DISCLAIMER: Percy Jackson and crew are the intellectual property of Rick Riordan
WARNING: Somewhat OOC Characters
Hi! (gets beaned on the head with a rock) I'm sorry! Again! It seems I really can't make my own deadlines, huh? T.T Real life has been crazy, and I know that's not an excuse, but still. :/
On a side note, though, I got myself a Beta! Say hello to dogbiscuit1967, everyone! Without his help, I'm really not sure I could have pulled this out of wherever I got it this fast (and please don't throw another rock at me).
As an apology, though, and to celebrate this chapter being the last 'god' chapter, it's a MONSTER of a chapter, so be prepared! :D
Thank you for everyone who favorited, followed, or just plain read this story! Authors are nothing without their readers, so you are very important to us! :D
PadawanCassy, Slytherin Studios, Padfootette, Lmb111514, Tipper dehavilland, Rose Night 3, , Guest # 3, ImperfectWarrior, fantasylover4evr, 3sdt – Thank you guys for reading this! I hope I could deliver again with this next chapter! :D
Laude Dei – You and me both. I really can't believe we've made it this far. :) Aww thanks so much for that, though I really don't think this would qualify as top 3. I would be in the first page of the search engine then. :)) We actually have the first few chapters planned out, so (hoping) we'll have the sequel up in no time. :D
spiritgirl16, Hylian Mage, Guest # 2, LadyFlonne714, Strakel2609 – Yes, actually planning on finishing them all (PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME MUSE!). Well, we'll have to see. :))
dawningfox – That's a long time away, though we'll get some flirting and third parties pretty soon. XD
Tierra741 – All hail girl power! :))
ultima-owner – I have something better in mind (wink)
ro781727 – But that doesn't mean she can't fight back, right? (smirk)
blackblooded1 – Yes, well, let's keep the answer under wraps for now. :)) Not yet. YET. :))))
Guest # 1 – I'm guessing you're aLazyButSmartFanPJO, right? :))) No, actually. Haha. It keeps the suspense real. :))
DeathToPink300 – So glad I delivered! :)) No, I promised I wouldn't leave this, even if I have to pull Muse kicking and screaming. :)) Thank you so much! :D
goddess bubbles – I'm planning on it, don't worry. dogbiscuit1967 and I already have an outline. :)) Here's the next one! I hope you enjoy this MASSIVE chapter! :D
IWantColoredRain – Concurred. Add Ares and we get the Three Massive Jerks. :))
Magykal-guest – He's really one of the most likable gods there is. ;)
Jadlin Hunter – Muse says hi back! :))
Llew444 – Wow. Haha. So glad I delivered, if your exclamations are to be believed. :)) No, but thanks for the offer! I managed to move on because, well, at least now she's not in any pain. I could hold on to that. :D And I believe you, if what you type is who you are. XD
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dogbiscuit1967 – Here it is! We finally did it! :D
Εδώ είναι το επόμενο κεφάλαιο! (Here's the next chapter!)
Chapter 28: A Moment's Peace
"Thank the Fates that's all over, right Hades?!" Hestia smiled, exhaustion tingeing the corners of her mouth.
"At the very least, we can assume she is currently heading to Olympus." Hades said with a smirk. "And I am absolutely thrilled at their chosen method of travel."
"Yes, of course you would be." Hestia smiled indulgently as she snapped her fingers, making the bonfire in front of them disappear.
"The girl has her father's bull-headedness. Let's hope Poseidon will be able to convince brother dearest into not striking down the plane, thus damaging his most precious Bolt." At this Hades rolled his eyes, absolutely sure that this is the path Poseidon will take when persuading the mulish Lord of the Sky into not harming his only daughter. After all, it's the likeliest plan to succeed.
"He probably can, and Zeus will abide by it, if only to save his weapon." A rueful smile appeared on her youthful face as she imagined what the resulting cajoling would produce. Probably a blown up room or two at the very least.
"So then we can further assume that you will be needed shortly on Olympus. Zeus is guaranteed to have a temper tantrum at the events that have occurred, Hestia." Hades sighed as he reclined back on his throne, a pale graceful hand rubbing his temple in annoyance.
Hestia just laughed. "You always manage to voice the things I'm thinking, Hades."
"That's because our family is rather predictable, sister." Hades let out a chuckle at that.
"Yes, and as you have both predicted, you are now currently needed on Olympus, if only to be potential reassurance to the others that Olympus won't be torn down within seconds of the two's argument." An amused voice resounded throughout the room as a bright flash of light appeared in front of the two gods. When the light died down, there stood Aphrodite smiling at them, her now blue eyes dancing with laughter.
Hestia laughed gaily at the news, already hopping from her throne to approach the Love Goddess. "Is it really as bad as that already, Aphrodite?" Hestia asked, her voice laced with amused exasperation.
"Poseidon's already called for you, although he cleverly disguised his call for help as you being needed to remove your fire in the throne room before Percy and Luke arrive." Aphrodite giggled.
"He does know that I can do it from anywhere I like, right?" Hestia sighed as she smiled exasperatedly at the antics of her brothers. Really now. All three of them are same, whether they claim to be different or not.
Hades, as if sensing what was going on in her head, just mock glared at her. "I've told you time and time again, sister. We are nowhere near alike."
Hestia just laughed again, saying nothing more to contradict his statement. As her laughter died down, she straightened her dress and faced the Lord of the Dead once more.
"It seems that I have to go and do damage control. Don't worry, Hades, I'll come again soon." With a parting wave, she was enveloped in a bright flash of light. When the light disappeared, so did she.
Hades just sighed once more and snapped his own fingers, making the throne the Goddess of the Hearth disappear while conjuring the usual throne for the Love Goddess. At this Aphrodite smiled and went to take her seat.
"You do know that she's correct, Hades?"
"No! I will never claim a common point between the three of us. Poseidon and myself, I can swallow, albeit with some difficulty, but with that brat, never." Hades transferred the glare he was shooting at Hestia to Aphrodite's amused visage.
As Aphrodite opened her mouth to counter, Hades just glared harder, making her quickly shut her mouth, though her obvious mirth doubled. Hades just sighed as he closed his eyes, both hands now massaging his throbbing temples.
"I'm not that bad, am I?" Aphrodite pouted as Hades opened one dark eye and balefully stared her down until the Love Goddess relented. "Alright, I'll stop."
The silence stretched between the two, with the Lord of the Dead entertaining thoughts of how to permanently severe the resemblance between the three of them (although, honestly, he couldn't see what Zeus and he had in common at all) and Aphrodite lowering her mirth to Hades-acceptable levels.
Then, the Love Goddess broke the silence by giggling, making Hades look at her with an almost irritated glare in his eyes.
Seeing the gaze, Aphrodite stopped, instead adopting a serious countenance, eyes now shifting to indigo. "What is the real reason you stopped me from leaving? I've already accomplished my goal here, Hades."
At this, Hades sighed once more, tilting his head back, eyes roving the expanse of the ceiling. "I have…. A favor to ask of you, Aunt."
"You rarely seek to ask favors, Hades."
"I know."
Indigo eyes instantly turned green as they narrowed in slight worry. "And what is it that you wanted to ask?"
Hades shifted, dark fathomless eyes locking on to green ones. "I need your help. Persis will need your help."
Green eyes darkened as they surveyed the Lord of the Dead's face. "Speak clearly, Hades. Enough with the riddles. I need to know what you have planned."
