(Uploaded: October 18, 2020)
Chapter 21: Finale Part 1(And SEQUEL ANNOUNCEMENT!)
(Author's Note)
Hey guys, gals and non-binary pals! Today is a big, important, emotional day for me. It's my 4 Year Anniversary of being on FanFiction! I can't believe it's been 4 years already, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited and followed over the years! I wouldn't be here without all of you!
I have a TON of things to tell you, so PLEASE read everything I have to say before and after this chapter, I'll try my best to keep it quick:
First, THIS IS THE FINALE OF CHAMPION OF OLYMPUS! Well, part 1, actually. Part 2 will come out in a few days! I know, pretty surreal to finally be here. If you're wondering why I decided to cancel Ch20 part 3 then you should follow me on Twitter, I put a link to a Pat-reon post I made letting you all know why. I used Pat-reon because it doesn't have a character limit like Twitter does and I don't like filling my stories with a whole bunch of updates all the time. All updates/announcements like that will be FREE to view on Pat-reon without the need to be a Patron. Though, if you can and are willing to, then I would be honored to have you as a Patron. You can check it out for details. I will also be doing a MAJOR overhaul for it soon with new Tier rewards. Info to come. Follow me on Twitter to know when I post them.
Second, I've started to post previews/sneak peeks of my current writing projects on my Pat-reon(including this one right here). I uploaded a few of these unedited, unbeta'd, unrevised rough drafts for the 1st Chapter of The Half-Blood Wars, one for free without needing to be a Patron & the rest on the bottom $5 Tier. If you want sneak peeks at my current writing projects AND to be credited in every upload I post of the month, then consider joining my $5 Tier. Links and info can be found on my Twitter, same name as on here. Link on my FF profile is broken for some reason. So just search HephaestusBuild.
Third, I recently(actually I did this a LONG time ago, this chapter is just REALLY late) published a WorldAnvil page for my upcoming story, The Half-Blood Wars, which includes like two dozen people, locations, powers and a bunch of other stuff in preparation for the release of Ch1. I have like well over 85 Articles published now, check them out!
I also created a World Anvil page that includes COO and my upcoming series, 'Daughters Of Olympus'. Following on WorldAnvil is FREE and doesn't require Pat-reon membership or anything else, just create an account and follow my Worlds to get notified whenever I publish a new article. You get access to behind the scenes info, can see amazing commission art I get done of characters, can read brief bios on characters and read up on other info! Just sign up, check out the articles I've written, give me a follow and say hello!
Fourth, I have sorta recently posted a new Modern HTTYD story completely in Norwegian. I'm teaching myself Norwegian for a few reasons, I have a character in THBW that speaks Norwegian but I'm mostly learning it because I want to travel there, you know, when the world isn't shut down and in a global pandemic. So if you can read Norwegian then I kindly ask for you to check it out and let me know how it is. I'm still a beginner so I had to look up a LOT of words, so I'm sure the grammar is terrible. But I'm still learning.
So far I only have one part out, and I have no idea when I'll post more. It takes up a lot of my time and brain power writing a story in a language I just started learning, so don't expect frequent uploads at this time. I'll probably post my progress on Pat-reon, most likely for free. And if you non-Norwegian folks want to read it, I may post it on my $5 Pat-reon tier, but I've not decided yet. Let me know what you think. The story is actually the FIRST Norwegian HTTYD story on this site, which is pretty weird and intimidating because now I've sorta set the bar for Norwegian HTTYD stories on this site. Now, granted it's a pretty low bar because I barely speak the language, but I set the bar nonetheless. [Future/Current Hephaestus Here: I've just checked and my story is STILL the only Norwegian HTTYD fic on this site, which is awesome, but does limit the chance of people finding my story by a lot. So, please consider sharing it with other HTTYD fans you know. If you have google then you should be able to automatically translate the page into English, just saying]
Fifth, I also have a Wattpad(same name), but I don't use it much because I don't like that it gets rid of the formatting that I copy from my docs and paste in. So to post a chapter or story on there I have to go back through the entire doc and fix every italic by hand. But whenever I finally start writing an original story it'll go on there. The Half-Blood Wars is categorized as a PJ story on here despite not being one, but it's still on here. Give me a follow over there if you're interested. So far I don't have any exclusive content over there, though that might change in the future, wink wink.
Lastly, I've heard your cries for wanting an Epilogue that's a few years in the future and I am happy to announce that I have already decided to make one! It will be five-ish years in the future and will hopefully include all the parental Percabeth goodness you all so enjoy and crave. But no spoilers, you'll have to wait for that to come out. And yell at me like every day on here or on Twitter until I post it, okay? I don't want six plus months between uploads again. Never again.
I have another Author's Note and additional things at the bottom! So remember to head down there after reading this! Have a good one and stay healthy out there, demigods,
Hephaestus
Thank you to my wonderful supporter of the month on Pat-reon!
'A TerrificAcorn' (aka the creator of The Half-Blood Wars' Capt. Verania Ulixes)
(If you haven't read the opening Prologue narrated by Verania for my next series, The Half-Blood Wars, then you can find it on my Profile!)
