DISCLAIMER: Percy Jackson and Crew are the intellectual property of Rick Riordan

WARNING: OOC Characters!

HI GUYS! (sweatdrops at the glares) I'M SORRY! I'M LATE AGAIN! (cries anime tears) I was really hoping that I would have finished and posted this chapter in exactly one month, but then, well, life suddenly wanted to turn my perfectly organized world upside down. AGAIN. Again, sorry for the lateness! :(

WARNING! The chapter below is one of the most serious chapters I had planned for this book, so it's full of angst and revelations, so buckle up for an intense ride! :D Also, this is an apology chapter for the last chapter, since it was kinda short. :))

Guys, just, thanks. Thanks for everything, from favoriting, following, or just plain reading and enjoying this story. Thank you. You guys make me the happiest author around! :D

OmegaBanda14, Kida Night, roos1414, MyNameIsAngel, SinfulScribbles, harryginny9, alexjjije, PurpleRoseFromYou, Guest # 3, queen-of-evil66, Harmonic Bunny, Lizzy B, latinaintheblood, Guest # 5, godess bubbles, guest # 1, kasih1990, guest # 2, Anon010201 - Guys, thank you for the comments, the encouragements, the compliments, the ideas, everything. Just, thank you guys. Without you, this story won't be as special as it is to me right now. :D I hope you like this next chapter, and that it meets your expectations! :D

Narmara - Yes, he really is! A scary monster on the outside that's just soft and squishy on the inside. :)) For wanting a dog, err, no thanks. I have asthma. :/

magicalmaidservant - Thank you! :D I really tried hard to make it as enjoyable as possible! :D Haha! The suspense is only mounting from this moment on, I'm afraid. So, sit tight and enjoy the ride, okay? :D

Meg daughter of wisdom and sea - Percy didn't insult him, verbally, yet, so we won't get to see that for a while yet. :D I KNOW! I wrote that part all the while thinking it's an idiotic thing to do, and yet it fits for some odd reason. O.o

Booklover2526 - I utterly agree with you! He's very, very cute! Well, once he doesn't eat you first, right? XD Here's the next installment! :D

Lukercy555 - Thanks for the PM! :D YAY! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who's totally in love with him right now! And he'll get even sweeter on the next books, with returning to Camp and all. (smirks) No, no it's not. Actually, you're not the only one shaking me to get a move on with that kiss. Haha. BUT, that's for the next book. XD I AM NOT ANSWERING THAT QUESTION DAMN IT BECAUSE IT WILL RUIN THE CHAPTER WHERE HE DOES-! Err, whoops? XD For our cute, cute Cerberus, I have something planned for him. Don't worry about that. XD AGAIN, NOT SAYING ANYTHIIIIIIING! XD HAHA! I checked out the song, and it really did fit into their relationship now. AND, it gave me a nice long chapter idea. XD Bad news is, it's gonna appear somewhere in the third book. Go figure, right? :)) Anyways, I'm really happy you enjoyed this story that much! And I hope that this chapter fits your expectations, okay? :D And thank you for greeting me for the 600th review! :D

Outofthisworldgal - Glad to be back! XD Yes, I totally agree with you there. I mean, the series only mentions Cerberus once, while it regularly gives glimpses of the Underworld as a whole. How unfair is that, right? Thank you! I got the idea from my neighbor, actually. She showed me a meat-flavored bubble container she got from the vet. :))

Melody Thorn - You're so welcome! I'm glad that I've somehow made your day all the brighter because of this story! Here's the next chapter! :D

sharonpijl - Sorry about that. I had to cut it, or else it would have been a massive chapter, and I know many readers get put off on reading by massive chapters. O.o Yay! Here's one, though it's a little more suspenseful than humorous, just to let you know. Still, I hope you like it just the same! :D

WickedNixieOfManipulation - Thank you! I'm glad I've gotten someone introduced and converted into this lovely pairing! XD Thanks for the vote of confidence! :D

JustEmily0989 - Yes, yes it is. I thought about changing it when someone pointed that out to me, but I thought it would be more amusing if I left it as is, so there you go. :))) For Dam-selfish, well, I don't think it would earn Luke any points with the Overprotective Daddy-BigBrother combo, would it? XD

aLazyButSmartFanPJO, Tipper dehavilland, Akila-Delpanther-Draconan - Haha! Thank you for being patient with me! Here's the next chapter, though, and it's full of our lovable Lord of the Underworld! XD

Frostfire613 - Yes, we are! I'm so excited! XD I ADORE HIM! He's so cute and innocent despite being a monster and all. Kinda like Cerberus! XD

Danny-Shells - Thank you! I wrote this story because I was sick of all the Percabeth stories in this site, and I know many people still can't stomach the thought of homosexuals in PJATO, so I compromised. I also didn't think that Percy would make a realistic girl with his attitude in the canon, so I made her totally different. I'm so glad you like her! :D Thank you! I've put down a lot of thought on how I can write them in this AU, but I'm glad I've done them justice. :D Oh, they are. I'm just not going to tell you how. XD Hmm. No comment on that part. XD Thanks! I'm glad to have met a fellow shipper! XD I'm glad you like him! He's such a darling, but it's really sad that he's so under-appreciated, so I made him this way! :D His romance will fan out in the next books. As for the S.S., well, I have something different in mind for that one. XD I hope you like this next chapter, though! :D

ghg - Haha. That's a surprise. :D Glad you liked it! Here's the next chapter! :D

Anastasia Diana Black - And it only gets better from here on out. Hope you enjoy this chapter! :D

Guest # 1 - Haha! Not telling who's the traitor part. XD Well, let's just finish this prank first before we move on to any burping powder mayhem, alright? :D

Jazzy - Sorry if it was a little short! I had to cut it before it became a monster of a chapter! O.o And I know some people are turned off with those kinds of things, so I try to keep to my quota of 6k-9k words per chapter. XD Thank you, though! And I hope you like this chapter too! :D

