Legend of Olympus

by AliceBlackRabbit

A little original story I had to do for school.

The Legend of Olympus

The Olympians are a group of 12 gods who ruled after the overthrow of the Titans. All the Olympians are related in some way, and are named after their dwelling place; Mount Olympus. There are three 'main' gods who are usually the topic for most mythological stories. They are all brothers, and usually called 'The Big Three'.

First, we have Zeus. Zeus overthrew his father Cronus. He then drew lots with his brother Poseidon and Hades. Zeus won the draw and became the supreme ruler of the gods. He is lord of the sky, the rain god. His weapon is a thunderbolt which he hurls at those who displease him. He is married to Hera, but is famous for his many affairs. He is also known to punish those who lie or break oaths.

Next is Poseidon, the brother of Zeus. After the overthrow of his father Cronus, as mentioned before, he drew lots with his brothers Zeus and Hades. His prize was to become lord of the sea. He was widely worshipped by fishermen and seamen. He married Amphitrite, a granddaughter of the Titan Oceanus. His weapon is the trident, which can shake the earth and shatter any object. He is second only to Zeus in power amongst the gods. He has a difficult quarrelsome personality; he was greedy. He had a series of disputes with other gods when he tried to take over their cities.

Lastly, we have Hades, the brother to Zeus and Poseidon. When Hades drew lots with his brothers for shares of the world, he had the worst draw and was made lord of the Underworld, ruling over the dead. He is a greedy god who is greatly concerned with increasing his subjects. Those whose calling increase the number of dead are seen favorably. He is also the god of wealth, due to the precious metals mined from the earth. He has a helmet that makes him invisible, which is called the Helm of Darkness. Hades rarely leaves his home in the Underworld. He is unpitying and terrible, but not capricious. His wife is Persephone, whom he abducted. Hades is King of the Dead, but death itself is another god.

Those are The Big Three. Now that you have learned more about the Greek gods, we should turn to our main story. This story is about a hero; the protagonist. He faces many difficult challenges in life, and things are about to get much worse once he finds out who is real family actually is.

"Can anyone tell me the answer to this question?" The teacher's voice could be heard echoing in the classroom. It even reached to the very back of the room, where Thanasi was sitting. Thanasi was a young teenage boy who had gone through a lot in his life. He was often made fun of because of the strange scar that ran from his forehead and down his left eye. His eyes were a misty blue color, and looked rather melancholic. Thanasi was also bullied due to the color of his hair. His hair was snowy white, which was rather strange for a sixteen year old. He usually wore his hood up, so people couldn't see the scar marked on his face. Unfortunately for Thanasi, hoods were not allowed up in class.

"Thanasi, please remove your hood. Don't you want the class to see your face?" the teacher asked him in a polite tone.

"No, I like it up." He retorted.

"Please?"

"No."

"Do it or it's the counselors for you mister."

Grumbling, Thanasi removed his hood, which caused many quiet snickers being heard about. The teacher gave him a smile and continued to write problems up on the chalkboard. The clock ticked by very slowly. The day seemed to drag on forever. Finally, as if his prayers had been answered by the gods, the dismissal bells rang loud and clear throughout the high school. The students rose, bowed to the teacher, and rushed to collect their things and head home for the weekend. Thanasi was the last to get up. He gave his teacher a slight nod and went over to grab his things.

"Hey weirdo!" a voice said teasingly. Thanasi turned to see his best friend, Chase, walking towards him. Chase was the only friend Thanasi ever had. Chase didn't mind Thanasi's appearance. It's the personality that counts, right? Chase was a popular boy, usually the one to be invited to all the parties. He was captain of the football team and had been crowned 'king' at all the prom dances. Chase often babbled about how he was son of Apollo, the Greek god of music.

"My apologies Great Chase, I forgot to bow in your presence." Thanasi smirked as Chase helped him gather his belongings.

"Aw come on, I'm telling you! I really am the son of Apollo." Chase replied. Thanasi rolled his eyes and swung his backpack over one shoulder. The two walked out of class and headed down the long hallway to the exit of the school. As they approached the doors, a group of shady looking boys stepped in the way.

