Disclaimer:
I Do Not Own Percy Jackson & The Olympians
~Anger is only one letter short of danger.~
Eleanor Roosevelt
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Arcanum Revelatum
Perseus Jackson
Destiny.
Ever since Perseus Jackson had discovered his true heritage as a son of Poseidon at the tender age of twelve years old, that word had consistently appeared as he faced countless challenges and vile demons within the realm of the Greek Pantheon. It had easily been spoken by his friends, his allies, and his enemies so much that eventually, he got tired of hearing it. He got tired of hearing how that single word controlled so much of his life, how it dominated it. As he continued to grow, continued to get faster, stronger, smarter, his view on that word never changed. In fact, the only thing that came to his mind when he thought of destiny were four simple words.
It was an irritation.
Or, to be more specific, they were an irritation.
Destiny, the Moirai, were a trio of old supernatural godly women who controlled the strings of all mortal and divine beings. They knew of each and every single person before they were born, the decisions they were going to or have made, and they knew everything about how they, or when they, die. They also knew of the past, present, and future. It was their job to govern everybody on earth and protect the future- It was the reason why they were so feared, why their words- their prophecies- were taken so seriously.
Which is why, as he stared into the pitch-black abyss before him, Perseus Jackson knew that the Mistresses of Destiny had some part in his current predicament.
''You knew about this, didn't you?''
"What?! Of course not! I would have never expected this to happen! I would never have expected her to-''
"Brother! You're letting out too much energy! If you don't stop now, you are going to destroy your palace!''
Voices.
Diverting his attention away from the abyss, Percy thought, no- he knew, he heard voices within his mind.
Familiar voices.
Before he could figure out why they seemed so familiar, pain, so much pain, traveled throughout his veins, which nearly sent his partially conscious mind back into unconsciousness. The air around him steadily grew ice cold, and the darkness surrounding him seemed to grow larger until it was practically smothering him.
"This is absolutely insane! It doesn't make any sense! How on Olympus could they have-''
"Look, I know it doesn't make any sense-''
"Obviously!''
"Brother!''
"What?!''
"Look, Poseidon, whether you like it or not, what happened on Olympus happened. You can't change that, nobody can. The best thing for us to do is to focus on what we can do now, on preparing for what's going to happen next, so I need you to...''
The voices faded into indecipherable mutter that eventually faded out of existence. It didn't matter, though, because Percy had finally been able to identify one of the voices that seemed so familiar to him.
Poseidon.
His father.
Before he could decide what to do next, the sounds of countless thunder strikes suddenly reverberated between Percy's ears, causing him to mentally scream into the darkness surrounding him as he felt something within him break.
"What's happening to him?!"
''Hold him down!''
"Why is he screaming like that?!''
"Stop asking questions and just hold him down before he in-''
"Fix him!''
"I'm trying to!''
The voices-the noise- were beginning to grow louder- they were starting to grow impossibly nearer, and Perseus was hating every moment of it. With every word spoken, the darkness wrapped its inky black shadows around his body; with every second that passed, it tightened itself like a cobra does to its prey. Desperately, he struggled to free himself, but with each movement came arcs of pain that swept through his body. Unable to think, Percy could do nothing as he began to lose consciousness. As his mind began to slowly shut down, the only thing he could do before he was sent into the realm of Hypnos was scream at the darkness with his last breath.
~xXx~
Sensation.
As his consciousness returned to reality, the first thing he felt was sensation, painful yet dull, across his body. After the sensation came the view of darkness, which was quickly remedied when he forced himself to open his eyes. What appeared before him as he gazed in front of him was an alabaster white ceiling with a beautiful onyx black chandelier that had pure white shades.
Confusion clouded his pain-addled mind.
Dropping his emerald green orbs down to the right, Percy saw that he was in a spacious, highly stylish dark ocean blue room with cotton-white pillars, indigo furniture, and statues of elegant aquatic creatures.
'I know this place….am I in one of Father's palaces?' That was probably it. After the Second Giant War, his father continuously invited him to various palaces he owned within Olympus and under the ocean to forge a stronger bond with him. Before he could figure out what to do, a petite young girl with jade dark hair fashioned in simple ringlets that framed her face, dressed in a simple chocolate brown dress, suddenly appeared in front of him; the scent of marshmallows and wood smoke gently wafting off of her.
