Chapter 22
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson nor any of its characters, I just own my own character Antheia/Alyssa.
All Percy could see was black. His skin had an icy, frozen chill to it and he felt shadows creeping down his back. There was a wind blowing so strong that it ripped his lips back and made him close his eyes. The only thing that made him believe that he wasn't dreaming was the warmth of Annabeth's hand next to him, squeezing his fingers with such force they were going white.
As quickly as the rushing feeling came, it was soon gone and Percy's vision came back to see a familiar building.
"The Empire State Building?" He asked.
Ares grunted behind him. "Shows how much they teach you at that camp."
Annabeth filled him in. "Percy, Mount Olympus is on the 600th floor the building."
"But there is no 600th floor?"
"Yes there is, mortals just don't know it."
He looked over at his sister, still looking amazing in her dress. She had a certain look on her face as she gazed up at the enormous building with clouds surrounding the top. Her face held amazement and wonder, yet it held something he hadn't seen in forever, hope.
Ares interrupted the silence. "Well, I better get up there, the solstice is starting any minute and Athena's gonna kill me if I'm late."
Annabeth smiled at the sound of her mother.
Ares said, "You better get up there quick if you don't want to cause a war." He turned to Antheia and smiled, "See you up the also, they don't know that your gonna be here so it will be a surprise."
She smiled and gave him another hug. "Thank you so much Ares, for everything."
He smiled and handed her the small golden necklace, gods know how he managed to get it from the backpack and whispered a good luck to her before snapping his fingers and disappeared into thin air, leaving them all at the steps of the Empire State Building.
Grover turned to face the group, "Well, is everyone ready to stop a war?"
Annabeth chuckled and she and Grover turned and entered the building, leaving Percy and Antheia on the steps alone.
Percy looked at her to see her give a small, sad smile. He walked over to her and gave her a comforting hug, even though she was taller than him now. He felt a small tear roll down her check before landing on his shoulder.
"Hey, listen Alyssa. You will always be my sister even though your some high and mighty goddess now."
She smiled and gave a light laugh before wiping her eyes. "Thanks, Percy. And you will always be my little brother even though your still annoying."
He grinned and playfully punched her arm. "We're gonna be ok, alright?"
Her smile faded and she looked down again. "Percy, there are so many things that could happen. What if they don't like me again. What if they do like me and I never get to see you or mom again?"
He interrupted her. "Listen, of course they will love you. You saw the way Ares treated you, how could anyone up there treat you any less? And you can come and visit anytime." He pretended to snap his fingers and added a little sass. "Just snap and I will see you anytime, though it might be a little weird if you showed up in the middle of school."
She laughed a happy carefree laugh, her anxieties from earlier all gone.
"Thank you, Percy. I don't know what I would do without you."
"Not get kidnapped and punched in the face." He grumbled.
"It's ok, the past is the past. Though I do have to tell you something, Luke isn't gone. He disappeared right after I remembered and I don't know where he went."
Percy's face grew dark as anger built up inside him. "I'll fine him, for you."
"Thank you, Percy." She said. "But honestly I'd much rather you go out and have a normal life. Live, go to school, have a girlfriend.." He blushed when she said that. "Just enjoy life, cause you never know what will happen, I certainly never thought this would happen to someone like me."
Percy hugged her again. "Thanks sis, I love you."
"I love you too."
He looked up again at the looming building. "Ready to go up?"
She looked wistfully at the clouds surrounding the tip of the building before sighing. "Ready as I'll ever be. Lets do this."
He took her hand and they walked through the big doors to the main lobby. It was empty except for a security guard sitting at his desk with his feet propped up. Reading a magazine about watches. Percy walked up and rung the little service bell and the man looked up irritated.
"What do you want, kid? I don't have all day?"
"We'd like to go to the six hundredth floor, please."
The guard flinched, before a mask of solitude came over his face. "Never heard about it, kid. Did you have too much candy or something?"
Antheia stepped forward from behind Percy and smiled at the guard. "Hello, Bert. Remember me?"
The guard looked up and nearly fell out of chair before standing up.
"Antheia! Is that really you?"
