Bloodline

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/43100814.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M
Fandoms: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the
Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Ancient Greek
Religion & Lore
Relationships: Kronos/Rhea (Percy Jackson), Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Apollo
(Percy Jackson)/Original Female Character(s), Lee Fletcher/Original
Female Character(s), Percy Jackson & Original Female Character(s)
Characters: Percy Jackson, Rhea (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Annabeth Chase
(Percy Jackson), Poseidon (Percy Jackson), Kronos (Percy Jackson),
Original Demigod Character(s) (Percy Jackson), Nico di Angelo, Thalia
Grace (Percy Jackson), Sally Jackson (Percy Jackson), Miranda
Gardiner, Katie Gardner, Luke Castellan, Hestia (Ancient Greek
Religion & Lore), Zeus (Percy Jackson), Hades (Percy Jackson),
Hyperion (Percy Jackson), Hera (Percy Jackson), Demeter (Percy
Jackson)
Additional Tags: Dark Percy Jackson, BAMF Percy Jackson, Powerful Percy Jackson,
Kronos is not a deadbeat dad, well he is but not like you think, Poseidon
is a Good Dad, Percy Jackson has a Twin, Protective Percy Jackson,
Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Percy Jackson but make it
darker, and more powerful, Emotional Damage, Angst, Enemies to
Lovers, Lovers To Enemies, Tragic Love, this shit is so painful, It Gets
Worse Before It Gets Better, Past Abuse, No beta we die like Bianca di
Angelo
Language: English
Series: Part 1 of Threads of Fate
Stats: Published: 2022-11-15 Completed: 2023-09-07 Words: 250,336
Chapters: 48/48
 Bloodline
by butterflies_and_dragons

Summary

Children of the Elder Six are dangerous, ancient power sings in their veins. The Sons of
Kronos aren't supposed to have anymore children, but when have they ever been good at
following rules.
Poseidon has fathered twins- twins that herald a dark turn for the gods and the world.

A Percy Jackson AU in which things are a bit darker and a bit more powerful. In depth looks
at the titans and the gods as well as demigods that I created as well. Percy has a twin and they
have some more cousins on the godly side but that's not important yet. Still follows the same
timeline. Starting before the birth of the twins and then will keep going.
This story also focuses on the relationship of the Titan Kronos with his children and his wife,
looking at him as a more complex character than a simple 2-D villian

Basically PJO and maybe longer but I make it deeper and way more complicated

This is the Original Bloodline story by Butterflies_and_Dragons!!

Notes

This is a repost of the OG Bloodline, it is exactly the same

 A Bloodline, Dark and Cursed

When children of the Elder Six are born, the Fates cry. For Children of the Elder Ones are
destined to hold deadly powers- and to live an even deadlier life.

The line of Kronos is cursed.

When children of the Earthshaker- the Storm Bringer- are born, Chaos joins in the crying.
These Children are destined for things even more horrible. Their lives forever troubled, their
abilities destructive and overpowering.

The Fates are forever thankful that of the Elder Daughters only Demeter chose to bear
children. Children of the Eldest and Youngest Daughters would never survive in this world.
However vengeful Hera is- Zeus is doubly so and her children would never be allowed to
live. Zeus would also never allow children of the Eldest sibling to live- not when they could
present a threat to his throne. Zeus is always watchful of Hestia.

Hestia who was Kronos’s favorite for a long time, well long compared to the others. She
knew this and so did her siblings. Even after her father swallowed her, he spoke of her fondly.
Despite what stories say, Kronos didn’t swallow her right after birth. And despite what stories
say, Kronos was a doting Father in the beginning. Hestia looked like Rhea, but she had
Kronos’s eyes. Ancient power flowed through her veins- the Eldest child of the King of the
Heavens and the Earth, the Titan king. When the power in her veins awoke after a few
months of life she was swallowed. No one but Hestia heard the tears her father shed when he
swallowed her. The eldest goddess was powerful, Kronos couldn’t control her and so in the
end, he had to get rid of her. Hestia was swallowed 5 months after her birth. She is far more
lucky than the rest, save for her father's favored son. The rest live for weeks, days, hours at
best.

Demeter was beautiful, and she knew so. Her siblings and her parents had known so as well.
Demeter had the eyes of Gaea herself and hair as gold as the sun. Demeter was not just
beautiful because of her looks, she was beautiful because she held power. Demeter had the
power of Gaea, more importantly Demeter had the power of the Titan Queen. That
knowledge had given Kronos stabbing pain in his chest as he swallowed her. But The Titan
Queen’s powers were just as dangerous as his own and he couldn’t allow Demeter to walk the
Earth.

Demeter was swallowed 2 weeks after her birth.

Hera had been easy for Kronos to swallow. She stared back at him with his own eyes- full of
judgement- and he had been filled with Anger. (he felt regret after). Hera did not hold his
powers, nor did she hold the powers of his beloved, and for that he was thankful. Instead his
youngest daughter held the powers of the Air. This only fueled his desire to rid of her. He had
paused to behold her beauty before he swallowed her. Hera would have easily been
considered the prettiest of his children to all. All but him. (Hestia would always be the
prettiest in his eyes). Her name was similar to her mothers, an anagram of it and that gave
him reason to smile. A reason to pause. But not for long. This was his third time and
unfortunately, the King was finding it easier and easier to swallow his children. He did allow
himself to stoke a gentle finger over his youngest daughter’s cheek before he swallowed her.
He whispered her name as quiet as a breeze and begged for his wife’s forgiveness.

Hera was swallowed after 3 days of life.

The birth of Hades had been something new for Kronos. A son- one any titan would be proud
to call his own, one that was strong, handsome, and reeked of strength. The Queen had been
so proud when she had presented him with his first son, and he had been unable to resist the
smile he sent back. An heir. Kronos had been afraid it would be another Daughter. And
Kronos was afraid his resolve would fail in the face of another girl. Hades was strong and
that made Kronos proud. Hades was born with hair as dark as his father’s and eyes that were
as dark as Kronos’s soul. The power of Death sang from within Hades and Kronos had found
himself fascinated.

But as it always did, paranoia began to creep over Kronos and he knew his son was too
strong. The words of Kronos’s own father echoed in his mind and the fear began to grow. The
Queen held tightly to Hades, her eyes pierced through Kronos and he faltered. He would have
to do it when his beloved wasn’t there. In the end, he had Hyperion and Iapetus take her to
visit their mother, leaving him alone with his son. Hades had looked at his father, fearless in
the face of his fate. It was almost as if his son knew what was coming and accepted it. There
was no judgement in his son’s eyes- unlike Hera- only curiosity. Kronos wished he didn’t
have to do this. He wished that one of his children would be born weak.

Hades was swallowed after 4 weeks.

Poseidon was the only child born with his wife’s eyes. It made Kronos nauseous- sick to his
stomach as he succumbed to the whispers in his mind and the madness in his bones. The only
thing that made it easier was that while Poseidon had his mother’s eyes, everything else was
from his Father- perhaps in this way of symbolically killing himself, Kronos could find
peace. But he didn't swallow Poseidon- couldn't, because Poseidon felt different from the
other children, Poseidon felt Ancient... Powerful. It reminded Kronos of Hestia. It only
served to further remind him of himself.

When Kronos feels his son’s strength, a pit forms in his stomach. However, despite his
knowledge of his son’s capabilities, Kronos finds it difficult to rid of his son. How could he
hurt someone that shared the eyes of his beloved? The Queen loved her newest son so much.
She sang to him every day, walking him around Othrys and showing her husband’s kingdom
off to their son. Poseidon even sits on his father’s lap on the throne a few times. Kronos
knows that it will be harder this time, the fondness in his chest has grown too strong and he
knows what he must do. Days turn to weeks. Poseidon goes unswallowed.

But all good things come to an end, and when Poseidon floods Othrys, submerging the entire
palace in water- water he summoned and had no source other than his son’s raw power-
Kronos knew it was time. The Queen disappears to her chambers and her sobs echo
throughout the palace halls. Kronos holds his son before him and remembers the words of
Ouranos. This is necessary he reminds himself. Where his other children had looked at him
with fear, judgement, confusion, or acceptance, Poseidon looked up at him with trust.

It made Kronos’s stomach turn. For the first time since Hestia, he shed a tear at his actions.
Kronos made his heart turn to stone after.

Poseidon lived for 4 months before he was swallowed.

When Zeus is born, Kronos does not hesitate. He cannot allow himself to. His heart is stone
and he won’t allow any more weakness. The Queen does not fight back anymore. (she is
slowly dying, her love for him fades. His love for her burns as bright as it always has).

Zeus is swallowed as soon as he is born.

His wife leaves the next day and he does not beg her to stay. How could he? (He later learns
of what she has done.) It was not Zeus. It was a rock- an obvious trick that he had been too
fucking blind to see, tricked by the haze of love and insanity that shielded Rhea, ensured she
could fool him thus. He is furious and burns at the betrayal. Somewhere in the back of his
head he thinks it is only fair for her to betray him considering what he has done to her. But it
matters not. Kronos is now anything but rational.

He rages and when his fully grown son frees the elder ones from his stomach, Kronos
attempts to kill Zeus. (He cannot bring himself to kill his wife, even now).

Kronos loses, like his father did before him. He is cut into many pieces as well. His wife is
not there to witness it and he thanks Chaos for it. She doesn’t deserve to see this. But in a
way she is there. Her eyes pierce through him from his second son’s face and if the squints he
could almost pretend that Hestia was actually her mother. Kronos holds Poseidon’s gaze as he
fades away.

Poseidon never flinches.

None of his siblings would ever admit it, but Poseidon is his Father’s son. He burns with the
same power, the same Flaw. The anger of his Father flows through his veins as well. (They
also share a crippling love for the same woman, the Queen). The Children of Kronos
sometimes find it hard to look Poseidon in the face- whether it is because he has the face of
their father or the eyes of their mother they do not know. What they do know is that they
thank Chaos above every day the Poseidon was not born with eyes of Gold. The Children of
Kronos never forget what happened. They go on to marry and have their own children. They
cannot help but feel fear as they watch their own children grow and master their powers.
They imagine it is the same fear that coursed through their father’s veins. Their children are
strong. Too strong.

The Elder Sons are forbidden to Father more children.

The Children of Zeus are too quick to anger. They also provoke the anger of Hera, which
leads to their death. Despite what his siblings think, Zeus isn’t heartless. He does cry when
his sons and daughters die. The sky cries for him. He is almost glad when Hera forces him to
create the ban on his and his brothers’ children.

The Children of Hades are unstable. They burn out or burn up. Hades is the eldest son of
Kronos, so unstable children are to be expected. Hades himself is not exactly stable. And
while Hades shouldn’t, he craves to be loved and this leads him to father children. Even
though he knows it won’t end well. Hades thinks back on his own father and thanks Chaos
when Zeus presents the idea of no more children.

The Children of Poseidon are destructive. They are sons of the Earthshaker, so it is to be
expected. That does not make it any better. When a child of Poseidon is born, Poseidon’s
brothers and sisters anxiously hold their breath. The power in his children’s veins is too great.
The other five siblings cry in relief when Poseidon is forbidden to have children. (Poseidon
cries too, he knows it was only a matter of time before he fathered a child that could destroy
the world, a child that reminded him of his father).

Demigod Children of the Elder Six bleed red but there are strains of gold in it. Strains that
call out their godly, otherworldly heritage. Golden strains that tell the whole world of their
status. Most of the time.

Sometimes the Children of Poseidon bleed gold with strains of red. Strains that name them
destroyers. The color of their blood sends fear down the spines of the gods. Poseidon can’t
help the faint pride he feels when he sees it.

The Elder Six are strong. As are their children.

 Blood of Red and Gold

Poseidon falls in love.

He can’t help it.

Sally is loving, beautiful, caring, and can match him in wit. His status as a god is
unimpressive to her, she is not intimidated in the slightest. She is a queen among women and
he loves her for it.

It is a love he hasn’t felt in a while. Poseidon loves Amphitrite, but not in the way he loves
Sally. (he loves Sally the same way he loves Hestia) Amphitrite is strong, he respects her
immensely. She is a wonderful mother to his children and she is a fantastic Queen to have by
his side. She is everything a King would want, but she is not his love.

Sally makes him feel the way he did in his youth. She fills him with laughter and happiness
and for a moment, he feels like he is only a few decades old again. Like he is back in time
when he and his siblings had just defeated their father. High on victory, the three brothers had
fucked their way across the Earth. It was a simpler and happier time. Poseidon spends a year
with her, soaking her in. She reminds him of his mother in a way (his poor mother, whose
grief killed her).

She becomes pregnant. It’s expected because every godly affair ends in a child. Poseidon
knows he should fear for the life of his son, instead he feels excitement. A child with the
woman he loves.

Poseidon offers to take Sally away, to hide her from the world. She refuses as is expected. He
is nonetheless disappointed. He stays with her until the week of her due date. Sally does not
cry when he leaves.

Even though she does not know, Poseidon is there for the birth.

Sally Jackson- a Queen among Women- did not do anything by halves.

She charmed a god into falling in love with her. She held his love. And now, she gives birth
to twins.

Sally had spent the last nine months reading up on the lives of Poseidon’s sons (there were no
demigod daughters of Poseidon). Poseidon is confident in the fact that this child will be a
son, but in the back of Sally’s mind, she knows that nothing is for certain.

She is right.

On August 18, 1993, Sally Jackson births twin children of Poseidon.

The eldest she names Perseus. She wants him to have a happy story and Perseus is the only
demigod who got a happy ending. Sally also hopes this endears him to his uncle, the King.

The younger child is a girl. The first ever demigod Daughter of Poseidon. She feels dread in
her stomach at what could be the fate of a daughter. Sally decides to take every precaution to
protect her daughter.

She names her Rhea, in her hopes that none of the Elder Six would hurt a child named after
their mother. She prays that this is enough.

Percy- the nickname she has given her son- clings to his sister from the moment they are put
in a cradle together. Percy cries when Rhea does and Rhea screams when Percy cries. They
are inseparable.

(One day Percy will kill for his sister. Rhea will too. That is not all she would do.)

Poseidon visits when he thinks she is sleeping. She knows that he is there, but she trusts he
will protect their children. After all, this will be the only time he gets to see them for a long
time.

Poseidon cannot fathom having a daughter. This is unknown territory for him. He puts one
child in each arm and simply stands there, admiring his children made from love.

Perseus looks strong, powerful. And though his son is young, Poseidon can already tell that
Percy is his spitting image. The boy is everything he had hoped for. Poseidon glows with
pride. His son is perfect.

Rhea (the very name fills him with a desperate urge to protect her) is possibly the most
beautiful baby ever born. She looks exactly like his mother- he can’t decide if that makes him
want to laugh or cry. Poseidon knows she holds as much power as her brother. He tries not to
cry when he looks at his daughter.

He promises to watch over and protect his children, no matter what. He wants to be a good
father for once. He knows he can’t be there in person, but that won’t stop him from aiding
them, guiding them.

Poseidon's Flaw is Loyalty. His unfaltering Loyalty is now completely focused on his babies.

Poseidon prays that his siblings never find out about his twins. Its an unrealistic prayer, but
he still hopes anyways.

Hestia would protect them he knows. She loves all her nieces and nephews. She would
congratulate him on the twins and coo over them. Hestia is a good aunt. He knows Hestia
would never harm his precious children.
Demeter would probably feel very neutral about his children. Knowing her, she would
reserve judgement until they were old enough to prove if they were good or bad.

Hera will be furious. She will hate both children. To Hera, all children born after the pact are
abominations.

Hades is spiteful. Poseidon’s son will be criticized by the eldest son of Kronos. Hades also
has a soft spot and Poseidon prays that his daughter’s name protects her and her brother from
their uncle.

Zeus will kill them. To be fair, Poseidon had tried to kill Zeus’s kids once, even if it was a
long time ago. Zeus holds grudges and will think it is his duty to rid the world of Poseidon’s
children.

He knows all his siblings will fight the urge to cry when they hear the name of his
daughter. (he also knows it will be hard for his siblings to look upon his children considering
how they look just like Mother and Father).

Sally’s mouth goes dry when she sees the blood pooling from the kids’ wounds one day at the
park.

She may be able to see some red, but there is no question. Their blood is gold.

Her mouth goes dry. She does not know what this means but she knows it isn’t good.
 The Crooked One

Kronos has been made weak.

Thousands and thousands of years in a state of disrepair has left him lacking in strength and
power. He still has enough power to see what goes on in what used to be his kingdom.

He sees the rise of his sons. They ascend to power and they thrive. He knew they would. It
makes him burn with anger.

He sees the rise and fall of Greece.

The Rise and Fall Rome.

He watches many empires be born and watches them all die.

He had seen the death of his Queen. Her sadness in the end caused her to fade from existence.
He sees her (their) children surrounding her, tears falling from their eyes as they begged her
not to go. The children have been alive for many years now, but they still cannot imagine a
world without their mother. Their pleas do nothing and she fades away.

He tries to find her in the Pit.

She is not there. She never arrives.

When she fades and fails to arrive in the Pit, what is left of his heart crumbles in his chest.
For now she has truly abandoned him.

He sees the gods settle in America. He sees the sons of his sons cause a global battle and
murder millions. The line of Ouranos (the line of Kronos) suffers badly from bloodlust.

Not even mass murder can satiate it.

He watches as his sons are forbidden to sire their own children. He calls them foolish for not
including their sisters in the pact. The children of his middle daughter have too much power
in their veins as well.

Kronos watches as his youngest son fails to abide by the oath.

It is a girl. Kronos is disappointed in her. Her eyes are the same as her father’s (the same as
Ouranos and it makes Kronos want to murder her). She is powerful enough. He watches her
grow out of curiosity.

She has Ambition. It is so ironic that Kronos wants to laugh. The bastard daughter of Zeus
holds the exact same flaw as her stepmother. He wishes he could see Hera’s face. However,
he watches his eldest son send monsters to kill her. (He knows his sons fear The Curse). The
monsters almost succeed but Zeus’s heart is not made of stone, not like Kronos's is. He saves
the life of his daughter as much as he can. When it is over Kronos no longer watches her,
after all why would he watch a tree?

He knows he has two other grandchildren from Hades that are alive. They do not fascinate
because they do not really live.

He also sees his youngest son sire another child. That one does not fascinate him at all. The
son of his youngest lacks will. Lacks strength.

When the twin children of Poseidon arrive, he is curious. It is expected because Poseidon’s
children are chaotic, and Kronos loves chaos. However, they are extremely uninteresting in
their young age

He goes back to plotting for many years while he waits for them to grow- he also watches
their cousins.

However, the twins become fascinating around the age of 8. He watches their power begin to
express itself in subtle ways (he’d never admit it but Poseidon’s powers are graceful).

Kronos looks at the face of his grandson- Perseus, the name is Destroyer and he feels
satisfied. This one will carry on the bloodline, of that he is certain.

Perseus (Percy as the mother calls him) has the face of Poseidon. The face of Kronos but
with the eyes of The Queen. He thinks it funny that the Destroyer will share his face.

Kronos cannot bring himself to look on the face of Poseidon’s daughter. She is the image of
his wife and Kronos feels what remains of his stone heart ache for his wife.

Kronos is the only one that witnesses The Destroyer’s first victim.

When they are 10 a terrible young boy about 13 years old gropes Poseidon’s daughter. He
watches as the girl breaks his arm. He also watches as the wrath of the Destroyer builds. The
boy grabs a rock and bashes it over the head of the little criminal.

The other boy drops instantly.

Poseidon’s daughter looks over the scene with a calculated eye before she gives a very
deliberate scream. He watches as she calls for help claiming the boy fell out of the tree and
now he was bleeding.

Perseus plays the roll of surprised bystander that is trying to protect his sister very well.

They are never suspected, for while all the teachers think Perseus is trouble, none of them
take him or his sister serious enough to consider them murderers. Kronos is darkly satisfied
with the horrid little boy's fate. How dare he touch a girl from Kronos's line (what really
angers him is that the boy attacked his wife's mirror image).

Kronos takes them a bit more serious after that.

Kronos walks in the dreams of his children, and their children.

He walks in Hera’s dreams the most often of his daughters. He brings memories of her early
life, her existence in darkness and the fear of what he would do next. Every night he plunges
her into nightmares and then whispers that he can ease her pain if only she would come the
her father’s side. But Hera has always been stubborn and judgy. She fights with him every
day and gets up every morning to go play at being queen.

He walks in Demeter’s dreams often. He taunts her for being a pale imitation of Gaea (he
refuses to compare his daughter to her mother). He calls her weak. Taunts her for not being
able to match her brothers. Demeter is never quick to anger, but Kronos has always been
good at riling up his children. She is not easy to scare he finds. When he first whispers for her
to come to him, she does not deny him. She whispers a soft ‘father’ as if reaching for him
before she awakens. The nights after that she never calls to him again. She is never swayed to
his side.

Kronos loves to walk in Zeus’s dreams. His youngest child is the textbook definition of
paranoid and it is fun to play with. He whispers in Zeus’s ears about uprisings, betrayal, that
the sisters will turn on him, that his brothers will too. He whispers that the Demigods are
rising against him. Zeus rages in his dreams, striking out at every opportunity, trying to hit
him. Kronos only laughs. He doesn’t even want to sway Zeus to his side, this is far more fun.

Hades’ dreams are sad to walk in. They are dark, lonely, and hateful. Hades is far too like
him in personality. Kronos calls to his eldest son. He calls him his heir. Hades was the Prince
and Heir of Othrys at one point. He can sense his eldest yearning for a time when he was the
one in the spotlight. But Hades is hateful and his hate towards Kronos is strong. Stronger than
his yearning.

Kronos joins Poseidon on rare occasions. When he does it is Kronos who rages at him. He
rages at Poseidon for failing to save The Queen. For not taking the throne (all though part of
him is grateful because the one on the throne will always fall in the end). Poseidon rages
back. He calls Kronos the failure. The abandoner. Poseidon often rages at him and says ‘you
killed my mother’. Kronos often leaves after that because he is unable to disagree.

Kronos does not walk in Hestia’s dreams. He did once and found himself longing to bring her
into his chest, longing to hold his daughter. He does not visit Hestia again.

Kronos does whisper in Perseus’s dreams sometimes.

He does not visit the girl.

 The Lightning Thief

Kronos steals the Master Bolt (because of course, why wouldn’t he?)

The chaos that unfolds after his servant steals the bolt is utterly amusing. That is, until Zeus
turns on Poseidon with mania and bloodlust clouding his vision. Kronos knows that it won’t
take much for Zeus to become a Kinslayer. He knows his youngest son is always looking for
an excuse to rid of his two brothers and eldest sister.

The earth tears itself apart as the seas and sky rage- his sons are lashing out at one another.

It is only then that Poseidon’s twins are brought to the camp.

The pair are hunted by the Minotaur (Hades is nothing if not persistent) and eventually Hades
claims their mother’s life as recompense for not catching them.

It is then that the power of the twins truly awakens.

Without knowing, the girl opens up the skies and calls down the rains.

She is a Stormbringer.

It is with his sister's power that the Destroyer gains inhuman strength and he murders the
Minotaur with his bare hands.

The first experience with True Power is always exhausting and he watches the twins fade into
dreamland.

Kronos does not have time to watch the twins at camp, but he does see Poseidon claiming the
pair (he feels a hint of anger that his son has only unveiled the pair in order to use them for
his own purposes, but also pride because that is something Kronos would do). However, the
half-bloods kneel to the twins and instead of shock or weariness he feels pride and giddiness
flowing from the twins.

Kronos hears the prophecy about going west and laughs when the Demigods and his Bastard
blame Hades for stealing the bolt. Hades is bitter (that is a known fact) but Hades is not
stupid. He also knows that despite what everyone thinks, Hades would never do something
like this and frame his younger brother. There is a sort of silent bond between his two elder
sons.

Kronos does not really regret using the twins to complete his goals. Kronos is nothing if not
self serving. He does not watch their journey across the country and into the realm of his
eldest son. He does feel when they come across the Pit. As they were meant to, the shoes
begin dragging their wearer into the Pit. However Poseidon’s daughter is quick and she puts
an end to that. Kronos then croons promises of power and whispers of greatness at them. In
the Old Tongue, he calls on their blood (it has been a while, but Kronos is still technically the
Patriarch of the Bloodline).

Athena’s daughter is quick to turn away, as is the Satyr.

The Destroyer does not turn as quickly. He hesitates for a moment. It then becomes apparent
to Kronos that Perseus can understand the Old Tongue and that he is hearing every word
Kronos utters. Kronos is delighted at the idea. However, Perseus turns away at the sound of
Wisdom’s Daughter’s voice. It is only then that Kronos realizes that the Girl has not yet
turned away. She stares down the pit in silence, as if her green eyes can see perfectly through
the endless darkness.

As if they can see him.

She tilts her head as if curious and her eyebrows draw together. Kronos cannot breathe. Then
her lips part and in a pale imitation of a whisper he hears her speak.

"Ekdikitis"

She speaks The Old Tongue.

The Children of Kronos are the only ones left who speak the language- and even they lack a
full vocabulary of it.

But this small, slip of a girl, Poseidon's daughter (Her Image), speaks the Tongue of
Creation

Before anything else can happen he hears Poseidon’s son approach, grab her arm, and gently
pull her away. He cannot feel her after that.

It is only after a while that he realizes that the girl called him by a name that only the
Children of Ouranos and Gaea knew.

She called him by his true name.

Hades is angry at the insolence of these demigods to storm his realm, demand an audience
with him, and then dare to call him a thief. Persephone is not here and Hades is not inclined
to feel merciful.

“Uncle-”

Poseidon’s insolent son (fitting because Poseidon is the most insolent little shit Hades has
ever met) dares to look Hades in the eye and call him ‘uncle’. It it not helped by the fact that
staring at the young demigod’s face is like staring at Poseidon’s. Chaos be damned, Hades
cannot help the tiny softness he has for the boy’s father. But then the light casts across the
face of the Son of the Sea and it is not Poseidon that Hades is gazing upon. It is Kronos.
Hades feels fear and hatred rise in him. He feels the urge to commit murder whispering in his
ears(The Curse always calls for the bloodline to destroy one another). But before he can take
any sort of action, the boy’s sister (Poseidon can have daughters?) steps into his line of
vision. All breath leave his lungs. Nausea grips at his stomach and pain fills him.

He is staring at the face of his Mother.

He barely has the strength to rip his gaze away from her and focus back on her brother (he
will lose all his strength if he continues to look at Poseidon’s daughter. His brother ought to
be hung from the sky for daring to name his daughter that.)

Things move fast and before he knows it the quartet is crushing pearls under their feet and
disappearing from his realm. He orders Alecto to follow them, but to only observe. When
Alecto returns with his helm and a story of Perseus defeating Ares (Perseus taking first blood
is something that leaves Hades slightly proud) he is surprised but oddly touched that the half-
bloods, particularly his niece and nephew, actually followed through with their promise to
return his Helm.

