Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson
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Emerald Library: It is so big you can google it
Writer's Block: wttJDs62Dy
LAST TIME:
"Enemies!" Annabeth yelled as she turned to see the very air ripple in front of her before a sword was suddenly pressed up against her throat. She froze in place as she felt the cool steel against her skin. Panic swept through her mind as her eyes slowly followed the sword to the person holding it. She felt her heart drop into her stomach. Her whole body shook as buried emotions began to escape their confinement upon seeing the pale, smirking face of Luke looking down at her.
He held a basketball-sized quartz stone filled with a golden aura in one hand. A small crack was currently letting out the golden aura encasing Percy. Luke glanced at Percy as he saw Percy slowly reveal a furious expression on his face. Luke simply scoffed at Percy before dropping the quartz rock a few feet away from Percy and turning to Annabeth. His expression turned into a happy smile, making her stomach sick as she gritted her teeth.
"It looks like Hyperion was right after all. I didn't realize the gods cared so much about some quest to send you along, Mr. Ranger. Annabeth! It's good to see you again so soon. You wouldn't happen to have seen a golden fleece recently, would you?" Luke asked with a raised eyebrow. Annabeth gritted her teeth together, causing a glare to cover her face.
NOW:
THIRD PERSON POV:
"I knew it was too good to be true when we escaped the first time," Annabeth said while gritting her teeth as Luke gave a slight shrug. He then glanced at Nick and Grover, causing the two to freeze before he shot them a glare.
"If either of you moves, talks, or even looks at me wrong. Her head rolls," Luke said while pressing the blade even harder against Annabeth's throat, causing a cut to appear as blood started to drip gently down her neck. Nick and Grover both revealed an angry face and were about to shout, but upon seeing the blood dripping from Annabeth's neck, they kept their mouths closed. The two of them even looked down to avoid Luke's gaze, causing the son of Hermes to reveal a grin.
Just in case, he shot Percy a glance to find Percy's face still revealing an incredibly furious expression as he felt a sense of relief. From what he had heard, Percy had grown so strong that even the strongest immortals were no longer his match. Given time, even minor gods would start to fall behind him in power, which made him a prime target for Kronos. He would have regained much of his power if he had gotten a demigod of Percy's stature to swear themselves to the titan.
Unfortunately, for now, Kronos didn't have the leverage to get Percy to come to his side. Though Luke was against the idea after facing Zoe, he couldn't speak out against Kronos. With gritted teeth, he could only follow the king of the Titans' orders. Kronos even gave Luke the special large quartz filled with his aura as a precaution, just in case he ran into Percy. Luke didn't expect he would need it so soon, though.
"That's more like it. Also, I like to call it strategizing if you ask me. Let the others do the dirty work to save yourself some time. A plan worthy of Athena if you ask me, Annie. So… where is my golden fleece?" Luke asked while applying a little pressure to his blade, causing Annabeth to lift her head and face him as the demigoddess glared at him. Countless emotions stirred inside her mind, but anger drowned out the rest.
"Never say that phrase again. Also, don't call me Annie. You lost that privilege long ago," Annabeth hissed at him in pure anger. She seemed to try to bore holes into him with her eyes. Luke simply narrowed his eyes a little as he moved his blade a bit, causing the small cut to grow larger as more blood trickled down Annabeth's neck.
"Quit stalling for time and tell me where the fleece is, Chase. I don't have time to play the mind games you love crafting." Luke growled, causing Annabeth to flinch upon hearing her last name. Part of her anger was suddenly replaced by fear and regret in an instant, as she wanted to scream out at Luke to stop this act. Yet the stinging pain on her neck reminded her that this was anything but an act.
She already knew Luke was set on this path. He was tired of the gods and how the current system functioned. He would do just that if he needed to make sacrifices for his new and better world to exist. His poisoning of Thalia's tree, disgracing her memory, and holding her at sword point was already proof of that. What she hated the most was that she still couldn't get rid of these emotions telling her to try and save him… even now.
"It's gone, lost to the sea," she finally managed to say as Luke stared down at her with cold eyes, her stormy gray ones no longer meeting his gaze after a minute.
"You were always a bad liar. Lord Hyperion, it seems she needs some help talking," Luke mumbled before turning his head and speaking out loud to the empty space behind him. Annabeth then suddenly heard the unsheathing of another sword followed by heavy footsteps. The air rippled again, but this time, the ripple spread out much further as it began to disperse a massive mist dome.
Annabeth watched in awe as the barrier dispersed, revealing the monster-filled Princess Andromeda not too far offshore, and a familiar 8-foot-tall titan that held a huge red sword walked forward. Just like the last time, Annabeth felt a deep sense of fear begin to permeate her very bones as she began to shiver. His bald head and skin that wasn't covered by his suit continued to gleam like polished pennies just as before, but an ugly frown on his face warped his handsome face.
"The lord of light taking orders from a child! If Kronos had not told me to help you on this mission, I would have broken both of your legs." Hyperion angrily grunted as his giant sword was soon placed on his shoulder as he stood behind the frozen Percy. His miniature supernovas of eyes glared at Luke as the son of Hermes bowed his head towards the titan.
"I didn't mean to order you, sir. I simply think this is the best way to resolve this issue." Luke apologized elegantly. Hyperion eyed the demigod briefly before snorting, and his glowing eyes turned to a trembling Annabeth.
"Speak, or the boy loses his head. You have 3 seconds. One… two… " Hyperion started to count and raise his sword before Annabeth could even start to think. The primal fear running through her was suddenly suppressed by a new fear brought upon seeing the large red sword rising even higher. She began to open her mouth just as Hyperion was about to say three, but he suddenly stopped counting as a huge burst of silver aura exploded from behind him like a tidal wave.
