Hey Guys, please don't throw rocks at me. It's still Sunday where I am *casually ignores the fact that this is a week late*. I have an extra long special chapter for you to make up for it, with plenty of spice and drama.
Also shout out to my friend- Anonymi(;)-it's an inside thing) for her OC Lana Blureed. No promises, but you'll be hearing more about her later.
Disclaimer: We don't own Percy Jackson and Olympians, that belongs to Uncle Rick God of Sass
Part 1; Arc 1 - Growing Up Adena: Ch 3 - Mommy? Daddy?
Near the center of Mount Olympus, there sat a small fountain of water. For a brief moment, the small courtyard surrounding it was silent. Slowly the temperature began to rise, going up and up until the heat became suffocating. The moisture from the fountain started to lift, forming a cloud of steam, hissing and sizzling. The hum of the transformation filled the air, wailing in distress. Suddenly all the steam cleared, revealing-
A girl, an adolescent at that. An angry scowl crossed her face, brown hair lying limp along her back. She held a small device in her hands, courtesy of a certain Valdez. Created after the giant war, it used the connection for Iris Messaging to form a phone system that didn't attract monsters. She shook it angrily, waiting for the response from her fiancé.
"Stupid sons of Aphrodite!"As she paced back and forth, she found herself close to the edge of the fountain. Trying not to fall in, she started walking away from it.
Suddenly, a small figure barreled towards her. Colliding with her leg, the god or goddess fell into the fountain. The older goddess gasped as she heard small shrieks. The younger one was thrashing around, splashing water everywhere. In a swift move, she pulled the little one out. She noticed that the figure was a young goddess as well. The small child shivered, dripping water from her dress.
Her brown eyes were wide with fear from being in the fountain. In an attempt to placate that, the older goddess placed her hand on her shoulder. Soon all the water began to evaporate into the air. The child let out a small giggle, slowly overcoming her fear. The older one was puzzled. Usually when she did this, the person would snap and complain about the heat.
"What's your name?"
The girl looked up at the older one. "I'm Adena. What's your name?"
"Lana, Lana Blureed. What are you doing here?"
Lana sighed as Adena looked away. The little girl shuffled her feet, refusing to answer the question. Lana growled. She had better things to do than babysit the little upstart goddesses.
"Look, kid, I asked you a question. What are you doing here?"
Adena looked up bashfully. Suddenly a look of hopefulness crossed her face, worrying Lana. "Do you know where the west side of Mount Olympus is?"
Lana could have face palmed just there. The girl had been running towards the north side of Olympus, but of course she was looking for the west side. Against her normal actions, she decided to help her out. "Look, kid, that's the north side. Don't go there. Over there, that's the west side. Oh, and try not to fall in anymore fountains. Not everyone here is as nice as I am. Now go."
Adena smiled and gave her a hug around the legs before running off. Lana shook her head. Olympus was turning into a nursery with all the children running about. But not long after, she saw another figure come towards her, panting. It was Pasithea, one of Aphrodite's maidens.
Upon seeing Lana, she straightened up.
"Hello. I am Pasithea"
"I'm aware. Aphrodite's maidens aren't the most discrete. I'm Lana."
Pasithea's face showed recognition. "Oh, of course, Lady Lana. You came up here only a few years ago, did you not? How is your mother in Atlantis? All is well down there, I hope?"
Lana bit back a retort. While she had no desire to be mean, she had no desire to gossip about personal matters with a woman associated with the biggest gossips this side of Mount Tam. "Yes, everything is fine. What brings you here?"
Fear suddenly crossed Pasithea's face. "Lady Lana, you would not have happened to see a small child run by, would you? She has a caramel complexion with black hair and big brown eyes."
"Yeah, I might have. Why?"
"She is Aphrodite's daughter and I was supposed to be watching her when she ran off. Could you please tell me which way she went?"
A sly grin crossed her face. "Yeah, of course. She went that way."
"Thank you."
As she watched Pasithea's retreating figure go north, she couldn't help but laugh. Suddenly, she felt her device vibrate.
"Stupid spawn of Aphrodite."
