Artemis

Artemis watched silently from the shadow of a marble column at the edge of the practice arena. Her personal practice arena in a courtyard of her palace. The dueling demigods had yet to notice her leaning against the silver-streaked white column with arms crossed. She rolled her eyes at herself. Knowing those three it's more likely they've chosen to give me my privacy, she thought. Percy and Thalia would not have missed her presence she knew, and the little she'd learned of Nico told her that neither would he. Her eyes followed Percy as he squared off against his cousins in a three way battle. Three children of the Big Three, she mused. Quite possibly three of the most powerful demigods who ever lived. The ancient poets would have written epics about this single scene. At some unseen sign, the battle began. All three met in the middle of the arena in a rush.

"Impressive," said a small voice from behind, "and something I never thought I'd see." Despite herself, Artemis felt a smile cross her features. Only one Olympian would enter her palace unannounced. She turned to greet the newcomer.

"Aunt Hestia," Artemis said as she crouched down to hug the smaller goddess. "I'm sorry I haven't come to see you earlier," continued as she stood back up.

Hestia smiled and reached up to gently pat her arm. "You were recovering, my dear. Think nothing of it." A comfortable silence descended as both goddesses turned to watch the duel.

Impressive indeed, Artemis thought, somewhat surprised despite herself. She knew from firsthand experience just how good Percy was with a sword, but Nico was nearly his equal and Thalia was a whirlwind with her spear. "Something I never thought I'd see," Hestia repeated in a soft voice, almost to herself.

"What do you mean?" Artemis asked as Thalia hit the sand hard, tripped up by Nico's well placed foot. She rolled to her left and onto her feet as Riptide buried itself in the sand where she had just been.

She felt Hestia's gaze fall on her. "Three children of my brothers," Hestia said, "bound by the bonds of friendship. What you see before you Artemis is nothing short of a miracle. One that I believe we will all be thankful for in the coming years."

Artemis tore her eyes from the duel and looked down at her aunt. "What do you mean," she asked again confused. "Children of the Big Three have been allied before."

Hestia nodded, and turned back toward the duel. Artemis followed her gaze. A temporary alliance between Thalia and Nico had formed, and both were pressing Percy hard. "True enough," Hestia said, "but there is a difference between being allied and being friends. An ally will fight by your side, where only a friend is willing to step between you and danger and die in your place. We've all seen Percy push the bounds of what is possible for the sake of his friends. Don't be surprised if the three you see before you push the boundaries even further for each other's sake in the years to come." Hestia fell silent, and Artemis pondered her words. It was true she realized. Sure there had been alliances in the past, but this was the first time in all the centuries that the demigod children of the Big Three had ever been genuine friends. I wonder what that means, she thought. A loud crack broke her train of thought.

Percy was falling from blow to the side of the head from Thalia's spear shaft. Nico, anticipating the strike, had his sword pressed against her throat before Percy hit the ground. Even from a distance Artemis could see Thalia's eyes flare at the victorious grin on Nico's face. A visible jolt of electricity shot up the ebony blade and into Nico's arm. He jumped back with a curse, blade falling from his suddenly limp fingers. Thalia laughed, and a moment later Nico's scowl gave way to an amused grin. Together they helped a dazed Percy to his feet and led him to a bench at the side of the arena.

"In the recent war against my father these three were friends," Hestia said, eyes following the trio, "and with the help of Annabeth Chase they did the impossible. Since then, their relationship has passed through the fires of grief and loss, and it has been forged into something greater. If the Earth Mother is wise, she'll fear these three." Hestia paused then and looked at Artemis. Artemis met her eyes. "And you as well Niece. The role Annabeth Chase played last time will fall to you in this war."

She's telling me I have to be part of this trinity, Artemis realized. It made sense. Even though Nico would be older when the war finally came, these three, along with her future child, would probably be leading the fight. She was already where she needed to be with Percy. As infuriating as his nonchalance could be on occasion, they were friends and he treated her like an equal. Thalia, though they were friends, still sometimes acted like Artemis was her superior. An easy fix, given time. Nico, for all intents and purposes, was a stranger. Baring Percy and Thalia, and presumably Will Solace, the young man was completely closed off. He would be a challenge, but there was time. The boy was respectful and well mannered; Artemis was confident she could come to call him friend. What would Zoe think of me now, Artemis though, grinning wryly? Trying to make friends with two men.

"You should advise Father more often, Aunt Hestia," Artemis said. "He'd be a fool not to listen to you."

