721 Years Ago
Alaska
"Holy shit. Holy Shit. Holy Shit. Holy Shit..." Nico said as if he was making it his life's goal to impersonate a broken record.
Percy shook his head and groaned. He looked suspiciously at Hestia, almost accusingly. "Where is she?" He demanded.
Lady Hestia regarded him with caution. He was full of mistrust. But they have no time. "In my care, d—" she stopped herself. They wouldn't be demigods anymore soon. One way or the other the Culling will come. "Percy. Please, she's going to wake up soon. You must go."
Percy looked at her as if the goddess told her he was on fire and they needed to put more oil to put it out. "All the more reason to stay, Lady Hestia." He looked at her adamantly. At the back of his mind, he wished Nico would back him up. But he could still here him in the background, pacing and uttering 'holy shit' over and over again.
Hestia was getting a little bit impatient. This was of the utmost importance. "Haven't you listened at all to what I said, Perseus? I—"
"I'm supposed to believe it true and that you, a goddess, you, the oldest child of Cronus, you, who had done nothing but try to keep your family, the Olympians, together—you, the peaceful goddess, allowed it tohappen?"
Lady Hestia raised an eyebrow. "And if I say it was for the best, child?" Percy couldn't believe her.
"The best!" He exclaimed unbelieving and with slight exasperation. Percy flopped down. Ice formed as a chair automatically and caught him. He buried his face in his hands. The best? How in Tartarus could it ever be the best? Percy glared at her, "You knew what Aphrodite was doing. You knew what was happening to me." He accused. Hestia looked at her for a long time before answering, "I had my suspicions, yes."
"And you let her have me! You let him have me!"
Lady Hestia groaned. This really isn't the time. "Percy—"
"No! You two did this! Now please explain to us what the hell is happening!"
"But I already did, Perseus. And you wouldn't believe me."
"Fair point. Tell me then why are you doing this? Why is this happening?"
"If two goddesses are guiding you in the same subject, then shouldn't that be an indication for you to follow?" Hestia prodded. They really needed to get out of here. And she was uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable in this barren land of ice. Where here powers of fire or any of her powers for that matter didn't work.
Percy shot her the bitterest look. It caught her off guard. "No." He said. "When a goddess tries to guide me in something—and when two do it—it's an indication that someone wants to use me, very badly."
"I've told you the truth, Perseus. I've told you over and over again. The Birthright is the thin line between a revolution and succession. From each age to another. Oceanus had it. I had it. And as history repeats itself, Thalia has it. It's a right."
"And I'm supposed to believe you when you say me and Nico are going to feel compelled to fight over it against her—for what? Olympus?"
"Kronus had. Zeus had. And it will be one of you then. I'm not sure. Nico is the youngest, but technically he's older than the two of you. So I don't know which, right now. I can't be sure."
"And I'm supposed to believe that you just practically made this happen?" Percy took a deep breath. "Why? Tell me and swear on it on the river Styx. We're not leaving here."
Hestia looked at him in the eye. Her patience were growing thin. And if it weren't the fact that she was powerless here, she would have just made them fall asleep and explain all this to them when Thalia was, indeed, awake and the uncertainty of her safety wasn't egging on them. They don't realize that their power has been growing for years now for this. She wonders how they weren't able to notice it. It's in the way they stood. It's in the way they talked to her now. Less reverence. Respect, yes. But they don't talk to the gods anymore as if they were mere demigods. Because, slowly, they were becoming more.
"Because if Thalia did not succeed, the Birthright would have made her mad. It will make her more visible to Hera. And you remember what happened to Hercules. And you wouldn't let that happen. I could have let it happen, little immortal. But what would be the point? The Birthright would recede on her death and wait for the next until someone does succeed it.
"The Prophecy of the Champion. It speaks of someone who will make the fifth Age the strongest it has ever been. It speaks of an alternative as well. That if the fifth Age fail to take its champion, the fifth will fall quickly."
Percy looked at her even more warily as the goddess of Hearth continue. "I'm confident it is one of you three. And this is how I see it. Thalia has succeeded the Birthright—in other words, the fates are in her favor should she decide a revolution against the gods. It is how it is, children overthrowing their father for the crown. It has happened over and over again in both the Gods' history and the humans'. And I can't do anything but delay it—or hasten, as I did—and chose to whom I assign the roles of the pieces in the chess. I chose you three. You three are the fall the prophecy is talking about.
"But. I will make one of you my Champion. You shall be bound to Olympus through me. I swear it on the River Styx it is my intention."
Percy looked at her mockingly, "Nice to know we have a choi—"
He was cut short because Nico made his way to the two of them. Percy shot him a look, "Nice of you to have finally let it sink in, bro." To which Nico replied, "HOLY SHIT, LADY HESTIA." Hestia shot her a chiding look. "Language," she warns. And Percy could not believe the two. One, Nico's been saying holy shit during their whole conversation. Two, seriously? She has the time to worry about Nico's language. Three, uh, hello, how about Thalia?
