All rights belong to Rick Riordan

Chapter 10

The Earth Stops Moving

(Nico)

As we watched the decapitated giant king fall at the hands of the Parthenos. We thought it was all over, nobody thought it could only get worse. However, that was when the earthquakes started and everyone fell to the ground. Then the screaming started and everyone was forced to cover their ears. I have been to the fields of punishment numerous times and I knew the various types of screaming that pain and suffering could incite.

But this, this was so much worse than any there. This was a voice screaming in anger and demanding vengeance and seemed to be coming from the very earth beneath us. Suddenly the quaking stopped only for giant earthen hands to reach out of the ground and restrain us, the gods could only try to break free but the stone hands held them like a vice.

I was held down on my lefthand side, so I got a spectator's seat to when Gaia burst out of the ground. Ripping the surface apart as she climbed out of the Greek soil and only rose ever higher. The displaced earth attaching to her before becoming absorbed into her greater mass. Towering over everything she reached down and with little effort restrained and then amputated the legs of the statue that had been victorious only seconds earlier with a mere squeeze of her hand. The solid marble that composed it, nothing before the might of the Earth Mother. I could feel the pain of the two souls inside the statue, as it was unceremoniously dropped to the floor where more hands rose to restrain the flailing effigy.

Desperately, I looked around to see if everyone else was restrained. Only to notice the two figures still free to my left, that were looking at the scene that had occurred with hate filled golden eyes. As my cousin and the lioness looked up at the massive figure who regarded them back with dark eyes.

"Gaia for that you will die, I will not just kill you will fade from this world. I shall reunite you with your Husband in the void. As well as my grandfather, I believe they both would like a good long chat with you". Percy said so coldly, it was almost mechanical before he swung onto the lion's back in one motion as the pair began to move towards Gaia. As they did so he slung his shield across his back, only to draw the golden spear into his now free hand with Maelstrom in his right.

The primordial goddess however seemed unconcerned about his pledge and simply summoned a boulder the size of an SUV into her hand and throwing it at the resisting pair directly into the path of where they were about to be standing.

(Percy)

When I saw the boulder inbound, I froze time in the spot we were standing before speeding the pair of us up to a hundred times normal speed as we charged towards the rampaging Deity. The result of this effort was it appeared that we left an afterimage that took an apparently catastrophic blow as the boulder sank into the Greek soil before digging a channel for 20 meters.

Everyone that could still see was so focused on the point that we had been expecting to still see us there and not 300 meters away and rapidly closing in on the enormous figure's foot. The Primordial also seemed to think we had been flattened as she turned her massive bulk to regard the others even as we travelled under the blind spot offered by an enormous loam breast.

We soon however regained her attention the moment Nemea's sharp claws cut straight through and gripped into her earthen flesh as we proceeded to claw our way up her leg. The sudden change of orientation the lioness made almost made me fall off as I gripped her flanks with my knees hard. Grabbing onto her neck despite still holding my weapons it was fortunate that her hide wis invincible else I may have accidentally killed my own mount.

We had managed to climb as high as her waist when she began to take swift action to deal with the situation as a massive hand came to smite the area we had just narrowly vacated. We managed a few more meters when a second blow caught Nemea's hindquarters with just a single massive finger just behind where I was located. The glancing strike causing her back legs to buckle under the enormous pressure, so we were left hanging by the claws of her front paws. The lioness roared in pain as her back legs were crippled and unable to find purchase even as the goddess's movements swung us around.

With Nemea wounded I was left with little choice but to quickly climb the Lioness's back and neck and leap onto the goddess herself just before another blow came in and flicked the struggling monster off like an annoying insect. The Lioness crashed towards the surface where she too was quickly restrained still roaring defiantly. Yet I had no time to see any of this as I leapt through the air, I aimed to use my weapons as impromptu climbing picks and I watched as the divine weapons sank into the Primordials thick earthen hide.

Her hide must have extremely thick as she failed to notice the two lumps of metal imbedded in her flesh. Instead, she seemed distract as she looked at the struggling lioness who continued to roar in frustration at being restrained as if expecting to find me likewise on the ground. Never mind the fact that if I felt seventy feet, unlike the monster I would be a dead or crippled at the least.