The silver aura swallowed the entire area instantly, blowing away the sand on the beach as the air began to tremble. Luke's face instantly grew even more pale as the aura put immense pressure on him. He even began to find it challenging to keep his blade at Annabeth's throat as his body began to tremble. At the same time, Annabeth didn't feel any of the pressure Luke was feeling; instead, it felt like a warm blanket had been wrapped around her that seemed to promise her everything would be alright.
"Oh? Now, this is quite the surprise." Hyperion blinked a few times in surprise as his feet sank an inch into the ground, and the aura bore down on him like a mountain. Even then, he didn't seem to be phased by the pressure. He simply turned his head to see a glaring goddess of the hunt staring at him as his eyes gleamed with a new light.
Artemis stood behind Hyperion in her full silver-studded battle armor, her godly weapon pointed at him. A silver arrow gleaming in a dangerous light rested on its edge, ready to shoot forward and pierce his back. Yet Hyperion didn't seem too concerned with the arrow at the moment. His real concern lay with the goddess' fierce and unyielding expression. Her raging silver eyes matched the glimmering silver tiara on her head and seemed to promise him a world of pain if he so much as moved.
"Move, and you're dead." Artemis hissed at Hyperion as the titan squinted his eyes at the goddess.
"A goddess protecting a quest? It seems Olympus is playing a dangerous game with the fates," Hyperion said, and Artemis' scowl only deepened upon hearing his words.
"I'm not protecting them. I'm protecting him. Now leave before I kill you and every last being on your special little boat." Artemis said, pulling her moonlight-colored bowstring back further as her aura began concentrating on the arrow. Hyperion narrowed his expression as he realized Artemis was not messing around. Was this goddess going to make a move this early?
"Hmmm…" Hyperion stood his ground without saying a word as his aura began to spread from his like the solar flares of the sun. The burning red color of his aura clashed with Artemis' silver one. Like fire and ice, the two began to create a shower of sparks in the air as this new surge of energy caused everyone's hair to stand on end.
"Lord…" Luke wanted to say something, but a single glance from the titan was enough to shut up the son of Hermes. Luke took a few steps back in fear. His body shivered as he felt the weight of a titan's wrath. Hyperion simply ignored Luke as he fully turned to face Artemis. The two divine beings' auras began to clash more and more as the sand beneath their feet began to ripple.
"How out of character of you, Artemis. I never expected to see you as a babysitter for a male." Hyperion said with a smirk, yet Artemis didn't explode on him like he expected. Instead, the goddess simply smirked as Hyperion's expression fell.
"I could say the same thing about you, oh great lord of matchsticks. Now, withdraw yourself before you lose your precious army and Kronos' boy toy." Artemis said sternly, revealing a small smirk on her lips as a vein on Hyperon's forehead pulsed angrily. Part of him wanted to strike the goddess down here and now, but he knew that even one strike between them at their current level would vaporize anyone in a hundred feet. As much as he hated to admit it, he could not lose Luke. His role in Kronos' plan was far too important.
The two powerhouses continued to glare at one another without a single word as their aura suffocated the beach. Their face-off was enough to start turning the gazes of gods and titans from both sides. They even began to hear their ally's voices in their heads as multiple messages started to descend on them. Every voice told them to cease this at once.
Even if they were enemies and were at each other's throats, there was a time and place for everything. The biggest issue was the loss of the demigods caught in the crossfire. Too many critical figures for their plans would be lost, causing everything they had planned to fall through. If that happened, this war would turn for the worse. Even more gods and titans would be pulled in, leaving them open to outside influence.
'Hyperion…' Suddenly, a tired and ancient voice shook the titan of light from his inner thoughts of anger as he gritted his teeth in frustration.
'Artemis retreat,' Artemis was suffering the same fate as the titan as her sperm donor of a father's voice echoed in her mind. She couldn't help but feel frustrated upon receiving the command.
Yet neither yielded and continued to glare at one another. Their auras continued to clash as more sparks filled the air. Those surrounding them continued to feel the suffocating feeling bore down on them as they gritted their teeth. The two divine beings continued their glaring match until the voices pouring into their heads reached the point where neither could take it anymore.
"Fine! This fight isn't over, Artemis!" Hyperion finally gave in and roared so loudly that it caused the beach to quake while Artemis glared at the frustrated Titan. A moment later, his body started to wrap itself in flames, causing him to disappear slowly into the fire. Seeing this, Artemis felt a small wave of relief flow through her body.
'I can't just leave without a parting gift,' Hyperion mentally said to Artemis with a nasty chuckle as part of his flames suddenly gathered behind him. Sensing the spike in energy, Artemis' eyes widened immensely as she realized what Hyperion was up to. Her fingers instinctively released her arrow the exact moment the titan released his ball of flame to unleash a deadly heat beam right toward where Percy was.
BZZZ!
"Nooo!" Artemis barely had time to scream in fury as her arrow shot toward the titan. In a moment, the arrow was in front of the flame-wrapped titan and plunged into the flames. With a final flicker of fire, Hyperion and the arrow were gone. He only left behind a smoking crater blocking the goddess' vision.
'Percy!' Diana screamed through the other half's mind as panic swept through them. Artemis moved as fast as she could. With a wave of her hand, the silver aura in the area dissolved, along with the smoke plum where Hyperion just was.
"Ummm… was that supposed to do something?" A voice suddenly entered her ears, causing her rapidly beating heart to calm tremendously. Her eyes threatened to release tears as she looked at the scene before her.
Percy was kneeling a few feet from his previous spot, where a molten baseball-sized hole now resided. With his sword drawn, he looked ready to pounce on the titan before he disappeared, but his face was full of confusion as he couldn't help but glance at the spot.