When Alecto leaves, he remains on his throne, chin propped in his hand. Perseus (he refuses
to call the boy a name as undignified as Percy) is too much like his father. Poseidon has
basically created a younger version of himself and Hades struggles not to smirk at the
thought. The Girl (it hurts too much when he tries to say her name) is quiet, thoughtful.
When she spoke, the words were calculated, her actions are premeditated and she dripped
with power. It leaked from her as if she were barely containing it. Poseidon had truly outdone
himself this time. With a sigh Hades made an oath,

“Your deaths will not come by my hands.”

The twins arrive in the company of the satyr and Athena’s daughter, Annabeth, and Hestia
beams with pride. Poseidon’s children are wonderful and she can feel herself filling with the
urge to guard them from any difficulty that they should come across. However that is
unrealistic and she knows it. Instead she contents herself with sitting back and watching the
faces of her siblings when Percy and Rhea Jackson enter the Throne Room.

Hera’s face is vulnerable, as if she has been stabbed. Hestia hears the soft mutter of ‘by
Chaos’.

Demeter looks ready to cry. Her eyes trace the movements of Rhea Jackson and she looks as
if she wants to go to her and give her a hug.

Poseidon’s face is so gentle and full of pride. These are his own heart, Hestia thinks. In her
heart Hestia knows that Poseidon would tear the world apart for these children.

Zeus’s façade of king fades at the sight of the face of Rhea Ourania on the body of Rhea
Jackson. He seems frozen and Hestia knows that Zeus is really just a boy who wants his
mother. It is why she can never bring herself to be too harsh on him.
However all of their faces change when they gaze upon the boy.

His name is Destroyer and His face is that of Kronos. His very existence fills them with
fear.

They will want to kill him, of that Hestia is sure of. Hestia is willing to bet that is the twins
were to bleed right here and right now, that their blood would drip on to the floor in a shining
and terrifying shade of gold. She can feel the power exuding from them and Hestia is
confident that her brother has somehow created a pair of Godkillers.

They are staring into the faces that will end their reign.

She knows that the others realize this too.

Luckily before her siblings make a move to kill the pair, the twins kneel and then begin
explaining the entire quest for the Master Bolt. They begin to talk about Hades, (Hestia
sighs at the mention of her wayward little brother). Zeus immediately jumps to blame his
eldest brother. She knows that Zeus is begging for a reason to eliminate Hades (who holds a
wonderful claim to the Throne of the Heavens). She will not allow it. Hestia has always done
whatever is necessary to ensure that none of her siblings turn to Kinslayers. Hestia never calls
upon the Power of the Bloodline. Sometimes she thinks that she should. It would certainly
make things easier. But Hestia does not want to be the one in charge, so instead she plays the
role of calm voice of reason.

She hears Perseus cut across Zeus’s sentence (a bold move).

“It was that thing in the Pit!”

Every God in the hall falls completely still. The Elder Six pale and turn to one another and
the boys begin speaking in rapid Greek. Zeus is in denial and refuses to acknowledge this
possibility. Poseidon is scared but determined. She knows that the middle brother has always
been willing to meet Kronos head on. She knows that is why her father likes him so much.

Zeus informs everyone present that he will not speak on this.

Before he can make an overly dramatic exit, Rhea Jackson speaks.

“It’s Kronos.”

She isn’t asking. She is making a simple statement as if there is no other possibility. Demeter
makes a strangled noise in her throat, Hera lets out a small gasp, Poseidon grows still, and
Zeus fills with anger.

“YOU DARE-”

Rhea meets his gaze head on, and the King of the Gods is the one that flinches.

“Rhea-” Poseidon’s voice is gentle and cautious. However, Zeus thunders again.

“You will not speak of this again. I declare this matter closed!”
Rhea goes quiet and drops her gaze. Zeus disappears in a flash of lightning. Hestia wishes she
could stay and speak to the twins but she knows that she should go calm Zeus. Hera will only
anger him and Demeter never wishes to speak with him. She takes one last look at the pair
before disappearing.

She will have to speak to Poseidon about them later.

The thief is one of their own.

Ares

Along with a Son of Hermes, Luke Castellan.

It was a bold move on Kronos’s part and he nearly got away with it.

He calls the Son of Hermes to come to his side immediately. It is time for their plans to begin
once more.

When Kronos hears what the Son of Hermes did to the twins (the girl), he leaves the boy
writhing in pain for weeks.
 Through Family, Through Blood

The Children of the Elder Six are royalty. Their blood is different and their powers stronger,
more raw. The other Demigods can feel the power and they understand what it means.

Camp Half Blood is a family, but it also has a hierarchy.

The Children of Hermes are the lowest of the Hierarchy. They are considered the ‘fun
cousins’ or the trouble makers. That doesn’t mean that everyone doesn’t love them, however
if there is a troublesome cousin, it is a Hermes child. Hermes himself is a son of Zeus, but he
is a bastard and his mother considered of low importance. This earns Hermes's own children
a lower rank.

The Children of Hephaestus sit at the bottom as well, they are loved of course. They have
their special talents and the whole camp ensures that the sons and daughters of Hephaestus
know how important they are. However, they are born of the Son of Hera who has no father.
An incomplete Bloodline makes it hard to climb the hierarchy.

Dionysus’s children are low as well but not at the bottom, if only because their father is at the
camp. This gives them a bit more importance. Besides, they help grow the food and some are
gifted with the Touch of Madness. This in itself earns them a higher rank. Besides,
Dionysus’s mother was a Princess and his Father is Zeus.

Aphrodite is the daughter of a Primordial. It happened in an untraditional manner, but that

doesn’t matter. However since Ouranos has fallen, her rank is lower. Her children have great
power and charm but they are also known to be the most unfocused.

Ares might be the son of the King and Queen but his recklessness and lack of power dilutes
his bloodline. If Ares had been born with greater gifts than perhaps his children would be in a
higher position. However his children are petty, quick to anger, petulant, and childish just like
their father. They are a risk to the safety of others and this leaves their place in the hierarchy
lower than it could be.

Athena is the daughter of a Titan and the King of the Gods. This makes her important. And it
makes her children important as well. They are the advisors, the councilors of the camp and
that makes them invaluable. They are ever present, always watchful. The Sons and Daughters
of Athena help keep the camp safe and the campers alive. Their role in the family is
important.

Apollo is the strongest of Zeus’s children. He is more gifted than the others. His powers are
overarching and his bloodline is impressive. He not only comes from Kronos’s line, but he
comes from the lines of both Koios AND Phoebe. His children hold much of his power as
well. They are almost inhuman. They sing with power. If there were Demigods not of the
Elder Six who could bleed gold, it would be a child of Apollo. Their power wins them the
seat of second at the table.
They all fall in the face of the children of an Elder. Demeter’s children are something older,
their bloodline stronger, purer. They are the grandsons and granddaughters of the Titan King
and Queen themself. Their great grandfather is the Sky. What power other Demigods have,
Demeter's children are stronger. Because of this, they hold the most importance at camp.
They have seniority, superiority in power, in blood, in name. Katie Gardner is the Lady of the
Camp. Her mother was the Princess of Othrys at one point, this grants her more power than
the others could ever dream.

The daughter of Zeus would have been able to challenge Demeter’s daughter for the highest
rank and she probably would have won.

When the Twins came to camp they won the battle before it started. The power in the blood
and the inhumanness they possessed (the godliness) had Katie surrendering to their power
quickly. However she finds that family means a lot to the Jackson twins. The children of
Demeter and the children of Poseidon are directly cousins, both descended from the same
Patriarch. An alliance is forged. Or rather, family comes together. There is easy comradery
between the cousins. Their blood sings when they spend time together and their powers
thrive with one another.

The children of Apollo quickly align themselves with the twins. Lee Fletcher and Poseidon’s
daughter become friends and this makes the alliance clear. The Apollo cabin will side with
Poseidon’s.

Naturally Demeter’s children will align with Poseidon's as well. After all, what has Zeus
done for them? Besides there is a sort of understanding between the Children of the Second
Sister and the Children of the Second Brother

When the twins leave the camp, the ranks go back to normal. Well almost normal. Now it is
clear that Katie is placeholding until her cousins return.

The twins return to their mother over the school year.

They have to in order to stay in touch with their humanity.

It is at school that they meet their half brother, Tyson (he is considered a monster, but Percy
and Rhea are monsters too, just of a different kind). In another world the twins would have
disliked Tyson but in this one he is their kindred spirit, a dangerous monster. Of course the
twins aren’t all monstrous. They love their mother. Rhea loves to help her mother bake and
Percy is an always willing taste tester. There are many happy memories of the three of them
in the kitchen. They are never monstrous or dangerous in their mother’s eyes. To her they are
blessed.

They blow up the gym in their new school because of course they do. Annabeth has come for
them, she has brought Lee Fletcher with her. Rhea had gotten to know him before they went
on the quest last summer and she found that she quite liked the son of Apollo. They had
planned to go to the movies. Now they are going to go on a quest to the Sea of Monsters.
The cousins watch as Thalia's tree grows sick- they can feel it dying. The others don’t believe
them when they tell them. Their blood is warning them of death it sings that the bloodline is
going to lose a member.

Clarisse was sent instead of them on the quest to save the fleece. (Tantalus is trying to change
the hierarchy. But it only took them going up against the children of the Elder Six once for
them to realize that having Tantalus’ favor meant nothing).

Hermes visits them to send them on their quest. He wants them to save his son (it’s
impossible) but Rhea knows they need his help and his supplies so with big eyes and an
emphatic nod she reassured him.

“We’ll do our best sir!” (They won’t)

Luke betrayed them and when loyalty is betrayed there is nothing left in the wake but hatred
and contempt. The twins will not help Luke. They will not save him. He burned them and
now he will pay the price. They don’t say any of this to Hermes or to Annabeth (she’d hate
them for saying it).

Lee agrees with them. He whispers as such to Rhea when they stay up at night and sneak out
to look at the stars. He wishes he could kill Luke for hurting his friend. His loyalty makes
Rhea’s cheeks burn. Katie agrees as well. The bloodline is strongest together and a betrayal to
one is a betrayal to all. There are whispered promises of loyalty to the twins when the
Demeter cabin and Poseidon cabin have a secret meetup. There are only 2 children of
Poseidon but the family is full of love because Demeter brings 7 children to the table. And all
7 stand by their cousins.

Annabeth, Tyson, Katie, and Lee join them on the quest.

That brings the total to Six.

They will be successful.

Percy dreams of Kronos. His grandfather visits him in dreams and taunts him. He calls him
“little hero” and throws the absentee nature of the gods in Percy’s face. Percy spits back at
Kronos that he is the real absentee parent here considering what he did to his kids.

Percy’s dream swiftly changes after that.

Lee is a good guy in Percy’s opinion because he helps Percy protect Rhea. He keeps an eye
on her when Percy can’t and Rhea likes him. She confided in him the night before the quest
that Lee had kissed her the night before (every kid has to have one fun little romance at 13).
When Rhea fell asleep Percy went to find Lee and pinned him against the outside wall of the
Apollo cabin. He had to make sure Lee had only good intentions. Lee told him that he had a
crush on his sister.
Percy punched him on principle.

He then helped him up and said 'cool'. Besides Tyson liked Lee and that was a good vote in
Percy’s mind.

They are caught on Luke’s ship. Luke thinks he is a king but the Children of the Elder six can
barely hold back their laughter at the sight of him. He means to imitate Kronos and he fails.
He is a boy playing at being a king.

Luke pleads for Annabeth to side with him. She is quick to turn him down. He turns to Katie
and Rhea and it is then that Percy sees what Luke is really after. Luke wants a pretty girl by
his side to sit as his queen. He wants a powerful Demigoddess standing by his side. He wants
a Rhea (not a Hera because Hera's Queenship means nothing).

But Annabeth is 13

Katie- his favorite cousin- is 13

Rhea. His baby sister. Is 13.

Percy knows what a pedophile is and he’s pretty sure that Luke is one. Lee has the same
disgusted expression on his face.

Power thrums in Percy’s ears and next thing he knew he was surging forward. When Percy is
back in his own head he sees Luke’s face beaten and bloody as if it were clawed and
scratched and punched. Luke's monsters are holding Percy and the others back, spears
pointed at them. Later when they escape he pulls his sister and cousin in for a tight hug. He
will always protect them.

Fighting the Hydra reminded the Demigods of the power they truly held.

Katie’s eyes are no longer earthy green, they glow unnaturally and the very earth beneath her
shifts to heed her call and help defend them from the Hydra. Lee is in the realm of his
Father's power, the sun is out and he glows with the strength it gives him, his hands burn with
the fire of the sun itself.

Percy and Annabeth are a warrior team. They attack the monster together and Percy can feel
power singing in his ears. It calls like a siren, begging him to release it. Percy does not yet
allow his power a release.

Rhea feels the call. She is not so good at resisting it. She cracks the well open slightly and the
river surges forward. Her power protects her, it leaps to aid Percy.

The urge to open the well a little more is strong. But Clarisse fucking La Rue barges in and
helps kill the hydra. She claims she saved them and Rhea questions aloud how someone with
less power and less strength could save them. Clarisse turns an ugly red and shuts up.
They meet Circe (she calls herself C.C.) Annabeth falls to the glamor as does Percy.

Rhea does not. She sees through the glamor as if there is some sort of magic or protection
around her. When Circe attempts to separate the twins Rhea clamps a hand of steel on her
arm, yanking Circe's hand from her forearm.

"Do not touch me Witch"

The words are hissed out and Circe’s eyes widen. It is then that Rhea realizes she did not
speak that in English.

“Who are you?” Circe whispers out.

In another life, Circe wreaks havoc and is eventually killed by pirates she had captured. Percy
suffers from a small humiliation and Annabeth realizes how gullible she can be. In this life,
Rhea turns to her brother with eyes wide with terror (it is not genuine. Rhea does not like to
manipulate Percy, but she cannot explain what it is going on. Circe must be rid of. Now)

Percy feels the terror radiating from his sister.

He pulls his sister behind him, sword out. Rhea cries out that the woman is Circe, a horrible
sorceress.

In less the 10 seconds the Destroyer kills her.

In the end they succeed in finding the Golden Fleece. They save Grover. Of course they do.
There were Six of them.

The Children of the Elder Six can feel it before any one else notices. Their blood sings. It
warns them. Their cousin. She has come home. They go to the tree before anyone else in the
camp and see that they were right. Thalia Grace, the Daughter of Zeus lies in front of them.

Her blood is singing too. There are 9 kids standing around her, pulling her up from the
ground and she feels as if she were high. Her blood has never felt so powerful and happy.

“Family” her dry and unused lungs croak out. A smirk comes across the face of the boy with
sea green eyes.

“Hello cousin.”

The other 8 burst into laughter and she knows that she is safe for the first time.

With the cousins united, the bloodline grows stronger. In a twisted way, this strength feeds
Kronos. As his line grows stronger, so does he.

10 children born from his own children.

His consciousness gains more power and more pieces of his body come together.

It is almost time.
 A Bloodline of Pride

Sally Jackson had had to buy a minivan. Percy and Rhea brought their cousins around
frequently, Katie and their other cousin Liam’s parents lived out of the state so they often
came around to hang out and feel a sense of family.

At 14, Percy, Rhea, Annabeth, Thalia, and Katie alongside Grover were journeying to
Westover Hall to retrieve demigods. Annabeth, Chiron and Grover knew they were powerful
demigods, but the cousins know something more. They were going to retrieve more cousins.

The children of Hades. The Eldest Son.

It does not go smoothly. In fact it was a disaster that ended with Annabeth going over a
cliff. Artemis had tried to reach their new cousin Bianca first, but the cousins intercepted
her. She wanted a new huntress but the cousins were obliged to tell her the truth first. She
needed to know who she was an the importance of her power. Their ranks needed to be
bolstered. The more cousins that they had, the more strength they could share.

“We don’t know who your parent is.” Grover had told the children of Hades as he explained
their true heritage. The cousins knew though.

“You belong with us.” Katie had informed them.

Having Bianca and Nico with them would complete the Triad of the Elder Brothers. Even as
inexperienced as they were, Bianca and Nico could feel their blood humming and singing in
the presence of the 4 cousins. Artemis approaches Bianca with an offer. Bianca is no longer
tasked with raising her brother. She has 10 cousins who can help and a camp full of other
beings who can take over for her. She knows she can trust her cousins to raise and help Nico.
He will complete the ranks.

She accepts the offer, but Nico joins his cousins and the blood in all of their veins becomes
more potent, their eyes lose a bit more of their humanness.

Artemis sees this and feels fear.

This is the reason that these children are forbidden.

Apollo is absolutely fond of his uncle’s kids. He is afraid too, but he is thrilled to be in their
presence. Thalia is his half-sister so he obliges her with his ‘favor’ and allows her to drive his
chariot, but it is Poseidon’s children who captivate him. Apollo has the Sight. He knows what
the twins are. In fact he knows something about the younger twin that even she probably
doesn’t know.

And Apollo knows Godkillers when he sees them. He can see the flush of golden blood in
their veins and the godliness in their eyes.
He resolves to keep a close eye on them.

Thalia is a bit too much like her father (and stepmother) she expected the cousins to yield to
her because her father is a king. Except they all come from the same bloodline. And the
children of Demeter and the children of Poseidon are born from Zeus’s older siblings. Now
the hierarchy is determined by power.

And Thalia is no longer the strongest.

Percy is the strongest male of the Bloodline and perhaps the strongest out of them all.
Backing him is his equally powerful sister and a cabin full of Demeter’s children who are not
fond of the name or line of Zeus. In Capture the Flag she rages at him, challenging him
because her pride and ambition cannot stand her being lesser than the children of Poseidon
(the blood of Zeus in her is full of disgust at the thought). Thalia is even quicker to anger than
Percy and when things don’t go the way she wanted them to she lashes out and shocks
him. Demeter’s children come up behind Percy as if to state their alliance.

Rhea watches from the side, her eyes calculating. Percy strikes back with a not so minor
wave to the face. Thalia is the kings daughter so naturally everything is offensive to her. (she
can’t help it, it is her nature). Thalia calls down the sky on Percy and he falls. But when he
rises it is not Percy that is there anymore. It is the Destroyer.

A smile curls on Rhea’s lips.

The river rises up, funneling and surrounding the Destroyer. It is a deadly icy concoction that
will possibly kill her. Neither of the twins seem to care for the Daughter of Zeus is
challenging the hierarchy and that is unacceptable. She must be put in her place. Electricity
surrounds Thalia but it doesn't matter.

Percy drops the river on Thalia.

Thalia falls.

The campers and the Hunters go completely quiet. They all stare at the twins as if awaiting
what comes next. Lee steps forward eyes on the twins like he is waiting for orders. Rhea
inclines her head towards Thalia and the Apollo cabin surges forward, beginning to heal her.

It is clear from that day that while Zeus may rule the Heavens, it is Poseidon’s children that
rule the earth.

When Thalia is healed and conscious, although weak and still lying on the ground, the Oracle
of Delphi makes an appearance and delievers another ominous message. Dionysus calls a
meeting of the council. At the meeting no one moves towards the seats at the head of the
table. Percy and Rhea take the seats and Katie moves herself to the opposite end so that she
faces them. The trio heads the council. The children of Hades soon find that their place is on
the right hand of the Daughter of Demeter, for the right hand of Poseidon’s children seats Lee
who leads the children of Apollo. The meeting is interesting to say the least. Zoe is full of
insolence and cannot keep herself from insulting the demigods.

When she sneers at Aphrodite’s child, the air shifts as they realize that the blue of Silena’s
eyes is not just any blue. With Silena’s anger, her eyes become crackling and electric. (she is
after all, the granddaughter of Ouranos)

Thalia volunteers for the quest but it is quickly made clear that the twins will be joining the
group as well. Five is what the prophecy called for but that is a dangerous number. The right
and left hands of the twins will be joining them because another child of the Elder Six is
always welcome and Lee’s incredible gifts are deeply desired. A quest of 8. Dangerous.

Atlas is Kronos’s general. He is apart of the inner circle. (He is not the right hand, for that is
reserved for The Queen. And the left is for the king's favorite brother.)

Kronos warns him to be weary of his grandchildren. He tells him that Demeter’s child is
strong and that the earth bows and bends to her will. Zeus’s child is strong and easily
angered. Atlas is told that it is possible that she is the prophecy child but that it is unlikely.
Kronos also seems excited at the prospect of seeing Hades’ daughter on the quest. When
Atlas asks why Kronos says that he has not seen the abilities of his eldest's sons children in a
while.

It is Poseidon's children that earn the greatest warning. The boy is named
Destroyer (Perseus), Kronos tells him. He is too strong. Atlas resolves to kill the boy as
quickly as possible. When Atlas asks about the girl Kronos goes quiet.

All he says is that she is dangerous.

Bianca dies in the land without rain. Just as it was predicted.

Her death wounds all of the cousins- it is as if they have been stabbed. The bloodline
weakens. The Zoe, Grover, and Lee struggle to hold the four of them up.

They reach Othrys and the Children of The Elder six grow stronger (unnaturally fast). They
are trembling with fear (and anticipation for this is their homeland). The black stone
columns line the way to the center of Othrys. Two statues stand in the middle- one looks as if
it was previously ruined but has been fixed and the other shines untouched, as if no one dared
touch it. The seven of them stare at the statues before Lee asks.

“Who are they?”

No one seems capable of an answer. Except Rhea. She turns to them, eyes glowing, and
whispers out.
“Its them. Its Kronos and Rhea.”

Zoe and Lee shrink back, as does Thalia. She is Zeus’s daughter. She is not welcome here.
Katie averts her eyes from the statue of Kronos and instead looks at the one of the Titan
Queen. She realizes that she is staring at the face of her cousin. Shock colors her features.

It is Percy and Rhea who stare undeterred. Perhaps it is because it is like looking at a mirror.
Zoe goes still with terror when she realizes that the twins stand as a perfect mirror image of
the statues. Luckily for her it is then that she realizes that Artemis is trapped under the sky
and they all rush to rescue her.

It is of course a trap and Luke and Atlas show themselves.

Atlas has to wait for the demigods to challenge him first. As he taunts them he gets a good
look at their faces. He is naturally shocked when he sees that Poseidon's son bears the face of
his lord. But it is the girl’s face that sends him reeling and has him resisting the urge to bow
down on one knee.

It is his Queen.

Kronos had made sure that his armies and his generals swore complete an total loyalty to the
Queen of Othrys and made them take an oath to always protect her. (He was a man crazed
with love).

The oath tugs at his stomach trying to force him into submission and it takes every bit of his
willpower to remain standing. He forces himself to avert his gaze and instead focus on the
insolent son of Poseidon.

The Destroyer challenges him and so Atlas is suitably distracted.

When it is over, Luke is forced off a cliff, Atlas is forced back under the sky, and Rhea has
destroyed the part of the army that resided on the mountain. Annabeth is rescued and Percy
has to resist the urge to gather her in his arms and keep her close to him.

With the death of Zoe the group total is brought down.

Six.

Of fucking course.

“Heroes” Artemis calls to demigods. She announces that the council now knows about the
rise of Othrys and of Atlas’s brief freedom. She says that the Gods have voted to act and the
demigods sigh with relief. “You have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny
that?”

The gods cannot.

Ares moves to kill them but Demeter, Zeus, and Poseidon will not stand for it.

“I will not have them punished. I will have them rewarded.” Artemis is adamant in her
position to defend her half-sister and cousins. The Gods agree, but Zeus in his fear moves to
eliminate Bessie (Percy and Rhea have a soft spot for cute and ugly little
creatures) and Percy meets Zeus head on, ready to argue and fight (much like Poseidon does
with Kronos).

Thalia joins the hunt though she looks back at her cousins for assurance (and permission).
The three grin at her and she bows to take the oath.

Poseidon vouches for his children as they know are the faces of the prophecy (although
everyone is stupid to overlook Demeter’s daughter). Hestia watches all of this and sees that
despite a greater threat looming on the horizon, Zeus cannot help his instinct to protect his
throne from his brother.

The council is over, the party is done and Olympus has gone quiet. Hestia retires from the
Throne room to her private chambers and sits there staring at the flames in the brazier. When
she retires to her bed and lays down, her head is spinning with too many thoughts and the
need for answers.

For the first time in 1000 years, Hestia dreamwalks.

Kronos can feel his eldest in the land of dreams. He separates part of his consciousness from
his effort of finishing his resurrection to enter into dreams.

He sees her, sitting on the ground, legs crossed, eyes closed. She is as beautiful as he knew
she would be. He remains at a distance, watching her and longing to rush over and gather his
precious daughter into his chest. The fact that they are on different sides does not matter to
him in this moment. This is his daughter (his baby.)

“My Hestia” he whispers out.

He watches as her eyes snap open and he sees the fiery irises and fills with pride. His eldest is
so strong. She is the keeper of the Bloodline.

“Mpampas” Hestia calls out.

Papa

Her eyes find him and she stands. Father and daughter stare at one another and for the first
time in millennium, a tear falls from Kronos’s eye. A matching one falls from Hestia’s.

She begins to run to him but he cannot bear it and so he rips himself out of the dream. He is
left empty and filled with sadness. But Kronos does not have the time for this and so he
resolutely turns himself back to stone.

But he cannot shake it from his mind

‘Mpampas’ Papa.
 Awakening

Nico's scream when his cousins deliver the news of his sisters death rips the earth apart. He
sobs until there is nothing left inside him and the ground wilts and dies under his feet.

He blames the Hunters.

If his sister had stayed with him and their cousins she wouldn’t have gone on the quest. If she
hadn’t joined the Hunters, the cousins would have extended their love and protection to her
as a reward for her loyalty. But she had turned her back on them. On him.

The cousins made no promise to protect his sister, they had told him that she was a hunter
now, her protection was in the hands of her new sisters and Artemis. Nico had been crushed,
but he understood. The cousins had sworn to protect him though. He was loyal and needed a
family and they could give him that.

He wanted to run away from the camp after the news of his sister’s death but Rhea clamps a
hand on his shoulder and keeps him firmly in place.

“What do you think Kronos will do with some lost, barely trained slip of a boy who is the
Son of The Eldest Son” her tone is condescending and scolding. He looks down in shame and
promises to stay at the camp. Her attitude changes at his promise, the demeaning tone she had
used was gone and she softened. She had pulled him in for a gentle hug and patted his head.

Katie places a hand on the ground and closes the gaping crack and renews the life of the
ground beneath them. The lack of control in the Son of Hades both excites and angers her.

They will have to teach him to be better than this.

The cousins will will have to keep a close eye on the Son of Hades to ensure that he does not
run away. The bloodline cannot lose another member. Not now.

The Trio of the Elder Sons is complete as long as Nico lives. (Thalia will still stand by their
side in the war).

With no Hades Cabin, the youngest (and also the oldest) cousin has the choice of staying
with the Demeter Children of the Poseidon Children. He chooses Poseidon. There is more
room in there and he feels as though the twins can help him learn control. Rhea and Percy
promise to help as much as possible. They also decide to bring him around to their apartment
so he can have a mother figure.

