jason and Reyna. Jason's heartbeat immediately rose but he managed to find his voice.
"Yes. We love each other and are willing to do whatever it takes to make it work. We danced around each other way too long and we took the sound advice of a very experienced person and took this step." Jason calmly answered as he looked at Percy.
"Nice try, kid. But scoring brownie points with me isn't going to help you much. I'm already on your side. You need to convince her not me." Percy flashed Jason an amused smile as he pointed at Athena.
"Mom, I know you are worried about us but trust me, we are ready for this. This is what we want. This isn't just some casual fling due to pent up frustration or impulsive infatuation. We intend to go all the way. Just like you guys." Reyna declared with determination.
"That sounds very good, daughter but do you both actually realise what it means to emulate us? The logic itself is a bit flawed because our situation and yours are very different ones, and the foundations of our relationship were laid in a very different era. But ignoring that, let me tell you that it won't be smooth sailing for you at all. It will be a long arduous journey with many, many obstacles lining the way. And you may say you love each other but I doubt you both even know what it means." Athena pinned them with intense stares before continuing.
"Because love isn't a beginning. It's an endpoint. And it takes a lot of time and effort to get there. Do you really have that sort of determination towards each other? Do you even have the maturity to take such decisions? Because if you have even a shred of doubt or hesitancy, this is not the time to tread this path." Athena warned in a calm yet firm voice.
"Athena is right. I may be your biggest cheerleader but even I will advise you to think about this deeply. While I am very happy that both of you followed your hearts, it can sometimes mislead you a little. And getting into a serious romantic relationship without the will to fulfill your promises or stomach any hurdles is just a recipe for disaster. I can attest to that." Percy confessed with a sombre smile on his face.
"You know what he is talking about. Jason, Reyna, promises are extremely powerful in the realm of personal relationships. They have the ability to make or break a person. Look at what a broken promise did to Calypso. What happened wasn't entirely Percy's fault, but it still had a unbelievably large snowball effect. I am not saying that the two of you would do that to each other. It's just that unforeseen events can always harm you in irreparable ways." Athena calmly warned.
"Even then we would not have any regrets, mother. We are tired of walking on eggshells around each other, always worried, always afraid of what could happen to us. And that fear has hampered us so long. We just want to live. We really like each other. We just want to maybe one day have what you two have. What's so wrong about that?" Reyna asked, a bit defensively. And at that statement, Athena's intense gaze was replaced by one of motherly concern.
"I know, Reyna, I know. I have always regretted pulling you into this war." Athena replied with a resigned sigh.
"No. That's not what we meant. We are only proud to be fighting for our family. But we just realised that this war shouldn't dictate each and every step of our life. That we should be able to do what we want. Live how we want." Jason softly confessed and the rest of Athena's opposition crumbled at that.
"Alright you two, you have our full blessing. Just be safe. And be serious." Athena stated with a small smile and Reyna immediately launched forward to hug her mother, and Jason had a beaming smile on his face.
"Okay, you guys have been grilled and have also gotten our blessing. Now, out you go. Have fun on the rest of your date and let us enjoy ours. Bye!" Percy greeted cheerfully before snapping his fingers, and Jason and Reyna were teleported away in a blue mist. Athena shook her head but couldn't shake the fond smile off her face. She knew that Percy definitely had a pleasant surprise in store for her.
Percy and Athena were leisurely walking along the coast of a beautiful island on the Aegean with Percy's arm wrapped around Athena's shoulders and her head resting on his chest. And it was as perfect as Athena had envisioned it. The sand on the beach was fine, soft and pristine, with the sea lapping gently at their feet. The sky was completely clear, all the stars were twinkling brightly and the full moon was shining radiantly.
"You know why I chose this island as the place to finish off our perfect night-out?" Percy asked as he drew soothing circles on Athena's shoulder.
"Let me guess, this is the island you have chosen as the place our family will call home after the war." Athena answered with a knowing smile on her face.
"Yes. What do you think?" Percy asked with a beaming smile on his face.
"It's perfect in every way. Not too big. Not too small. Secluded enough to give us a good amount of physical as well as metaphysical privacy. The environment is just so beautiful here. I could see us, and two others, living here happily, a few years down the line." Athena answered with a dreamy smile on her face.
She closed her eyes in bliss and let out a content sigh when Percy planted a kiss on her temple. Her life felt just perfect. She didn't feel it could get any better than this. Little did she know, she was about to be pleasantly surprised.
Suddenly, she felt Percy pull away from her and startled by the lack of warmth, she turned to look at him. And that was when she received one of the biggest shocks of her life – Percy was down on one knee, with the most beautiful ring Athena had ever seen in his hands. And her mind went blank. This was it.
Hey guys! I know that it has been way too long since the past update but I hit a patch of bad health and then I had to plan how I would end this story. And I realised that it's actually pretty hard to end this story and trilogy on a high.
I suppose I have to blame myself for that because the very purpose of writing this trilogy had always been to see through the Percy vs Atlas battle. And with that completed and the Atlas Arc wrapped in what I felt was the best way, I really struggled to find a way to take the story even higher from there.
In fact, at one point, I almost gave up because the ending of the Atlas Arc felt like a perfect way to end the story and it felt like anything apart from an extended epilogue would make the story feel draggy. But then I realised you guys deserve a hell lot more and now I am determined to end this trilogy on an even greater high. As a part of that, I have decided to merge the timelines of Battle of The Labyrinth and The Last Olympian into one final arc that will end this story with a bang.
Also, I have two announcements for everyone. The first is that I've joined Discord and am there on Emerald Library and will get a channel to interact with you all soon and all credit for that goes to TheGracefulHuntress for giving me the idea! My username on it is also Blitz2134 so you can reach out to me in my DMs!
Second, I wanted to inform you guys that once this trilogy is over, I am planning to concurrently work on three projects. The first will be the DC crossover, another is going to be a Percy X Calypso time travel fic and the third is going to be a spin-off of this universe. I'm not going to spoil the spin-off but let me say that you guys will be in for a big surprise!
Read and review, I hope that all of you enjoyed this chapter! Have a fantastic day!