''Hestia?'' He croaked, watching as fiery reddish brown orbs, gleaming with warmth, landed on him. Percy watched as the ancient goddess removed her hand from his chest, his gaze catching the sight of it wreathed in a fiery orange hue before it faded out of existence.
Face full of bewilderment, he struggled to sit up.
''Careful.'' Hestia said, gently assisting him into an upright position against the navy leather headboard. ''Do not move too much. I don't want you opening your injuries again.'' Distantly nodding, Percy's eyes traveled across the bed he was on to his father, who was dressed in magnificent sea-green robes.
The expression on Poseidon's face was unreadable.
''Da-''
''Sister.'' Percy's eyebrows raised as he watched his father turn away from him to stare at Hestia. ''Is he going to be okay?''
''...Yes, I temporarily suppressed the pain from his injuries. If you want him to completely heal, though, he will need more rest.''
''No.'' From behind the God of the Seas, Percy saw a tall, handsome, dark-haired, dark-eyed man wearing flowing obsidian black robes striding towards him, in one hand a plate full of ambrosia and in the other a glass of nectar.
'Hades?'
Stopping next to Hestia, the God of the Underworld raised the plate of ambrosia, along with the glass of nectar, towards him. ''Drink, or eat, quickly. We have questions that you need to, that you will, answer.''
''Hades.'' Hestia said sharply, and Percy saw her gaze at Hades in disappointment. ''He is still injured. What he needs now is not to answer questions but healing and-''
''As much as I agree with you, Hestia, we don't have the time for that. Olympus is currently in a dangerous state. He is in a dangerous position. If we don't do anything now, I can assure you he's going to be dead within the next few days.''
''But-''
''Stop! What is going on? Why are you guys here?! Why am I so-''
''Injured?'' Percy stared at his father, who had finally spoken. The expression on his face was still unreadable, but his sea blue eyes, that was filled with nearly unfathomable power, along with centuries of age, held so many emotions that Percy felt dizzy just staring at him. ''You don't remember? What happened within the throne room during the Winter Solstice?''
'The throne room?' He stared at his father in puzzlement. 'What does that have to do with anything?'
As he went to reply, Percy stopped when his mind exploded in pain. Raising one of his hands to his head, he could see the throne room, see himself walking towards the middle while taking note of the various expressions that the Olympians wore on their faces.
It was as if he was there, watching from the sidelines.
''I'm sorry, Father, for the unexpected guest and for disrupting the meeting, yet I asked him to come.''
''Good. Now, Artemis, for some reason, you brought this demigod here. I expect to hear a proper explanation.''
''Father, the reason why I invited Percy to Olympus during this meeting is because we...I...have decided to pursue a relationship with each other.'' It was too much. Leaning forward, he placed his hand over his mouth and entered a coughing fit. From below, he saw blood stain the navy blue comforter.
''Percy!''
''Shit!''
''I told you that he wasn't ready!''
Agony. That was the only feeling Percy felt as he furiously continued to cough. Squeezing his eyes shut, he viciously attempted to fight against the painful feeling while trying to regain his breathing. A rough hand suddenly jerked his hand from his mouth; a second later, the taste of his mother's warm chocolate blue cookies flowed throughout his mouth.
'Ambrosia.'
If it were any other time, Percy would have greatly appreciated the taste the godly nectar brought. Being reminded of his mother's cooking always made him feel better, yet this was not one of those times. The taste of his mother's cookies, mixed with the metallic taste of his blood, made him want to puke in disgust.
''Percy, relax! In a few moments, everything is going to be okay!'' As the nectar flowed throughout his body, chasing away the pain, he opened his eyes and stared at his father, whose unreadable expression had changed into worry.
''Ar- Ar- Artemis.'' He wheezed. ''Whe- Where is she?''
''Now isn't the time to worry about somebody else! Worry about yourself firs-''
''Where is she?'' Memories. Memories were flashing through his mind at an incredible speed. He could remember impatiently waiting outside the Hall of the Gods, hearing them argue for hours as he struggled to find a good time to enter as the sun crept past the horizon.