Guest # 2 - Thank you! I'm so glad you like them! :D

ultima-owner - You know, you're actually the first one to comment on that. Haha. Well, we'll see if Hades can dig up some gold for the poor guy. XD

InsanityUnleashed - Yay! I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for your support! :D By the way, here's the next chapter! :D

Starkidlover - Thank you for the complement! I'm so happy that Ocean's Wings made an impact on you! :D Ah! As for Thalia, well, let's just say she'll do anything to escape her fate. :D Oh, he WILL. Trust me. XD I just won't tell you when. :)))) I'm not too sure about H.O.O, though. I've already read T.L.H. and T.S.N, but they didn't stand out that well for me, so I'm still deciding if I'll continue on to them. For now, I'm just continuing the series. :D Don't worry, I'll continue this! I promise! :D And, yes, I'm still alive! Don't worry! I don't plan on dying soon. XD

Amara Rose 4 Ever - Nah! It's ok! At least you let me know what you thought about it, even though it's short. That's what matters! Thanks for the review! :D

princessabbie10 - Haha! Thanks! :D That's an idea to chew on, right? XD Yep, they actually are! Remember, Hestia has unlimited access to the Underworld, so she can project anything down there. XD Well, you have to read to see if your hunch was right. Was it? XD Ohhh! Not going to say anything about Zeus right now. XD There will be a scene, but it's not in the immediate vicinity right about now. Sorry! Well, as for father and daughter bonding time, wait a few more chapters, okay? :D Nah, it's okay! I'm really glad that you like this story! I hope I can live up to your expectations! :D

DarknessOfApocalypse-BlackSky - Me too! :))) BAHAHAHAHA! Overgrown Raichu! That's a first in my book! XD Thanks for making me laugh! You really made my posting this chapter at 12 midnight here all the more enjoyable! :D

bookobsessed246 - Thank you! I'm sorry about that, but we get to see our favorite Lord of the Underworld here! XD Thanks for that! I'm so glad I've made your reading worthwhile! :D

The-Mixed-Up-Girl - Yeah! Haha. Don't worry, it'll all be clear soon. I hope. :)) Ohh, and I've put this as an apology for the shortish last chapter. :D

Guest # 4 - ... Idea time. XD Thanks for the idea. :)) Yeah, that's what I intended for this story, because I've read so many, and no one even thought of combining them. So, yeah. :)) At first, yeah. But then, when you think about it, when you're a couple of thousand of years old, things get pretty boring, so what better way to pass time than to stalk your kids? You get to see a reality tv show with a twist of fantasy mixed in. Can it get even better than that? :)))

Lolxxx - Yes, yes they are, my dear. :)) HAHAHAHA! You're actually the first one to comment on that part! :))) Well, he catches on... eventually. Danny did! XD I'm just going to torture them both first. Hey, what's demigod love without the thrill, right? XD

minerva - Thank you for the wonderful praise! :D Our much-awaited Uncle/Niece bonding moments are just around the corner, so sit tight! :D I'm glad you liked the twists! :D

bookwormultimate - Wait, what!? What in Hades happened? Why was your story reported? This story isn't even copyrighted, for Poseidon's sake! What in Hades!? O.o

heidi - Thank you! :D Many people can't stomach homosexual pairings in PJATO, though, so I made a compromise. XD Haha, well, all your questions will be answered soon, I promise. I hope you like this chapter, though! :D

DontYouTouchMySeaweedBrain - Of course! Go ahead and take a crack at it! XD I'm actually honored you guys are asking to create a story out of my story, so go for it! Just, give a little credit, okay? :D

Εδώ είναι το επόμενο κεφάλαιο! (Here's the next chapter!)

Chapter 22: Secrets Uncovered at Last

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"PLEASE! NO MORE!"

"HELP! PLEASE! I SWEAR I'LL BE GOOD! JUST GET ME AWAY FROM HERE!"

"I'M BURNIIING! WATER!"

A chilling laugh was all the answer the pitiful people got.

"Help? Help!? Who would help you, pitiful humans! Now, scream! Scream for my Lord Hades! SCREAM!" An insane voice screeched as the creature it belonged to snapped her fiery whip at a particular ghost who was scrambling at pushing a large boulder up a steep cliff.

"I'm screaming! I'm screaming!" Sisyphus hollered out as he scrambled up the cliff with his boulder in record time to avoid the fiery trail the whip created.

The bat-like creature cackled madly, cracking her whip at another poor, unfortunate soul who was dancing to the tango solo, making him look like an epileptic high on drugs.

Meanwhile, a ways back from the cackling creature, someone who looked exactly like her, except for her eyes, which were the color of rubies, whereas the first one had yellow eyes, sighed as she watched her look alike continue on with her madness.

"She still isn't back to relative sanity?"

The creature turned around, only to meet with another one of her look alikes, only this time, the other's eyes were a vivid purple.

"I'm afraid not, Megaera. She's still hung up on our latest failure concerning the Daughter of the Sea God." She sighed as Megaera rubbed her leathery hands on her equally leathery face wearily.

"And with Lord Hades calling you instead of her for that last job the day before, I think she thinks she's lost his favor."

At this, Tisiphone sighed again. "Not to be insulting but I think Lord Hades has had enough of her devotion."

"I admit, she's a little more enthusiastic about her service to Lord Hades for the past days or so. She was just fine when she went undercover to find out the truth about the Jackson girl. I wonder what happened in her head to make her suddenly snap like this." Megaera shook her head as she gazed mournfully at her still cackling sister.

"I guess the years have not been as kind to her as it was to us, sister." The Avenger of Murder held a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder, giving each other silent support.

"Commanders!"

The two Furies then snapped their heads to the side, spying a foot soldier dressed in an American Revolutionary uniform scrambling to get to them, and avoiding all of the suffering souls.