"I need to know how you have managed to circumvent the Ancient Laws. I need to speak to Persis. To issue her a quest from me."
"And you cannot issue it to her on your own? Why do you need to do it the way that I have contacted her?" Aphrodite asked, already glossing over the fact that Hades knew she had managed to find a loophole in the Laws. Knowing him, he would have figured it out by the time the questers had managed to get captured by the trap she had helped Hephaestus with.
"Because if Zeus finds out, it will trigger the next world war." Hades eyes were solemn as they gazed at the shuttered eyes of the Love Goddess, waiting for her to figure it out.
The next world war? That would be, impossible. With the stress of Poseidon and Zeus as of now because of Percy herself, there isn't much that Hades could do to transfer the Lord of the Sky's anger onto him…! At that thought, Aphrodite's eyes widened and turned a violent shade of orange. "Don't tell me-!"
"I didn't like it, but I did do something to help them. My actions may have been selfish of me, but I cannot stand the fact that I did not have the power to help then. Maybe, with this, I will have the power to help now." A pale hand grasped the subtly shaking hand of the Love Goddess, making her grasp back tightly.
"I don't want to judge you on what you did, because it is well within your right. But, why now Hades? You'll only complicate things! It won't be the most logical decision to make! Let Poseidon handle it! It's almost certain now! Please don't bring this to light now! Wait for a few more years!" Aphrodite's eyes now shifted to a stormy gray, tears falling from them and marring the beauty of her face as the gravity of the situation Hades was presenting to her pieced itself together to form a distressing picture.
"Because I need to do this, Aunt. This must be what the Fates had intended from the start. The age corresponds as well. You know the place has its own time and space. I might not like it, but that is the destiny that must be played out."
"But how will she survive the quest? This is too great a task! She managed to break free once, but it took time! Time she won't have if this quest is to be kept a secret from Zeus! It will be impossible, and you know it, Hades! Can't you just send one of the Furies this time?"
"No. Zeus already knows that trick, seeing as I used it with Persis herself. It didn't end well, as a matter of fact."
Aphrodite lightly grimaced. "It seems there isn't any choice, is there?"
At this, Hades grasped Aphrodite's hand with both of his own, and his head bowed down to touch his hands, making Aphrodite gasp at the subservient position the Lord of the Dead put himself in.
"And that's why I need your help, Aunt. Only you have the power to help me, with how to contact her, and how to make sure she completes the quest. Surely one of your children has inherited the gift that would train her to have some kind of defense for the magic of the place. Please. I need your help desperately, Aunt." Hades had his head bowed, but Aphrodite was certain that he had his teeth gritted and eyes squeezed shut, barely containing the tears that are threatening to fall and break his mask of neutrality to the world. At that thought, she closed her orange eyes with resignation.
"Alright. I give you my word. I'll help you."
At her words, Hades immediately raised his head to look at his favorite aunt, dark eyes shining with hope.
"After all, Hades, how can I refuse when my nephews are in trouble?" Now blue eyes sparkled back at him, the Love Goddess' face settled into a gentle smile. Hades smiled back at her, relieved and grateful at the same time.
"Thank you so much, Aphrodite."
…..oo00oo…..
"Brother! Stop acting like a spoiled little brat that had his toy taken from him and open the door!" Poseidon's voice resounding throughout all of Olympus, making everyone who heard it cringe and hurry in the opposite direction of the enraged voice. The occupants of the palace might be used to Zeus' moods, but when Poseidon is the one who's shouting, it's an unwritten rule to get the Hades out of his way, or you'll be swept up in the collateral damage of the imminent fight.
Though, there are those brave, brave, and foolish few who are too interested in the outcome of the fight than they are to their own welfare; hence, why only a corridor away from Ground Zero, A.K.A. Zeus' room, a dark head was poking out of the side, slate grey eyes sparkling in curiosity. She was wearing clothes similar to Ares, only feminine ones, with her red leather jacket, black leather pants and black leather high-heeled boots. She also had a whip coiled on her belt, the brown leather strands glowing softly with power.
The woman winced, but her eyes sparkled even more with the loud boom that resulted in Poseidon breaking down the oaken doors of Zeus' palace and all but marched resolutely inside, not taking to mind the objects being hurled at his person. She irritably brushed back her curly black hair from her face as she continued peeping around the corner, her ears picking up on the one-sided argument Poseidon was presenting and the temper tantrum that the Lord of the Sky was currently indulging himself in.
"Honestly, Brother! It's only this once! This once! And she'll never have to set foot in your domain ever again!"
"No! She's not mine! She has no right coming into my domain!"
"And what about your Master Bolt, pray tell? What will happen if you strike the plane down? Tell me that, Brother!"
"Even still! I refuse! She will be punished for daring to set foot in the sky!"
The woman stifled chuckles at that (and no, they were NOT giggles, thank you very much). Honestly, no matter what he says, Zeus will forever be the youngest out of the six of them, the Prophecy about him be damned.
"Oh dear. Have they already progressed to this stage?"
The woman stiffened, caught unaware that someone had snuck up on her and was already at her side. When she looked, though, she relaxed, letting her least threatening smirk paint her lips. Hestia smiled back.
"You're as unafraid of danger as ever."
"You know me, Hestia." The woman snorted, smirk widening a little as a little explosion resounded through the walls and smoke started to fill the corridor.
Hestia just sighed a long-suffering sigh at both the woman's remark, and the fight that was going on. "Will you help me with them, then? I would appreciate you lending me a hand."
"I better not. I don't know what Poseidon's reaction will be, but Old Lightning Beard will probably flip out with one of the 'Bad Goddesses' in his close range." The woman shrugged, slate grey softening at the hurt that painted Hestia's visage.
"I want to say that that's not true, but then I would be lying." The gentle goddess sadly remarked, but then brightened a second later. "Although, I'm sure Poseidon would love you. He's not that different from Hades."
"Heh, we'll see, Hestia, we'll see. Now, how about you go in there now and try to contain the fight? I kind of want it to go on to see how Old Lightning Beard loses and cries himself a river; however, Olympus kind of needs him at the moment. Plus, I'm one of the minority that wants to see the end of one of their fights. So, you're kind of wasting your time with me here." The woman winked at her, shooing her towards the ruined doorway.
Hestia just laughed and waved back at her, all the while walking bravely towards the source of Olympus's exasperation and the goddess's entertainment.
The goddess just snorted to herself, and walked away from the scene, knowing that her fun is about to be cut short.
"You really shouldn't tempt the Fates like this, Nemesis." A woman's voice sounded beside her.
The Goddess of Balance barely spared the growing energy that was keeping pace with her a second glance as she ran a hand through her curly locks. "Why's that, Hebe?"
From the energy emerged a woman that could have been the carbon copy of Hera herself, with her chocolate brown eyes and hair the exact same shade as that of the Goddess of Marriage. Although, instead of a long elegant gown that was customary of the Queen of the Heavens, the woman was wearing what seems to be an elegant black kimono, with cherry blossoms that swirled around the surface as if being blown by a gentle wind. Her feet were clad in standard geta, and her hands were folded together neatly. The woman just sighed and graced her friend with a tired look. "One day you're going to bite off more than you could chew, Nem."
Nemesis just smirked at her, more than used to her admonishings. "You know I need the adrenaline, Hebe. I'm too unconnected to the drama that I need something to balance the boredom I'm feeling recently."