Chapter 21: Finale Part 1
[Recap: SO MUCH has happened in the last few chapters, and it's been a LONG time since they came out, so please reread the last chapter or so to get caught back up with the story. I WAS going to write out a full recap here, but I realized that it would be like five paragraphs and I REALLY need to get this chapter out. It's late enough as it is. ]
All across the country, a devastated, crippled and war-torn nation watched as the Global News Channel broadcasted the newest updates and revelations of the June 21st Attacks.
Which was the only news being broadcasted and the only thing that had been talked about in the few short days after the world learned the truth:
That gods long thought myth existed in the world.
And that their children lived among them in hiding.
Soaring high above the ashen-grey clouds, a lone news helicopter filmed a silent crowd that had gathered on a massive field decorated with white crosses, flowers and candles. The ground they were standing on was shattered, broken and scarred, not at all resembling its former glory. Yet the people gathered there in remembrance, because the place held not only a significance to those that called the city home, but because of the unspeakable acts committed against them that united them all.
From somewhere off-screen, a somber-voiced news anchor broke the eerie silence:
"We have just been given the official list of today's confirmed deceased by the various world governments…" He paused briefly to take a slow, audible breath. "Thankfully, it is fairly short today."
"A little more than seven hundred people were added to the worldwide list of known casualties today, making the total of known worldwide deceased to be well over fifty-eight thousand in the few days since the June 21st Attacks. The lists of all known casualties can be found on the Global News Channel website."
The image on screen zoomed in on thousands of people gathered together in mourning, lighting candles, praying, chanting and crying. Everyone from religious leaders, teachers, politicians, parents, friends, loved ones and just those that wished to pay their respects.
The unseen news anchor started again.
"A crowd exceeding two million people have gathered today at what was once Central Park and the surrounding area to mourn the countless lives lost at a mass vigil. We have received confirmation that the police and military are patrolling the city to ensure the safety of the gatherers. We at the Global News Channel thank the emergency responders for their tireless dedication to ensure the safety and protection of the people of New York City.
"We regret to inform you that we have yet to receive any new information from the White House about the terrible incidents that happened on June 21st." Several images of a destroyed and devastated New York flashed on screen.
The burning, destroyed remains of buildings smoked in the background of the pictures. Roads were torn and destroyed, some even looked to be completely melted and charred. Countless cars and trucks were left forgotten and discarded on the streets, almost all of them shown were damaged or destroyed, some were on fire while a few were sticking out of windows on buildings several floors up.
The images of New York City more resembled a warzone than the once-peaceful mecca of America.
"As you all know, at roughly 11am on the morning of June 21st, the island of Manhattan was attacked and assaulted by a 'yet to be identified group'. As you may know, the island had thankfully been evacuated earlier that morning upon receiving reports about an unknown 'Terrorist Organization' threatening to destroy the Empire State Building."
An image of an old, tall man with a large cowboy mustache appeared on the screen. He was wearing a heavily decorated police dress uniform. "Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, shown here, was the one who issued the evacuation, but our sources tell us that neither the FBI, CIA or any other organization alerted him of such a threat nor had any knowledge of such a threat. The Commissioner is wanted for questioning, but so far the police have been unable to locate him but will not stop until they do. The Governor has denied any beliefs that Commissioner Frank Reagan had anything to do with the June 21st attacks, but refused to give an official statement on the matter."
The image of the Commissioner left the screen and was replaced by a rough, hand drawn police sketch of a large, burly man with a monstrous appearance like a lion's mane on his head. "A breaking development on the list of known suspects has been officially made just mere moments ago." The unseen newscaster went on to say. "For the story of how one of our very own news reporters was saved during a helicopter crash during the June 21st attacks, we go to our very own Kat Williams."
The image shifted to a short woman with a cast over her left leg and a brace over her neck sitting on a comfortable chair in a hospital room. The voice of the unseen newscaster sounded. "Can you please tell us your unique experiences of that day, Kat?"
The injured woman gave a very slight nod before speaking to the camera. "Myself, along with a GLC cameraman and pilot flew into the large storm that suddenly surrounded Manhattan after the city had been hastily evacuated, but only a few minutes into our flight we were attacked by a strange flying monster."
"Wait, did you just say 'monster'?" The unseen newscaster asked.
"Yes." The woman confirmed. "A monster. That's the only way I can describe it. We were flying over the city when it attacked us, it had giant demon wings and blood-red eyes. It tried to chase us but we managed to get away. We thought we were safe until it threw a taxi at us-"
"I'm sorry, Kat, but did you say it threw a taxi at you?" The other voice interrupted, their voice sounding extremely disbelieving.
"Yes, it did." Kat went on, completely unfazed by his tone. "Bruce, our cameraman, bless his heart, managed to get the attack on camera, as well as what happened when our helicopter was hit."
"And what was that, Kat?" The other newscaster's voice was skeptical.
"...We were saved by an angel." She said softly as blurry footage appeared on screen. The cameraman had indeed managed to get footage of a giant, yet slightly blurry monster flying beside the helicopter before disappearing into the thundering clouds, only to throw a burning taxi at the helicopter. The footage spun out of control as the helicopter fell out of the air, the audio being censored from the crews' understandable language.
