A/N: Dear reader, this is my first fan-fiction overall as well as the first set in the Riordanverse. A lot of the first few chapters has been adapted from The Last Olympian (PJO) but, don't worry, as that's just to make the story feel more like the books and gave it the feel of Rick Riordan's storytelling! I hope you enjoy this story, go a bit easy on me when you read it and review it to your heart's content!
Who do you want to be Percy's love interest in this story? Options are Artemis, Calypso, and Reyna! You can tell me in the reviews, choose your option with a reason why in The Demigod Lover's Community Poll on YouTube [click here-
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You can contact me at the following G-Mail ids—yashasvielall(all), riordandatabase (Riordanverse), yourhalodatabase (Halo) and yourstarwarsdatabase (Star Wars). There are also my YouTube channels—Super DataBase (all), Riordan DataBase, Halo DataBase and Star Wars DataBase.
[P.S.: I'll reply to all your reviews in the chapters after this one!]
Enough of my rambling, now! Let's get on with the story!
Luke's left side was bloody. His eyes were open – blue eyes, the way they used to be. His breath was a deep rattle.
'Good…blade,' he croaked.
I knelt next to him as Annabeth limped over with Grover's support. They both had tears in their eyes. Luke gazed at Annabeth.
'You knew. I almost killed you, but you knew…'
Annabeth's voice trembled as she shushed him.
'You were a hero at the end, Luke. You'll go to Elysium.'
He shook his head weakly. 'Think…rebirth. Try for three times. Isles of the Blest.'
Annabeth sniffled, 'You always pushed yourself too hard.'
Luke held up his charred hand and Annabeth touched his fingertips.
'Though, I won't have...Kronos slowing my aging.' coughed Luke as his lips glistened red, 'Did you...did you love me?'
Annabeth wiped her tears away.
'There was a time I thought…well, I thought you were like a brother to me.'
I turned away from them, not able to look. I noticed a golden shimmer in the air that then promptly vanished as if it had been spotted. A small moment of silence passed before she continued softly.
'But, with time, I fell in love with you.'
The world was collapsing around me but that was nothing compared to what I was feeling inside.
I saw Luke smile as if he'd expected it. A warm smile, not the cruel smirk he gave when he was hosting Kronos. He winced in pain.
'One...one last time. Kiss...me. For old times' sake?'
I could only look on in horror as Annabeth and Luke's lips met, the kiss long and wet. I felt...I didn't even know how to describe it? Empty? Betrayed? Like an outsider? She was the only girl I had felt something more than friendship, during our quest through the Labyrinth when we were 15.
I flashed back to how my mom had explained all this to me when I had asked her about Rachel's advances towards me. Her words kept echoing in my mind as I tried to focus back on the original trio and saw Annabeth slowly break the kiss.
"Percy, there are many ways to decide your attraction towards a person."
Annabeth kept avoiding my eyes but, at this point, I didn't even want to look at her.
"The lowest point is 'attraction' or 'liking.' That is when you'd just generally notice the person or liked to have them around."
'We can get ambrosia,' Grover said. "We can-'
"Then comes 'infatuation.' That is a prolonged version of being attracted and appreciating them for what you like about them."
'Grover,' interrupted Luke, 'You're the bravest satyr I ever knew. But, no. There's no healing–,' he stopped, coughing.
"After that, it becomes a 'crush.' This is when you realise you feel something for them. You try to know more about them and open up to them."
He gripped my sleeve, and I could feel the toll it was taking on him. 'Ethan. Me. All the unclaimed. Don't let it...don't let it happen again.'
"Lastly, when you have a crush and they reciprocate your feelings, it is called 'love.' When you're in love, you ensure no harm comes to that person. You're ready to fight for them and, if needed, sacrifice everything for them."
His eyes were angry, but pleading, too.
'I won't,' I said. 'I'll make sure no one has to suffer like you.'
Luke, satisfied, loosened his grip as his body started losing more and more strength. I wanted to lash out as anger and hate started to erupt inside me but I kept quiet. The least I could do was to give Luke as less pain as possible.
'Take care of Annabeth for me, will you, Jackson?' he pleaded, 'She may act strong but she's a big ol' softie on the inside.'
'I'll try, Castellan,' The coldness in my voice surprised even me, 'Keeping your girlfriend safe is a big job, though.'