"Yes, but what if Father catches you snooping around when he specifically ordered that you are not to be in his presence unless he summons you?" Hebe determinedly pushed the subject, worry shining in her eyes.
Nemesis just looked at her long-time friend and shrugged. "Ok. Sure, I'll lay off, if that's what you want."
"But you really have to-!" Hebe blinked rapidly, thrown by the almost instantaneous agreement. Though, when it sunk into her brain, the Goddess of Youth looked at her friend almost incredulously. "You agreed!? Just like that!?"
"Sure." Nemesis repeated, though a smirk broke through her bored countenance. "Besides, I've got something even more interesting than peeping on childish gods." With that parting statement, she hurried off, leaving behind her gaping friend.
"What!? You mean you're planning something worse!? Nem, get back here and tell me so I can do damage control now! Nemesis!"
…..oo00oo…..
"Will you stop throwing things and talk to me like an adult, Zeus!?"
"I AM an adult, you idiot! Don't you insult my intelligence!"
Hestia sighed at the degradation of the supposed negotiation between two of the acclaimed Big Three. She braced her hand on the splintered oak door (or what was left of it) that was separating her from the chaos before she took a deep breath to ground herself, and then nodded resolutely as she walked in the door.
"Would you two-!"
….. And immediately had what felt like a jug full of nectar was thrown in her face.
Silence immediately followed.
"Uh, Hestia? Are you alright?" Poseidon asked timidly, his face already dreading the answer.
Slowly, Hestia smiled at the two. Complete with sparkles glowing around her.
The two brothers looked at each other and swallowed nervously. 'This won't be pretty.' Both of them thought.
Suddenly the oaken doors repaired themselves and closed ominously behind the three, though it did little to muffle the sound of the terrified men as the screams that came forth almost cracked the sound barrier. The various occupants of the palace just pretended that they didn't hear anything. Nope. Nada. Nothing at all. Not a sound.
Half an hour later, when the screams had yet to abate, Demeter took it upon herself to check on Hestia and the two warring gods. During this rather spirited debate between siblings, Hera and Hephaestus were trying to form the mother-son bond they so desperately desired. Demeter had absolutely no faith that any of the younger gods could or would do anything to pacify Hestia's rage (and she's certain she's the only one able to do that. No one else could inspire fear like that besides the Goddess of the Hearth) and so she resolved herself to do it herself.
The Goddess of Agriculture knocked calmly on the oaken doors, hoping Hestia would be able to hear the knock over the shrill screams that are threatening to burst the goddesses' eardrums. As soon as she put down her hand, the screaming stopped as suddenly as it began, and a few seconds later the door cracked open just enough for a head to pop out of.
"Yes? Is something the matter, Demeter?" Hestia asked sweetly, her words dripping with honey and her smile producing sparkles and glitter in her background.
"Err, yes." Demeter smiled unsurely, not sure if she should risk angering her sister further by defending her brothers or just leave the two men to their fates. As it was, she just sighed and continued on. "Sister, perhaps they have learned their lesson about not fighting? It is almost time for the young demigods to arrive."
"Ah, is it that late, already? Alright, I guess they have learned their lesson." The Goddess of the Hearth emerged from the room, her features as immaculate as ever. Although, as she turned around to look at the room, her sweet smile never left her face. "Oh! I almost forgot! I'd like to be present when the two of you talk to Percy and Luke, alright? Don't take too long in making yourselves presentable, boys!"
And with that, she gently closed the now repaired door and proceeded to walk towards the throne room with Demeter a half a step behind her.
As the two walked in silence, Demeter was repeatedly opening and closing her mouth, obviously wanting to ask Hestia something; however, she decided against it at the last second as discretion was probably for the best, while the other goddess completely ignored this fact. Though, when they reached the doors to the throne room, Demeter had finally gathered her courage and blurted the question that was eating away at her.
"Hestia, what did you do?"
Hestia just looked at her and smiled, though the smile only made a shiver creep up on Demeter's spine. 'No one should look so innocent and yet inspire so much fear in two of the most powerful beings in the world.'
"Just some things, Dem. Just some things." Hestia said in a sing song voice.
…..oo00oo…..
"Now, boys no fighting, alright? Do I have your word?"
"O-Of course, Hestia." The two brothers said fearfully.
"Wonderful. Now, just relax and let's wait for the two children, shall we?" The Goddess of the Heath smiled congenially as her body melted into flames and flew over to the hearth, engulfing the meager fire that was present a while ago, making it a towering inferno, before subsiding.
A sullen silence engulfed the two brothers, neither one acknowledging the other in fear of what Hestia will do to them if they misbehaved (and yes, even Zeus knows not to do it again with no other witnesses present, thank you very much).
But still.
"This is still your fault, Poseidon."
"Shut it."
…..oo00oo…..
"Thanks for the help sis." Apollo sighed as he and his twin carefully deposited the still weak Messenger God down, the salt and pepper haired god gave out an appreciative groan as he was lain on his bed.
Artemis just shook her head and sighed, her silver eyes weary and sad as she gazed at the results of her father's temperament. "I need to do something to take my mind off of things." She wearily said to Apollo.
"Yeah, I get you." Apollo grimaced. "Question is, why now? Why did he snap now? He had plenty of reasons to do so before she asked." The Sun God shrugged, his hard blue eyes betraying his nonchalant posture.
"Maybe he was bottling it up until now? It couldn't be just because of this issue, you know. There's too much anger." Hermes muttered, giving his own view on the subject.
The Goddess of the Hunt pursed her lips, shaking her head in negativity. "That still doesn't explain why he blew up with the mere mention of Athena being unfaithful to him. Do either of you have any idea why?"
"Oh, we have ideas, alright." Apollo grumbled.
"Although, we're not too sure you'll appreciate them, with your close association with Athena, Artemis." Hermes reluctantly said, his blue eyes looking at the silver of the goddess' eyes dead on.
Artemis gritted her teeth, grinding them together in agitation. "The mere idea of father-! And her-! Just, why?" Her fists found the mattress, pummeling it in time with her exclamations of "Why!?"
Firm hands caught hers, stopping her movement altogether. Her distraught silver eyes found that of her twin's, calm and unyielding for all of the goofiness he often exhibits.
"Take it easy, Artemis." Artemis blinked at that, thrown by the fact her twin calling her by her proper name. Often, when Apollo deemed it necessary to catch her attention by the said method, a catastrophic event of monstrous proportions often follows. So, it was understandable that all she did was pursed her lips together and sit on the floor primly, prompting the Sun God to do the same. Hermes just sighed and sluggishly moved himself so he could see the twins sitting down by the side of his bed.
"Tell me what you know." Silver eyes glinted in the moonlight, but Apollo just sighed and snapped his fingers, prompting a table to appear before the three of them, complete with three cups and a jug of nectar. The Sun God then proceeded to pour onto the three glasses liberally. He pushed one to Artemis as he stood up to help Hermes into a sitting position and handed him his own glass.
"Here. This'll help with the sluggishness."
Hermes smiled and brought the glass up to toast the twins, then chugged it all down in one long draught. Apollo nodded, satisfied, as he got his own cup and drank from it. He then smiled at his sister, who was surely and steadily glaring at him.
"Sis, it's better to drink this first. I'm going to tell you two something that's, well extremely alarming and that's just the metaphorical tip of the mountain. So, drink. Or would you rather I get something from D's personal stash?"
"What's in this?" Artemis said as she transferred her gaze to her own cup, peering into the golden drink suspiciously.
