GO BACK AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER BEFORE READING THIS ONE!
This is because I posted the last chapter over the authors note, so some of you may not have read it.
Anyway I hope you enjoy the PENULTIMATE chapter! Only 1 more after this!
I will discuss any sequels in the next chapter, but in the meantime- any ideas are welcome.
Please review! The next chapter should be up soon!
Jason
Jason was sure the world was ending.
What other explanation could there be? He had never experienced… well, anything like this.
The ground was shaking violently, rock bursting out of the ground in random places. Explosions filled Jason's eardrums, a constant booming sound. The air crackled with energy, sparks flying. The wind raged through the air, a tornado of ferocity. Lightning struck in random places, incinerating the ground. The sky itself turned dark, reflecting Ouranos' mood.
It was complete chaos. Most of Jason's friends were in no fit state to fight. Barely conscious, they had managed to kill all the monsters, and now all they could do was watch.
Only Jason was unaffected by the air-pressure, because he was son of Jupiter. He flew above the earth, so the ground's power couldn't affect him as much.
The fight was at its peak. Ouranos was disintegrating Gaia, all his energy being released, Gaia fighting back with all her might.
But she was losing. Already her rocky form, started to crumble, her features losing shape. But the energy required was also draining Ouranos. He shrunk in size, unable to hold his humongous form.
Suddenly Ouranos pressed down with his spear one last time. There was a final, colossal explosion, his spear itself splintering. Fire roared out in columns from the weapon. The air moved so fast, howling, that Jason couldn't see. Lightning struck thousands of times in the space of a few seconds. The earth rippled like a wave, propelling itself at Ouranos, holes forming in the ground, leading to Tartarus itself.
Pure white light ripped through the air, the sound so loud there was a ringing in his ears.
Suddenly there was a sucking sound, and the light collapsed in on itself. Jason's vision cleared. There was a heavenly silence.
There was a gaping crater in the earth. Rocks, sand and mud were all displaced. But Gaia was gone. Her very essence had disintegrated. Ouranos was now only 50 feet tall, his body normal. His robes were smouldering. His face was drained. He looked on in shock, as if he was surprised by what he had done. He didn't move.
Jason's friends weakly walked up to him.
"It's done," Jason said. "Gaia's gone."
Piper grinned faintly in response. Leo let out a sigh.
There was a flash of light in front of Jason, and the gods appeared.
Jupiter stood at the front of the line of gods. A regal smile was on his lips as he gazed at Jason.
"Well done, demigods. All of you have done a great service to Olympus." He was interrupted by Hazel's swaying. A weak Frank tried to steady her. Jupiter cleared his throat. "We shall discuss this formally soon, but first we must clean up and get you attended to."
He glanced at Porphyrion, the unconscious giant starting to stir. He had been knocked out, but not killed, as no god had been there to fight him.
At a look from his father, Jason knew what he had to do. He stepped forward and held out his sword. Jupiter flicked his hand, and lightning struck down on Jason's sword. The electricity struck down with such force that Jason had to clench his hand on his sword, his jaw chattering from the vibrations. The bolt bounced off Jason's sword and zoomed towards the giant. When it hit him, Porphyrion exploded in a cloud of red dust.
Unfortunately, the sound stirred Ouranos. He looked up, and his face darkened when he noticed the gods. Jupiter cursed.
"We must get rid of him, while he is in his weakened state."
"Get rid of him?" Jason asked, raising his eyebrows. "But he helped us defeat Gaia."
"Only because he has his own reasons to want revenge on Gaia. If he is allowed to re-establish his power, that would be very bad."
At this Ouranos roared. He rose into the air, his form flickering blue again. Without delay Jupiter launched himself at him, his thunderbolt crackling. The rest of the gods attacked as well.
In his weakened state, Ouranos had no chance. The gods power beat him down, and soon his literal essence vaporized, blue dust crumbling in the wind. There was a wave of light once more, but it wasn't as strong as when Gaia had disintegrated. Ouranos didn't have as much energy; he had used it all defeating Gaia.
Ares smiled and clapped his hands together. "Well, that's this battle over."
