Clarisse smiled at the familiar scene before her; the strawberry fields were as beautiful as ever blazing in the sun. Hestia gave a sigh as if the scenery brought back a painful memory.
"This is where you first met him in person huh Lady Hestia." Clarisse said.
"How did you-" Hestia said
"He told me, you should know he still remembers it fondly even if it was the first day of the life that led to torture."
" I would have never imagined that he would become this. A tool to destroy our home."
"Please your "home" facilitated the death of trillions and banished him. What did you expect?" Clarisse answered without looking at the Goddess. Medusa was not in the mood to reminisce. A fact made clear by the agitation of her hair.
"How in Tartarus is this a good place to get your boyfriend a present."
"A very long time ago he let me win a challenge and bring something very important here to help the camp. I simply want it back." Clarrise said.
"But it's literally the headquarters for the enemy you plan on just waltzing in and expect no resistance." Medusa said.
"The enemy? I didn't know you were already on our side, Medusa." Clarisse said with a grin. Medusa blushed and looked away.
"I don't really have a choice anymore do I." Medusa shot back.
"Nope we're best buds now." Clarisse said as she left the carriage. Clarisse trudged up the familiar hill with confidence knowing exactly what she'd be in for. When she reach the tree that Thalia was once trapped as, she saw a distinct lack of Ladon; instead a group of 25 armored troops surrounded the fleece.
"Halt identify yourself!" A demigod with a red plume instructed.
"Halt? That's militant." Clarisse said as 10 arrows, 13 swords and 2 spears were levied at her. "Oh this is going to be fun." Clarisse said. "So which one of you is in charge?" Clarisse said as she raised her hands.
"That would be me." Said the red plume demigod.
"Dope." Clarisse said as she blitzed forward grabbing the demigod by the throat and lifting him into the air. "Call off your little battalion for me please. Naturally the demigod responded by punching Clarisse in the face, this was followed by the demigod bellowing in pain. As blood dripped from his mangled fist.
"Tsk tsk tsk. Lets try again huh? Tell the losers to drop their weapons." Clarisse said increasing the strength of her grip on the demigod's throat.
"Do as she says, you morons." the demigod choked out. In Unison all the demigods threw their weapons on the ground.
"Good." Clarisse said as she dropped the leader. "I'm taking the fleece. You can try to stop me but you will die as a result." Clarisse turned and approached the tree, not a single warrior dared to get in the way. When she was about 10 feet away the leader came from behind trying to stab her with his spear. Before any other demigod could move, the head of the leader hit the ground with a thud. His body followed quickly after. Clarisse continued her march toward her prize.
"Thank You." Clarisse said as she draped the fleece over her shoulders and made her way back down the hill.
Medusa was pacing back and forth in front of the carriage. Should she go help, what if an olympian showed up maybe she shouldn't have followed this plan. Stealing the gods damned golden fleece, what was she thinking? For all she knew her new friend had been captured and was probably being tortured. Cruelty is a specialty of those Olympians afterall.
"You should stop pacing." Hestia said.
" Like you have the power to tell me what to do. You'd still be in prison if not for Perseus."
"It's not about telling you what to do, it's about lowering your anxiety." Hestia said.
"Where do you get off telling me about my anxiety."
"I simply meant-."
"No! You know why I'm anxious? Because the first non mortal to befriend me in a millennium is diving head first into the headquarters of the indoctrinated children of the family who turned me into this! I know how high the heights that pettiness and cruelty of the gods can reach for someone like me, how much more someone who is openly waging war upon them! It's not like you're there to calm them, not like you were good for that to begin with. Quiet Hestia. Poor Hestia, forced to contend with the whims of her family. What bullshit. You act like you're the only one suffering, pick up any story of any demigod in the history of mythology and I bet they could really educate you on the subject of suffering because most of their stories end with "and then he died too". Oh oh or any monster I bet it would begin with a god sticking his dick where it didn't belong. And before you start going on about how you are powerless in the grand scheme of your family's matters, take a second to realize that it was your family that did everything wrong to begin with. Do you think that you're better than the rest of them? The good Goddess doing nothing and while the evil that your family perpetuates triumphs and your rigid pacifism crumbles into bloodstained, soul tainted dust the only victory afforded to you is that you stuck to your guns, you're a pacifist through and through. The powerful goddess who did absolutely nothing as her family wrecked death, havoc and suffering all over the world. You are not a pacifist, you are a coward." Medusa finished. Hestia Bowed her head and said nothing.
"Yo." Clarisse said poking her in the back. Medusa shrieked in surprise.
"Don't do that! I thought you were half way to Tartarus." Medusa said exasperated.
"Oh please they couldn't fight me if they tried." Clarisse answered with a smile.
"Good you still have to take me to Perseus to get this curse removed. I see you got the Golden Fleece" Medusa said.
"Yeah there was nothing to it. And Sure that's why you were worried."
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Percy snapped his fingers and seatbelts appeared within the carriage.
"Strap in." He said, His tone betrayed no emotion. He then reached his hand out and poured pure power into his horses making them glow. As soon as he asked if everyone was secure the carriage sped forward pressing Nico and Thalia as well as Sarah, Abi and Wale. Within 10 minutes the group was back home.
"Why didn't we go that fast the first time?"
"I wanted to take in the Canadian scenery." Percy said as jumped out of the carriage. He was met by a rush of his children. After a tearful reunion with Luke and an interesting reacquaintance with Ethan. Percy called everyone together to deliver some news.