Because it is already January by the time they had all come back to camp, the twins decide to
spend most of their time there and wait to start school again in the fall. The cousins all devote
their time to teaching Nico. None of them can really help him control the dead, but they can
help him control the feeling of ancient power in his veins.
Katie is the one that teaches him about how the way their powers are used is important. They
are Royal and all the eyes of the camp (and the gods) are upon them. They cannot be reckless
with their gifts. Liam helps him to learn how to crack the ground open. Miranda and Katie
are not fond of this part of Nico’s powers. They observe with hawk like gazes, but
they are the ones that teach Nico how to knit the Earth back together (although he cannot
restore the life of the area he had ruined).

Percy is the one that tells Nico that they are weapons. It is a harsh truth, but it is an important
one. He tells Nico that the power in his veins makes him dangerous and that his potential is
vast. He teaches Nico how to be destructive and how to leave ruin in his footsteps.

Rhea is the one to teach Nico about who they are.

She teaches him the history of the family. The family is what matters the most. She also tells
him that among the cousin’s power is what matters the most, but that they also respect the
experience that comes with age. That is why Liam is so important. At 19 he has seen a bit
more than the rest of them. He knows a bit more about the ancient feeling in their veins. He is
not the strongest but they do hold him in a position of high respect. She teaches Nico the
ways of the camp and the ways of the Demigods and he quickly earns his spot in the
hierarchy- right beneath his cousins.

The twins are trying another school. At least that’s the plan.

Percy gets distracted by some empousai, but he is able to pull himself out of the magical
trance they exude and kill them. When he exits the room that the fight had been in he sees his
sister waiting in the hall, leaning against a wall with one leg up resting on the wall. She gives
him a look with one eyebrow up and her lips curling into a knowing smirk.

He has always had problems resisting glamours and enchantments.

They run into Annabeth and she is full of jealousy over the mortal girl Percy had helped.
Rhea snickers in the back as Annabeth testily questions Percy and she looks at Annabeth with
a look of incredulity. (Percy is like his father and his grandfather. He will love one woman
and one woman only. Obsessively. Doesn’t Annabeth know that her position is secure?)

They hurry back to camp. They are in desperate need of their leaders as the war draws near.

When they cross the boundary Nico and Katie crush them in a hug. They had only been apart
for 2 weeks but the cousins were always more content together.

Lee tells Rhea of a Monster that he and his siblings had been hunting in the past week and
Rhea squeezes his hand with anxiety.

“You have to be careful” she tells him. He kisses her forehead and promises that, ‘of course
he’ll be careful.’
Annabeth tells them about the Labyrinth and Rhea’s ears rush with blood and her face pales.
The cousins quickly close in on her.

“This isn’t good. He is building in strength and suddenly the labyrinth appears? There is a
greater plan at work here.” The cousins all agree and promise to keep there eyes sharp and to
keep a close eye on their dreams.

During the afternoon games, Percy and Annabeth accidently fall into a strange corridor. They
quickly figure out that it must be something magical and related to the Labyrinth. Annabeth
finds the Mark of Daedalus and when she presses it the roof opens, a ladder appears, and
Percy can hear voices. He hears someone calling his name with increasing hysteria. He can
feel the ground shake around them with each cry.

Rhea.

He quickly climbs out of the Labyrinth and runs to her. He has to calm her down before she
has an Episode.

They collide together and she clings to him. The twins hate to be parted. The world is 10
times more dangerous when they are apart. He makes soothing noises and reassures her that
he is fine and that Kronos did not find him (Rhea always has an innate fear of Kronos taking
the ones that she loves most). She calms down but they stay close to each other. Always
within each other’s eyesight.

“Where were you guys?” Clarisse demands. “We’ve been trying to find you guys for forever”
Clarisse wont say it but she knows that the camp is more secure when it has both leaders and
its main advisor. For Percy and Annabeth to go missing could endanger the camp. Percy’s
eyebrows draw together in confusion.

“We were only gone for a few minutes.” But before Clarisse can continue Katie, Nico, and
Liam come sprinting over with Chiron, Tyson and Grover. Liam is quick to check them for
injury while Tyson hugs his siblings.

“Really you guys. We’re fine. We fell into a hole but we weren’t gone that long.”

Chiron tells him they were missing for over an hour and the cousins looks skeptically
between Percy and Annabeth (they know how the men in their family can be towards their
Queen.) Annabeth tells them they need to discuss what they found.

Rhea has gone suspiciously quiet and Percy grabs her hand to check on her but she seems to
be somewhere else.

“This explains a lot,” Clarisse said. “It explains what Luke is after.”

Percy turns to her with a question on his lips but Annabeth answers it before he even asks.

“An entrance to the Labyrinth. An invasion route straight into the heart of the camp.”

The sky cracks open and the heavens heave water down upon them.
You shall delve in the darkness of the endless maze,

The dead, the traitor, and the lost one raise.

You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand,

The Child of Athena's final stand.

Destroy with a hero's final breath,

Annabeth’s incomplete prophecy. She refuses to share the rest.

The council all agree on the first line. Obviously, the quest is in the Labyrinth, but the second
line starts the confusion. The lost one was probably Grover’s lost god, Pan. The traitor was
uncertain though. Luke? Someone else? And who were the dead? Was that Nico’s powers?
Or was it referring to the resurrection of Kronos. When Beckendorf asked who the Ghost
King was the cousins gave very unconvincing answers of ‘I don’t know’ while Katie coughed
suspiciously in the background.

Annabeth choses a company of 7 for her quest. Not a good number because the imbalance
will result in a disaster. Chiron tries to warn her but she is stubborn.

Grover and Tyson are her first picks. Naturally, she decided to bring the twins as well. Before
she can choose the final person, Rhea speaks up.

“Nico”

Usually someone would protest or say that since it was Annabeth’s quest, Annabeth should
choose. But no one argues with the Daughter of Poseidon. No one argues when the leaders of
the camp make a final decision and it is clear from Rheas voice and the look on her face that
this is final.

They will leave at dawn.

Ichor sprays the ground and agonized screams bounce off of the mountain walls around her.
Her brothers hold their father down and the youngest brother butchers him. He cannot be
allowed to reform. It is horrifying to watch and she can feel tears building in her eyes. Her
sisters hold her up and whisper soothing promises in her ears, promising that it will be over
soon.

When it is finished, the youngest brother wipes his blade on the grass and asserts his claim to
the seat of the heavens. He is uncontested, no one would dare rise against him.

But when he sees the tears rolling down her face he rushes to her, dismissing their siblings.
He pulls her into his arms and desperately tries to calm her. If she were to have an episode, it
could spell complete ruin and devastation for the area around them. She buries her face in
his chest and he strokes his hand down her hair. They soak in one another's presence and in it
they find comfort and a sense of home. In his arms she is safe. Loved.

She lifts her head and stares into eyes of gold.

The dream swiftly shifts and changes to black.

She can hear Kronos calling out to his wife, commanding her (begging her) to appear to him,
to come to him.

Rhea Jackson surges awake.

Rhea bursts into tears and vomits.

 Earthshaker, Stormbringer

Camp Half-Blood is going to be the first casualty in the war, that is Kronos’s plan. He needs
the eliminate the Gods' army.

The biggest pain in the plan Kronos has for leading the raid on Camp Half-Blood is that he
will have to see his bastard child- who he fucking loathes. However, this will give him the
chance to kill the bastard half-breed. ( A part of him thinks that if he were to eliminate his
bastard, he would earn Rhea’s forgiveness for it ). The bastard represents Kronos's largest
sin- second only to his acts against his wife and true children.

In his anger at Rhea’s scheme to overthrow him, Kronos had slept with a nymph and sired a
bastard. He had thought the vengeful action would make him feel better but at the end of the
night he was left in the royal bedchamber, alone. Longing for his wife.

He had seen the look in Rhea’s eyes the next time they had encountered one another when he
had accidently happened across her during the war. He could tell by the look on her face that
she knew of his infidelity. The pain in her eyes was a slap in the face.

He was supposed to comfort her. To ensure that there were never tears in her eyes, and yet
there they were, running down her soft cheeks. She had extended her hand and next thing he
knew he was blasted into a crater into the ground, the area around him annihilated.

He never saw Rhea again.

The quest is a disaster from the start, which is honestly what they should have expected given
the fact that they are an unbalanced group (8 is never a good quest number. You'd think they'd
have learned that from the last quest). And because the group wasn’t already miserable
enough, fucking Hera showed up.

She tries to portray a motherly and caring picture (as if any of the cousins actually believe
that their aunt is that nice). They knew the stories, and as dramatic as Thalia was, they
believed her when she told them just how psychotic her stepmother could be.

It is when Percy brings up said cousin that Hera’s façade falls. Her face is vindictive and
hateful. As if she desperately wants to see his death but Percy can see the terror beneath her
eyes. It sends a thrill through him.

It is because of Hera’s icy gaze that Percy comes to realize that her eyes are an exact match to
the Titan King’s. She has his eyes and his air of superiority. Percy and Poseidon have
Kronos’s features, but Hera has his mannerisms. (Not that Percy would say that. She already
looks like she wants to kill him.)

She doesn’t look at his sister.

But her gaze pauses on Nico and he sees a deeper look of loathing (Afterall, Nico’s father is a
threat to her husband’s throne.) She stays long enough to give cryptic warnings and to give
Annabeth a wish that she answers with absolutely zero clarity and then she disappears.

The quest continues.

At Geryon’s ranch Geryon tries to turn Nico against them. He tries to pour poison in Nico’s
ear, lies and tells him that it is the twins' fault that Bianca Di Angelo died. If Geryon can
sway the son of Hades, then perhaps he has a chance at killing the twins.

But Nico Di Angelo is far too strong to fall for such pathetic attempts at persuasion (in
another life his loneliness and desperation make him very gullible, but in this one his family
has strengthened and protected him). Since the moment he chose to go with the cousins they
taught him the value of the blood.

7 months at camp with his cousins has shown him that nothing is more important the loyalty
to one another. The bloodline is what matters most, it is what keep them strong. Unwavering
love, loyalty, and support is of the upmost importance of the cousins are to survive.

He does not turn against them.

The twins meet each other's eyes and a heavy sigh of relief exits them.

They meet Hephaestus soon after Annabeth’s fatal flaw almost kills them. Her pride is her
downfall and the group suffers for it. Rhea resists the urge to strangle her brother's beloved.

Inside the forge Hephaestus takes a shining to Tyson. And Rhea. Rhea can tell that Percy
doesn’t like him. At all.

Hephaestus tells them that in truth it was Hera that pitched him over Mount Olympus. It is
then that Rhea realizes that Hera inherited more than just her father’s eyes. It is slightly
shocking that the urge to murder one’s children is genetic but the more that Rhea thinks on it,
she realizes that Hera’s is much crueler and more heartless. Kronos swallowed his own
children, but it mostly likely didn't hurt. it was the kindest way to rid of them. Hera however
rid herself of a child because it was ugly. She threw him from the highest mountain and
turned away as if it did not bother her.

(The Queen of the Gods is her father's daughter sometimes.)

Hephaestus wants them to infiltrate Mount St. Helens for him before he will help them on
their quest. He is like every god and only sees them as little pawns to complete the quests that
he is too lazy to do himself and Rhea’s blood simmers. Before the group leave to carry out
his quest, Hephaestus puts a hand on Rhea’s arm and asks her to wait behind a second.
He tells her that she should proceed with caution. He tells her that she may stay here at his
workshop if she so wishes. He offers her and only her sanctuary and Rhea is furious that he
would think she would abandon her own blood.

As her blood boils, she becomes furious that this god thinks he is able to lay a hand on her.
She is The Daughter of Poseidon.

Hephaestus may be a god, but his mother is Hera and her father is Poseidon so he does not
rank above her. Her blood is stronger and better than his. She shoves his hand off her arm and
sends him a sneer worthy of Kronos.

He will not touch her again.

Hephaestus is like his great grandfather, grandfather, and mother. Attracted to power and to
overwhelming beauty. Like his grandfather, he too easily falls for the face of Rhea. (Most
men in the family fall for that face, it cannot be helped.) The face of Rhea is like the gods
very own, personal Helen of Troy. Beautiful. Dangerous. Devastating.

Aphrodite sometimes take on the face of Rhea. When she did the Elder Six were furious and
forbade her to do so again.

Ever since then, the younger gods- the younger Olympians- have had a sort of fascination
with the face of Rhea.

Inside the volcano the twins must leave their friends and family. Annabeth kisses Percy and
when the rest of the group leave, Rhea shares a smile with Percy as his eyes gain an inhuman
look. She knows that the Destroyer will do everything in his power to return to his beloved.

However there is more than that reason to survive. They HAVE to find Nico, Tyson, and
Grover. Lost and in danger they could not lose their friend, brother, and most importantly,
their only link to the power of Hades.

The telekhines are easily scared, but when the demons conquer their fear of the twins power,
their numbers overwhelm the children of Poseidon. The twins are separated on opposite sides
of the great room as they fight and Percy roars with anger as he tries to force his way to his
sister.

But when they throw the lava on Percy it is Rhea’s turn to roar and scream, power building in
her veins. She screams out to Percy and calls down ancient curses that there is no possible
way that she should know.

But Percy is too powerful to be destroyed by something as simple as lava and so the giant
reservoir of power inside him cracks open and he becomes the ocean. He floods the room and
calls upon greater power than should be possible.
Rhea’s desperation peaks and she lets out an ear-piercing, earthshattering cry as she calls
upon something deeper and more ancient.

The Earthshakers awaken and Mount St. Helens erupts.

It has been cleaved right down the middle.

Rhea awakens in a bed surrounded by three women who are humming a song (somewhere in
the back of her head she recognizes it as an ancient hymn). The women possess otherworldly
beauty and she can feel the power that flows from them.

It immediately alerts her but when she tenses, the three women notice that she is awake and
step away from her bedside.

“I was wondering how long it would take you to wake up” said the taller woman with eyes of
gold. But the longer Rhea stared at her she realized the woman’s eyes kept shifting colors.
Gold to Silver, and back to gold.

“Who are you?” Rhea bites out. Her voice harsh and she inflects power in it to ensure that
these women know just how powerful she is.

But something about these women felt eerily familiar.

“My name is Phoebe. And that one who just spoke to you is my sister Theia.” Says the
shortest woman with eyes of pretty brown like tilled soil. “You don’t know us but we do
know you. Or rather, know of you.”

“We have been very eager to meet you,” says the woman who stands in the middle of the trio.
She has hair as dark as a raven and eyes of freshwater blue. “My name is Tethys.”

Rhea shoots up out of the bed and in less than a second she has activated the bracelet from
her father, and has her double swords out and pointed at the women- no, the Titans. Her eyes
glow and the air around her hums as she gathers her power, ready to unleash it should that be
necessary.

“You’re Titans. You serve Kronos.” She hisses out, with a tone of disgust. The three
Titanesses take her in with sort of impressed looks at the feel of her power but they hold their
hands, palms up as if to show no weapons and they proceed with a cautious air.

“Actually, as titanesses our first allegiance was to The Queen, your namesake. Our youngest
brother always ensured we knew that we were bound to serve and obey his beloved.” says
Theia.

Rhea snarls. It matters not to her.

The titanesses assure her of the fact that they will not take her to the Titan King and she
calms a bit, but she keeps her power tightly wrapped around her in case she needs to escape.
She asks about her brother and they assure her that he is safe- with a young and neutral
titaness named Calypso.

Theia expresses her shock at the event of Mount St. Helens and says, ‘It was a display of
power that I haven’t seen in many millennia.’

Rhea feels giddiness in her veins at the thought. Her and Percy have only just tapped the
surface of what they can do and it is already something overwhelming and awe inspiring.

When she asks why they helped her they tell her that they could not turn away the daughter
of their sister’s favorite son. They could not turn away as the doppelganger of their sister
cried in pain. It is then that as Rhea looks at them, she realizes she has seen them before. In
her dream. Theia and Tethys had been the ones to hold her hands and support her at the
murder of Ouranos. She thinks that perhaps their words are honest when she remembers how
the loved their sister in the dream.

She decides to test if they mean it when they promised no harm and asks if they can return
her to the camp. They share soft smiles with one another and Theia remarks on how her
loyalty to her family is admirable. And how it reminds her of her Queen.

Tethys hands her a pearl, so like the one Rhea's own father had given to her and Percy so
many years ago on their quest to the underworld. But before she can go, Phoebe places a
hand on her shoulder.

"Remember this Rhea Poseidia, your blood is strong, but against my brother you have a far
greater weapon. It is this-" she reaches a hand up and brushes it softly against Rhea's cheek,
pushing a loose strand of hair out of the way. "It is this face that you bear, that is your greatest
weapon, and your greatest protector. But remember, this face could be the very reason he
comes for you."

The pearl crushes and Rhea appears just outside the camp in front of the giant face of Peleus.

She mulls over the words of the Titaness and her stomach clenches and rolls in the face of
uncertainty.

When the news reaches Kronos of what the Destroyer and Stormbringer have done, and the
new power they have reached, he knows without a doubt that he must take the Camp. He has
to find them.

The boy is the youngest son of the Greek Bloodline and Kronos knows the urges and power
that is apart of the youngest sons. Kronos knows he must reach the Destroyer before Zeus
and Hera can.

He also knows that what the girl has just done has only ever been done by one other. He
cannot allow the Gods to get to her first.
For in this bloodline it is the sons that overthrow the Kings and take the thrones and it is the
daughters who scheme, undermine, and conquer anyone who stands in the way on the quest
for power.
 Perseus the Destroyer

Percy comes up over the hill a few moments after Rhea had arrived. When he catches
sight of her, he breaks into a run and swings her up into his arms when he reaches her.
He hugs her close and repeats over and over 'thank Chaos' .

As it turns out Camp Half Blood was currently holding a funeral for the twins and Percy
is a little offended that the Camp thought something as simple as a volcanic explosion
would kill him and his sister.

It warms his heart to see Nico, Katie, Miranda, Liam, and the rest of his cousins
standing outside of the funeral, refusing to participate. He knows that they knew he and
Rhea were alive- they would’ve felt their death. But he comes to a stop when he sees
Annabeth and Lee leading the funeral, the shrouds meant to represent Percy and Rhea
covering the pyres are beautiful (sea green silk and silver woven together) and both Lee
and Annabeth have obviously been crying (he is glad that the camp has recognized that
it is by right that Annabeth and Lee should be the ones to send them off if they had
actually been dead).

Annabeth causes a scene when she realizes he and Rhea are alive and his chest warms
when she nearly knocks him over in a bone crushing hug. She buries her head in the
crook of his shoulder for a moment and his hand finds a place on the small of her back
and presses her close. When she pulls away he sees the stray tears on her cheeks and he
squeezes her hand. He stands off to the side and watches as Lee puts his hands on
Rhea’s waist and brings her in for a scalding kiss right in front of everyone.

Naturally the entire camp starts wolf whistling but a sharp look from Percy quiets them.

She and Lee part- cheeks flushed and when her gaze meets Percy’s, he gives her a
reassuring nod. He is happy for her and he will not ruin this for her with his
overprotective nature.

The cousins go off together after Chiron dismisses them from the counselors meeting
and Percy and Rhea tell them what happened. When the twins tell their cousins about
the new power they had tapped into the other cousins fall silent and look at them with
heavy worry. They know that this power is deadly and that the gods could come for
them. Liam tells them about how the cousins could feel the moment the twins ripped the
mountain apart. He tells them about how the all felt as though they were high and
unbeatable and simultaneously exhausted.

The cousins swear to stand by their side and fight with them, should the gods or titans
come for their power. It is reassuring to receive that oath of loyalty. The cousins do
naturally take a minute to discuss their awe at the fact that they erupted a volcano and
cleaved it apart. The display of power is cool and the cousins cannot help but revel in it.

Percy tells them how he met Hephaestus while he was on Calypso’s Island. How he had
called them the heirs of the Earthshaker. How the twins' actions had killed thousands.
How Hephaestus decided to be a bit more helpful and offer advice for navigating the
Labyrinth and getting to Daedalus.

The cousins go over this information, formulating plans, discussing the powers, and
quietly mourning the thousands of deaths.

Then it is Rhea’s turn to recap.

She tells them of the Titanesses and the cousins go still with fear. They know what
Titans are capable of and they are afraid to hear the rest of the story, worried that
perhaps the Titanesses hurt the beloved Sea Princess.

She tells them of the Titanesses loyalty to the Titan Queen and how they were the ones
that helped Percy get sent to Calypso- that they wanted to protect the children of their
baby sister’s favorite son.

Rhea does not enjoy going with Percy and Annabeth to find the mortal- to be honest it is
really exhausting watching that triangle. She feels bad for Annabeth, having to watch
the mortal girl ply for Percy's attention, not knowing that he is already fully devoted to
the Daughter of Athena.

But thankfully the mortal guides them through the labyrinth and any sort of jealousy is
momentarily forgotten.

Instead they are captured and brought to a fighting arena and Percy and Rhea are
horrified to see the banner and sigil of their father presiding over the death fight. It is
then that Rhea sees Luke in the seat of Honor, she feels Percy grasp her and Annabeth
and push them behind him.

Percy was not thrilled to see Luke. In fact, a murderous rage was rising up inside him.
But he was momentarily distracted from his white hot rage by the sound of Luke
addressing the giant, tattooed man. “Lord Antaeus, you have been and excellent host!
We would be happy to amuse you, to repay the favor of passing through your territory.”

“A favor I have not yet granted.” growls the giant. Luke bows and holds out a hand.
Right towards Percy.
“I have something fare better for you to fight then centaurs. I bring you, your baby
brother. Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon.” The crowd jeers and throws stones, Percy
dodges them all but he can hear his sister make a small gasp of pain and he knows she
was hit. Antaeus’ eyes seem to shine with a gory delight.

“A brother? Another son of Poseidon? He will fight well. Or Die well.” It was nice that
his brother seemed so confident in his ability to fight and die well, but Percy wasn’t the
one that was going to die today, of that he was sure.

“If his death pleases you, will you let our armies cross your territory?”

“Perhaps.” Luke looked like he was ready to strangle the giant. Luke then proceeded to
glare down at Percy like he expected something good from him. Percy almost wanted to
die pathetically out of spite, but his power wouldn’t let him. It was humming, thrilled at
the chance to be freed and to kill.

“Luke! That’s enough!” Annabeth yells out, desperation hinting in her tone. “Stop and
let us go!” It is then that Luke registers the presence of the three girls behind Percy.

“Annabeth?” His tone is full of confusion and he seems stunned. But his expression
morphs and changes when his eyes land on Rhea. He grows hungry and desperate.
“Rhea!” The arena falls silent. Antaeus spins towards Luke.

“You dare say that name?” A smirk crosses Luke’s face. He is self satisfied and for the
first time, he relaxes as if he were in complete control.

“Rhea Jackson, the Daughter of Poseidon.” He motions with his fingers and Percy
watches as his sister, Annabeth, and Rachel are taken to Luke. He doesn’t fight, Percy
knows his sister is fully capable of killing Luke without help.

“There are no daughters of Poseidon” Antaeus claims but as Rhea gets closer he sees her
eyes and smells the sea in her blood and his mouth falls open in shock. Antaeus is
stunned by the realization and it seems that he is about to say something so Percy
distracts him by questioning to homage to Poseidon. When Antaeus brags about being
Poseidon’s favorite, Percy wants to laugh in his face. He knows his father favors him
and his sister. Not only for their power or status as twins, but also for their mother. He
and Rhea are Poseidon’s love children and hold his favor alone.

Annabeth shrieks a warning that Antaeus’ mother is Gaea before she is silenced and
Percy’s blood burns harder. He will kill all those who have touched her.

Percy easily murders the first opponent he is faced with and his power cries in
disappointment at the lack of use. The monster was killed easily with his sword, and
Percy is beginning to ache from holding his power in. It is the second opponent who
helps alleviate some of the discomfort. The fight goes a little longer and when Percy
uses his power to boost himself, he knows that he could unleash it completely but holds
back because he cannot bring himself to kill this demigod that he is fighting. It seems
unfair, especially since he only has one eye.
When Percy refuses to kill Ethan, Antaeus howls with rage, and Percy's answer is to turn
to Antaeus and demand that the giant come down and fight. When Antaeus accepts the
challenge a cruel and cold laugh erupts from Rhea, everyone falls quiet, the sound
sending chills down their bones. She turns to look at the Giant and a flashes a cruel
smile at him.

“He will kill you easily. You are nothing and you will fall at the hands of the true son of
Poseidon.” Antaeus hand flew out quick as a flash and a resound smack echoes through
the air. Blood roars in Percy's ears and his powers beg him to let them out. His hands
shake and clench as a result of the pure fury that has formed in his gut.

Antaeus had struck Rhea.

When his sister laughs delightedly and spits golden blood on Antaeus’s face the giant
moves to strike her again before Luke steps in front of her.

“The Lord will not be pleased if your hand should harm her again.”

Shocked whispers raced around the arena at the sight of his sister’s golden blood and
Antaeus himself looked like the blood had drained from his face, perhaps because of
Luke’s warning or maybe it was the sight of Golden Blood in the corner of Rhea’s
mouth, the threads of red visible, but barely.

The hunger in Luke’s gaze grows when he sees the blood and his hand is now placed on
Rhea’s waist (Percy swears he will break said wrist), pulling the Daughter of Poseidon
closer to his seat (wannabe throne) . Rhea bares her teeth at him and Luke’s eyes shine
with a hint of gold as he smiles back at her.

Percy quickly finds out what ‘son of Gaea’ entails when he first stabs Anteaus and
annoyance creeps under his skin. But he knows this won’t affect his victory. Perseus
Jackson is destined to destroy and not even Antaeus can stop it. The fight
continues (Percy using only his hands for the time being) and he knows that Antaeus
feels dread and the first hints of defeat when Percy catches his punch in his hands,
unmoved by the impact. He sees the way Antaeus looks at him change, now it is more
calculating, careful.

“Do you know what my price for victory will be, little brother?” Antaeus hisses out,
Percy knows he is trying to knock him off balance by talking. “My price when I crush
your skull,” Antaeus leans in, a sick smile spread across his face. “Will be our pretty
little sister.”

Percy shoves him away with inhuman strength and stands still. He looks up at his sister
as Antaeus laughs. She smirks down at him and gives a firm nod.

He removes the lid on his power and lets it leak out. His sword returns to his hand and
the labyrinth shakes. The ground beneath them begins the crack and rumble and Antaeus
looks around in shock- he knows this is because of Percy.

Percy has learned now; the Sea is inside him. It floods around him and heeds his call,
forming a volatile torrent and sweeping Antaeus off and away from the ground (some
son of Poseidon. He can’t even fight the water). A new torrent forms beneath Percy’s
feet and raises him up into the air, pushing him up until he is at Antaeus’ eye level. He
cuts and slices at Antaeus’ skin to test if this works and if Antaeus’ healing is gone and
when he sees that it is, he rams his sword straight into his half brother’s chest. He drags
the sword down and Antaeus’ chest gapes open.

Eyes glowing Sea Green and Gold, Percy reaches into the open chest, grasps the heart
and yanks.

When the water clears and Percy is back on the ground, Antaeus has turned to dust,
leaving only his loin cloth behind. And the heart that now rests in Percy’s hand.