"Where're you heading nerd? You're not going home just yet!" one of the boys laughed at Thanasi. Thanasi felt rage boiling up inside him. These boys had just come around to mess up his day.

"Hey, leave him alone." Chase said to the boys.

"Oh my, I am so scared!" they all laughed at him. Chase took a step back. He was offended very easily. Thanasi stepped forward, glaring right into the eyes of the leader of the bunch.

"Get out of my way." He spoke in a sharp tone. The leader gave him a look that seemed to mock Thanasi. Thanasi held his gaze, but he ended up glancing away at the floor. One of the boys pushed him, knocking him down to the hard floor.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Chase begged them, only getting pushed away in the process. The boys ganged up on Thanasi, and proceeded to beat up the poor boy. But, in the midst of all this, Thanasi could hear someone speaking to him. He glanced around, but no one was talking.

"Do not be afraid. Stand up and show them that you're not a coward!" a voice seemed to be urging him. Weakly, Thanasi got to his feet.

"Ha! Look at him, thinking he can stand up to US." The leader snickered. Thanasi held up his fist, and bashed the boy in the mouth. The leader stammered backwards, blood gushed from his mouth. The group glanced nervously at Thanasi, and then retreated without their leader. Chase blinked, surprised at his friend's actions. Thanasi was not a fan of violence. He was the quiet, loner boy in the back of the class. No one talked to him or approached him; they just let him be the freak he is.

"Come on, let's go." Thanasi said to Chase as he started walking past the leader.

"R-Right." Chase stuttered. He picked himself up off the ground and followed Thanasi out the exit. The air was crisp that afternoon. It was mid-autumn, and it seemed it would be the coldest one in Toronto that year. 'Persephone must be chilling at home I suppose.' Thanasi thought to himself, remembering the Greek myth stating that when Persephone returned home for the remaining months, spring was brought upon the earth by her mother Demeter. Thanasi pulled his hood over his head as he and Chase walked down the sidewalk. Many people passed by, staring immensely at Thanasi; glancing away when he glared at them. The boys stopped at the large house on the corner of the street. It was rather large and had a statue of the Greek god Apollo.

"Well, here's my stop." Chase turned to Thanasi. Thanasi nodded.

"Geez, do you have to have Apollo standing in your lawn? It's going to creep people out you know." He sighed. Chase laughed and gave him a pat on the back before heading to his house. Thanasi turned away and began to walk home. As if he had a real home. Thanasi had been living with his uncle for as long as he could remember. When he was born, he was abandoned at birth. Or so that's what his uncle explained to him. Thanasi of course believed his uncle, knowing how honest the man was. He held a major grudge against his parents, whoever they were. After a couple minutes of walking, Thanasi arrived home. It was a small, rather shabby house. It was part of a shop that his uncle owned. It was a pawn shop, so it wasn't very popular. Thanasi entered through the door and threw his bag on the floor.

"I'm home." He called out, walking into the kitchen. The aroma of fresh feta cheese lingered in the air.

"Ah, Thanasi, welcome home my boy." His uncle greeted him with a gruff grin. Thanasi smiled back as he took a seat at the kitchen table. His uncle's name was Constantine, a common Greek name. Constantine set a plate of food in front of Thanasi, who contently gobbled it down.

"You don't have to wear your hood in here, you know." He said to the boy. Thanasi sighed and removed his hood before continuing to finish his meal. After he was done, he put the plate on the sink and turned to leave. Something always made Thanasi think twice, and he decided to ask his uncle about it.

"Uncle, why was I named Thanasi?" he asked, for he did not know the true meaning behind his name. Constantine looked up at him from the table. His face showed a grim sadness that made Thanasi shudder.

"Thanasi, if I tell you, you're going to be disappointed and maybe a bit angry with your parents. Do you still want to hear? If you do I will tell you," his uncle replied with a croaky voice. Thanasi nodded. 'As if I could hate my parents even more.' He thought.

"You are named after the Greek god Thanatos. He is a minor god and not very popular among many. He is the god of death and may be thought of a personification of death. He became rather overshadowed by Hades, lord of the Underworld. Hence the fact he played little roles in the myths."