She laughed and nodded her head. "Yup, Bert. In the very flesh."
He smiled before running around the desk and giving her a hug.
"It's been too long, sweetheart. I've missed having your cheerful face around."
"Thank, and its good to see you too, Bert. We can catch up later, but right now I need to get up to Mount Olympus. There's the summer solstice about to start."
He fumbled in his cost pocket before pulling out a silver key and tossing it to them.
"Just remember not to have anyone else in the elevator."
"Of course, Bert."
He smiled a genuine smile before picking his magazine up and sitting down in his chair.
Antheia dragged her brother over to an isolated elevator and stepped inside before inserting the key in a special slot and twisting it.
The doors suddenly closed and the elevator started rising at a pretty fast pace. Percy looked over to see that his sister sitting on the ground with her head between her laps. Percy sat next to her and rubbed her back. "Antheia, I thought we went over this..."
"No, we did. I just can't believe that I get to see Apollo again. It's been so long since I've seen any of them."
"Apollo really means that much to you?"
She smiled as her eyes got lost in thought. "Yes, Percy. He means the world to me. He's my soul mate, and there's nothing I would do without him. I remember how kind and gentle he was, yet he was such a funny guy and he always made me smile.." She trailed off and a smile grew on her face as she spoke of him. A fluttering hit her stomach and she just wanted to jump up and down just thinking about him.
Percy smiled knowingly. "Well, if he really means that much, I guess I will give you my blessing."
Antheia looked up in amusement. "Your blessings?"
He grinned. "Yeah, the blessing of a younger brother. But of he ever hurts you.."
She laughed and hugged him. "Thanks Percy. It really means a lot."
The elevator slowed to a stop and they quickly stood up as the door slide open to reveal a magnificent sight. There were gorgeous buildings everywhere with nature blooming all over. Satyrs and nymphs walked around, tending to the lush gardens as the marble columns gleamed in the bright sun.
Fond memories filled Antheia's mind and she smiled, remembering all of her great adventures. In the distance, stood a ginormous temple, the council room for the gods. Loud voices could be heard from inside, shouting matches causing Percy and Antheia to grimace.
"You better go make peace with Zeus, Percy." Antheia said. "I'll be along in a minute."
He nodded and started running towards the building with his backpack slung over his back.
Antheia sighed as she started walking towards her garden that she planted ten years ago. She passed several rose bushes blooming with jeweled blooms and sturdy trees grew out of the ground with their leafs a bright green color, sparkling in the sunlight. She came upon a small pond, her little pond and she sat down on the soft ground, gazing into the crystal water at her new reflection.
She was still getting use to the fact that she had become a goddess; she looked completely different from her normal getup.
Her hair fell around her face as she stared at the cool water, so different from the last time she looked in the water at the age of five. Just beyond her face, the sun shone briefly down, reflecting off the pool in a warm haze. She could almost see his face in the sun, his bright smile and gentle eyes, always showing such love.
"Oh, Apollo," she muttered to herself. "How am I ever going to be able to talk to you with breaking down. It's been SO long and what if you don't like anymore. How do I know that you even want to see me? What am I suppose to say-"
A masculine voice cut her off from behind her," How about you start with hello?"
She jumped up, almost falling in the pond in the process and spun around to see a tall man standing five feet away from her. His eyes shined brightly as the sun as he stared at her with a carefree face full of excitement.
Her mouth dropped open in a frozen gasp as she stared at the man who had been in her dreams for the past week, the man whom she and Percy had been talking about just minutes before, the man whom she loved with all her heart.
"Apollo!" She screamed, sprinting towards his open arms and throwing her arms around his neck as he spun her around, hugging her even more tightly.
After spinning her around several times, he gently set her down, not letting go of her. She looked into his golden eyes, feeling her own eyes forming tears and spilling down her cheeks.
"Oh, Apollo," she said lovingly.
"My Antheia." He whispered, as if the name was magical. "I've missed you so much."
She wiped tears under her eyes and nodded. "I've missed you too, more than I've ever known."
He pulled her in for another hug and she rested her head on his shoulder, letting his warm arms wrap around her as they stood in the silent garden. She felt her heart beating in her chest as she stood there, never wanting to let go.