But at the last second the spinning stopped and a giant man surrounded in ethereal glowing golden skin with a lions' mane appeared right in front of the camera for only a brief second. His features were very hard to make out, as the golden glow of his skin combined with the shaky, blurry footage obscured his face just enough. But the footage paused on his face, revealing a giant of a man known only to the demigods;
The recently deceased Leonidas Dione Reed, the son of Heracles that had once plotted to destroy Olympus, only to have recently sided with the demigods to save Olympus and the world. As well as the man who was killed by the dying Zeus, the previous King of the Gods.
"...He was like a golden angel." Kat went on to say after a few seconds, her voice sounding like she was lost in the memory. "He was eight feet tall, with golden hair and skin with inhuman eyes like a blazing orange-red fire. And he wore a golden robe from head to toe. He flew out of the clouds and caught the bottom of our helicopter. We would have crashed into the buildings and died… but he saved us. We would have all died, if it weren't for him, our guardian angel."
"I'm sorry, Kat, but are you suggesting that one of the monsters that attacked New York City during the June 21st Attacks actually saved you and your crew?" The unseen news anchor asked rather rudely.
"He was not a monster, he was an angel who saved the lives of two of my coworkers-" But Kat was cut off suddenly when the footage was stopped and the camera turned on to the news anchor who had been speaking the entire time.
"We are sorry, but we seem to have been cut off from our remote team." The anchor said, a finger at his earpiece, not sounding sorry at all. He was a large, middle aged man with a smug face and thinning hair.
"We have received information that the 'man' shown here in a rough police sketch, the same one who reportedly attacked our very own news helicopter during the June 21st Attacks, has officially been named the primary suspect by the FBI. He is wanted for questioning and should be considered armed and extremely dangerous, so do not attempt to approach or confront him. Contact your local police department or the hotline below. The FBI is planning on offering a large reward for any credible information, details to come. Visit the website on screen below for further information."
"Ladies and gentlemen," the news anchor began. "Please join me in watching an official address by President Freeman which is airing live from the East Room in the White House right now."
The screen shifted from the Global News Channel broadcast studio to the East Room in the White House. The crowd of chirping and gawking reporters clapping as the President took the stage.
He was an elderly dark-skinned man, with dark freckles on his cheeks and short curly grey hair and beard. He cleared his throat and thanked the press for coming, waiting for them to finally quiet down.
"My fellow Americans. This last week, our very way of life was attacked. Attacked… by unknown forces that threatened and intended to cripple and destroy our great nation.
"These unknown perpetrators, who suddenly attacked us unprovoked, will soon learn that America, and the greater mass of humanity as a whole, will remain unshaken, unmoved by this attack.
"For humanity is strong. Our single-minded sense of unity in the face of adversity and devastation and disaster will once again show the world that we are stronger together. If a man is hungry, then his neighbor will give him something to eat. If a family is trapped in their flooded house, then their neighbors will risk life and limb to save them. If one of us is in need, then our neighbors will be right there standing by to offer aid.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I cannot proclaim my thanks to our neighboring countries- and those that are halfway around the world, enough. If the last few days are any indication, then my belief that the world is stronger together is proven. We could not have survived as a nation without the help of our neighbors. And for that, I thank them."
The President took a long, slow breath as he thought of his next words. Dozens of camera shutters flashing and clicking in front of him.
"With the devastating attack so close to home just a few days ago, most Americans are not aware that there were other, similar attacks across the globe."
Several still images of news feeds from all over the room flashed on screen. They were from all over the world, but all of them had one thing in common: Demigods.
Demigods gathered from the dozens to the hundreds assembled at various locations around the world, fighting monstrous demon-looking creatures of myth and legend.
Images of a destroyed and devastated New York appeared first. The images showed pictures of Campers in armor as they rolled trebuchets down the sidewalk. Or other Campers assembling roadblocks and barriers out of trash. Even a few grainy and far off shots of Olympus floating above the Empire State Building were shown.
The location shifted to Machu Picchu, Peru, where a few dozen teens and young adults dressed in traditional armor were fighting off giant draconic monster.
The location shifted again to the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, where a few people could be seen fighting off several demonic creatures that were trying to destroy the ancient pyramids. Two young people could be seen holding off a giant snake with what looked like magic from the steps.
Again the location on the screen changed, this time to the Great Wall of China, where hundreds of people in traditional armor could be seen holding the wall as it was being attacked by spirits and demons.
The Great Wall of China flashed away, revealing the famous Roman Colosseum in Italy. Several dozen young men and women could be seen running around the landmark in full armor, fighting back monsters with swords and spears. The top of the Colosseum had been fixed with catapults and scorpions. Even some Fauns could be seen joining the fight. Though one was asking for spare change from a frightened tourist that was also recording the scene.
The Acropolis of Athens appeared next on screen, where several people in ancient Greek armor wielding swords and spears could be seen fighting what looked like a minotaur.
The location on screen changed again, this time to Stonehenge in England. The footage was blurry- most likely shot by a tourist, and featured no less than a hundred teens and young adults wearing full armor, riding on horseback and charging a giant dragon-looking creature with glowing lances. And high up in the grey clouds a lone figure was standing on what looked like a funnel of air, casting down lighting and fire from their fingertips. And at the head of the small army stood a lone woman in a shimmering suit of ornate and elaborate armor, a glowing giant golden and dark blue sword in her hand. She had long golden hair that flowed behind her as she brutally cut a swath through the demonic army in front of her. Her magnificent sword glowing gold like the sun as she leapt straight into the smoldering maw of a giant black dragon.
