AN: So, here is the next chapter. I want to thank everyone for their reviews and I hope you all like this chapter.
One More Day.
Chapter 6: Breaking All Of The Rules.
She felt like she'd been sleeping forever.
So when she slowly opened her eyes, she was disappointed to find this had to be a dream. She was on Mount. Othrys, but it wasn't like before. It wasn't in ruins and she was in a beautiful throne room. Twelve thrones, and sitting in one was a beautiful woman.
At first, she was startled.
The woman, though a little older, looked so much like herself she thought it was her. But her hair was lighter brown, her skin a tad bit darker, her eyes flickering and swirling with silver.
What caught her off guard was the expectant gaze of her look-alike, and she noticed the woman seemed to have her wrist shackled to the throne she sat on. It was a little different, Percy realized, from the other eleven thrones.
"Hello, Persephone," the woman said, her voice soft and motherly by instinct.
Percy got the impression though that she could turn real nasty if angered. The woman sort of reminded her of Hestia, Hera, and Demeter.
"Hi..." Percy said, and then her mind began to race. "Did you call me Persephone?"
The woman on the throne looked at her sadly.
"Some of it will come back to you, I tried to protect the majority of your memories from my daughter, but unfortunately. I have little power at this time."
Percy blinked and began thinking.
What was her name? Where was she? How had she known where she was, was the better question. Had she been here before? Who were Hestia, Hera and Demeter?
Her hands flew to her head as if it hurt, which in honesty it did. Then she opened her eyes and gasped.
"Why am I here, where is here exactly?" she asked, looking around. "Where is Luke?"
The woman on the throne smiled.
"You remember your name now? Your husband as well?"
Percy's face scrunched up in thought and she nodded.
"I'm Persephone Jackson, Percy," she began, biting her lip. "I know I'm married, to Luke...but he's so blurry in my memory. I know I love him...and..."
Her face twisted into shock and concern, her eyes widening and her hands flying to her stomach. As she looked at it she could tell even in this dream – she was more sure then ever this was a dream, prophetic or not – that she was pregnant.
"My baby," she muttered. "She's alright..."
"You child is fine, granddaughter," the woman said, smiling.
Percy's head snapped up.
"Granddaughter...who are you?" she asked.
"I am Rhea, Titaness of female fertility, motherhood, generation, comfort, blessing and ease. Mother of the Gods, and I was once the Titan Queen of the Heavens," the woman – Rhea – said.
She seemed said about it, though she seemed proud to be able to call herself the eldest Olympians mother.
"And you brought me here, and protected my memories?" Percy asked, in awe.
Rhea smiled.
"With what power I could. I am not the Titaness of Memory, and Mnemosyne would not have helped. She has always chosen neutrality apposed to war or battle. Even her Roman form detests fighting," the once queen said.
It was hard to believe any Titan didn't like fighting or wouldn't take a side. Even Calypso had taken a side in the war and Percy had trouble believing the girl was a fighter when they'd first met.
"You still have amnesia, I was only able to save some of your memory. I didn't even know what parts I was saving I am glad to know you recall your name, husband and child...even if it's blurry. It is progress."
"Thank you," Percy said, stepping closer to her grandmother and once again she noticed the shackles which kept her on the throne.
"You wonder why I can not move, why I brought you here?" Rhea asked.
"When the war between the Titan and Olympians began I was placed into a deep sleep by my husband. Kronos was not impressed by my deceptions, and part of me can not blame him. I felt guilt for bringing about the downfall of my family and Othrys but he did not understand the fact that my children were my family as well."
She seemed to sigh as she explained this to her.
"He cast me down to Tartarus to sleep, in a place where only other Titans could reach, or those with my blessing. I was shackled to a throne. I allowed myself to go without a fight, I suppose you could say I was depressed – I did not want to fight my children nor my family. My betrayal of Kronos did not allow me to become neutral like Oceanus or Tethys. Slumbering in Tartarus was my saving grace in some ways. I no longer had to fight."
Percy could understand.
She wouldn't want to fight her family, though she supposed she already had in the war. But even if she hadn't wanted to fight, she would have. It was obvious that if Rhea was a fighter she would never fight family, not without good reason.
"If your asleep, how are we talking?" she asked.
Rhea smiled.