The Arena has gone silent, everyone looking on with horror. But he meets his sister’s
eyes and she glows with pride. Her delighted laugh is the only sound in the arena and it
bounces off the wall. He then looks at Annabeth and sees relief on her face, and the
worry in his chest lifts.

Thankfully before Luke can try and have them killed, Percy summons the giant
hellhound and he and the girls are swept off the safety.
 A Rise in Darkness

The workshop of Daedalus is far too modern that it immediately sets the twins on edge. It
does not look reminiscent of the Ancient Greek times when the inventor was alive. Instead it
looks as if it is something of the 21st Century. Wariness creeps into Rhea’s mind.

When Quintus reveals himself to be Daedalus, Percy’s teeth curl into a snarl. She knows that
he is furious because he knew that this man was off- suspicious- and yet Percy still let him
close to her and their cousins. She knows when she sees his jaw clench that he is barely
staving off the urge to murder him.

Annabeth demands the string, she believes that because she is his sister that he could grant
her this favor. But Daedalus is untrustworthy and an opportunist. He has already promised the
string to Kronos.

It is with this statement that Rhea realizes that Luke hadn’t been in a good mood because of
the fighting or because she and her brother had been in the arena, it had been because he had
already found his way through the labyrinth. (She doesn’t know that she is wrong. Because
while Kronos was pleased that Luke had the string, Kronos would have rewarded him Tenfold
for bringing him Rhea)

Daedalus tells them of his deal with Kronos and the air drops in temperature. Kronos’s name
echoes in Rhea’s ears and nausea forms in the pit of her stomach. ‘Kronos will overthrow
Hades. Kronos has promised freedom. Kronos...Kronos..’

The whispers of the name threaten to take over her mind but she is pulled from them when
Nico is shoved into the room followed by monsters and the ghost of King Minos. Minos tells
them that Kronos has double crossed Daedalus and Rhea can feel the urge to burst into insane
laughter because of course Kronos did.

Rhea is of course concerned by Nico’s appearance with Minos and the godsdamned
Empousai. As a fight breaks out between the groups Rhea demands to know if Nico has
turned traitor while she fights, blades spinning around her, cutting down monsters. The
Children of the Elder Six (the House of Kronos) will not tolerate cousins betraying one
another.

Nico swears he is true to her and Percy in a desperate voice, tears gathering in his eyes (the
boy is only 11, but in this family youth doesn’t mean innocence). He proclaims his loyalty and
she knows he means it and it is then when she sees how much his training has begun to take.

Over the past year, the power inside Rhea and Percy has been slowly awakening, it has grown
exponentially, even with the tight restraint they keep on it. But now it is Nico's turn to loosen
his grip on his own powers. Nico is the only Son of Hades, he is the Prince of the
Underworld.
Minos tries to call the Spirits of the Dead to him, but how they could they answer to some
pathetic imitation of a dead king when before them stands the Ghost King. Nico truly taps
into his power for the first time and a crown of Hellfire forms around his head, crowing him
as Ghost King.

The Bloodline hums and trills with this new discovery of power (Thalia can feel it across the
country with her Hunters, and the Children of Demeter are forced to pause in their work as
their blood sings.)

They are able to escape because of course they are, a couple monsters and the wannabe Ghost
King could never even dream to kill the Children of the Elder Six (The things that could kill
them are things like: Kronos, their parents, each other. They know that menial challenges like
this mean nothing.)

As they fly (fall) from the sky with the Wings of Daedalus, the air changes around the
cousins. It electrifies and they can feel the atmosphere growing tense.

It is their uncle; he is aware of their presence in his domain. They land as quickly as possible
because they do not want to give their uncle any more of a reason to kill them. They can feel
the air hum around them and they know that this is his way of ‘letting them off with a
warning’.

They have just escaped the Labyrinth but they must go back in. The camp is preparing for
war and Lee tells Percy that they are in desperate need for their leaders to return. Percy, Rhea,
and Nico are utter powerhouses and if the Battle is going to be won, the cousins need to
return home. (Not to mention Annabeth is the lead Strategist, so her presence is keenly
missed.)

Percy feels hunger inside him at the thought of the battle. He knows that perhaps it is wrong
but he doesn’t care and he knows his cousins feel it too. They are too powerful and everyday
games like Capture the Flag do nothing to satiate the cavernous depths of their powers.
Erupting the volcano and the fight to the death against Antaeus had been so satisfying and
now he hungered for more.

Inside the tunnels the group comes to a screeching halt when the smell of Eucalyptus
overwhelms the caverns. It is a scent that is all to familiar. Annabeth recognizes it from
Mount Tamalpais but the cousins recognize it because it is the smell of their homeland, the
line of Kronos all know this smell because it permeates their bloodline (Rhea recognizes it
from something even deeper even if she doesn’t know why).

“There is something evil here. Something powerful.” Annabeth murmurs.

“It smells of Death.” replies Nico. But it is Rhea’s answer that sets all their nerves on edge
and has Nico and Percy inching closer to her.

“ It is Othrys .” (She doesn’t even realize that the Old Tongue has slipped so seamlessly from
her lips.)

She begins walking further into the tunnel and Percy follows at her side. She faintly registers
Nico telling Rachel and Annabeth that it is best if the three of them wait there.

The twins reach the entrance to a tunnel and they come to a halt. Percy can hear telekhines
and the half-blood from the arena speaking. He watches them carefully, listening in on their
conversation but he sees out of the corner of his eye that Rhea is now gazing up on a
monstrosity of a fortress made of pure black stone that stands before them, The Palace of
Othrys. However, he is quickly distracted when glowing metal catches his eye.

His blood runs hot and a sickening sense of recognition (hunger) goes through him.
He knows that weapon, somehow as if it is ingrained in his DNA, he know this weapon.

A six foot long blade with a wooden handle with a blade of both steel and bronze. The blade
that had murdered Ouranos. (Few know this, but Zeus had used Kronos’s own blade against
him when he had cut his father into a thousand pieces.)

A part of him longs to burst forward and snatch the weapon from the hands of the monsters
and claim it as his own but he hears a soft ‘No’ come from his sister’s lips so he grabs her
hand and pulls her behind him down a different tunnel. The walls change and he knows that
they are now inside the halls of the palace. He feels full or eagerness and trepidation at the
same time and he can tell his sister feels the same way.

The walls are lined with bronze effigies and tall marble statues. He knows that these are The
Twelve, the Original rulers of the Earth. He stares at them but Rhea tugs at his hand and pulls
him behind her in the direction of a particular statue she seems fascinated with.

She stops in front of the statue and gazes up.

“Hyperion” she exclaims in excitement, her fingers reaching out as if to touch the statue and
while Percy is interested, he has just caught sight of something else that makes him suck in a
breath and both he and his sister turn away from the statue of Hyperion.

It is a carving of Kronos and Rhea, seated on the Thrones of Heaven. The carving is well
taken care of, as if the palace had some devoted worker who cared for these etchings (or
perhaps magic had restored them as Othrys and Kronos had reformed.) He is gazing onto the
face of his grandfather when his sister hisses out his name and points towards the bottom of
the carving.

Sitting in the folds of their parents cloaks are five children, small and hidden as if someone
had tried to rid of them in an attempt to forget. The children sit protected by their mother and
father and Percy's eyes wander over the faces. His mouth drops open when he realizes that he
is seeing the faces of his aunts, Uncle Hades, and his father, sitting ensconced beside their
parents on Mount Othrys. (The twins don't know this but Kronos had ordered for his children
to be carved beside him and his beloved.) Percy sees a pearly tear fall from his sister’s eye
and he wonders why Kronos had kept this statue standing when it bore the faces of children
he claimed to hate.

But an ancient hymn sounds through the air and Percy and Rhea are pulled from the statues
as if entranced and they walk further down the hall until they enter what can only be the
throne room.

Standing grandly in the center are the Thrones of The Heavens, the seats Kronos and Rhea
had claimed after their father had been unseated. These are the original seats (Ouranos had
once sat on one of these thrones.) and Percy wonders if they still hold any of their old power.
Before the thrones, on a risen dais sits a golden and jewel encrusted sarcophagus. Bronze
braziers surround it and the firelight reflects on the walls, casting eerie reflections.

Luke is nowhere in sight and there are no guards surrounding the coffin. The twins crept
closer and while Percy came to a stop next to the glowing sarcophagus, Rhea kept walking.

From his place standing beside the sarcophagus, he watches as his sister walks determinedly
towards the thrones that sit in the middle of the room beneath a halo of gold. Before he can
open his mouth and warn her not to touch it, Rhea’s hand is extending and she places it, palm
flat on the throne. A pained gasp escapes her lips and she shudders, her shoulders hunching
over and Percy wonders for a moment if the thrones are cursed. He hears a shriek as though a
woman was being tortured echo out before everything goes quiet. He shifts, ready to make
his way over to her when she turns around.

Her eyes are glowing, but they have taken on a sickly more ethereal shade of green. He notes
that a trail of blood is slowly creeping its way down from her nose and he calls to her softly.
She starts as if he startled her and her eyes fade to their normal color and her hand reaches up
to wipe at the blood as if confused to how it got there.

Her eyes land on the coffin and he watches her quickly jog back over to him her eyes eager to
take in the sight of what could only be a reforming Kronos.

The singing in the air and roar of power had only grown louder after Rhea had touched the
throne and now her head pounded with the most awful headache ever known (she was sure it
was second only to the one Zeus had before Athena was born.) She isn't quite sure what
happened when she touched the throne but she also knows that standing before her is
something much more important than whatever did happen. The faint calling of Rhea’s name
was also growing stronger as she reached the coffin and stood over it. Large letters over the
top of the coffin were written in a language that she knew wasn’t Ancient Greek.

“Kronos, The King of the Heavens and Titan of Time” Percy hisses out into the air, the
sound of the Old Tongue filling the room. Chills went down her spine and she reached out
and touched the lid. fingers running over it before she pushed and the lit fell to the floor with
a giant crash.

What lies inside is not the body of Kronos. It is the body of Luke Castellan (Rhea will forever
deny the slight feeling of disappointment at the revelation). Percy raised his sword as if to
strike but she put her hand out, stopping him in his tracks. When the voices of the telekhines
sound the twins race to hid behind the columns and statues along the side of the throne room.
They watch as the half-blood Percy freed from the arena swears himself to Kronos and Rhea
mutters that this is an awful way to repay Percy for letting him live

The palace rumbled and shook beneath their feet and a cloud of pure energy rose from the
coffin. Luke sat bolt upright but when he turned to look at them it was as if Luke’s face was
merging with that of someone else. Not quite Luke but not quite Kronos. He gazed around
the room with golden eyes (the same cold eyes that Hera had inherited) and then looked
directly at the twins hiding spot.

“I am so pleased to have made my way back into my realm.” His deep voice, oozing with
Power echos around the chamber and he gives an almost appreciative laugh as he takes in his
surroundings. “Aren’t you glad to see me, Engonos ?” The twins stare at each other in
shock. Engonos. Grandson. He knows that Percy is there. Percy gives her a look that clearly
says ‘stay here’ and steps out from their hiding place.

If things were different or this were a different life, Percy would have perhaps made a
pathetic attempt to stab Kronos but this is not that life.

Here there is a look of grudging respect that passes between their eyes as they look at one
another. (Kronos was the very first of their kind, the very first destroyer and here before him
stands his grandson, the newest Destroyer. A GodKiller.)

Rhea's breath is coming out in quiet, stuttering gasps as she takes in the sight before her.

“You will meet your end again patriactis, and I am not Zeus, I will make sure that this time it
sticks.” Percy growls out. Kronos gives a laugh, she can't tell if he is amused by Percy's
words or if he is laughing because Percy has the nerve to call the man 'Grandfather'.

“I’m sure that if given the chance, you would.” Percy draws his sword and Kronos’s smile
grows into something sick. But Percy’s eyes flick in her direction and she can feel his
desperation to keep Kronos away from her. She watched as Percy turned on his heel and
sprinted out of the throne room and back down the hall. Kronos stood there as if shocked and
blinked. Then the air ground and shrieked as if metal was grinding on metal and Rhea knew
that this was the power of Kronos. Time was bending itself to his will.

He leisurely made his way out of the room, following Percy and swinging his scythe. Rhea
crept along after him, keeping her distance and staying quiet. She prayed to anyone that was
listening that he would not catch her brother for she knew that there was nothing on this earth
that could stand against Kronos, there was no sword or trident that could keep Percy safe
from him should they fight.
“Percy!” Rachel’s voice shrieked down the hall and Rhea gasped when her brother popped
out from behind a statue and grabbed her hand, yanking her down another hallway, towards
the voice of the mortal.

They aren’t fast enough. Kronos turns down the hall and laughs when he catches sight of
their backs, running for their lives. He is too close to them and he is gaining ground, too fast.
They cannot outrun him.

Percy turns, pulling her behind him and stands, Riptide in front of him. The sword is the only
barrier between the twins and their bloodthirsty, kinslaying, head of family.

But as her eyes look over Percy's shoulder, they crash into the golden eyes of Kronos. Their
eyes meet and a haunted, pained expression makes its way across the King's features.

‘No’ he whispers, as if some great revelation has been discovered.

A blue hairbrush flies through the air like a dagger and nails the Titan of Time in his eye.
Percy's head whips around and she hears him call out to Rachel and Nico. A very Luke
sounding ‘Ow!’ comes from Kronos’s mouth but he blinks and shakes his head before raising
it again and meeting her eyes. She cannot look away and it seems that neither can he.

Nico lets out a scream and an enormous black mountain erupts from the ground, separating
them from the Titan King. There is no time to stand there and congratulate their youngest
cousin on his newly freed powers.

They plunged their way back into the Labyrinth, running for their lives as the rage of the
King of The Titans and Former Ruler of the Heaves shook the world.

A sick feeling sat in Rhea’s stomach.

She knew that now that Kronos had seen her, it was only a matter of time before the
Titanesses words came true and he came for her.
 Family Ties

The fact that Zeus had been born was a complete and total accident and Kronos was not
ashamed to admit that. His youngest was never meant to exist and so he had never been
meant to be the Destroyer of the new generation. That Fate was designated to Poseidon.

There was a seven year age gap between Poseidon and Zeus and so that had meant that
Poseidon had been ensured the Destiny of Destroyer originally, but then Zeus had been
accidentally conceived (Kronos was grateful for the night but not for the resulting
consequence) and so destiny was forced to rewrite itself.

It had honestly been one of the most fascinating things in Kronos’s long existence to watch
his children stumble their way through life. He had watched as Poseidon remained content to
watch from the background and allow Zeus to carry out the Predestined and generational
Patricide.

What had also been particularly fascinating was that Hades had been perfectly content to urge
Zeus to take on that role of murderer, all the while guarding and watching over Poseidon and
ensuring that Zeus was the one to do the dirty work. (Hades, like his father, is certainly one to
play favorites among the Six).

He knew that Hera had been much to happy to be the schemer behind Zeus and that Zeus had
been persuaded by her charming (scheming) eyes to take on his brother’s role. Zeus had also
been all to happy to crown Hera as his queen and let her sit by his side as a thanks for
undermining the Titans. (Zeus had tried to marry himself to Titanesses to strengthen his reign
but in the end it had failed and so like many before him, he married his sister.)

When Hestia had refused to fight against him and his brothers, Kronos could not help the
overwhelming sense of relief that had flooded him. Instead she had relegated herself to
keeping watchful eyes on her youngest brothers and taking care of her mother (he would be
eternally grateful that she had been there to love and care for his beloved while her husband
and children had ripped each other apart.)

He had known (and so had Hestia) that one of the younger boys would be the one to murder
their Father and so during the entirety of the Titanomachy, he and his daughter (though he did
from a distance and through dreams) had watched them with wariness.

In a way Kronos had been relieved when it was Zeus that had been the one to kill him. He
already loathed the boy and so it had been quite easy to scream and curse at his youngest
child. It had also been relatively easy to call down the generational curse on Zeus (he wasn’t
sure if he could have done it to Poseidon.)

Something that Kronos didn’t know and that only Hestia had been told in hushed whispers at
night was that Poseidon had been so greatly pained by the idea of having to kill their
father. (Kronos would have been heartbroken to have died at the hands of his wife’s favored
son, he wouldn’t have been able to stand seeing her eyes staring down at him with a burning
hatred.)
The eldest five of Kronos’s children had a unique bond, one Zeus didn’t quite
understand (which amused Kronos to no end) and however loathsome and irritating Hera was,
she was still a part of it. She had the same nightmares the rest of them did and sometimes on
days were they had been particularly bad and she felt incredibly vulnerable, she like the rest
of them would seek comfort in one of the other five, usually her sisters.

His children were loyal to one another and in another life perhaps that loyalty could have
been directed at him but that was not possible. Their loyalty to one another was admirable
and it made Kronos long for his time with Rhea and his brothers and sisters.

He had to remind himself that he only need wait for a little while longer before he could once
again enjoy such times.

Racing through the Labyrinth, back to camp, had been a harrowing and exhausting
experience. Dragging a practically catatonic sister behind oneself was never recommended
when it came to running for your life from your nutcase of a grandfather.

Percy was irritated, worried, and stressed. He had an unresponsive sister, an angry and in
denial Annabeth (her inability to let go of Luke despite his clear betrayal was so confusing to
Percy), a tired Nico, and Rachel whose lung capacity was no where near close to that of a
Demigod.

When they find Grover’s fallen cap on the ground, Percy’s heart clenches in fear and he
wonders if perhaps this is the toll of the quest. They had entered the Labyrinth as a group of
eight originally and the Fates always demanded Holy Numbers be used for quests. Had his
half-brother and best friend been claimed as forfeit for the breaking of this rule? (Percy does
not know it now but the lives that the Fates will claim as recompense will not be those of the
ones on the quest.)

When they do find Grover and Tyson, they witness the fading of the god, Pan. Percy feels his
ire grow faintly in the back of his head. They do not have the time to sit here and watch a god
fade slowly from existence. His cousins and his camp are in danger. His grandfather is
building in strength and numbers and is no doubt drawing closer to the camp.

Percy and Rhea are the camp’s leaders (he only hopes that she will be alright by the time it
comes to fight.) and they cannot let the battle happen without them on the front lines to
protect the campers. (for a slightly more selfish reason, he cannot let the battle happen
without him because he is so desperate for the release it will give him to express the
bloodthirstiness that flows through his veins and lingers in the back of his mind.)

Luckily, Pan fades quickly. Percy does feel a faint sadness at the fading of the god. He does
respect the importance of the minor gods (they are vital to existence after all). However, he
cannot say that he isn’t relieved when they emerge from the Labyrinth and Blackjack along
with Porkpie and Guido come to pick them up and carry them swiftly to camp.
Percy can now get his sister back to the camp to be taken care of or healed or whatever it is
she needs (he doesn’t know that there is nothing any of them can do to help). He will also be
reunited with his family. When the cousins are together their powers and blood become ten
times more potent and drown their surroundings in power. He knows that in the face of a
large scale battle that this is exactly what the camp needs.

When they land in the middle of the cabin area, Percy is not surprised in the least when his
cousins, Lee, and Chiron immediately jog over to greet them.

When Rhea is surrounded by her cousins and when their powers starting bouncing and
building off one another her color returns and life sparks in her eyes again. Percy watches as
Lee gathers her into his arms and presses kisses into her hair, repeating over and over about
how worried he was.

“Kronos has risen!” Percy announces, his voice rings out over the camp and silence falls as
the campers register their leader’s voice and the terrifying news it carries. The Children of
Demeter wear grim yet determined expressions and Percy knows that like him and Rhea, they
had felt it ring out across the Bloodline when Kronos had awoken.

“We may have bought a little time for us to prepare but in all likelihood, he will be here very
soon.” Nervous chatter filled the air as the demigods turned to the leaders, awaiting orders.
“Mount all our defenses, gather as many weapons, bombs, traps, and other stuff as possible.
They will outnumber us but that doesn’t mean they outpower us. We are the children of the
gods and we will prevail.” Roars of approval met Percy’s statement and the very ground
shook beneath the power and determination of the Demigods.

They were born for this.

Rhea was a bit shaky and she was pretty sure that she was kind of feverish as well but there
wasn’t any time for that. Kronos was coming and he would rain his vengeance down upon his
descendants until there was nothing and no one left standing. She stood there for a moment
leaning on Lee before he apologized for having to go. She didn’t mind she knew he had to
lead his cabin and prepare. Besides she needed to go with her cousins.

While the other demigods prepared for the battle in the more traditional sense (gathering
weapons, bombs, shoring the defenses) the cousins prepared a little differently. The group of
10 quickly made their way to the Poseidon cabin, trusting that Lee would make sure that
preparations ran smoothly.

Once they were all inside the cabin, peace and quiet surrounded them. It was the calm before
the storm. They all sat in a circle on the floor enjoying each others presences for a few
moments.

“We felt your awakening, Nico!” Miranda exclaimed in excitement. The other Demeter
children all joined in the conversation, saying how awesome it had felt and how happy they
were for him and asking what he had done. When he told them of his new claim as Ghost
King a hush fell over the cousins as they gazed at him with admiration.

“We felt something else too.” Liam speaks up his voice worried and low. His eyes are
running over Rhea and she found herself unable to meet his gaze. “What else happened?”

“We saw Othrys. Like we were inside Othrys.” Rhea exhaled. The same fear and exhilaration
that she had had when she went into the palace was now expressed on her cousin’s faces.

“What was it like?” Katie whispered.

“Dark.” Percy deadpanned. The rest of the cousins snickered. They then went on to explain
the experience. How they had seen the statues of the Original Twelve, the carving of Kronos
and Rhea with the five eldest children carved hidden at the bottom.

When they told their cousins about that confusion colored everyone’s features. Rhea then told
them how they had seen the Thrones of the Heavens. The original ones. Shocked gasps
echoed around the room.

“I touched one of them.” Rhea confesses. “I laid my hand on one of the thrones and the odd
thing is, it didn’t hurt like I thought it would. It felt as if I were coming home. As if I were
meant to be there and I could feel myself being draw to it.” Worry was the main feeling that
was expressed when she said that. Liam reached over and grabbed her wrist.

“Don’t do that again Rhea. Whatever you do, don’t touch it again. It's too dangerous and we
don’t know what could happen.” The others agreed with hasty nods and Rhea found herself
nodding along but secretly wondering, if it was so dangerous why had it felt so right?

However the time for catching up was over and it was time to prepare. Silence rang
throughout the cabin and one by one the cousins shut their eyes. Rhea delved deep inside the
well that was her power, refamiliarizing herself with it. She swam in it and luxuriated in the
sheer quantity and power of it. The power was heady, she felt as if she could drunk on it as it
surrounded her. The smell of the sea and the earth filled her nose and she could taste sea salt
and the coppery taste of blood on her tongue

She then began to reach out into the abyss of power around her and felt a familiar feeling. It
was Percy. His power felt as if it were sheer destructive willpower and force and while
anyone else would have crumbled under the weight of it, she welcomed it. Slowly one by one
the cousins found and felt one another’s power. The call of family and the threads of the
Bloodline kept them tightly wound together, and the air electrified and hummed with the
colossal power that was building in the room.

The air shimmered and as the power came together collecting in the room it fell over the
cousins, blanketing them. With a mirage like image almost as if someone where creating an
illusions (but this was very much real) armor formed on the bodies of each of the cousins.
The largest military operation and preparation Camp Half Blood had seen in centuries was
currently underway and Lee was in charge of watching over it. It was slightly overwhelming
and he was also fighting to not let his overarching concern for his girlfriend occupy the
entirety of his mind. He was the 3rd in Command at the Camp and she would be fine with her
family. The clearing around Zeus’s Fist was now full of the 40 Demigods that were currently
living at Camp and they were all dressed out in full battle armor for the first time in any of
their lives. Lee’s golden armor, emblazoned with the crest of the Sun shone brightly and he
could feel the heat of the sun reflecting off of the gold and the strength it was giving him.

He watched as the Hephaestus cabin laid out dozens of layers of traps around the Labyrinth
entrance and his admiration for them only grew as he watched jars and jars followed by
cauldrons full of Greek Fire be placed around the attack site. They then laid out razor wire
and stabbed sharp blades in the ground. Anything to kill or even just slow the enemy.

Beckendorf was spearheading the Hephaestus Cabin Operations and occasionally running up
to Lee to deliver a piece of news or a report.

It was at times like this were one knew that even if the Hephaestus Cabin was not the highest
in the hierarchy their role at camp and their services were irreplaceable.

The Children of Ares for the first time were charged and ready to go, they were almost happy
in a way, calling to one another, their blood red armor giving off a sickly light. Clarisse was
shouting out orders and her 12 siblings fell into perfect formations on the front lines while a
couple of the others took up positions in more hidden spots for ambushing.

When their formations were perfected, she looked over to Lee with an arrogant sort of look as
if she were asking ‘good enough?’ and he gave a firm approving nod.

Lee observed the dryads, naiads, and Satyrs jogging into the clearing with a variety of nature
affiliated weapons and he suppressed a grin. However weird it may look he was appreciative
of the numbers they brought.

He then made his way to the command tent that was posted in the back of the clearing,
furthest away from Zeus’s Fist. The Athena Cabin had set up camp there and Annabeth was
running at high speed, shouting orders, directing operations, and fielding questions. The Gray
Owl flew over the tent.

Behind the tent were 9 banners wave in the wind. The furthest ones from the center were
Hermes and Hephaestus, one on each side and proudly waving. Dionysus, Aphrodite, Ares,
and Athena’s banners were the next ones in, and Lee could see visible strains of power
radiating off of the banners as the campers rallied and prepared. Lee paused and looked up at
his own banner, opposite of the Demeter banner and on the left hand of the Poseidon Banner
which proudly stood in the center, blazing with glory and power.
He knew that today would be the Apollo cabin’s chance to prove why they deserved their
position in the hierarchy and their seat on the Left Hand of the Twins.

He then walked into the Athena Tent. Annabeth paused what she was doing and looked up at
him.

“How’s it going out there?”

“Preparations are good. There’s a fuckton of Greek fire, everyone is falling into their
positions.” She muttered out a ‘good’ in response and went back to looking at the map of the
camp and her battle plans.

“It’s not enough” Chiron grimly stated and Lee turned to him with a sharp look. However
Annabeth had a sort of pained expression as she looked at her mentor and Lee’s gut clenched.

“You’re right.” She admitted. “But we have to work with what we’ve got.” They couldn’t
rely on the gods for any help. It was just 40 demigods, about 20 varied Nature beings, and
Chiron against the might of Kronos’s army.

“Lee, you’re one of the strongest demigods we have. I want you to stay in the back so that
you can aid everyone who needs it. Whatever you do, don’t lead the charge.” Lee sighs, he
knows that his ability to wield sun fire is valuable but he hates not being on the front line,
defending his family.

“What do you think happened with the twins on the quest?” He asked quietly, still worried
about the state his girlfriend had returned in.

“They saw Lu-Kronos” Annabeth spoke up from her spot at the table. Her voice cracked a bit
and he assumed it was because she had to force herself not to call him Luke. They all stood
there in a state of shock and Lee wondered what it had felt like to come face to face with the
Titan of Time but then he realized that he may get to experience it soon.

