Mount Othrys was much like what Percy imagined the ruins of the Parthenon would have looked like if the Athenians were evil superpowered beings hell-bent on dominating the world and all that lived in it. There was rubble everywhere, much of it littering the fields of the flatter part of the mountain they were now approaching as they hiked up the side of Mount Tamalpais. The intricate columns, a remnant of the Archaic architecture of ancient Greece, and the half-crumbled marble statues that extended around the perimeter of the complex hearkened back to an age of glory long past. All in all, it was much like the ruins that could be seen around Greece.

That is, if those ruins were reforming themselves.

Even as Percy watched, pieces of marble flew back to what must have been its original place, slotting in like a puzzle piece that had been missing for centuries. Facades were repaired. Columns were rebuilt. Statues were reborn. The entire mountain – Othrys, that is, not Tamalpais – seemed to be returning itself back to its ancient self. An ancient self that was in direct opposition with the Olympian gods.

"What's going on?" Bianca asked quietly, keeping behind the battle-worn Zoë as they passed through the reforming marble buildings of the Titans' stronghold.

"Othrys is rebuilding itself," Thalia whispered, looking at the ongoing process with awe and no small amount of fear. For the Titan fortress to be repairing itself, the Titans themselves had to be gaining strength, which to any sane demigod was a legitimate source of deep concern.

"We are running out of time if it has come this far," Zoë growled out, her voice low and her movement steady forward. "We must move quickly. There is no time to waste here." Thalia nodded an affirmative, and the two women led the small group while Percy and Bianca took up the rear as they quickly, but cautiously, moved through the ruins of Mount Othrys.

Soon, they came to another path, one that led even higher on the mountain, and Zoë, with a distinct look of consternation on her face as she looked at the path and where it led, strode onwards, barely wasting a second in hesitation as she began hiking up the trail. Behind her, Thalia, Percy, and Bianca followed, wary of any possible attack. Even though there were no signs of monsters, the entire mountain gave off a vibe that unsettled even the most experienced of demigods. This feeling didn't dissipate as they moved onwards; on the contrary, it seemed to increase as they climbed, like a deadly sense of increasing pressure that settled in their stomachs and made the weight of each step seem like moving in molasses. By the time they moved past the rows of rocks and out into an open summit, Bianca looked like she was on the verge of being sick, her breaths coming in short and in gasps as she struggled to find her equilibrium.

The sky was a dark gray, with a vortex swirling to make a funnel cloud that reached down to nearly touch the ground of the mountain's summit. And at the center of the funnel cloud was a young girl who, from a distance, looked no older than twelve. Her auburn hair was infused with dust and soot, and her silvery dress was dirty and tattered. Once they approached, however, Percy could feel an aura of power radiating from her, as well as an equal sense of oppression and tightness that threatened to choke him from its density. The girl turned, and Percy felt her silver eyes fall on them. Even as they seemed unfocused and tired, he still had a sense of opaqueness, like she could see right through them.

"My lady!" Zoë yelled, abandoning caution as she ran towards Artemis. The goddess struggled to turn under the weight of the world.

"No!" Artemis said, her voice wavering under the immense weight she was forced to carry. "Do not approach. This is a trap. Leave!" Even under extreme duress, her voice had an authoritative quality that made Percy want to turn and follow her orders. Bianca, new as she was to the whole demigod world, did spin on her heel before she stopped and turned back. For Artemis' part, even though her words carried strength, she was clearly heavily strained under the weight of the sky. For the first time in his life, Percy saw an Olympian in actual pain, Artemis' breath shaky as she trembled under the awesome weight she bore.

Regardless of her lady's words, Zoë ran forward, tears streaming from her eyes as she fell beside the goddess of the hunt's side. She held the celestial bronze chains, which tied Artemis to a massive nearby rock, futilely, unable to break the strong bonds that tied the Olympian to that spot and unable to carry the weight which bound the goddess to the top of the mountain.