"That was thousands of years ago, his power over the area had weakened and I have slowly been drawing some power to me to help break the sleeping...curse for lack of better word. I began to stir during WWII, I believe it was called. Before my sons made their pact, and I began to try and watch. Then I felt the stirrings of Kronos, but to my surprise he did not seem to notice I was waking up. If he did he did not care, believing me too weak to do anything."
Rhea chuckled at that, an almost mischievous look in her sea green-silver eyes.
"By the time you defeated Kronos and my mother began rising... I was awake, but weak. I have little power, barely enough so I was able to bring you here, and save what little of the memories my daughter stole that I could."
"Your mother, you said she was stirring?" Percy inquired.
"Yes, my mother is Gaea, primordial goddess of the earth," Rhea said. "She is powerful, and if she wakes up I fear all will be lost."
"Mother Earth is evil?" Percy blurted out and Rhea smiled.
"At times, I have never truly been able to understand my mother. I think mortals might call her bipolar."
Percy snorted and chuckled shortly. Rhea smirked and continued.
"The point of me bringing you here was to explain this all to you and to fix my mistake."
Her eyes dulled in regret.
"I should have stood with my children during the first Titan war, if not actively then as a consul. Instead, I allowed myself to be put into Tartarus into a sleep. Now that I have woken up I know what I must do. I must help Olympus fight my mother."
Percy's eyes widened.
"But the Ancient laws..."
Rhea chuckled.
"I know the laws, I helped write some of them. But was Kronos obeying these so called laws when he used your husband as a tool against Olympus? I am not concerned for the rules or laws, they were created to maintain order but no one goes eternity without breaking one or all of them."
She shrugged.
"You will fight with us then?" Percy asked. "But...how? You said you were in Tartarus a moment ago."
Rhea frowned.
"That is the problem. I can not leave the place he put me physically, and I no longer have a corporeal body as it is. My essence is much like my husbands in that regards. I just wasn't cut up," she said, sighing.
"I have thought of that for many years granddaughter and I have waited. I have waited for a demigod with a strong heart and family loyalty."
Percy wasn't sure she liked where this was going, but she trusted Rhea.
"Someone must come and unshackle me before I can become powerful enough to do anything, someone must agree to host me temporally so I may fight. I know, you do not have the best history with Titans taking demigod host, but you do realize there is a reason Kronos had to use Luke?"
Percy blinked and shook her head.
"Every so often a demigod is born similar to a family member, special. We do not know how exactly it works but Kronos did not simply pick Luke Castellan, he had no choice but to use him. For the boy was his true vessel, the only body similar enough to his and strong enough to host him. The same can be said for you and me."
Rhea smiled almost sadly.
"We are very similar. Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty, mine is family loyalty. We even look alike," she said. "Of course, sometimes more then one with the requirements of becoming our vessel is born. You are not the only one who could host me, but you are the best choice."
Percy looked caught between fear, acceptance and refusal.
"Do not choose now," Rhea said. "I understand if you say no, I will still help you with every ounce of power I can manage."
"But how? You said you don't have a corporal body, and how am I supposed to make it to Tartarus to unshackle you? I thought you said it was warded against people doing that?" Percy asked.
"Everyone but those with a strong enough blood tie, power and of course my blessing. That is the other reason I brought you here, whether you said no to hosting me during the war so I could do more to help bring down my mother, I always planned to give you a certain advantage."
"I don't understand."
Rhea smiled.
"Come closer child," she said. "I have not had a champion in eons, but if Hera can get away with it, than so can I."
"Champion?" Percy asked as she cam to stand at the foot of Rhea's throne.
"Yes. It is basically like a demigod taking on a Patron god or goddess, and if the god or goddess blesses them they become Champions of that god or goddess. Hera has her own Champion, or Juno, but lets not go into that right now."
Rhea stretched out her hand, which was strained by the shackles keeping her in place.
She groaned and Percy helped by leaning down and Rhea's hand rested on her forehead. It was not cold nor warm, but it made her feel almost safe. Safer then she'd felt since she'd woken up here.
"I, Rhea Ops, Titaness of Female fertility, motherhood, generation, comfort, blessing and ease bless you as my Champion. May you fight bravely, and love just as truly."
this was said in a language she almost didn't recognize, Ancient Greek, but older sounding.
"Do you, Persephone Jackson accept my blessing, and to become my Champion?"
Percy looked up at her grandmother and nodded.
"I, Persephone Jackson, daughter of Poseidon, Legacy of Venus, wife of Luke, do accept this blessing," she said formally, in Ancient Greek.
