Days went by. Those days turned into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, and soon, several centuries had gone by. Olympus had changed greatly. There were no longer only a few Olympians. Now there were major and minor gods, as well as powerful demigods roaming the world. Each god and goddess continued with their duties refusing to disappoint Gabriel; wherever he was.
It had been hundreds of years since Gabriel had left Olympus. The last anyone had seen of him he had helped the Olympians make the transition from Greek to Roman. Since then, nothing. Artemis and her huntresses had searched all throughout the world hoping for a trace, for a glimmer of hope that Gabriel was still around. Alas, they had come back empty handed. None of the gods could sense his presence. It was as if he had simply vanished. Of course, they knew that it was not possible, for without Gabriel the world would plunge into eternal darkness. Somehow, from somewhere, he was fulfilling his promises that he had made to the Olympians so many long years ago.
The Olympians were no longer revered the way they had been. Greece had fallen and Rome, the empire that seemed to be able to withstand the tests of time, had collapsed as well. However, the power and faith of the demigods and other beings helped keep the ancient deities alive. But things had changed. Olympus was no longer as grand as it had been before. Without Gabriel to help keep the family of gods in line, each had succumbed to their own desires and greed.
Zeus no longer remained the compassionate and humble ruler he had been. He was consumed with power, greed, jealousy, and glory. Hera grew bitter towards all demigods, primarily the children of Zeus, though none could truly blame her. Poseidon, angry and bitter towards his brother's egotism resorted to remaining in Atlantis unless dire needs called him back to Olympus. Hades and Hestia were completely cut off from Olympus. Despite the fact that they had willingly let go of their Olympian status, Zeus cast them off. Hestia was allowed on Olympus but was completely restricted in what she could do or say. Hades was forbidden to even show his face on Olympus except for the Winter and Summer solstices. Apollo and Hermes became wild and careless without a strong, firm hand keeping them in line. Artemis completely disengaged herself from the affairs of Olympus only returning if it was absolutely necessary. She and her hunters became fierce and frightening. They haunted the dreams of men throughout the entire world. Demeter, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Ares, and Dionysus, who had become the last Olympian, had also grown weary of Zeus's arrogance. Olympus had become divided and over time wars broke out due to their greed and hostility towards each other.
Without anyone knowing Gabriel had continued to help keep the balance in all things. He guided Athena into making claim to the great city of Athens over Poseidon, however he guided ,and even helped physically, Sparta defeat Athens in the Peloponnesian War. In order to show Zeus and the other Olympians that their actions were doing much more harm than good, Gabriel guided Rome onwards to defeat and conquer Greece. However, the Olympians, namely Zeus, still had not learned their lessons.
Many, many years passed, and the Civil War broke out between the armies of Rome and Greece. Gabriel did not allow anyone to see his involvement but he too ended that war. Greece, predominantly siding with the Union, was given victory over Rome and the Confederacy. It was a necessary but brutal war.
Now the world was at a fragile peace. But Gabriel knew what was coming. War was returning; a war that the gods were not prepared for. Gabriel had a plan, but it would be dangerous. One false move could cause tremendous problems.
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Sally Jackson glared at her hands. Wrappers and papers were sticking to her fingers after having worked so long with all the candy. Holding her hands as far away from her as possible, she walked over to the sink to rinse her hands off. Working at a candy shop was messy, but she loved her job. How could she not? She got all the free chocolate and candy she wanted whenever she wanted it. Life was great. Hard; but great.
The little bell at the door chimed and she quickly dried off her hands, scowling at the still sticky feeling on her fingers. She walked up to the front wiping her hands off on her apron when she saw the man at the door. She froze.
The man was tall. Not just taller than her, tall. He was easily six and a half feet tall. He was well built, very attractive, but that wasn't what caught her attention. It was his eyes. His eyes were a deep gold, like a swirling pot of molten gold. Her eyes glimmered for a second as though a speck of dust had found its way into her eye. She wiped it carefully, not wanting the candy residue infecting them. When she looked back at the man, she saw passed his eyes and into his true being.
"Wh-Who are you?" she whispered. The man smiled but ignored her question. He swept his dark hair out from his face before rubbing his beard.