My eyes darted to Annabeth as she had said something similar to my mom a few months ago. I noticed his face was rapidly losing colour and I saw his hand fall and hit the ground with a small thump.
The gods arrived a few minutes later in their full war regalia, thundering into the throne room, expecting a battle. What they found were Annabeth, Grover and me standing over the body of a broken half-blood, in the dim warm light of the hearth.
'Percy,' my father called, awe in his voice. 'What…what is this?'
I turned and faced the Olympians trying to control the inner turmoil inside me.
'We need a shroud,' I announced, my voice cracking with pain from both Annabeth's rejection and Luke's death. 'A shroud for the son of Hermes.'
The Three Fates themselves took Luke's body. I hadn't seen the old ladies in years, since I'd witnessed them snip a life thread at a roadside fruit stand when I was twelve. They'd scared me then and they scared me now—three ghoulish grandmothers with bags of knitting needles and yarn. One of them looked at me and, even though she didn't say anything, my life literally flashed before my eyes. Suddenly, I was twenty. Then I was a middle-aged man. Then I turned old and withered. All the strength left my body, and I saw my own tombstone and an open grave, a coffin being lowered into the ground, with my friends and family grieving close by. All this happened in less than a second.
'It is done,' she said.
The Fate held up the snippet of blue yarn and I knew it was the same one I'd seen four years ago, the lifeline I'd watched them snip. I had thought it was my life. Now I realized it was Luke's. They'd been showing me the life that would have to be sacrificed to set things right. They gathered up Luke's body, now wrapped in a white-and-green shroud and began carrying it out of the throne room.
'Wait,' Hermes said.
The messenger god was dressed in his classic outfit of white Greek robes, sandals and helmet. The wings of his helm fluttered as he walked.
The snakes George and Martha curled around his caduceus, murmuring, "Luke, poor Luke."
I thought about May Castellan, alone in her kitchen, baking cookies and making sandwiches for a son who would never come home. Hermes unwrapped Luke's face and kissed his forehead. He murmured some words in Ancient Greek–a final blessing.
'Farewell,' he whispered.
Then, he nodded and allowed the Fates to carry away his son's body. As they left, I thought about the Great Prophecy. The lines now made sense to me. "The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap". The hero was Luke. The cursed blade was the knife he'd given Annabeth long ago – cursed because Luke had broken his promise and betrayed his friends. "A single choice shall end his days." My choice–to give him the knife and to believe, as Annabeth had, that he was still capable of setting things right. "Olympus to preserve or raze." By sacrificing himself, he had saved Olympus. Rachel was right. In the end, I wasn't really the hero. Luke was. And I understood something else: when Luke had descended into the River Styx, he would've had to focus on something important that would hold him to his mortal life. Otherwise, he would've dissolved. I had seen Annabeth, and I had a feeling he had, too. He had pictured that scene Hestia showed me–of himself in the good old days with Thalia and Annabeth, when he promised that they would be a family. Hurting Annabeth in battle had shocked him into remembering that promise. It had allowed his mortal conscience to take over again, and defeat Kronos. His weak spot–his Achilles heel–had saved us all. Next to me, Annabeth's knees buckled. Grover and I caught her but she cried out in pain, and I realized I'd grabbed her broken arm.
'Oh, gods,' I cried. 'Annabeth, I'm sorry.'
She could barely speak but managed to mutter, 'It's all right,' as she passed out in Grover's arms.
'She needs help!' I yelled.
'I've got this.' Apollo stepped forward.
His fiery armour was so bright it was hard to look at, and his matching Ray-Bans and perfect smile made him look like a male model for battle gear.
'God of medicine, at your service.'
He passed his hand over Annabeth's face and spoke an incantation. Immediately the bruises faded.
Her cuts and scars disappeared. Her arm straightened, and she sighed in her sleep.
Apollo grinned. 'She'll be fine in a few minutes. Just enough time for me to compose a poem about our victory: "Apollo and his friends save Olympus." Good, eh?'
'Thanks, Apollo,' I said. 'I'll...um, let you handle the poetry.'