He even could remember the fear flashing through Artemis's silvery grey orbs when they both saw rage filling Zeus's and Apollo's expressions.
''...She's at Apollo's temple being healed.'' Hestia supplied, and Percy saw his father give her a look. ''Her injuries, like yours, were extensive, so she is being held in emergency care. We haven't received word of her condition since yesterday.''
The world nearly flipped. Grasping onto the edges of the comforter, he furiously tried to quell the panic that was rising within him, to remain calm and process everything that was happening so that he could figure out what he needed to do.
Unfortunately, it wasn't working.
The reason was because a sliver of memory was constantly replaying throughout his mind. A memory consisting of Artemis standing in front of him, bathed in a harsh electric blue & amber yellow hue, her long auburn hair and silver tunic widely fluttering, snapping, as the Hall of the Gods filled with fierce gale winds.
''How- How long was I-''
''A week.''
''How am I still alive?'' Percy asked, staring at the Olympian gods surrounding him, who had various expressions on their faces. The last sensation that he felt before falling unconscious was pain, unimaginable agony, coursing through his body. ''I should have died, right? There was no way that-''
''It was Hera.'' Percy looked at Hades, whose dark obsidian eyes were trained on him, the plate of ambrosia and glass of nectar now resting on a dark nightstand. ''Well...it was a team effort, really. Hera was the one who managed to smack Zeus's master bolt out of his hand so that you and Artemis weren't hit directly by it, and your father bound Zeus to his throne with Hephaestus's golden net. Hephaestus and Ares tackled Apollo to prevent him from shooting more arrows of pure energy at you. Lastly, Athena conjured a more powerful barrier to replace Artemis's hasty one when those idiots decided to take matters into their own hands. Honestly, and those mortals call that buffoon a ''God of Justice''.''
''Hades.''
''You know I'm right, sister. That idiot always has to have things his way- always have to overreact.'' The conversation between The Gods of the Underworld and the Goddess of the Hearth continued. Uninterested, Percy took a moment to think about everything that had happened, everything that he could remember.
'I can't just lay here.' Removing the comforter from on top of himself, he momentarily gazed at his gauze-wrapped body, mostly hidden by a dark green tunic unnaturally paired with dark jeans, before attempting to stand up.
''No.'' He frowned when Hades placed a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from moving. ''You're not going anywhere. We still have questions that you need to answer right now.''
''I have to go and see how Artemis is doing- I need to see if she's okay.''
''No.'' The words came not from Hades but Poseidon, who rubbed his hand against his forehead. ''Artemis is fine right now. If you want to see her quicker, then answer our questions so we can create a plan.''
''Dad-"
Sweat forming on his face, Percy strained to move against the Ruler of the Underworld's unmovable hand. ''You don't understand! I have to-''
''If we don't understand, then explain it to us!'' Poseidon yelled. "Olympus, son! What have you been doing?! Do you even understand the state you put the Olympians in?! How on earth could-''
'It just happened. I wasn't expecting-"
"It just happened? Dating Artemis, of all deities-just happened?! Had you come to me son I could have shown you dozens, hundreds, of prospective marriage partners who would have clawed their hearts out to get a chance with you!"
Percy nearly rolled his eyes even though what his father just said was true. Ever since the second Giant War ended, ever since she died, he had thrown himself into his pantheon side as much as he focused on his studies. Due to this, his skills & power grew exponentially, and he soon became his father's unspoken general, his bonds with Triton and Amphitrite improving once they were forced to interact with him.
Because of this, he had noticed several attempts from various females trying to get his attention, an act that did not go unnoticed by Triton, who relentlessly mocked him.
"They're not her."
"Father's beard! Is this another Paris and Troy tale? Has Aphrodite bewitched you with one of her spells?"
"No! Father-"
"How could you not tell me of this?! Though surprised I would have kept you secret, son!"
"Poseidon." The God of the Sea turned to Hestia, who had a disapproving expression on her countenance. "Do not agitate him. He is already in enough pain."
"She's right, brother." Hades spoke up. "Right now, what he needs is not a tongue lashing; you can do that later when he's healed, but time to explain."
"Hades. He could relapse at any moment."