"Just concentrated nectar, Sis. Slightly more of a kick in it than usual. Don't worry, though. It all came from the same jug. I couldn't have put anything in there seeing that it that hasn't affected us, and as you can see we've already drunk one glass each. Come on. Trust me on this." Apollo smiled.
Artemis gave Apollo one last look of suspicion, but warily brought her own cup to her lips, taking a small sip. Artemis blinked. "Huh. It really is only nectar."
"I told you. I do know how to act mature once in a while, you know." The smile melted off the Sun God's face as he reclined by the side of Hermes' bed, looking up at the ceiling as he nursed his own cup. "Things are only beginning. There will be many more bouts like this, each getting worse. Until Percy's sixteenth birthday."
"So she's the one, huh?" Hermes sighed, playing with the rim of his empty cup.
"Have you told the Six?" Artemis asked.
"Not yet. You know what Father's decision would be." At that, Hermes cringed while Artemis scowled heavily, taking a long swig of nectar.
"You know, Uncle P will never allow that. Anyway, it looks like Father is the only one who would even consider doing that to Percy. Auntie Hestia loves her, Aunt Dem would follow Hestia's decision, anything that pisses off Father is wonderful in Hera's eyes, and Uncle Hades already let her go when she willingly wandered into his domain." The Messenger God listed as he counted off their allies with his hand.
"Still, wouldn't it be better if they knew of this information? That way, we could call an emergency Council meeting to vote on whether Father's allowed to harm her. And let's be honest, without Ares and Athena, Father will be alone in his decision to finish her off. I like the girl, Hephaestus is with Aphrodite and Dionysus would be indifferent, as usual." Artemis shrugged as she downed the rest of her glass in one gulp. She then held out her hand for Hermes', which the god gave with a grateful smile. Apollo just laughed and copied Artemis, downing his cup and holding it out to her, which she took with a roll of her eyes.
"Still, with everything that's happened, it would be better to delay revealing what we know to the Original Six." Apollo finalized. He then stood and checked on the Messenger God. "Well, at least you have color in your cheeks now," Apollo said to Hermes. "Maybe one more glass of nectar. Then we can start with rehabilitation, Apollo style." He winked as he then arranged the pillows on the bed so Hermes could lie back comfortably.
Artemis just hummed in agreement as she poured more nectar in the glasses. Though, with one quick check on the two gods just to make sure that she wouldn't be caught, she slipped a crystal vial from out her pocket and dumped the contents into two of the glasses. She then quickly tucked the vial away, then she then took the two contaminated glasses and gave them to the boys, all the while she was just smiling and drinking from her own cup. Artemis had to bite the inside of her cheeks to keep from laughing as she rejoined the two gods knowing that something interesting would soon happen.
"Back to the matter at hand, it's up to you whether you share it with them now or at a later date. After all, it is your oracle's prophecy."
"After the last incident, I'm reluctant to share it with them at all. If Father had listened to me last time, World War II wouldn't have happened. Instead he just took it as me siding with Uncle Hades and pushed through with the whole catastrophe." Apollo grimaced at the reminder.
"Alright, alright. Let's stop with this train of thought. It makes me want to do things that would earn me the genuine wrath of our Father." Hermes sighed as he drained his cup for a second time, but then his frown turned into a smirk. "Instead, let's discuss the punishment."
"Do you know what you are going to do to him this time, then?" Artemis raised an eyebrow at him, looking at the snickering god.
"Ah, don't worry, Artemis. The last punishment was just a child's punishment . He cursed my son so he's not getting away with a measly letter landslide this time." Hermes' blue eyes, so reminiscent of his son's, narrowed in anger.
A hand landed heavily on her shoulder, making her swivel her head to her twin, meeting Apollo's savage grin. "Want to know my plans for reference?"
Artemis huffed. "Hardly. I know how to torture brutes like him, remember." She took a sip of her nectar, and promptly flung it to the other side of the room. Standing abruptly, she looked at the drink in horror. "What was in that!? It tasted horrible!"
"Rehab for Hermes."
"Wha-?" Though, before she could finish her question to her innocently smiling twin (which she learned not to trust an hour after their birth), her eyes widened as she felt air travelling up through her esophagus, leaving her mouth with a sound that she never thought she would make. "Burp!"
The three of them froze, then, the next moment had Apollo with his forehead touching the floor, one hand pounding the tiles and the other around his stomach as he all but bent over with laughter.
Hermes was a little more polite with his laughter. Well, at least he wasn't pounding his bed like Apollo was doing with the floor, but he was laughing just as hard. "When did you put burping powder into her drink?!"
Apollo wheezed for air, but managed to make disjointed sentences to answer his question. "When-! Haha! She was-! Oh Hades, air! Looking at you! HAHAHA!"
Artemis was all but shaking with anger, her silver eyes flashing. "This. Means. WAR! Burp!" With that statement, she leapt at her still spasming twin, her hands targeting his neck. Unfortunately for Artemis, her hand closed around thin air as Apollo moved fluidly away from his awkward position while hauling Hermes out of his bed. The two gods all but flew from the room as if Alecto herself was on their heels, belting out marriage proposals.
"Get back *burp* here, you *burp* piece of pegasus' *burp* dung!"
"Hermes! Stop being a tag-along and run! This is your rehabilitation! As your doctor, I order you to run!" Apollo cackled as Hermes found his feet and ran alongside the Sun God, as the Moon Goddess was shouting obscenities as she chasing them. The two prankster gods tried their best to escape the goddess of the hunt by using the various twists and turns of the palace; however, as Artemis is goddess of the hunt tactics such as these were ineffective against her.
"Bro, she's not getting tired or lost! Strategy?" Hermes shouted, eyes not straying from the enraged goddess's form behind them.
"Run! If you can talk, you can run faster!" Apollo bit back, making a sharp right turn towards the throne room. "There! U-turn then out of the palace! More places to hide outside!"
"Got it!"
"Get *burp* back here, you *burp* two *burp*! I'm going *burp* to skin you *burp* ALIVE *burp*!" Artemis raged at them as they burst through the throne room's doors and made a beeline for the back of the thrones, going in a slim U-turn.
"No way! You'll kill us!" Apollo cackled, managing to sound gleeful and terrified all at once.
"You know I needed to relax to recuperate! This is relaxing!" Hermes shouted back at the goddess, though Artemis only burped angrily back at them as she chased them out of the throne room and out of the palace itself.
"Apollo!"
"Not now, Bro!"
"Was there someone in the throne room just now?"
"Who cares! Just keep running! Rehab, bro!"
…..oo00oo…..
In an isolated part of Olympus, Ares slowly regained consciousness. With a load groan he opened his eyes. His eyebrows shot up in surprise as he found himself staring at the ceiling of an unfamiliar place. Ares began to worry because he was certain he was no longer on Olympus due to the fact that he's certain that he knows every inch of the palace (as the god of war it was his duty to know every inch of a potential battle ground). As his senses cleared he remembered the events of the past few days, the beginning having to run from Hephaestus before Aphrodite dumped him for the deformed god. The worst choice if you asked him, picking the monster over him. It doesn't matter what he looks now, as he will always be a deformed bastard of a god in his eyes.