The location jumped to the other side of the world, where less than ten young adults in traditional Mayan armor could be seen fighting a small legion of monsters at the Mayan Ruins of Tikal in Guatemala.
And lastly the screen switched to the Easter Islands, where barely more than a dozen people could be seen protecting a small harbor from a giant sea monster.
The President appeared back on screen, his eyes wet with tears. "Just a few short days ago, all across the world, all at the same time, armies of young men and women flooded these historic sites and fought against armies of what can only be described as… Monsters. As of right now, I have no information to offer, but I will be sitting down with the various leaders of the countries that also experienced these attacks to work with them to find those responsible. As well as to offer our aid to any of our neighbors that may need it.
"But know this, the United States, as well as the rest of the world, does not stand for this kind of unprovoked attack. We do not know who attacked us, or why, but let it be known that we will do everything in our power to find those that attacked us and bring them to justice."
He took a moment to catch his breath before looking back to the cameras. "If any of you involved in these attacks are listening, then I implore you to step forward, tell us who you are and what you want. I do not personally believe that you young men and women wish to harm us, the evidence of you standing up, putting your lives on the line for us these past few days tells me that much already.
"But right now, the world is shaking from learning that Monsters and, whoever you all are, exist. So step forward so that we may speak."
The TV was turned off with a 'CLICK', leaving the reflection of a millennia-old man with a long white beard braided into long, thick rows, each decorated by elaborate golden beads. He was dressed in a faded lion-skin cloak.
The man was ancient and wrinkled, though extremely large, with shoulders as wide as a man was tall and muscles like coiled rebar, standing over twice the height of an ordinary man.
His black and golden eyes stared at the black screen like he was in a trance. Then, he opened his mouth, muttering a barely audible "My rejuvenation that was promised millennia ago has finally begun."
The reflection looked down to his giant hands. One of which held an old snakeskin and the other a wilted flowering plant. "Finally… the first Gods shall walk upon the earth once again. And I shall rule them."
The reflection leaned back from the screen just as a woman's voice sounded from the other room.
"Get away from the TV, you little piece of shit! It's time for my dramas!"
The reflection turned around to reveal a young, tan-skinned boy with long black hair in a ponytail. He couldn't be older than three or four, but his black and golden eyes shimmered for a second before calming.
The young boy darted out of the way as a short and very fat woman strode into the room, a beer can in her hand as she heavily plopped down onto the dirty couch.
"Get yer ass out of my sight!" She yelled at the young boy, throwing an empty can at him. "Go make yourself useful and get me another beer!"
The young boy silently stood in the other room, looking from his reflection in the cracked bathroom mirror down to his small hand, then back to his reflection, looking for the body of the old man he had just seen in his reflection. But not seeing anything.
"Where's my damn beer?! You useless boy!" The woman screamed from the other room. "You make me get up an' you'll get another beatin'!"
The boy looked back to the mirror but jumped when he found the reflection of the old man looking back at him. The boy was about to call out when the old man put a giant finger to his old lips, prompting him to be quiet. The old man in his reflection lowered his hand from his lips, before holding it out in front of him. His wrinkled hand began to glow and tremble with power.
"Do not fear her." The old man in the reflection whispered. "Do not fear anything, for you have the power of life in your hands…"
The old man gave a cruel smile as his wrinkled hand glowed brightly like the sun. "...And you have the power to take it away…"
The woman shouted again from the other room. "Get yer ass in here!"
"Go to her," The reflection man told him. "Take her life, and you will be strong. Be strong, and you will be safe. Be strong, and you will be powerful. Be strong, and you will be a God among men."
The small boy gave a nervous nod as he silently ran back to the living room, standing next to the fat woman as she laid on the couch, staring at the TV. She didn't even look up to him as she held out her chubby hand, wordlessly demanding her beer. But instead of handing her a beer, the boy snatched her fat wrist like a striking snake. Causing the woman to scream out in pain. She shook and helplessly flailed for several seconds before suddenly stopping, blood dripping from her ears and mouth as the life drained from her eyes.
The young boy looked back at his hands, which here vibrating with power, subtly morphing into larger, golden versions of themselves, before finally returning to normal.
The boy looked back at the TV where the old man was once again. But he looked different, his beard, which was grey and white only a minute ago, had begun to turn black in small patches. Some of his wrinkles faded and his black and golden eyes began to glow.
But the transformation was only temporary, as he changed back to his previous form a second later. He looked disappointed, but not upset, but if anything he looked intrigued. He put his finger up to his lips once again, telling the boy to be quiet. But he didn't say anything, he only smiled at the boys' work before fading away.
~Just a Page Break reminding you to follow and favorite~
(A few days later - West Quoddy Head, Maine)
"Do you need any help getting out, Beth?" He didn't even give her a second to answer before speaking again. "Let me help you."
Percy quickly turned off the truck before rushing over to Annabeth's door to help her get out. But found that his new wife had already let herself out and was looking at him like she found him funny.
Annabeth gave him an amused smile. "You know that I'm not useless, right? I'm just pregnant." She placed her hand on her barely revealing stomach in a loving manner.