As I looked above me, I saw I was about 10 feet from the top of her torso which meant I was currently hanging from an enormous Goddess's right breast. I immediately threw that thought out of my mind before deciding that I would need to climb higher and attack her head, the problem was that my flaming spear seemed firmly lodged into her body the heat turning the soft soil to baked clay. I decided to let the spear go there was nothing I could do about it now. So, pulling myself up so I could instead stand on it, instead I drew Riptide into my left hand and thrusting it as high as possible before pulling myself up and repeating the motion with Maelstrom. Again and again, I repeated the motion until the surface flattened out and I found myself laying on her shoulder. Staring at her giant exposed neck across from me. I scrambled to my feet and rushed over to it, raising both my blades across my shoulders. I took a deep breath before swinging them in an X-slash.

The blades bit easily into the Primordial's throat and for the first time since she arrived, she bled. The silver Ichor of the Primordials seeping from the rents in her flesh. Even as I watched the wound from Riptide began to close a little, however Maelstroms continued to flow profusely. I dodged to one side as giant hands were raised to clamp around her throat and clutch the bleeding wounds. As she did so I got an extremely dangerous idea that might just work or would kill me painfully. I decided to do it while I had the chance and Gaia was distracted and I ran at the goddess's curled hands.

My plan was simple in theory, if you are unable to significantly hurt an enormous thick-skinned primordial goddess from the outside, then just try the inside and here I was standing a dozen feet from a screaming entrance. Her fingers providing a convenient staircase to her face as she attempted to staunch the ichor loss.

I ran up her fingers each one bringing me closer to my destination as I crossed the last index finger I leapt and landed on her massive lips. I could have sworn I saw the goddess's black eyes track downwards to look at me in surprise but it was already too late for her to respond.

'Open wide bitch.' I thought as I swept riptide across her lower lip and causing her to rear her head back and scream in pain while I dropped into the darkness. Now I have to admit, I had not thought this part through properly. I don't know if I was expecting to see a sign saying Organs/Heart/important stuff this way, but as I plummeted down her gullet, I instinctively plunged the blades into the sides of her throat and held on for my life, all the while with the blades slicing all they came into contact with.

It was a similar tactic to when I attacked Pelorus and my weight and momentum continued to drag me down while silver ichor fell around me before long her throat began to gag and restrict and brush up against my back. It seemed she noticed the problem however before I got to worry about being barfed up suddenly everything stopped.

When I say everything stopped, I mean everything. I jerked to a stop and fell a few more feet onto my backside in a somewhat flat area. The wounds above me stopped flowing Ichor and the motions ceased instantly leaving me confused.

Reaching up I decided to try and draw my swords out only for them to come out partway before getting stuck. I was able to lever Maelstrom side to side but it appeared to be pinched in place along the flat of the blade. The light revealed by by the partially revealed blades showed the cause of the lack of activity around me.

Everywhere I looked had turned to solid stone I was at the base of a long tube of smooth granite. By the look of things and what I assumed the Primordial had been killed but I was now trapped. While I was in here close by my weapons would only remain stuck in the walls and I was left with no way of escape as there was no way up or through the solid stone. The spear may return to me eventually but it would be of little use against geology.

Collapsing to the floor I rocked my head back against the now solid wall behind me, the curse protecting me from injuring myself. Sitting there I looked back on everything that had happened in this battle. The first few victories that would have been things to be proud of for the rest of my life.

However, they were all for nothing as they were followed by the one tragic moment that ached in my heart. When I watched Annabeth die, only to be incarnated as a super powered statue that proceeded to kick ass. Managing to avenge herself before killing her nemesis the giant king, only for his mother to take revenge and cost me any chance to even speak to her again. Minerva had said there was a chance she would still be 'around' for an hour or so. Yet here I was stuck as time continued to flow unabated.

I had watched my other friends fight alongside their parents and work to victory on their own or with help. I had even worked with the goddess of the Hunt to aid the others before she too helped me get over my shock at Annabeth's loss and set Minerva back on track out of her madness. I guess it was weird to say but I felt strange to feel a sensation of ease around the man hating goddess that confused me. I almost felt comforted by her presence and support in battle she was someone that I could rely on as long as she was shown respect and you acted appropriately, such as when she hit Frank for his idiocy with the arrow.