It was then that the ground beneath them began to tremble and quake. Demigods began
shouting orders and Lee, Chiron, and the Athena Cabin emerged from the tent, weapons in
hand, ready to begin the fight for their lives.
 The Battle of the Labyrinth

In the circle, eyes open one by one. Earthy green shining with a sick glint and taking on
a new and otherworldly look. Black eyes blazing like hellfire. His eyes are a pure form
of Power.

Finally twin pairs of Sea Green Eyes. They are not the eyes of mortals or Demigods.

Each one of the Olympians sat in their respective homes watching over the camp. They
were all anxious to see the fight (none of them wanted to lose their children) and they
also wanted to get a good idea of what they were up against.

Zeus watches from his throne (he feels safe there and it gives him a sense of control in
the face of what’s coming) he feels nauseous at the impending arrival of his father at
Camp Half Blood. (he thanks chaos that Thalia is not there anymore)

But it is the Eldest Five who sit huddled together. They sit close in Hestia’s chambers
with a blazing fire and as many lights on as possible (their fear of the dark is very
justified) and they grasp at each other’s hands.

They are about to see their father’s face for the first time in thousands of years and fear
is coiling at the base of their spines. None of the other gods will ever understand the
primal and innate fear that their father had instilled in them. While some had mixed
feelings regarding him, they all had the same fear.

Hera watched, anxious of what this could mean for her reign and terrified to see the man
who had been haunting her dreams. The darkness he had been plunging her into every
night over the past few years had made her paranoid.

Demeter sits one hand clasped in Poseidon’s and the other in Hestia’s. She knows that he
will come to kill them but sometimes she remembers the father who had softly brushed
her golden curls and kissed her cheeks when she was a baby. Her confusion and her hurt
only feed her pain.

Hestia is terrified, yes. She spent the longest time in the dark and she was the only one
to spend that time alone (it had only been 18 months of solitude though). But she is also
full of longing. She has not seen her father since her dreamwalk and she wants to see his
face now that he is alive. Is he the father she remembers? Or is he the King of the
Heavens?

Hades is terrified and angry. He tightly grips his younger brother’s hand (he doesn’t even
register that Hera is gripping the other one.) and he might be holding his breath but he
isn’t sure. Not only is his father hear to kill him, but he will kill Hades only son. Maria’s
son. He longs to go down and interfere but he knows that he is bound by the laws Hera
and Zeus created.
Poseidon is anxious. Yes he is terrified but he is anxious. Besides Hestia he is the only
sibling that knew Kronos for a length of time (gods age much faster in a couple months
than mortals do). He remembers sitting on his Father’s lap on the Throne of the
Heavens, his father proudly displaying him to his subjects and how his aunts and uncles
had cooed at the sight of him. He remembers Kronos telling him that it would all be his
one day and calling Poseidon his beloved son. But that was a different Kronos. This is
no longer the father that he knew.

He knows that this Kronos will be Kronos as the Destroyer, as he was when he went up
against Ouranos.

This man hurt his mother. This man abandoned their family. He knows that his father
will come for his poor daughter. And he knows without a doubt, his father will do his
best to kill Percy.

It is not Kronos’s army that has the Earth shaking to its very core. It is something far
more dangerous than the hordes of monsters that will be coming for them shortly.

Stalking this way, are the sons and daughters of Demeter, Hades, and Poseidon.

The ground cracked open and was heaving beneath the very might and power of the 10
children of the Elder Six as if it could not bear the strength of their might. They made
their way through the lines of the campers who all drew back in awe and recoiled from
the sting of the power that was rolling off of the cousins.

Katie, Miranda, Liam, Seth, Steve, Lillian, and Madeleine are protected by shining
plates of bronze armor with the sickle of Demeter emblazoned in its chest plate. Off of
one shoulder hangs a cloak of green that comes up to meet the cloak of purple that hangs
of the other shoulder. The mixed colors of the draped cloaks proclaim their royal
heritage as the Children of the Second Princess of Othrys, (Kronos would call them
Demetia and Demetians as the Old Tongue would command but none of the Demigods
know this.).

Nico Di Angelo is Death. The very ground beneath him wilts and dies as he walks in his
Stygian Iron armor with its matching sword hanging by his side and the Three Headed
Cerberus crowns his armor. His eerie silver cloak merges with his purple one and it is
then that Lee sees the Ancient Greek Symbols declaring Nico the Son of the First Prince
of Othrys, (Nico Hadeian).

But it is Percy and Rhea Jackson who cut the most terrifying image. Their silver armor
glows ethereally as if it is reflecting the power of the bodies of those it protects. A
crowned trident rested in the center of both of their armor. Their cloaks are of the
bloodiest red and the deepest purple. The colors of Greek Royalty (the colors of the
House of Kronos and Rhea, actually)
But it is the look in their eyes that chills Lee the most. The twins had always struggled
to stay in touch with the human side of their biology, but now it seemed as if they had
given in to the divine blood that ruled in their veins. Their eyes lacked any sort of
humanness, cold and calculating, ready to cut down any who came for their people.

Sparta had Two Kings in their time. Dual Rulers who fought and ruled Sparta with
powerful might.

It seems that now so does Camp Half Blood.

They make their way to the middle of the campers, not going to the front (which is
wise) but not too far back either, knowing that it is considered cowardly for the leaders
to hang in the back. The ground gave an even greater heave than it did under the might
of the Demigods and the clearing stilled.

“Lock Shields.” Perseus commanded he voice deep and commanding, cutting through
the silence. Cruel smirks curl on the lips of the Children of the Elder Six and the air
hums.

The Army of the Titan Lord exploded from the Labyrinth

It was an all out, full scale battle, nothing like the Demigods had ever been through
before. Laistrygonian Giants were the first line, their battle cries echoing so loud that it
normally would have made Rhea’s ears bleed- if she hadn’t been completely submerged
in the well of her and her cousins powers.

The Ares Cabin stood against the might of the Giant and when his club made contact
with their shields they were sent flying to the side, becoming a red armored mass on the
ground. Beckendorf called his cabin to fire and the catapults swung through the air,
boulders hurdling directing into the giants. They were caught head on and went down
with a heavy BOOM.

“Archers, Fire!” Lee shouted and dozens of deadly and poisonous arrows flew through
the sky, a deadly arch and struck true in the skin of the giants, vaporizing them instantly.
A powerful war cry rose from the Demigods and the air hummed again.

The Children of the Elder Six stood strong in the midst of their warriors, unbowed and
unshaken. It is then that the second wave of the army emerges from the maze. Well over
40 dracanae pour into the clearing, fully armed. Luckily the second line of defense
deployed. The dracanae were caught in the deadly wires, felled by the celestial bronze
blades in the ground, and another collapsed into a cauldron of Greek Fire which burst
into horrid green flames, engulfing a dozen of the monsters but their numbers were
massive and however many died, more emerged to replace them.

The Children of Ares had collected themselves by now and banded with the Children of
Athena. The superior strength, speed, and senses of the two cabins made them into
deadly warriors and the two cabins (about 20 campers) charged forward to challenge the
Monsters.

Rhea saw Annabeth in the midst of the fighting and her gaze flickered to her brother’s.
His face was unmoved but his eyes churned with power and hints of worry. She knew
his senses were attuned to Annabeth’s every move.

From the back Chiron and Lee were firing arrows left and right, felling monsters with
every shot. More and more monsters kept crawling from the entrance. When a pack of
hellhounds emerged and headed straight for a joined band of satyrs and Children of
Hermes, Rhea straightened.

“NOW!” She cried and the 10 cousins shot into action. They immediately dispersed into
the action, providing much needed aid and sheer power in the battle efforts, monsters
falling in the wake of the 10. Rhea barely registered Perseus racing past her to aid the
satyrs when a group of 5 enemy demigods surrounded her.

The insane laughter from the arena bubbled out of her mouth again and the enemies
shifted nervously. Then they struck. They ganged up and rushed her at once their swords
coming at her from all sides and her twin blades erupted from her bracelet.

Rhea was a blur, many would have been overwhelmed by the sheer unfair numbers that
are 5 on 1 but not Rhea. However good these demigods were, she was better. In less than
a minute 2 of the demigods had been felled, their blood soaking the earth. Splashes of it
were on her armor and drops of it ran down her face but she was unfazed.

Her laugh continued and now she struck first. Her blades spun around her and for a few
minutes they met her strike for strike, but they couldn’t keep up with her for long. With
a reverse grip and a slash of her sword she stabbed two of the demigods, one through the
other, and straightened.

Now she circled the final opponent, but a stygian iron blade emerged from his neck and
Nico stood behind the demigod as he fell. His bloodthirsty grin shining from a face now
dripping with blood met her own and they dove back into the battle.

A dozen dracanae had broken away from the main fight and were slithering their way
towards the heart of the camp as if they fully intended to destroy the main area of the
camp and with no one in the actual camp to stop them, it was highly likely that they
could. However, Seth was closer than anyone else and so Perseus hollered out.

“SETH!” Seth immediately turned his eerie green gaze to the dracanae and his sick
smile broadened. He slammed his fists into the ground and a gaping crack formed,
racing towards the snake women. One by one they fell into the fissure before Seth made
a pulling motion and the ground closed back up again, the dracanae completely
swallowed. Seth turned back and immediately swung at a new monster.

The hellhound pack Perseus had been chasing had closed in on the satyrs and Hermes
kids by now and so he shouted at them to get its attention. When the creatures turned at
him they gave a snarl and lept, but Perseus tossed a jar of Greek Fire at it and so the
pack of hellhounds was caught up in the deadly flames.

Glancing down at the roaring fire that he had started, Perseus waved his hand an a wave
came crashing over the area, effectively subduing any flames. Grover hollered a thanks
and Perseus waved a hand and threw himself back into the fight.

Kampe had emerged now and she shot up into the sky with an unearthly shriek, her
wings extended and she came crashing down on top of Zeus’s Fist as if she were
deciding where to strike first. Her curved blades rested in each hand and they dripped
with green poison. A handful of the campers let out terrified screams but most of them
grit their teeth.

The Children of the Gods would not be terrified by her.

4 of the Children of Demeter stepped forward to meet her cry and the demigods fell into
formation behind them before engaging her in battle. Perseus was about to join their
fight when a thunder like crack sounded through the air and the atmosphere turned
syrupy as time slowed.

The Titan King had arrived.

 Clash of the Destroyers

The sky itself had darkened- even though it was mid day and deafening cracks abounded
through the air. Light seemed to be disappearing from the clearing as if the sun itself was too
terrified to stand before the might of the former King of the Heavens.

There were no birds flying in the sky and everyone had practically frozen in place. However,
it was not because of the Titan’s ability to do so, it was because that innate fear that lived in
the Elder Six was genetic. The Demigods were predisposed to be terrified of the Titan before
them who had tried to wipe out the Bloodline.

Even the monsters and demigods that fought for the Lord of Time seemed frozen as if they
were in awe to see their King joining them on the battlefield

10 Demigods stood tall, their power zipping through the air and it’s humming only growing
stronger. In an ironic twist it was almost as if the arrival of their patriarch had empowered
them.

Then everything fell back into chaos. Kampe screeched again and all the monsters began
their fighting once more and the campers gave a cry before diving back into the fight.
However the cousins as if of one mind, turned and made their way through the campers
eventually forming a sort of wall between the regular battle and the Titan.

Kronos seemed content to just stand there his silhouette tall and strong against the trees-
easily 6’6- and stare down at his grandchildren.

Annabeth wove her way through the massive battle eventually coming to a stop between
Percy and Rhea. She watched as the Titan King’s smile grew more feral as he registered her
position next to Percy.

“Percy-” she started, as if to give some words of wisdom or perhaps a warning. But there was
nothing she could say that Percy wouldn’t already know. She watched as Percy turned,
angling himself so he was between her and Kronos and she felt his hand squeeze hers. In a
low but strong voice he spoke without looking at her,

“Annabeth Go. Now.” She made a noise of protest, but he squeezed her hand harder. “You
cannot be here. Go finish the battle.” She stood silent for a heartbeat before realizing that he
was right. This was a fight that only the Children of the Elder Six had a chance of
withstanding. She took a few hesitant steps back before turning on her heel and merging into
the battle. When a terrified shriek starts ringing out from the Demigods Annabeth sees that
Kampe has caused a brutal rockslide that has already crushed two demigods.

She hears Percy sharply give the command of “Help them.” She sees Nico along with the
Children of Demeter sprinting in her direction ready to stop the massive boulders coming to
crush the campers.
Rhea's eyes ran calculatingly over the figure of Kronos. His face is a horrible mix of Luke
and what she assumes is Kronos (she knows it is Kronos but it is hard to tell when half of his
face is that of a 19 year old). He has Kronos’s eyes and Luke’s scar. About half his face looks
just like Luke but the other half is someone completely different and she knows that that is
the true face of Kronos (a part of her feels a thrill at seeing even a part of his real face, but
she quickly stamps it out and focuses on her need to protect her people.)

“I must say, this is quite the welcoming committee, Engonia.” The voice of Kronos is cutting
and cold and it feels as though the air drops 10 degrees when he speaks. Perseus snarled at
the title and Kronos laughed. It was a chilling sound and somewhere inside of her, Rhea
could tell that laugh was familiar but she couldn’t figure out from where.

“Clearly you aren’t happy to see me.” He continues as if the feral expressions of the twins are
nonexistent. He begins to stalk forward and it felt as though she was watching a lion stalk its
prey.

“We will be much happier to see you die.” Rhea snarls back, her green eyes almost black
with barely restrained rage and power. A horrifying smile crawls over Kronos’s lips (It is the
same cruel smile that had curled on their own lips just hours before at the start of the
battle) and in a dark tone his voice echoes out like a crack of thunder.

“I won’t be the one dying today.”

He strikes.

Perseus meets his first strike.

The clashing of the metal cracks across the clearing and rings out loudly for everyone to
hear. (Up on Olympus the gods feel the crash in their guts as it marks the start of the war).

This in itself is an epic moment. No demigod (and no god) should be able to meet Kronos in
battle and take his first hit. But Perseus is unmoved, his sea green eyes gleam with
determination and their hue only gains more inhumanness. Kronos’s smile fades quickly. His
face becomes ugly and twisted, furious that Perseus has stood against his might.

Their swords are locked together for a breath but then Perseus is spinning away. His sister
hangs back, ever watchful. She knew that the beginning was Perseus’s fight but she will join
soon, she also knows not to interfere just yet. (Some things are destined and she will not
interrupt this first fight between Destroyers.)

It is Perseus time to strike now but his blade glanced off of Kronos’s skin. Luckily he caught
his sword as it flew through the air. A confused look came over his face and Kronos gave him
a sort of self-satisfied smirk. He raised an eyebrow as if to ask if Perseus liked this new
development.
Fuck no he didn’t.

But it wouldn’t stop him. Perseus brought his sword down hard against Kronos’s own, the
power behind each strike was insane and every hit jarred his bones just a bit. Their fight was
full of strikes that happened quicker than lightning and even quicker parries, both determined
to not face defeat. (the determined expressions they wore were identical and Rhea was a bit
disconcerted.)

Lightning crashed through the sky and Kronos smirked and in a conspiratorial tone he
commented,

“It seems that my youngest is growing a bit agitated.” His expression became one of disdain
when he said the words ‘my youngest’ and Perseus had to resist the urge to laugh maniacally.

Then Perseus went flying after a hard kick to his chest, Rhea immediately jumped in to take
his place in the battle and she carried on the fight without missing a beat. Her bronze swords
glinted in the faint light and she started with an underhanded swing at Kronos’s feet forcing
the man to stumble from his sure footed footsteps.

Then Perseus saw why Kronos had allowed such a move to happen. His expression was one
of shock towards Rhea, as if he hadn't actually expected to fight her and coming to blows
with her was surprising. Perseus jumped through the air with incredible speed and agility,
planting an even harder kick than the one he had received, and Kronos stumbled back.

“Rhea get out of here!” he commanded but his sister gave a small half smile and shook her
head. She spun her wrist and her twin swords twirled before she became a blur in the battle.
Kronos met her strikes with violent hits of his own. His face twisted into a frustrated growl as
she parried a particularly good hit of his. The twins were a duo of chaos and destruction,
raining hits down one after another and always covering each other's blind spots. There were
no moments of weakness or hesitation. In this moment they were a perfect and well oiled
fighting machine.

Their success in the fight fed their strength and power and they began to draw on their
powers to aid them. Huge walls of water came crashing down on the trio, piling on top of
Kronos, knocking him off balance, and pulling him down into the tumbling water wall. He
came bursting out of it with a beam of energy and sword swinging only to be met by the
already prepared sword of Rhea Jackson. The Titan Lord however, seemed to tire of the
sword fighting after a while because a beam of gold energy shot out from his hand and the
cousins went flying across the clearing.

Perseus struggled to sit up and he watched as Katie who had been caught in the blast slumped
unconscious, her head bleeding from where she had collided into a tree. A daughter of Apollo
went sprinting over her and Perseus shifted his gaze to find his sister. She had fallen into
nearby water (a lucky fall in Perseus’s opinion) but had pulled herself off and was now trying
to gain her bearings.

His head turned as a blood curdling shriek sounded. A Son of Hephaestus had been run
through by Kronos’s sword, the tip piercing through the front of his armor and the sight sent
fear running to the base of Perseus’s spine. When Kronos withdrew the sword, the demigod
collapsed to the ground like a lifeless doll and terror rang throughout the clearing. A demigod
went running by, engaged in a fight with a hellhound but as he raced by Kronos, the Titan of
Time swung his sword again and in one clean swoop he removed the head of a Daughter of
Hermes. Cries rose up and the demigods began running away, trying to gather together in half
thought formations in order to defeat the rest of the monsters and protect each other from
Kronos.

This is what Kronos had been born for. He had been born for destruction, for power, for
chaos. In the midst of this battle, blood spraying everywhere and powers raging about, he was
finally alive. This is what he had been waiting to feel and he knew it would be nothing
compared to the joy of storming Olympus, destroying the pathetic Thrones of the King and
Queen of the Gods, and slaughtering the Olympians. His blood was howling with joy. He
could feel the powers of his grandchildren permeating the air and it sang out to him.

He was ready for this.

As he always did, Kronos had consulted with his brother Koios before going to battle. With
his clairvoyancy, Kronos had always found it best to call upon his second oldest brother in
order to gain any sort of insight or help.

Koios had promised that blood would rain down and that the ground would be soaked with
the blood of the demigods. He had told Kronos of his visions of destruction. Energy and
Power of the Heavens crashing down and around the camp in a deadly arch of devastation.

Koios had whispered other things to him when Kronos had asked him about visions of other
things. He had missed his brother's ability and he longed to know the great secrets and for his
brother to share his knowledge that the clairvoyance gave him.

Koios had told Kronos that when he had heard news of the Daughter of Poseidon, how he had
been unable to resist his curiosity. he told Kronos how he had drawn on his powers in order to
learn about her and the gut punch it had been when he had been confronted with her looks.
(Koios was like all the other brother’s, forever unable to look away from the face of the
youngest Titaness).

Koios had told him things, things that set his blood alight with fury. He whispered about how
a Son of Apollo (Koios's own great grandson) was connected to the girl. He told Kronos
about how this boy 'loved' the girl. He told him of their bond, their many quests together and
their connection. He told Kronos how he had communed, how he was so desperate to gather
information on the girl that looked so much like the youngest Titaness that he had submerged
himself in his powers and how he had been greeted by images and visions of her and a son of
Apollo. (He also tells him about how Antaeus had laid his hands on her and the crude words
he had spoken about her and Kronos is surprised to find himself grateful that his grandson so
brutally slaughtered the giant.)

What Kronos thinks when Koios tells him of these visions is 'how dare this boy have what I
cannot." He is filled with anger, hatred, and pain. Just before he had left to march on the
Camp, Koios had grabbed his arm and warned him,

“The girl. The one that looks like her. She’s dangerous. Be careful, brother.” When Kronos
had sent him a questioning look, all Koios had said was to 'tread carefully'. Kronos had to
bite back the urge to strangle his brother for the vagueness in the statements he gave that
often times accompanied his clairvoyance.

The statement had not deterred him though, for he was always wary when it came to the
Daughter of Poseidon. When he had seen her in the tunnels outside Othrys though, it had
been unexpected. Different. Odd. She was not like what he had thought, her energy had felt
different than it usually did and her eyes held a familiar look in them (he couldn’t quite place
it though and that was a source of never ending frustration on the march to the camp.)

But then he had been smacked in the eye (by a mortal no less, how humiliating. He would
never tell his siblings.) and then Hades’s son had summoned a huge stone and blocked away
the entire tunnel and the twins had been lost before he could even figure out what was off.

However, now his mind was clear and fresh as he killed the first demigod violently and
swiftly beheaded the next. His gold eyes scanned the clearing trying to locate his annoying
grandchildren.

The daughter of Demeter who had met him in combat was motionless on the ground but he
knew she wasn’t dead (it would take more than that to kill one of his grandchildren). Perseus
was dispatching a small squadron of Dracanae, ruthlessly cutting down one after another and
fighting his way through the remaining monsters moving towards Kronos.

But it was the Daughter of Poseidon that caught his attention. A son of Apollo was beside her
and they fought side by side in perfect tandem as if their bodies were finely attuned to one
another. When they successfully beat off the hellhound they were fighting, the boy turned to
her with a grin and proud eyes and Kronos’s stomach burned. He knew that look. It had been
him that had worn it for well over a thousand years when he looked down into the pretty eyes
of his own love who looked just like that. Rage clouded his senses.

He stalked towards the boy (He thinks of Koios's words and it is so obvious that the boy is a
son of Apollo with his emblazoned sun, golden hair, and the brightest blue eyes to ever exist.)

A few satyrs bravely (pathetically) attempted to come at the Titan with their cudgels, and he
ruthlessly cuts them down. He makes to cut down a demigod in his path when his sword is
caught by a pair of bare hands.

The son of Apollo had ran over and caught his blade with hands flaming with sun fire.
Kronos is a bit surprised, but it is quickly replaced with his burning fury and he forces his
sword down, watching as the Son of Apollo is forced down on one knee before he drops his
hands and quickly rolls away. The blade comes down on the spot where he was milliseconds
after he has rolled away.

But this boy is a son of Apollo and as powerful as those children are, they do not hold a
candle to the might of the Children of the Elder Six, so there is no possibility that he stands a
chance in a fight against Kronos.
The boy stands quickly, sword ready. He is not fast enough. Kronos lets out a powerful roar
and brings his sword in a deadly arch. The Son of Apollo stands no chance. The sword cuts
through the boy’s lower half, right beneath his armor and a pained exhale leaves his lips.

Kronos lifts his head to meet the girl’s eyes from where she stands in the area before the
cabins and he watches as she goes completely still with shock, she grasps at her cousin for
support, as if her legs are failing her. Wet and bloody sounding, painful breaths are still
coming from the boy’s lips and he drops his sword, bringing his hands up and with his eyes
still staring directly into the Daughter of Poseidon’s, he snaps her lovers neck.

He lets the boy fall ruthlessly and bonelessly. The clearing seems almost silent for a moment
before a scream of utter anguish rips its way from between the lips of Poseidon’s Daughter.

A faint shrieking sound begins to fill the air.

The trees whip in a newfound, strong wind. It bends them and forces them to bow. Many of
the trees are uprooted and torn down. The ground rolls beneath her feet and cracks spread
from where she is standing. Much of his army is fallen and she brings down even more of
them in her anguish. Her eyes close for a brief moment and the air goes still, the wind dying
but the shrieking and wailing sounds have only increased. The sound bears down on him and
he feels a sort of dread, as if disaster is waiting to strike.

Her eyes open and they are a whiteish green, eerie and gleaming. Her pupils have
disappeared. She lifts her hand in his direction and her pointer finger, middle finger, and
thumb point directly at him. The intense wailing seems to peak and it is then that Kronos
realizes what is happening and sheer panic overwhelms his face.

“FALL BACK!” He commands to his remaining army and they all immediately begin
scrambling back to the Labyrinth. In perfect unison with him, Poseidon’s son had given the
same call and the Demigods and nature spirits had now begun to hastily retreat.

But he knows it is too late. He has seen this before and he knows what is coming and he
begins backpedaling even faster.

An almost electric sounds cracks out harshly through the air and a next thing he knows he is
sent flying back, down into the Labyrinth entrance, rocks come raining down on top of him,
crushing him into place.

He knows that if he were to be on top of the surface he would see complete and utter
annihilation. Now Koios's words make sense.

She has his wife’s gift.

Rhea is the only one left standing out of the campers. The others had been thrown back by
the blast. She sees a few bodies near her and realizes that not everyone had been quick
enough and that while she had destroyed the remaining monsters, she had killed a few of her
own people. She is so confused. She has had episodes, but never to this magnitude. Her mind
is fuzzy, full of grief and confusion and she can't think.

She hears her name called softly and she turns to see her brother softly approaching her as if
she were a cornered and injured animal.

“Rhea?” he calls again and her eyes adjust, fully registering him.

“Percy” she croaks out, voice dry and cracked from her scream. He has almost reached her
when she croaks out his name again and then in a sorrowful whisper, she says,

"He's dead."

And then she collapses.

 Cursed Power

A smoking crater stood before her. Destruction was all she could see for miles. What had she
just done? This should be impossible. Her breathing quickened and she feared she would
escalate herself to a panic attack.

Above her the sky began to swirl angerly, dark clouds moving to cover the sun, thunder
booming in the distance, and loud cracks of lighting bursting through the sky. She could see
the faint outline of a humanoid body in the sky.

Father.

He had seen what she had done. She began to panic, Father hated them all so deeply what
would he do to her now after seeing what she could do? She could not take another one of his
lessons.

“RHEA OURANIA!” She heard her name boom out from the sky and she began to run. As
she ran towards the area that she and her siblings lived in, she cried out to her mother,
begging her to appear and to help her. To save her from the fury of her father.

A lightning bolt shot down from the sky and struck the area that she had just been standing in
a few seconds ago and she began to run faster. The tree grove was within sight and she nearly
cried in relief but as the clouds darkened and the storm quickened she realized there was no
way she would make it in time.

Tears began to pour down her face. She knew it would not be long before she was forced to
endure the brunt of her father’s anger. He would leave her screaming for days, begging him
to end her punishment. He would fill her body with pain and make her beg his forgiveness
only to deny it. He would rip her apart and put her back together over and over and there
was nothing she could do about it.

Her name boomed out again and sobs began to rip themselves from her throat, her tears
turning ugly in her state of fear and desperation. Her vision was fogging over as she ran and
she began to stumble. It was then that she heard her name again, but from a different voice.

“Rhea!”

It was Kronos. Thank Chaos. He was sprinting towards her and calling to her.

“Kronos!” She sobbed in relief and she saw the distraught look on his face through her tears.
When he finally reached her, he grabbed her hand and began helping her to run the rest of
the distance back. But it was too late.