"What is it?" Megaera snapped as the soldier stopped in front of them and sketched out a rough salute.

"Commanders, Lord Hades has commanded all three of you to proceed to his Throne Room immediately."

Before either one could respond, though, a delighted voice chimed through them. "Lord Hades needs me!" And before either one could react, a gray blur had suddenly passed them, shouting all the while.

Megaera sighed once more. "Come, sister. We might as well, if only to prevent Alecto's devotion going overboard."

At this, Tisiphone could only sigh.

The two Furies then proceeded to traverse the expanse that was the Fields of Punishment to reach their Lord's Palace, flicking their whips almost absentmindedly at random souls. As they entered the black palace, they could instantly hear an ecstatic voice echoing all around them.

"My dear Lord Hades! What can your most loyal servant do for you? Just ask, Your Excellence, and I shall deliver, for no one is more devoted to you than I!"

As the two saner Furies entered the Throne Room, both of them cringed at the dark expression Hades had on his face. As they came closer, they could see Alecto at the foot of the dais, continuously babbling a mile a minute while staring starry-eyed at the Lord of the Underworld. Hades had pinned them with an irritated gaze, his onyx eyes flashing. Understanding his mood, both sisters hastened towards Alecto and promptly shut her up by means of a quick chop to the back of her neck, knocking her out instantly.

"Thank you both. I didn't want to hurt her." Hades pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation as he gestured to his guards to leave the room. The skeletons all bowed down low and swiftly vacated the room, leaving him and the three Furies alone.

"We know, Lord Hades. And we apologize for Alecto. It seems that something that happened recently has triggered her mind to unravel again." Megaera shook her head mournfully as she watched Tisiphone bend down and retrieve their sister from her crumpled position on the floor. Hades snapped her fingers, and immediately, a bed had materialized at the corner of the room. Tisiphone then deposited the Avenger of Crime on it, then went back to stand together with the Avenger of Infidelity.

"I shall call in Hecate again, then. It seems she is needed once more."

"We apologize for the inconvenience we cause you, my Lord."

"Don't." Hades held out a hand as both sisters started to genuflect. They both stopped and look at Hades in confusion. "You two of all people know that I am not my brother. I treat all of you fairly, like friends. It's not a problem, especially since I may need to apologize to you three in advance with the upcoming war." At this, Hades sighed once more while the two exchanged grimaces. Great. More work, almost no pay.

"My Lord, can't anything be done to stop the Lord of the Sky? If the situation is as you say, I'm afraid that the Underworld won't be able to handle the sudden influx of souls. Aphodel is currently just short ten thousand to reach maximum capacity." Tisiphone rubbed her face wearily.

"We may need to expand." Megaera chimed in.

"Before anything else, though, I don't think Thanatos can keep up when the war comes. It'll be disastrous if he gets overworked." The Lord of the Underworld groaned as he slumped down on his throne, his posture that of utter defeat.

"My Lord, what should we do? We know no one would listen to our plights. We could only rely on ourselves, as is and will always be." Megaera pointed out, prompting Tisiphone to nudge her slightly.

"You don't have to say that so bluntly, Megaera."

"Why? It's the truth, isn't it?"

"Well, I for one think that both of you are wrong."

The two conscious Furies stiffened in shock at hearing another voice, a female voice, resound in the Throne Room. Hades just smiled as behind the bickering monsters, a pillar of fire had suddenly materialized out of nowhere. Then, as suddenly as the pillar appeared, it disappeared without cause, but in the center stood a smiling brown haired girl, her literally fiery eyes dancing as she took in the two gobsmacked monsters, who had turned around when they felt the heat radiating from her chosen method of travel. "Hello, Megaera, Tisiphone. It's been a long time."

Hades just smiled at his sister, though it was slightly strained. "Hello, Hestia. You're early today."

"Well, I needed to escape seeing as I know Apollo and Hermes are planning another prank. I need to give them time, and myself plausible deniability if they decide to target me." Her smile widened at this as Hades just shook his head and snapped his fingers once more, materializing the throne that Hestia uses.

As Hestia took her seat, Megaera and Tisiphone managed to close their mouths.

"My Lady." They chorused, curtsying.

"Now, what have I told you? Really now, you shouldn't bow to me. I'm just me." Hestia smiled as the two sisters exchanged baffled glances. Hades just hid his chuckle behind a cough.

"Never change, Hestia. Never change." Hades leveled his sister with a fond smile.

"I think I can handle another thousand years."

'They're exactly the same.' The two Furies thought simultaneously, both mentally smiling at the utter similarities the two Eldest were showing. Though, a moment later, Hades leveled the two of them with a stern look.

"Keep Hestia's continued presence here a secret, you two. We don't want to expound our problems to an infinite level, do we?"

At this, both Furies looked at each other and frantically nodded, both cringing at the mental images of an even more furious Lord of the Sky. Hades nodded then pinned his attention to his smiling sister.

"Hestia, are you sure you're not missed? It's right after the meeting."

"Of course, Hades. I do know that I owe Aphrodite every time I come here, you know. Besides, Zeus had informed everyone via Iris' rainbows that the meeting will resume in a few hours time, seeing as Percy and her friends are fast approaching DOA." Her eyes burned even brighter as Hades just pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"Ignoring our brother, you two are going to be the death of me."

"Oh, Hades. You know I'll never let that happen." Hestia giggled as she leaned on the edge of her throne to give her brother a wet kiss on the cheek. The Lord of the Underworld just sighed and pinned the two silently giggling Furies a glare, making them adopt an innocent façade.

Hestia just winked at the two monsters then leaned back on her throne, her eyes dimming a little as she looked at Hades a little more seriously. "Hades."

Hades raised an eyebrow as he lifted his glare from his old time companions and looked at Hestia inquisitively, curious about her sudden change of demeanor. The two Furies fell silent, staring at the two powerful gods in solemnity as they too recognized a change on the jovial atmosphere.