Thanasi stared at the old man. The god of death? Why would any parent name their child after a god who represented dying? Thanasi felt betrayed by his parents. Angered, he stormed out of the house. The last thing he heard was the heaving sigh of Constantine.

Outside, it had begun to rain. Thanasi pulled his hood up and stomped angrily down the street. "What a joke. My parent's must've really hated me. I can only wonder why." He grumbled crossly to himself. Thunder boomed loudly in the air and lightning crashed across the grey sky. "I'm angry too Zeus." Thanasi suppressed a sigh. Death was such a mysterious event. You could be promised a long life, and think that you'd be safe for as long as you live. But death can change all of that. It happens so quickly your mind seems to go blank. Your life could be ripped away from you before you know it.

"Thanasi!" a voice could be heard yelling. Thanasi spun around and saw Constantine running towards him. And that was the last thing he saw before it happened…..

"Where am I?" Thanasi blinked open his cloudy eyes. He could hear the tormenting screams of many, many people. He seemed to be on a boat being rowed across….nothing. The boat was floating, it seemed. "What's going on?" he began to panic.

"You're dead." Someone spoke. No. Not someone, something. Thanasi turned to see a skeleton in a black robe rowing the floating boat across the strange world. Thanasi gasped. He couldn't be dead! He had just been with his uncle outside. Thanasi tried to retrace his memory. That was it. His death…..Thanasi had been struck by the lightning that Zeus had been heaving across the sky that day. The only question was, why? What did Thanasi do to go on bad terms with the god? Maybe his life was just stained with bad luck and hatred. Perhaps this was the doing of the god of death, Thanatos.

"You are an idiot! Run. Run away from there!" Thanasi could hear that same voice he had heard when that shady group knocked him down. It was telling him to run. Thanasi peered over the boat, only to see a terrifying sight. There were a lot of souls down below. Fire was burning on the ground, which seemed to be several, several, SEVERAL feet below the boat. How would he escape?

"We have arrived." The skeleton told Thanasi. The boat stopped by a large palace. Thanasi blinked and stepped off the boat. He watched as it sailed away across the threatening sky. There was only one place he could go now; inside the unfamiliar palace. Thanasi had to use all his strength just to push open the large doors. Thanasi felt as though he was still a living being, although that would be a lie. He placed two fingers on his wrist; no pulse. So he really was dead, that much was true. Thanasi wondered why the voice was telling him to escape. Who could be living in this place? Inside, the walls were brimmed with gold. For the Underworld, this palace seemed rather….bright. Then I hit him. Like a ton of bricks had just fallen upon the boy. He realized why the voice was telling him to run away. Thanasi was about to have a little chat with the lord of the Underworld.

"Hello?" Thanasi called. His voice echoed in the large hall of the palace. His words bounced off the walls and seemed to spring at him. Someone walked around the corner. It was a young woman, who looked very sad.

"Who might you be?" she asked dully. Thanasi looked around. He was the only one here, so she must be talking to him.

"Are you talking to me?" he asked, a bit confused. She nodded abruptly. Thanasi found it rather strange. He had never been spoken to directly. He felt a strange feeling. He felt happy to be spoken to. But that feeling melted away as a man walked over to the women and stood by her.

"Persephone, please go feed the souls," The man spoke to her. So that women was Persephone. If she was Persephone, this man must be Hades. He didn't look like how Thanasi had expected. He must be in his human form, because he wasn't the threatening, flame breathing beast he was said to be.

"And you are…?" Hades raised a dark eyebrow at Thanasi. Thanasi got stiff.

"Thanasi."

"Thanasi? Hmm, that seems to ring a bell somehow. Might you be the son of Thanatos?"

"How should I know? I was abandoned at birth."

Hades smirked and walked towards Thanasi. He took a step back, frightened by the approaching god. Hades grasped Thanasi's hood, and pulled it off his head before Thanasi had a chance to stop him. Hades glanced at him. It looked as if the lord of the Underworld was examining the boy. When Hades saw the strange mark on his face, a grin stretched across his lips.

"It's so good to see the son of my old friend," Hades chuckled. Thanasi looked confused. Who was Hades old friend? And why did he call Thanasi the son of the mysterious person? "Thanasi, your father is Thanatos."