This time when the lightning came crashing down it came crashing down right on top of them
and it sent them flying through the air before they ended up sprawled on the ground, bodies
wracked with pain. When another bolt began to come down Kronos extended his hands and a
golden shield formed around the pair.

The lightning collided with the shield, and it shattered it on impact. But it had done its job.
They were now standing and able to push through the pain. They began running again and
right before their father could unleash his full might, they were safely ensconced in the Grove
their mother had built for her twelve children. Rhea collapsed on the ground and Kronos
quickly knelt by her side.

“He’s back!” Koios cried out and Rhea watched as the remaining 10 siblings began to crowd
around them.

“Oh, thank Chaos!” Tethys cried as she crouched down on the ground and gathered Rhea
into her arms “We were afraid he wouldn’t get to you in time.” Rhea’s tears began anew, and
Tethys softly soothed her as the rest of their sisters and Kronos gathered close to lend her
comfort.

“I barely made it to her.” Kronos said grimly. “He still hit us though.” Hyperion immediately
knelt down and extended his hands, placing them on both her and Kronos’s arms. His hands
began to glow as he pushed his Energy out, using his abilities as the Titan of Power to heal
them.

“What have you done, Rhea.” Oceanus questioned, his voice low and commanding.
Immediately her sisters as well as Kronos, Hyperion, Koios, and Iapaetus spun to look at him
with sharp and warning glares.

“I don’t know!” she sobbed out, putting her head in her hands. Immediately Kronos began to
whisper to her that ‘it was alright’ and that ‘she hadn’t done anything wrong’. Theia rubbed
her back in soothing circles. “I don’t know how it happened! I just know that I was so furious
and so frustrated and I threw my hands up and next thing I knew everything had been
destroyed.”

“We heard whatever it was all the way from here.” Koios murmured.

“We thought it was Father.” Hyperion added. “It shouldn’t be possible. He swore he would
never let any of us have that ability.”

“He’ll kill her. We shouldn’t be around her. What happens when he comes for her again? We
don’t want to get caught in that.” Oceanus stated and Rhea’s sobs renewed. Hyperion strode
over to his eldest brother and punched him square in the face.

“You fucking imbecile.” Phoebe hissed. “We stick together, as we always have.” The rest of
the siblings muttered their agreements while glaring at the eldest brother. Tethys gripped
Rhea’s arms,

“Whatever happens, you must stay here in the Grove, you cannot leave. Not while Father
could find you and kill you. Promise you will stay here.” Rhea nodded quickly and Tethys
brought her in for a tight hug.
“I’m so sorry.” Rhea faintly whispered. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry”

“Please, I’m so sorry.” She murmured over and over her eyes flickering behind her eyelids.
With a gasp she shot awake.

“Woah!” Percy soothed, “Calm Down. Deep breaths.” He took a deep inhale and then a long
exhale as if to provide an example. She rolled her eyes at him and shoved him away from her.
She breathed deeply and looked around at her surroundings. She was in the infirmary.

She opened her mouth to ask for Lee, but the memories came flooding back and she choked
on a sob. Percy moved to sit on the bed beside her and he wrapped an arm around her
shoulders. She turned and buried her head in his shoulder and tried to stop the tears in her
eyes from falling. Percy just sat there, a silent and unmoving comfort.

“Lee is dead.” She states. She feels Percy’s chest rumble as he gives an affirming ‘mhm’.

“I’m sorry Rhea. I know you loved him.” She sat up and wiped her eyes, trying to put on a
brave face.

“He died well. Fighting the Titan King himself.” She knew that it was perhaps one of the
most honorable ways to go but it didn’t make her feel any better, no matter how many times
she repeated it to herself.

“Brave”. Percy commented.

“Idiotic.” She shot back. “What was he thinking?” Her grief boiled up, turning into anger.
Anger at Lee. Anger at herself. Anger at Kronos. “Kronos had sent us both flying and he was
stupid enough to think that he could go up against him.”

“He saved Lillian. She was about to go against Kronos and he stepped in the way and fought
him so she didn’t have to.” Percy replied calmly (he knew his sister and he knew that she
needed to be angry.)

Rhea should feel grateful. Lillian was the same age as Nico. Kronos would have murdered
her quickly, her being his granddaughter would not have stopped him. Lee had saved her
young cousin and he had ensured that the Bloodline remained intact.

But she was not grateful. She just wanted Lee back. She had just told him that she loved him
back. They hadn’t had enough time. They were supposed to have more time. Her grief
threatened to overwhelm her but she knew that she needed to push through it. She cleared her
throat and wiped her eyes again.
“How long was I out?” Percy stood from the bed, taking her new attitude in his stride, and
handing her a set of clothes to change into. She moved behind the screen and began to change
into the jeans and camp t-shirt.

“Only a day. You slept through most of the repairs, the head count, the body count. That stuff.
The Ceremony is in an hour.”

“Good. How many did we lose?”

The siblings went over their losses and recapped any information from the battle that they
thought was necessary to go back over. The made their way from the infirmary and back
through camp. As they walked, the campers would pause as they strode past and looked at
them with deep respect. More than usual.

The twins had gone up against Kronos by themselves. Percy had taken his first hit unmoved
and had struck back. While Rhea had killed some of their own in the blast, she had still saved
the majority. Beyond that, her impressive display of power had garnered even deeper respect
(the campers were always awed by showcases of the powers of the Children of the Elder Six).

They made their way into the Poseidon cabin and their cousins were all sprawled in various
states of disarray around the bedroom. They were flopped on the floor or piled on bunkbeds
napping, talking, or playing games. When they saw Percy and Rhea they all began trying to
get up and come see her (elbowing and kneeing each other in the process). She was engulfed
in a giant family hug and she let out a sound that was a mix of a laugh and a sob.

They all sat on the beds and asked how Rhea was feeling. She gave them her generic answers
of ‘I’ll be okay’ and they accepted it but she knew that they didn’t believe her but she was
okay with that. Percy had told them about the way that her involvement in the fight against
Kronos had seemed to startle the titan and how his killing of Lee had seemed extraordinarily
personal.

The cousins agreed, saying that the killing of Lee was different to that of the killing of the
others in Kronos’s way.

Then they wonder about her power. She has had destructive episodes before, cracking the
ground as she walks, summoning the sea to destroy things around her. But she has never done
anything like this before, she has never left a complete wake of ruin simply by raising her
hand. They question what this means and where it came from.

She doesn’t tell them about her dream.

How could she?

How could she look her cousins- look at her brother- in the eyes and explain that she was
having dreams that she was Rhea Ourania and that she was reliving times in Titan History?
How could she tell them about her dreams of Kronos? About the connection she seemed to
have with him.
How could she tell them that the powers in the dream that Rhea Ourania had used were
clearly the same that she herself had used.

They would think something was wrong with her. They would be terrified of what it meant
for her that she shared a gift with the Titan Queen and what it could mean in regard to the
Titan King’s interest in her.

So, she says nothing and instead nods along, allowing them to wonder, and theorize but never
speaking. (She doesn’t see the suspicious look that Katie gives her.)

Seth turns to her with deep concern in his gaze and she feels warm in the protective gaze of
her older cousin. He tells her that she needs to be careful, how this could actually be a curse
and not a gift and that they need to tread carefully. He says seeing her eyes shift like that, and
the glow that began to emanate from her, and the raw destructive power had been terrifying.
But he whispers that what was scarier was seeing her collapse as if she were dead after the
display.

Liam then cuts in and begs her that whatever she does, to try her hardest to never do that
again. The others quickly agree saying that until they figure out what is going on that it’s
safer for her to not use it and she makes some noncommittal sound that they take as a
promise but Percy’s gaze is piercing through her and Nico is looking at her oddly.

She forces herself to give a bigger nod and to say something along the lines of ‘I’ll do my
best.’ And they let it go.

The Ceremony is the most somber event to ever grace the camp. Everyone has donned their
armor once more and stands around a huge fire to burn the pyres of the 11 demigods who
died.

3 Unclaimed Demigods burn beneath Ivory shrouds as the Apollo cabin sings a somber and
ancient hymn to Hades, begging for swift judgement and eternal life in Elysium

2 Children of Hephaestus burn beneath fiery orange and bronze shrouds, one is given highest
honors for dying at the hands of the Titan King.

3 Children of Hermes, one of them with high honors as well.

1 Son of Aphrodite whose pink shroud burns quickly, releasing sweet fumes into the air.

Castor, the son of Dionysus. His green and purple shroud is set aflame by his twin. Dionysus
himself stands beside it and joins the hymn to send his son off into the Underworld.

1 Son of Apollo burns beneath a shroud of the brightest gold, as if it were woven from the
Sun itself. The Apollo cabin’s voices have a few cracks in them as they sing for their fallen
brother and they cannot carry on. As Lee’s shroud burns, Rhea takes over for them in singing.
But she hums a different song. An Old Song. Nico joins in (as if this song is ingrained in him
and he knows the words by heart although he has never sung it) and the Old Tongue sounds
through the air as the rest of the cousins and Percy join in.

When the pyres burn out, they are left standing in the dark and those who lost siblings burst
into tears. Rhea does not cry. Percy watches her carefully and waits for a tear but when none
fall he is not surprised, she is strong.

The names of the fallen will be carved into Hall of Remembrance. It is a shrine that sits
behind the Dining Pavilion and faces the ocean. It bears the names of all those who have
fallen to monsters, on quests, and now in a brutal and bloody battle.

The rest of the summer is very odd in Percy’s opinion. It seems too normal after having just
been in a horrific battle. He tries to speak to Annabeth about Kronos but when he brings up
Luke she shuts down and he leaves it alone, he won’t hurt her by bringing up the painful
topic.

But it is as they sit on a hill and overlook the sea that he asks her for the first time about the
last line in the prophecy. Tears gather in her eyes as she quotes the last line, “To lose a love to
worse than death.”

When he is about to comfort her, fucking Hera shows up again. She tells them that their quest
was such a success, that their family is safe! (Percy doesn’t say that technically Kronos is her
family too). Annabeth confronts the goddess about her meddling in the quest and when she
asks about Nico, Hera coldly dismisses him.

“Oh please,” she sneers. “Why should I care about the son of Hades. The trouble he got in
with the ghost of Minos was his own problem, not yours and certainly not mine.” She gives
them a sort of fake and plasticky smile. “What matters most is that we, our family, are safe.”

Percy snarls back that Nico is more family to them than Hera. Hera tells him to watch himself
and she throws her help in his face but he sneers at her with such ferocity that she turns to
Annabeth as if she can’t bear to look at him (it is a sneer she has seen far too many times as
her Father tried to kill her.)

Annabeth turns Hera down and Hera rages for them for the insult. But Percy steps towards
her confident and uncaring, He has just gone up against the King of the Titans, Hera does not
scare him. He looks her dead and the eyes and in a cold voice that is eerily like Kronos’s he
tells her,

“You have your father’s eyes, Lady Hera.” There is much that goes unsaid with that statement
but Hera hears it loud and clear regardless. Her bronze skin grows pale and she looks at him
in fury (and is that a little of horror in there too?) She opens her mouth as if to say something
but nothing comes back and she disappears in a flash of light.
Annabeth apologizes and tells him that she has to go, he grabs her hand and asks her to stay a
moment. He wants to tell her how he would burn the world down for her, that he would rip
apart those who harmed her, and how if she asked he would rip the gods and titans (and
Luke) into pieces for her. But the words don’t come out and they stare intensely at each other
for a few moments.

He opens his mouth again but Argus honks the horn and Rhea hollers to him that they have
got to go and so Annabeth steps back and away from him with one last apologetic look and
turns and jogs away.

When his and Rhea’s birthday shows up, it is a grim affair. Neither feel thrilled to celebrate
the fact that they are one year closer to triggering a damning prophecy that could end the
world. Percy and Rhea’s teacher Paul comes to their party after their mom invites him and
their brother Tyson comes as well. The twins spend their time with him, relishing their
limited time with their brother. When Paul asks the twins permission to propose to their
mother, Rhea tightly grips Percy’s hand to stop him from decking the shit out of the teacher.

When they go to blow out the candles on their cake the doorbell rings.

It’s their dad.

He has come to see them.

“Percy!” Poseidon calls out in a jovial tone, wrapping his eldest son into a warm hug. Percy
sinks into his father’s grip. It is nice to feel loved by his distant and godly parent. When
Poseidon releases him, he calls to Tyson who comes bounding over to knock their dad over in
a hug.

“My Rhea.” He then calls to his only daughter, arms open. When she falls into his arms he
grips her close, as if he is afraid to let her go lest she disappear. She grips him equally as
tight, desperate for comfort and a sense of security.

“I couldn’t miss my twins’ birthday! In Sparta, they would be men and women today!”
Poseidon declares, and they grin back at him. The reference to their position as twin leaders
much like Sparta had does not go unnoticed and they feel proud to know that their father has
been watching closely enough to know that. He then grabs their arms and pulls them to the
kitchen to speak with them privately.

When they are alone, he checks on them. For real. He asks if they are truly okay. He pulls
Rhea into a tight and comforting hug and gives her a thousand apologies and condolences for
what happened to Lee. He asks to hear about what happened, directly from their mouths and
he listens intently, eyes flickering back and forth between the twins. When he hears how
Percy met Kronos’s strike and remained unflinching his face is a mix of pride, fear, and
resignation. (Poseidon is proud of his son’s strength but he knows that this means that his son
is truly coming in to his destiny as the Destroyer.)

Percy is a big fucking snitch and so when he tells their dad about Kronos’s odd fascination
with Rhea, their dad goes still. He turns to Rhea for confirmation, and she reluctantly gives it.
He shifts closer to Rhea and she can tell he is worried about what this means for her. They
tell him of Rhea’s explosive power, and he looks faintly alarmed. He turns to her and tells
her,

“Rhea, if something were to happen.” His voice fades off and his eyes grow glassy as if
remembering something “If he comes for you and you have the chance, run. Run as far and
fast as you can. Come to the waters. I will protect you.” (His words are comforting, and she
knows he means them. Poseidon will not lose another Rhea to his father. But somewhere deep
she knows that even her father, powerful as he is, cannot protect her from Kronos forever).

He gives them gifts, Percy a sand dollar and Rhea a single pearl on a necklace chain. He tells
them to use them wisely and Rhea wants to smack him. Before he goes he gathers them in a
hug and whispers in their ears that he loves them more than he has ever loved anyone before
and that they will always be his favorite children. He warns them of Typhon’s
awakening (they try to apologize for it but he just shakes his head with an exasperated sort of
smile). He then kisses them on their foreheads and dissolves into bubbles.

Rhea thinks that as Godly parents come, theirs is probably one of the best.

Nico visits them that night, he eats cake and celebrates with them in the quiet of Percy’s
room. He tells them that he visited his father and they clap him on the shoulders,
congratulating him, for any Child of the Elder Six a meeting with their parent is a significant
moment.

He tells them that he has figured out a way for them to stand against Luke.

He stays over for the night, they do not sleep.

If there are any of the younger Olympians who are born with what Demeter unhappily calls
‘The Kronos Genes’, it would be Apollo. He had the same sharp, powerful, and strong
features that his uncle Poseidon shared with Kronos.

Luckily, he was more fortunate than Poseidon and he wasn’t a dead ringer for the Titan.

Apollo is the strongest of the younger Olympians and he knows it. He revels in it. His place
right beneath the Elder Six is his by right, and none of the others dare to challenge it. When
his children take a similar place at camp, he glows with pride. It is their birthright.
Apollo has been watching the twins (specifically the girl) for a long time and with an
obsessive fascination. He watches their quests with careful eyes and when they destroy the
mountain and begin releasing their power for the first time, a deep appreciation flows through
his body at the sight of their strength.

They are stronger than most Olympians and Power calls to Power.

He decides after watching the Battle that he wants to know the girl. Rhea. The other young,
male Olympians like Hermes, Ares, and Hephaestus are drawn to her as well, utterly
fascinated by her. He heard his Aunt Hestia refer to it as the ‘Rhea Effect’ once and when he
had asked why, she said that the face of Rhea held a certain power amongst the Greek
Divinities.

He sees her interactions with his son and watches as she easily outclasses him in power.
Apollo loves his son, but his son is no worthy match for the only daughter of Poseidon and
the Granddaughter of Kronos.

He watches her carefully.

He cannot help it.

Kronos sits in his chambers and thinks.

He thinks of the battle. He thinks of his grandson standing against him (a true and proper
destroyer.)

He thinks about the girl, about her facing him in battle and how she fought exactly like her
namesake. He thinks about killing the little boy she had called her love. He thinks about the
destruction she had wrecked with a single motion.

It is then that he knows what must be done.

Through the charm he gives the order to his spy at the camp.

Do whatever it takes, deliver Poseidon's Daughter to his followers to be brought to Othrys.

 Sun and the Sea

The twins do not return to school that fall, how could they? They are in the midst of
preparing for war. Instead they choose to be homeschooled and travel back and forth from the
camp and their mother’s apartment.

Things at camp have changed drastically. The council room and table have been transformed.
No longer do they sit in odd chairs around a ping pong table. Now the room features a giant,
long and dark wood table in the center. Around the table are tall backed, yet comfortable
chairs and at the heads of the table sit two elegant and enormous oak chairs. (They are not
called thrones technically, but all the demigods know that they are the seats of the Greek
King and Queen of the Demigods.) Thick and heavy purple fabric drapes over the windows,
blocking out any light and making the room feel protected and private. Tacked to the walls
and strewn across the table are battle maps.

There are maps of Manhattan.

Maps of Camp Half Blood.

Vague maps drawn up of Mount Tamalpais and the Castle of Othrys.

There are descriptive and in depth battle plans drawn out, there are circled and marked weak
points on the map of Camp Half Blood, showing the points to defend should another attack
on the camp happen. They spend long hours tucked away inside the council room, preparing
for war. When they are not planning, they are training.

Percy and Rhea split up the campers and for 3 hours a day they cycle through groups and
train them for battle. They teach the youngest campers on how to protect themselves, hoping
to keep all those under the age of 12 safe. The older ones, Percy and Rhea teach how to not
hesitate for the kill. Rhea spends much of her time training with the Apollo and Aphrodite
cabins as well as her cousins, she finds comfort in spending time with her late boyfriend’s
siblings and she has also begun forming new friendships with Lee’s sister Victoria and
Silena, the head counselor of Aphrodite.

Rhea also takes the time between activities to visit the Hall of Remembrance and light a
candle for Lee. By the time Christmas rolls around her heart is no longer gripped by pain at
the thought of him. Annabeth is not at camp, having gone to see her father and Rhea can tell
just how deeply her brother misses her. They did not part on the best note, and she knows that
her brother longs to be reunited with the girl he loves.

It is one day in February that war council has run long, it is well into the early hours of the
morning- 2 or 3 in the morning if Rhea had to take a guess- but she does not go with Percy
towards their cabin. She is not in the mood to sleep, she feels restless. She tightens her coat
around her and heads to the hall.
To be fair, the hall isn’t really a hall. It is two large marble walls that stand facing the sea with
names engraved in them. It’s more a memorial but Hall of Remembrance had probably
sounded cooler when they had been picking a name. She arrives at the Hall and moves to
light a candle when she sees that they are all already lit and a man is standing there with his
hand pressed to the spot that she knows Lee’s name is carved and his head is bowed.

The person is radiating pure heat and for a moment she thinks that perhaps it is one of Lee’s
siblings, however the person is too tall to be Michael or Austin, and though Will is tall for his
age, he does not have the same sun powers that Lee had so there is no way he is standing here
and radiating this amount of heat.

She widens her eyes when she realizes that it is Apollo. She silently makes her way over to
stand beside him before bowing her head, muttering the mourning rites, and lifting her head
again. Apollo has still not raised his head and she wonders if he is even aware of her
presence.

“I didn’t think that the gods were allowed to be here.” She says softly. She hears a heavy sigh
leave Apollo’s mouth.

“No one will know. My father is asleep and while my sister could see me, she will not tell.”
His voice is ridden with pain, and he speaks in a quiet, stilted tone. She finds herself
fascinated because she did not think he would grieve this much.

“You miss him?” She asks in curiosity, forgetting to have any sort of respect in her tone as
she addresses the god. His head lifts sharply and he looks at her, eyes narrow and dangerous.

“How dare you. He is my son.” He hisses out through clenched teeth. She meets his gaze
unflinching and challenging. “He was my boy and I loved him.” She feels the truth in his
words and softens her gaze, sympathy pouring out of her. It is nice to see that at least one god
besides her father cares for his children.

“I am sorry for you loss.” She murmurs. His face softens and his blue eyes are gentle yet full
of pain.

“I’m sorry for yours as well.” She is taken aback; she hadn’t realized that Apollo would know
about her relationship with his son. When he sees the look on her face, he lets out an exhale
that could pass for a breathy laugh. “I always watch my children with close eyes and I do my
best to protect them. Of course, I knew about you two. Lee also liked to ask for my protection
over you when he would do his daily sacrifices.” Rhea lets out a laugh at that.

“Of course he did.” He had always been so worried about her. Apollo moves to the side to
allow her to press her hand to the engraving of Lee’s name. The god rests his back against the
marble wall and looks out onto the sea. She presses her forehead against the wall for a few
moments and allows herself a couple seconds of grief before she pulls herself away and turns
around the mimic Apollo’s pose. The waves crash and the peaceful sounds lead her to close
her eyes, she wonders if her father has specially created these gentle rolling waves with her
comfort in mind.
“It must be nice for you to have a father that doesn’t care about whether Zeus gets mad or not
when he breaks the rules and favors you.” Apollo comments after a few minutes of silence.
Rhea looks up at him in shock, wondering how he had known her father had visited her but
she remembers that as the Sun God, he saw everything.

“I suppose it is. It’s nice to know he cares.” She replies and Apollo hums thoughtfully.

“You know, I never tell my father when I see any of the others visit their children.” She looks
at him with surprise and he shrugs. “I have an asshole for a dad and a stepmom and so I try to
help the others out and shield their presence when they want to go be good parents. No kid
should have to go through that.”

“And your sister does the same for you?” He nods.

“Your father gets away with it the most though.” He lets out an incredulous laugh. “He
doesn’t even try to hide his presence. He’s very blatant about it when he goes to visit the two
of you or sends you gifts.” She remembers the various gifts (such as her own Pegasus last
year or her duel blades at age12) that had mysteriously shown up on their doorstep for her
and Percy or how things appeared in the cabin sometimes and she nods. Her father is not
subtle about expressing his affection.

“I guess it is because Zeus is his baby brother. Is anyone really scared of their younger
siblings?” Rhea suggests (she knows the truth though; her father does not respect his
brother’s authority. Zeus’s position means very little and so he abides by the bare minimum of
Zeus’s laws.)

“Is your brother scared of you?” He shoots back as if it is an answer to her question. She
shakes her head, and he gives her a doubtful look. “You mean to tell me he isn’t scared of you
even the slightest after you did whatever the hades that was during the Battle?” Rhea shrugs.

“I don’t think so. It was a freak accident.” It wasn’t and she knows it but she doesn’t say as
much. Apollo doesn’t need to know that. However, he lets out a disbelieving snicker.

“Sure.” He agrees. “A freak accident” but something in the way he says it makes her think he
may know that it was more than that. She looks at him and sees amusement glinting in his
eyes. And she thinks that for some reason, she knows he won’t tell anyone.

She slides down the wall until she is sitting on the ground with her back against it and Apollo
follows her down. They talk for a while longer but after a few hours the moon gives a sort of
blink in and out and Apollo sighs.

“That’s Artemis. She’s telling me that I have to go.” He stands and brushes off his jeans and
she stands as well, her ankle rolls as she moves to get up and he hastily extends a hand and
helps steady her before she can embarrassingly face plant into the memorial. She quickly lets
go of his hand and the pair stand in silence for a moment.

“It was nice to speak with you Apollo.” She decides to say after the silence stretches on.
“Really.” He gives her an strange look, one she can’t decipher before he nods his head.
“It was nice to speak with you too... Rhea” he hesitates before he says her name and she
wonders just how taboo her name (or really, the Titaness's name) is on Olympus. Apollo
fades off with a half wave and she finds herself waving back. When she makes her way back
to her cabin, she collapses in bed, and disappears into the realm of sleep.

It becomes a common thing, for her to meet Apollo at the memorial and for them to talk for
hours in the dark. They talk about their lives, about his children, about the war preparations.
They do not meet every night, but they do meet multiple times each week.

She finds herself looking forward to it and she wonders if she has somehow transferred her
affection for Lee onto his father. She isn’t sure.

But what she is sure of, is that for the first time since Lee died, she feels like she has a
companion that is not bound to her through the ties of ‘family’.

When she tells Katie and Miranda about her secret meetings with Apollo on one of their
many girls nights, the pair give her odd looks. But those expressions quickly change to ones
of relief, and they tell her that they are happy she is speaking to someone. (They are happy
because as long as she speaks to Apollo, perhaps she will be distracted from her
powers.) She does not tell Percy. He would be livid and the last thing she wants is her brother
storming Olympus demanding a Duel for Blood with a God. (She doesn’t wish that on Apollo
because she knows who will emerge victorious and it is not the god.)

Month after month rolled by and Rhea was stuck in the Grove, unable to even step a toe
outside of it. She has been kept inside of it for well over a year now and she is desperate for
freedom, she feels caged- locked away- and she feels that she is wilting away and
dying. (Rhea is the equivalent of a human 18 year old, she is meant to be free and out in the
world).

Her siblings tell her that this is the only way that she will be safe and she knows it’s true but
that does not stop her from longing to roam outside of the Grove. 12 Titans, stuck living in
one area can be suffocating and while the others get a break from it, leaving to roam free on
the days where the sky is bright and their father is in a good mood, she is forever stuck.

Her mother had created this Grove to provide them a safe place to live, a sanctuary, when
they had been younger. After their father had thrown their monstrous brother into the Pit,
their mother had been terrified that he would do the same to them and so she had called her
power up and created an area hidden between mountains that was covered by trees, protected
from the view of the sky. It had everything they needed to survive and their father did not dare
to breach this one area that was so carefully guarded by their mother.
Rhea spends her time floating in the waters that rest inside this sanctuary or playing with the
Lion pride that has taken up residence alongside the titans. Her siblings keep her company as
well, Tethys plays in the waters with her, splashing and laughing. Theia lays up at night and
cloud watches with her and together they come up with fantastical stories for the fun shapes
they see. Phoebe brings her fresh flowers and plants from outside the Grove and tells her
about different sites that she has seen and Themis calmly sits with her, brushing her hair, and
tells her stories. Mnemosyne does not join them often- she sleeps for many days at a time and
is fairly quiet (a part of Rhea is very grateful because Mnemosyne holds the eyes of their
Father and as kind as they look on her sister’s face, she cannot stop herself from trembling in
fear).

Rhea’s brothers amuse her as well. Hyperion, Koios, and Iapetus come up with fun little
games and competitions and they run around the Grove with her and play. Krios lays up at
night with her and looks at the stars, pointing out the brightest ones and coming up with
crazy stories for all of them, the two compete to see who can make the best story. Eventually
Oceanus comes around a bit and joins her and Tethys on occasion (Rhea knows he is actually
there to see Tethys but she is spiteful so she refuses to give him time alone with their eldest
sister,).