"I think he was aiming at the spot you were sealed at," Annabeth said angrily while yanking her dagger from the now broken-in-half quartz stone that once contained Kronos' aura. With a dagger flip, she glanced up at the still-frozen Artemis. The goddess seemed to be recovering from several large emotional rollercoasters as her face seemed to go through the phases of acceptance. With a large sigh, she rubbed her forehead before staring at Percy for a moment longer.
"I need to leave. We will… talk about this later." She said with a slightly strained voice that made Percy want to hug her. Before he could even move, Artemis was gone in a silver flash, leaving the boy worried about the goddess.
"That doesn't sound good," Annabeth mumbled, revealing a slightly worried expression. The two exchanged a glance before putting whatever had just happened behind them. They had something more important to deal with at the moment, that being the son of Hermes right in front of them, who seemed lost in thought over what just happened before him.
"Well, well, well. It seems that turns have tabled, haven't they?" Nick said while pulling out his sword and angrily pointing it at Luke. This caused Luke to snap out of his stupor and raise his blade toward them. His face was worried as he realized he no longer had the upper hand in the situation.
"That isn't even close to how you say that, Nicky." A new voice suddenly came from behind the son of Poseidon and chastised him. Everyone present couldn't help but look his way in surprise. This caused Nick to grin before stepping to the side, revealing an IM floating behind him. An image of Camp Half-Blood's dining area was shown on the screen, with a particular daughter of Demeter taking up the center of the image as everyone else looked at the screen with huge eyes.
"Oh, come on, Katie! Let me have this one!" Nick complained, but the girl pursed her lips and ignored him as her eyes fell on Luke, and the scene froze. Everyone's eyes fell on Luke as the boy slowly backed up towards the approaching monster hoard coming his way from Princess Andromeda.
It didn't take a genius to see that the cat was officially out of the bag; at this moment, neither god nor mortal could say anything, but Luke was responsible for what was happening at their camp. At the same time, they discovered their enemy for this encroaching war. For many on the other side of the IM, this news was so shocking they were stunned into silence while others seemed to grow angry. After a few moments, the IM dissipated, and the campers on the other side began to shout angrily at Luke. With that, the Titan's scheme finally fell to pieces, and the truth was revealed.
"Well, seeing you all was great, but I must leave. I think I forgot to turn off the stove." Luke said after glancing at the IM before pulling out a small crystal shaped like a sphere. This sphere contained a profound fire-red aura that made Percy's eyes narrow. His kopis transformed into his spear in a split second. His black aura surged out of his body while his muscles began to tense. Black lightning surged briefly through his body as he moved like a blur.
Even the most powerful demigods present only saw a black flash while Percy threw his spear with all his current might. It seemed to turn into a black blur as it shot through the air at extreme speed, the tip of it aimed right at Luke's shoulder. Even though Percy wanted to tear the boy apart for hurting Zoe, he knew doing so was not an option. Yet Luke was too far away for the spear to reach him before he threw the sphere into his mouth.
BOOOM!
In a split second, two brilliant flashes of black and red lit up the beach as Percy's spear was deflected by Luke, who was now covered by a fire-red aura. Yet Luke looked like he was struggling as his arm was blown back simultaneously. Even if Percy couldn't put even 30% of his full power into the strike, it was enough to push Luke back, even with his power up.
"Fuck! Why is it that you and your fucking family keep getting in my way!" Luke roared angrily as he kept retreating, this time at a much faster pace as Percy waved his hand to retrieve Crimson Sky. Yet he suddenly felt a resistance keeping it from returning instantly as Percy frowned. He couldn't help but face Luke, who revealed a nasty sneer.
"This is a little trick I picked up not too long ago. You should learn not to leave your weapon open to aura strikes," Luke said before finally coming to a stop as the monsters got closer. With his weapon struggling to return, Percy gritted his teeth as his black aura burst from his body erratically. His buried anger escaped from his grasp as everyone present glanced at him with worried eyes.
"Oh, I'll show you an aura strike you, MOTHERFUC-!"
"PERSEUS, LANGUAGE!"
PHSSSS!
THUDD!
Before Percy could finish yelling, another very familiar voice silenced his words. He then watched an arrow covered in a copper aura with a red boxing glove attached to the end slam perfectly into Luke's face. The two auras perfectly negated one another, making the hit even cleaner and the sound even more satisfying for everyone present. Yet nobody seemed to care about Luke, who was rolling on the ground in pain as their eyes turned east.
Running… no, galloping their way, was the best trainer to ever live in his magnificent leather armor decorated with brilliant… paintball markings? Following him were about 30 centaurs wearing little to no armor and shirts that read Party Ponies. They looked wild and free. All of them were hooting and hollering as they wielded paintball guns and bows with boxing arrows.
"KILL THEM!" Luke roared angrily toward the monsters, who finally reached his side as he sat up from the ground while holding his bleeding nose. Yet another boxing glove arrow met its mark a second later as it slammed into his face again, causing him to rear his head back. The monsters still followed his command and charged the centaurs but were met with boxing glove arrows and celestial bronze loaded paintballs fired from high-power paintball guns.
Percy, Annabeth, Nick, and Grover were completely shocked as they watched the wild centaurs quickly drive back to the monster horde. At the same time, a familiar Chiron trotted over to them and greeted them with a smile. Percy was the first to react as he met Chiron's gaze, which contained a thousand future naggings directed all at him. He couldn't help but shrink under the gaze as Chiron moved his eyes toward the others.
"It seems I have arrived with backup just in time, haven't I?" Chiron smiled as the others finally snapped out of their stupor and began to feel varying emotions. Annabeth even started to cry in happiness upon seeing her beloved mentor. Chiron simply reached forward and patted her head a few times while giving her a loving smile.