"Ah, what a touching sight," a scathingly sarcastic voice rang out from behind them. Percy, Bianca, and Thalia spun around while Artemis and Zoë, tear stains on her face, turned to face the voice.

The General, complete in fine silk suit, stood at the top of the only to the summit of Othrys. Behind him was a squad of dracaena warriors, their snake-like tongues hissing quietly behind their leader as they carried the golden sarcophagus of Kronos. At his side, Luke fidgeted slightly as he looked at Thalia, with his eyes occasionally flicking to Percy. Annabeth was bound and gagged beside him, but her gray eyes still stared resolutely at Percy, seemingly telling them to run.

However, that was not an option. Not for the first time in their quest, Percy realized they were trapped. And even if they were not, the fate of the world was at stake.

"Let her go, Luke," Thalia snarled at the son of Hermes, her eyes shooting daggers at her former friend. The Castellan smiled weakly as he shook his head. He looked terrible, like he was sick and hadn't been getting much rest.

"I can't do that, Thalia. It's the General's decision. But it is good to see you again, healthy, after so long," Luke said quietly. Thalia spat at the sickly pale demigod.

Amused by the demigod banter, the General chuckled. "It seems like even the staunchest of friend can be broken apart. So much for old friendships." He turned to Zoë. "How is my little traitor? I will savor my retribution."

"Do not respond," Artemis moaned, barely conscious. "Do not attack him."

"Who is he?" Bianca whispered to Percy. Quickly turning his head, the General stared at the young Hunter of Artemis, a look of contempt on his face.

"My," he drawled, his tone turning darker, "the young ones nowadays have certainly been poorly educated. I am Atlas, the general of the Titans and the former bearer of the heavens. When I am done with this wretched girl, I will kill you for your insolence."

"You're not going to hurt Bianca or Zoë," Percy resolutely said, palming Riptide in his pocket. "I won't let you."

Atlas sneered at Percy. "Stay out of family matters, little hero. You have no right to interfere."

There was a pause.

"Family?" Percy asked, frowning.

"Yes," Zoë spoke up behind him. "He is my father."

Percy's eyes widened, as did Bianca's and Thalia's. He let go of Riptide temporarily, but still kept his hand in his pocket as he flicked his eyes between the Titan and the Hunter. There was a startling and disconcerting resemblance, but where Zoë's features softened with her kindness, Atlas' hardened with his cruelty.

"Let Artemis go," Zoë demanded, her voice steady as she stood and faced her father, the terror of Olympus. Atlas walked towards the chained goddess, causing Zoë to back away slightly.

"Perhaps you would like to take her place, then? I would be open to that idea."

Before Zoë could reply, Artemis shouted, "No! I forbid you to take this burden!"

Atlas sneered again, kneeling down and caressing the pained goddess' cheek. Artemis looked at him in disgust and tried to bite his fingers off, but Atlas pulled them back and almost playfully slapped the goddess, causing her to spit out just the faintest bit of golden ichor, the blood of the gods.

"Such fire," Atlas crooned, chuckling as he stood back up. "You see, daughter," he said, turning to Zoë again, "the dignified Lady Artemis already enjoys her new position. Perhaps I will have all of the Olympians take turns here after Lord Kronos rules once more. That is, in between their other duties. That should teach these arrogant weaklings some needed humility."

Percy looked away from the Titan and towards Annabeth, who was still weakly struggling against her bonds. She looked at Percy again, and her eyes gestured something, but Percy had no idea what. As he looked at her, he realized that she looked different. Her hair was streaked with gray and there were faint wrinkles around her eyes. The stress of holding the sky, he realized.

"I don't understand," Bianca spoke out. "Why can't Artemis let go?"

Atlas laughed, a cruel, menacing sound that had no humor. "What a foolish girl. This is where the sky touches the earth, where Gaia and Ouranos brought forth the Titans. The sky must be held, or it will flatten everything around it. You cannot escape its burden once you have taken it." Atlas cruelly smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you."

