Yay! Happy birthday to me, I'm finally 14!
Hazel POV
I squeezed my eyes shut as the Fates chanted in unison. I could hear their words, ringing and repeating over and over again, as I gripped my boyfriend's and best friend's hands. There was a moment of peace, as the contents in my stomach threatened to escape, before I forced myself to stop. "I think…we made it." Hearing the awe in Percy's voice—something that happened once in a blue moon—made me open my eyes. I gasped. We were most certainly not in Greece anymore. Well, we were, but definitely not in 2011 anymore. The place was so new. I didn't even find some of the landmarks any more. "This place is…wow." I finished. Frank kissed my cheek, an arm around my shoulders. Percy watched us with a bittersweet smile before turning serious again. Frank and I shared guilty looks. We could still live a life together. But Percy lost her girlfriend. She could never have the life she planned out with Annabeth. "Where would we find K- Saturn?" She corrected herself. Her hand flicked unconsciously, summoning a ball of water which she froze into ice and started playing with. I focused. It was Ancient Greece, there weren't many valuables buried under. I think I sensed some pieces of gold on land, but that's all. Frank sighed. "We don't even know where to go." He grumbled. "The least the Fates could do was drop us where the Titans are, make it easier for us."
"They said they were doing it as a test for us." I recalled. "I don't think other than giving us these precious," I curled my fingers around Omichli. A while back, we had went back to Camp Half-Blood. Percy learned a lot from Annabeth about weaving, and with Calypso's left over materials, she made two more pouches, similar to Frank's, but she also modified it to make it resistant to the worse fires, (since Leo's clothes proved to be, indeed, able to catch on fire) and immune to lightning. The perfect pouch to carry our pendants. Hers is grey, in honour of Annabeth. Mine is a variety of colours, sky-blue, green, black, blue, brown, red, and so many more. I had also wanted to honour someone, but there were too many to choose from. "They would give us any more help." I finished.
"True." He softened.
"Titus…" Percy repeated. It seems like I wasn't the only one to get more information about this world. "Why would the Fates send us to a different world, with different functions? Like, the Titans have their own world. Why?"
"I think it's because our world is fucked up." I shrugged. "They send us to this world, because if we change something, it doesn't matter because everything is already so weird and different."
"Or maybe even they have given up on our gods." Frank snickered. "They send us here so we could experience a world where Titans rule."
"Where I could finally have the freedom to make a choice." Percy looked like when a child first sees the world. "Where I live for me, and I don't have expectations pushing me down."
"A world where we stand with you." I said firmly, wrapping my arms around her. Frank joined me. "Always and forever." We both pretended not to notice how our shirts were getting wet. Wait… shirts? I pulled away, giving both of them a good look. None of us were wearing what we were wearing before. I wore a long, sleeveless dress, Percy had been wearing a gown her father gave her, and Frank had been shirtless. "How much more change can we get?" I groaned when they looked at me in confusion mixed with hurt. "They changed our outfits!" Understanding lit Percy's eyes as she saw me.
"Like how Aphrodite changed Jason, Leo, Piper and Coach Hedge's clothes." She nodded.
"But more war-like." Frank grimaced. He wore an ancient looking armour. Imperial gold from the looks of things. His bow and arrows were slung on his back. I wonder how we didn't notice before. His eyes were a bit like Mars's, I just realised, with fire in them. They weren't harsh though, just…there.
I grimaced as I realised what I was wearing. My whole waist was out in the open, as I wore minimal armour. A lock of hair was curled and rested on my shoulder while the rest were left untouched. How was I supposed to fight in this? Percy whistled. "Dang, Hazel, your skin… looks like mine." She was only exaggerating a little. My skin turned from black to white. "Why is it like this?" I waved my arms.
"I think it is to fit in?" Frank phrased it like a question. "I mean, I don't think black people were very welcomed." I huffed. "Well that's just racist!"
"After the war, we'll find a way to return you back to the you everyone loves." Percy assured me, gently pressing her lips to my cheek. She, like both of us, had changed. If I changed most drastically—I was still not happy about the white skin!—she would've come in second place. Her hair was braided into a single, long braid that went all the way to her bellybutton, maybe a few cm more. There was also a lock that turned green, although I had seen that turn during the months we stayed together so it was probably because of Hali. Her armour was so much better than mine, and on her head was a black and gold diadem. A different sword, one that looked suspiciously like it was made of Stygian Steel with a blood-red ruby at its hilt, was strapped to her side. She didn't have Riptide hidden as her hairpin, but a familiar bronze was clasped on her pouch.
Frank suddenly shouted out, "watch out!" Before he tackled Percy and I was pushed to the side. We fell to the ground, rolling twice before I gained my footing. "What are those things?" Percy yelled, pulling out Riptide.
"I feel like I should know them but don't!" I pulled out my spatha.
"All I know is that it won't be easy defeating them." Frank nocked an arrow.
