Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus. I don't own anything written by Rick Riordan.

Author's Note: I CHOSE A BOB/PERCY PAIRING FOR THE FIRST PART OF THIS STORY UNTIL PERCY GETS BACK TOGETHER WITH ARES. A LOT OF YOU SAID THAT YOU WANTED PERCY WITH DAMASEN BECAUSE HE IS THE ANTI-ARES. BECAUSE OF THAT, I REALIZED IT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE TO PAIR THEM TOGETHER. AFTER ALL, HOW COULD PERCY LOVE TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE COMPLETE OPPOSITES OF EACH OTHER... HOPE YOU'RE ALL OKAY WITH THIS.

Sorry I'm a day late with this. I had a busy week.

Oh! And I'm pleased to announce that I officially have an awesome beta, dogbiscuit1967.

Also, missawesome-demigodish submitted the 100th review and I will be writing a one-shot to her specifications!

The 250th reviewer will also get a one-shot of their liking as long as they are not a guest and they don't request an M rated story.

nynrahghost: Thank you for your suggestion. As you can see, I've decided to implement it. I have also gone back to the last chapter and changed that. I will most likely put in a flashback at some point about how Bob decided he'd rather be called Iapetus. Persephone's new domains don't mean that she can induce loyalty and treachery. But she can sense them. She can also bless or curse such people as she wishes.

Cassandra Jackson: The confrontation was going to be in this chapter, but I didn't get to it fast enough. I figured you'd rather have this much first and the rest later. So it will hopefully be next chapter.

Sinthia1123: Think about it: Percy was banished to Tartarus because of their actions. She has the right to be as mad as she is. Also, Ares isn't getting on Percy's good side anytime soon. :)

the Oracle of Akemi: Technically she's related to both of them equally.

Jasmine112: Ares will get back together with Percy at some point in the future, just not now.

Helmetgirl896: No worries: they'll get together in a bit.

I've started a new story called Golden Drops. Hope you all read it!

Chapter VI: Flashbacks

Clotho and Atropos flashed out, leaving their sister, Lachesis, behind.

"Persephone, your suffering is not yet over. But if you make the right choices, you may be able to find happiness in the end," said the Fate, before flashing out as well.

During the Fates' speech, Seph's old throne had reappeared in the throne room. This time, it was a poisonous green in color, instead of the soft sea-green it had been before.

Gasps were heard from around the room as the gods took in the ugly color. Seph just smiled under her hood and took her seat as Damasen and Iapetus came to stand on each side of her throne. The poisonous green reflected her now honed abilities to control most liquids - including poison. She thought back to the first time she had embraced that specific aspect of her abilities.

"Persephone Jackson," hissed Akhlys, nails scratching Seph's face, "When I heard you were back in Tartarus, I couldn't resist the urge to send some of my monsters to capture you and bring you here. However, I didn't account for your companions. But once I threatened your life, and they gave up willingly."

Akhlys turned towards Iapetus and Damasen where they were tied up a few feet away from where Seph, herself, was bound. "I will make you pay," she said, "for what you did to me the last time we met. And what better way to do that, than to make your friends suffer? I will do to them what you did to me!"

Seph's eyes widened in horror as she looked to Iapetus and Damasen's prone, unconscious forms. "Please, no. You can't!"

"Can't I?" hissed Akhlys, tears running down her cheeks.

"They have done nothing to you," protested Seph, searching for some sort of water to control

Akhlys waved her finger in the woman's face. "But you almost killed me. And what better way to take revenge than to kill what you hold most dear?" she said simply.

The poisonous streams surrounding the deity started to creep towards the two half-brothers. Seph pleaded, begged, threatened, but Akhlys didn't let up even for a second.

Finally, just as the poison reached Iapetus and Damasen, Seph broke. She splintered. She let out a scream, a screech. A screech of pure desperation. Of heartbreak and pain.

And then the poison was hers.

It pulled away from its original path and flew towards Akhlys, pushing its way into her body. The poison began to tear its way through Misery's, pulling her apart piece by sorrowful piece.

Seph, deaf to Akhlys's pleas for mercy, pulled on the poison and ordered it to cut her free. Not truly aware of what the poison was doing to Akhlys, she raced to Iapetus and Damasen, letting out tears of relief when she saw their chests rising and falling.

She clapped a hand over her mouth. "Thank the gods!"

Finally aware of the tug in her gut that she recognized as her powers being active, she turned to Akhlys, eyes widening in surprise as she saw the poison torturing the deity. She knew, in that moment, all she would have to do to destroy the embodiment of misery was to push the poison running through her veins one last time.

It would be so simple.

Seph raised her hand to order the poison to carry through with Misery's destruction, but then hesitated when she remembered Anthony's horror-stricken face the last time she had manipulated poison to kill.

Could she really kill someone in cold blood?