Then I remembered seeing the others incapacitated and captured, before I had responded without thinking and began my colossus climb and the following descent to where I was. The problem was I didn't know if the others were still alive or captured, had Gaia done something to them while I was distracted or in her death throes?

The frustration at my own helplessness began to grow into an unbridled rage as I repeatedly began to pummel my right fist against the stone beneath me. I would not be stuck here... not after everything I had done... I would not lose what little I had left to such a little thing as a stone wall. Grinding my teeth so much that it actually hurt, I continued to grow in frustration at my futility, causing my body to shake before everything exploded.

(Nico)

We could only watch in twisted fascination as the pair reappeared on the Primordial's leg after the boulder incident and we watched as they climbed Gaia's body before Nemea was intercepted and restrained and Percy continued his assault much to Gaia's apparent ignorance before he severed her throat.

We watched in horror as he ascended her face before sinking out of sight down her throat. We watched as the Primordial seemed to contort in pain at some internal problem before she screamed and seemed to slow before her movements stopped completely. We watched as her earthen skin began to lithify into solid rock. We felt the hands restraining us also go slack and the gods began to struggle again, before Mars finally managed to break free. Helping Poseidon next and one by one, they began to break the others bonds. Through all that had happened in this extremely mismatched battle, all we could do was watch. Powerless to help the real hero who carried on fighting even whilst alone.

I was about to be freed by my father when a second earthquake could be felt coming from the seemingly dead Primordial this one far greater in strength causing everyone to stumble apart from those flight capable who took to hovering in the air. Enormous rents opened up I the countryside and Mount Olympus began to issue smoke from its crater. For a second I was afraid of what was to come next, had it all been for naught and the Earth Mother would simply just rise again and again no matter how many times we defeated her.

I returned my attention towards the still form of Gaia only to see a golden light being issued from the cold stone surface of her chest, when suddenly it exploded. Debris flew into the air as the rest of the figure began to collapse and crumble in on itself as the head fell down without a complete chest to rest upon, the legs broke at the joints as did the arms as they fell and fragmented. Until the giant body of the oldest goddess was nothing more than a granite boulder field and the earthquake suddenly stopped.

The tremors had shattered all our remaining bonds as the last of the hands crumpled into dirt, allowing us all to rise to our feet. We watched as the dust and debris settled before voices began to whisper but strangely the first to ask the question, we were all thinking was Artemis.

"Where is Perseus?" She asked with a hint of worry.

"Where is my son? Hades is he still alive?" The distraught sea god asked his brother grabbing my father by his collar.

"I don't know Gaia and the Giants passing has thrown the Underworld into disarray, I am sorry brother for the moment I just don't know." My father answered and I believed him my death senses were a mess normally I could always feel death but the moment they were a mess like someone had introduced system feedback and it was deafening. I could only watch as the proud Lord of the Sea fell to his knees not knowing what had happened to his child.

We slowly began to approach the field of debris when Jason who was leading flying above us shouted that he had seen movement. Quickly those of us that were able all ran to the position he indicated and everyone began to dig even the more stubborn gods, everyone was desperate to find him. What we found however was an ivory arm of the Athena Parthenos, desperately flailing around buried under debris as we continued to unearth the partially dismembered figure. When the head and torso were finally unearthed, it glowed with a grey shine before becoming opaque and beginning to shrink until it had returned to human sized and the light faded revealing the strange new figure.

The figure before us was female obviously, though I would have to say about 21 years old in stature with grey eyes and Minerva's face but what was really strange was that she seemed to have Annabeth's blond hair. Not like same colour I mean identical in every way to how the demigod had this morning before tragedy struck.

The assembled crowd looked at the figure in shock; it was as if someone had combined the features of the demigod and the goddess together with all the sternness and the look of great intellect of Minerva with the youthful beauty of Annabeth. Everyone was looking with open mouths when she spoke.

"What are you all looking at, and what happened to Gaia?" The figure asked confused in what was clearly the same voice of the goddess as before. Obviously, she had fallen face first to the ground and then only been buried under more debris so she had not seen what happened above her.

"Why dear, you look amazing and I love the new hair, now we need to get you some make up." Venus began to say before Minerva cut her off with a glare.