"Let's show them what Romans can do." Percy raised her hand, fingers curling around something invisible—like a string—and pulled it down. The clouds darkened, and a lightning bolt struck. The weird, dark, turtle and Minotaur shaped things took the brunt of the force, destroyed completely. However, more soon followed. I ran through some of them, and they instantly burst into…something. I could feel the shadows growing as we destroyed more. With a yell, I called for the earth to rise. It followed my command, swallowing more than a dozen of them as I leapt up and ran through another one of them. The gold glittered. He was destroyed. "What are these little shits?" Percy waved her hand, not even tired, and another five dozen were washed away. A bad thing to fight the daughter of Poseidon next to the ocean. "I- I don't know." I yelped as one of them scratched my shoulder. Gah, got distracted. An arrow embedded itself into the turtle dude, falling as he dispersed. I caught it before it dropped to the ground, throwing it in the air as Percy controlled the wind and sent it back to Frank, so he never ran out of arrows. None of the weird shadows ever reached anywhere near him before they were cut down. Finally, after what felt like hours, they stopped coming. Percy had sweat bedding on her forehead but wasn't panting like Frank and I were. "That was a good experience." She hooked her arm with her other one, like a kid playing as an elephant, and stretched.
"That was time wasting, and I still do not know who they are." Frank grumbled. Ever since he saw that Leo was dead, he changed, and I wouldn't say it was for the good. Not that I can compare, I too have changed. And I don't think we'll ever return back to normal unless the deaths are avenged.
Someone else suddenly spoke up. I was getting tired of being surprised. Unfortunately for us, we recognised this voice. He spoke in the same language we've been using. I didn't realise we had been speaking Greek. Yet another thing the Fates didn't tell us. "They are mine." Kronos. Or rather, Saturn. Percy groaned. I felt tempted to join her. "Shadow Titans." His gold eyes were the first things I saw, and I had to turn to Frank, and hug him hard, to not give a reaction.
"How original." Percy snorted sarcastically. "What are you doing here, Saturn?"
"You, three children, were transported here by some powerful being. I just watched you single-handedly defeat five hundred of my warriors. Of course I am here to see if you are a threat or not."
"You didn't have to do that." I glanced at Percy, she glanced at Frank, and he stared at me. This was way too easy. "We were about to find you. There's something we need to discuss."
"Oh?" Despite looking like he was at ease, his eyes were heavily guarded, suspicious.
"Something important." Percy purred, her charms rising. "Saturn, you won't want to miss it." He stiffened, nodding. "Let us hear what you have in mind. If you dare waste my time, if you are spies for the gods, you will taste my wrath."
"Believe me, Saturn, the gods are our enemies as well." Frank grunted. Saturn probably wasn't expecting that.
Time skip
"So, you wish to fight against the gods." Saturn summarized. Percy nodded breezily. To the Titans, she was a leader, a warrior at heart, and someone you do not want to cross. However, Frank and I know the truth. She was afraid. Hyperion sat beside Saturn. The original 6 were around the table, and she fought at least half of them before. You don't come out of a fight with Titans unscafed. You develop trauma. Usually, Annabeth would help her, but you know where that plan went. So, I rested my head on her shoulder, a silent sign of support. She loosened up, giving me a shaky smile. "They betrayed us." Frank said, not hiding his bitterness. "Betrayed all of us. We want revenge."
"And what is to say you are not pretending?" Hyperion asked. Percy and I had a silent debate but she stood up, lifted her shirt a little, and showed them her side. Three long, ugly lines marred her skin. "Saturn, I don't suppose you know what these are?" She said with a false smile. Saturn contemplated for a while. "You are in. For now, you are on probation."
"The enemy of my enemy is a friend." She finished with a sick grin. "You won't regret it, Saturn."
We were given two rooms, private rooms. One for training and another for rest. This was when I appreciated the ancient times—no cameras. We had beds, a table, and a rack for the imperial gold weapons. If you remember, we brought home a whole sack of them. Since no one could use them anymore, they were all gone, so we brought all the celestial bronze and imperial gold with us, in case of emergency. Ever since we realised that, because Shadow Titans were technically godly monsters, we could use our weapons to destroy them. That was only if we must. We stayed up all night, talking about strategy. "I don't think anyone here knows english." Percy said, lying on one of the three beds. One for each. Created from earth, a joint effort of me and her. She laid on her stomach with her feet in the air. "If this is a different world, I'm not so sure about that. We can be certain, though, no one would know Latin." Frank pointed out. "True, true. If we need to talk, use Latin." I nodded in confirmation.