"Yes, Hestia?"

"Why did you send Procrustes to Percy?"

Ah. "You know me well enough, sister."

"Then what do you intend to do when she reaches this room?"

"Not if, sister?"

"Don't make me ask again, Hades. Are you going to follow Zeus' example?"

The room was suddenly flooded by sheer raw power as Hades eyes flashed at the insinuation. Hestia stared at the Lord of the Underworld's eyes without fear, but the two conscious Furies were gasping as they crouched low to the ground, shivering at the aura Hades unleashed.

"I may have made that monumentally humungous mistake more than half a century ago, Hestia, but I never repeat my mistakes. I acknowledge them, not hide them under some mountain and hope no one checks to look. It may take some time for me to fix, but I never hide. I never run. So, please don't lump me with our fool of a brother."

Hestia didn't so much as flinch, even when Hades, unconsciously in his anger, made the shadows in the throne room rise up and take on grotesque shapes of the most terrifying things known to man. Instead, the True Eldest stared at her brother steadily, never breaking eye contact, searching.

After a few minutes, though, Hestia must have deemed Hades telling the truth because her eyes burned brighter, and her solemn look disappeared, to be replaced by a gentle smile. "I'm sorry for doubting you, Hades."

Hades sighed as he slumped down on his throne as if exhausted, and the power he had unconsciously unleashed was once more reined in. The shadows retracted to their former states, and the crushing pressure in the room slowly abated, making the two Furies sigh in relief as they slowly stood up from their crumpled positions on the floor.

"I'm sorry, too, for losing my temper. You have all the right to ask. This isn't like me at all, isn't it?" Hades sighed as he leaned forward and put his hands in a pondering gesture.

"No. Normally, the demigods given quests that somehow involve the Underworld are all lead in wild goose chases around Los Angeles. They never get the treatment you've given Percy. That's why I thought you were going to personally eliminate her in your own territory. I'm sorry for thinking about such a horrible thing, Hades."

"No. You're right. I've only allowed Hercules and Houdini passage because of the weight of their quests, and Orpheus because of my compassion. It's only natural for you to doubt my reasons on agreeing passage for young Persis, but I really don't want a war, sister. It would be, well, extremely headache-inducing. The Underworld is full to bursting already. And seeing that the Solstice is tomorrow, I can't delay her." Hades sighed, hesitating on divulging his real reason for wanting Percy to be one of the few who have seen and escaped the Underworld. Thankfully, though, Hestia just nodded in understanding, though she stared at him a second later, clueing Hades into the fact that she didn't believe that that was his only reason. Well, they'll find out soon enough.

"Again, sorry for doubting you, Hades. Forgive me?"

Hades just sighed and smiled at his sister. "There's nothing to forgive, sister."

A muted cough alerted the two siblings that there were others in the room. The two gods then turned to the two conscious Furies, slightly sheepish and surprised that they forgot they had company.

Hestia took one long look at the two Furies, then looked at Hades with a raised eyebrow, prompting Hades to sigh, close his eyes and nod in confirmation. The Lord of the Underworld then opened his onyx eyes and pinned the two conscious monsters with a stern gaze. "I know all of you are aware that the Sea Princess is on her way here. She already knows about DOA, seeing as I ordered Tisiphone to put Procrustes as an obstacle." At this Tisiphone nodded as Megaera furrowed her leathery forehead, confused about what Hades' point was.

"I know Charon will likely give her an easy passage, seeing as that three of them still have their LotusCards." Hades continued on, sighing again as the two Furies looked at each other in confusion. "What I want is for you not to interfere with her. Let her come directly here. No waylaying, nor attacking. Understood?"

"Why?" Megaera blurted out, bewildered at the strange request. Hades had never before requested this of them, not even for the quests that he had given the demigods permission to actually find the Underworld. They always were the last test before a demigod is deemed worthy of entering the Lord of the Underworld's presence.

Hades gave her a considering look, slid his eyes sideways at Hestia for a fraction of a second, before apparently coming to a decision and sighing. "As you two know, my Helm has been stolen and, originally, we suspected the Daughter of Poseidon. Hestia, here, though, has confirmed that its wasn't him. I need to confirm some things. I need her to not approach me with a closed mind. I fear that it might bring our reign down."

Hestia looked at her brother, eyebrows knitted. "What do you mean, Hades? Surely, once the items are found, then it would restore peace once again. Right?"

Hades considered her once more before heaving a deep sigh. "I'm afraid not, sister." He grimaced as he ran a weary hand over his face once more. "I suspect an Olympian has turned traitor."

"Impossible! I refuse to believe that, Hades!" Hestia emotionally said as she involuntarily stood up from her throne. "Have you seen our family lately, Hades? They're closer than ever! They're-!"

"Hestia."

The firm, unyielding command in Hades' tone silenced Hestia immediately. Hades never uses that tone with her. "I'm positive."

Hestia's eyes widened then dimmed considerably, the flames barely licking up to be seen by others. "No." She whispered, horrified at the ramifications of Hades' suspicions. She looked at her brother, her face pleading with him to take back what he said, but by the solemnity of his eyes, he was certain of this fact. At this point, Hestia's knees buckled, and she promptly lost her footing as she gracelessly slumped back down on her throne, horrified. "Ho-How could-!?"

Hades sighed once more as he laid a comforting hand on Hestia's minutely shaking shoulders. He knew this would be a severe blow to her, seeing as Family was one of her domains. And to see her own family crumble after seeing hope for the first time in thousands of years, this must have broken her heart. This was a large factor on why he didn't want to reveal this part to her, but she came at the wrong time this time, and he couldn't hide it when she knew he was going to order the Furies on something pertaining to young Persis. "Sister. Hestia. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I was trying to spare you the pain."

"But how can you be so sure?" Hestia whispered in broken tone. Hades winced at that, but determinedly answered her question.