"My Children I present to you Thalia Grace and Nico Di Angelo!". The training hall exploded into cheers as the legendary demigods took a bow. "As it stands in a straight fight they don't stand a chance against any of you so you're going to whip them into shape. We'll also be having two guests. The first is Lady Hestia." Percy could see the apprehension on the faces of his kids. "I know I know but she was imprisoned for speaking out against Zeus and I thought breaking her out would piss Zeus off. Don't worry if she even seems to be a double agent, I'll kill her myself. The second guest is medusa." Percy paused but was met with expressions that showed no fear.
"They were given the true version of the myths, they're up to date on what really happened." Ethan said.
"That explains it. Okay 2 more things. First, Zeus has decided to draft Kronos into his force. This is good, it means we are making him desperate. Second, because Zeus has finally cracked it's time to move to the next step. "What is the next phase?" Silena said as she walked into the training hall followed by Clarisse, Medusa and Hestia. Percy laughed
"I'm getting to it " Percy said as he walked over to his girlfriend planting a kiss on her forehead. "Hello gorgeous."
"I got you a gift." Clarisse answered smiling. "It's in the carriage, I'll give it to you later."
"Is that a euphemism?" Thalia asked as she was tackled by a hug from Silena and Clarisse. While the girls caught up Nico raised his hand.
"I'm here too." The shock quickly turned into more hugging. Percy went to Medusa and Hestia.
" Medusa I made a promise I'll come through. Lady Hestia I broke you out of prison. What do you want?"
"I won't fight against my family." Hestia said with a bowed head.
"That's fine, stay here and don't betray me. Now that everyone is here, lets move on. The list of remaining Olympians is as follows; Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Hera, Demeter, Athena, Hermes, Dionysus and Hephaestus. That rubs me the wrong way. Luke and Abi tomorrow you two are going after Hermes, take him out permanently." Luke and Abi nodded. "Ethan tomorrow take Sarah and end Hephaestus." Ethan and Sarah nodded. " Zoe, take Wale and kill Dionysus." Zoe and Wale high fived. The rest of you will each have 1 month long sessions with me training sessions with me in the time dilation training center . I'll get each of you to the level of at least a minor god because I suspect Zeus will add them to his army. Tonight let's celebrate having my best friends back." A loud cheer of excitement went up from the group. Hestia for the first time saw it, the flame amongst the gathered individuals; it was bright and warm. It was made strong with the confidence that Percy would always have their backs and guide them to success. It was the flame of family and shone brighter than ever before.
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"It's freezing." Kronos said as he eyed his son.
"It's Alaska, its bound to be freezing" Zeus said.
"One would assume that the almighty King of the gods would be able to flash a bit farther than the edge of his territory." Kronos said with a smirk. A quick zap of electricity blitzed through Zeus's hair.
"We are almost there, stop complaining." Zeus said
"This is interesting going all this way for a weapon, when your best bet against me was to throw an army of demigods at me. Did you not think I required such effort."
"You weren't yourself yet. While confined to a mortal form you could be killed by them but Typhon was a different story. He couldn't be reasoned with, he couldn't be tricked by maneuvers he needed pure force."
"So you were afraid of me." Kronos said.
"No."
"So you weren't afraid of me, you were just willing to throw as many demigods you had in order to hope one of them killed me." Kronos said, slightly amused.
"It worked didn't it?" Zeus said looking back.
"It worked because of that Jackson boy. I have never met anyone quite as strong in will as he is. Without even being sure he took a dip in the river styx. Forsaking everything just for the chance to beat me. I almost admire him; he reminds me of a younger you." Kronos said. Zeus stopped dead in his tracks. "You freed the Cyclops and the hecatoncheires just to even the playing field to toss aside all reason for the sake of victory; it's the very same reason you revived me. Zeus reached out grabbing his father by the collar.
"Do not misunderstand my stratagem for forgiveness, you do not get to trallop down memory lane with me as if you weren't the object of my ire." Zeus said. To his surprise Kronos wore no expression of pain nor of worry or even fear. The best emotion he could attribute to the face of the titan lord was confusion.
" Why would you forgive me?"
"Because you ate your children because you tried to eat me." Zeus said.
"Why would I need your forgiveness? I didn't apologize." Kronos said. Zeus could only stare.
"Pardon me?" Zeus asked.
"I'm not sorry. A prophecy was given and I acted accordingly. You know what that's like don't you? Isn't that the reason why you're fighting this war? Why am I here? You thought it was personal? You were babies. How could it be personal?"
"I thought you hated us."
" I grew to hate you, thank you very much and it wasn't because you dethroned me. It was because you made it seem as if you were vanquishing some great evil and leading the world into a new golden era. Think Zeus, what changed? The gods killed children just as titans did. The gods cursed mortals just as the Titans did what made you paragons for good? The demigods didn't fight for you because you are good. The fact that some of them defected proves that. They fought because they were your family." Kronos said, breaking the grip of his son and dusting himself off. Zeus could only stand there in stunned silence.
"Glad we could have this talk now how much further." Kronos asked. The pair continued walking for about 20 more minutes before coming to a large cabin. Zeus knocked on the door and to his surprise a young asian african man with golden eyes opened the door.
"Hello, is your father home?" Zeus asked
"Pops there's a guy in a suit here for you."
"Nicholas, how many times have I told you not to open the door for strang-." The Asian man stopped mid sentence as he recognized Zeus."
"Hello Lord Zeus." The man said as he dipped into a bow. "To what do I owe the pleasure."
"Unfortunately, your father has been killed. We need you Frank." Zeus said. Frank's face morphed into one of anger and confusion.
"Who."
"Percy Jackson."
Please read and review. The reviews literally bring me out my depressive states and force me to write.
-Peacoat