Hestia laughed, a high and melodious sound. Waves of warmth flowed over Artemis, and a feeling of contentment rose up within her. "I'm his big sister, my dear. Can you imagine how Apollo would react if you told him what to do? No, I let Zeus go his own way most of the time, and only advise him when it is important. He's more likely to listen to me that way. The rarer a gift the more cherished it becomes."

"And Athena claims to be the goddess of wisdom," Artemis muttered with a smile.

Hestia laughed again, the flames in her eyes dancing contently. "I can see the restlessness in your eyes," Hestia said after a moment. "You are leaving soon. Where will you be going?"

"South," Artemis said. "Hermes has been in touch with Aeolus. There are rumors of monsters gathering on the Gulf Coast." She shrugged and looked back toward the three demigods. Thalia was passing water bottles to the other two. Percy and Thalia were laughing at some unheard joke while Nico's pale face reddened considerably. "It's as good a place as any to start."

Silence fell again as both goddesses watched the demigods before them. Artemis's eyes followed Percy. Three weeks had passed since that Christmas dinner at his mother's apartment, since he found out about his sister, and those three weeks had done more for his mental health than she'd have thought possible. Spending time with his father and friends had helped him dig his way out from under the mountain of his grief and anger, seeing his mother again had been a relief, but finding out about Ava had begun the healing. She was a reason for him to pull himself together and be strong, because she was someone who actually needed him to be strong. Everyone else could get by without him if they had to, they had for five years, but Ava looked up to him and that made all the difference. I'll have to bring him back to see her regularly, Artemis thought. They're good for one another.

"Do you think you can come to love him?" Hestia asked suddenly.

Artemis didn't answer immediately. Instead, she continued watching Percy laugh as he sat with his friends, and allowed her mind to wander into the recent past. She thought of all the things she'd seen him do, of the few weeks they'd spent together in the past half year, and realized that against all odds, she thought she could. "I do," she said truthfully. "It will take some time," she continued after a moment, "and I hope when the time comes he'll have me, but I think the Fates chose well. Of all the men in the world, he's one of the few I think I could come to love."

Artemis felt more than saw Hestia's answering smile. "Go to them then," she said warmly. "You have work to do." The sudden soft whisper of flames told her Hestia had flashed away. Artemis smiled, and stepped from the shadow of the column.

Percy looked up as she approached. "I was wondering how long you were going to stand over there in the shadows," he said with a raised eyebrow. "I was beginning to think you were spying on us."

"I was, and I watched you get your ass handed to you by your cousins," Artemis teased with a smile and a wink to her former lieutenant. Thalia laughed at Percy's sudden scowl, and even Nico chuckled. She glanced toward the son of Hades and said, "Nice fighting Nico. Precise and intelligent." Shaking her head she added, "I for one wouldn't want you for an enemy."

His eyebrows rose in a slightly surprised expression, but a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Thank you My Lady," he said confidently.

Artemis felt her brow crease in a frown. That won't do if I'm to be part of this, she though. Out loud she said, "You saved my life Nico. Without you I'd be reforming in Tartarus right now. As far as I'm concerned you and I are equals. Please, just call me Artemis."

Nico's brows rose even further, but after a moment he nodded. "Very well then," he said. "Thank you Artemis."

Beside her Thalia snorted and said, "You seem to be in a good mood today. Either Apollo fell down a flight of stairs or you're feeling better."

"I am," Artemis said with an amused smile. "Much better. My strength has finally returned."

Percy, still scowling slightly, finally perked up at this news. "Does that mean we'll be leaving soon then?" he asked. Artemis studied him before answering. His face was a placid mask, giving no indication of his thoughts on the matter, but his eyes burned with a familiar light. Restlessness, she thought. Were I to look in a mirror Hestia says I'd see the same fire burning in mine. We're kindred spirits, you and I, Percy. I wonder if that's a good or bad thing. Finally she nodded. Percy sighed. "Good," he said sounding relieved. "I'm not used to staying put for so long."

Artemis nodded again. "Neither am I," she said, "but we'll be coming back a lot more than either of us are used to." Her good mood vanished like a wisp of smoke in the wind, "With war coming we can't afford to stay away." Silence descended on the group, and Artemis watched their reactions. Nico's pale face remained expressionless, but at the mention of war that glint of madness in his stare sharpened. Beside Artemis Thalia looked at her feet, pushing the sand around with the toe of her boot, a pensive expression on her features. Percy alone remained unaffected. He sat on the bench relaxed, leaning back against a marble column, and meeting her scrutiny calmly. After a long silence she added with a small grin, "Plus, you have a baby sister to take care of now anyway."