"What do you mean new look." She asked confused. If this was any other situation it might have been funny to look at the goddess of Wisdom being the only one who didn't know.

Venus simply waved a hand summoning a mirror in front of the grey eyed goddess who stepped back in shock at her reflection.

"How is this possible, something has changed my true forms appearance what did this?" She asked more to herself than the assembled crowd.

"It is simple dear; you did the moment you combined your essence with Athena's daughter and the statues power." The Fates all said as one.

"H-how is it possible to combine our essences permanently then what happened to her soul?" She stuttered clearly now in actual shock.

"Her soul will soon reach the Isles of the Blessed but her physical essence is locked with yours. She will always bear a connection to you now but the damage to her soul will mean that even in the Underworld she will be unable to talk to others except the Lords of the Underworld and yourself I am afraid." They said regretfully to which the goddess became tearful and started to collapse only to be caught by Poseidon.

"Additionally, we can confirm that with the Parthenos returned to you, your additional Greek domains will be returned to as well along with the pre-name Anna. All hail Anna Minerva goddess of Wisdom, Crafts, Battle and Architecture." The three women said respectfully I was not even sure the Roman goddess heard them as she continued to break down in tears. She had got wanted she wanted but at a terrible cost.

"Now this is all good and well but were we not looking for the punk?" Ares said after shifting back from his Roman counterpart all the while pulling out a cigarette.

"Show some respect fool, he just saved our lives again." Artemis spat back venomous before pointing her bow at the god of War who paled and wisely decided to put the cigarette back in his pocket.

"My little sister is right; we need to find him. Dead or alive he deserves to be rewarded for his service." Apollo's Greek aspect added.

"Now is not the time for jokes." She hissed at her twin before changing targets who wisely decided to shut up, eventually releasing the slack and dispelling the weapon when he nodded.

Everyone turned back to the rubble pile at a noise that was becoming unmissable to ignore. Looking over to see a golden lioness furiously digging through the debris with her front paws. Her rear paws still seemed to be injured barely supporting her weight but still she tried to dig as best she could. We all looked at her blankly for a few seconds before running over, obviously she had found something.

When we reached her Poseidon set Minerva on the floor before approaching the lions head and rubbing it getting its attention.

"You did good girl but let us help, stay back a moment while I do something." The beast regarded the god with golden eyes before nodding and limped away towards the rest of us before collapsing to the ground finally defeated by fatigue. As we watched the sea god raise his trident and slam it into a boulder, creating a shockwave that spread out five meters in each direction around the point Nemea had indicated. The shockwave caused the debris to shake violently, before starting to crumble and before long where there had been a large mass of rock was only sand surrounding a figure lying face down in the dirt.

Poseidon rushed forward and picked up the figure into his arms, even from her it was clear that Percy was unresponsive as he hung limply from his father's arms.

"Apollo get over here now and help me heal him he is alive but extremely weak. He is barely breathing" The Lord of the Sea said panicked before laying Percy on the ground in front of Apollo in a small depression, he assisted by filling it with sea water he then summoned.

The god of Healing placed his hands on the young man's head and begin to chant in ancient Greek too quiet for me to hear. The words obviously some spell of healing as golden energy flowed from the god to the half-blood in front of us.

As the minutes ticked by, we all remained silent and captivated with bated breath. Watching as the colour slowly returned to Percy's skin and his breathing stabilized. Slowly he began to stir and Apollo stepped back with his work done.

Eventually Percy opened his eyes only to be grabbed in a bear hug by his father despite the pool of water they were both in. It was heart-warming to see Poseidon openly elated to see his son alive and well. Percy despite his father's objections began to sit upright, he looked dazed and confused as he surveyed the rest of us over his father's shoulder. Even so meeting our smiles (except Ares) with one of his own as he hugged his father back only to freeze when he saw the last figure in the group. Who too had risen from her position on the ground to look at the situation unfolding with concern. As Percy's eyes met Minerva's they began to widen before he said one heart-breaking word.

"Annabeth."

(Percy)

When I saw the blond figure at the edge of the group, I thought it was Annabeth as she should be the only blond female within the group. Or at least she was when this started and I automatically called her name in hope but when I did the figure only looked away in despair and I began to make out differences in her appearance.