The Titan walked up to Percy and Thalia, eyeing them like he was sizing them up. "You two are the mightiest heroes of the age? Pathetic. The Greeks fielded far more powerful warriors than you two."

"Fight us and we'll show you," Percy spat out.

"Have you been taught nothing? It is beneath my dignity to fight you. Rather, I will have Luke do it for me."

"So you're a coward."

Atlas' eyes burned, but he said nothing as he turned to Thalia.

"It looks like Luke was wrong about you," the Titan said, looking over Thalia. "He underestimated your will."

"No!" Luke cried out from near the top of the mountain path. "There is still time." He snapped his fingers and a pool of water appeared. "Thalia! You can still join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you."

There was silence as Thalia stared at the pool of water.

"Thalia, please, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke continued. "And you will become more powerful than even the gods."

"Luke…" Thalia finally spoke up, her voice quiet and full of pain. "Why? What happened to you?"

"Don't you remember all those times we talked about the gods, about how they abandoned us? They don't deserve our support. They left us to die! They have no right to rule!"

Thalia's spear began to shake as her arm trembled. "Let go of Annabeth."

Luke shook his head again. "Only if you join us. It can be the three of us again, fighting with each other. You can be by my side again." His voice trembled. "Please… it's my last chance."

Percy wasn't sure if he was really in danger if he didn't convert Thalia here, but it sounded as if he was. And Percy was afraid that Thalia would believe so too.

"Do not agree, Thalia," Zoë solemnly said. "We must fight them."

Luke waved his hand once more, and a sacrificial flame appeared, ready to burn an offering.

"Thalia," Percy spoke up, his voice wavering. "No."

As if sensing something, the golden sarcophagus of Kronos began to glow, its light bright and piercing. Percy began to see marble and bricks fly back into place at the summit of the mountain, as if the sarcophagus was now powering the rebuilding of Mount Othrys. The palace that was being built was an imposing sight, great and dark all at once.

"We can rebuild Mount Othrys here," Luke promised, his voice strained with pain. "It will be greater and stronger than Olympus ever was. Look, Thalia. We are strong." He gestured out over the edge of the mountain, and with a lurch of his stomach, Percy realized that the Princess Andromeda, docked at the beach, was offloading a veritable army, complete with dracaenae, hellhounds, harpies, half-bloods, and even more monsters that Percy did and didn't recognize. And they were all marching towards them.

"We have immense power," Luke slowly said. "Enough to take over Camp Half-Blood, and soon after that, even Olympus. All we need is your help." He extended his hand, offering her a path.

Thalia hesitated, the conflict clear in her eyes once more, as was the pain. For a single, seemingly-eternal and eternally terrible moment, her left hand slightly lifted, as if she wanted to reach out to grasp Luke's open hand. Then she closed her eyes, turned around, and gave a small smile, her lips minimally curving, at Percy as she opened her eyes. Percy felt his breath being sucked away. Her electric blue eyes, full of emotion, stared into his own, and he felt the conflict and pain melting away as they were replaced by something entirely different. He understood, and so did she. Thalia turned back around to Luke, her eyes hardening as she raised her spear at him.

"You aren't Luke. He died a long time ago. I don't know you anymore."

"Yes, you do, Thalia," Luke pleaded, his eyes widening in shock as he took in the unexpected turn of events. "Please. Don't make him destroy you."

Percy pulled out Riptide. There was no time to waste, and certainly none with Luke's stalling.

"Now," Percy said. Thalia and Zoë nodded, and Bianca quickly got the hint, her eyes widening.

As one, the four moved.

Thalia charged straight at Luke, expanding her shield as she did so. That caused Luke's bodyguards to flee in terror, dropping the sarcophagus on the hard stone as they fled down the mountains. Luke, sickly as he looked, still reacted quickly, snarling as he pulled out his sword and met the daughter of Zeus in open combat.

Percy began to run towards Thalia, but an arrow flew past him, causing him to turn. Bianca, who looked stunned, had shot an arrow, and when Percy turned back, he saw Atlas grinning, the arrow in his hand, stopped a foot away from his chest.