Soon, repairing the throne room went surprisingly fast (even with twelve superpowerful beings at work). Grover and I cared for the wounded, and once the sky bridge re-formed we greeted our friends, who had survived. The Cyclopes had saved Thalia from the fallen statue. She was on crutches, but otherwise, she was okay. Connor and Travis Stoll had made it through with only minor injuries. They promised me they hadn't even looted the city much. They told me my mom and Paul were fine, though they weren't allowed into Mount Olympus. Mrs O'Leary had dug Chiron out of the rubble and rushed him off to camp. The Stolls looked kind of worried about the old centaur, but at least he was alive. Katie Gardner reported that she'd seen Rachel Elizabeth Dare run out of the Empire State Building at the end of the battle. Rachel had looked unharmed, but nobody knew where she'd gone, which also troubled me. Nico di Angelo came into Olympus to a hero's welcome, his father right behind him, even though Hades was only supposed to visit Olympus on the winter solstice. The god of the dead looked stunned when his relatives clapped him on the back. I doubt he'd ever got such an enthusiastic welcome before.
Clarisse marched in, still shivering from her time in the ice block, and Ares bellowed, 'There's my girl!'
The god of war ruffled her hair and pounded her on the back, calling her the best warrior he'd ever seen.
'That drakon-slaying? THAT'S what I'm talking about!'
She looked pretty overwhelmed. All she could do was nod and blink like she was afraid he'd start hitting her, but eventually, she began to smile.
Dionysus' head was still wrapped in a bandage.
He looked me up and down and said, 'Well, Percy Jackson. I see Pollux made it through, so I suppose you aren't completely inept. It's all thanks to my training, I suppose.'
'Um, yes, sir,' I said.
Mr D nodded. 'As thanks for my bravery, Zeus has cut my probation at that miserable camp in half. I now have only fifty years left instead of one hundred.'
'Fifty years, huh?'
I tried to imagine putting up with Dionysus until he became a god again, which was pretty easy since I used to do that pretty much all the time!
'Don't get so excited, Jackson,' he said, and I realised he was saying my name correctly. 'I still plan on making your life miserable.'
I couldn't help smiling. 'Naturally.'
Just so we understand each other.'
He turned and began repairing his grapevine throne, which had been singed by fire. Hera and Hephaestus passed me, and while Hephaestus was a little grumpy about me jumping on his throne, he thought I'd mostly done "a pretty bang-up job."
Hera sniffed in disdain, 'I suppose I won't destroy you and that little girl now.'
'Me and that "little girl" saved Olympus,' I told her. 'She was the one who convinced Luke to stop Kronos.'
'Hmm.' Hera whirled away in a huff, but I figured our lives would be safe, at least for a little while.
Grover stayed at my side but, from time to time, he would break down in tears.
'So many nature spirits dead, Percy. So many.'
I put my arm around his shoulders and gave him a rag to blow his nose.
'You did a great job, G-man. We will come back from this. We'll plant new trees. We'll clean up the parks. Your friends will be reincarnated into a better world.'
He sniffled dejectedly, 'I – I suppose. But it was hard enough to rally them before. I'm still an outcast. I could barely get anyone to listen to me about Pan. Now, will they ever listen to me again? I led them into a slaughter.'
'They will listen,' I promised. 'Because you care about them. You care about the wild more than anyone.'
He tried for a smile. 'Thanks, Percy. I hope…I hope you know I'm really proud to be your friend.'
I patted his arm. 'Luke was right about one thing, G-man. You're the bravest satyr I ever met.'
He blushed, but before he could say anything, conch horns blew. The army of Poseidon marched into the throne room.
'Percy!' Tyson yelled. He charged towards me with his arms open. Fortunately, he'd shrunk back to normal size, so his hug was like getting hit by a tractor, not the entire farm.
'You are not dead!' he said.
'Yeah!' I agreed. 'Amazing, huh?'
He clapped his hands and laughed happily. 'I am not dead, either. Yay! We chained Typhon. It was fun!'
Behind him, fifty other armoured Cyclopes laughed and nodded and gave each other high-fives.
'Tyson led us,' one rumbled. 'He is brave!'
'Bravest of the Cyclopes!' another bellowed.
Tyson blushed. 'Was nothing.'
'I saw you!' I said. 'You were incredible!'
I thought poor Grover would pass out. He's deathly afraid of Cyclopes.
But he steeled his nerves and said, 'Yes. Um…three cheers for Tyson!'
'YAAARRRRR!' the Cyclopes roared.
'Please don't eat me,' Grover muttered, but I don't think anyone heard him but me.