"Come now. We can exchange pleasantries later. We have work that needs to be done." Chiron said, turning to the mess of centaurs chasing a fleeing group of monsters. Luke was nowhere to be seen in the group of monsters. Percy couldn't help but frown as he failed to locate the traitor, but as he expanded his senses, he still couldn't find him. But he soon noticed a few remaining ripples in space near where Luke had been moments ago.
'Interesting, I didn't think Kronos would give him something so special. The old bag of bones is putting a lot of eggs into that basket.' Percy thought to himself as he watched the last ripples disappear.
'Indeed, you don't see a sword that can cut through space so easily every day. It must have been made under special conditions or something else entirely.' Barbatos' voice echoed in Percy's mind as Percy continued to think of what it could be but still couldn't put his finger on it. At the same time… he couldn't help but wonder if he could get Crimson Sky to replicate such a thing. Various ideas began to bounce around in his head as he gradually got lost in thought until someone nudged him.
"Percy?" Annabeth asked as Percy blinked a few times and looked down at the demigoddess. Her eyes were a little puffy from her tears, but otherwise, she looked okay. However, her stormy eyes seemed to hold a thousand buried emotions that betrayed her.
"Sorry, I was lost in thought." He said with a small smile before reaching out. Instinctively patting her head, Annabeth groaned before moving out of his reach.
"Not the hair. It has been through enough already this week," she said, sighing while fixing what was left of her shoulder-length hair.
"It seems you all have had a rough time," Chiron commented as everyone nodded in unison even though each had a different thought going through their head at that moment. But they couldn't help but glance at the Centaurs exchanging victory headbutts in the background as they finished driving off the rest of the monsters.
"Right back at you," Nick commented after glancing at the paintball stains on Chiron's armor. The old centaur's eyebrow twitched for a moment.
"It has been… long indeed. Thankfully, this whole ordeal is over now. With everything properly revealed, I should get my position back here soon," he said in a tired tone before happily stating the rest, as everyone couldn't help but wonder just what their teacher had been through.
"Hey! Is that Percy!?" Suddenly, a shout reached their ears, and everyone turned to the group of Centaurs rushing their way before circling them. Yet all eyes found Percy, as the demi-creator revealed an embarrassed look as multiple centaurs began to fistbump and high-five him. The most shocked was Chiron, whose eyes were filled with wonder and a hint of deceit. Percy shrugged as he locked eyes with him.
"You know this chapter of Party Ponies?" The befuddled Centaur asked as Percy nodded.
"I helped them out a few times here and there. Nothing too extreme. Maybe I partied with them once or twice. I swear that was it." Percy said while waving his hand, only to get another high-five from a centaur. Just then, one with a head full of red hair who was wearing an apron that said kiss the cook shook his head.
"Don't let him lie to you! This boy won our 250th annual sandwich-eating contest by a landslide! When he won, he demanded that we spread the word not to chase his big dog and fox! He is a legend and an honorary member of the Party Ponies!" He happily roared as the others cheered in unison. On the other hand, Percy looked ready to crawl into a hole and hide as his face started to turn red.
"It wasn't even that many more than the record!" Percy retorted, trying to hide his shame, but the red-haired centaur let out a howl of laughter.
"85! Sandwiches!
"85! 85! 85! 85!" As the chant continued, all eyes were on Percy, who hid his face in his hands. His only saving grace was that Zoe and the others weren't here to see this. Yet his thoughts seemed to affect reality as the shadows around everyone began to warp and gather. Before they knew it, a massive two-headed hellhound and an equally large white fox with red face markings bound out of the shadows together.
The chanting didn't stop as the two giant beasts arrived, and it grew even louder. Percy felt his stomach grow twisted with embarrassment, but he suddenly saw several familiar faces riding on Orthos. Zoe, Ryder, and Zora all had confused expressions as they stared at the mob of centaurs chanting a random number. Yet the happy mood was so infectious that before he knew it, Ryder and Zora had stood up on Orthos' back and started pumping their fists into the air and chanting in unison.
"85! 85!" Their childish voices filled the air along with their laughter, and Percy didn't know whether to take a photo of the cute moment or die of embarrassment even more. Yet before he could fully react, he found a pair of honey-brown eyes staring down at him as he locked eyes with his wonderful wife. Zoe slowly revealed a devious grin before standing up with their children.
"85!" Zoe roared louder than everyone present as the Centaurs turned her way and cheered before hooting and hollering. On the other hand, Percy finally hung his head in defeat with his pure red cheeks. Upon seeing him standing there in defeat, everyone present began to laugh.
LINEBREAK:
PERCY POV:
"So… 85 sandwiches, huh?" a curious and flirtatious voice asked me as I took another bite of the steak. I couldn't help but feel my cheeks grow hot again before glancing up at the smug and mischievous Zoe in front of me. After recovering from embarrassment overload, Zoe quickly dragged me and the kids away to grab lunch. In turn, Annabeth, Tyson, Grover, and Nick got a ride back to camp from Chiron and Party Ponies.
After that, we found a nice place to eat that allowed the disguised Orthos and Tia, which brought us to the present. Zora and Ryder were both happily eating their dishes and coloring the play mats they were given. This left Zoe and me to play footsies by ourselves under the table as we ate. After not seeing each other for a while, we simply couldn't help it.
Because of our actions, I could feel Orthos' glaring eyes as Tia used the lovey-dovey atmosphere to snuggle closer to him, much to his annoyance. At the same time, I couldn't help but notice he wasn't pushing her away like he usually did. I simply shot him a smirk and turned my gaze back to Zoe as I smiled.
"It was technically 85 and a half. Only one slice of bread was left, so they made me half a sandwich, which I finished. But it wasn't counted because it wasn't a full one." I said while offering her a bite of my ribeye on my fork. Glancing at the bite of meat, Zoe happily opened her mouth and took the bite from the utensil. After chewing for a moment and swallowing, Zoe couldn't help but purse her lips together.