"Foolish girl." He snapped the arrow like an oversized toothpick before striding towards the Hunter. His suit morphed into a full set of battle armor as he walked, and huge javelin fell into his hands as he approached Bianca. Percy, seeing the threat, turned and swung his sword. However, Atlas blocked it with the end of javelin, while using the butt end knock Percy into a brick wall.

With a start, Percy realized that the rebuilding of Othrys was speeding up. The buildings were becoming very much real, and they were running out of time and options. Getting back up, Percy lunged at the Titan.

"Fool!" Atlas gleefully shouted, reveling in the fight even as he dominated. "Did you think that because you could beat the puny god of war, that you could challenge me?"

At the mention of Ares, Percy felt a jolt of energy, and surged upwards. Eyeing the pool that was meant to call Bessie, he realized that if he could get there, he could augment his strength to a level that could potentially challenge the Titan.

Atlas swung his javelin, and Percy maneuvered Riptide to block, but as he did so, he felt his arm go limp, and he barely held onto his sword as his grip began to slacken. His arm felt like it was made of solid lead, and no matter what he did, he couldn't lift his sword. Percy remembered Ares words, even though they felt like an eternity ago. When you need it most, your sword will fail you.

Percy screamed as the javelin swung into him and flung him across the summit once again. This time, he landed near Artemis as his sword skidded off the edge of the mountain, but he just lay there, his sword arm weak and heavy.

"Run, boy!" Artemis hissed. "You must run! You cannot win!"

Atlas moved towards Percy, and even as he struggled to get up, he knew that he couldn't challenge the Titan again. There was nothing he could do, with Ares' curse affecting him. At the edge of the cliff, Thalia and Luke fought like demons, lightning crackling as they exchanged heavy blows. Annabeth lay near the top of the path to the summit, still struggling to free herself, while Artemis strained under the weight of the sky. Bianca stood off to the side, her expression lost as she found herself unsure of what exactly to do.

It almost seemed like all was lost.

"Die, hero," Atlas said sarcastically, hoisting up his javelin.

"No!" Zoë screamed, and a volley of arrows suddenly sprouted from Atlas, poking through the chinks in his armor.

"Agh!" Atlas yelled as he turned around in mild pain and annoyance and hunted after his daughter. She deftly avoided him with the skill of an experienced Hunter, all the while shooting arrows at his exposed parts to anger him.

Percy felt Riptide back in his pocket, but it didn't matter. Turning to Artemis, he sudden realization of what he had to do. The Titan's curse must one withstand. An epiphany that he that one.

"The sky," Percy said to Artemis, the latter struggling to look up at the demigod. "Let me take it."

"No," Artemis said resolutely, her teeth clenched as she trembled. "You don't know what you are asking for. It will crush you."

"Annabeth took it!"

"Only for a short while," Artemis replied curtly, trying to save energy. "And she had the true spirit of a huntress. You will not last."

Percy glared at the Olympian. "I will die anyway. It doesn't matter if I can do it. I need to do it." Without waiting for a reply, he pulled out Riptide, uncapped it, and sliced through the chains that were only a very small portion of what held the goddess there. He kneeled beside the goddess, and with a deep breath, lifted his arms and pushed against the dark clouds that formed part of the vortex. It was an immense feeling. For a single, solitary moment, both he and Artemis held the weight of the sky. And then Artemis slid out, leaving him alone.

There was no way to describe it. The pain of carrying the sky went beyond the physical realm. Percy felt his spirits being drained and his mental coherence fracturing under the weight even as his physical muscles burned in agony. The deep sensation of pain that he felt was such that he wanted to scream, but found himself utterly bereft of any energy or will to open his mouth and do so. It was physically impossible for him to move under the weight, and the enormous pressure threatened to flatten him if he so much as weakened slightly.