Shock, anger, and despair flared throughout Thanasi. How could that be possible? He had heard of demi-gods, who are have god half mortal being, but if Thanasi was a demi-god, who was his mother? If this was indeed true, why hadn't his uncle told him? Thanasi was hurt and confused.

"So it really is true. My father is in fact Thanatos, the god of death." Thanasi's voice choked up. Hades smirked and nodded.

"Ah, but that's too bad. I was going to have you fed to the souls because your dead, but I can't dispose of my acquaintance's son." He said with a small sigh. Thanasi flinched. That voice in his head, he realized it must've been his father speaking to him. He had to get out of here. But how would he? Thanasi glared into the eyes of the Underworld's lord.

"What will happen to me now? Just tell me that," He asked. Hades just shrugged a reply and tapped his foot against the hard floors of the room. "Tell me!"

"Settle down now, young one. You're not immortal, you're dead. Don't get the idea that because you are dead you can live forever like a true god. Even if you manage to escape, which no one has, you won't be safe. You will most likely either be burned from the sunlight of the earth, or something will end up ripping your soul right out of your body." Hades told the boy eerily.

Doomed, that was the word that popped up in Thanasi's head. Thanasi took a deep breath. He had to think. There is always a way out of a problem, always a solution. In the corner of his eye Thanasi spotted Persephone. He remembered tales of how she would give men pearls that helped them escape from the Underworld after visiting her. That was it, the way out. Thanasi casually walked past Hades. As he approached Persephone, she took a step back.

"Give me one of your pearls." He demanded her.

"Why should I give it to someone like you? You're so rude."

"Please, I need to escape my fate."

Silence filled the halls. It was only a matter of time now. Thanasi could hear the heavy footsteps of Hades approaching behind him. He looked at Persephone anxiously, awaiting her answer. Persephone hesitated for a long while. Thanasi held his breath.

"Take it, and leave here before it's too late." Persephone took a small milky white pearl out of her pocket and passed it to Thanasi. He caught it with ease and gave her a smile.

"You can't escape!" cried the deep voice of Hades. Thanasi placed the pearl on the ground. Hades was approaching fast, now all he had to do was crush it. He stomped on the pearl, and mist surrounded him. Before he knew it, he was out of the Underworld. Thanasi remembered he had to think of somewhere to go. But where could he go now? He was dead, after all. The only place he could think of was Olympus. There, he could confront Zeus about his death and find out the true secret behind his shrouded past. The image of Mount Olympus that Thanasi had read in books had flooded his mind. The pearl should take him there. And it did. When the mist had evaporated into the air, Thanasi could see the large mountains and coliseums of the Greek world.

"Olympus," Thanasi spoke quietly. He proceeded forward. Nymphs and satyrs were prancing around in the green grass. They all stared at Thanasi as he passed, some even hid from him. "Gee, I guess the son of death isn't so popular." Thanasi looked up. He could see a very large white building. That must be where the gods were. He cautiously walked up the large stairs. Step after step after step. It seemed to be endless. Lucky for him, he couldn't feel that agonizing fatigue or drowsiness that living beings could feel. Maybe he had an advantage, being dead and all. Finally, after what seemed to be thousands of steps, Thanasi had reached the large palace. It was different from Hades. Instead of darkness surrounding it, this palace was pure white with a shimmering light reflecting off from all directions. This was it, the final stage of the endless battle. Thanasi placed his hand on the large white doors, and pushed it open.

"Who dares to disturb Zeus?" a loud voice boomed from deeper inside. Thanasi rolled his eyes. He was on bad terms with the god already, so what if he made the god a little angry? It's not like he could die a second time.

"Zeus, lord of the sky, it is I; Thanasi." He spoke clearly. Thanasi walked further into the palace. When he seemed to be in the center of the building, he could see many gods seated around the circular room. Zeus glared down at him, making Thanasi feel like a shrunken ant.

"It's only you. You're Thanasi, the destroyer of time." Zeus grumbled angrily. Thanasi tilted his head slightly. Destroyer of time? He had never been called that before. Thanasi just decided to act casual when talking with the god.