He closed her door for her before leading them from the parking lot down the dirt footpath. "Whoever says you're useless has obviously never met you, Beth, you're worth like eleven whole Leo's or five and three-fourths a Frank." He told her with his own smile. She rolled her eyes affectionately. "And sorry if I'm being a little…"
"Over-paranoid mother hen?" She offered kindly as they walked down the dirt path past a sigh that read 'WELCOME TO WEST QUODDY HEAD STATE PARK'.
"I was gonna say overbearing, actually." Percy told her as she stuck her tongue out at him as he nudged her shoulder with his own. "I'm just worried, y'know? So I guess I'm being a little over-cautious."
She chuckled, "A little? Percy, babe, you wouldn't let me cut my own banana this morning because you were convinced I'd somehow stab myself with a butterknife."
"Crazier things have happened, y'know. People die from vending machines all the time. I mean, Jason almost died from a brick and a stapler, and he's a son of Jupiter, you never know how dangerous some household items can be before it's too late. This world is crazy." He told her as he led them down the familiar dirt path to a cottage he never thought he'd see again. "Like what we're doing right now, for example."
"Having second thoughts?" She asked, noticing the tension in his shoulders.
He gave a shake of his head. "Never for something like this. I just don't think we're ready yet."
She smiled. "Well ready or not, we'd have a baby of our own coming in six months anyway. What's another one right now?"
"Yeah I know that, but that's like, in the future." He groaned overdramatically. "This is happening right now. It just doesn't feel real yet, y'know? And what if we're greatly underestimating this? I mean, having a baby in six months is one thing, that's in six months, but we're on our way to get another one right now."
He scratched the back of his neck anxiously. "I mean, we're totally not prepared to bring a baby into our apartment. We had to pick up diapers, clothes and a baby car seat on our way here. We're totally not ready for this. What if-" But he was cut off from his worried ramblings when she chuckled next to him.
"What? What's so funny?" He demanded with mock hurt.
"Just you wait, babe." She told him confidently. "Once you see her, you won't have any second thoughts. You'll probably cry, too. Sally told me that the toughest dads always cry the most when they first see their daughter."
"Pfft, I won't cry." He told her adamantly, though he wasn't so sure himself. He had never met one of his children for the first time before, for the obvious reason of not having any children yet, so he wasn't sure how he would react.
But he was sure he wouldn't cry. He wasn't a big crier.
"We'll see." She told him as if she already knew the outcome. "But you owe me a massage if I'm right."
"And if you're wrong, then you owe me one." Percy smiled confidently. "You're on, Beth."
~Just a Page Break reminding you to leave a Review, Follow & Favorite~
They arrived at the fairytale cottage of the late Eos and Leonidas a few minutes later.
Percy paused as the white stone and earthy, branch-woven roofed cottage shimmered into view from behind a magical wall of fake bushes and wildflowers. It amazed him how the cottage had sat here since before the birth of the country and had yet never been discovered by anyone but himself and of course Leonidas.
The fairytale cottage was rustic, centuries old, perhaps older, and history just seemed to flow off of it. All around the cottage were beautiful gardens with uneven rows of ginger root, lettuce, tomatoes and various other fruits and vegetables, mismatched flowers of every shade, color and breed. The gardens didn't look professionally done, but still looked like they were tended to with the utmost care every day for decades. Not even the children of Demeter, Dionysus or Persephone could claim to love their gardens more. Percy could already tell that Katie would be jealous if she ever stepped foot in Eos' garden.
A small stone and clay well was at the center of the largest garden, with nearly half a dozen stone-carved bird baths scattered around it. In the high branches of the trees, barely visible from the cobblestone and foot-trodden dirt pathway, were countless hand-crafted and painted birdhouses, somewhere in the low hundreds. All housed at least one bird that sang an enchanting melody that wafted through the branches with the early morning air.
Crickets, hiding somewhere among the dazzling flowers, crops and trees, chirped alongside the songbirds, creating a beautiful symphony that traveled with the light breeze to the seashell and wooden windchimes that sung on top of fence posts around the property.
All around the two demigods, birds of every color somersaulted through the air like highly-trained acrobats, singing as they danced with stunning grace. Squirrels and rabbits scurried across the gardens, deer, elk and even the occasional moose could be seen basking in the early morning sun as they peacefully grazed beyond the cottage.
Along one of the sides of the cottage was a large and clearly heavily used carpentry workbench. Countless broken hand-crafted wooden chair legs were discarded in a large pile a few paces off. Next to the workbench was an old metal bucket full of hand chisels and an assortment of other hand tools. On the workbench itself was a very sturdy-looking wooden chair that looked like it could withstand a Rhinoceros sitting on it. Percy figured that since Leonidas was over 425 pounds, that he required a very sturdy chair. And by the look of the broken pile of wooden chairs before them, it seems like this wasn't his first attempt at it.
As they continued to walk behind the cottage, they found a small clearing with a large number of wooden and grass-filled combat dummies used for weapon training. At one end of the clearing, farthest from the cottage they found a large archery target that looked like it had never been hit outside of the bullseye. But even around the training grounds dozens of birds rested on dummies, rabbits chewed on grass and flowers bloomed. It seems like Eos' influence could even reach here.
As they walked back to the front door, Annabeth spoke up, breaking the silence between them that had lasted almost half an hour as they walked around the fairytale cottage.