Of all the gods on Mount Olympus to keep on your good side, Hephaestus definitely ranked first on the list. Sure, Ares and Poseidon and other gods were more macho and have brawns, but that really meant nothing for immortal beings. Hephaestus on the other hand, had brains. Double cross him and you might find yourself stuck in some classic Hephaestian netting, like a certain god and goddess. So it was no surprise that all the gods stayed clear of the forge when Hephaestus was angry.
Crash! Bang!
"Where is that blowtorch of mine? I know I kept it right there, and Hestia help me, I will flay whoever decided it was a good idea to mess with me!"
Hephaestus searched through his cabinets, trying not to destroy everything in sight from his rage. While he was normally a level-headed god in terms of emotions, he was a completely different god when it came to his equipment. This blowtorch in particular was something dear to him, a birthday gift from his adopted mother Thetis. If any Olympian had got their grimy hands on it...well, all organic life forms better pray for mercy.
"Who in the Hades would be so brazen as to sneak into my forge!" he raged.
Suddenly, he noticed movement in the corner of his vision. Still quite angry, he glared at the slender figure in the shadows.
"Nephew, I would not expect such coarse language from you."
Hephaestus calmed down slightly as a yellow cloaked woman stepped out. Hestia, his lovely aunt, lowered the hood and focused her disappointed eyes towards the god of fire. Hephaestus, for his part, sighed and put down the wrench he was currently holding. Using the table for leverage, he hobbled over to the door.
"I'm sorry, aunt, but my blowtorch is missing. As you know, it is my prized possession and I just know that one of those horrid Olympians has it."
Hestia shook her head at the god's antics. "Don't be so distrustful, Nephew. The Olympians are not as bad as you always seem to think they are."
Hephaestus chuckled darkly. He hobbled back to his workstation and picked up a scrap piece of metal. Glancing down for a moment, he began to mold it into various shapes, the metal bending to his will like putty. He paused for a moment before looking up at his aunt. "Hestia, you are too trusting. The other Olympians have done nothing for you, besides the removal of you from the council for that drunken sod. I still do not understand how you manage to keep such faith in them."
Walking over to Hephaestus, Hestia took one of his hands in her own. Running her slender fingers across his calluses, she explained, "I believe that family will pull us together no matter the circumstances. It brought us together in the last two wars and the hearth will always be there for those who need it. Now, if you are certain that one of the Olympians has your blowtorch, then sitting here moping isn't going to solve your problems. At least for the sake of proving your point, will you come out of your forge to look for it?"
With this, she dropped his hand and let it fall back to the table. Grudgingly, the god of fire followed her. This was the first time he had left the forge for a non-meeting related reason in five years. While this might seem like a long time to a mortal, it felt like a short burst of time for an immortal. He blinked at all the changes on Olympus. The building repairs had long been finished and the mountain gleamed with a new vigor. Hephaestus grunted when a group of nymphs giggled at him, but that did not deter him from his goal.
Going from god to god, he turned up empty handed. Being a very antisocial god, he let Hestia do all the talking. Some gods were sympathetic, saying that they wished he would find his torch soon. Others, like Phobos, told him to go to Tartarus and never come back. It took all of Hephaestus self-control not to knock that god down a few pegs. He should have known that a child of Ares would turn out to be no good. But after trekking all across Mount Olympus, he felt ready to concede that none of Olympians had his torch. Perhaps Hestia was right, and he had simply misplaced it.
Then he saw Ares sneaking behind Athena's temple. Quick as a flash, he was by the god's side. Wrapping his arm around Ares's arm, he dragged the war god into the light. Ares's embarrassed face turned into a scowl as soon as he saw who his captor was.
"Get your greasy hands off of me. Just because you don't know how to keep your woman doesn't mean you can manhandle those of us who actually have charm."
Hephaestus felt his rage coming back, but he felt Hestia's light touch on his shoulder and restrained from making any harsh decisions. "Where's my blowtorch, you Vlacas?"
Ares grimaced, his skin turning slightly golden from the god's strong grip. "I don't know about any blowtorch, you crazy god. Let go of me."
Unfortunately, in Ares's attempt to free himself, something small fell out of his pocket. Hephaestus quickly scooped up the item, hoping for Ares's sake that it wasn't what he thought it was. Alas, it seemed Tyche was not on the war god's side.