"Since this is ancient times, the gods wouldn't know we are their children. I want it to stay that way. I refuse to ever be called the daughter of Poseidon, not after what he did." Her hand strayed to her healed injury. "It's technically the daughter of Neptune, but we get it." Frank said reassuringly. "We'll do the same. Less explaining anyways. I really don't want Grandfather to know we are related to him." I made a face. I didn't understand why the Fates said this was where all our problems were if the Titans are different. But the apple never goes too far from the tree, the gods, well…they can deny all they want. I will raze Olympus to the ground. If Percy wishes to have the honours of doing so, I will support that. I will be behind her, as we watch our friends be avenged. Create a new world. If, somehow, our friends are born in our future, (I don't really know what to call it. I'll call the destroyed timeline my past since it technically is) I will make sure they don't suffer the same fate. Maybe I can't save them all, but I will save those I can. Somehow. But not as me. Not as this girl who died and was given a second shot at life. No. That girl is dead, buried by grief and pain, her dreams shredded and crushed like it never existed. My friends, even my boyfriend, called me the most innocent one in the Seven. The peacemaker, the girl who believes in the gods, who was loyal to them. Why? Why was I loyal to them? Hades let me stay in the Fields of Asphodel. If I didn't, he would've let them send my mother to the Fields of Punishment. All for what? Listening to Gaia? I cannot remove all her blame, but was it truly all my mother's fault? Like Luke Castellan, she realised her mistake at the end. She died with me to stop Gaia, like how Luke died to stop Kronos. So why? Why was Luke granted Elysium but my mother Punishment? His judgement is unfair and biased. One of the many reasons why I find it incredulous now I ever sided with them. Zeus killed Nico's mother. Bianca died because of Hephaestus's faulty machine. (Why bother keeping that stupid machine?) They were sent there because of Aphrodite. Her death could've been prevented if the gods just didn't interfere, my brother wouldn't have had to go through the heartbreak and betrayal. Yes, I probably wouldn't have been given a second chance, but I was surviving. I was even okay, but how was it fair? Jason's whole life was ruined by Hera's rage. Monsters crave for our blood, for revenge against the ones who wronged them. The culprits? The Gods. We have never lived a good life, yet we were always expected to fight for them. I understand Percy's point—we must stop fighting for them and fight for us instead. Follow our own rules, stand for ourselves. Not for the Gods, but for us, for our friends, and our families. But I cannot do it as Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto.
"I-" I cut myself off, not sure how to say it. My friends looked over at me. I took a deep breath. "I, Hazel Levesque, cut off any connections with my sperm donor, Pluto. He, from today onwards, will be a stranger to me. There will be no ties to hold me down. Let my blood seal the deal." I extracted one finger, watching as one drop of blood fell, falling onto the ground, and vanishing. Instantly, I felt different. Freer. Percy and Frank blinked, shocked by what I had just done. I watched them with apprehension, not sure how they would react. Usually, it was Percy or Annabeth who would do something this daring without consulting the other teammates, but I didn't want to wait. I couldn't wait. I knew they wouldn't judge me, wouldn't start screaming or throw a fit, but it was still surprisingly bold of me, and their responses towards it were important to me. "I only have one thing to say." Percy said. I braced myself. A proud yet smug smile broke through that serious and grim looking face. "Can I have that pin?" I passed her the pin, the needle still bloody, watching as she stabbed herself, and repeated the same words. Frank kissed my neck as I watched her recite the words. No words were needed, I could tell he was proud of me. Just as her blood fell to the ground, swallowed like mine was, the change immediately occured. It was like I had been looking at a blurry version of the real Persephone Jackson. Like something had been holding her down, restraining her true powers, even with her pendant and necklace. As her blood soiled the ground, her skin turned brighter. The aura she had around her pulsed with new strength, creating a silver-blue halo that surrounded her. Her hair seemed to shine, and her eyes gleamed with power, with a new thirst of vengeance. She is a goddess. My goddess.
Frank did the same next. My sweet, strong Frank became like the gentler, kinder version of Mars. He didn't have the same bloodlust aura, instead it filled me with warmth and determination to continue. He was like the motivator in our trio. My boyfriend.
"We follow our own rules." Percy's face was flushed, eyes wide. Like she was high. "The gods cannot control us anymore. We listen to only ourselves. They cannot hold us down anymore."
"We will create a new world. A world where demigods do not fear dying. Where they live freely." I continued, "Where the Gods will not influence their every movement, and there isn't any difference between an Olympian and a minor god."
"We do it for them. For all those we knew, and those who were faceless upon their hour of death. To honour the Romans and Greeks, and do what the Gods should have done long before and not just because of a new war. No longer should we have to live separately. We are demigods. Of one race. We should be united." Frank finished.
"Kronos wanted this. He wanted us to fight against the gods. That's why he listened to the gods. The idea of me fighting for him amuses him. But I won't fight for Saturn. I fight for those who have suffered, for those who have bleed for a cause they didn't want to fight in. To avenge them. But I can't do it alone." Percy slipped Hali from her pouch, hands outstretched. I took Omichli, doing the same, placing it just like her, a silent way of telling her I supported her. Frank copied us with Allagi. The three of us formed a triangle, it reminded me of the Triumvirate. Now I understand their thirst for revenge against the gods. Why they had wanted more power and stopped at nothing to gain it. But unlike them, we will do it for the demigods, not for ourselves. It isn't a game, a source of entertainment for us. We aren't aiming to be gods. And that's the first sign we will win. Destroy the Gods. Make them be the ones bowing this time, as the ichor of their family paints the walls of the fallen Olympus. Some sick part of me purred. Like Medea. The best part? I welcomed that thought. (And the very, very beautiful mental image)