The first was she was too old, easily 3 or 4 years older than me and Annabeth were. Also, although she had the same hair style as Annabeth it was not as long it was only subtle but I had spent so much time with Annabeth that I could spot any 'imperfections' in her appearance. The thing that gave it away though was her eyes, sure they looked the same storm grey but they held to much sorrow and past hatred to be Annabeth her eyes had always been full of joy and the prospect of knowledge. Finally, the figure nervously returned her gaze to me.

"No Perseus, I am Minerva. Annabeth Chase is dead; you are only seeing an imprint left on my essence from hers." The goddess explained causing my heart to sink and I began to cry causing my father to hold me closer as I began to thrash around in personal agony.

Annabeth was truly gone and I was alone again. Sure, I had my other friends and family but my love was gone and happiness had been taken with her.

Eventually I settled into emotionless melancholy barely away of what was going on around me. My father released me once I went still. With that seemingly settled everyone began to relax at the fact everything was over at last. I was barely even aware of Zeus and Ares began boasting of their triumph and their own parts, etc.

However, no one was paying them attention everyone was standing with their parents or spouses looking at me. It was when Zeus attempted to try to take credit for Porphyrion's defeat when Hades finally had enough and told him to shut up.

"'We' won because of Perseus and Annabeth's sacrifice, all you did was feed Gaia your energy and resurrect her faster. So do us all a favour and shut your mouth for a moment or two and let us leave this sorrow filled place. We can discuss anything at Olympus and set about dealing with other matters. The Giants may be dead but their schemes are still ongoing the matter of the camps still needs to be resolved and we need to reward our children for their help." The Lord of the Dead said earning nods from the others and once Apollo was done healing Hazel and Arion who had been helped over by someone once the fighting was concluded. The gods grabbed us their children and we flashed back to the throne room.

Outside the cavernous room the dark night sky could be seen through the marble columns.

My father seemed unsure whether he should leave me alone but seeing as I was seemingly happy to stand there albeit largely unresponsive, he finally left me alone. As the gods went to their own thrones and the other missing Olympians like Demeter arrived. After the rest of the council arrived except Hera, The Fates simply bowed to the assembled council before flashing out.

"Now we are gathered here to celebrate the defeat of the giants, due to our combined power which allowed us to overcome both them and their evil mother Gaia. However due to all of efforts the Primordial and her ilk are dead..." He was interrupted by Poseidon's Trident striking the floor and receiving looks from everyone who was in Greece.

"Fine, we are here to reward our children without whom it would not have been possible to defeat Gaia or the giants. As well as to sadly mourn the loss of a true heroine to Olympus one who sacrificed themselves for the safety of Olympus. Now we shall commence the reward—" He paused as all eyes turned to Artemis who suddenly screamed as she fell from her throne, clutching her head in pain shrinking to human sized as she hit the marble.

Finally focusing on something apart from self-loathing, I immediately ran towards her. Completely ignoring any perceived taboo of the situation, I picked her up to find her crying golden tears that stained her silver clothes. Holding the auburn-haired girl against me tightly, she began to mutter something about her Hunters before gasping every so often, as if someone was punching her in the gut causing her to scream out into my shoulder.

While I was distracted with the goddess in my arms, there was a flash of light behind me and I heard the other gods leap to their feet.

"Hera, what are you doing here? I banished you when your plan failed." Zeus stated raising his Masterbolt at his wife.

"Really husband? From what I see Olympus still stands, our thrones remain and everyone is still here." She said smugly.

"What about my daughter? She is dead now." Minerva spat angrily towards the older goddess.

"That was not my fault, after all it was you husband who failed to kill Enceladus with your Masterbolt, unfortunately his son also failed to confirm the kill regretfully. Despite every piece of assistance, I have provided him over the years." She replied simply with a shrug, earning a growl from both god and son.

"Brother, Sister why don't you stop your bitching, someone needs to find out what is wrong with Artemis." Hades ordered before pointing to the struggling goddess in my arms.

"Oh, that is simple, why don't you ask Apollo. After all, it is his little bastard legacy's fault?" the Queen of the Heavens said causing all heads to turn towards the Sun od.

'Oh, Octavian what have you done now?' The god said sinking into his throne.