"I'm simply passing through. I saw the sign and decided to come on in. I love chocolate, you see." Sally stayed rooted to her place, while the man knelt down to look into the counter to see the different selections of chocolate. "Mmm, Bordeaux. I don't know why but I have a strong love for Bordeaux. However, and I know this will sound crazy, but do you have any blue chocolate?" Sally stared before shaking her head and smiling.
"Blue? I think we have some of that." Sally turned and looked through the different jars of candy before coming back with a little candy in a blue wrapping. "That's my favorite kind. But who are you, my Lord?" The man turned to look at her, his eyes gazing into hers intently.
"My Lord," he said absentmindedly. "I am nobody's lord. I am simply a forgotten man with much to do. Tell me Sally Jackson," he said. She looked startled by the sound of her name. "Who do you think I am?"
"Your eyes are golden. I sense an ancient power in you. Are you a god?" she asked. The man nodded and smiled.
"You are very wise, my dear. I am indeed a god. Originally I was from the ancient Greek pantheon, but now I am no longer tied down by any nation or group. I am simply the forgotten." The man conjured up two stools, as if to prove himself. Sally, for her part, did not jump but simply sat down following his lead. "My name is Gabriel. I am the god of balance. I guide the world and make sure that everything has a purpose in life and in death. Please do not bow," he said raising a hand to stop Sally as she was getting on her knees. "I hate it when people bow. I did not ask for this responsibility. I simply do what I am required to do. There is no need for bowing. I am not Zeus," he said with a smirk.
"What do you want from me, my L-I mean Gabriel?" Gabe smiled, impressed that she could regain her consciousness so soon after coming to terms with just who was standing in her shop.
"I have been watching you for many years, Sally. You have great potential. You can see through the mist that clouds the minds of mortals from the world of the gods." Gabriel sighed. "Times are changing. The Titans are regaining their strength through a power that is hidden even for me. I have seen my fate and know that I must be able to fight and stop this war. However, ancient laws prevent any god from interfering in the lives of mortals. That is where I need your help." Sally stared at him for several long minutes.
"What can I do?" Gabriel smiled and got up and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"I will bless you with a child. No," he said when she got a look of alarm. "I will not do anything physically to you. I will simply give you through my power and strength a child. He will have my memories and my power, my strength, and my blood. However, he will not recall any of this until the time is right. Most importantly, however, he will be considered a demigod. You do not need to go along with this. There are other ways to fulfill my plan, though this is by far the least likely to fail." Gabriel continued to look down at Sally. She stared into his eyes and saw his sincerity and his humility. She understood that this was what needed to be done.
"Will he be my son? Will I get to raise him and love him the way a mother should?"
"Of course! However, as a demigod of the oldest god in existence he, or rather I, will be an incredibly powerful demigod. That means that my scent will draw many, many monsters to your door." Gabriel turned to the corner of the room and waved his hand. A large golden plant appeared. "That is a special plant. You cannot smell it, but its scent will hide you and your son from the monsters that will wish to eat you. Do not ever remove it from its place for once it has been moved it will lose its scent completely." Sally nodded before she stood up. Gabriel nodded and stood up as well. He wrapped his jacket around himself and a hat appeared in his hands. Placing the hat on his head, he turned to walk out of the candy shop, popping the blue chocolate into his mouth.
"When will I see you again, Gabriel?" asked Sally. She wasn't even sure if this really wasn't just a large prank someone was pulling on her, or if she had drank too much last night and now was dealing with the consequences.
"You will be seeing me very soon, Sally. Just remember everything I have told you. Your son will have a great responsibility and he will need a strong mother to guide him." With that he smiled one last time and flashed away before her eyes.
Unbeknownst to her, her belly glowed a deep gold for a split second before going away as fast as it had come.
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"Gabriel Perseus Jackson! Get back in here!" Percy flinched. It was never a good sign when his mom called him by his full name. He never went by his first name. It sounded too weird to him. He preferred Percy.
Percy cautiously walked into the living room of their apartment. He and his mom lived right above the candy shop that his mother owned. His mom, Sally Jackson, was sitting at the table holding up a piece of paper in her hand. She glared at her son when he walked in.
"You got expelled again?" she screamed incredulously.