"Oh my gods, Lady Hestia! You just gave us the frigging key to topple Zeus! Oh my gods! Zeus's going to kill us. He's going to kill all the demigods. He's going to freaking Moses Egypt us! I just survived the baths from the Rivers and now Zeus will kill me! Why did I try so hard to survive in the first place?! I just want to live for like a couple of centuries—and I don't know, go to Elysium? Now, Zeus is going to send me to the fields of punishment, and oh my gods, father would probably let him. And oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods…"
Okay, so maybe Nico hasn't let anything past imminent death sink in at all yet. "You're telling me this bumbling idiot would draw a sword at me and at Thals for kingship?" Percy said with a bit of challenge in his voice and little chuckle too. He didn't notice Hestia smiling sadly at him. He didn't know what Hestia was thinking. He didn't know that his father said the same thing to her when they were in her father's stomach.
Present Date
A Tent
"None of this makes sense," one of them said.
"Yes, if history wanted to repeat itself, then it shouldn't be the three of you. Or, you should've been siblings!"
"And besides, if the Birthright had considered the first born on your actual ages, shouldn't it have gone to you?
Arguments and counter arguments were being thrown. The round table they sat at was jiggling a bit—you couldn't blame the table. He was trying to tell big shit to ten ADHD and powerful demigods. They were bound to get all hands-y as they talked.
"Enough," Nico said. His voice made everyone pause into silence. Sometimes, they forget that Nico was older than their ace and their other lieutenant. Sometimes, they forget how much mature Nico could me. And sometimes, they forget that he was more than just the son of Hades.
Nico scanned their faces, hoping to see what their reactions to these piece of information was. At least, Nico thought, they weren't incoherently spouting off holy shit like he did. Yeah, so in any case, this was a good reaction.
"Only demigods had the aptitude to Change. And the oldest demigod child of the king of Gods alive: Thalia.
B raised an eyebrow, "And you two? You and Percy aren't siblings to Thalia. And shouldn't there be six of you then?"
Nico shook his head. "It doesn't have to be six. In fact, it shouldn't be. 12 Titans. 6 Gods. Shouldn't it make sense that there's just three of us now?" Nico pauses, then shrugs. "That's what Thalia, Percy and I think, anyways. If Hestia knew more, she didn't tell. She would though. And besides, it's the fate's decisions. Who understands the fates anyway?"
"But that doesn't explain how you're not siblings neither by blood nor ichor."
It was Nico's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Or are we?" He challenged. This brought questioning looks from the founders. "You'd be surprise what the Cullings made of us."
V eyed him warily. "You haven't fully transformed, have you?"
Nico shook his head. "No, if we allow ourselves to finally assume our true form, it'll be complete, and it'll start a domino effect on all worthy demigods: the Cullings. Plus, the whole world will know that a new form of entity has come. When that happens, our blood will turn as one kind—and as the first and as the ones in the brink of the transformation, Thalia, Percy and I will be reborn as brothers and sisters."
"The Cullings, what exactly is it?"
720 Years Ago
The Successor's Room
"I'm awake."
Two heads snapped towards the direction of the voice. Nico and Percy agreed to meet Thalia in the room she found in Olympus. They were safe there, and no one would find them. They wanted to see how Thalia has changed so meeting her in Alaska was no good, much to the displeasure of Hestia. Although, there was some comfort in being in the Successor's Room. At the very least, they would have privacy there and the ancient walls will protect them from unwanted intrusion. Percy looked at her cautiously, and Nico just outright couldn't help himself. He rushed to her and only stopped a feet away as he noticed her hesitance. Regardless, he took her hand and asked, "How does it feel?"
Thalia smiled softly. And she could see that Percy's cautious face was betrayed by the way he furrows his eyebrows in worry. She then remembered herself and twisted the smile into a smirk instead. "I don't feel any different." Percy tilted his head and raised his eyebrows as if to challenge, oh really? Thalia rolled her eyes. "Well not completely not different. I feel more in control of myself. I feel like the heavy weight I had to carry became a part of me instead of a burden. So I don't feel it at all now." She admitted.
"Hestia?" Percy asked. She hummed. "Yes, quite. There won't be any drastic changes besides that. It's the events that are too happen after this are what we have to worry about."
"And that is?" Thalia asked. Hestia shook her head. "There's no way of telling really. Thalia, you have succeeded the Birthright. All that means is that the Fates have approve of you and your kind. The Fates favor you. How they will let their favor bleed through history, only they will know."
Percy looked at her skeptically. "And?"