The conch horns blasted again. The Cyclopes parted, and my father strode into the throne room in his battle armour, his trident glowing in his hands.
'Tyson!' he roared. 'Well done, my son. And, Percy –'
His face turned stern. He wagged his finger at me, and for a second I was afraid he was going to zap me.
'I even forgive you for sitting on my throne. You have saved Olympus!'
He held out his arms and hugged me. I realized, a little embarrassed, that I'd never actually hugged my dad before. He was warm – like a regular human, and he smelled of a salty beach and fresh sea air. When he pulled away, he smiled kindly at me. I felt so good I'll admit I teared up a little. I guess until that moment I hadn't allowed myself to realize just how terrified I had been the last few days.
'Dad –'
'Shhh,' he said. 'No hero is above fear, Percy. And you have risen above every hero. Not even Hercules–'
'POSEIDON!' a voice roared.
Zeus had taken his throne. He glared across the room at my dad while all the other gods filed in and took their seats. Even Hades was present, sitting on a simple stone guest chair at the foot of the hearth. Nico sat cross-legged on the ground at his dad's feet.
'Well, Poseidon?' Zeus grumped. 'Are you too proud to join us in council, my brother?'
I thought Poseidon was going to get mad, but he just looked at me and winked.
'I would be honoured, Lord Zeus.'
I guess miracles do happen. Poseidon strode over to his fishing seat and the Olympian Council convened.
While Zeus was talking–some long speech about the bravery of the gods, blah, blah, blah–Annabeth walked in and stood next to us. She looked good for someone who'd recently passed out.
'Miss much?' she whispered.
'Nobody's planning to kill us, so far,' I whispered back, not even looking at her.
'First time today,' was her reply, though I had a feeling she was thinking something else entirely.
I cracked a smile, but Grover nudged me to stay silent because Hera was giving us a dirty look.
'As for my brothers,' Zeus said, 'we are thankful –' he cleared his throat like the words were hard to get out – 'erm, thankful for the aid of Hades.'
The Lord of the Dead nodded. He had a smug look on his face, but I figure he'd earned the right. He patted his son Nico on the shoulders, and Nico looked happier than I'd ever seen him.
'And, of course,' Zeus continued, though he looked like his pants were smouldering, 'we must…um, thank Poseidon.'
'I'm sorry, brother,' Poseidon said. 'What was that?'
'We must thank Poseidon,' Zeus growled. 'Without whom…it would've been difficult –'
'Difficult?' Poseidon asked innocently.
'Impossible,' Zeus said. 'Impossible...to defeat Typhon.'
The gods murmured agreement and pounded their weapons in approval.
'Which leaves us,' Zeus said, 'only the matter of thanking our young demigod heroes, who defended Olympus so well, even if there are a few dents in my throne.'
He called Thalia forward first, since she was his daughter, and promised her help in filling the Hunters' ranks.
Artemis smiled. 'You have done well, my lieutenant. You have made me proud, and all those Hunters who perished in my service will never be forgotten. They will achieve Elysium, I am sure.'
She glared pointedly at Hades.
He shrugged. 'Probably.'
Artemis glared at him some more.
'Okay,' Hades grumbled. 'I'll streamline their application process.'
Thalia beamed with pride. 'Thank you, my lady.'
She bowed to the gods, even Hades, and then limped over to stand by Artemis's side.
'Tyson, son of Poseidon!' Zeus called. Tyson looked nervous, but he went to stand in the middle of the council and Zeus grunted.
'Doesn't miss many meals, does he?' Zeus muttered. 'Tyson, for your bravery in the war, and for leading the Cyclopes, you are appointed a general in the armies of Olympus. You shall henceforth lead your brethren into war whenever required by the gods. And you shall have a new…um, what kind of weapon would you like? A sword? An axe?'
'Stick!' Tyson said, showing his broken club.
'Very well,' Zeus said. 'We will grant you a new, er, stick. The best stick that may be found.'
'Hooray!' Tyson cried, and all the Cyclopes cheered and pounded him on the back as he rejoined them.
'Grover Underwood of the satyrs!' Dionysus called.
Grover came forward nervously.
'Oh, stop chewing your shirt,' Dionysus chided. 'Honestly, I'm not going to blast you. For your bravery and sacrifice, blah, blah, blah, and since we have an unfortunate vacancy, the gods have seen fit to name you a member of the Council of Cloven Elders.'