"It wasn't my fault!" he tried to explain. "I just wanted to look at the cannon, but it went off and blew a giant hole in the bus! You look beautiful mom!" Percy kissed his mom quickly on her cheek. Sally's visible anger deflated. She was a complete sucker for compliments, especially those coming from her son. Percy looked at her with his deep green eyes. They were her eyes, yet they seemed to glow and different times. Just like his father, she thought. No that is him. He is the same person, just mortal now.
"Oh, Percy. What are we going to do now? This is the third time!" Percy had the decency to look ashamed.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Sally stood up and wrapped her arms around Percy's shoulders.
"I know. We just need to be more careful from now on." She ruffled his hair resulting in a scowl. She laughed, a sweet laugh, "oh don't give me that look. Go wash up. Dinner will be ready soon." Percy smiled and walked out of the living room towards the kitchen. Sally sat back down and looked at the letter.
Sighing, she ripped the letter and threw it away. Time to look for a new school¸ she thought. She hoped that soon Percy would be able to go to Camp Half-Blood. Gabriel had left a letter on the counter the day he left explaining everything about the world. When Percy turned 10 he would be able to go to camp and learn how to fight. Maybe then he would regain his memories and power.
Sally stood up and walked into the kitchen to get dinner. She loved her son and knew that the choice she had made 8 years ago had been the best decision she had ever made. Life was great for Sally and Percy Jackson.
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Three years had gone by quickly. Percy was eleven years old, but still had not received any hint of his true self. Sally was confused as to why camp had not contacted her or sent a satyr over to her house to take Percy to camp. She looked at the letter in her hand, dreading opening it. It had the seal of Percy's current school. She broke the seal, and took the letter out.
Sure enough, Percy had been expelled once again. This time, however, the letter did not give a reason as to why. It simply said he had been expelled. Sally shook her head. Percy was going to have a lot of explaining to do. Just as she put the letter back on the table and walked into the kitchen a loud bang came from the door. She walked towards it and opened the door.
"Mom!" Percy said panting. His friend Grover was standing right behind him looking behind his back, his eyes darting back and forth in fright.
"What's wrong, sweetie? Come inside!" Percy and Grover ran into the house and immediately shut the door locking it. "Now tell me. What's going on?"
"I don't know! We were on a field trip at the museum when our teacher, Mrs. Dodds, suddenly attacked me! Grover and I ran all the way over here." Sally sat shocked. Maybe this was the day Percy would finally learn the truth.
"Mrs. Jackson, I think you know what to do," said Grover. Percy looked confused. Sally nodded and immediately ran to the kitchen and returned with the keys to her car.
"Come on, boys. We have to go now." Percy did not move.
"What's going on here?" he yelled.
"Percy there is no time, we have to get out of here." Grover grabbed Percy's arm and dragged him along. The three ran to the old car Sally kept in the alley. They got in and Sally quickly turned on the ignition and speed away.
Percy kept trying to ask Grover what was going on, but his friend just kept staring out the back of the car as if waiting for something to happen. Finally, Sally parked the car. Percy looked around. They were in the middle of nowhere. That was pretty impressive considering they were on Long Island.
"Where are we?" Percy asked. Sally shook her head.
"Follow Grover, Percy he will guide you. It's time for you to go. Go up that hill. You will find the place where you belong, my son. I love you!" Sally gave a very confused Percy a hug and got back in the car and drove away before Percy could say anything. Grover grabbed onto Percy again.
"Come on Perce. We have to make it back up that hill." Grover dragged Percy who was still staring blankly at the spot his mom had just been.
Suddenly a loud roar in the distance and a thunderous boom startled both of them. Percy turned with Grover and followed him up the hill. He had no idea what was going on, but he was not going to disobey his mother. If she told him to follow Grover, he was going to follow Grover.
A/N: Hello once again. I had a lot of free time so I decided to write the next chapter. I know it is short also but I just couldn't come up with more stuff to put in this chapter. Hope you enjoy it though. I know that the chapter is somewhat confusing but hopefully all your questions will be answered as the story progresses. I will try to make the next chapters much longer, but it is all depending on how much stuff I feel like I can put in a chapter before it becomes too much. Thanks for reading!
Also there will be a poll on my profile about who the main antagonist should be. I have the story line and the plot done just can't decide who to make the main villain.