"Unacceptable." The only word Percy ground out during his tenure as the bearer of heaven. A resolve filled him, the likes of which he had never felt before. He needed to do this. It didn't matter that this could, and most likely would, kill him, or that it would likely take years off his life if he did escape it. The fate of the world rested on him. And he would not let it down. Even as his vision wavered and became blurry, Percy strained against all odds, keeping the sky where it was.

At the edge of the cliff, Thalia and Luke fought savagely, both aiming to do more than incapacitate. Luke backed up at the sight of Thalia's shield, and he snarled as he realized that the daughter of Zeus had the upper hand against him.

"Yield!" Thalia yelled at her former friend. "You never beat me, and you won't now!"

"We will see," Luke growled.

And their fight continued.

Artemis was a silver blur against Atlas, their fighting impossible to follow as their blows sped through the air faster than any mortal could track. For her part, Zoë had inspired Bianca to fight, and the two Hunters were shooting arrows at the Titan to help their lady as best they could.

And still, Percy struggled.

"You fight well, for a girl," Atlas taunted, causing Artemis to snarl. With a sweep of the legs, Atlas caught the goddess off guard and knocked her to the ground. He spun his javelin around and prepared to impale the downed goddess when Zoë appeared out of nowhere, yelling as she notched three arrows and loosed them at point-blank range into Atlas' forehead. The Titan yelled in pain as he lifted the javelin up and swung wildly and blindly for the Hunter, smacking her in the chest and sending her flying backwards into rocks. Then he stabbed downwards again.

Artemis reacted faster than the time it took the javelin to fall. Grabbing its shaft, she sent it flying into the stone underneath her, and using it as a lever, she kicked herself upwards and flung a punch at the Titan that sent him flying backwards.

Toward Percy.

With the last dregs of conscious thought available, Percy loosened his grip on the sky, letting it come perilously close to flattening him and the state of California. When Atlas flew into him, Percy was pushed out of the bottom of the burden, flying across the summit towards the pool and the edge of the cliff. He heard – and felt – multiple things crack, and when he landed, everything hurt.

"No!" Atlas roared, struggling under the weight of the sky to no avail. He was trapped once more. Artemis sighed and trembled with fatigue, and Bianca came up to help the injured and tired goddess walk over to Zoë.

Percy moaned as he pushed himself off the ground, wheezing and coughing as he dragged himself over to the pool. With a final push, he fell into the water, feeling it wash over him. Instantly, he felt the rejuvenating powers of the liquid come over him. The various broken, fractured, and injured parts he had healed, and he felt a sudden flood of strength through his limbs that restored the burnt muscles and strained bones of his body.

From a distance, Percy saw Thalia and Luke, her spear in her hand as she stood triumphantly over Luke's fallen form. The son of Hermes was breathing heavily, and he had a profusely bleeding gash on his chest.

"Well?" Percy heard the traitor say.

Before Thalia could reply, Percy saw a dracaena, one that must have regained its wits, sneak up the stairs, stepping over Annabeth's protesting bound form. The monster held a dagger.

"Thalia, watch out!" Percy yelled as loudly as he could, and the daughter of Zeus spun around, her eyes widening when she saw the threat. She stabbed forward with her spear, but even as she did so, the dracaena's dagger slid into the flesh of Thalia's thigh, causing the demigod to cry as she stumbled and fell. Luke, taking advantage of the situation, reached for his sword. Thalia, half-kneeling, tried to blindly stab at the traitorous demigod, but Luke blocked the stab and in one motion, stabbed through Thalia's spear, breaking the shaft of the weapon, into her shoulder. There was a look of shock that flitted across Luke's face as he realized his sword had gone into her soft flesh, but it quickly disappeared. With a grunt, he followed up with a punch, sending his would-be former friend flying backwards, a dagger in her thigh and a sword in her shoulder.

Thalia didn't move.

Percy roared, the water augmenting his aura and enhancing his rage. Leaping out of the pool, Percy moved in massive strides to Luke, and dodging a haphazardly thrown punch from the wounded traitor, curved a punch at Luke. When his fist made impact, there was a sickening crunch sound and Luke spun as he was pushed backwards from the sheer force of the strengthened punch. Losing his footing, Luke screamed as he fell off the cliff.