"Tell me why you're calling me that." He had to shout to be heard.

"That scar on your face, it's causing the entire different world's time to go out of whack."

"Well I didn't know!" So that was the meaning behind his scar. Although Thanasi had no idea why he had it or how he got it, he remembered having it since he was born. Thanasi sighed. This conversation wasn't getting them anywhere.

"Your father has been banished from Olympus," Zeus spoke with authority. Thanasi shrugged. He didn't really care what happened to Thanatos. "And you're his son, the destroyer of time. You must be banished too."

"Hey, hey, hold on a minute! You're the one who struck me with that stupid thunderbolt of yours! I'm a dead boy because of it!" Thanasi argued. He was letting frustration and anger get the best of him. He had to calm down if he wanted to live with his soul.

"I am aware of all that fool! I had to banish you from that earth, or you would just keep messing up the time in space." Zeus bellowed.

"Quit arguing you two." Hera, Zeus' wife told them both.

"Shut up! I hate you both! I didn't choose to be a destroyer of time!" Thanasi cried. He fought the urge of crying. He had to stay strong. It wasn't his choice to be born with his scar anyways.

"My boy, listen to me. Your father gave you that scar so you could carry out his duty of death, since he no longer had control of it." Zeus said, his voice was more calm and relaxed than before. Thanasi clenched his hands into tight fists.

"Then why am I still here? Take my soul then! If I should be banished from destroying the timelines, kill me on the spot!" he yelled.

"Relax. I'm not going to vanquish you."

"And why is that?"

"Although you are the destroyer of time you are also the guardian of life."

Thanasi blinked. He felt as if he was being torn apart. He was destroying time, but guarding lives? This was messed up.

"I don't….I don't understand." Thanasi said. His voice hinted a small sadness.

"If I took away your soul of being a god, lives would be taken away from the living," Zeus replied. Thanasi couldn't believe what he was hearing. So he really was a god. But Hades had told him he wasn't immortal. Last time Thanasi checked, gods had immortality. Hades had lied to Thanasi so he wouldn't try to escape from the Underworld. Such a nice god he was. Not.

"What will happen to me now?" Thanasi asked worriedly. What would become of someone who was destroyer of times?

"You will live here, at Mount Olympus. Here the times could be controlled, and the time of deaths occurring would decrease. You'd be keeping the time line in order, and balancing the dead and the living," Zeus replied with a small smile that was hidden under his white beard. Thanasi looked up at the god. He felt welcomed, for once. "Do you accept this offer?" Thanasi nodded quickly. He couldn't contain his joy. He felt overwhelmed with happiness, and he wanted to jump about like a young child. But he stayed calm, and played it cool.

"Sure whatever, I don't have anywhere else to go." He replied as he pulled his hood over his head. Zeus nodded. A white chair appeared next to him, with Thanasi's name engraved on the white stone. Thanasi gladly accepted. He took his seat beside the lord of the sky, and peered around at all the other gods. A family, that was the right word to describe it. Thanasi had finally found his place; where he belonged.

"Glad to see you here." A voice greeted him. Thanasi turned his head and saw his best friend Chase coming towards him. He blinked.

"Chase? What are you doing here? You're not dead, are you?" he asked, panicked.

"Ha! Nope, I'm not dead. I'm a demi-god. I told you my father was Apollo. I visit him up here in Olympus every couple years or so." Chase replied. Thanasi smiled. It felt like a 2 in 1 deal; Thanasi lived as a god AND got to see Chase. Then the loud sound of stomping footsteps could be heard outside the palace. The doors crashed open, and the lord of the Underworld entered through the door.

"Zeus! How DARE you accept this…..this filth into Olympus!" His deep voice boomed. Thanasi winced as he remembered encountering Hades in the Underworld. It hadn't been a great visit.

"We need him to keep balance, Hades." Zeus replied calmly. Hades' eyes burned with anger and frustration. It seemed like Thanasi was not wanted here.

"He must be destroyed for all of his sin! Let me take him to the Underworld."

"That is not necessary. This is the place he needs to be."