"My beautiful, wonderful Antheia," he gently said, "What would I ever do without you? You are my past, my present, and my future and there will never be a second that I could not stop loving you. You are my forever."
She pulled her head away from his chest and looked at his face, her emerald eyes shining brightly as her face radiated happiness.
"And you are mine." She replied back, never feeling so right before.
-:-
After about twenty minutes of sitting on the ground in each others arms, catching up on each others life's and sharing love for one another, Apollo glanced behind him at the very tip of the Council Room that could barely be seen through the lush trees. He looked down at his beloved, who was curled up against his chest staring at the now forming sunset.
"Antheia, though it saddens me, I believe that we should go to the solstice and see your parents again, though I promise we can get some alone time again soon."
She giggled and sat up. "I do suppose it would only be fair to see my parents again after ten years of forgetting my memory."
He smiled and playfully rubbed her head.
The stood up and started walking off towards the Council Room, his hand holding her hand.
When they arrived, no one noticed them because everyone's attention was on Percy, who was just handing the Master Bolt over to an angry Zeus with a sympathetic Poseidon behind him.
"I suppose I won't kill you, Perseus Jackson. But heed my warning when I say that I will be watching you." Zeus grumbled.
Apollo cleared his throat and all eyes shot over to where he and Antheia stood.
A women stood up from her throne, her long black hair curling down her back as she stared at the young girl in Apollos arms. Tears formed in her arms as she jumped off her throne and ran to her daughter and embraced her in a hug, tears sobbing down her face.
"My girl, my baby girl." Hera wept. "I've missed you so much!"
Antheia was also sobbing as she hugged her mother. "Mom, I've missed you so much, I love you."
"I love you too, my precious daughter."
Zeus stood petrified, his Master Bolt lay forgotten in the floor where it had clattered just a minute before. He started walking in a eerie trance over to the girl his wife was hugging, disbelief filled his eyes as he looked down at the young woman. She looked up at him as Hera let her go, facing towards Zeus.
"Daddy?" Antheia said hesitantly.
"An-Antheia? Is that really you?"
She nodded, unable to make out words as more tears poured down her face.
In an instant, he scooped her up in his arms, refusing to let her go, whispering, "My precious daughter, my little flower, you've finally come home."
She gave out another sob, "Yes, Daddy. I've finally come home."
Soon everyone was in tears as they exchanged hugs with Antheia, all telling her how much they love her.
Percy, Annabeth, and Grover stood quietly in the background, watching the cheerful exchanges with silence. Zeus turned to them and made his way over to them, gratitude written all over his face. His came up to Percy and offered his hand, which Percy gladly shook.
"I cannot thank you enough, young heroes, for all that you have done not only in returning my bolt, but in returning my daughter."
Percy stood their proudly. "Thank you, Sir, but she came back on her own, it wasn't me."
Zeus smiled, his blue eyes losing that deadly anger that he had when they first met.
Antheia and Apollo walked up behind them, standing with their arms around each other. Antheia never looked so happy.
Percy smiled at her, "I guess this is goodbye, then sister..."
She let go of Apollo and walked over to Percy and hugged him one more time.
"Not goodbye, Percy. More like until next time."
He smiled and nodded in agreement.
She turned and said goodbye to Annabeth and Grover, giving both of them a hug.
"I promise I will visit camp soon. Grover, maybe you can help me with my new duties as goddess of nature, and don't give up hope about Pan, he is still waiting for you to say goodbye."
Grover's eyes shined brightly and he nodded his head on thanks.
Annabeth grabbed Percy and Grover's hand and started dragging them back towards the elevator.
Percy gave one last look back at his sister, seeing her standing next to her parents with her arms around Apollo, waving goodbye to him as the other gods surrounded her, eager to speak with her. She looked happy, like she finally fit in. She had a real family now, not just Percy and Sally with Gabe. Yet she was still his family, and he would never forget that.
Authors Note:
So this is the last chapter, Horray! There will be an epilogue hopefully coming up later tonight plus details about a possible sequel. Thank you so much to everyone whose supported me and helped me through writing this. Please review, Thanks.