"Sister, only a god can avoid detection by the best Olympus has to offer. Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, even Ares can smell a weapon as powerful as Zeus' Bolt. A demigod doesn't stand a chance against those four, even if said demigod is a prodigy child of Hermes. A god must have had a hand in the stealing of the Bolt. And I remember that my Helm was stolen at the exact same time as Zeus' Bolt went missing, so it's possible that the one who stole the Bolt in the first place stole my Helm as collateral. Only a being as powerful as a god can evade the others so easily with two of the three most powerful weapons in history in their grasp."

"But that doesn't mean-!"

"Hestia."

The Goddess of Family clamped her mouth shut at the Look Hades gave her. "No, Hestia. Only a god could do it. Only they have access to demigods. Only they are capable of evading another god. I'm sorry, but at the moment, if he is indeed the one to control the reins from behind the scenes, he isn't strong enough to pull this off on his own." Hestia's eyes dimmed to a dying ember, and her eyes shed a fiery trail of tears down her young face. Hades just sighed and made to remove the tear tracks, not minding the fire itself, nor appearing to be burned at all.

"What happened to our family, Hades? What happened?" Hestia finally whispered after a few minutes of solemn silence as she leaned against Hades' hand, which cradled her cheek affectionately.

"I don't know, Sister. I don't know."

Through their grief, none of the two gods noticed that they were the only aware ones in the room.

"So, what do you think?"

"I feel for Lady Hestia. I really do."

Tisiphone sighed as Megaera sniffled a little, discreetly wiping away a few accumulating tears on her purple eyes.

"Megaera, I think it would be best that we wake Alecto after the child has escaped from here."

The Avenger of Infidelity looked at her sister with surprise. "You're actually okay with Lord Hades' plan, Tisiphone? Honestly, it's the rashest one I've heard from him for the entirety of our service to him!"

"I know that, Megaera, but if Lord Hades is correct, we may find ourselves in a much bigger war than first anticipated, sister."

Megaera opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it and closed her mouth with a resigned sigh. "I hope, for all of our sakes, that for once, Lord Hades is wrong."

"You aren't the only one hoping, Megaera. You aren't the only one."

…..oo00oo….

A man sighed as he stared at what appeared to be two huge oaken doors, each carved with intricate patterns of peacocks, cows and pomegranates. He mentally berated himself for being so soft towards his mother, his worthless, good for nothing mother, that he indicated that they talk before the next meeting. His smoldering brown eyes hardened before softening a fraction of a second later. No. If he had read her eyes right, his entire perspective might be changed from this moment on. He nodded to himself then raised his hand for a knock. But his hand froze just before his knuckles touched the surface of the door. He frowned at the offending limb and forced himself to lightly rap on the intricate door.

"Come in." A soft, hesitant voice called out, making his closed out heart open just a little at the hopeful tinge he could hear in her tone. He sighed as he pushed on the door lightly, his eyes almost immediately landing on the figure elegantly perched on one of the couches in the middle of the room. Her hair was free from its usual braid, the golden ribbons lying on the low table in front of her. Her pristine shimmering white dress lay arranged carefully around her, making her glow in effect. She was staring straight at him, relief, sorrow and utter joy warring to appear on her face.

"Hephaestus. Thank you for allowing this meeting."

Hephaestus sighed as he sat on the couch opposite of his mother, his eyes; so different, yet so like his mother's, not straying from her form. "Last time was the first time you've opened yourself up to me. I'll return the favor. I always pay my debts."

Hera shifted a little as an expression of pure agony marred her face briefly before it cleared. "I understand. But still, thank you."

The God of Forges nodded. "Of course. You wanted to talk to me about something?"

Hera sighed and nodded, folding her hands on her lap. "I wanted to talk to you. To tell you something." The Queen of the Heavens bit her lower lip briefly then sighed. "To tell you the truth about yourself."

Hephaestus froze, his brain shutting down on itself. Would he finally get the truth? Would she finally say something about his questionable heritage? He wasn't stupid. He's heard all of the rumors and gossip surrounding him and his birth, on why he looked like that. Some say that Zeus really was his father, only that he was forced to contribute his part. Others say only Hera had conceived him, much like Zeus had conceived Athena, but the lack of male DNA contributed to his former appearance. Since Zeus had swallowed Metis while she was pregnant with Athena, the Wisdom Goddess had no lack of parents, but they say that Hera had absolutely no help to conceive him. He being birthed as a god was an anomaly in itself. He himself had always dwelled on the fact that he was different, a monster pretending to be a god, that he would always be scorned, even by his own mother. That's why he developed a hard exterior, a bitter countenance, to counter every single hurtful thing he's experienced. But here, his mother is finally shedding the lies, exposing the truth. Honestly, he doesn't know whether to run out of fear or to stay out of curiosity, but one look at his mother's eyes had him making himself comfortable on the couch, waiting for her to have the courage to say something.

Hera took a deep breath, and gamely began her tale. "As you know, Ares and Enyo were born out of Zeus' intense need of a suitable heir to his throne." She noticed Hephaestus' look of surprise and sighed, an elegant hand gently massaging her temple. "And by your reaction, Zeus has once again hidden the truth. It's the pure truth, Hephaestus. Zeus was terrified that he would lose control of Olympus once he somehow gets incapacitated enough that he would require someone else to hold the reins for a while, so he desperately wanted children that could even curb and somewhat control his two brothers."

She grimaced at this, as if thinking of the futility of her husband's ambitions, but moved on with the story. "We had earlier children, yes, but Eileithyia's power was below his standards, and Hebe had no ambition whatsoever. He had convinced me for us to try again, and I gave birth to twins, Ares and Enyo."

"They're twins?" Hephaestus murmured, floored with the revelation. Enyo hadn't been seen in Olympus for more than a thousand years, and yet, she's the twin of an Olympian? Ares, at that? What's going on?