She nearly jerked back when she realized she'd called herself the Legacy of Venus. What did that mean, and wasn't Venus the roman goddess of love and beauty?
She had no time to wonder as a warn silver-blue glow came over her and she felt like she'd had a few energy drinks.
Rhea sighed, obviously tired as her form began flickering along with the illusion she'd built around them.
Soon they were in a dark pit of Tartarus, Percy assumed and Rhea was still shackled to the throne like mass. It was then she noticed the two lions at Rhea's throne sides, watching her passively.
Percy shivered, though not from the presence of the lions, and Rhea smiled apologetically at her.
"I apologize, it took more energy than I thought," she said. "The illusion was for your benefit, this is where I am being kept. It might be best if you see it, if you take on the quest as my champion to free me."
Percy looked at her and nodded.
"I will find a way to free you grandmother Rhea," she said. "You are my Patron now, and I believe you do wish to help us defeat Gaea. I have not decided about your...other proposal."
"That is understandable, if all else fails I will ask it of the other," Rhea said, though Percy felt as if there was something else she wasn't telling her.
"Now, my Champion. With my blessing you will notice you have a few perks. You will usually be able to find your way with ease, and childbirth may not be as painful as it once could have been (Though you will still fill pain from the experience) since I am the Titaness of Motherhood. You will also find that blessings once Greek will pass to Roman."
"What? Blessings of Greek passing to Roman?" Percy asked, confused.
"You will find out in time," Rhea said, and her form seemed to grow even more transparent. "You must wake up now. My daughter, Hera, wished you to sleep until May at the latest. I do not, so wake up my Champion."
It was the last thing she heard or saw before she felt herself pulled back to consciousness.
Her eyes fluttered open, closing and opening before they stayed open. She gasped, sitting up on the cot she seemed to be placed on inside a medium sized room.
Around her were wolves, and one with reddish fur came forward, and began to glow until an average height woman, in a white chiton, long red hair and silver eyes stood before her.
The woman reminded her of someone she knew, someone who she thought of as a friend. She just couldn't remember who.
"You are awake early," the woman said, her voice sort of husky without even meaning to be. "You were not to wake for many months now."
Percy looked at the woman, and with hesitance she asked, "What date is it? Where am I? Who are you?"
"Do you remember who you are?" the woman asked, for the moment ignoring her questions.
Percy furrowed her brow, she could remember she had said her father's name when she accepted to be Rhea's Champion, but she could not recall who she'd said. She did recall declaring herself a legacy of Venus.
"I remember my name, I know I am a demigod. I can not recall of who, but I know I am a legacy of Venus. I know my husbands name, Luke, and I know I am pregnant...that is all really," Percy said, trying to think of more but everything else was blurry.
She could barely recall what Luke looked like, mostly she remembered blue eyes, like a glacier, beautiful.
The woman frowned but nodded.
"I am Lupa, Mother of Rome, trainer of demigod and wolf goddess. I will take care of you until you have your child, then I shall train you and send you to Camp Jupiter where all demigods journey too. You are also the daughter of Neptune."
"You know who my father is?" she asked, startled.
Lupa smiled sightly, wolfishly.
"I can smell it one you, child, I can also tell you have been blessed recently by Ops," she said. "It is a honor and very rare a demigod would be blessed by a Titan. Much less one of the few truly peaceful ones."
Ops, Percy thought to herself and realized Ops was the same as Rhea. Hadn't she said Rhea Ops during her blessing? For some reason it was easy to recall that Rhea was Greek, but Ops was the roman name.
"I will go and retrieve you some food," Lupa said. "My wolves will stay with you."
"Wait, you never told me the date," Percy called and Lupa turned.
"It is December, December 25th," she said and Percy stared at her in surprise as she left.
Hadn't it been October before? She'd been sleeping for that long? Percy placed her hand on her stomach, which had grown larger over the months.
She'd assume she was around four or five months along now, maybe six, she couldn't remember when she'd gotten pregnant now.
She did remember the baby was different, special, with two fathers. But she couldn't remember who, besides Luke, or any other details.
Sniffing as if it would stop her from crying she laid back down on the cot of furs and began to cry softly for memories she'd lost and the unknown whereabouts of her husband.