"It's beautiful here." She watched a team of colorful birds dance overhead, singing as they did. "I can see why Leonidas loved it here. It's like stepping into a fairytale book."
"He always told me that the most beautiful part of living here were the otherworldly sunrises." Percy told her as they looked to the ocean in unison.
Annabeth frowned, disappointed and confused. "But it's not beautiful." She told him, looking over the grey and gloomy sunrise. It looked like all of the color, light and warmth had been simply sucked out of the sky, like all of the happiness and love was stripped away. Just like it had every day since Eos and Leonidas had died. She had heard a few mortals comment on it, even on TV, and so far no one had any clue what was going on. No one but the demigods, that was.
Percy frowned as well. "Must be because Eos died." He told her as he looked away from the sunrise. "She was the Titaness of the Dawn, with her gone that must mean that no one is controlling it anymore."
"But someone will take up the Domain, right?" She asked aloud, not really knowing the answer herself. Something like this was extremely rare, most often Domains had several gods controlling them, but Eos had been the only living divine being with control over the Dawn. So Annabeth honestly didn't know if sunrises would ever return to normal or not. And that pained her heart for Eos and Leonidas even more. But more so for their young daughter that would never be able to grow up and see the beautiful sunrises that her mother once made.
Annabeth couldn't even fathom what could happen to the child mentally as she grew up looking at the grey sunrises, wishing for her mother to be there. All it made Annabeth feel was a deep desire to make sure their daughter grew up with a mother and father that loved her unconditionally from day one, something that neither she or Percy had the luxury of experiencing.
"No idea." Percy muttered, but she could tell that he wasn't really paying attention. He was in his head too much.
Again.
"Come on," She insisted as she took his hand, leading him to the old wooden door. "Wipe that frown off your face, seaweed brain, you don't want her first memory of you to be with a sad look. Let's go meet our future daughter."
Upon entering the fairytale cottage they were met with the sound of soft classical music playing. And from the sound of the warbling of the music, it sounded to be coming from an old record player. A really old record player.
Percy's hair nearly scraped the ceiling of the entryway, making him wonder how on earth Leonidas, with his incredible height and bulk that greatly surpassed his own, walked through the entryway every single day.
Annabeth walked ahead a few paces as Percy looked over the old paintings of sunrises in the hallway. He was about to tell her to check one out when she suddenly called from the other room, "Percy. We're not alone."
While she didn't sound alarmed or scared, more like she was trying to keep her voice down, actually, Percy still made his way to her as fast as possible, wishing more than anything in that moment that he still had Riptide. But he had lost the mythical blade during his last fight on Olympus when it broke when he killed Zeus and had yet to find a new weapon.
He entered the cozy living room right after her, instantly finding out who she was talking about. And once he saw who it was, he no longer felt the need for a weapon.
"Ah, there you two are. I was beginning to think you had lost your way."
Hera, the former Queen of the Gods, was resting on the ancient-looking couch, a small pink bundle in her arms. As the young couple made their way closer, they noticed that Hera was in fact holding a sleeping baby girl.
"Lady Hera," Annabeth said in greeting, making sure to keep her voice low so as to not wake the baby. Moving in even closer to look at the young child. "Why are you here- I mean, we didn't expect you to be here. How did you know Leonidas' baby was here? Isn't the cabin hidden?"
Hera smiled lovingly at the baby as she lightly stroked her rosy cheek. The ten month old not even stirring. "You expect me to leave a child so young alone after her parents have died? I could do no such thing." She repositioned the baby to give Annabeth and Percy a better look at her. "To abandon an innocent child like that would dishonor the man my grandson was. As well as the Goddess of Family I intend to be."
She kindly gestured for Percy and Annabeth to sit on either side of her. Which they did, as silently as possible.
"I have done many things in my life that I am not proud of," she whispered to them, looking at the sleeping baby. "But most of all I regret mistreating Heracles and you demigods. I thought that I was in the right at the time, but now, looking at this child, I can't blame her for anything. She is innocent and deserves the chance to grow up with a family that loves her."
She looked to the young couple, a hopeful expression on her tired face. "I assume I already know the answer, since you two are here, but would you take her in? Will you take in this child as your own? Will you love her, care for her, and most importantly raise her to not hate the world that took her parents away too soon?"
Annabeth gave a shaky "Yes" as Percy could only nod.
The Goddess smiled to them before gently handing the sleeping baby to Annabeth. "Then allow me to introduce you to Astraea. She is still very young, weak and sickly, so she needs the love of her parents now more than ever. Take good care of her."
"We will." They both promised in unison.
"I know you will." Hera smiled before turning to Percy who sat beside her. "Percy, my young hero, may I speak to you, alone?"
Percy looked a little confused, and if Annabeth's expression was any indication, so was she. Hera seemed to notice this and gave him a smile as she stood.
"Don't worry, Percy, I just don't wish to wake Astraea. You can tell Annabeth what I will tell you later."
Percy followed the Goddess into another room that overlooked the ocean. Hera sat at the large, naturally-shaped wooden windowsill and motioned for him to join her.
"Thank you for speaking with me, Percy. I know that you will want to be with your wife and new daughter, so I will make this quick."
"I want to start off by telling you that Olympus is starting to rebuild, or, more accurately, is starting to clean up to prepare to start rebuilding. I know that you said that you wished to leave Olympus and the Greek world behind, but I thought you would like to know."
