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The Ever Twisting Wind: The Gaean War

Chapter Nine: Untimely Reprieve from War

Beta:

As the Seven made their final approach to Rome, Andi left an instance back at her palace to keep watch over the Heroes of the Great Prophecy while she descended to Camp Half-Blood to spend time with Will, as she'd promised during the Battle of the Necraethra. She appeared in Camp in a swirl of wind, her nude arrival causing quite a stir. Campers unfamiliar with her gasped, some staring in wide-eyed shock, a few leering, and others turning hastily away. Meanwhile, those familiar with Andi simply knelt and offered respectful greetings. Andi basked in the attention, enjoying the admiring looks directed her way, though her gaze remained fixed on her boyfriend, who smiled back, eyes raking appreciatively over her, a look she found especially satisfying.

Near the large hearth at the center of the cabin square, an instance of her Aunt Hestia that sat beside the crackling fire raised an eyebrow and looked at Andi with a hint of reproach. "Must you tease the poor children, Andromeda?"

Casually waving a hand to signal those kneeling to rise and return to whatever they'd been doing, Andi chuckled softly, a playful glint in her eyes. She offered Christy, the mother of her as yet unborn first Half-blood, a warm wave before turning to address her Aunt Hestia with a grin. "I'm sorry, Aunt Hestia, truly, but you know I can't change my nature. It's just part of who I am."

Her tone was light, but beneath her words was an acceptance of the untamed essence she embodied, as much a part of her as the winds that were also her domain.

Aunt Hestia smiled, shaking her head. "I know. And it's in my nature to try and keep our family in line. It's all part of being the goddess of family, I suppose."

Andi nodded in agreement. "We're gods. Our domains shape who we are."

Aunt Hestia returned her nod, her eyes warm. Andi glanced at Pandora's Pithos, the legendary storage vessel that now housed her aunt's gestating child, which Hestia had claimed after the Second Titanomachy. "Are you alright? With all the chaos on Olympus?"

Aunt Hestia's expression softened. "I'm fine, as is the baby. Thank you for asking. But I think we've ignored Will long enough, don't you? If you keep him waiting any longer, we might edge into a serious case of denial."

Andi giggled, turning back to Will. "I'm not being that bad, am I?"

Will shook his head with a smile. "Not at all."

"Well, I'll leave you two alone. I wouldn't want to be a distraction." Aunt Hestia said with a chuckle before giving them a final nod before she and Pandora's Pithos blinked away.

"Thank you, Aunt Hestia," Andi called after her as Will offered his own thanks.

"Thank you, Lady Hestia." Will said respectfully.

"Are you upset that everyone gets to see your girlfriend naked?" Andi asked teasingly as she turned to Will.

Will laughed, reaching out to take her hand. "Andi, I've come to terms with you having kids with other people. Do you really think I'd be jealous just because people are ogling you? Besides," he added with a grin, "it's just part of who you are as a goddess of the wild."

"Oh?" Andi arched an eyebrow. "So you don't mind sharing me with the rest of Camp?"

"Only because I know you'll come back to me." He replied, giving her hand a squeeze. "Besides, they're just looking."

She smiled, her fingers tracing his arm. "Well, I'll just have to make sure you're the one I look at most."

Will leaned in, lowering his voice. "I'd rather you do more than just look."

"Oh?" Andi's eyes sparkled with excitement as a wide grin spread across her face. "I'll make sure you get my full attention."

Before their playful banter could continue, Chiron cleared his throat, and Andi turned to him. She'd been aware he'd been standing there for some time but had been deliberately ignoring him in favor of her conversation with Will. Flirting with her boyfriend was just more important than greeting her former mentor.

"What can I do for you, Chiron?" She asked with a touch of exasperation.

He smiled, his tone light. "I'm simply here to remind you that it's against Camp rules for Campers to engage in intimate relations within the Camp boundaries."

"Yes, Chiron, I remember." Andi replied with a sigh, taking Will's arm as a mischievous grin spread across her face. Turning to him, her eyes sparkled with playful intent. "Are you ready to go?"