"If that happens, we have ambrosia, nectar, and a first-class healer, which is you, sister. We need answers. Now.''
Percy watched as Hestia and Hades stared at each other until the Goddess of the hearth stepped aside.
"Thank you, sister." The God of the Underworld cooly replied before focusing his attention on the son of Poseidon. "Now you will tell me, tell us, how this relationship started-I don't care how embarrassed you get. If we are to devise a plan to make sure Thunderhead and Mr Sunny doesn't attempt to tear you two apart, while punishing both of you, your going to need to be honest with us."
xXx
-and that was when we started dating." Percy finished, his voice horse as he looked at Hades, who was resting against the wall opposite him, his arms crossed while Hestia and his father sat on nearby chairs. For the past two and a half hours, he had told them everything about his relationship with Artemis. As his rasped voice rang across the palace room, he grabbed the cup of nectar on the desk next to him, thankfully left by the Goddess of the Hearth, and quickly drank it, relishing the taste of his mother's chocolate blue cookies yet wincing as heat spread throughout his body. This was the telltale sign that he was nearing his limit in consuming godly cuisine and needed to stop before he burst into flames. Something he figured Zeus and Apollo hoped would happen. "After that, we did everything possible to ensure our relationship wouldn't be discovered. Honestly, it was going so well that I actually got a bit scared."
"Alright, is there anything else you wish to tell us?
"No, that's everything."
"Oh…good. Uh, son, I have a question of my own. Have you, uh, …."
"Have I what?"
"For scythe's sake, Poseidon! Have you broken Artemis's vow of chastity?" Heat spreading through his face, Percy leveled a glare at Hades, who smirked. "I guess that answers it."
"Wha-what kind of question is that?!" He sputtered. "How could you even-"
"Easily." The God of the Underworld interrupted, shrugging his shoulders."I have known, and seen, far worse. Though, I do have to admit It would have been surprising if you had told me you and Artemis had done the deed."
"I agree." Percy saw his father nodding, a relieved expression on his face. "It's like Ares swearing an oath to become a pacifist or Demeter swearing off-grain."
"Hades. Poseidon." Hestia said, narrowing her eyes. "Let us focus on other matters."
"What more is there to be said, sister? As of right now, Artemis has broken her vow of chastity and engaged in a relationship with Percy. Even though they haven't done the physical act itself, Zeus is going to do anything he can to destroy Perseus and punish her."
"Yes, but the vow was her's to choose, so it should be her's to break if she wishes to."
"Hah! Tell that to tin head, and let's hear what he has to say about that." As he half listened to the conversation surrounding him, Percy attempted to think positively yet couldn't.
'_This...this is all of my fault.' There was no other explanation. In a nanosecond, he was back in his condo, hearing Artemis warn him about the depths of Zeus's and Apollo's rage. He had dismissed her claims because he knew what could happen; he had expected the possibility of dying by Zeus and Apollo, yet what he didn't expect was for Artemis to try and protect him.
What he didn't expect was for Zeus and Apollo to try and kill Artemis.
Now, she was paying for his failure.
'You failed, again. You couldn't protect anybody.' He narrowed his eyes. He was the one who was supposed to protect her. He was the one who swore to never let what happened to Anna-
''Percy.'' Looking up into the Goddess of the Hearth's fiery orbs, Percy saw her giving him a soft smile as she set her hand over his, her warmth traveling throughout every part of his body. ''What happened wasn't your fault. Though you and Artemis could have done a better job at finding a way to tell us, our reaction, their reaction, was not yours to control.''
''She's right." Percy turned to look at his father, whose sea-blue eyes bored into him. ''Why on terra would the two of you agree to tell us your relationship on the winter solstice? Both of you know it is at a time when evil is at its highest.''
''I know, but, for some reason, everything was going so smoothly that it freaked me out. Whenever we worked up the courage and tried to tell you guys, something always happened that pushed our secret to the side. It got to the point that I knew something bad was going to happen, and I wanted to prevent it." He said, mentally grasping at anything to keep him stable. "Artemis also knew this and cautioned me about how worse this could be, yet like an idiot, I pushed her-''
''No.'' Hades said, injecting himself into the conversation while pushing off against the wall. ''No matter who it is, Artemis would never allow herself to be forced into anything she didn't want to do. She wasn't built like that."