'I'm pretty sure I teleported back to my temple after the fight.' He thought to himself, sneering as he remembered the so-called fight with the daughter of Poseidon. 'Blasted girl had the nerve to reject me. And her wimpy Son of Hermes boyfriend challenged me?! Ha! Let's see if they last 3 years with my curses hanging over them.' He laughed loudly, while contemplating what sinister plot he will unleash on the unsuspecting demigods. To make himself more comfortable, Ares tried to move his arms to put them under his head, but he found that he couldn't move them at all. He blinked in shock at this surprise.
"What the Hades?!" He growled as he tried to move any of his limbs, only to find that he was being held by some kind of invisible force field. "What is this!?" Ares exclaimed.
"A barrier made by Hephaestus." A voice sounded from his right. Thankfully, though, he could still move his head, so he could see who was with him in this strange place as violet eyes met his fiery ones.
"This doesn't look like something the cripple would make. This." He strained to move again, and yet he was as stiff as a statue. "This is magic, not some automaton he created."
Dionysus sighed as he sat in the only available chair in the room. "It seems I need to be more specific. The barrier was created by Hephaestus, however, he was not the one who supplied the magic."
Ares' eyes narrowed, never mind that they were made of fire. "You!" He growled.
"Me." Sighed the God of Wine as he leaned back in his seat, while absentmindedly materializing a cup of nectar. As he took a sip of the drink he frowned at the drink. "If only this was one of mine. This day would be complete then."
"Let me out of this, Dionysus! You have no grudge against me!" Ares roared, spit flying as he raged at the unconcerned god.
"Not going to happen." Dionysus said as he paid the enraged War God no mind as he continued to take sips from the cup of nectar. "Father made a deal with me. I help him contain you, I get ten years shaved off of my punishment down in that hellhole of a camp. And I value Ariadne much more than I value you. It was an instantaneous decision."
"And where is father now? With another whore to feel up?" He sneered, trying to get a rise out of the Wine God.
"Surprisingly, no. He's now dealing with the very same demigods you've cursed. And I'm supposed to guard you so when they're finished, you'll still be here." Replied Dionysus as he finished his drink, tossing the cup behind him, with it disappearing before it could hit the ground. "Not that he doesn't trust the barrier made by two of his sons, but he wants to be the first to punish you."
"Lies! I am his favorite!"
"Favorite, huh? Tell me this, then. Who do you think he favors more? You? Or himself?" Violet eyes flashed with emotions too quick for Ares to see. But then the Wine God was standing, eyes fixed on something that was standing at the top part of his 'bed'. "Well, it seems like my lovely chat with you is finished, Ares. Have a lovely few painful years." His body then turned into sprigs of grapes, all floating away from the room as if a breeze had caught them.
Ares cursed him in about every language he knew. That pompous bastard! When he gets his hands on him-!
"You'll be going nowhere, you wretched boy." A voice that he often heard filled with arrogance was now coated with venom. And it was directed at him.
"Father."
"You have no right to call me father, when the one thing I asked of you in the last millennia, you disobeyed! How can you stomach to call me by that name when you have betrayed me?!" Zeus' voice rose at the end, the shout all but impossible for anyone not to overhear.
"I was faithful to my domain! You can't blame me for doing that when you made me like this!" Ares roared back at him, eyes burning like mini suns.
"Then I shouldn't have made you from the start."
Are gritted his teeth. HE is the GOD OF WAR! HE will not be affected by this, even if the one who sired him said the cutting words himself.
"You wanted the power of the Master Bolt, Ares?" The voice continued on. "Then you shall have it."
Ares blinked, confused, only for him to shout in pain as it felt like all of his nerves were on fire. He screamed, never minding that he wasn't supposed to because he was strong, but because his own father was ELECTRICUTING him, all the while looking at him and never even showing his face to him. Like he was abandoning him.
As suddenly as the pain came, it was gone, leaving behind a panting Ares.
"Be thankful I haven't purified my Bolt in the waters of Lemnos, or else it would have been twice as strong. That is my mercy onto you, for being one of the two closest to inheriting the throne." Ares then felt the flash of energy rather than seen it.
HOW DARE HE?! HOW DARE his own father fire his weapon at HIM! HIM!
"With everything you've done, you deserve that and more."
Ares looked to his left, his eyes, whose fires had diminished, burned brightly again as he laid eyes on his ex-lover. "Babe."
"My name is Aphrodite, Ares. It would be best if you learned it, because you will never have the chance to call me 'Babe' again." The Love Goddess stood there proudly, her red eyes boring back into the fiery eyes of the confident War God.
"Heh. Who says you won't get bored again. When that time comes, you'll be begging for me to ravage you. All. Over. Again." He grinned, lecherously and arrogant at the same time.
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HER LIKE THAT, YOU WORTHLESS ANIMAL!" A new voice suddenly roared into existence as a flash of energy appeared next to the trembling Love Goddess. When the light receded, a fuming Sea God was towering over him, his trident pointed towards him, the tips already glowing green with power. However, before he could release the pent up energy, a slim hand covered his own, prompting him to hesitantly lower his weapon.
"Aphrodite?" Poseidon blinked, confused at the mercy the Love Goddess was showing.
Ares' lips were beginning to curl into a victorious smile, but suddenly froze as blazing ice blue eyes stared back at him. The trembling wasn't in fear, it was in anger.
"I was going to ask Uncle if he could somehow go easy on you because you have clearly been spoiled and coddled by Father too much, but now I've changed my mind. I didn't interfere with Father because I knew he would go easy on you, but Uncle will not. Although, now I see that my concern for you was in bad judgment. Uncle, I want the left one please. He was so, so, proud of them, you see. Let's see how he reacts when it's split into three parts for one part for you, one part for Triton, and one part for myself to keep as trophies." The Love Goddess released the hold she had on Poseidon's hand, prompting the god to grin just a little bit bloodthirstily.
Before Ares could process what was happening, he let out an agonizing scream, his voice reaching higher octaves no male can reach as he felt what was once his manhood ripped from him as the energy from the Trident hit him. Unfortunately for the God of War, his manhood wasn't cut of; it was ripped apart from his body. To make if even more painful, it felt like it was happening in slow motion. The pain of the Master Bolt was nothing compared to what he is currently feeling. It's as if his nerve endings are being dipped in lava and cut with a thousand swords all at the same time.
Ares was still screaming, in pain and horror as his now dismembered member (A/N: Pun unintended.) floated in front of him, his lower half leaking golden ichor onto the marble floors. His screams reaching new heights as before his very eyes, his member was split into three separate parts, with each part going into three jars that had just materialized out of nowhere. Poseidon then twitched his Trident, prompting the three jars to float towards them. He handed the jar holding the left ball to the Love Goddess.
"One left ball, as ordered. Don't forget to disinfect after you put this down, Aphrodite."
"Thank you very much, Uncle. I can't wait to show Hephaestus." With a triumphant gleam in her eyes as she smirked at the screaming and crying War God, she flashed away, presumably to find her husband. Which left the satisfied Sea God to smirk down at his still crying nephew.
Once again Poseidon charged up his Trident, aiming it again at the War God. Ares screamed and tried to thrash about, afraid of what his sadistic uncle would do to him further, if the veins in his neck were anything to by, but then the energy left the trident and found its target in his nether regions, prompting it to suddenly form ice and crystallize the gaping hole left from where his manhood use to be. "The others are still busy. I wouldn't want you to miss out on their punishments, so I'll ice this until Apollo can get to you. 'Till then, have fun."