'Do not loose hope, granddaughter,' the voice of Rhea or Ops (depending on who you asked) said, startling her slightly. 'I swear you will be reunited with your love, family and lost memories one day soon.'
xXx
Athena had never truly been to Atlantis since after Pallas' death. She had been too fearful, afraid Triton would hate her for unintentionally killing his daughter, and of course she had no desire to see her uncle.
Back then her rivalry with Poseidon had just truly begun, and wasn't as calm or more of a friendly rivalry like it was now thousands of years later.
She didn't hate Poseidon, not anymore, but she didn't exactly have fluffy bunny feelings towards him either. There were only a few times they'd gotten along.
When they'd worked together to make the chariot work, and during the second Titan War they'd put their rivalry beside them.
One memory that shinned through though was when the Romans came, and they changed to what the Romans saw. Their Roman aspects.
A bitter taste filled her mouth as she thought of the Romans and her Roman form. Minerva hated them just as much as she did. Becoming Minerva was like a blade slowly slicing off parts of what made her the goddess she was.
She avoided it as much as she could.
"Poseidon?" Athena said, swimming over to his throne in his Atlantis palace – which she'd admit was very impressive.
The sea god seemed depressed, and not at all like his usual self, and he seemed even more surprised to see her in front of him.
Athena walked over and looking to either side of him she snapped her fingers and a golden throne with silver, ivory and owl carving appeared in between his and Triton's throne.
She wasn't suicidal, and that was basically what one had to be to sit in Amphitrite's throne or to even go near it.
Poseidon raised an eyebrow but said nothing as she sat gracefully beside him in her summoned throne.
"You have not been to Olympus," she said. "Father has called a lock down, all Olympians are to be on Olympus, and not leave."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Than how are you here?" he asked and she fought off a flush of embarrassment and something else she refused to recognize.
"There are rules worth breaking," Athena said, wisely.
"Father has made a mistake by closing down Olympus. The demigods can't win this war without our help. Giants...you know as well as I do there are those that need the help of a god and demigod to defeat. Gaea is also convincing to those she speaks. Just as she is cunning and powerful. I worry we may not win this coming war."
Poseidon frowned, looking at his nieces gray eyes which were stormier then usual.
"Have you told Zeus this?"
Athena laughed shortly.
"He will hear none of it, and the quest to free Hera has recently been finished. He is finding that it is hard to control the gods with a reason to leave. Hermes for example is bored out of his skull, and is to my belief conspiring with Apollo, Artemis and Luke to find Percy..."
Poseidon's face fell some at the name and she looked at him and sighed.
"I'm sorry," Athena said, placing a hand over his which was clutching his throne chair. "But we will find Persephone, you know that right?"
Poseidon looked from the petite hand covering his to Athena.
He smiled slightly, and nodded.
"If you believe it to be true, who am I to disagree with the goddess of wisdom," he said, smirking in a teasing manner and she rolled her eyes.
xXx
January came as the coldest month to Luke. It had been three months since he'd seen his wife and he'd been unable to get off Olympus since he'd helped Annabeth in December.
He'd watched over the new trio as they'd quested to free Hera though, and he'd been surprised to find them at the Wolf House to free her.
Jason had nearly died, much to his rage – being the god of demigods he always felt a portion of the pain the demigods endured in death or battle, and he felt a connection to them and was protective, roman or Greek.
If it had not been for Piper he might have died.
But his wife didn't seem to be there, but he was sure if she was Hera wouldn't have let the trio and Thalia find that out. He needed a plan, and he knew it.
Apollo had estimated Percy's due date in the end of March, early April and he refused to not be there for her.
It was his first child, and could be considered his first demigod child, even if it was conceived before he was a god.
"Luke!" Luke turned sharply at the cry of his name by Apollo, who was running towards him at a fast jog with Artemis who seemed annoyed.
"What is it?" he asked, confused.
Artemis sighed, elbowing Apollo in the ribs for some reason.
"Hermes says now is the time. He's distracted enough you can get off. I'm going with you, I need to make sure she's being taken care of, and I need to talk to my Hunters," Artemis said and Luke's face lit up and he nodded.
"The Wolf House is where we'll look first, Aphrodite said if anyone knew where Percy was it's likely Lupa does," he said, and Artemis nodded.
Without a word to Apollo the two Olympians flashed out to the Wolf House.
Apollo looked at the spots his sister and nephew had been and sighed.
"Glad I could be of help," he said, and shrugged, turning and leaving so he could help Hermes in case Zeus became aware of his sister and Luke's disappearance.