Hera sighed as she clenched her dress tightly. "Yes, but Zeus only wanted Ares because only he had the necessary power to be named his successor. Enyo was left in the background, a fading shadow next to her twin's bright promise. I tried my best, but eventually, her resentment at being tossed aside by her father had driven her to seek refuge with your uncle in the Underworld. Thankfully, Hades had heard about her plight and gave her a home. For that alone, I would always be in debt to my brother."

She closed her eyes in pain at her recollection, therefore missing Hephaestus' look of surprise at her admission. She then opened her chocolate brown eyes and pinned her son, her son that had been ostracized the worst, with a look full of regret. "I thought that with Ares born, Zeus would eventually stop gallivanting with women every single moment he lays eyes on a beautiful one, but I was sorely mistaken. With Ares' ascension to the ranks of the Olympian council, Zeus' habits had become more and more frequent. I nor could neither one of my sisters nor Poseidon do anything but to simply watch in silence and pain. As it was, the Fates must have seen what was happening to the 'Lord of the Sky' and sent a prophet to us, a prophet bearing the exact same message that prompted your grandfather, Kronos, to take drastic measures and eat his children, as had your great grandfather, Ouranos, had done. The prophet had delivered the prophecy to us in a council meeting, therefore, we had heard everything; the prophecy that the child currently being formed would become his downfall. As the prophet left our presence, Zeus had immediately snapped his fingers and summoned a mortal, a woman named Metis, who from what he knew, was the only one who was pregnant. When the woman had appeared, still in her night clothes, Zeus had picked her up and swallowed her whole." Hera swallowed thickly, eyes closing as she recalled the vile act that had been done right in front of them.

"He didn't think twice about it. He swallowed his lover without remorse. It-it-!" The Queen of the Gods clenched her dress tighter until it began to bleed gold, indicating she had injured her palms. "It reminded me of our own situation with Father." She whispered, her voice raw with emotion as she struggled to come to her equilibrium once more. She clenched her eyes as she struggled not to cry in front of her son, her strong son who hadn't once betrayed how hurtful it must have been to be seemingly abandoned by the ones he called his family. "I was appalled, Demeter was close to fainting, and Poseidon was fuming. But it was Hestia who stood up against him. It was Hestia who berated him like a mother. It was Hestia who reminded him of our Father's fate." Hera's voice wavered a little, but she took a deep breath, and continued on.

"She made him promise on the River Styx to stop his actions, seeing as it was only causing everyone harm. Zeus surprisingly agreed with little to no need to convince him. We should have expected something was wrong. Unfortunately, he had utilized a loophole in Hestia's wording, and specified that the action he wasn't going to repeat was the act of eating his mortal lovers, not having affairs, which was what Hestia had intended." Hera had whispered the last sentence, seeing as if she didn't, and she had heard herself actually state that fact, she would have been admitting that she was worthless to Zeus; a worthless wife. Why else would he search for another's touch?

Hephaestus was silently fuming. If what he knew of his 'father' and his behavior was correct, he could correctly piece the puzzle together, and it was not looking good. He just hoped that his mother….

"I was devastated to hear him actually admit his manipulation of his promise, and I managed to get him to agree to sleep with me that night. I needed to have proof that I wasn't just for show, that I wasn't just a breeding mare for him." Here, Hera was slightly shivering, her chocolate brown eyes dark with emotion. "I waited for hours for him at our bedroom, but he didn't come. I fell asleep waiting for him. In the morning, my heart almost burst with joy at feeling a body pressed up against me. I-I thought he just waited for me to fall asleep because he was feeling guilty for all of his romances, but he-!" The Goddess of Marriage choked back a sob as she trembled against the couch, her freely bleeding palms still clutching her dress. Hephaestus' own smoldering eyes were slowly taking on a fiery tinge as he leaned forwards and clamped a comforting hand over his mother's violently shaking ones. She hiccupped a little before getting out the rest of the story in a strangled voice as she bowed her head in shame.

"-he made a nimbus cloud in his shape, animated it, and had that be his replacement."

The God of Forges took in a sharp breath. So, he was right, to some extent. He knew his 'father' wouldn't go, so he'd send a substitute. What he didn't expect was the, the inhumane method he employed. He took one look at his mother and put the hand that was covering her shaking ones and used it to tilt her chin so that she was looking straight at him.

"Mother."

Hera's eyes widened as she immediately realized that this was the first time he called her that.

"I do not blame you, now that I know the truth. I'm sorry. I've been a very bitter son to you, haven't I?" Hephaestus smiled sadly as he moved the hand cupping his mother's chin to caress her cheek. "I don't deserve to be your son."

"There's nothing to forgive, Hephaestus. If anyone should be sorry, it would be me, for being such a horrible mother." Hera's eyes were slowly filling with tears as she gazed at her son, HER son, with a grateful smile. Hephaestus' smile became a tad bit happier at that.

"I forgive you."

Hera let her tears fall.

…..oo00oo….

Aphrodite released a small contented sigh as she gazed at the currently empty Throne Room, her blue eyes sparkling. Little did they know, but all of the gods on the Council owe Percy in some way, she and Hestia being those who have the largest debt. If it wasn't for her, she wouldn't have had the courage to dump Ares and try to build a relationship with Hephaestus. She would still have been wallowing in her own mistakes. For that, she knew she owed a lot to the demigod. As for Hestia, well. The Council has been closer than ever, even having a semblance of a familial relationship. She hadn't seen Hestia this energetic since they started had been freed from Kronos' stomach. If things continued on with the way they are going, the thrice damned prophecy might never even happen!

A flash of energy had her dragging her eyes to the center of the room, where, when the light had faded, Hestia had appeared, her face unusually somber.

"Aunt Hestia? Is something the matter?" Aphrodite unconsciously straightened, her eyes flickering between blue and indigo as she took in the abrupt change in demeanor of her favorite goddess (besides herself, that is).

Hestia took one look at her and nodded solemnly. "A big problem has arisen, Aphrodite. If, by chance that I need your help, will you help me?"