Hestia

Hestia appeared beside the Hearth in the Hall of the Gods. Picking up the black iron poker, she began adjusting the position of the coals. She waited. Silently.

"How did it go," finally came her youngest brother's voice from the direction of his throne.

Hestia paused her stoking of the fire, glanced momentarily toward Zeus, then turned back to her Hearth. The Hearth was ever in need of tending, Zeus would not take offense. "Better than any of us dared hope," she spoke candidly to the flames. "She even admitted to the possibility of love between the two of them." Relieved sighs filled the Hall, and an excited, if muffled, squeal came from Aphrodite's direction. Hestia laid down the black iron poker and rose. "Poseidon," she said, "may I have a word with you Brother?"

"Of course Sister," he replied. "Lead the way."

Hestia nodded, then hesitated. Smiling to herself she added, "You as well Athena. Follow me." Chuckling silently at the confused faces surrounding her, she vanished in a column of fire, and reappeared before the blazing hearth in her palace. Modest compared to the others on Olympus, but a palace none the less. Two flashes of light filled the dim room as she settled herself into the high-backed, soft leather chair before the flames. Hestia waited for Poseidon and Athena to seat themselves before speaking. Without preamble she began, "The others on the council, baring Artemis, and she cannot help us with this, think only of using Percy to fulfill the prophecy. While that view is understandable given the circumstances, I asked you two here because I know you care about his well-being as much as I do." Athena face hardened and dark fury burned in Poseidon's eyes, but neither looked surprised. They knew she was right. "What I need to know is this," she continued. "Will you do whatever it takes to protect him?"

"You know I will Sister," Poseidon said, voice hard. Hestia nodded and looked to Athena, who simply nodded in return. Hestia sighed and leaned back in her chair thinking. This will be a touchy subject for Poseidon. Resting her elbows on the armrest, and steepling her fingers before her face she continued.

"We cannot protect his body, we must trust to the curse and Artemis to do that, both of which have already proven they will." Hestia said. "What he can do is save him emotionally. Gaea will be looking for ways to destroy him once she finds out who he is, what he will become." Hestia's hands fell and tightened on the arms of her chair as she leaned forward. She felt the flames in her eyes flare and the immense power she normally kept hidden seep into her voice as she spoke. Poseidon's eyes widened and he involuntarily pushed himself farther back into his seat before he could control himself. Athena looked at her uncle with a confused look on her face, though she had no doubt felt the surge of power herself. Realizing it hadn't come from Poseidon, her gaze jerked back toward Hestia, eyes widening in alarm. Until now her siblings had been the only ones who knew what she was truly capable of. Athena knew enough to keep quiet though. Hestia smiled at their reactions. "We three will stand in her way," she finished darkly.

Paul

Paul sighed contently as he settled down on the couch with a stack of ungraded papers and a steaming cup of coffee. Sally had taken Ava to the park after a light snow fall the night before, and Percy and Artemis had left New York sometime during the night. "Finally," he sighed aloud to the empty room, "some alone time to get some work done." Pulling the first paper from the pile he set to reading. The semester being so young, he'd given his students a simple assignment to begin with. A persuasive essay arguing one side of a single topic from a list he'd provided. Or so he had thought. By the third paper he was frustrated and muttering to himself, and to make matters worse he'd ran out of ink. Rising to get a fresh pen he told the empty room, "It's like they don't even pay attention in class!" He lifted the lid on his briefcase, and was shuffling through its contents when the doorbell rang. Paul felt his brow crease in confusion. Did I forget we were having visitors? He was prone to being scatterbrained after all. No, he thought, Sally wouldn't have forgotten and she didn't mention it when she left. A thought came to him and he smiled then. "Must be Percy coming to say goodbye again," he said aloud. It would be nice to have some one on one time with his stepson, even if it was only for a few minutes. Eagerly he hurried to the door.

Paul swung the door open and deep, and sea-green eyes lifted from the floor to meet his own. Paul felt his smile fall away. "Poseidon," he said softly. Percy's father gave Paul a small smile that did not reach his eyes. Goodness this man is stressed…man…god…whatever. "What are you doing here?" Paul asked before remembering who he was talking to. "Forgive me," he added quickly, "I did not mean to be rude."

Poseidon sighed heavily waved a hand absently, "I have neither the time nor the patience for propriety Paul," he said. "Just call me by my name. May we come in? We would like to talk to you."