Will nodded without hesitation, a matching grin on his face.

With a delighted laugh, Andi exclaimed, "Then off to the woods we go!"

Grabbing his hand, Andi led him eagerly toward the trees, her steps light and full of anticipation. The forest stretched before them, wild and inviting, a sanctuary firmly within her domain that stretched beyond Camp's boundaries. Here, amid the whispering leaves and soft earth, she looked forward to an afternoon full of lovemaking, surrounded by the natural world she loved.

Andi materialized in the entry hall of her palace's main building, nestled within the heart of the treehouse. She had just returned from a wonderful rendezvous with Will, where they'd both enjoyed each other's company in the most intimate of ways, leaving her with a lingering smile. That smile, however, quickly faded as she noticed the grim expression on the face of her instance waiting expectantly for her.

"How bad is it?" Andi asked warily.

She didn't fully know what had happened with the Seven. To enjoy some uninterrupted time with Will as she'd promised while still upholding her duty to support the Seven, she'd left an instance back in her palace to monitor their adventures, keeping their minds unsynced to avoid any news disrupting her time with him. Now, though, she was beginning to wonder if that had been a mistake.

"It's best if you see it for yourself." Her instance said, reaching out and offering her hand.

As their hands touched, the instance blinked out of existence, her memories rushing into Andi's mind. She saw it all: the Seven's intense journey through Rome, every battle, every perilous encounter, and every step into the ancient city's depths.

She watched as Annabeth embarked on her lonely journey beneath Rome, delving through dark tunnels and hidden passageways. Along the way, she stumbled upon an ancient shrine to the god Mithras, guarded by ghostly worshipers who lingered in eternal devotion. Despite the challenge she faced there, narrowly avoiding a deadly encounter with the Persian god, Annabeth pressed forward, her path culminating in a fateful confrontation with Arachne, the very foe she'd been dreading.

Elsewhere, Leo, Hazel, and Frank found themselves locked in combat with the remaining Eidolons loyal to Gaea. The battle pushed them to their limits and as the situation grew desperate, Leo was forced to cash in a favor he'd earned from Nemesis, narrowly escaping the confrontation alive with his friends by his side.

Watching this memory, Andi felt a wave of relief.

"Thank the Fates." She muttered. It was comforting to know that some of her fellow gods who hadn't succumbed to the madness induced by the Greco-Roman war were stepping in to aid the Seven, instead of leaving it all to her.

Meanwhile, Percy, Jason, and Piper's search for the Gigantes Otis and Ephialtes led them to a ruined Nymphaeum, where they encountered the ancient nymph Hagno and nine others who had once guarded Zeus as an infant. These nymphs, long weakened, attempted to drain the life essence of the three demigods to restore their youth, nearly killing them. Yet, the three Half-bloods were eventually able to convince the nymphs to let them go. The nymphs, showing generosity, even restored Percy, Jason, and Piper to full strength before releasing them. The search eventually brought the trio to the Coliseum, where they confronted Otis and Ephialtes in their lair. Percy and Jason launched into a deadly struggle against the twin Gigantes, battling ferociously in the ancient arena. It was only with the timely arrival of Bacchus that they were able to overpower the Gigantes and deliver a decisive blow. Their victory freed Nico, who had been held captive by the Gigantes.

Andi breathed a sigh of relief at Nico's rescue, a wave of tension releasing from her. Watching Bianca appear beside him, Shadow Traveling to join her brother as the Seven, sans Annabeth, finally reunited on the Argo II, she whispered softly. "Thank the Fates, Nico… you made it."

She allowed herself a brief moment of gratitude before refocusing on the gravity of the situation as shown to her through these memories. With quiet yet unwavering resolve, Nico explained the situation with the Doors of Death, while Bianca added details about the formidable task of reclaiming them that lay ahead.

As this was happening, back beneath Rome, Annabeth's struggle with Arachne was reaching its climax. With sharp wit and cunning, she managed to defeat Arachne by luring her into her own undoing, securing the Athena Parthenos, a priceless relic that had claimed the lives of so many of Athena's children who bore the Mark of Athena, each marked and assigned by their mother to recover it. Annabeth's victory was bittersweet, however, as Arachne, in a final act of spite, attempted to drag both the statue and Annabeth with her into Tartarus.