With that parting statement, the Sea God sauntered out from his line of sight. He heard the boom of heavy metal doors before his own sobbing took precedent before anything else. With the pain from his electrocution and the subsequent dismembering, he allowed himself respite, in the form of losing consciousness.
…..oo00oo…..
"Can you hug me?"
Hephaestus blinked, partly surprised by the sudden voice that echoed throughout the corridor he was walking through to reach his temple, and partly surprised by the request. He was just coming back from Hera's, no, his mother's room from their tentative talk, both trying to build a bridge between them that should have been present from the very beginning. He didn't want to teleport directly to his temple for fear that he would wake up from this wonderful dream-like life he was having lately, so he opted for walking instead.
Though, when he turned around and glimpsed Aphrodite's stricken face, he wished he had teleported straight there instead, dream-like life or not.
"Come. Not here, my love." He opened his arms wide as she all but flew into his embrace, her hands clutching the simple muscle shirt he was wearing. He wrapped his hands around her and teleported them straight to their balcony, knowing that the familiarity of the place would her soothe her and help calm her emotions. He guided her to the sofa she herself materialized and sat the both of them down, her grip on him not loosening.
Silence consumed the air around them, hers tinged with grief while his tinged with concern, especially as he felt his shirt slowly but surely develop a wet patch.
Finally, though, Aphrodite raised her face from being buried on Hephaestus's chest, and she smiled a little shakily at him, red rimmed blue eyes pained. "Sorry."
Hephaestus just smiled and caressed her cheek lovingly, not saying a word at the still fresh tear tracks marring her beautiful face. "You have nothing to apologize for. I should be the one apologizing. For not being there for you when I clearly should have been."
"No. Both of you needed to have your talk. You've been separated long enough."
"But so have we." Aphrodite opened her mouth, possibly to bring herself down again; and while not completely untrue, she didn't need that reminder now, so he just covered her mouth gently with his hand, brown eyes crinkling at the edges with warmth. "Yes, I know that it was voluntarily on our parts, but the fact remains that it's only now that we're patching things up, too. We need this, too."
The Love Goddess blinked before her blue eyes shined brighter, fresh tears pooling at her eyes. Hephaestus removed his hand from her mouth and she smiled at him, not having any words to tell her husband what she was feeling right then. He returned the smile, eyes filled with love as he rested their foreheads together gently, both of them closing their eyes in content.
They sat like that for a while, both of them just relishing the fact that even though they spent the past millennia apart, now they always be together, through whatever challenges they may face. Eventually, Hephaestus straightened up and asked her why she had needed to vent her emotions.
"Would you like to talk about it?"
The Love Goddess gnawed on her lower lip in uncertainty but she nodded, knowing she needed to let it out. She leaned back against the strong chest of her husband, content in the love coursing through the both of them; love that was undoubtedly for each other.
"I just received so many shocks in a short amount of time that I couldn't handle it and had an emotional meltdown."
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow at that, though his voice was as gentle as ever. "Can you tell me?"
"One of them, I have no trouble divulging to you, seeing as it's as much as your story as mine, but the bigger part of the problem isn't my story to tell." Aphrodite sighed.
"I see. Seeing as you came from the Underworld, it would be better for me to remain ignorant. Though, if you need me to listen, I'm right here." The smile Aphrodite gave him rivaled the brightness of Apollo's sun chariot.
"Thank you, Hephaestus." She smiled, though her smile turned bittersweet in the next moment as she snapped her fingers, materializing a crystal clear jar, with a single spherical object inside. It was smaller than a golf ball, with what seems like flesh covering it and it was covered with golden ichor.
The God of Forges blinked at the floating jar, apprehension and disbelief written on his face. "Is that-?"
"Apparently, Uncle Poseidon wasn't kidding about ripping off his balls if he repeated his earlier stunt. He ripped it all off, the whole package deal."
"Riiiight." Hephaestus said as he snatched the jar out of the air, put it on the table that suddenly materialized beside him and snapped his fingers once again, making a bowl of water appear floating in front of them. "Wash. This was taken from Uncle Poseidon's temple, with his permission. I get water from him when I want to be presentable before the Council."
Aphrodite blinked at that but she conceded and proceeded to wash her hands thoroughly, with Hephaestus doing the same. When they were done, he waved his hand, prompting the bowl to disappear. He then turned to his wife, concerned on exactly why, she had that part of Ares.
"What happened? I thought you were going to ask Uncle Poseidon to go easy on him since it was our plan that painted him in as bad a light as he is in now?"
"He said I'll get bored of you and go back to him, begging him to ravage me all over again." Aphrodite lowered her head in shame, afraid of meeting the brown eyes that she fell hard and fast for these past few days. Though, a finger lifted up her chin, making her look at him, making her see the complete trust written in his eyes.
"I trust you, Aphrodite. I love you. Even if that time does come and you can't return my feelings anymore, I'll keep on loving you. I promised you eternity in front of Mother, after all."
"How could I have overlooked you for that boorish pig, I'll never know." Aphrodite smiled as she sweetly kissed him, thanking him without words, promising him the same.
"Though, with that issue out, I wonder if what I did is all the punishment he will receive from me." He scowled heavily, anger promptly replacing the love that had graced his face just a moment ago.
"You never did tell me what you did to him. Or how you got him surrounded by that barrier in the first place."
The God of Forges smirked. "Well…."
"Hephaestus."
The God of Forges stopped mid-stride, turning to find Dionysus leaning against a wall of the corridor he and Hera were using. Demeter had kindly left them on their own, using an obscure excuse ("Oh, I forgot to water my begonias! How silly of me! I must be going! It won't do to let the poor dears suffer!"), so both mother and son were in the middle of discussing the god's recent love life, and Hera was teasing him for all that she was worth when the call came that made them both pause. Both blinking confusedly at the Wine God as usually, whenever he was allowed back on Olympus he would seek out Ariadne, who in turn had taken to hiding out in other goddesses' temples in a fit of rage from her husband's actions. So, seeing him here before them was a bit baffling.
"Yes, Dionysus? Is there a problem?"
"Nothing of note. However, Father IMed me he has a project for you, me and Aunt Demeter." His violet eyes pinned them with an annoyed but apologetic gaze.
"Will it take long?" The God of Forges asked, his brown eyes meeting the brown of his mother worriedly. Hera just smiled back at him.
"Don't worry. I'll be in my temple when you're finished."
"It's not even going to take long about a half an hour more or less."
"Go. I'll be waiting." Hera hesitated, but tentatively raised her arms, curling them around her son in a warm embrace. Hephaestus froze for a half second before hesitantly returning the hug. When they broke apart, Hera smiled at him one last time as she gathered energy and flashed away.
And then the screams started.
The God of Forges stiffened, already gathering energy to teleport to the source, but a hand clamped down on his shoulders, prompting him to look at Dionysus.
"You haven't been here that much, but trust me. It's better if you don't go. You'll thank me later." The Wine God's violet eyes shone with clear panic.
Hephaestus blinked but nodded, letting the gathered energy dissipate. Dionysus breathed a sigh of relief and gestured for him to follow. The two gods traversed the halls of the palace finally arriving at Demeter's temple.
They found the goddess at the entrance, looking in the direction of the continuous screams with a pained look on her usually calm face. Though, when they approached her, she looked at them, a strained smile plastered on her face.
"Yes? Can I help you both?"
"Aunt, we need your expertise." Demeter's eyebrows rose at the Wine God's statement, but nevertheless ushered them into her temple .