"Aunt, you don't even have to ask. You know I've already been helping you."

At that, Hestia gave a small smile. "Yes, and I appreciate everything you've done. But, I'm afraid there's-."

The Goddess of the Hearth clamped her mouth shut as they both turned their eyes to a flash of energy to their left. As the light died down, Hestia heaved a small sigh of relief as Poseidon casually walked towards them with an easy smile.

"Hello, Aphrodite, Hestia. You two look gorgeous today, as usual."

"Poseidon, must you always flirt with every woman you see? Besides, you've already seen us earlier."

"Of course! Especially since every time I turn I see one. How can I resist, since you've both gotten more radiant than awhile ago."

"You're a terrible flirt, brother."

"Ah. But there's only one woman for me."

Aphrodite hid a smile as she listened on to the easy going banter of the two siblings. She then had to stifle giggles as Poseidon mock attempted to propose to Hestia, saying that she was the woman for him. Hestia just shook her head and gently cuffed the Sea God's head.

"I repeat, Poseidon. You're a terrible flirt."

"You still love me, don't you?"

Aphrodite just smiled openly this time as a small laugh escaped from Hestia's lips as she gazed at her playful brother with an exasperated smile.

"Careful, brother. Aphrodite can hear you, you know. She might decide to let Eros shoot you with a few arrows."

"And they'll never work." Poseidon firmly stated as he got up from his kneeling on the floor, smiling at the both of them. "I'm already deeply in love with Sally. She's the only one for me."

"Ooooh! Heard that, Hermes? Uncle P's madly in love!"

"Wanna bet on how long will it take before the mortal's made immortal?"

"Nah. No dice. Only Ares would bet on that."

The three gods exchanged bemused smiles as, once more, a flash of energy had appeared, leaving two mischievously smiling gods in its wake. Hestia just shook her head as Poseidon let out a hearty laugh and went to his throne. "Leave your uncle alone, boys. You'll get your chance to prank him soon enough." Aphrodite raised a querying eyebrow at this, but remained silent.

The two locked eyes with each other, and shrugged. "Okay." "Fine." The two then went to their thrones, whistling merrily.

"Okay. Who is their target this time?" A weary voice said as the oaken doors opened and in came Artemis, looking at the two merrily chatting gods warily. Other than a shared smirk, the two mentioned gods ignored the question and Artemis' presence altogether. Artemis sighed as she took her seat, and looked at Aphrodite, who was shaking her head in fond annoyance. "Do you know what's gotten into them?"

"I suppose they've struck again. Only, it wasn't me."

"They already got me." Artemis sighed as she massaged her temple to ward off the migraine that's currently creeping up on her from recalling those suits.

"It wasn't me, not do I think it was Poseidon." Hestia piped up, as Poseidon nodded in agreement.

"What wasn't what?" A gruff voice sounded as two flashes of energy appeared, signaling the arrival of Hephaestus and, surprisingly, Hera, earning raised eyebrows from the more mature gods, and gobsmacked expressions from Apollo and Hermes.

"Hera?" Hestia asked the Queen of the Gods, voice tinged with wonder as they all watched Hephaestus give his mother a smile as they parted ways to their thrones. Hera just sat on her throne and shook her head, smiling a secret smile.

"It's nothing, Hestia. Just cleared a little misunderstanding."

The others all exchanged baffled glances, but they immediately composed themselves when another flash of energy appeared, and Zeus came out of it, bringing with him the smell of ozone. The Lord of the Sky then regally sat on his throne, and reclined, waiting for the others.

"APOLLO! HERMES!"

"Uh-oh." The two looked at each other then nodded simultaneously as they shot from their thrones to cower behind Poseidon's just in time as a harsh wind suddenly blew past the other gods and congregated into a spinning tornado in the middle of the room. Once the tornado died down, Demeter stood there in all her glory. Except, she wasn't wearing her usual long flowy flowery dress. Instead, she was wearing a red and black dress cut in a kimono style, except this dress was a lot shorter than an average kimono. It had ruffles on both hems, and had a pretty bow located where a buckle of a belt would have been.

Mouths gaped as the irate Goddess of Agriculture surveyed the room, only to find the culprits cowering behind Poseidon's throne. "Apollo! Hermes! Why have my clothes suddenly disappeared, only to be replaced by this! Why didn't you just replace my wardrobe!"

"But, Aunt Dem, Dad and Artemis only washed and wore the same thing for the past days! We needed someone to appear with our masterpieces!" Hermes' muffled voice reached them as he cautiously peeked from behind Poseidon's shoulder.

"And, not that I'm insulting you, Aunt Dem, but you look hot in that outfit!" Apollo said as he peeked from behind Poseidon's other shoulder, and put on a disarming grin.

"That's the point! Aeolus won't stop sending winds that carry his voice, trying to complement me! Make him stop!" Demeter shivered as another gust of wind mysteriously came from nowhere and blew across Demeter, making her skirt flutter dangerously high. "Zeus!"

Zeus grumbled as he snapped his fingers, instantly dispersing the gust of wind. "There. He won't be able to harass you anymore as long as you're here."

Demeter nodded as she sighed and made her way gingerly to her throne. The boys even went as far as replacing her respectable flats for clogs. CLOGS!This is really the last time she'd agree to being voluntarily pranked by those two.

As Dionysus flashed into the room, and Demeter had finally reached her throne, Zeus held up a hand to stall Hestia from snapping her fingers. Everyone raised an eyebrow at that. Was Zeus somehow expecting either Ares or Athena to attend?

Though, as ten more minutes passed, Zeus shook his head and nodded to Hestia, garnering muffled grumbles from the rest of the gods. Why, exactly, were those two given special treatment? Amidst the grumbling, no one noticed the look Hephaestus shot her mother with. Hera just looked at him sadly.