Hephaestus tossed Ares aside in disgust. Holding his blowtorch gingerly, he turned to his nemesis. He grew in size until he towered over the library, casting his shadow on Hestia and Ares. In response, the god of war grew to his size as well. The two gods glared at each other, hate displayed clearly on both faces. But before Hephaestus could open his mouth, Ares spoke.
"I didn't take your blowtorch"
Hephaestus scowled. "Sure, the blowtorch just magically appeared in your pocket. Why should I trust you?"
Ares held his glare, not looking away for a moment. "You shouldn't, but other gods who you trust can back me up on this. This is what happened."
If any god was listening closely, a scurrying sound could be heard coming from the east side of the courtyard. Nymphs squealed as they felt a breeze by their legs.
Adena giggled as she ran by. The sounds of the marketplace were quite a wonder to behold, especially for a five-year-old child. Even though she wanted to explore everything, she was a girl on a mission and she had enough delays on her run for one day. She knew it was only a matter of time before Pasithea came looking for her and she could not risk getting caught on such an important day.
What was today? Today was the first day that Adena traveled anywhere past Athena's library on Mount Olympus. Even though her mother had been alarmed by her roaming nature, the library was very close to Aphrodite's palace. This was a totally different story. Adena had learned how to run and she thought it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. She could not imagine how anyone could hate running.
Suddenly she came to a quick stop. A godling stood in her path, but unlike earlier she was able to stop before a crash. Weaving her way through immortals in a way that only young children can, she found herself at the end of the market place. The gleaming glow of shops seemed to end abruptly, leaving the entire west side of Mount Olympus in darkness.
Holding her breath, she jumped into the shadow with both feet. Her toes grazed the cool grass, sending a shiver up her spine. She let out a nervous giggle. Mother lied- there were no manticores on the west side. For a moment, she pretended to be Hades, sneaking up on Persephone. Her mother said it was the most romantic thing she had heard of until Helen and Paris, and Adena agreed. Aunt Persephone was like that Princess Snow White, hidden in the woods. Only her Prince Hades could save her from her evil step-mother, Demeter. At least that's how Aphrodite explained it.
But now it was Adena's turn to be Princess Charming. This was her first quest and she couldn't let anyone see her. Aphrodite had scolded her for small incidents and she didn't know how she would react to what she was about to do. But she couldn't help but feel like she had to do this.
Looking carefully around her, she slipped into Hephaestus forge. The god of fire always seemed mythical to her. Her mom had always complained about him, but Adena didn't get it. She had found a small golden bird that the god had made.
It had taken her five minutes to take it apart and find that the heart piece had detached. Using her pudgy fingers, she pushed it back into places, and put the bird back together. The bird blinked at her, then began to sing a song. That moment, she knew that anyone who made such pretty toys couldn't be bad.
As a result, she knew that she had to find this god. Somehow, unsurely, she knew exactly where to go, like some unknown force was helping her. In the center of the dark chamber, she noticed a large table. Using her arms, she pulled herself onto the top. On it was an assortment of pieces. She ran her fingers across a screw. Wait- how did she know what that was called?
But soon her attention was drawn to the object in the center. A shiny cylinder made of Celestial bronze. When she put her palm on it, it hummed with magical energy. It felt warm on her fingers. She picked it up and brought it close to her face. A small heart was inscribed at the very base. Curiously, she traced it. Suddenly she heard a voice in the back of her mind. True love's kiss is the solution to all problems, my dear Hephaestus. Curious, she brought it to her lips and kissed it.
Suddenly the heart lit on fire. Shrieking, she dropped it back on the table. A loud clang resonated, which caused Adena to panic. She didn't want anyone to know she was here. In one swift move, she grabbed the cylinder and bolted. The heavy object slowed her down considerably, but she didn't care. All she had to do was get back home before someone noticed the flaming cylinder.
In her rush, she forgot to pay attention to her surroundings. She crashed head first into her scowling dad. Flustered, she looked up into his disapproving face.
"I'm so sorry, daddy, it won't happen again."
She saw a peculiar expression cross his face, and Ares took his glasses off. "What did you call me? Daddy?"