Kronos is the one she finds the most comfort in. He spends so many hours with her as often
as possible. They talk about everything and he tells her about places he has visited that when
she is free he will take her to see. He braids flowers into her hair and makes promises that
she is not sure that he will be able to keep.

It still isn’t enough, she is losing her will. Rhea is her mother’s daughter- born of the earth.
She needs to wander, free and unbidden and roam with the winds. She is restrained and it is
slowly killing her. She knows her siblings can see it as her eyes grow dim and her skin pales.
She begins to sleep more and more.

Rhea does not know how much longer she will last.

It is almost a year after Rhea has been confined to the Grove when Hyperion is dragged in by
Iapetus, he is violently shaking and twitching, screaming but his voice is cracked and bloody.
Immediately the rest of the siblings rush to them, hollering to whoever isn’t in the immediate
vicinity to come quickly.

Rhea reaches them first and she helps her brother drag Hyperion to the nearest pool of water.
She summons her healing magic and begins to soothe and heal her older brother but it isn’t
enough. He has been clearly tortured and she knows a lesson from their father when she sees
one. Theia holds Hyperion’s head in her lap and cries tears of gold at her brother’s pain,
begging their mother to appear and save him, but Gaea does not interfere as usual.

Finally Rhea is able to heal Hyperion enough that his screaming stops, although the
twitching continues as do the spasms, and ichor still leaks from his body. It is then that she
sees just how horrible he looks. His arms and legs are completely broken and his shoulders
dislocated. There are various gashes across his body. His fingers have been broken and when
she looks hard she can see that his hand must have been cut off because it has reformed with
the scar to mark it on his wrist.
This is the sort of terrible work that their father does when they displease him (by simply
existing). Kronos demands to know what happened and Iapetus tells them a horrifying story.
Ouranos had appeared to Hyperion and demanded that his son bring Rhea to him, that he
turn over the youngest sister to be dealt with by their father. Hyperion had refused.

In a fit of rage, Ouranos had dealt another one of his lesson. He was determined to break
Hyperion's will. He had broken his bones and then strung Hyperion up in the sky, leaving him
to hang over the world in agony, his body weight slowly dislocating his shoulders and every
time his body healed an injury, it came back worse. Iapetus tells them that rivers of golden
ichor were streaming across the earth beneath where Hyperion had hung. Hyperion gives a
rattly cough and grips Rhea’s hand.

“I couldn’t do it Mikri Aderfi. I couldn't betray you to him. I never could, not even to save
myself.”

From that day on, Hyperion becomes Rhea’s favorite brother (Kronos doesn’t count, he is
something… different.)

Percy is not an idiot, no matter what his sister and cousins say. He knows when things are
amiss in his family, he can feel it in his blood when something is wrong with them.

He knew that his sister did not often come to bed at night until the early hours of the
morning. He had grown worried as his gut told him to follow her and he did. It was then that
he saw her laying in the grass beside the god, Apollo, staring up at the stars and talking. He
longed to go over to them and take his sister away from the god as he was sure Apollo had
nothing but selfish intentions but he had held himself back.

Since his sister had started staying later at the Hall, she had stopped coming back crying. She
was less withdrawn, and grief ridden. As wary as he was, he couldn’t bring himself to take
whatever small amount of joy she gained from her time with the god.

But Percy knew something else too.

He knew that Rhea was having dreams. He would awaken sometimes to hear her whispers of
the Old Tongue. Sometimes she whispered out names, calling out to ‘mother’ (he knew she
didn’t mean their mom). She would also call out the names of Tethys, Theia, Phoebe, and
Themis on different nights and he briefly wondered if it had anything to do with their
meeting months ago but he knows that it doesn’t.

Sometimes his sister calls out more concerning names in her sleep. She calls out for Hyperion
some nights and Percy grits his teeth when he hears it. But what concerns him most is when
he remembers the day she slept in the infirmary after her episode and how she had called
out that name in her sleep.
She had called the name ‘Kronos’ like it was the answer to her prayers, and he had to restrain
himself from shaking her awake when he heard it.

He knows that she has always had strange dreams- stranger than normal for a demigod.

He is afraid that they are an omen of something bad. He is terrified that one day the gods will
take his sister, that Poseidon’s threat to them to leave her alone will no longer scare the other
gods and that they will take her away. He also fears that the Titans will come for her and he
wonders how he will possibly protect her from both sides. He watches his sister from a
distance determined to protect her. He will not let men, gods, or titans come for his family.

Because their family is as fucked up as they come, war time unites the cousins once more and
Thalia has come by to see her cousins, bringing stories of her times with the hunters, and she
wears her stupid little silver circlet. (Rhea had told Thalia that she liked it but Percy, Seth,
and Nico had all exchanged a look behind her back agreeing that it looked weird on Zeus’s
daughter)

Things are all going well, no fights have ensued and there is only laughter, stories, and war
planning. It is when they are sitting in the council room going over their numbers that the
first fight happens.

The cousins are going over their abilities, how their training is going, their skills with
weapons, and generally analyzing where they will stand in comparison to Kronos, his
brothers, and the rest of the Titan Army. They are strong but they worry that they will not be
enough.

It is then that Thalia opens her mouth and criticizes Bianca for being stupid and joining the
hunters and then going along on a quest after 24 hours of being a demigod and being
untrained. She is furious that Bianca got herself killed when she could have provided another
powerful link for the cousins, another link to kill Kronos.

Thalia has good points of course, Bianca was stupid, but she was manipulated. However, the
Daughter of Zeus has fallen in the ranks. She left the camp and the family. She holds lower
status now, the children of Demeter and the Son of Hades outrank her by far.

When Thalia opens her mouth and criticizes Bianca, the Ghost King lashes back. (None of
the Children of the Elder Six play well with the Children of Zeus.). The twins sit back as if
they are rulers upon their thrones, watching a battle from above. They do not interfere, not
yet.

It is common among the cousins to settle feuds physically. The Bloodline of Kronos is
violent, so any offenses or arguments usually demand a blood payment (which is a nice way
of saying they punch it out). Luckily, this one is still just with words.

“Bianca never even tried!” Thalia cries out. “She never even tried to be one of us. She turned
her back on us before she even got the chance to see what we could give her. What she could
become.” She looks around the room at the stony faces of the cousins who are unwilling to
interfere in the fight between the Children of the Eldest and Youngest Brothers.

She dodges when Nico lashes out with his sword and the peace is broken. Her own spear
comes springing out and the pair are going after one another, desperate to draw the first
blood. The fight continues for a few more minutes but when the pair threaten to ruin plans
that hang on the wall, Percy glances at Rhea.

“Enough!” Rhea calls, Percy hears irritation leaking from her voice and it matches the
irritation he is feeling. “I’m not going to sit here and watch the two of you try and kill each
other. We are preparing for a war, and we cannot afford to lose more demigods. Children of
the Sons of Kronos no less. Use your words.” She bites out. Both Thalia and Nico open their
mouths ready to protest, their weapons still aimed at one another but Percy slams his hand
down on the table and they quickly drop their weapons. Thalia takes a deep breath, her
fingers still sparking but before she can speak, Nico does.

“You have no right to say those things about her when you yourself have turned away and
abandoned us. You are not loyal; you did not try to stay either.” His words are stilted, as if it
is hard to speak and Percy imagines that it probably is hard to talk instead of rake his nails
down Thalia’s face.

“I did try.” Thalia bites back. “And it would never have worked. I had to leave because if I
didn’t join the Hunt, there was a chance I would have fallen to Kronos.” She turns to the
twins when she says this to see if they agree. (She wants them to say that she’s right and that
she is of course different from Bianca. She wants them to absolve her of her sins.) But Nico is
unwilling to accept her statement. Unwilling to accept her. The Zeus-Hades feud is strong
and it oozes from the pores of the two cousins, stifling the room. Nico snarls and his next
words cut like a knife.

“You are not one of us.” Immediately an ozone smell fills the air again and the cousins tense.
Katie has now moved to stand and she is warily looking back and forth between the feuding
pair. Seth is angled towards Nico but Liam is standing more towards Thalia. The cousins are
shifting to sides and if they are not careful, this will escalate to an entire family fight.

Rhea cannot handle this childishness anymore. This complete and utter idiocy. Nico has no
right to try and make these declarations, but Thalia’s self-righteousness is growing tiresome.
Rhea is plagued with far bigger issues and yet here she sits, listening to her cousins’ trade
insults when they should be planning. She stands and her chair bangs harshly against the
floor. The fighting stops immediately, and her cousins stand at attention, watching her warily.

“We are preparing for a war. One that could end in all of our deaths. This is more serious than
any sort of feud the two of you could possibly come up with. We are the leaders, the ones that
the campers and the hunters will be looking up to, to lead this war. Act Like It.”

When she says those final words, she slams her hands down with such a force that she hears
the table crack and a sharp inhale sounds around the room and she knows that her cousins
faces have shifted to worry. Worry about her new abilities.

She sweeps out of the council room and slams the door behind her before going to the back
of the Big House, standing with her head pressed against the wooden slats of the house,
inhaling deeply.

Her temper is shorter now, it could be the war or it could be her dreams which leave her
confused and exhausted. She knows that she should tell her brother about them but she can’t.
She wants to find some answers first. She takes one more deep breath, now calm, before
straightening up. She rounds the corner of the house, ready to go to the Arena and train.

She sees something move in the corner of her eye, but she is too late.

She feels a blow to her skull and crumples immediately.

 The Generations

It is a couple months after the incident with Hyperion that things change. Hyperion has
finally fully healed, it took 2 months, but he stands healed and whole, powerful as ever. His
loyalty to the youngest sister has only grown and he is now her self-appointed guardian,
playmate, and anything else she could want. He lets her weave flowers into his hair and
sometimes they make flower crowns together. Although Hyperion hates to get wet, he even
swims with her. Rhea, Kronos, Hyperion, and Theia become an inseparable group. She
knows that her brothers and sister would continue to do their best to shield her- the youngest-
from a vicious and cruel father.

It is then that their mother comes to the Grove. She asks them to hear her out and they
grudgingly do. Gaea wants a favor.

Rhea does not think it is a coincidence that she has come to ask a favor of them only once
Hyperion was fully healed.

“You have abandoned us to our father’s cruelty for years and yet you have the nerve to come
before us and ask for a favor?” Kronos snarls out, he stands in front of Rhea protectively, he
has one had extended out as if to keep her behind him and away from their mother. Hyperion
stands by his side and she impatiently sighs before pushing her way out from behind the pair
of brothers.

“You know why I cannot help you.” Gaea pleads with her children she holds out her hands,
the thick, black and silver bands wound around her arms gleaming in the light. “I built this
place for you, to shelter you and provide for you as much as I could. I cannot do anything
else.”

“Then why are you here Mother?” Hyperion questions, tone full of scorn and hatred.

“I am here because I have found something that I can do.” Her voice is full of hope and this
sparks interest in the minds of her children. Her hands glow and from her very own body,
from the earth itself, she summons the strongest and deadliest metal the deities could wield,
the very first weapon that did not belong to Ouranos or his powerful siblings such as Erebus,
Nyx, and Aether.

She holds out in front of her, a long and deadly blade with the sharpest point, gleaming sickly
in the light. It’s perhaps 6 feet long and its handle is made of metal as well.

“A Scythe.” She whispers with pride and hunger. “Forged from my own body. My own
Power.” Rhea cannot breathe as she beholds this weapon, something that the Titans should
not even be near, their Father would murder them all if he knew. She grips Kronos’s hand
tight in her own and he pulls her closer to him. But when she looks up at his face, she sees his
eyes gleaming with hunger and ambition yes, but what she sees the most of, is a blazing need
for vengeance.
“What would you have us do?” Iapetus questions. Gaea’s eyes turn sick, and Rhea knows
that her heart is full of hate, a scathing and white hot fury directed at the current King of the
Heavens.

“I would have you take this blade and run it into his heart. I would have you carve his body
into a thousand pieces and scatter them to the winds. I would have you cast him out of this
world, forever bound to his realm so that he could no longer extend his reach to me. To you.”
Her eyes meet Kronos’s and then go to Rhea. “I would have you kill him.”

Rhea knows there is something ulterior working here, but she cannot even begin to fathom a
guess of what it is. She is too blinded by the idea of finally being free. Of being to leave the
Grove and run happily and freely through the world. Of being able to finally do all of those
wonderful things that Kronos had promised to her. Of no longer having to live everyday
overwhelmed with terror.

But she does not want Kronos to be the one to do it. She is terrified of what their Father
could do to him, especially if they were to fail. The consequences of such a rebellion would be
so vast that she is sure Kronos would never be able to return to the Earth.

Gaea leaves the blade there, in the middle of the Grove for the siblings to look at and ponder.
Rhea knows that her mother will not rest until the titans do what she wants. She can see the
way Kronos is longingly looking at the blade and she grabs his hand, yanking him away to
the little cave behind the waterfall, the one that only the two of them knew about.

“Rhea do you know what this means?” Kronos exclaims, his entire body vibrating with
excitement. “If we do this, you could be free. You could go outside the Grove. You could live
your life! We could do all the things that we have been talking about!” He keeps chattering
on excitedly but a bad feeling sits in Rhea’s stomach.

“Kronos.” She says softly, hoping to catch his attention, however he is so caught up in his
excitement that her voice is drowned out.

“All of us could be free. The Twelve of us could actually go out. Can you imagine Rhea?” He
is now creating plans for what life for the siblings would look like and she thinks he could
probably bounce off of the cave walls with how much excitement he hold.

“Kronos-” she attempts to interject again but he doesn’t seem to hear her. “Kronos!” She
tries again. “Would you just take a second?” But he keeps talking, his mind clearly running
away with a host of different ideas

“Ekdikitis!” She cries out and he goes silent, his attention snaps to her, truly focusing on her
for the first time. His true name (the name that was designated to him by Chaos at birth)
snaps through the air and he looks at her intensely. She sees the utter adoration and
protectiveness in his eyes, and she wishes that seeing it would quash the awful feeling in her
stomach. “Do you realize the consequences of this if you should fail?”

“You do not believe in me?” His eyes are upset, and his face looks pained, as if she had
stabbed him. “You do not believe for even a second that I could be successful?”
“That’s not what I am saying.” Her voice is full of frustration, why does he not see all the
things that could go wrong? But when he speaks, he is full of frustration now too.

“I am doing this for you Rhea, for our siblings and for you. I see the look in your eyes, the
way you are slowly fading away. You deserve to be free.” She does want to be free, but she is
so afraid.

“I cannot convince you not to do this can I? Even if I were to beg, you would still go through
with it. Wouldn’t you? You will demand to be the one to do it.” Anger leaks into her tone and
his face becomes a mix of frustration and anger.

“Rhea how could you not want this? Why are you trying to stop this? I am trying to save you,
to free you!” She pushes him in the chest in anger (it is really fear, Rhea is terrified of what
could happen to her love, and so she lashes out.)

“Stop pretending that this is for me. This is for you and your quest for power, your desire to
no longer be seen as just the youngest. Your ambition and your longing. You are just using me
to justify your actions to yourself.” He grabs her wrists and stops her from hitting him. She
sees fury burning in his eyes, but she burns right back. The others may back down at the sight
of Kronos’s fury and power but she never has and she will not start now.

“Enough! You are trying to cause a fight because you are drowning in your own fear. I am
trying to help you, to give you what you have always wanted, but you are so terrified that you
cannot even try to support the idea. You say you want to be free from Father but you make no
move to do so, even when the chance is sitting right in front of us.” She rips her wrists from
his grasp and glares up at him.

“I’m afraid of what he could do to all of us. What he will do to me.” His face softens, as if he
is just now seeing something on her expression and she wonders what it is that he has seen
that has now caused him to look at her so lovingly and protectively.

“You have nothing to fear, Agapiana.” Her own face gentles as he calls her his beloved. She
clutches at his clothing.

“You don’t know that. And even if I do agree that we should do this, I cannot bear to be a part
of killing him. I know Mother wants me to help. Or maybe even be the one to kill him but I
can't. He is still our father. I can’t-” her voice breaks. She so desperately wants to be free
from her abuser but the only way to freedom is patricide and she cannot bear to be a
kinslayer. Even now, Rhea cannot bring herself to kill the man she calls father.

“You don’t have to do it Rhea. I will do this for you. Let me kill him for you. Let me take care
of this for you. Please.” He has folded her into his embrace now, his chin resting on top of
her head and she feels his heart beat in tandem with her own and she knows that if she agrees
to this, he will not stop until he succeeds. “My name, my true name means Avenger, let me be
that, Rhea. Let me be that for you. Please.”

“Kronos. I cannot lose you. Do you understand that? I cannot live without you; I cannot
breathe without you.” In her desperation to convey her anxiety, the Old Tongue comes
slipping off her lips. He pulls back, still holding her though, and looks at her.
“You won’t lose me. I swear it on the River Styx.” They stare at each other for a few
moments, before she releases a heavy sigh. She finally nods her head in assent and he inhales
sharply. He yanks her back into a tight hug, kissing the top of her head. “Thank you, my
love. Thank you.”

Rhea’s consciousness comes back to her but the pain is so great she cannot even open her
eyes. She is about to groan when she hears voices and it hits her that she’s been
kidnapped. (She’s pretty sure she’s been kidnapped for the Titans, but with her family you
never know.)

“I did as you asked. She’s here isn’t she?” a female voice hisses out and Rhea thinks it sounds
vaguely familiar.

“Be careful how you speak, Demigod. You should have taken more care in how you handled
this. The King will see you punished.” The deep voice of the man (probably a titan or a
minor god who has decided to side with Kronos) pauses and she feels him hovering near?
over? her.

“It was just a blow to the back of the head. She’ll be fine.” The female demigod replies back,
fear evident in her tone.

Rhea hears a resounding smack and she thinks that the man/titan/or god has just struck the
girl across the face. She tries to focus more, but the pounding in her head is overwhelming.
She holds out for a few more seconds before she is pulled back under and into the land of
dreams.

Percy sits on his chair lounging as if he had not a care in the world. His cousins however
stand so still it is as if they dare not even breathe. Without looking up, he addresses Thalia
and Nico in a quiet yet calm voice, but they are more afraid than ever.

“You will of course, find her immediately and apologize.” Thalia and Nico quickly agree but
he holds up his hand to silence them as he continues. “My sister- Your Leader- already has so
much on her plate. She is already struggling. And yet you both actively cause problems and
make her life harder.” He paused, closing his eyes and taking a moment to think about his
sister.

She was so strong and yet so fragile at the same time. She was akin to a shattered mirror that
was still standing but all it would take was a small tap to send the whole thing crashing to the
floor. He wanted her safe. Protected. He wanted to take away her pain and ensure that she
would be okay. Yet war was knocking on their doorstep and that was impossible. That did not
mean he could do his best to keep her life outside of the war as stress free as possible. He
looks back up at his cousins, sea green eyes dark and blazing.

“You are both my cousins and I love you. I would die for you. Nothing means more to me
than our family.” He pauses and the earth starts to shake (a small warning.) “But I will not
hesitate to punish you for the pain and stress you cause my sister.” He stands and begins to
walk to the door. He pauses with his hand on the door handle “Do not give me a reason to.”

He opens the door and does not bother to close it, his powerful stride echoing down the hall.
The two cousins bow their head in shame as the Children of Demeter file out behind their
leader (king).

(It is almost ironic, Percy reigns in the manner his grandfather did. His power and reign
unchallenged, his grip on his throne tight and his rule is ironclad. His judgements are law,
and he reigns with an equally (perhaps more so) powerful Queen at his side.)

Hades Kronian knew that this war was inevitable. There was no way that they could destroy
their father and that the Titan would not somehow come back just to exact vengeance on
them for taking his crown and his throne. Hades knows he will be forced to face his father
again sooner rather than later and Hades is not ready. He has not seen the face of his father
since they butchered him thousands and thousands of years ago. Hades desperately wants to
lock himself away in the Underworld were he would be away from his father’s reach and
safely in denial. (Hades knows that staying in the Underworld will not stop his Father from
finding him and dragging him out for punishment.)

But Hades cannot leave his siblings to suffer at the hands of their father. Hades cannot
abandon them. Try as he might, Hades cannot leave Zeus to fall to their Father (although it is
still so tempting). He knows just how much his father loathes Zeus. He knows that Kronos
will repay what was done to him tenfold and as utterly annoying as Zeus is, Hades is still his
big brother. Zeus is still the son of Rhea. He cannot stand to see his mother’s son annihilated.

Hades offers Hestia sanctuary in the Underworld but she fives him a soft and sad smile
before declining the offer. She tells him that her place is by the throne of their brother the
king, at the hearth of the family. She tells him that her place is in the heavens, guarding the
Bloodline and guiding their siblings. They share a hug and whisper reassurances to one
another. (It is scary being responsible for younger siblings and trying to shield them from a
vicious father.) and they part ways.

Hades does not fear for Hestia like he does for the others. She did not actively fight their
father. And even now it is apparent that she is still his favorite, he knows that she is not
plagued by nightmares gifted by their father. Hades knows that Kronos still thinks of Hestia
with fondness and he knows that all she has to do is beg their father and she would be
accepted into his fold. He does not think Kronos could actually kill her.

Demeter is always welcome in his realm, not only because he is married to her daughter, but
because they get along fairly well. After thousands of years they have slowly come closer and
put aside their hatred. Things can still be tense but he will always protect his sister who
shines with the same gift as his mother. And one thing that has united them is that he and
Demeter have always shared a fondness for Poseidon. Although he wishes that she wouldn't,
he knows that she will fight. Demeter will not hide from their father. He admires her for her
determination.

Hades is most worried about his younger brother. The brother he prizes above the rest, who is
utterly precious to him. The son who reminds him so much of a mother he adores (and gives
him glimpses of the happy days with his father). Hades cannot hide away in the Underworld
because he cannot abandon Poseidon. He has protected his younger brother since the day he
appeared in the belly of Kronos and he will continue to do so- even if he pretends that he
hates him.

Hades knows that his brother will struggle to confront their father, because like Hestia he has
memories that make it hard to fight their father. Poseidon has told him only a few stories but
it is enough for Hades to know that his precious younger brother still struggles with the
betrayal and abandonment their father had dealt him.

Hades had considered extending a brotherly hand out to Hera, offering his protection to her
during the war. But he remembers the past, all that has happened between the siblings. They
had once been so close, but now…

The decline of their relationship is particularly tragic because once they had been close (born
the closest to one another out of the siblings and this is what they have become.)

She had not wanted his help once and he is certain she would spit in his face at the offer now.

He loves his sister, he does. But he will not protect her. That is Zeus’s job now.

Rhea does not have the dreams (memories?) that she normally does. Instead she has flashes
of scenes. She sees her and her brother’s first quest. She sees herself standing over the pit to
the depths of Tartarus, whispering out to Kronos. She sees the haunted looks on her aunts and
uncles’ faces when they behold her for the first time.

She sees her second quest and watches as Luke parlays for her favor. She sees her weird
instincts take over for the first time and watches as she manipulates her brother into killing
Circe without a question.

She sees the quest to free Annabeth (and Artemis). She watches as Apollo appears to her and
her brother in their car and how he grants them his help on the quest. She sees the way that he
watches her when she speaks and she thinks that perhaps his interest in her is not as new as
she originally thought.
She sees the arena in the labyrinth and feels as Antaeus strikes her again and she sees as Luke
places himself in front of her, protecting her and threatening backlash from the hands of
Kronos if she were harmed anymore.

She watches the way Kronos’s eyes widen when they first see one another in the maze.

She watches the way that his gaze turns to terror when she lifts her hand in the battle after he
killed Lee. Almost as if he knew exactly what was to come.

She sees her life play all over again before her eyes as she is yanked around from memory to
memory. She is thrown around, tossed like a rag doll. She feels beaten, bruised, and bloody.
She thinks she has begun to scream.

A golden light shines through her dream, filling her with warmth, with familiarity and she
forces her dream self to focus on it.

With a gasp she surfaces from her dream and shoots awake. Her eyes remain shut because of
the pain in her head but she does an intake of what she hears and feels around her. A soft
mattress beneath her, a warm blanket laying on her, she faintly hears very busy people, and
she wonders where the fuck she is.

She feels a body to her right, radiating heat. The person must be seated next to the bed
because she can feel no dip on the mattress. Rhea begins to crack her eyes open, fighting the
blistering pain in her head and resisting the urge to cry as bright lights blaze in her vision.
Her eyes open fully and she stares up at the ceiling. A blinking diamond and gold chandelier
hangs above the bed connected to a ceiling is solid black. She feels herself starting to freak
out when a deep and way too familiar voice speaks from the position next to her.

“Hello, Princess.”

Her eyes widen astronomically and she shoots up into a seated position, hands in front of her
as if to protect her, and meets an intense pair of eyes that stare a hole through her.

The golden eyes of the King of the Titans shine back at her own sea green eyes and he smirks
at her.

“Kronos” she whispers.

 Of the Seas and the Skies

"Kronos" the feral snarl rips from her mouth and the infuriating smirk on his face
deepens. He knows she has registered her missing bracelet and so she knows she is
weaponless in this fight. It is just her and her unstable powers against the strongest Titan
in history. "What have you done to me?"

"I have done nothing to you." He informs her with a sense of self satisfaction. Her body
is tensed and her lips curled as if she would rip out his throat with her teeth and he tries
not to laugh at how similar she is to her father and to Kronos's own siblings. (She truly is
a testament to the bloodline in her bloodthirstiness and willingness to fight).

"What do you want from me" She bites out and he answers her with a burning question
of his own.

"What do you dream of?" He asks. Her snarl deepens and instead of answering she
demands he return her bracelets. He tries to hide his disappointment at her lack of
answer.

"Why am I here?" She questions, enunciating every syllable. Kronos analyzes her for a
moment before replying

"I need answers, and you can give them to me." She is visibly taken aback by what he
has said and he tries not to give in to the ache in his stomach at the horribly familiar
expression of curiosity that she now wears. (It is truly nauseating how she now looks
unbearably like his two favorite women, his precious wife and daughter).

"I will not betray my camp. I will not tell you our plans and I will not turn to your side."
She is fiercely loyal (as her brother is, as her father is, and as he once was). He
wonders what it would be like to have such loyalty fighting for his side instead of
against it. However he laughs at her declaration, knowing how true it is.

"No, I did not think that you would. What I want from you are answers for something
that do not have to do with battleplans or the upcoming war. It is something...different."
He does not tell her he already knows the plans thanks to his spies and that he is now
free to focus on this for a few weeks.

"What is it?" Her hostility is abundant and she wears an expression that is a mix of
curious and suspicious.

Kronos promises that he will tell her and she scoffs when he promises. He tells her for
now it is best that she rid herself of the dried blood and dirty clothes she is wearing (it is
for her sake and his own, he cannot stand to see her wounded and dripping blood. It
brings back too many painful memories of his youth). He tells her to clean up and
change and have her guard bring her to him when she is ready. She watches him
carefully, looking for a sign of foul play but he gives none. After a moment she gives a
firm nod of assent and so he leaves the room, and finally feels as if he is a giant leap
closer to getting his answers.