Jason stood up straight. "The battle! Back at Athens! We need to go see how it's going!"
There was a silence behind him. Jason realized his friends had fallen unconscious, blacked out completely by the air-pressure drop when Ouranos had been vaporized.
Jupiter nodded. "You may go. Your friends will be tended to. We must stay here to restore the mountain, but we can help you on your way…" Jupiter frowned, before snapping his fingers, and the world went black.
Jason opened his eyes to see an ending battle in the Acropolis. The gods had transported him. Before him were a few monsters, losing a fight against the demigods, Cyclopes and nature-spirits, even hunters.
Quickly Jason flew down to help, summoning lightning. While he was fighting, he turned round to see someone running at him, and he almost jumped out of his skin.
"Reyna!" he cried out. "You- you're awake!"
Reyna's eyes sparkled at him. "Damasen's medicine worked! I woke just in time for the battle, soon after you left! How did it go? Is Gaia-"
"Gone," Jason confirmed, grinning at her, glad she was healed.
Reyna's face cracked into a smile. "We're winning the battle. It should be over soon."
Jason was preparing himself to ask how many casualties there were, when he was distracted by several skeletons rising from the ground. Nico di Angelo was summoning skeletons to help finish off the battle. Jason was about to run over to help him- his eyes were closed in concentration and the effort- when suddenly a dracaenae jumped behind him, stabbing Nico in the back.
Jason yelled, but Nico crumpled forward, the dracaenae smiling, a bloody dagger in her hand.
Jason charged at the dracaenae, vaporizing her with a blow. Lightning arced around the battlefield, disintegrating monsters. The demigods pushed forward a final time, Grover playing his reed pipes, the Cyclopes bellowing. Soon the monster army was dead, but Jason kneeled over Nico.
"Nico!" He shook him, blood soaking his hands. Reyna, Grover and Tyson ran over.
Grover put a hand on Nico's wound, closing his eyes. He opened them in alarm. "He- he's dying…"
Reyna cried out. "We have to do something!"
Jason thought rapidly. He felt an obligation to this younger boy, who had suffered so much pain. He would not let him die.
Father, Jason thought, please! I need help…
Eyes closed, Jason prayed.
For the second time that day, the scene before him disappeared. A brief second of motion, before his vision focused.
He was on Olympus. The palace had briefly been restored, the crumbling marble arches towering once again, the lustre back to the courtyard, the plants freshly trimmed. The scene before them was hectic. All of the demigods had been transported from the Acropolis to Olympus. The gods commended their children; the wounded were being healed to. The twelve thrones stood tall and grand in a U shape.
The rest of the seven, now healed, rushed to Jason. Hazel yelped.
"Nico!" she cradled him in her arms. "Someone, please, help!" Apollo, the god of healing, inspected him. Lightly, he touched a finger on Nico's wound. The skin around it stretched over it, the blood siphoning back into the flesh. Soon, only a scar was left.
Apollo grinned smugly. "He'll be unconscious for a while, but he'll be fine."
Jason heaved a sigh of relief. "Can you help all the wounded like that?"
Apollo raised an eyebrow. "I am a god, not a simple doctor."
Jason growled. "We just risked our lives, fought in a war, just to save you. You have to help them!"
Apollo looked surprised at his outburst. He opened his mouth to protest, before considering. He shut his mouth and nodded.
"Very well."
Even though Jason knew the wounded would be looked after, he wondered how many were beyond help.
As if reading his mind, Clarisse jogged over.
"Clarisse! How did the fight go?" Percy asked.
Clarisse smiled. "It was tough at first, but then there was an earthquake, a massive one. Half the monsters vaporized on the spot. After that it was easy."
Annabeth nodded. "That must have been when Gaia was disintegrated. The ground must have been giving the monsters energy, but when Gaia was vaporized, they would have lost that energy."
"And… the dead?" Frank asked tersely.
Clarisse's face darkened. "I don't know everyone, but I know a few who… didn't make it from camp half-blood. Will Solace, Nyssa, Miranda Gardiner, Butch, Clovis…" Clarisse stopped.