She led them past the wheat field to the porch of the sole visible cottage. There, she gestured for them to sit down. The brothers sat on the wooden couch while she claimed the rocking chair for herself.
"Alright. What is it you need?" She asked them, pinning them with her warm brown eyes.
"We need something potent enough to keep Ares asleep while Hephaestus and I construct his prison." Dionysus bluntly stated.
Hephaestus blinked at that. "I thought you said this wouldn't take more than half an hour?"
The Wine God grimaced at that. "Father said you would know what room would be appropriate for our brute of a brother."
The God of Forges furrowed his brows for a few moments before his expression cleared. "Ah. Is he willing to part with the room? It won't be secret after this."
"I have no idea what I'm talking about, but he said that it was worth it." Dionysus shrugged, uncaringly.
A pointed cough had them both looking at their aunt, who was grinning testily at them. "I have an idea about what room he commissioned you to build Hephaestus, and please promise me it would be the last one you do for him. Please."
As the God of Forges nodded hastily, she sighed in relief and nodded to Dionysus. "Alright. I'm willing to give you herbs. Though, don't be too liberal in using them. Too much and it could send Ares into a coma at best, Tartarus at the very worst. Am I clear?"
As Dionysus nodded, the Goddess of Agriculture snapped her fingers and materialized a jar filled with what looked like three different types of leaves. "These are Jimson weeds, oleander, and neem leaves. Crush them into powder, mix the powder with water and spray it into the air. Remember, not too saturated."
"Thank you, Aunt. We'll be careful." Dionysus nodded as he plucked the jar out of the air and stood up. "We'll be going now. We still need to collect the god that managed to gain the ire of the entire Council in just a few days."
"Do be careful." Demeter waved them out as both gods teleported out of her temple.
Both of them materialized before Ares' temple doors, Hephaestus frowning at the images carved on the ornate oak while Dionysus closed his eyes, confirming for himself that Ares was indeed inside (Well, the War God IS the only mind wherein he could sense death and destruction every day, so it was pretty easy to identify him).
"He's in. And apparently, he's sleeping. Or unconscious. Take your pick."
"What do we do with the herbs then? We don't exactly need it."
Dionysus just grinned. "We need to make sure he doesn't wake up, though. A pretty good excuse, if you ask me."
Hephaestus raised an eyebrow at that. "What did he do to you? You're usually involved in the matters of the Council."
"He messed with my 'groveling in the dirt' apology time with Ariadne. Now I don't have to think of any punishment to give him. This suits my needs just fine."
Hephaestus just shook his head and quietly pushed the oak door open. In the middle of the room was the War God, passed out on the floor of his living room.
"He's not even in his bedroom. Is he really that drained from fighting a mortal girl? Even if she is Uncle Poseidon's daughter." The Wine God raised an incredulous eyebrow at his own statement even as Hephaestus ventured forward and checked that the brute really was down and out.
"I think you know why he's this drained." The God of Forges quietly commented, even as he wrapped energy carefully around the slumbering god, careful not to wake him.
"I do. I'm just electing to ignore it, until such a time when Father gets his head out of his ass and actually goes out and does something, and I do not mean relying on Uncle Poseidon and Hades." Dionysus shrugged as he snapped his fingers and materialized the jar of leaves, which then seemingly had the leaves caught up in a mini tornado inside the jar, prompting them to be ground up.
"Then you'll be ignorant of the fact for a little while longer."
"Yes. I was hoping for that."
"Let's just get this over with." Hephaestus triggered the energy he had gathered around Ares, prompting the sleeping form of the god to disappear.
"And, where, exactly, are we going?"
"Just hold on." Hephaestus gathered enough energy to accommodate the both of them and flashed them out of the temple.
They appeared before Ares' prone form, inside a room which looked like it was carved out of pure adamant, the metal that was used in making Kronos' scythe. Adamant walls, adamant floors, adamant door. It also had minimum furnishings. A bed, a desk and a chair, all made from adamant.
"Where did you get so much adamant? I thought Father had them all destroyed after they knew that it was what Kronos' scythe was made of?" Dionysus whistled in startled appreciation.
"From the one who commissioned the room." Hephaestus replied, making the Wine God's face darken.
"It looks like one of those rooms the mortals use in their interrogations. Or at least what appears in their movies." Violet eyes scanned the room in a new light, disgust painting his features.
"Exactly why I built it like this."
"So Father intends this to be a torture room?"
"Of course not. I built it like this because of the extra-martial activities Father does here is torture upon all of us. Especially the girl he brings here." Hephaestus's lips were twitching slightly as he gestured to Ares. "If you please?"
Dionysus smirked as he manipulated the air around Ares to pick him up and deposit him on the adamant bed in the middle of the room.
"Nice trick."
"Comes with having blackmail material over Aeolus. He's a surprisingly chatty drunk."
Hephaestus smiled as he snapped his fingers. Immediately, the bed shimmered and disappeared, making Ares look like he is being suspended in midair.
"Now, that is a nice trick."
"Thank you. What now?"
"Well, Father said to detain him somehow. I know last time you lot had him tied up on a spinning target, which was actually a nice touch. Why don't we switch it up?"
"What do you suggest?"
"From the looks of it, I can make compressed air and restrict his movements, but I don't have enough control over the element to make it seem like he is imprisoned or something to that effect. And I want shock value here. So, can you deliver?" Dionysus asked as he materialized the jar with the powdered leaves and grinned, a touch of maliciousness mixed in his features. "Leave the leaves with me. I can make something out of this so it isn't wasted. Maybe a pain enhancer?"
"Dionysus, you somehow balance genius and insanity quite well."
"Thank you. If you want, I can up the ante and make it seem that I am both. Like that character the mortals are raving on about now. Iron Man, is it?"
"I think I'll pass."
"Dionysus was surprisingly open with you." Aphrodite blinked as Hephaestus finished the tale.
"We are the two outcasts. It was bound to happen." The God of Forges smiled as he leaned back on the sofa, Aphrodite still snuggled to his side.
"Well, I hope you two will start being closer like family should."
"We already are."
…..oo00oo…..
"Nice. Hephaestus did exceptionally well this time."
"Yes, and my patience with you two is this thin so it's difficult for me not to ask him to build another room for the both of you."
"Aww, Sis. I said I was sorry! And why am I the only one apologizing here? It was for Hermes' sake, you know!"
"Because I know his apology was sincere, and yours was not. Do I need to do to you what I intend to do to Ares?"
"No! I'll be good!"
Ares groaned as the first thing he noticed when he regained consciousness was the loud voices and incessant bickering. If that isn't bad enough, why is his body feeling like it was put through the meat grinder and then pounded into a patty only to be grilled on a barbeque pit.
"Well. It seems like the barbarian has finally woken up."
The War God groaned mentally and physically. He knew that voice.
"Lady Bitchiness. How- Nice of you to visit."
"Yeah, we're really nice people, aren't we, sis?"
"If it isn't- Mr. Sparkly Glitter himself. Where's- the Mailman?"
"Looking for me?"
"Nice. The whole crew is here." Ares gritted out, internally screaming profanities. Wasn't what he was experiencing enough for these people who call themselves his family?!
"Nope! They of course had to have their turn, and now, it's ours." Apollo grinned darkly.
"HOW are all of you responding to my thoughts?" Ares howled, forgetting his pain for a moment in his incredulousness.
"They're being broadcasted, duh. I was told it was part of the makeup of the room." Hermes said, sitting in the chair smugly.