"That doesn't sound fair if you ask me." She said as I nodded in agreement.
"It isn't! I worked hard to beat that record. You can't just take half a sandwich from me because you ran out of bread. Also, Ryder, quit picking through your fries, and Zora, please finish your lasagna." I said as the twins flinched upon hearing my words. Since we were talking, the two thought they could get away with not finishing their food and focus on playing. A moment later, the two returned to eating their food much faster than necessary.
"Slow down. Your drawing will still be there when you finish." Zoe chastised them with a sigh as they quickly slowed to casual eating levels. Zoe and I couldn't help but glance at one another and chuckle as we interlocked our legs tighter.
"So, how have things been at home?" I couldn't help but ask as Zoe bobbed her head side to side while thinking a few things over.
"Things have been good for the most part. It feels like it has mainly been the kids and me for the last week. Everyone has been busy running around because of work. Olympus is keeping all our goddesses busy with new work each day. Hestia and Vesta barely had time to drop in for Zora's and Ryder's field day at school and couldn't even stay for lunch." She said with a small sigh as I raised an eyebrow. I couldn't help but grow a bit curious.
"Do you know what's going up on Olympus by chance?" I couldn't help but ask, causing Zoe to shake her head as I frowned. Since Artemis had been with me the whole time, I doubted she knew what was happening. Speaking of which, I couldn't help but wonder where the silver goddess went after the stare-down with Hyperion. Remembering her face, I still couldn't help but worry a bit. She looked pretty distressed and needed a hug.
"I wish I knew. That way, I could at least try to help. The nights and days are also starting to get lonelier without anyone home, and it's rough without the others," Zoe said with a glance at the children as I caught her drift. Zora and Ryder were both still very young and didn't quite understand our positions. Even now, I receive IM messages from both of them asking me to come home, yet all I could do was promise to return as soon as possible.
With everyone else around, it seemed to help, but nothing could entirely replace their father. I could only imagine how they felt since everyone else was busy. Seeing their happy smiles made me want to smother them with love, and thankfully, I had the rest of the day ahead of me to do so. I was sure it wouldn't be that difficult to convince Zoe to go on a playdate with me and the kids before we went home.
"Thankfully, the quest is officially over. From this point forward, you don't have to worry about me leaving the house anytime soon… knock on wood," I said before I realized my words and quickly tapped on the table as Zoe rolled her eyes before revealing a loving smile.
"As much as I would love to stay home with you all day and help around, I am afraid we won't get the chance. You have quite the schedule lined up now," she said as I furrowed my brows. Zoe revealed an apologetic voice before pulling out a small notebook and quickly handing it over to me. I quickly set down my utensils, opened the book, and read over the details on the page before looking at the next as I slowly frowned.
"Are these… all undeniable requests from the gods?" I asked Zoe as the beauty nodded. My frown deepened as I quickly flipped through the pages. Counting them, I soon found that there were 48 requests in total.
"This is everything from when you first left on vacation to the sea of monsters to when Athena used her undeniable request. We wanted to wait until you rested more after getting home, but some of these can't wait." Zoe said with a reluctant sigh. I stared at the book and flipped through the pages until I finally gave up and closed it.
"Well… this sucks. This is about two weeks of work, even if I rush through it all. I should have expected this to happen," I said with a downcast look as I felt Zoe's legs tighten around mine. Her honey-brown eyes were full of apologetic emotions. I couldn't help but reach out as she quickly cupped her hand in mine, her smooth palm fitting perfectly in mine as we each gave the other three squeezes.
"So what about you, love? Did anything interesting happen after the quest started?" Zoe asked with curious, sparkling eyes, almost like a daughter of Aphrodite looking for gossip. I thought for a moment as I categorized everything in my mind. What did happen? Well, the key points were the tribulation, my first actual kiss with Artemis, my body's evolution, discovering Annabeth was a soulmate, my fight with Oceanus, being invited to dinner by said titan, Annabeth's near-death experience, Polyhemus' defeat by Tyson, and finally our encounter with Luke.
"Ummm… I don't think this is the best place to get into it. There are a lot of… sensitive topics, I wouldn't want anyone eavesdropping." I said, motioning to the others in the restaurant. Zoe glanced at them as her curiosity grew tremendously, her eyes sparkling even more now. Yet she seemed to be completely okay with my suggestion. She unwrapped her legs from mine and straightened her back before flagging down our server.
LINEBREAK:
"I swear you're taller now. What the heck happened to you?" Zoe complained as I forced myself to smile while opening our home's door. A passed-out Zora was perched in my arms, her face snuggled in the crook of my neck, while an equally asleep Ryder was doing the same with Zoe.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about, just the same old Percy. I don't think I've grown at all." I casually lied to her straight-faced as Zoe narrowed her eyes. Her curious gaze scanned me up and down for the 39th time tonight before gently shaking her head.
"No… you grew. Your eyes are different as well," Zoe quickly pointed out, and I raised an eyebrow at her as if telling her I didn't believe her. Upon seeing my expression, Zoe seemed slightly annoyed with me. I could tell part of her was guessing that I was messing with her, while the other didn't. It was almost like seeing a small-scale tilt side to side above her head.
"Are you sure? Because if I grew more, I am sure I would know it." I said to the Persian princess look-alike. Her expression grew more frustrated, and her honey-brown eyes slowly started to turn gray. Inwardly I was laughing my butt off as I casually denied her claims while I did my best to retain a straight face while I opened the door to our place and finally walked in.
"I swear you are! Quit lying to me. If I have to, I will get a tape measure-."
