AN: I've noticed how the review count has been going down as I continue the story, is it just the chapters themselves or do you all just not feel like reviewing?

Son of the Moon

Chapter 48

-Gaea-

Smacking her lips with a pleased sigh, the goddess of the earth lowered her goblet of wine. After so many millennia forced to slumber, trapped within her very domain, it was good to enjoy the simple pleasures again. Before her stood a wall of diamond, the stone showing the past of one Perseus Jackson, his exploits and strength. Her knowledge of the world from when she slumbered was, at best, disjointed. After first rising she had readily dismissed the adopted son of Artemis, thinking him as nothing more than a nuisance. A notable nuisance to be sure but not something she would have considered a threat.

That thought was quickly disproven with the frankly delicious amounts of fury and power he let loose atop that mountain. "Such power from a mortal," the goddess of the earth purred as she watched the powerful demigod slay Polyphemus "oh so many possibilities."

"Mother," the voice of Porphyrion spoke as he entered, the bane of Zeus having been reborn by sacrificing one of the minor gods who had tried to defect after the death of Atlas "there are things you should be aware of."

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow at her son, giving him a small smile for the loyalty he always showed her "And what would those be? Good things I hope."

"One is mother, the other pieces of news I bring you are…less so." He admits, not shying away from delivering bad news to her, a trait she had to admit she admired.

"Get the bad news out of the way Porphyrion," she commanded "save the good to wash away the taste of what you are about to tell me."

"It is my brothers, Kronos and Polybotes." Porphyrion scowled harshly, a thunderous fury flashing through his eyes "They are making choices that could prove detrimental to your wishes mother." Her smile slipped off her visage, all her children were important to Gaea but Porphyrion and Kronos had special places in her heart.

"What 'choices'?" she demanded, her tone saying quite clearly that the answer had best come soon.

"Kronos has been antagonizing the Grace girl," Porphyrion began "it seems like he is trying to deliberately provoke a reaction from Grace and her two companions. I'm not sure for what purpose but he has been taunting them about the son of Artemis. I'm not sure about why he is doing this or for what purpose it could be geared towards. Polybotes situation is much worse."

"I will speak to Kronos," she assured Porphyrion, relieved that it wasn't as serious as she worried "what has Polybotes done to raise your concern?"

"I worry he means to defect mother." Porphyrion spoke before staggering back, waves of raw energy pouring from the form she had constructed.

"He means to what?" she hissed, rising from her throne "This had better be more than simple rumor and hearsay Porphyrion, I do not like the thought of my children betraying me, especially should it turn out to be merely a rumor if I did act upon it."

"He was born to be Poseidon's Bane," Porphyrion grunted out "to destroy the sea god. The hatred he feels for Neptune and Poseidon is strong, stronger than what many of us feel for our counterparts. With Poseidon having joined us he feels not only betrayed but robbed of his purpose in life. I'm not sure if he would join the Olympians but I have heard talk that he plans to defect and comments I have heard from my brother myself seem to give the rumors weight."

"Kronos can wait," with restrained fury she stalked past her son towards where she knew Polybotes to be "this has to be addressed now." As Gaea stalked through the halls of her fortress most who saw her quickly scrambled out of the way, feeling the raw power pouring from her and the fury that danced within the eyes of the Earth Mother. "Polybotes!" she yelled, getting to the sparring grounds where her son was training, the Bane of Poseidon looking up from the dummy that was being perforated with his trident.

"Yes mother?" the bane of the sea asked but she could tell it lacked the devotion that once went with the appellation.

"Is it true?" she demanded, not even bothering to waste words or work into the question "Do you plan to defect? To betray your own mother?"

"And why not?" Polybotes roared, her son surging to his feet and not even bothering to deny the accusation "You betrayed me first by stealing away my purpose! I was meant to slay Poseidon, to usurp the sea from him but now you welcome him with open arms as an ally!"

"Oh, my son," she sighed, her angry draining away to be replaced with grief "my poor foolish child." Faster than any of them could see her arm shot out, her fingers digging into Polybotes' gut as her son gasped and dropped his trident "You intend to leave us, to leave me? Very well then, I will grant your wish but at a price. You are no longer to receive my blessing, the Giant's protection. From now on you live or die by your own merits alone." Polybotes, gurgled and stammered, unable to speak from the sheer pain of her stripping away the blessing that kept her Giant children from falling to any but a demigod and god working together. Eventually the pain was too much and he passed out, collapsing to the ground, unconscious limp.