"Luke!" Annabeth yelled, having finally undone her bonds. She stared off the side of the cliff, then recoiled at the sight of Luke's broken body on the rocks.

Percy took a single deep breath, resolving to not look at the likely end of his rival and one-time friend. Instead, he ran over to Thalia's still form, holding her head in his lap as his eyes widened.

"No, no," he muttered, anxious as he checked for signs of life. Annabeth slowly walked over, as did Zoë, who was herself injured and supported by Bianca, and Artemis.

"Please," Percy pleaded, to no one in particular, before dissolving into tears as he tightened his grip around his best friend's body. Even Artemis, famous for her hatred of men, looked despondent at the show of raw emotion.

"Annabeth!" Percy suddenly yelled, looking up with frightfully wide eyes. The daughter of Athena looked back, startled. "Nectar and ambrosia! There's some in Thalia's pack!"

Annabeth nodded, and looked around, seeing the deserted pack near the mountain path. She quickly ran over, grabbed the pack, and ran back, opening it up and pulling out various jars and cans.

"Here," she said, handing Percy a full can of nectar. The boy barely nodded before putting the can to Thalia's lips and tipping the can to let a steady flow of nectar flow.

"The whole can," Zoë whispered. "It is the only way."

Percy pulled the can back when it ran dry, throwing it away as he held Thalia in his arms. He shook slightly.

"Please."

"Please."

Please.

Thalia spluttered as she heaved a massive breath. She coughed and struggled before she opened her eyes, staring right at Percy, whose tears juxtaposed his bright smile, barely able to contain himself at seeing her blue eyes again.

"Relax. You're safe," Percy whispered.

"I know," Thalia softly replied.

At the summit of the Titan stronghold of Mount Othrys, where Atlas' yells were nearly muffled by the whirling vortex, as the bricks and marble ceased to fly, and the sounds of the marching monster army were still distant, Percy finally felt at peace. At peace since the world had been saved. They had completed the quest. They had won.

"I love you," Percy blurted out. Thalia's eyes widened, as did everyone else's.

"Kelp head," she whispered before she reached around with one arm and brought him down for a kiss.

Artemis looked away, a faint smile playing on her lips. Zoë looked amused at the two. Bianca looked giddy with joy and excitement. Annabeth look shocked, her form stiffening before she breathed a few times and smiled.

Percy and Thalia didn't notice, or care about, the others' reactions.

All they noticed was each other.

The sight of twelve Olympians arrayed together made for an imposing sight, but Percy was too tired to care. He did, however, quickly pull his hand away from Thalia's, the two knowing that in no world was it a good idea to provoke Zeus' rage unprepared. He noticed that there was a hearth fire in the side of the throne room, and beside it was a tank of water that housed none other than Bessie, who swam happily once he noticed Percy. The demigod smiled at the Ophiotaurus before turning around to see Grover at the base of Zeus' throne.

"Percy! You guys made it!" He smiled when he saw Percy and Thalia. His smile widened when he saw Annabeth standing by Bianca, grew larger when he saw Bianca herself, and turned into a look of utter shock when he saw a very much alive Zoë on the other side of Bianca.

"You-you're ali…" he trailed off, lost for words. The girl smiled enigmatically.

"Indeed."

"Heroes," Artemis' said, her voice ringing out in the throne room. Already, she looked healthier, though the evidence of her ordeal were still apparent in her fatigued movements. She turned to human size and walked towards the group of six.

"The council has been informed of your deeds," she continued. "They know of Mount Othrys' rise, the attempt for freedom by Atlas, and Kronos' gathering armies. We have voted… to act." Some of the gods behind her muttered in apparent disagreement, but there was no open protest.