"YOU-!" A sudden shout startled Zoe and me as we walked into the house, causing us both to freeze.
Beside a table piled high with paperwork were the goddess of marriage and two hearth goddesses, each still wearing their official Olympus slightly disheveled outfits. Hestia and Vesta sat at the table with their heads on the counter in a defeated manner, and they seemed to be resting briefly. On the other hand, a tired and frustrated Hera was busy pointing her finger toward me. Thankfully, she managed to hold it in any more yelling as she laid eyes on the two sleeping children in our arms.
Her soft brown eyes glared at me, and she held in her frustrations while wiggling her finger as if telling me off. With one glance and motion of her head, the marriage goddess quickly commanded the stunned demi titan beside me. Getting the message, Zoe shot me a glance as I revealed a 'help me' expression, but it was wholly ignored as she began to move.
"Oooo, someone in trouble." Zoe quietly sang with a slight snicker at the end. As she teased me, she quickly took Zora from my shoulder and retreated towards their bedrooms. I couldn't help but silently curse my loving wife while greeting the frustrated Hera with a smile.
"It's good to see you again. Love… are you okay? You look ready to smite me. All I ask is you make it quick if you must." I said with a nervous chuckle before I walked toward the frustrated goddess. This caused her to squeeze her lips together, and her soft brown eyes flashed a purple aura. She gave me one last glare before speaking.
"I just might. Come here." She ordered me while pointing at the spot right before her. I instantly had a Deja Vu when Mom was mad at me. Ignoring my inner thoughts, I walked forward until I stood right before Hera, who looked up at me. The goddess glared for a few more seconds before pulling out a piece of paper and handing it to me.
"What's this?" I asked as I glanced down at the paper. Although it was a simple news report, the title caught my attention.
Random hour-long thunderstorms have appeared all over the globe in the last three days. Is this the end of the world?
The eye-catching title depicted a similar scene that happened to me recently. As I read it, I could feel the tingle of the lightning on my skin again.
"Ohhhhhhh…" The words slowly left my mouth as it dawned on me what the goddess' anger was about. Slowly looking up at the piece toward Hera, I found her staring at me seriously. Right now, she was not the relaxed and calm Hera I was used to. Instead, she was the Queen of Olympus trying to figure something out, and I felt a lot of pressure from her.
"Are you… the cause of this?" Hera asked me in a serious voice. I heard some shuffling and found Hestia and Vesta staring at me with tired eyes as all three goddesses awaited my answer.
"I… might be…" I answered honestly with apologetic eyes as Hera slowly inhaled through her nostrils with her eyes closed. For several long moments, no other noise besides her inhale was heard until Hera finally stopped and let out a quick exhale.
"I knew it." She said, pointing her finger at me as I shrunk back a little.
"I… freaking knew it!" She repeated much louder this time while throwing her arms up and walking away from me. I was left alone and slightly confused as Hera walked towards the kitchen and grabbed a cold beer from the fridge.
"What in the hell is going on?" I asked the closest goddess toward me as Vesta looked up at me with tired eyes. Flopping onto the table again, she took a long breath and shot me a quick glare before speaking.
"Olympus and almost every other pantheon in the world is on high alert because of these so-called freak thunderstorms. Every god I know in this pantheon and the next is working triple overtime trying to get things straightened out in the human world. We are trying to calm down these so-called storm events. What might seem like some weird weather events caused by the gods isn't caused by them."
"Instead, humans who have 'cultivated' their inner energies managed to summon these thunderstorms. The rivers of power are creating these storms and dropping them on mortals who have reached the 'peak' of their level. It is a challenge for them to overcome to evolve or grow into higher-level beings. So far, we have counted 150 of these tribulations-like events.
Thankfully, we barely managed to handle everything. We just have this mountain of paperwork to finish in two days." Vest spoke in a tired voice as I stared down at her with widening eyes.
"But this shouldn't be possible. Humans don't have any special powers or stuff. This is stuff from fantasy novels," I mumbled, and Vesta nodded in agreement.
"You're right. Normal humans don't practice growing their internal energies. Even if they reached their existence's peak and could face this tribulation, they wouldn't be able to normally." She said with a sigh. I grew a bit confused by her explanation. I turned my eyes to Hestia, who was staring at Vesta and me.
"What do you mean normally?" I asked Hestia, her cinder eyes flickering a bit before she sighed.
"A long time ago, humans used to be able to transcend their beings and grow stronger infinitely. Some even reached the point where they were as strong as some gods. Seeing this as a threat, every pantheon and god gathered together to seal the river of tribulation. Ultimately, they were successful, and humans lost the ability to transcend here. The Mist was born from this event, separating the divine from the mortals." Hestia spoke in a low tone as I felt my heart beginning to beat faster and faster.
"W-Why haven't I ever heard of such a thing?" I asked, yet a moment later, I managed to answer my question as I stared into Vesta and Hestia's ashamed eyes.
"We erased its history." Suddenly, Hera's voice entered my ear, and I turned to see her sitting in a chair while sipping on her cider. Her eyes were no longer those of the Queen of Olympus but of a tired woman ready to fall asleep. I couldn't help but stand there momentarily and take in the information as I tried to make sense of it.
Part of me was furious with the gods for doing such a thing. They had taken away an essential part of human abilities that made it possible to live in this crazy world. Yet another part of me saw it as merciful. Though humans lost the ability to transcend, they gained freedom from many terrible things. I was torn between both sides for several long moments before finally giving up and sighing. I would have to sort through those thoughts later.
"Yes, I am 100% sure I am at fault for the start of this. I accidentally ate too many of the Hermes multivitamins and managed to summon a lightning tribulation on Circe's island. I'm not even sure how the tribulation broke through the seal. If there is anything that I can do to help, please let me know." I said in an apologetic tone but was met with silence. I turned to look at Hestia and Vesta and found them both wide-eyed and frozen in place.