"Thank you, Lady Hera."
"Just Hera, please. How many times do I have to tell you?" She asked him with a faint smile. "You are all no longer children, but adults. Adults who have gained my respect, a thousand times over. Besides, I am no longer the Queen of Olympus anymore. You two may call me Hera."
"...Well thank you, Hera." He told the Goddess after a few seconds. He could sense that this wasn't what she wanted to talk about, though, so he decided to ask her. "What did you want to tell me?"
The Goddess' smile dropped for the first time since they entered. She looked out to the ocean like she wished she could spend the whole day sitting there watching the beauty of the ocean instead of telling him the news.
"Olympus, despite beginning repairs, is still threatening to collapse, due to many reasons, but because of the threat of a split in the Council more than all."
Percy blinked in confusion. "Wait, why?" That didn't make any sense to him. "But Zeus and Ares are gone, and they were the reasons why Olympus was splitting in the first place."
"You are correct, Percy." She told him softly. "But the split is no longer caused by the decision to kill you, but in the decision to whether or not fully reveal ourselves to the world.
"During your last battle with the Titans and Monsters on the Promised Day, the magical borders and wards around Olympus that have shielded us from the sight of the mortal world for thousands of years shattered. Revealing Olympus to the mortals and by extension the entire Greek world to the mortal world for the first time in over two thousand years.
"You saw for yourself firsthand the state of panic the mortals were in after you and Annabeth left Olympus after the final battle. The city was devastated, entire city blocks were destroyed and bodies of both Campers and mortal citizens were discovered. The Mist was also dropped after Olympus was revealed, giving the mortal world the ability to see various hidden things like Satyrs and other Monsters across the country."
She let out a tired sigh. "But what worries me most of all is the impact the Promised Day had on the rest of the world."
"What do you mean?" Percy asked.
She raised a brow at the question. "You don't know? Well, I shouldn't blame you. Your mortal news agencies have been almost exclusively focusing on New York and the battle that happened there, but it wasn't the only one. The other pantheons were greatly affected too."
"Wait, other pantheons?" Percy asked, thinking of the Police Commissioner and his friends that Percy was sure weren't Greek demigods. "You mean like the Roman, Egyptian and Norse pantheons? I get the Roman pantheon, but how did it affect the others?"
"You are not thinking of the larger picture, Percy." Hera told him as she tore her eyes from the window. "There is a delicate balance between all the pantheons. Rules in place, restrictions of movement, millennia old treaties, but that's not all.
"Usually, the various pantheons are unaffected by one another, they were designed that way, after all, but when something as impactful as the Promised Day happens, it affects the entire world."
Percy's eyes widened. "You're not saying that-"
"That the Promised Day happened to all the other pantheons?" Hera interrupted before nodding.
"Yes. We Greeks were not the only pantheon attacked on the Promised Day. All over the world, at the same time, Monsters, Spirits, Devils and Demons from every still surviving pantheon attacked the mortal world. And all over the world, demigods of every pantheon rose to fight against them and defend the world.
"The reason why I wished to speak with you was this," Hera stood, focusing her coffee-brown eyes on him. "The Greek pantheon wasn't the only one to be revealed to the mortals, but every pantheon in the world. The Olympians are currently split over the decision to publicly announce themselves to the mortals or not. And they are currently split as to whom to ask to introduce us to the mortal world and lead the Greek demigods into the new era among the mortals.
"This is an unprecedented question, but these are unprecedented times." She looked him over with saddened eyes. "Percy, because of your new wife, daughter and soon to be born child, I understand if you want to say no. And I will not blame you for choosing them instead, nor could anyone. That is why I have come to explain to you the situation and ask you in person."
"...Ask me what?" He asked hesitantly, though he feared he already knew the answer.
"Perseus Jackson, the Olympian Council has selected you to be the mortal that will introduce the Greek Gods to the world and lead the demigods into the future as their leader. But know that this is your decision to make, think of your new wife and daughter and unborn child." She offered him her hand. "Do you accept?"
Percy's answer was instantaneous. "No." He told the Goddess. "I'm sorry, but no. I have too many responsibilities to Annabeth, Astraea and our unborn child. I-I can't lead the demigods or introduce the mortals to the Greek world. I'm trying to leave the Greek world, not get caught up in it more.
"Besides," he continued. "I'm sure you've heard what the government is saying and understand what they want. They want us to come forward to explain what happened and to introduce ourselves. I'm no politician, I can't address the President, or the UN, or anyone. That's not me. If you want someone to lead the demigods and be a politician, a leader…, a diplomat, then find someone who is actually good at it, because that just isn't me."
Hera dropped her hand as a smile appeared on her lips. "Artemis told me that you'd never agree. She said it was a waste to even ask."
"Wait, you're not upset that I said no?" Percy asked, clearly surprised.
The Goddess shook her head. "No, of course I'm not mad, Percy. You have chosen to prioritize your pregnant wife and daughter, and as the Goddess of Family I couldn't be more proud." Her smile faltered slightly.
"Though, if I'm honest, you were our pick for a reason. The Gods respect and trust you above all other demigods. With you declining the position, we are not sure who to elect in your stead."