"Take him to Antaeus," she spoke softly to some of those watching "if he wants his freedom from there he can win it himself." A group of Laestrygonians moved to obey her order, hauling off her fallen son and his weapon.

"I'm sorry you had to do that mother." Porphyrion spoke up, genuine sadness in her son's voice at both the loss of his brother and the suffering she endured at his betray and punishment.

"I know my son," she gave his arm a pat as she went back to her quarters, dealing with Kronos could wait. It was as they returned to her room that her anger was brought raging back into existence.

"Hey there gorgeous," a drunken demigod leered at the form she had crafted, uninhibited lust in the man's eyes as he took her in without recognizing who she was "what say you come spend some time with me? I'm more of a man than anyone else here and more than happy to prove it."

Those who had recognized her quickly backed away as she turned her gaze towards the swine who positively reeked of booze "More of a man you say?" the cold acidic fury dripping from her tongue had many averting their eyes, knowing pain would soon be all that existed for the drunken fool before her.

"That's ri-gack!" the drunkard started choking as she held him aloft with a vine, the thick cord giving him just enough air that he stayed conscious and aware of what was going on.

"I very much doubt that." Her tone was cold as the stones at her feet began to rumble "You know, in ancient times a rapist might have his testicles crushed between two stones. You might not have managed to put your pathetic little phallus anywhere near me but I think the mere thought of you doing so is close enough. Two large rough stones began to float up as the drunk's eyes filled with panicked tears, fear shining through the alcohol as he finally recognized who she was.

"P-p-ple-please!" he choked out, begging for her not to deliver the punishment he had earned.

"Please teach you the error of your ways?" she asked with a smirk as the man struggled hard against the vine "If you insist." With a twitch of her fingers the two stones came together with a crunch and a squelching sound, the wet dripping of blood quickly drowned out by the man's agonized scream. Snorting in derision she dropped the forcibly castrated man to the ground and continued the path back to her quarters, Porphyrion following behind.

"Mother," her son asked once back into the solitude of her quarters "would you be willing to answer a question for me?"

"That depends on the question my dear child." She said, curious as to what her loyal son would ask her.

"Why did you fashion that form?" he asked, "Especially since it draws…'attention'."

"You mean why did I fashion a form that would be seen as beautiful to mortals of this current age?" she asked with a somewhat amused smirk as Porphyrion shifted uncomfortably. "It is because of the son of Artemis," she waved a hand at the screen that was showing his escapades in his Alaskan Labyrinth "such power is quite simply delicious to behold."

"I thought you had promised him to Thalia Grace," he frowned confused "is he to become your Husband instead and rule at your side?"

"Oh, nothing like that," she laughed, although the idea did have merit should Thalia ever fail her "but you aren't entirely off either. I love you my child, as I love all your siblings but it is inevitable that even after we win this war some other force will eventually rise that could be a threat to us. I plan to make young Jackson a god and bed him. He is strong now and will be stronger still as a deity and with that power flowing through children I have with him." Gaea gave a chuckle as she refilled her goblet of wine "A form such as this will simply make it easier to lure him to my bed and keep him there for as long as I need."

"I understand mother." Porphyrion said quickly forcing her to hold back a smirk, ancient giant or not Porphyrion was still her son and like all children was rather averse to listening to his parent's sex life.

"Now, I believe you had good news for me as well." She looked up at her son as she drank from her goblet.

"It's about your future…conquest," He forced out "Perseus Jackson. I'm sure you're aware of his return to Camp Half-Blood?" at her nod Porphyrion continued "Well his quest mates have located a clear-sighted mortal to guide them through the Labyrinth and they're preparing to enter the maze once again." Intrigued she waved a hand at the wall of diamond which changed to show the present, revealing Perseus and his companions standing ready by the entrance to the Labyrinth, fortifications being built all around them.

"And since they still aim to find the workshop of Daedalus they will have to pass through Antaeus' arena." She finished with a smirk "Porphyrion, give your brother a message about the arrival of the son of Artemis. Let him and Thalia have a welcome prepared for them." Drinking deeply from her wine she saw the quest enter the Labyrinth, the stone doors sealing closed behind them, 'Delicious'.

AN: I haven't found a good design for Gaea yet so I'm willing to take suggestions from you all while I search. If you have a character from a movie or game or show that you want to be the form of Gaea then let me know in the review section.