Reyna frowned as well. "Among the Romans, I know that… Dakota, Bobby, Larry, Michael… they didn't-" Reyna couldn't finish the sentence.
Each name felt like a punch in the gut to Jason. Will Solace had healed many of Jason's injuries, as head of the Apollo Cabin. Nyssa had been one of the Argo's main engineers. Miranda Gardiner, daughter of Demeter, had been one of the campers to help him settle in. Butch had driven him to camp half-blood for the first time, along with Annabeth. Clovis had tried to help him get his memory back.
And the deaths at camp Jupiter… Dakota had been his commanding officer for years, before he had become praetor. Bobby was Jason's oldest friend at camp, and Larry and Michael had always been friendly to Jason, helping at camp.
Sorrow washed through him. Jason closed his eyes and steeled himself. There would be time to mourn later. For now, he had to help out.
The next hour was a blur. The rest of the seven wandered off to speak to their friends. Reyna ran over to hug Connor. He helped the wounded who hadn't received treatment from Apollo yet; he assisted with the damage, checking up with people. Piper was at his side the whole time. Every so often he squeezed her hand, and they exchanged looks.
Jason was relieved that Piper was safe. She had recovered mostly from her injuries, and looked as beautiful as ever. Jason realized that for the rest of the summer, there would be no war looming over them. Finally they could enjoy themselves.
He greeted Thalia, made sure she was okay. While they were talking, Piper told Jason she was just quickly going to check on her brothers and sisters from her cabin. Jason nodded in assent. Thalia had to leave to check on her hunters too. He then spotted Nico di Angelo, awake now, wrapped in a bandage.
"Hey," Jason said as he approached him. "Is the wound ok?"
Nico shrugged. "It's pretty much healed. Hurts a bit if I stretch, but I can live with it." There was an awkward silence for a moment. "Thanks, by the way," Nico added.
Jason smiled. Nico opened his mouth to say something else, when he was interrupted by Percy, Frank and Leo wandering over.
"Hey," Percy smiled at them.
Nico looked at the floor. "I better go, check with… um, some people."
Jason nodded as Nico scrambled off. Percy raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Piper, Annabeth and Hazel joined them. All of the seven.
"I can't believe the war's over," Hazel said happily.
Frank nodded. "It feels good to not have to worry about it anymore, like how the prophecy will turn out, and all the other stuff."
"The prophecy," Jason remembered. "How did it work out?" he asked. They all exchanged looks.
"Seven half-bloods shall answer the call," Piper recalled. "That's us."
"To storm or fire the world shall fall," Leo continued.
"The storm was Ouranos, and the fire was the power of his spear," Jason realized. "The world, Gaia, fell to storm. But the world, as in our civilization, would've fallen if the fire, the spear, hadn't been retrieved."
"An oath to keep with a final breath," Percy continued. "My oath to Annabeth, to stay with her."
"And the final breath was Gaia's, who ultimately died because of that oath," Annabeth added.
"And foes bear arms to the doors of death," Frank finished.
"Percy, Annabeth, Bob and Damasen, all meant to be enemies, closing the doors of death together." Hazel nodded.
Leo grinned. "And that, ladies and gentleman, and um, nature spirits of other kinds, is how the war ended! Finally I can get my mojo going. I can finish the project I was working on, and of course I'll need to find her…"
"Find who?" Piper asked, raising an eyebrow.
Leo blushed. "Oh, well-" He was interrupted by a voice booming all over the courtyard.
"Council convene!" Jupiter said, and the gods all sat on their thrones, the demigods, nature spirits and Cyclopes lining at the edges of the courtyard.
"Well done, demigods. You have exceeded all expectations…" Jupiter droned on for a while about the war effort, the bravery of gods, and of course the help of demigods, nature spirits and Cyclopes.
"We must reward the bravery of all who fought against Gaia in the war." There was a rumble of assent throughout the gods.
Jupiter called the Cyclopes up first, Tyson at the lead, and rewarded them with the promise of brand new forges where they worked in Poseidon's palace.
Tyson clapped his hands. "Yay!"