For the first time Paul noticed the two others with the sea-god. A strikingly beautiful raven haired, grey eyed woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties stood to Poseidon's right, and a small brown haired child in a plain brown dress who looked to be eight or nine stood to his left. Red eyes framed by brown ringlets told Paul that the child was more than she seemed, as if arriving with the god of the sea hadn't done that already. Strangely, looking into those eyes, Paul felt all of his fear and frustration drain away. "Yeah," he said absently, still staring into the child's eyes. She smiled warmly at him, and he felt himself smiling back. "Sure, come on in."

He stepped aside to allow the three through the door and closed it behind them, before leading the way to the living room. "I have a fresh pot of coffee if any of you want a cup," he offered as they settled themselves. Well, as Poseidon and the child settled themselves. The raven haired beauty was looking between his open briefcase and the small pile of graded papers beside the much larger pile of ungraded ones. She smiled fondly.

"You're a teacher," she said. "With everything that's happened the past few years I'd forgotten." Poseidon snorted a laugh, but the woman ignored him. "Forgive me," she said. "I should introduce myself." Extending a hand toward Paul she said, "I'm Athena, and I'd love a cup of coffee."

Paul took Athena's hand and shook it absently, too shocked to be absolutely sure of what he was doing. "Of course My Lady. Just a moment," he said in a dazed tone that even he could recognize. He turned and walked toward the kitchen before his mind caught up with his body and he turned back to ask, "Would either of you like some?" directing the question at Poseidon and the girl whose name he still didn't know.

"Just bring cups for all of us if you would," Poseidon said. Paul nodded and walked into the kitchen. Gathering three porcelain coffee mugs he placed them on a serving tray and quickly filled them with the steaming black liquid. A bowl of sugar and a small jug of cream followed the mugs, and then he quickly lifted the tray. Don't want to keep the gods of Olympus waiting too long, he thought wryly to himself. Though it was a short task, it allowed him sufficient time to clear his thoughts, calm himself, and get his shock under control. Shock that very nearly came back when he returned to the living room to see a red-eyed brown-haired young woman around Athena's age wearing a plain brown dress sitting where the small girl had just been. The young woman, undeniably as beautiful as her companion if in a more subdued way, smiled at him and he felt himself calming once more. Shaking his head to clear it, he placed the tray on the coffee table, and sat heavily back into his place on the couch before retrieving his own cup from where he left it and taking a sip.

The three gods, that red-eyed young woman must be a goddess he thought, leaned forward and took their own cups from the tray. "May I speak candidly?" Paul asked, directing the question toward Poseidon as he was most likely the most senior of the three.

Poseidon opened his mouth to reply, but it was the young woman who spoke first. Surprisingly, Poseidon didn't look upset at being cutoff. "Of course you can, Paul," she said. "We are guest in your home after all." Calm contentment rose up in Paul at her words, and out the corner of his eye, he could see even Poseidon relaxing.

Paul smiled. "Thank you My Lady," he said. "First of all, if you don't mind my asking, who are you?"

The woman's smile broadened and she took a small sip of her coffee before answering. "I am Hestia," she said. "First and Last of the Olympians. I changed forms because it occurred to me that you might be more comfortable talking with an adult, I'm sorry if I startled you."

Paul felt his eyes widening. This truly was a gathering of powers. Two Elder Gods and one of the most formidable second generation gods, all three Olympians, and all three in his living room. Meetings like this are probably usually held on Olympus, Paul thought. Only there are no mortals allowed on Olympus, meaning they are here specifically for me. Why me? What can I offer them? He immediately answered his own question, Percy. This has something to do with Percy. Only that made no sense. If it had to do with Percy, Poseidon could talk to him himself. So it has to do with Sally, Ava, and I. He didn't like that one bit. Out loud he said, "That's quite alright My Lady. Nothing more that mild surprise. I'm used to being surprised having Percy for a stepson." He looked toward Athena, "I don't have to be worried about having you and Poseidon in the same room do I?"

Athena laughed. A sound as gentle, clear, and beautiful as her appearance. "No," she said. "You don't. In this Poseidon and I are allies." Athena spoke to her companions then and her tone grew serious, but her intense grey gaze never left his. "This is a smart one," she said. "I can see the understanding in his eyes. He knows we're here about his family, even if he's not quite sure why yet."