"Give me a few days," He told her as he looked out the window, thinking of all the demigods he knew. "Once we take Astraea back to my mom's house and things finally calm down, I'll think it over and try to come up with a good replacement. I already have a few people in mind."
"Oh?" She was a little intrigued. "And whom might that be?"
"I was thinking of asking Vie-" But Percy was cut off when Annabeth's hushed whisper came from the other room.
"Percy! You better come in here. She's waking up."
Walking up to Annabeth with the baby- their baby now- in her arms made his heart swell. At risk of sounding cheesy, it looked like a dream.
Annabeth, the love of his life, their baby inside of her, with a child in her arms, looking up to him with that crooked smile she got from him. Her princess curls all over the place from sleeping in the car, everything.
All of it made him smile.
And all of it made him fall in love with her all over again.
But he smiled even more when Annabeth silently put the baby in his arms. He couldn't even say anything as he looked at Astraea all over.
She was beautiful, but his mom had told him that all babies are beautiful to their parents, even the really ugly ones. Which she was anything but.
She had wispy locks of pinkish-blonde hair that stuck out in all directions, her cute, chubby little face was an adorable shade of blush pink, and her little button nose twitched like a chipmunks'.
Percy could also see that she had a pair of tiny yet beautiful golden and red angel wings on her back, giving her the appearance of a cherub or something.
And then her little eyes fluttered open, giving him a full view of her beautiful golden-pink eyes as she looked at him with all the innocence of a young child. Her precious little face looking at him for a few seconds before she gave a big toothless smile and gave a cute full belly giggle. Her chubby little hands clapping softly.
And that's when Percy's heart broke, and when he felt himself crying as he held his new baby girl.
Thank you to my wonderful supporter on Patr-eon!
'A TerrificAcorn'
(Author's Note)
Welp, that was Part 1 of the Finale of Champion of Olympus. I felt that it was important to show(some of) the repercussions of the Final battle on the Promised Day, as well as an inside look at what the experience looked/felt like from the eyes of the mortals. This isn't their war, they didn't even know a war was going on. But now they're caught in the crossfire of a war that has been waged for the last three thousand years.
The repercussions of the Promised Day are a MAJOR part of my upcoming ideas, as well as the SEQUEL to Champion Of Olympus; "Daughters Of Olympus"!
Sequel Announcement: If you're following me on Twitter, Instagram or World Anvil, then you already know about the sequel to COO, "Daughters Of Olympus". DOO will take place ~14 years after the COO Finale Part 2. It will follow Four New Half-Bloods, three of which have ties to COO.
"Daughters Of Olympus" expands upon my PJO expanded universe even more, containing the Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Norse and nearly a dozen other pantheons. I have decided to call this expanded universe the "Leonidas-verse" in honor of the man who started it all. I give a comprehensive breakdown, as well as more information, on my Leonidas-verse World Anvil page, which includes both "Champion Of Olympus" and "Daughters Of Olympus". The LINK to which can be found on my personal Twitter HephaestusBuilds under the Pinned Tweet.
Finally for "Daughters Of Olympus", I have created two RP Twitter accounts for new OC's that appear in the series, Astraea(who you finally met in this chapter), and Božidar Dimitrovski(a character that won't appear until later on in the DOO series).
One last thing, if you are wondering where "The Half-Blood Wars" chapter 1 is, don't worry! I will work on it after the Epilogue of COO comes out. I will take some time to get a few chapters in to THBW before starting chapter 1 of DOO. Mostly to finish planning and storylines, but also because I want to FINALLY get THBW started. But also because I honestly need a little time off from this series. I first started planning COO in August of 2018, now, over TWO YEARS LATER, I need a break.
Fun Fact: In celebration of "Champion of Olympus" coming to an end, I have decided to come up with a fun COO Quiz for you all! I will be finalizing it after I post this and it will incorporate the ENTIRE COO storyline so far, from the Prequel to Ch20. I will be including the questions in Finale Part 2 and they are made up of quite a few 'Fun Facts' from earlier chapters or little tidbits from the story. Some will be easy, while others will be VERY difficult.
I'll have you put your final score in your Review to Finale Part 2. That's the only way I can see the results. Obviously don't cheat by jumping around the story to find the answers or jump ahead to read the Answer Sheet. Just have fun with it!
Question Of The Day: 'Do you have a question, thought, theory or idea about Champion of Olympus that you've been thinking about?' Have you never asked it in a Review or thought it wasn't important enough to ask?
Then I have good news for you! I've decided to do a Q&A to celebrate my 4 Year Anniversary here on FanFiction. Which is Oct 18 if you're reading this today.
Questions can be about anything, a theory about a character, storyline or plot, even which characters I ship. I will even be answering questions about ANY AND ALL of my other stories and series, everything from my first Animorphs fanfic I wrote in sophomore Spanish class, to "The Half-Blood Wars" and everything in between! You can even ask me personal questions(all must be SFW) if you want. Questions are unlimited, so ask away!
To submit a Question do the following:
Leave a Review on this chapter with your question
Or
PM me your question
Or
DM me on Twitter/Instagram
Or
Comment on my Twitter post about it
All questions will be answered by the Epilogue or sooner!
Thank you all again SO MUCH for sticking with me for this long, reading and supporting me for all of these years! You are all so amazing! I love all of you!
Next Time: Finale Part 2