"The Fates have obviously started. You three, your energies are changing rapidly. Soon, it shall consume you, and once you have found a way to survive it, you will find your true form as gods have theirs. That is when you will completely diverge from the demigods and when the world will welcome a new entity. That's when the Fates will truly play."
Percy huffed. But Nico caught the look Hestia was giving them. "What else?"
"You've spent a lot of time there. You've created a base. And haven't you noticed that your powers grow faster in Alaska now? You have marked Alaska as your territory. The moment one of you assumes your true form, Alaska won't be neutral anymore. It'll be yours."
Percy laughed. Thalia looked at her as if he's gone crazy. "What, kelp for brains?"
"What do you mean what? I think it's awesome," Percy grinned. He high fived Nico. "What should we call them?" Nico asks excitedly.
"Persassy land!"
"Nicotopeia!"
Thalia scoffed. "Boys," she sighed exasperatedly. Percy raised an eyebrow, "Well, it's not like you're thinking of any great names."
She shrugged as she nonchalantly answer, "Beyonds"
Nico and Percy found themselves smiling like a Cheshire cat.
Weakling. Percy gritted his teeth. He held back from saying, 'What do you expect? I'm suspended in shackles that absorb my life energy.' Foolish coward boy. Percy managed a hiss. O-ho the boy has enough energy to spare for a hiss. He added a glare. "Bia." he finally says out loud. He could feel Bia's amusement. He could feel Bia wondering whether or not he was going to beg. The spirit was anticipating his response. "How much longer?" Minutes, almost seconds now.
"Why must you drain me this way," he demanded. Bia harshly replies, immortal, you were the one who asked for my help. You are the one refusing it now.
"Release me from these chains, and I will do what you say."
Foolish coward liar boy. You want to run away.
"No." Percy can feel his limit approaching.
Yes. You are nothing like your kin. He can feel Bia's presence in his whole being. It felt intrusive. So intrusive. Her voice is everywhere, surrounding him. But he did not understand—what kin? Nothing alike at all. You, immortal, are weak. You are spineless. Uncertain. Yielding. How do you wish to stop the Pit with such weakness? Had you bathed the Rivers as your kin had, with this resolve, they would have consumed you. Had you been a son of Zeus, the Birthright would've destroyed you, with nothing but a pitiful excuse of a will for defense. Such is the strength of your kin.
"I will not yield such power."
Because you run away from the responsibility of it. There was a pause. Percy could feel the smirk in Bia's voice. Too late, she says with glee. He is coming. I shall enjoy watching you while I ponder what will destroy you first: the Pit or the Trident.
And so suddenly, Bia was gone. It was very much disorienting The shackles were just shackles. He could not feel his energies forcibly pulling out. He was at the brink of collapse. Bia had no mercy. And as soon as Bia went, there came Tartarus's presence, crippling. Percy fell to his knees in an instant, eliciting a smug laugh from the Pit. And the laugh only furthers the pain. What a wonderful sight to greet me with, foolish boy.
For a few moments, those were the only words uttered. The Pit took his time, appreciating the foolish immortal twitching and cringing in pain, in shackles. It wasn't long before Tartarus got bored. Months and months, you've tested me. You've slowed me down, I'll give you that, boy. Percy wanted to scream, 'get out of my head!' He couldn't. But, I've waited. And, my time has come. I shall claim you. Be honored, for you are mine now.
It was like he was falling asleep piece by piece. Each part of his body that Tartarus took over, he could not feel anymore. In the same way you do not feel other people's legs to be there the way you know yours is. Percy has never hated his weakness the way he did right now. So, when Tartarus laughed victoriously, as his energies consumed Percy's, almost near it's core, it was then that Percy finally snapped. "No."
His whole body glowed a blinding light. Tartarus screeched, and if you ask Percy in a couple of centuries, he would swear that the Pit's screech did more damage than anything else he did. Tartarus sputtered. Percy felt it. He could feel the Pit wriggle at his power's grip. He could feel Tartarus' plead for release. And then the threats. You lowly immortal think you can tamper me in my full glory?!
"You are but a fraction of your power here. You need me. Of course I can tamper with what you have exposed here." He said. He has never feared his own voice till then. The others will awaken, foolish boy. It is only a matter of t—
Join them, then. And I will wait for you and your brethren's return. Percy took a ragged breath. I am the Conduit, apprentice to Bia. And you, fractal being, slumber.
A/N:
Hey guys! :****
I just want to say your reviews are so touching :)) I appreciate ALL of them. And I can't believe you're all still with me :)) You guys really know how to make a person appreciated. Oh, and not just you reviewers, you readers too. I can see how many people read the chapters and let me say you guys rock. Thanks for the new follows and favorites too. Oh and of course, for adding me to a new community :))
I'm just a bit confused though by a review of a guest, what do you mean two more chapters? I plan on writing loads and loads more. You guys are only beginning to understand what the gang's big fight is all about XD.
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