But she wasn't just killing for the sake of killing, Seph realized. She was fighting for survival. If she didn't kill Akhlys, this would just happen again and again until Seph, herself, was eventually killed.

So she closed her eyes and let her mind embrace the poison. She let the poison become a part of her very being and once she was sure the dangerous substance was hers to control, she clenched her fist and shouted, forcing the poison to end its previous mistress.

Seph had been nervous at first about the idea of having such a volatile substance under her command. If she ever snapped - lost control - gods knew what would happen.

By the time she had snapped out of the memory, the meeting had almost come to an end.

"Wait!" said Athena just before Zeus dismissed everyone. "We should tell Persephone what Chaos told us."

Zeus nodded in agreement.

So Seph listened in silent interest and horror as Athena explained the upcoming war with Tartarus.

Her throat tightened suddenly as recollections of her last encounter with the cruel Primordial flooded her mind.

Ares had been studying Percy - he refused to think of her as anything else - during the meeting. He couldn't see her face, but he found himself reveling in her presence as he had all those years ago. He honestly wanted to spring out of his seat and wrap her up in his arms and never let go. But he refrained from doing so, knowing she wouldn't appreciate the action.

He didn't even know where they stood in terms of their relationship. Were they still together? Or did she hate him now and want nothing to do with him?

Still, that didn't keep him from watching her body language since he couldn't see her face. She hadn't been paying attention to the majority of the meeting, but she had perked up when Athena began to explain the upcoming war with Tartarus and Chaos's visit.

The explanation was winding to a close when the first gasp left Percy's lips.

Ares glanced around, wondering what she had seen that had invoked such a reaction. Finding nothing, he turned his attention back to Percy in time to see her chest begin to heave up and down as she started to hyperventilate.

"Persephone?!" he cried, leaping to his feet, remembering her wishes about what to be called at the last moment. "What's wrong?"

He rushed towards the goddess, somewhat aware of his fellow gods doing the same.

The Giant immediately blocked their path. "Stop! Do not come any closer."

"Excuse me?" Ares said belligerently. "Something is clearly wrong with Persephone and we need to help her."

Damasen shook his head. "You can't help her. Go back to your seats - all of you - or leave the throne room. I don't care either way. But do not come any closer."

Ares glanced around at the other gods, gaze coming to rest on Aphrodite who had been his pillar during the last ten years. She grabbed his arm and gently guided his stiff body away. She was clearly in agreement with Damasen.

Slowly, the other gods stepped away and reclaimed their seats.

Finally convinced that none of the gods would come close to his companion - friend? - Damasen stepped away and allowed the gods an unobstructed view of a trembling and gasping Percy clinging to Iapetus as he spoke to her in low, soothing tones too quiet to be heard.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Poseidon, wide, horror filled eyes trained on his daughter.

Damasen glanced at Iapetus who gave him a quick nod. "Seph is... having a flashback," explained the Giant.

Ares had to fight hard to keep from being jealous at the fact that Damasen, a Giant, was allowed to call Percy Seph. At the same time worry surged through his being.

"Why?" asked Artemis. "Of what?"

"A few years back," said Damasen, "Seph had gone out to hunt for an antidote for a poison that was running through Iapetus's veins. He was dying - fading, really."

A few eyes widened at the thought of such a powerful poison.

"She had already expended a lot of energy trying to slow down the poison."

Since when could Percy control poison? wondered Ares.

"She never stood a chance. Tartarus took the opportunity to rise up, himself, and capture her. He tortured her for a full month before Iapetus - whom I had gone out to get the antidote for - recovered and we could rescue her."

She been tortured. Gods, the love of his life had been tortured because of him. Because he didn't believe her when she needed him to most.

Aphrodite gasped. "So all this talk about Tartarus..."

"It triggered her memories," Damasen finished, nodding.

Ares turned his horror-stricken attention back to Percy in time to see Iapetus push her hood down and cradle her face - which was more beautiful than ever - in his hands.

Percy had calmed down by then, but was still breathing somewhat heavily.

Iapetus suddenly leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. Ares felt jealously surge in his stomach as Percy returned the action. The only thing that kept him from leaping forwards to tear the two apart was the knowledge that Iapetus was helping Percy. (That, and Aphrodite's tight grip on his shoulder.)

He'd hoped that Percy would eventually rekindle a relationship with him once she got back from Tartarus, but it was clear that was not to be.

He wished...

Gods, he wished for so much.

He wished for Percy's forgiveness, her love. He wished he'd believed her when she said she didn't kill those six demigods. He wished he had fought against her sentencing. He wished he had told her one last time that he loved her - and that he always would.

But, he swore to himself, he would always be there for her whenever - however - she needed him. He would never doubt her again. Never again betray her trust. He would be everything she needed.

A/N: Please let me know what you thought. Percy's obviously somewhat traumatized, but will try to hide it. But now all the gods know and they'll be all guilty and trying to butt into her business and... Angry Seph happens.

So... Please review!