Clink
The sound of a bottle dropping startled me before I turned to Hera again. My head was suddenly clasped between two hands in a split second, forcing me to look down into two worried, soft brown ones. A set of panic-filled eyes was crazily scanning my face as if trying to find anything out of order. Even her aura began to spark erratically as she momentarily lost control.
"H-Hera, I promise I'm fine." I tried to speak to the goddess, yet my words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Thankfully, my face was soon released before my shoulders were grabbed. Hera's eyes even started glowing as her gaze pierced through my clothes as she continued to scan.
"Hera, I'm fine, I swear," I repeated as I tried to grab her arms. My hands were suddenly grabbed on each side as Hestia and Vesta rushed over. The twin Hearth goddesses were equally panicked and worried as the goddess of marriage, and their godly gazes pierced through my clothing easily. I didn't even have a chance to retort as I was manhandled by the three divine beings. I sighed and left my fate to them.
LINEBREAK:
After about a 30-minute scan over by them, I was finally released from their confines and then subjected to their questioning. I was forced to explain everything that happened to me on Circe's island and what I went through in the tribulation. I even spoke about how I managed to get my wings of Ouranos and unlock part of my domain. After explaining everything, I was met with watery eyes from each of them, and I couldn't help but comfort them.
All of us joined a group hug where they all let out their tears together. I couldn't help but kiss the top of their heads as we stuck together for several minutes until they were finally ready to talk again. I was promptly grounded again from all things dangerous as I sat there and let them tell me off for several minutes. Each of them gave me a piece of their mind. Even Hera had something to say about my actions. Yet I didn't mind, and I completely understood their concern. They loved me, and I loved them. I would scold them if they were as reckless as I was.
After several long minutes, each of them finally spoke their mind entirely, and I couldn't help but give them all a kiss in return. Hestia and Vesta melted under the soft kisses we shared. Zoe nearly turned our loving kiss into a makeout session as she poured everything into the kiss, almost like a wife kissing her husband, who had just returned from battle. On the other hand, Hera was happy with an apology and a soft kiss on her forehead that made her turn gold.
This brought us to now. After the rollercoaster of emotions and seeing how tired the goddesses were, we all decided it was time to get ready for the night. I quickly showered, changed into a comfy shirt and sweatpants, and was ready for bed. Hestia and Vesta picked out oversized sweaters with chibi versions on themselves on the fronts and thigh-high socks. I had difficulty looking away from the curvy goddesses as they seemed to pick up on my gaze but didn't shy away.
Hera and Zoe had decided to go for something more… modest than the twin goddesses. Both wore top and bottom pajamas they had received from Thalassa. Each set looked fantastic on them. The silky pajamas hugged them perfectly, showing just enough on their bodies to make you want more. I felt like I was in heaven as I looked at the four stunning goddesses in pajamas. After a quick discussion, we all decided on the couch as the best place to talk for a bit longer. It only took a moment for us all to cuddle up with one another.
With me in the middle of a Hearth goddess sandwich, Hera and Zoe decided to join one in the cuddle bus and cuddle up next to Hestia. As we all relaxed in each other's arms, I couldn't help but notice the lack of a particular moon goddess' presence. With a quick thought, I managed to find the tracking necklace I had gifted her a while back. From what I could tell, she was on Olympus.
"Are you sure you are okay?" Hestia asked me again for the tenth time, looking up at me with soft cinder eyes.
"I'm fine, I promise, little flame. I don't have any scars from the tribulation. I also profited a lot from it. My aura is stronger than before. I am sure I am more handsome now. I finally aged, and my body even grew stronger," I said with a chuckle as the four women exchanged glances before blushes crossed their faces.
When they checked me for injury, I was forced to remove my shirt and even my pants so they could get a closer look at me. I was not shy about showing off the new goods, and it seemed like, from their blush, they enjoyed it just as much as I did. I was sure they even had a little mental image tucked away in their head, not that I had the same of them.
"I guess you're right… I still want to monitor you for a week just in case," Hestia said. I nodded in agreement, and the goddess relaxed a little more. The exhaustion from being overworked on Olympus seemed to catch up to them as I noticed Vesta was starting to nod off a little.
"What else happened after we left? The soulmate connection has been going crazy this week, with so many ups and downs it was like a rollercoaster." A curious Hera asked me as she lay her head on Hestia's shoulder, and Zoe repositioned herself to lay her head in Hera's lap.
"Well… there were a few things. Where to start… Artemis and I had our first kiss." I started strong as several surprised and excited gasps filled the room. Yet a tired laugh filled the room as we all turned to Vesta, who revealed an equally tired smile before holding her hand to the others while snuggling me.
"Pay up, ladies," she said, and the others groaned a little before digging into their pockets, pulling out a few dramachas, and putting them into her hand. I stared in shock at the scene. Vesta gave an evil giggle as she counted her profits.
"Really?" I couldn't help but ask as I received several shy looks. Hera looked incredibly embarrassed as she let out a slight cough and avoided my gaze.
"What? I thought it would happen when you got back," she murmured in a small voice, and the others giggled at her reaction. Seeing the queen of the gods act so shy made me want to gobble her up. Thankfully, I restrained myself as I thought back to the furious look on her face just a while ago. How could this woman be so cute?
"That reminds me. Oceanus paid Artemis and me a visit. I spared him since he questioned your blessing and ensured I was a good man. After the spar, he approved of me and said Tethys would contact us for a family dinner," I added as Hera's face changed from shyness to shock in a flat second. The others shared the same expression.