Thanasi watched as the two gods argued about where he should stay. Chase put a comforting hand on his shoulder and Thanasi threw him a grateful smile. No matter what would happen now, Thanasi felt no regrets about anything. Nothing except the fact that the last time he got to talk with his uncle, he had stormed off angrily. The familiar pang of regret hit him like a ton of solid bricks. He felt terrible for not thanking his uncle for the afterschool meal he had made. Nothing could change it now, nothing at all.

"Hades, why do you want me in the Underworld anyways?" Thanasi asked the lord.

"I want you there so I can properly punish you for what you did." Hades hissed.

"And what did I do exactly?"

"You destroyed the time flow!"

"When did I do that?" Apparently, Thanasi had no knowledge of the time flow. The only time flow that came to his mind was when the year changes. On New Years, everyone celebrates the world coming into a new year. Was that the time flow that he had been causing trouble for?

"Thanasi, let me explain. On New Years day, you destroy the previous year and create a new one for the world." Zeus had finally explained everything. Thanasi nodded, staring blankly at the god. So that was why the year changed.

"So this year, I'll be destroying 2000?" he asked curiously. Zeus nodded a reply.

"But how do I do that?" Thanasi couldn't help asking.

"When you shut your eyes at night, the scar on your head glows a bright red. When that happens, a strange event occurs. Every mortal being is put into a deep sleep that last only a few hours, about the average time for a mortal to sleep. After they are asleep, your scar unleashes this enormous amount of power, which completely destroys that year. The earth floats in the space time continuum until your power has created an exact replica of the earth, but in the New Year." Zeus told him. So much knowledge filled Thanasi's head. The true meaning behind his scar…all the mysterious had been cleared.

"Oh fantastic, you now know your purpose. Congrats," Hades rolled his eyes and clapped mockingly. "Now come with me Thanasi. Your father would approve, I would think."

"No! I'm not coming with you. I'm staying here, in Olympus." Thanasi glared at him, holding his gaze for the longest time.

"Oh? I don't think you have much of a choice."

"I can control my own fate."

"Can you now?"

"Yes!" The argument seemed endless and quite pointless to Thanasi. The only way to end it, it seemed, was to fight this cruel god. Without thinking, Thanasi grasped one of Zeus' lightning bolts. Before Zeus could stop the boy, he thrust it at Hades with great power. The bolt pierced Hades in the chest, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground.

"You fool!" Zeus' voice exploded with anger. Thanasi gulped. He shouldn't have taken a god's weapon without permission. Chase hid in the corner, watching with wide eyes at the horrific sight. Hades' body had dissolved. Was he dead?

"I didn't mean to kill him! That wasn't my intention!" Thanasi protested.

"He isn't dead! He has returned back to his realm; the Underworld." Zeus told him, anger spat out with every word.

"Then what's the problem? Why are you mad?"

"You took my bolt without my permission!"

"What else could I have done?" They say silence is golden, but the silence filling the Olympians' palace seemed disturbing. Thanasi and Zeus both seemed locked in a staring contest. Neither one took their eyes off the other. Finally, Thanasi couldn't bear it anymore. He glanced down at his feet nervously.

"I'm sorry," Thanasi finally said. He looked back up at Zeus. "I know I should have asked, but my anger got the best of me. I know the meaning of my scar now, and the reason I'm still walking around on my two feet. I have to keep the balance to the world. You said so yourself." Zeus nodded in agreement. He seemed to be simmering down from the incident that had occurred not long ago.

"That is true. That is why I can't and will not destroy you where you stand. You know what you have done wrong, and that's good enough." The god smiled slightly. Thanasi grinned. No exile or punishment for this time destroyer. Chase let out a sigh of relief from the corner of the palace. He felt happy that his friend wouldn't be punished.

"Thanasi, it is about time for you to complete your job." Zeus told him.

"What job?" Thanasi asked in confusion.

"Your job to destroy the current year, it's time for the new year to begin."

Thanasi nodded. He walked to the center of the palace, where a large table was set. If you looked at the table, you could see all the different places in the world. Thanasi pulled off his hood; his scar could be clearly seen. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. It was time for a new era, a new god to be known to the world. Thanasi: Destroyer of Time.

The End