Adena nodded, suddenly feeling frightened. Her mother explained that a dad was mommy's partner and a boy who took care of her. Even though Ares had never tucked her in or sang her a lullaby, he was always taking mommy special places, so he must be her daddy. At least, that's what she thought.
Ares crouched down to her level, his face right in front of hers. Adena shrunk away even more. Daddies weren't supposed to be scary, were they? If so, she didn't want a daddy anymore.
"Listen, you little brat. I am not your dad, nor will I ever be. If you weren't immortal I would have tossed you to the mortal world eons ago. I'm only putting up with you until Aphrodite realizes what a burden you are on us."
Suddenly an evil grin crossed his face.
"Wait, you think Aphrodite is your mom, don't you?"
Adena nodded her head, tears threatening to fall out.
"Well, newsflash, kid. You aren't anything but a mistake some god made and left. That's right, Aphrodite found you in her temple. Just a stupid charity case that the Olympians forced on her. She doesn't love you anymore than she loves that stupid husband of hers. So why don't you do me and her a favor, and run away. I'm sure there are enough nymphs who could use a runt like you on Mount Olympus."
Adena's lip trembled. She wanted to bawl, but a part of her had to prove to Ares that he didn't scare her. But all she really wanted to do was run home to her mommy. But- she realized with a start- she didn't have a mommy. No one loved her. Ares was right, she was nothing. No wonder her mother scolded her when she made a mistake.
Clunk!
The cylinder fell out of her hand and its flames disappeared. Ares spotted the metal piece and picked it up. He rolled it around in his hand."You little thief. I bet you took this from Aphrodite as well."
With that, Ares teleported away. Even though she was a goddess, she was still quite young and this had been the first time she witnessed a god travel away and it made her eyes sting. The tears were now falling freely, streaking her cheeks. She fell to the ground, crying herself to exhaustion.
Hephaestus was in shock. He knew Ares was despicable, but he had underestimated how cruel the god could be. Wordlessly, he walked away from the bewildered god.
Even though he had been in his forge for five years, he had heard all the gossip from the other visitors to the forge. There had been a lot of speculation that the girl was a handful, but now he knew for sure. Sure, the girl had attempted to steal his blowtorch, but he knew that there were certain things that young gods could be excused from. After all, Hermes had not been the most innocent godling.
Suddenly, his mind flashed to Aphrodite. Surely he wasn't her favorite god, but she needed to hear about the recent events that just occurred. Even though he had very few pleasant moments with the goddess, he knew he had to tell her. With a wave of his hand, he found himself in front of Aphrodite's place.
He peeked in, not sure what he would see inside. He snorted when he saw his vain wife in front of the mirror. He didn't expect her to care. Just as he was about to leave, a voice called him. "Hephaestus, if you are going to take the time to visit me, the least you could do is tell me why you are here"
Hephaestus shuffled in, embarrassed to be caught. Then he straightened up, thinking of the occasion. Aphrodite turned around, looking as beautiful as ever. Despite being aware of her fickle heart, he couldn't help but admire her beauty. He saw her like Thetis, with pale porcelain skin and long black waves down her sides. Against his will, a small blush crossed his face.
"Hephaestus, did you hear what I said? What brings you here after all these years?"
Hephaestus cleared his throat."Aphrodite, I have a question for you. Do you know where that child you care for is? The one that was found in your temple?"
Aphrodite's expression turned hard. "You mean my daughter, Adena? Of course I know where she is; playing with Pasithea in her room. How dare you imply that I cannot care for a child!"
Hephaestus held up his arms in an attempt to placate the angry goddess. "Aphrodite, you don't have to put up a facade. I know she isn't your child. I was at that original meeting, remember?"
Aphrodite kept her angry expression.
"I remember that, you didn't think I could be responsible enough to raise a child. You and Ares both vetoed the decision."
Hephaestus sighed.
"My opinion then may have been misinformed but that is not the problem. Ares doesn't share your faith that Adena is your daughter. I would not give one moment to consider his opinion but the problem is that the disgusting pig told Adena his thoughts as well."
Hephaestus swore that he had never seen Aphrodite look that betrayed since he trapped her in the net. Inwardly, he felt kind of satisfied that she finally saw how awful Ares was. It was high time that someone exposed the arrogant god to who he truly was.