"I freaking knew it, that old man never gives up. Ugh." Hera said as she buried her face into Hestia's shoulder. She was like a teenager complaining about her father judging the boys she dated. Hestia simply patted her head as Hera seemed to go through a rollercoaster of emotions.
"You spared Oceanus and won?" Zoe suddenly asked in surprise as I shook my head.
"I wouldn't call it a win; we simply spared, and in the end, he approved of me. He said he could tell that Hera had multiple partners and that he trusted her in our hands. I got the fatherly seal of approval." I said with a wink towards the soft brown eyes looking at me from over Hestia's shoulder as Hera groaned into Hestia's shoulder again. The hearth goddess simply smiled at the other goddesses' antics.
"There there, at least he approved of us. Plus, having a family dinner with him would be nice. I am sure you would like that." Hestia comforted the other goddess, and Hera glanced up at her while Zoe snuck her hand into Hera's. With the comfort of the two, Hera seemed to relax a little but still pursed her lips a little as she thought it over.
"I guess…" Hera mumbled, and her noble face somehow looked like a spoiled princess. I felt my heart melt even more for her.
"I have one other bit of news, though. I found another soulmate," I mentioned as all eyes turned my way yet again.
"You can't keep dropping news bombs like this. I'm tired. You keep waking me back up." Vesta suddenly complained from my side as she shook my arm a little. I laughed a little. Leaning down and giving her a quick kiss to pacify the goddess, she pouted a little after the kiss finished but seemed content.
"Another soulmate, you say?" Hestia's curious voice asked as I nodded, and her eyes grew curious.
"Yep, it was Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena. She admitted her feelings for me when we traveled; in that moment, I felt the zing and the initial connection form. Just like Bianca." I said, suddenly remembering the daughter of Hades as her smiling face entered my mind. Part of me couldn't help but wonder when I would see her next.
"Is she…" Hera slowly asked, as if she were unsure how to ask the question. Understanding her, I gave a soft nod as everyone's faces filled with multiple emotions.
"The golden fleece's magic, backed up by Artemis' energy, saved her life after she was nearly crushed by Polyhemus. I don't think she would have made it without everyone's help to keep the soulmate connection stable with that special energy. Thankfully, we were fortunate this time, and the quest ended without casualties." I said while scooting around the details to ease their worries. Thankfully, after a minute, they all seemed to relax more.
"Thankfully, she made it. I don't even want to imagine what would happen if a soulmate died," Hestia said in a somber tone, and everyone nodded in agreement. As if sensing the tension in the room, Zoe wiggled into Hera's lap and even managed to get onto Hestia's as she glanced up at us.
"So you're saying we have you to ourselves for a few more years before it gets even busier?" Zoe said in a mischievous voice. We all laughed at her comment, and the room instantly brightened. I couldn't help but nod a little as her mischievous smile grew wider and more adorable.
"Must you say it like that? How naughty." Hera said with a huff as Zoe stuck her tongue out at the goddess, and everyone laughed a little.
"Hmmm… this will make things with Cally and Athena exciting," Vesta said in a curious tone as I remembered the meeting I needed to plan with Mom. I couldn't help but groan a little at the idea as everyone gave me an apologetic look.
"It's going to be fine. If there is one thing gods ignore, it's the family tree. Besides, Cally wouldn't be dating her if she thought she would just up and run off like someone else." Hestia defended Mom as I glanced her way and gave a slight nod as I saw her point. Mom was a grown woman who had every right to choose who she was with. Still… I wonder what Annabeth would think of it.
"Well, that meeting will have to wait until I finish all these back-ordered requests. That should give me a bit more time to think everything over. Hopefully, things will calm you down as well. If you need my help, please let me know." I said, and everyone nodded a few times. I felt Vesta and Hestia give my arms three squeezes. Even Hera shot me a caring smile as Zoe appeared a little grumpy.
"Booo! I don't want you gone for another two weeks," Zoe complained, and I raised an eyebrow at her childish antics.
"I mean… You can just come with Hestia and me and leave the kids with Mom. I am sure she would love to watch them for a bit." I said as Vesta and Hestia blinked at me a few times in confusion while I glanced at the both of them.
"What? You said you wanted to monitor my condition and check my body. Unfortunately, I have a lot of work to do, so you're coming with me, little flames. I can't miss my checkups now, can I?" I said with a confident smile. Both goddesses suddenly had tinges of gold on their faces as I played with her words a little.
"T-That's not-." Hestia stumbled over her words, but Zoe suddenly interrupted her as she spoke up.
"Actually… I think I can wait a few weeks more. It's the last few weeks of school, so I don't want to miss any appointments Zora and Ryder might have. Just make sure you three come back safely, alright," Zoe said with a simple smile, her eyes sparkling mischievously. Seeing this, Hestia and Vesta suddenly blushed even more but didn't say a word as they buried their heads into my shoulders.
"What about-?"
'Shut your mouth. Your wonderful wife is playing a wingman game here. Shut up and just do as she says.' Suddenly, Alpha's voice echoed in my head, and I could not finish my words. I slowly closed my mouth as Zoe's eyes sparkled even more while she beamed at us. Even Hera looked a little embarrassed at her actions.
"I promise we will come back safely," I finally managed to say as Zoe's smile turned into a large grin before she giggled while Hestia and Vesta grew even hotter in embarrassment. Next week seemed to be a bit more interesting than I first thought.
A/N: Hello all! I'm back with a new chapter that's got good action, drama, and fluff in it, hehe. Also, if you guessed it already… it's Hestia's and Vesta's time to shine here soon. Regardless, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Leave a comment or review to let me know how I did and how you enjoyed the chapter! Nuts out!
E/N: Wassuppp?! Little late to editing here but still got it done fast! How'd y'all like the chapter? Little bit of Slice Of Life content is always adorable I think! Review and all that stuff! - Sidus