After that the Hunters came up. Zeus smiled at his daughter, and promised to help them fill their ranks, after the casualties they lost in the war.
Next were the nature spirits.
"What would you desire in reward for your loyalty and courage? Grover Underwood, as lord of the wild, you may speak for your brethren."
Grover cleared his throat. "Lord Jupiter, all we want is for nature to be recover. Could you, perhaps, just help us in our efforts to clean the streams, the air, the earth of pollution?"
Jupiter nodded, and a small cheer went out through the nature spirits.
Then the hundred-handed ones were rewarded, as well as all the minor gods who had helped them, such as Aida and Ananke.
"And of course, the demigods."
Slowly the children of each god were called up, and gifted by their parents. All except the seven. At the end, when everyone else was gifted they were called up.
"You, seven demigods, have led the war effort. You journeyed to Greece, faced many giants, and defeated Gaia. As a reward for this ultimate bravery, we shall grant each of you a wish, of your choice. Within reason of course."
There was a short silence as they registered that.
Hades gave a ghostly smile. "Why don't we start with my daughter? Hazel?"
Hazel looked at her father nervously. "My wish… I want peace between this life, and my old life. I want my curse to no longer exist. You said a descendant of Neptune would wash it away, and that's what happened. Frank helped me control it. But I want all remains of the curse to be gone. And my mother… she deserves Elysium. She was good in the end."
Hades was silent for a moment, before he nodded. Hazel smiled.
Frank was next in the line. "I want my burning stick- I- I don't want to have to worry about it anymore. I can control my powers. I want to get rid of that fate."
Juno leaned forward on this one. "Very well. If that is what you want."
Athena smiled at Annabeth. "My daughter, I know you already have much of what you want. And your job as architect of Olympus remains. But is there anything else, perhaps in the pursuit of knowledge…?"
Annabeth laughed. "Yes mother. My laptop. I lost it in Tartarus. Can I have it back?" Soon she was cradling Daedalus' laptop in her arms.
Poseidon looked at Percy expectantly. Percy cleared his throat. "Maybe… Can you cure me, and Annabeth, of our nightmares? Of Tartarus? I don't want to have those experiences haunt me for the rest of my life." Poseidon grinned in assent.
Hephaestus coughed, looking at Leo. Aphrodite squealed.
"Oh my god, I know what he wants! And it is so romantic!"
Jason's mind whirred. Aphrodite knew what Leo wanted… something romantic… and Leo had talked about meeting a girl earlier. The pieces fell in place in Jason's mind. He remembered that time when Leo had been blasted off the ship by Khione onto an island… and he had come back changed…
Leo stepped forward. "I want you to release Calypso from her curse, properly this time."
Percy frowned. "Wait, what? How do you know Calypso? And isn't she already freed?"
Leo turned to him. "No. The gods didn't get round to freeing her. When you were in Tartarus, I was trapped on her island for a while. When I left, I promised I'd come back for her." He turned back to his father. "And I'm keeping that promise. I want to go to Calypso's island, and take her back to camp half-blood with me."
Finally it made sense to Jason. Leo and Calypso had fallen in love, but Leo had had to leave her.
Piper grinned next to him. Hephaestus nodded in assent.
It was Jason's turn. And Jason knew what he wanted. For so long he had been grappling over his identity, who he was, where he belonged. Camp Jupiter or Camp half-blood? He knew that once this war was over, everyone would return to their camps. Their separate camps. And Jason didn't want that. There were friendships between the camps. They couldn't leave that behind now.
"There needs to be a way the camps are linked. A way so we are effectively one." He told the gods his plan.
Once they had agreed, Piper asked for her wish.
"After this summer, its out final year at school. Can we," she gestured at the seven, "go to school together next year in New York, while still at camp. And anyone else who wants to come can come as well. And no scent. Monster-free time."
Jason smiled. That plan sounded pretty good to him. He kissed Piper when the gods agreed.
"Well, demigods. We shall let you return to America. But first…"
He snapped his fingers. All the people in the room lined up at the side, weapons up. "We shall honour these demigods, the Heroes of Olympus!"
Hope you enjoyed that! Next one is the last one! Please review!