Hestia just sighed inaudibly as she snapped her fingers, blinking as the bubble suddenly burst, and nothing came out.

"Well. It seems nothing of note happened in the few hours that we weren't watching their progress." Demeter pointed out as she squirmed in her throne, trying to find a position that won't reveal too much of her legs in the process.

"Might as well see what Percy and her friends are doing right now, yeah?" Hermes cautiously poked out his head, only to yelp as a zap of energy hit him, and instantly, his clothes vanished entirely. The only cover for his body was a very, very tiny leaf that was situated right smack where his unmentionables were. "AUNT DEM!"

"Payback's only fair, dear." Demeter smirked as Aphrodite tried to stifle her giggles and Artemis just smirked, mentally praying that Apollo be next.

Hermes only squawked and hid behind Poseidon's throne once more. Poseidon just laughed heartily. The rest just sighed, or smiled indulgently. It wasn't everyday the motherly Goddess lowered herself for a payback prank, after all.

"You're evil, Aunt Dem!"

"I aim to please, Apollo. I aim to please."

A smatter of laughter followed the ridiculous display before Hestia snapped her fingers again. When she did, however, all of the gods, including the two cowering ones, focused on the projection, and promptly gaped as they saw Percy and her friends walk into the recording studio.

"She actually found it?"Artemis exclaimed, wonder colouring her tone.

"Either uncle favors her, or despises her then." Dionysus drawled, but his purple eyes gleamed with curiosity at the anomaly.

Hestia just smiled, or attempted to smile as she gazed at the room in general. Her eyes caught Aphrodite looking at her questioningly, but she just shook her head. The Love Goddess looked at her for a few more seconds before nodding and turned her attention back to the fire.

Hestia sighed once more as she too turned back to the fire, seeing Percy spin off an elaborate lie of their deaths to Charon.

"Doesn't anyone know that Charon can actually differentiate between the living and the dead?" Apollo's voice flitted through the room, though he had learned his lesson and hadn't taken a chance to peek from behind the safety of Poseidon's throne.

"Demigods are usually biased against anything of the Underworld." Poseidon muttered, getting frowns from the two gods hiding behind his throne.

"Well, I do have a pretty good sense of self-preservation on not wanting a war, but I need a reason. Lord Hades is terrifying on a good day, you know."

"Ah. Same old Charon." Demeter said as she shook her head in mild exasperation. "Always money."

"His suits do look expensive, though."

The others all shrugged at Apollo's comment, but almost everyone laughed when Grover handed over his LotusCard.

"NOOOOOOOO! MY LOTUSCARD!" Two voices simultaneously wailed from behind Poseidon's throne, making Dionysus grunt in annoyance and the others to laugh doubly hard.

"What happens to the spirits who don't have money for passage?" "Nothing. Until as such Lord Hades gives me a couple of free slots every decade."

"Oh my. What's happening down there? Is Hades really that corrupt in his rulings?" Demeter gasped as she looked at the projection wide eyed. Was this the reason Persephone…

"That's not very fair, is it?" "Believe me, godling. You'll understand when you see the Fields. And that's why every god occupying the Underworld holds the Lord of the Sky in contempt. Almighty knowing ruler my ass. Bah!"

Every god in attendance glanced at said Lord of the Sky, but Zeus resolutely stared at the projection, and except for the narrowing of his grey eyes, he made no indication that he had heard the contempt in Charon's voice.

The gods all turned back to the fire, watching in silence, thoughts whirring in their heads. What, exactly, was going on here?

The gods didn't even react to Poseidon's growl as Luke once again had Percy in a hug.

"Why that punk! How dare he lay hands on my daughter!"

They watched as Percy and her friends got out of the wooden barge of Charon's and slowly traversed the well-worn path of the spirits to reach the entrance of Erebus. Though, as Cerberus reacted to their presence, Hestia had once more flashed to Poseidon's throne, gently coaxing her brother to start breathing normally again as the Sea God had started to hyperventilate.

"Percy, Percy, Percy, Percy!"

"Breathe slowly, Poseidon. Breathe slowly."

Though, as Percy started playing with the Guard Dog, everyone of them had their mouths opened wide.

"OH FATES!"

"Poseidon! Don't faint now! Apollo!"

"Easy there, Uncle P. Easy does it. Breathe. That's it."

"She's a miracle." Artemis whispered, her eyes shining as she ignored the spectacle her aunt, uncle and brother were a part of and instead, appraised her little cousin. What she wouldn't give to at least meet her in person-!

"She's amazing." Aphrodite's smile was blinding as they watched as slowly but surely, Percy had successfully managed to get them through the entrance.

"I think this is enough for now, everyone." Hestia panted lightly, out of breath from the fright Poseidon gave her, as she raised her hand to snap her fingers, therefore ending the meeting, but Zeus had raised a hand to still her.

"No. We shall continue, Hestia. The girl is at Hades' domain."

Many eyes twitched at the ire Zeus had in his voice, but none had voiced out any complaints. After all, this wa actually the first time many of them, including Zeus, would get a glimpse of Hades' Palace. Hestia just sighed and lowered her hand, staring concernedly at the one demigod who had singlehandedly turned their worlds upside down. Though, as Percy and her friends took refuge from the security ghouls inside the hollow trunk of a tree, the Goddess of the Hearth couldn't help but shiver slightly as she recalled Hades' words of warning.

"I may need your help sooner than we think, sister."

Done! :D

I'm sorry about the length of this one, though. I thought about making this an apology chapter for the short one last time, but I kinda got carried away. Ehehe. -.-'

Oh! For those who want to see Demeter's dress, here's the link!

www. ftcmalls(.com)/ black-and-red-kimono-cosplay-maid-dress-lolita-dre sses _ d66732 .html

FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! Percy and gang are in the Underworld now! Will they finally get the answers they seek, or would they find out that beneath the answer, there lie thousands of questions still?

Hope you liked this chapter, dears, and hope you Read and Review! :D