"At my Lord Zeus' command," Artemis said, "my brother and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to disperse them before they have a chance to join Kronos. Lady Athena will check the prisons of the other Titans to ensure that they remain secured. Lord Poseidon has full reign of the seas to destroy the ship Princess Andromeda should it come across his sight. And for you, my heroes…"

She turned to the eleven other Olympians. "These heroes have done Olympus a great service. Is there any that would deny that?" Each of the gods looked at one another.

"Wait just a minute," Ares growled, glaring at Percy and then Thalia. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here and we're all-"

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, his tone dark and restrained. "They are worthy heroes. You will not blast my son to bits."

"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled, a hint of thunder behind his voice. "She has done well." At this, Thalia blushed, looking down at the floor at such a compliment from her father. Zeus internally frowned as he saw his daughter scoot to be closer to Poseidon's son when she had already been standing close to him, but ignored it as he followed the flow of discussion.

"I am proud of my daughter as well," Athena spoke up, "but we have to acknowledge the security risk with these two."

"Mother!" Annabeth protested. "How can you-" She was silenced by a firm look from her mother.

"It is unfortunate that both my father and my uncle Poseidon have chosen to break the oath. In fact, I find it ironic that the only one who didn't was Hades. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods are… dangerous. As much of a fool Ares is, he has a point."

"Hey!" Ares protested, getting up. Thick vines, however, grew around his throne, pushing him back into his seat.

"Oh, please," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later when it is actually needed and wanted."

"You're one to talk. You hate kids," Ares growled, ripping away the vines. "Now you want to protect these brats?"

"I have no particular inclination for anything regarding them. Athena, do you think it is safest to destroy them?"

"I do not pass judgement," Athena said solemnly. "I only point out the risk. What we do is contingent upon the Council."

"I will not have them punished!" Artemis spoke up loudly. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us great deeds, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is how Olympus rewards its protectors, I will have none of it!"

"Geez, sis," Apollo said. "Calm down."

"No! I will reward them."

"Well," Zeus grumbled. "Perhaps. But the monster must be destroyed. We have agreement on that?" Most of the heads nodded.

That shook Percy out of his reverie. "Wait, you want to destroy Bessie?" As if on cue, the Ophiotaurus mooed.

Poseidon frowned. "You named the Ophiotaurus 'Bessie'?"

"Dad," Percy pleaded, "it's just a sea creature. You can't just destroy him!"

"Percy," Poseidon began uncomfortably, "the monster's power in considerable. If the Titans were to steal it…"

"You can't," Percy insisted. He turned to Zeus, throwing caution to the wind. "Controlling prophecies like this doesn't work. Bessi- I mean the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing an innocent is wrong. It's just wrong. As wrong as… Kronos eating his children just because of something they could do. It's wrong to condemn someone based on what could happen!"

Zeus seemed to consider this. Then he nodded.

"They are still dangerous," Dionysus warned. "The beast is a temptation to great power."

"No." Percy looked around at the assembled gods. "Please, keep the Ophiotaurus safe. My dad can hide him underwater, or build him an aquarium here in Olympus. Just keep him safe."

"There is still a full year for Thalia to be tempted by Kronos," Athena evenly said. "That is a long time, and many things can change."

"No." Percy said, surprising many of the seated gods. He instinctively stood closer to Thalia. "She won't be alone in this. I will help her. So will all of her friends. We will be there for her."

Poseidon sighed. Athena stared impassively at the heroes.

"I will not allow Poseidon to gain this much power over us," Zeus suddenly spoke, his tone sharp. "I will not give him this kind of bargaining chip."

Poseidon held his hands in a placating fashion. "Fine. I will build an aquarium here for the creature with Hephaestus. We can protect the creature with our powers. The girl will not betray us. I trust my son and his friends."

Zeus slowly nodded. "All in favor?"

Apart from four abstentions, everyone else voted for the plan.

"We have a majority," Zeus boomed. "Since we will not be destroying these heroes, I imagine we will honor them. Let the triumph celebration begin!"