Thankfully, the Argo II arrived just in time, blasting a hole in the ceiling of the chamber where Annabeth had fought the Mother of All Spiders, foiling Arachne's ploy. As the team worked together to load the Athena Parthenos onto the ship, the floor beneath Annabeth suddenly gave way, opening a path to the depths of Tartarus below. As she tumbled toward the Abyss, Arachne, in one final act of vengeance, shot a thread of webbing that wrapped around Annabeth, pulling her downward to join her in falling her into the Pit. As expected, Percy lunged forward, catching Annabeth's arm and holding her back, though he couldn't pull them to safety.

Watching the scene unfold, Andi muttered to herself, frustration lacing her words. "Percy, don't let go… Please, just hold on."

She knew the futility of it all. Not only had these events already happened, but the Ancient Laws barred her from intervening, and even if by some miracle Percy could hear her, she knew he wouldn't listen.

As Percy clung to Annabeth, he called to Bianca and Nico, making them promise to lead the others to the Doors of Death on the mortal side. With a heavy heart, they swore to fulfill his wish. With that promise made, he turned to Annabeth and vowed to stay with her, promising he would never let her go. She nodded, echoing his words as long as they were together. Then, with one final, resolute act, Percy released his hold on the ledge, and together, he and Annabeth plunged into the darkness of Tartarus, carrying with them the unspoken promise to free the Doors from within the Pit.

As the last memory faded, a storm of anger surged through Andi. Her fury was reflected all around her. Small animals that made their home in her palace, as was fitting for the goddess of the wild, hissed and chirped in shared agitation. The winds picked up, howling through the hall, and wild magic flared around her, crackling with energy and mirroring her rage.

It took her several long moments to calm herself. When she finally did, Alice and Ida cautiously entered the room, while the rest of her court - Wendy, Katie, Hunter, and Hedwig - hung back by the doorway, peeking in with tense expressions. Stepping forward, Alice asked gently. "Andi, are you… calm?"

Andi shot her a sharp glare. "Two of my best friends just fell into Tartarus. Calm? I'm furious!"

Ida nodded, her voice steady but uncertain. "What are your orders?"

Andi frowned, feeling a pang of helplessness. What could she do? Unlike Gaea, Tartarus was awake and all-powerful, the very embodiment of the Abyss. She couldn't challenge him head-on; offering herself to the Father of the Giants wouldn't help anyone, not Percy or Annabeth.

"What do you think we should do?" She asked, looking to Ida hopefully.

Unfortunately, Ida's expression mirrored her own frustration. "Honestly, I don't know. Facing Tartarus… That's something I never even considered."

"Then what can we do?" Andi asked with a growl of frustration.

Alice took a step forward, a thoughtful look on her face. "I might have a suggestion."

Andi's gaze snapped to her. "What is it? Anything will do right now."

Alice nodded once and, after a moment, said. "Since any god or being of equivalent legendary standing is bound by the Ancient Laws just like we are, I think you should seek help from someone outside any pantheon. And you happen to know someone who fits that criteria, don't you?"

"You mean her, don't you?"

"Yes." Alice confirmed. "I think you should seek help from the Golden Sorceress, Beatrice."

Done and done! Thanks to Nameless as always!

Ah, a nice wholesome (to some) chapter. Until Mark of Athena happened. Dang Mark of Athena, ruining Andi's good vibe after seeing her beau. Still, Andi's rage is potent here as she loves her friends dearly, and Annabeth and Percy are her best friends. As a goddess, her emotions are even stronger, so her fury is very much a force of nature in this regard.

Nameless: So this opening chapter will probably be exceptionally short for the FFN readers. Why? Well, it's because a big chunk of it is NSFW and thus beyond what we consider safe to post on that platform. The full chapter can be read on AO3 as always though, so please head over there if you feel like it.

You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!