"True. Most likely, she had to have had the same train of thought as you but was hesitant on acting due to the repercussions that you would, or are currently facing." Poseidon agreed, nodding his head. "Though I don't like it, it was good of you to follow your instincts. Many heroes have lost their lives due to not following their instincts."
"So what do we do now." Percy anxiously asked. "I refuse to let Zeus try and control our relationship."
"Careful." Hestia warned. "Do not let emotions cloud your judgment. If you do, you will become a footnote within the long history of individuals who perished under Zeus's wrath."
"Perhaps we could try and convince the others that he is worthy of being Artemis's consort? He has done enough to prove how faithful he is to Olympus."
"It's an idea, but I think Zeus would just brush it off. This is personal. Artemis is his favorite daughter, and she and Percy directly, in his eyes, rebelled against him. He's out for blood. I'm surprised he hasn't made any assassination attempts."
"Hades!"
The God of the Underworld shrugged his shoulders. "I'm only telling what is true. Percy has directly involved himself with godly affairs. For him to not expect the worst to come is an error that could get him killed."
"It's alright." Percy told his father, who looked like he wanted to strangle Hades. "I knew that this could happen, and Artemis even warned me so-"There was a knock on the door or, to be more specific, three precise taps. In an instant, he reached for Anaklusmos yet hissed at the movement.
"Everything is okay." Hestia whispered, appearing next to him with Hades as they stood at the side of the bed facing the door. "We got this."
After receiving a nod from Hades, Percy saw his father approach the door. As it opened, he heard his father whisper to another individual for a couple of moments before closing the door. As Poseidon approached him, he saw that the God of the Seas was holding an electric blue scroll tied with a ruby red string.
"This is for you son." Grabbing the offered scroll, Percy undid the string and quickly skimmed over the parchment's contents, which were professionally written in Ancient Greek and lined in imperial gold.
'What the heck?'
"What does the letter say?"
"It's….Zeus. He's demanding I appear for a closed meeting to discuss the events that occurred at the Winter Solstice. The meeting is next week at sundown. Failure to not attend would end in my complete and utter destruction." Percy looked up at his father. "It's signed by him, Hera, Dionysus, Ares, and Apollo."
Hades heavily cussed in Ancient Greek, his words appearing indecipherable to Perseus, who struggled to keep up.
"I should have known that lousy bastard would do something like this." Hades snarled.
"Do what? It is just a-"
"Trial." His father interrupted, and Percy saw a dark expression on Poseidon's features. "He's gonna pretend to merit out a just meeting, but it will inevitably end in you being punished or killed."
"What do the signatures mean?"
"It's a show that the others who signed approve of the meeting. If you decline to appear, if you are even late, they have free rein to end your life."
"That's good news. For them, not for me. Never for me.' Sometimes, Percy wished there was a button that would just make all of his troubles disappear.
"So then I can't miss it." He said, watching as the three Olympians looked at him. "Since I have a bit of time, I can figure out what to do to stay alive."
"At least he's optimistic." Hades sarcastically said, reaching for the letter which Percy then handed him. "Let's see…..angry introduction…. disparaging words…..phrases that imply a ridiculously high self-esteem….and an end that could only be described as a threat. Yep, that's Zeus's handwriting. I suppose he enlisted Dionysus's backing with a promise of a reduction in his sentence."
"Perhaps we could get Apollo to-"
"No, sister." Poseidon said, and Percy saw Hades was already shaking his head. "Apollo would never go back on his actions, especially when it involves Artemis. He is deathly set on protecting her and would do anything to keep her safe. You remember when they first arrived on Olympus?"
Percy saw varying looks on Hestia, Hades, and his father's countenances.
"What? What happened?"
"It is….not our tale to tell." Hestia answered. "For now, our main goal is creating a way for you to survive with Artemis, alight?"
Percy nodded, his sea green gleaming with determination.
"I'm ready.
"You better be." Hades warned. "Because from here on out, this is both of your lives at stake, and I can promise you that Zeus and Apollo will not be so easily thwarted next time."
End of Chapter
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