"For once, I agree with you, Hermes. Hephaestus really did well on this room." Artemis' silver eyes flashed eerily.
"Enough chitchat. If you're- going to punish me, do it!" Ares growled, the fire in his eyes at half the power it usually had.
"Eager, isn't he?" The Sun God smirked malevolently. "And no, I'm not going to do anything about the pain you're in, if that's what you're going to ask. After all Uncle P did a marvelous job bandaging it. Why ruin a masterpiece?"
"Bastard!" Ares hissed as the hope that had bloomed in his chest when Poseidon mentioned Apollo willing to heal him evaporated at the Sun God's words.
"Shall we start? He is waiting for us, after all." Artemis mirrored her twin's smirk, all but ignoring the War God.
"Well, seeing as these two plan on milking your punishment for all its worth, I'll go first." Hermes sighed as he slowly stood up, towering over the still heavily scowling War God. "Remember your little curse on my son? Let me return the favor." He snapped his fingers, smirking as Ares was enveloped in light that was brighter than any mode of transportation the gods used. When the light finally died down, the War God was blinking confusedly.
"Whoa. What did you do, bro?" Apollo asked as he raised an intrigued eyebrow, as what was once the raging voice that was Ares' inner thoughts that were being broadcasted into the room turned into a cacophony of noise that the room itself reverberating with the cackles, yells, cries and pleads of Ares' thoughts.
"I blurred the boundaries of his mind. I don't think D will be that angry with me for invading a little of his domain. This guy deserves it." Hermes sighed.
At Artemis' raised eyebrow as, Hermes grinned sheepishly. "Even if I informed him what I did, I'm planning on calling in another favor from Tyche and Nike about countering his curse, I don't think it would sink into his mind. Do you think I should've said that part first?"
Apollo's raised eyebrow was the only answer the sheepish Messenger God got from the twins.
"Though, do you think he can still feel pain?" Artemis sighed as she massaged her temples. Really, if she used these two as a point of comparison, she'll never like men.
"I think so? I just blurred his mind, not completely removed it." Hermes grumped at her.
"Fine. I'll call dibs on this fool. Let's see how he likes it when he's the one being chased around and tormented by girls. I'll turn him into a jackalope first, though. Give him a bit of an advantage. Enjoy yourselves." With a parting knowing smirk at the two pranksters, the Goddess of the Wild snapped her fingers, making both Ares' prone form (who still had that confused look plastered on his face) and herself vanish from the room.
The two gods blinked at each other warily.
"Hey bro?"
"Yeah, Apollo?"
"Artemis usually only smirks like that when a guy gets brutally mauled by her Hunters, you know."
"You don't think-?"
"Uh oh." The both of them chorused before they were enveloped by pink light. When the light vanished, instead of two gods, there were two teenaged gods-turned-goddesses. The two blinked at each other for a few moments before shrieking simultaneously.
"Oh gods, is that a pimple, Hermes?!"
"You should talk, Apollo! Your face is covered with them, too!"
"Oh you did not just go there!"
"You started it, bitch!"
"Oh, it's on!"
And thus, Apollo's punishment was much worse than he had originally planned, due to the fact that he really couldn't go after Artemis after her stunt (heck, the both of them couldn't even look at each other, much less think of a revenge plan after whatever Artemis had done to the both of them wore off). So the next day, the mortals all around the world were baffled as when the sun came up, there was a human shaped blot that was trailing slightly behind the movement of the sun, as if someone was tied to the back of the burning ball of fire (or so they thought). It was also a peculiarity that when the sun rose and fell, the smell of burning flesh permeated the earth, baffling science researchers around the world.
…..oo00oo…..
"Triton, I'm back."
"Father! Thank the Fates you're back!" The Prince of the Seas straightened up from his slumped posture on his throne as Poseidon leisurely materialized in the center of the throne room, smiling genially at his Crown Prince.
"Has your mother been that insufferable, then?" Poseidon's smile took on an edge of sympathy as Triton all but slumped back on his throne, burying his head on his hands.
"Mother's been demanding twice as much attention ever since you claimed Percy, and the Naiads are all complaining to me since you're not around! I never knew that she has daily spa treatments until now, and she's demanding that we import some of her help, since she's getting bored of her current ones! What am I supposed to do about that!? Bring Cyclopes for her as her aid!?"
"Yes, well, the Cyclopes never did anything that bad to deserve a punishment like that." Poseidon winced as he patted his son on the shoulder as he took his seat on his own throne.
"And don't get me started on her food demands! Hera's golden apples!? Milk from Apollo's sacred cows!? What's next? Caviar?!" Triton howled, clutching his hair in hysteria.
Poseidon sighed, but then he smirked, eyes gaining a malicious gleam. "Well, I have something that would make your sufferings here fade, if you're willing to take it."
"I doubt anything would make it worth it, other than Percy coming here to stay for good." Triton moaned.
"Oh, don't be too sure about that." Poseidon's smirk widened as he snapped his fingers, materializing two clear jars. One jar had a small spherical object the size smaller than a golf ball, while the other held an object that was of a phallic shape.
Triton sighed as he loosened his death grip on his hair, disbelieving, but willing to take a chance. Though, as he glanced up and glimpsed the two objects, his face morphed from despair to sheer, unadulterated glee. "DIBS ON THE BALLS!"
"Ball. Aphrodite asked for the left one, and really how could I refuse." Poseidon smiled apologetically, but Triton just nodded and snatched the jar containing the said part of the dismembered member.
He turned it this way and that, then rattled the jar, watching the spherical object bounce around the jar, spreading the golden ichor around. "You really know how to bribe me into doing your dirty work, Dad."
Poseidon hummed noncommittally, but then, a moment later, his smirk melted off into a soft smile. "Though, I know something that would make you even happier."
"Really? What?" Triton tossed the jar to the side, the jar itself disappearing before it could reach the ground, as the Prince turned towards the Sea God, all but vibrating in his seat.
"I sent Percy Medusa's head."
"Yeaaaaah. Uh, dad can you expound on that a bit? You lost me there somewhere. You know I don't know what happened to Percy, right?" Triton laughed , shifting nervously on his throne.
"We all saw it, Triton. The Council knows you're keeping tabs on Percy." Poseidon laughed at Triton's look. "And I couldn't be prouder of you, son."
Triton smiled, though he raised an inquiring eyebrow back at his father.
"Well. I pulled in an IOU with Hecate."
"That's not so bad. So what happened?"
"Well. It seems that my daughter deserves her place as the first ever Sea Princess."
Triton smirked, eyes glinting with pride. "So she didn't use it."
"No. No she did not." Poseidon mirrored his son's expressions to the letter.
"Well, Dad. It looks like things are to be interesting from now on."
Poseidon smiled as he looked at the ceiling of his throne room, picturing the two females most important to him.
"Yes, it certainly will be, Triton. That it will be."
Oh gods. We're down to the last chapter, everyone! One last chapter of glorious closure for the first quest and WE ARE DONE! I'm torn between crying and celebrating. Is that normal?
So, anyway! The Last Chapter! We finally get to see who the Lightning Thief is (if you guys haven't figured it out yet, then I'm not doing my job properly)! Also, the conclusion of the Prophecy!
For the surprise I was telling you guys about, well. Once I finish the last chapter, it would go up in two to three weeks tops after (I sorely hope).
So! READ AND REVIEW, guys! Happy belated Valentines and Happy Chinese New Year! :D