Olympian parties were an entirely different level than anything else Percy had ever seen, so once he was able to, he excused himself to the balcony overlooking New York City. At night, it was stunning, a metropolis of light in the dark. He nursed a drink and took a small sip of it before looking down and enjoying the wind on his face. His only regret was that he had to pretend that he wasn't with Thalia, which made him sad. He did understand its necessity, however, and he contented himself with quick glimpses and moments of eye contact where they both smiled at each other.

He wished he could be here, at the balcony, with her alone to enjoy the sights.

"Enjoying yourself, hero?" a sultry voice echoed from behind him. Percy turned to face Aphrodite. She was dressed for the party, and it showed. A flirty black dress and matching heels complimented her dark eyeliner and eyes, which were a rich brown.

Percy blinked. Her eyes were blue.

If Aphrodite noticed the change, she didn't comment, but rather strode over and leaned on the balcony's marble railing herself. She took a long drink from a crystal flute before tossing it over the railing, letting it fall.

"So, you saved the world and the girl," she smiled, looking at Percy.

"I'm happy Annabeth is safe," Percy evenly replied, doing his best to contain himself.

"Just happy?"

"Just happy."

Aphrodite pouted. "You have to do better than that, Percy. I saw how Annabeth looked at you today. She's definitely interested."

Percy, who had turned to look at a far-off building, whipped back around. "And I'm not." He turned back, missing the dark glare that briefly passed across Aphrodite's face. She walked over to him and slung an arm around his shoulders, leaning into him.

"Don't be so stiff, Percy," she whispered, rubbing her head against his shoulder. "A lot of girls would like to be with someone like you."

Percy extricated himself from her arm. "And I'm not interested in a lot of girls." He turned to face Aphrodite head-on. "Why are you so interested in me and my love life?"

Aphrodite grinned. "Oh Percy, you have no idea. Your love life is going to be very interesting. Of course, as the goddess of love, it's only natural for me to give you some advice and tips."

Percy finished his drink and put the glass cup on the marble balcony, walking a few steps away before turning.

"I would prefer you not to. I can handle it on my own. Thanks for the help." With that, he strode off.

Aphrodite maintained her picture-perfect smile for a few moments before it turned into a glare. With a swipe of her hand, she batted the cup Percy left behind off the side of the balcony, letting it fall.

"Insolent brat," she muttered under her breath. "No… insolent brats." First Grace had the nerve to break into her plan, and then Jackson had the audacity to refuse her plan in front of her face. The air thickened around the edge of the balcony, similar to the aura of an Olympian or Titan. However, it was not nearly as imposing as Atlas had been. If that was the presence of an immortal in full-form, this was the presence of an immortal who had no form. Unbeknownst to even Aphrodite, her eyes flashed a bright yellow before they returned to the rich brown color she had chosen for the evening.

Percy made his way back to the party, wading his way through a mixture of minor gods, satyrs, demigods, and other partygoers before he finally found the person he was looking for.

"Would you care to dance, milady?" Percy offered himself formally.

Thalia looked at him and laughed, before accepting his hand. "Of course, my good sir." They found themselves a nice slow dance part of the party. He put both hands around her waist while she put hers around his back.

"You know, this is nice," Percy commented, looking around.

"What, Olympian parties?" Thalia questioned.

"No. You." Percy leaned in and gently bumped his forehead with hers. That was as far as they were willing to go in public.

"Kelp head," Thalia whispered playfully.

"You know it," Percy grinned. The two returned to focusing on dancing.

And together they were. After a great and mighty victory, they found a second victory.

Each other.

End of Arc I

A/N: PLEASE READ

This is the end of the first arc of the story. There will be two more arcs.

Now for the news part of this. Unfortunately, there will be no update next Monday. I hope the length of this chapter is a somewhat decent compromise. After that, however, I will have considerably more free time, and will return to the regular Monday update schedule. This chapter represents the furthest off-canon I've gone so far, and it'll only be less canon from here. I'm done with The Titan's Curse portion of this story, so I've got a lot more freedom on where I want to go with the plot now.

Remember – the next update is December 18th, 2017. 09:40 AM like always.

See you all in two weeks!