"It's the only logical explanation," Paul said. "If this were about Percy, you could talk to him yourself, unless it's something you don't want him to know about. Which admittedly, given his fragile mental state is quite possible. If that were the case though you'd be talking to his mom, so I don't think that's it." He gave a resigned sigh when Athena nodded and leaned back into the couch. Kneading his brow he continued, "If I had to guess, you're about to tell me something about my family that I would like to hear, but that I have to keep to myself. Otherwise you wouldn't have waited until I was home alone to show up." He paused a moment before adding, "Either you want something from us, or we're in danger."

"Both," Poseidon said gruffly. He cleared his throat before continuing. "You're in danger, and we want you to stay alive."

"Why?" Paul asked shaking his head in disbelief. I should be shaking with terror right now, he realized. He looked toward Hestia who was still radiating an aura of calm. If it weren't for her I think I might be. "Who is after us, and why is our safety so important to three Olympians?"

It was Athena that answered. In a soft, far-away voice she said "Percy was dear to Annabeth. I will protect him from further pain if I can for her sake. He saved us all. We owe him." So they are protecting us for Percy's sake, Paul thought. That still doesn't make sense. There are easier ways to show gratitude, especially when Percy doesn't even know what they're doing. Still, he was not ungrateful for the protection no matter the reason it was given.

Paul gave the now melancholy goddess a sympathetic look that she did not see. Softly he repeated his other question to the open air. "Who is after us?"

There was a long moment of silence where Athena stared of into space and a miserable looking Poseidon stared at the floor before Hestia finally spoke. "I assume," she said slowly, "that you are aware of the recent prophecy concerning my young niece Artemis."

Understanding crashed down upon him like an avalanche, and again he felt his eyes widening. Poseidon's extreme stress and misery finally made sense. He was scared for his son. The realization of who was really after his family nearly overcame Hestia's calming presence, but with a struggle he was able to push down the fear and regain his composure. "I see you've figured it out," Athena said.

"Percy's the one," Paul said, it wasn't a question. "And Gaea will try to get to him through us."

Poseidon spoke, and the harshness and echoing power in his words made Paul flinch back. "That dirt faced bitch will have to get through me first Paul. I promise you."

"Peace Brother," Hestia said, leaning over to place a calming hand on Poseidon's forearm. "The Earth Mother will not come herself, she will send her minions, and even if she does we will face her together."

Poseidon looked at his sister, before nodding and sitting back with a weary sigh. "One of us will be watching over you, Sally, and Ava at all times," Athena said. "If a monster comes within miles of you we'll know it. With your permission we're also going to have Hecate set wards around your apartment. That way if something does slip past our notice we'll be notified."

Paul nodded, "Whatever you think is best My Lady. You'd know better than me."

"We'll let you decide if you want to tell Sally or not," Poseidon said wearily. "I didn't want her worrying, so I insisted we tell you first."

"No," Paul said. "She's been through enough. She doesn't need to hear about this." Paul paused, considering. "I want you three to promise me something," he said. Not waiting for a reply he continued. "If something does happen, I want you to make sure Ava is safe before doing anything else. Promise me that, and I'll do whatever you tell me to." He looked up then, meeting Hestia's eyes.

Red irises flared suddenly and deepened to unfathomable depths. Paul found himself staring into twin caverns of fire. When Hestia finally answered her voice was barely a whisper. "I will protect all of you," she said softly, fiercely. "You have my word."

So this chapter started off somewhat happy and got intense fast. I had to make quite a few decisions in this chapter that, though they may not be apparent to the reader just yet, will have an enormous impact on the story in the future. Naturally, I had to spend a lot of time thinking about where I wanted this story to go, and I believe that the seeds I planted here will grow into something beneficial to the story as a whole. I will not say whether that impact will be for good or evil however, that's something you'll have to find out on your own!

Let's start with Artemis. She's in a really good mood this chapter, and I wrote her like that intentionally. She's just really eager to get away from Olympus and back into the world. She's a hunter at heart, and to her Olympus has never been more than a resting place. A quality that Percy now shares. When our dynamic duo begin their hunt that excitement will drain away, and their old personalities will shine through once more.

That brings me to perhaps the most important character this chapter: Hestia. If any of you have read my other story Perseus: The Creator's Curator, you will know that I love the idea of a powerful Hestia. She is eldest after all, and by rights she and Hades should rule in Zeus and Hera's place, but neither of them want that. The fact that the potentially most powerful Olympian is a peaceful child content to tend her Hearth is a nice contrast to grandiose personas of the other gods. However, do not worry, I will not use her as a dues ex machina in this story. There are restrictions on her power that have not been explained yet, but will be explained in the future.

Anyway, I hope you liked it! Thank you to my loyal readers, and as always please leave a review to let me know what you think!