Grover collapsed on the spot.
'Oh, wonderful,' Dionysus sighed, as several naiads came forward to help Grover. 'Well, when he wakes up, someone tell him that he will no longer be an outcast and that all satyrs, naiads and other spirits of nature will henceforth treat him as a Lord of the Wild, with all rights, privileges, and honours, blah, blah, blah. Now, please, drag him off before he wakes up and starts grovelling.'
'Food,' Grover moaned, as the nature spirits carried him away.
I figured he'd be okay. He would wake up a Lord of the Wild with a bunch of beautiful naiads taking care of him. Life could be worse.
Athena called, 'Annabeth Chase, my own daughter.'
Annabeth met my eyes with great effort and I detected some excitement in her eyes, then walked forward and knelt at her mother's feet.
Athena smiled. 'You, my daughter, have exceeded all expectations. You have used your wits, your strength and your courage to defend this city, and our seat of power. It has come to our attention that Olympus is…well, trashed. The Titan lord did much damage that will have to be repaired. We could rebuild by magic, of course, and make it just as it was. But the gods feel that the city could be improved. We will take this as an opportunity. And you, my daughter, will design these improvements.'
Annabeth looked up, stunned.
'My–my lady?'
Athena smiled wryly. 'You are an architect, are you not? You have studied the techniques of Daedalus himself. Who better to redesign Olympus, and make it a monument that will last for another aeon?'
'You mean…I can design whatever I want?'
'As your heart desires,' the goddess said. 'Make us a city for the ages.'
'As long as you have plenty of statues of me,' Apollo added.
'And me,' Aphrodite agreed.
'Hey, and me!' Ares said. 'Big statues with huge wicked swords and –'
'All right!' Athena interrupted. 'She gets the point. Rise, my daughter–the official architect of Olympus.'
Annabeth rose in a trance and walked back towards me.
'Way to go,' I wanted to tell her, with a grin on my face, but I couldn't even look at her without tears in my eyes.
She seemed to be at a loss for words. 'I'll–I'll have to start planning…drafting paper, and, um, pencils–'
'PERCY JACKSON!' Poseidon announced.
My name echoed around the chamber. All talking died down. The room was silent except for the crackle of the hearth fire. Everyone's eyes were on me–all the gods, the demigods, the Cyclopes, the spirits. I walked into the middle of the throne room. Hestia smiled at me reassuringly. She was in the form of a girl now, and she seemed happy and content to be sitting by her fire again. Her smile gave me the courage to keep walking. First I bowed to Zeus. Then I knelt at my father's feet.
'Rise, my son,' Poseidon said.
I stood uneasily.
'A great hero must be rewarded,' Poseidon said. 'Is there anyone here who would deny that my son is deserving?'
I waited for someone to pipe up. The gods never agreed on anything, and many of them still didn't like me, but not a single one protested.
'The council agrees,' Zeus said. 'Percy Jackson, you will have a gift from the gods.'
I hesitated. 'Any gift?'
Zeus nodded grimly. 'I know what you will ask. The greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on a mortal hero in many centuries, but–Perseus Jackson–if you wish it, you shall be made a god. Immortal. Undying. You shall serve as your father's lieutenant for all time.'
I stared at him, stunned. 'Um…a god?'
Zeus rolled his eyes. 'A dim-witted god, apparently. But yes. With the consensus of the entire council, I can make you immortal. Then I will have to put up with you forever.'
'Hmm,' Ares mused. 'That means I can smash him to a pulp as often as I want, and he'll just keep coming back for more. I like this idea.'
I thought about the Three Fates and the way I'd seen my life flash by. I could avoid all that. Not ageing, not dying, no body in the grave. I could be a teenager forever, in top condition, powerful and immortal, serving my father. I could have power and eternal life. Who could refuse that?
'I approve as well,' Athena said, though she was looking at Annabeth.
I glanced at Annabeth, who was trying not to meet my eyes. Her face was pale. I flashed back to two years ago when I'd thought she was going to take the pledge to Artemis and become a Hunter. I'd been on the edge of a panic attack, thinking that I'd lose her. Then, I thought about everything she had done, the time we had spent together and how she had suddenly thrown to the side like garbage. I felt like the world had stopped spinning and I'd lost everything
I accept your generous offer,' I said.