Abruptly, Aphrodite grabbed his shoulder. "Where is she, Hephaestus? I need to find her. Father only knows how she must be feeling right now. She is only five, for Hades's sake! She isn't ready for this kind of news. Please, take me to her."
Aphrodite's frantic pleading was more than the god could handle. Resting his hands on her shoulders, he spun her to face him. "Calm down. Ares told me he met her close to Apollo's temple by my forge. With any luck, she will be in there. Don't worry, she's immortal. I'm sure she can handle herself until we get there."
Holding her hand for the first time, he transported the two of them to the temple. Sure enough, a figure could be seen in the grass, quite possibly unconscious. Upon closer inspection, the five-year-old seemed to be curled up, eyes scrunched together. She seemed to be mumbling incoherently.
With a mother's anguish, Aphrodite ran to her daughter's side. Even though they were not godly related, even Hephaestus could see the care she had for the child she raised for five years. He could see it in the gentle way she scooped Adena into her arms. It was evident in the way that she rocked her slowly to sooth her. In that moment, he knew that the love goddess was not the same one who had cheated on him with Ares.
Feeling like he was intruding on a family moment, he started to leave. But Adena had opened her eyes and seen him. "Hephaestus, is that you?"
Slightly surprised, he turned around. The girl looked at him, brown eyes wide. He hobbled closer to her and leaned down to look at her. Suddenly her cheeks turned red and she hid behind her hair. After a moment, she spoke. "I'm sorry for sneaking in. Please don't be mad at me. Big meanie took your thing."
Hephaestus pulled his blowtorch. "Do you mean this?"
Adena peeked out, her face brightened upon seeing the blowtorch. Her arms automatically reached out to grab it, but then retracted her arms automatically. Suddenly she craned her neck up to see Aphrodite. In a quick second, she jumped out of her arms and ran towards Hephaestus. Aphrodite's face carried a deep look of hurt.
"I'm sorry I'm a burden, mommy-I mean, Aphrodite. I'll go now, it's okay."
Aphrodite stifled a sob and came closer to Adena."No, no, sweetie. Don't listen to Ares. You are my baby, and I am your mommy. Come here."
Adena shook her head. "But Ares said that you are not my mommy. He said that you found me, is that true?"
Aphrodite nodded her head. "I might have found you Adena, but you are still my child. Love doesn't just flow through ichor, it comes because I care for you. It doesn't matter what anyone says. Please, come here."
Adena looked conflicted for a moment before running into her mother's arms. The two hugged, tears falling down both faces. But before Hephaestus could leave, he felt a small tug on his arm. Adena had grabbed his hand.
"Ares said he isn't my daddy. Can you be my daddy?"
Hephaestus looked towards Aphrodite, but she seemed too shocked to answer. Looking back at Adena, he was torn. He knew Aphrodite wouldn't approve, but Adena's large brown eyes were so hypnotizing. Plus he figured, it would just be until Adena was old enough to act like all the other Olympians and ignore him again. Or, at the very least, it would keep her from stealing things from his forge.
"Okay."
As he felt himself pulled into a group hug, his skin didn't crawl from contact with organic life forms. Instead, he was transported to his childhood with the sea nymphs and all the care that came with family. Of course, he wouldn't realize what his 'okay' would entail until much, much later.
Hey Guys, here's your weekly update. Sorry if there are any grammatical mistakes, this chapter hasn't been beta'd yet, obviously since I just finished writing it...
Yeah I know I'm awful, but I have a good reason. I was prepping for the biggest tournament of my S and D season and had absolutely no time to write this. So, in the last week, I wrote a 4,000 word chapter with drama as a treat for being late. I really hope you enjoy it and that you enjoyed a little Aphrestus at the end. Please review if you liked anything about this story.
Also some shoutouts:
Thanks to ProtoGod, blank canvas of me, xoxteenwolfxox and MyLittleBigBangSwitchedAtOlympus for Favorting/Following. That means a lot guys!
Also we will start replying to your reviews-either through PM or on here if you are a guest. We hope you decide to keep reading. I can just say that things with Elektra will start to get a little...well electric next chapter. Stay tuned for the magic.
Adena