Perseus knows that his sister is gone before any of them actually make the declaration.
He can feel the wrongness of the entire situation, can feel her distance from him and
how it sets him on edge. They are separated for the first time for as long as he
remembers, and fear sets into his spine. Their father had warned them to never be apart
and now it had happened. He did not know who had taken her (their list of enemies is so
long) but it does not matter, he will rip them into pieces regardless of who they are.

He immediately calls a War Council to announce the kidnapping of the Demigod Queen.
He is seated in his chair, elbows on the table and head resting on his joined hands when
the rest of the council appears. Katie sits at her place beside him while Nico goes to his
spot next to Rhea’s seat and the rest of the council seat themselves at once.

It is quickly noticed that the Daughter of Poseidon is missing. Chatter rises around the
table at once but when he lifts his head and raises a hand they quiet immediately. Thalia,
Nico, Katie, and Annabeth watch him with anxiety as if they are afraid to hear what will
leave his mouth. From his left Michael appears to have ceased breathing from his
nerves.

“My sister” his voice shakes with the effort to speak and with it so does the earth. “MY
sister is gone.” Voices raise immediately as questions are fired off, cries of worry filling
the air. He speaks again, his voice cutting through the voices of the others. “I do not
know who took her, or even exactly when it happened, but what I do know is that she is
gone and that her blood is pooled on the ground behind this house.”

“Oh my god” Katie whispers, her face pale and her hands rise to cover her mouth from
horror and he sees the nauseous and terrified look on her face. Annabeth offers her hand
to Katie, who takes it and grips it like a lifeline. If he had half of his usual mind he
would reach over and take his cousin's hand but he is too overcome by worry, fear, and
rage.

“That means,” Percy continues his voice shaking with pure unadulterated rage. “That
someone in this camp, in my godsdamned camp, either kidnapped or helped kidnap my
sister, their leader. If you know who, you will bring them to me.” His voice brooks no
argument and the councilors nod in agreement.

“What will we do Percy?” Silena’s soft voice rings out, her face shines with anxiety.
“My cousins and I will find her. We will search for her and bring her home.” Cheers ring
out among the group and his cousins nod their assent. He dismisses the council, his
cousins remaining in order to begin the search. But before anyone can leave he speaks
again.

“One more thing.” They all halt and look at him expectantly. “If any of you had a hand
in this, knows something about this, or raised a hand against her.” He pauses and looks
around the table, meeting the eyes of each member of the council. “I will rip you into so
many pieces that there won’t be anything left of you to bury.”

Demeter Kronia is the child who was born with their father’s rage. Demeter has plunged
the entire world into starvation and winter to express her rage, and she would do it again
in a heartbeat. She was not above such horrible and petty actions.

Demeter had been petty and spitting in the face of rules for as long as she had known.
She had been born when she should not have been. She had fought in the war against her
father, actively seeking to kill him. She had fought and ensured that Zeus would not
raise their (her) daughter. She had not married the man she was supposed to or the man
she loved. She had defiantly aided and visited her own children as much as she dared.

Her anger and defiance was her strength.

And she would stand and defy her father now, once more. It was different this time
however. She had already avenged herself for his wrong doings and so this time it was
hard to muster up as much hatred as she had, once upon a time. But she would stand for
her godly daughters, who did not deserve to die if Kronos became King again. But most
importantly she would stand for her siblings, her mother, and her godling children.

Hades, Hestia, Poseidon, and Hera deserved to live. She was the second eldest, she had
comforted and aided her siblings for her entire life and she would do anything to see
them live after years and years of darkness. And Zeus? Their Mother’s final child, the
one who had freed them. She owed him a life debt. He had freed them, helped win the
war, and had fathered her beloved daughter. She could not stand to see him fall.

Demeter fought because she remembered her mother’s sobs. The rivers of tears that had
left her mother when their father had declared a war to kill his newly freed children. She
remembered how her mother had cried so hard that ichor had fallen with her tears as her
husband and children fought to murder each other. Demeter remembered as her mother
screamed and cried for days when the final thread of her former life and marriage was
destroyed when Kronos had betrayed their bed.

Demeter remembered her mother’s pain and that is why she fought.
Demeter had sworn that her given name of Kronia would mean nothing, that she would
be everything her father was not and she had succeeded. Her children knew they were
loved, they had grown to adulthood with a loving and proud parent watching and
guiding them. She had succeeded in every aspect her father had failed her.

She would not be anything like the man she remembered.

(So if who she remembered, was so horrible, what was the aching feeling in her chest
that longed for her papa?)

Kronos is seated at a large and long table, sitting at the head of it. This table hosted
many a fun evening with his siblings. Before war, before all the chaos, the twelve of
them (but most importantly, Kronos, his wife, Hyperion, and Theia) would gather here
for family dinners and enjoy long nights of food, laughter, and later on in the evening,
games.

It had been the golden time of his reign. His family had been happy and thriving. It grew
bigger every year and eventually they began using the Great Hall for family gathering.
However, whenever it was Kronos and his wife or Kronos, Hyperion, Theia, and her,
they would always be here.

This table was where he and his wife had ate every meal together, and for a short while,
where his favorite children had sat between their parents and eaten by their side. It
reminded him of happier and simpler times.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that when the nymph at the doors announced the
arrival of Poseidon’s daughter and Perses (who he had instructed to guard her and
escort her) he jumped a bit out of surprise. The doors were pushed open and in walked
the Sea Princess with a very pale Perses by her side (he looked as if he had been drained
of his blood but Kronos knew that this was his reaction from seeing the Queen’s
doppelganger. Perses had once guarded her as well.)

But it was the Princess, not her guard that shocked him. She wore a beautiful, deep
green chiton but it had been slashed off above the knees and when he met the
Demigoddess’s eyes she raised a challenging eyebrow and he fought the urge to laugh at
her. It was a smart move for fighting and he knew she intended to duel him here and
now.

“Sit.” He commanded, he then waved a hand and Perses exited the room. The girl
remained standing. He pointed at the chair. “I said to sit.” Her face twisted at that.

“I must have missed the part where I turned into an animal or one of your lackeys for
you to order about.” Her acerbic tone was impressive and he raised an eyebrow at her.
She only crossed her arms and stared challengingly back. Sweet Chaos with the look on
her face and the words she had just spoken, she was a dead ringer for her namesake and
for a moment Kronos felt as if he were back in the Golden Age.

“Fine.” He muttered. “Sit. Please” The please does not sound very genuine but it is a
please at least. She rolled her eyes and plopped at the chair three seats down from his
left hand, plenty of room between them. “Eat.” He motioned to the food and when she
gave an unimpressed ‘hmph’ he added another very stilted 'please.' She looked like she
was fighting the urge not to smirk and she reached for the platter of fruit and cheese.
They ate in complete silence and she ate ravenously and he wondered if it was because
she had been hit so hard. He focused on his own plate and they ate in silence before he
heard her huff. He raised his head to look at her to find her leaning back, slouching in
her seat.

"Why have you brought me here? What is it you want?" Her voice is soft, yet
challenging and regal and he wonders if this is how she rules her people. He meets her
gaze and stares at her, assessing her for a few moments before answering.

"You are my guest here at Othrys" She lets out a small scoff and he tries not to smirk
when he hears it. The silence continues for a few moments before she lifts a couple
fingers to her temple, pressing them into her head and hissing with pain. He watches for
a moment before sliding a goblet over to her. She eyes it suspiciously. "It's just nectar. I
would not have gone through the trouble of allowing you to awaken, clean up, and eat
my food only to poison you."

She gives him a half shrug before picking up the goblet and taking a few drinks of it. He
notices that she drinks more than what is acceptable for a demigod and it only confirms
to her what her golden red blood had. She is a godling, a Godkiller. She is something
more and something different. Her and her brother herald the beginning of a new era.
She sets it down, and he sees that it is almost empty.

"I did not order for that to happen." He informs her in a tone that sounds far more casual
than how he really feels considering he boils with rage at the thought of how she had
been brought in. Her eyes widen and shock and disbelief. "I did not order you to be
harmed in such a way and you may take my word for it that the offender will be severely
punished." She stares at him before looking down.

"Your word means nothing Kronos."

He feels as if the wind has been knocked from his lungs. In the same room, the same
setting, he had heard these words before from the very same lips. For a moment his
vision blacks out and he cannot breath as he is plunged into memories of the past. His
chest heaves for a moment before he finally takes a fortifying breath. (Rhea thinks that
his chest heaves in burning fury but she does not know it is from an overwhelming and
gripping sadness.)

"Nevertheless," his voice is gruff as he speaks. "You have it anyways." She gives a sort
of half nod and sits there quietly, just staring at him.
"You won't kill me," she murmurs with so much confidence that he is almost offended.
"But you have not said why it is that I am here." He tilts his head at her and her head
tilts as well. With a quiet voice she asks if this is because of what she did to him and his
army in the battle. If he has taken her as revenge for the decimation. He cannot help the
smile that slips from his lips.

"The display of power was truly awe inspiring." He informs her. "And it is true that I
will not allow such a power to face me on the battlefield again. Not when it could ruin
my work. But I have given you a merciful option in not killing you." (She doesn't need
to know that he could never actually kill her.) However she lets out a cold and
disbelieving laugh.

"Merciful? For who? For you?" His eyes widen almost imperceptibly at her words. Her
voice takes on a very familiar and very dangerous tone. "I have spent years watching the
way everyone- Chiron, the Gods, and now Titans look at me. And I have spent years
dreaming of her, of her life. I know exactly who I look like." Her gaze is vicious now.
"Could you kill me, your majesty? Could you raise your scythe and drive it through my
chest, and look into my eyes, her eyes, and kill me?" Her eyes are bright and her power
flares out to meet his own, challenging him. Her head sits in a challenging tilt and he
struggles to resist the urge to throw his power at her and allow it to smother her. Her
impertinence (her accuracy) is astounding.

"Be careful how you speak" he warns her and his power begins to leak out, covering the
room. He sees her stiffen as she feels and it a vicious sort of pleasure fills him when a
bit of her arrogance is replaced when she feels his power.

"I do not think that I am the one that needs to be careful here." She says as she taps her
pointer finger, middle finger, and thumb on the table. He eyes them carefully. "Either
duel me to the death now or set me free so we may meet in battle." She states and he sits
back, looking at her with a smirk.

"No, Princess. I don't think that I will."

The air is heavy with tension when he says that and her gaze burns with fury. The airs
shifts and a metallic tint fills it. He hears her aura lurch and the table beneath her cracks
under her hand. It immediately falls to the ground, food and drink spilling everywhere.
She stands, her chair crashing to the floor behind her and she levels him with a look of
fury. He has taken her weapons and even if she could overpower him, (doubtful) the
palace is full of titans who would capture her and she has no idea how to escape. She is
trapped.

"I will take my leave now." She does not ask. Her voice is low and deadly and he knows
that it is best to let her go when she spins on her heel and storms out of the hall. He
vaguely hears Perses call out to her.

"My lady! My lady! Slow down! You'll get lost..." the voices die out and he sighs before
standing from his seat, surveying the destruction of one of his most beloved places. For
a moment he wonders if there is some deeper meaning here as the doppelganger of his
wife destroys such a meaningful place.
At 2 in the morning Apollo appears at the Hall. He is filled with concern and anxiety in
regard to Rhea. He had seen her in the morning but when he had grown busy he had to
take a break from watching her and his children and when he had checked back, hours
later, she was completely gone. Not just from the camp, but from his view. She was
hidden away entirely. And he had only looked away for 3 hours at most.

Apollo hated not knowing things almost as much as he hated being bested. He burned
with the desire to know exactly what had happened and to slowly and viciously tear
apart the person that had removed Rhea Poseidia Jackson from his grasp. So he flashes
down to the camp in hopes to get some fucking answers but as soon as he appears he is
slammed into the wall and a sword is digging into his neck. It is pressed to his skin so
hard that he feels a cut form and ichor begin to drip out.

Apollo is filled with rage and he tries to push away whoever dares to attack him.
However the aura of the person pinning him is so strong that it is choking him,
overwhelming and completely dominating his with its raw power. He finds that he is
physically incapable of pushing the person off of him.

His eyes adjust and he finally sees who it is.

Standing above him, eyes alight with pure hatred and fire and bronze sword in hand, is
Perseus Fucking Jackson.

Fear fills him now. The Destroyer has him completely pinned and at his mercy. He could
kill him, sending him to Tartarus to fight his way out for Chaos knows how long. He
knows he must get out of the position as quickly as possible and so he goes limp in an
attempt to fool the Destroyer.

But Percy is not fooled, he presses harder and his lips form a snarl as he spits out
questions.

“What the fuck have you done to my sister?” He hisses out, Ancient Greek spilling from
his tongue in his rage and the ground beneath Apollo quakes and he wonders if it will
crack open and swallow him completely. Behind Percy, stand the other children of the
Elders, his cousins and half-sister.

Thalia’s spear is aimed at him while the son of Hades and the daughter of Demeter,
Katie, stand on each side of him with their swords aimed at his sides. He lets out an
infuriated hiss, surrounded on all sides by seething and powerful Demigods who would
happily murder him.

Apollo refuses to be murdered for something that is not his own fault, he opens his
mouth to defend himself. “I was about to ask you where she was myself, cousin.” He
spits out the term with poison and Percy tightens his grips, pressing harder.
“Do not play innocent. I know what you have been doing, Sun God. You have been
watching my sister since the winter Artemis called you to take us all to camp. You
cannot keep your eyes off of her. And for the past couple months you have been visiting
her.” Percy’s aura boils and his fury is tangible around Apollo. He hears the sea roar
around him and he vaguely wonders if Poseidon is watching.

“You have been visiting her. The girlfriend of your dead son.” Percy spits. “Did you
think to take her? To take her from ME? To make her yours? You always want to be the
best, to have the best so is that what you did? Did you take my sister, the only Daughter
of Poseidon- who is capable of mass destruction- and abscond with her? Did you bash
her head in and lock her in your fucking temple on Olympus?” With every question
Percy shakes him and with every question cracks form in the ground, and Apollo
wonders if this is where he dies, by his son’s memorial.

His mouth is dry at the questions because he knows that he is fully capable of what the
Son of Poseidon is asking. Apollo fights those urges every day (it is a losing battle). He
has long since ached to steal away with the Sea Princess and keep her as his, safely
tucked away in his palace for only him to love and admire.

But he never actually went through with it. (A part of him is furious at the thought that
perhaps someone has done it before he could and his mind wanders to his brothers for a
moment. Or perhaps even his father.)

“I did not.” Apollo whispers hoarsely. But Percy doesn’t hear him.

“Do you honestly think that just because she is on Olympus that would stop me from
getting her back? That Olympus will hide her from me as if I will not rip the entire place
apart brick by brick to see her safely returned to me- to her family?” The Destroyer
roars, and Apollo thinks that perhaps the prophecy will happen earlier than expected. He
also sees that this is exactly what his father, aunts and uncles fear. This is the reason they
watch the boy so carefully and allow him so much freedom.

This boy is burning with rage and with it he could raze the entirety of Olympus. He now
knows why Poseidon sends gifts and visits them. He now knows why his family
demands the twins always be kept together, why they have told Chiron that on no
occasion are they to be separated and that every quest with one shall have the other. This
is why they demand the twins be constantly together. Die together or Live together.

When parted, they are capable of burning everything to the ground.

“I swear it. I did not raise my hand against her or take her from you. I swear on the
River Styx.” Thunder booms and Percy stares him in the eyes, piercing through his soul
and Apollo hopes that he can see that he speaks the truth. After a few breaths, Percy
shoves him away and sends him sprawling on the ground. He quickly gets to his feet and
his body glows as he heals himself. He sees these cousins (his cousins) stare at him with
interest and hostility.

“You cannot see her? You said you came to ask where she was, so does that mean you
cannot see her?” The son of Hades asks and Apollo sighs in relief, relief that he is no
longer suspected for this crime.

“Yes. She is hidden away from my gaze.” The air is silent again before Percy roars in
rage and slams his sword into the ground. A huge rift appears in the ground snaking
down to the beach and earth and sand pour into the crack. The daughter of Demeter
kneels down and mends the earth back after a few moments of allowing the Destroyer
his anger before sending Percy a look.

“Then she was taken by the titans.” Thalia speaks up and Percy looks up immediately
and Apollo thinks he hears a prayer fall from his lips and wonders why the are all pale
with worry and why they shake as if they have been handed the dead body of their
cousin.

“Not just by the titans.” Percy’s voice rings out, though it is scratchy from yelling and
perhaps grief. Apollo can tell that whatever he wants to say, he was hoping was not true.
“By Kronos.”

The wind blows cold and the temperature drops.

 These Cursed Walls

Contrary to the popular belief of his siblings, Zeus is not a complete idiot. He knows how
precarious his reign is, he knows his siblings dislike him, and he knows that the children of
Poseidon are something new and extremely dangerous.

The difficult thing is that as the girl grows, she turns more and more into the image of his
beloved mother. Zeus loved his mother, she may not have always been able to be around but
when she was, she was full of love and warmth. She had sung him songs and told him stories
of the times before his father’s reign.

He knew that something about his face made her uncomfortable but she had never allowed it
to impact her love and affection for him. He loved his mother so very much and it made it
very hard to ever look at the daughter of Poseidon with anything but longing and affection.
He also knew that the rest of his siblings and the Olympians could be easily persuaded to the
idea of bringing her to Olympus and keeping her safely tucked away (where he would have
access to her powers) from the world that she could get hurt in. (he would not allow her to be
kept in the Underworld where she would wither away or tucked in the seas where her father
would keep them all away from her).

Also contrary to popular belief, Zeus did not hate his father that much. He disliked the titan
for the pain and grief he had caused to his mother. He also sort of disliked him for
swallowing his siblings, but to be perfectly honest, it had worked in Zeus’s favor. When he
freed them, a life debt snapped into place and so he had gotten the Throne he so desperately
craved.

Zeus had actually sort of liked his father when he was young. When Mother had brought him
to Olympus so he could trick his father and free his siblings, he had served Kronos for a short
while and in that time he had discovered that his father was not the sort of tyrannical demon
he had been imagining. (He actually saw a few similarities between him and the titan who
had fathered him). But Zeus had wanted his mother to be happy and more importantly, he
wanted the Throne. So he set aside his feelings and freed his siblings. They hadn’t been as
bad as he had thought they would be. However, they had clearly marked him as an outsider.

Years and years of being stuck together in the confined space with only each other for
comfort and entertainment had forged a strong bond. One he couldn’t understand and never
would. One he would never be apart of. It created a distance between him and the rest. When
Hera had leapt to help him in every way during the war he had been thrilled, seeing this as an
opening into the tight knit circle of his older siblings. Hades had quickly followed her in the
effort and the rest of the siblings quickly joined as well. He had been so pleased and grateful.

It was only after they had succeeded, he had taken the throne, and his reign was a few years
old that he had seen their ulterior motives. It had sent threads of pain through him to see their
hidden motives and that their overtures to include him were not of simple sibling love.
Zeus was vengeful like his father. He made sure to cause pain to them so they knew how he
felt. He would never kill them of course, knowing that no matter what they were born of his
beloved mother and he could not kill her children. He also still felt tiny amounts of affection
no matter how much he felt bitter towards them.

So instead he made sure they suffered, he ensured that they felt pain, but he had then
extended a hand out to them. He thought of the black and silver band that wound up the arm
of his wife with a dark satisfaction. Zeus was the God of Justice, and it was always so
satisfying to see justice (his justice) served.

However now was not the time to think of revenge or his justice being served, he needed his
siblings to fight by his side in this war. If he was in power, then so were they and he knew
they would stand by him (he does not know that most of his siblings could go to their Father
and be allowed to live).

Zeus would fight and Zeus would end his father. It had been his destiny once before and he
was certain he would succeed again. He would not lose his throne.

Rhea had stormed her way through Othrys with her guard chasing behind her. The poor Titan
kept calling out to her that she would get lost and that she should wait for him, but she knew
what she was doing. Somehow she knew where she was and was not afraid, maybe it was her
curiosity or her confidence in the fact that Kronos would not kill her.

She was boiling with anger and she could not have stood to see that smug bastard’s face any
longer and so Rhea had stormed out of the Dining room and took off to find a quiet place
where the Titan King could hopefully never find her. Much to her luck, Rhea finds an indoor
garden with a glass ceiling and she hides herself among the plants. It feels so welcoming and
familiar in this garden full of blooming flowers and towering trees. She wonders who could
have possibly made it.

She seats herself beneath a tree of cherry blossoms, surrounded by a magnitude of different
flowers and she softly runs her fingers over the petals of the flowers, awed by the fact that
such beauty and peace exist in the halls of such a dark and terrifying place. Rhea picks up
fallen cherry blossom petals and holds the bunch in her hands, lifting them up to smell their
sweet fragrance, and then with a giggle she digs a hole in the ground and buries the petals in
the hole almost as if she were a child again, thinking that planting flower petals would
actually grow flowers.

She spends a few more minutes hidden amongst flowers, breathing in smells that remind her
of the strawberry fields of Camp and the smell of the flowers that her cousins always gave to
her and Percy to freshen up their cabin. Katie had taken to bringing them flowers and every
week a different floral arrangement would be handed to them.
She felt tears build in her eyes. She wanted her cousins, she wanted her home. But most
importantly, she wanted her brother. She had been so focused on the fact that she was with
Kronos and her rage at being taken that she had not fully realized just how separated she was
from her brother.

They have never been this far. Can she be this far from him? What does she do without him
around? Who will stop her when she gets unstable? She does not know how to exist without
her brother. She has to get back.

She has to get out of here.

She has to get back to Percy.

Her thoughts come out in broken up segments and her breathing becomes shaky. She
unsteadily gets to her feet and stumbles her way out of the flower garden, desperate to get out
of whatever was happening to her and to try and find her way home to her brother.

(She does not see the pretty pin of her dress fall to the ground besides the beautiful lilies.)

With broken up thoughts, teary eyes, and a desperation to think or a way out of here she
distractedly walks down a hallway. Because Rhea is not really paying attention she does not
see the person who is also walking down the hall, straight towards her.

She slams headfirst into a breastplate and nearly falls over, rubbing her head at the oncoming
headache she knew would now be coming over her. She lifts her head, her lips are practically
shaking with her breathing now veering towards hyperventilation and Rhea struggles to meet
the eyes of the person she has just run into.

A titan with icy blue eyes and closely cropped, frost colored white hair stands towering over
here, donning white armor and she stares through tears at him. However his eyes widen when
he gets a look at her face and he starts coughing and spluttering. Her eyes widen and she
sidesteps the titan and begins to jog quickly down the hallway. She has to get out of here.

She can’t be here.

She needs to get home.

“Rhea?” she hears the coughing voice call out. She picks up her pace until she is practically
sprinting. She hears stomping footsteps following her. “Rhea!” She turns down a hallway.
She remembers him from her dreams- Koios- and she does not really feel like dealing with
the obvious issues he has with her physical appearance while she can barely even think
properly. “Rhea wait! Are you alright? Rhea! What-Wait-” She finds a thick and heavy door
with some sort of symbol on the door that she cannot properly read because of her tears and
panic and she wrenches it open before going in and shutting the door quickly behind her and
leaning against it.

She takes in her surroundings, hoping that the distraction will help her calm down now. She
realizes that the room she is in is absolutely huge. The area she is in is a sort of living room
with huge and soft, elegant velvet couches sprawling over the area and soft looking fur rugs
strewn across the floor. She takes a few more hesitant steps further into the room and sees it
open up into an enormous bedroom.

A bed the size of probably 4 king sized beds and doubly as long as them stands proudly in the
center of the room, it has four posts, one on each end and a huge canopy hangs around the
bed. Green and Gold gossamer surrounds the bed while royal purple curtains hang on the
walls and her breath starts coming out in gasps again as she realizes what she has stumbled
upon.

From a black hallway on the side of the room, Kronos emerges, his hair wet and his upper
half lacking any sort of clothing (and are those sweatpants? Titans wear sweatpants to bed?)
He freezes when he hears her feet scuff on the floor and the backs of her legs run into one of
the sofas. His head lifts and his eyes meet hers and his face fills with shock and surprise.
Then his lips curl into a smirk (a smirk that if she was in her right mind she would find hot as
fuck).

“I don’t recall inviting you here.” He states, his voice low and he is practically purring every
word at her. He takes a few steps towards her but she scrambles backwards stumbling her
way through the living area until she is practically pressing herself into the door.

“I…I..well I actu…” Is it always this hard to speak? Why does it feel like she is floating
outside of her body? Why does her whole body ache as if she were fighting and are her lips
shaking? Kronos comes to a stop and looks over her before a worried look graces his
features (features that since she has arrived she has noticed have less and less of Luke. She
could still see Luke in him, but it is probably 90% Kronos).

“Rhea?” he asks carefully when he finally registers her unstable and shaky breathing. Her
unfocused eyes dart around the room and she wonders if she could call on her destructive
power if it would get her to a place where she could breathe. “Rhea?” he asks again and his
voice is full of worry and he is carefully walking towards her with his hands out as if he were
approaching an injured and cornered dog. “Rhea what is going on? Did something happen?
Are you hurt? Is it your injury?”

So many questions

So much to process

It’s hard to breath. To think

Why is he concerned?

Is it because she looks like his dead wife?

Why does he care?

She spins around quickly, and wrenches open the door before racing down the hallway.
Vaguely she hears him call her name and chase after her as if he is desperate to find her and
she wonders why he would be so worried for her state when it is obvious that her appearance
is the only thing that matters to him.
Percy had been fully prepared to rip Olympus apart and burn it to the ground but now that it
had been confirmed that his sister was taken by titans, things got considerably more difficult.
The camp could not make the journey all the way to Mount Tamalpais to free his sister, in
fact because of the war effort, they could not even really spare a smaller team to go. (Besides,
any team that wasn’t made of the Children of the Elder Six would be annihilated).

Percy felt completely and utterly helpless. He had to free his sister and yet he still had to lead
an entire camp and prepare for war. But his poor sister was alone in Othrys, stuck with the
enemy, as Kronos did gods know what to his sister.

Apollo had gone back up to Olympus, he had told Percy that he was going to see if he could
get any sort of vision that could give him any information about the whereabouts of Rhea. He
only hoped that the god would succeed, any help would be appreciated.

Percy sat inside his cabin, sitting on his bed with his head in his hands. Katie and Nico sat on
either side of him but neither of them could comfort him because he knew they were
drowning in their own worry for his sister. He was so lost, drowning in helplessness and he
did not have his twin leader to help hold him up, make decisions with him, and support him.

This is one of those moments that Kings dread the most. The call between your people and
the ones you love. Who do you save, who do you abandon. Should Percy force them into war
too soon to save his sister or should he abandon his sister to the whims of a cruel Titan King
with a mad obsession. Rhea herself is a leader and Percy takes a small comfort in knowing
that she will understand how difficult it is to sit here and weigh these two choices.

But as he sits there, Percy realizes something. He cannot live with himself if he abandons his
sister to free herself on her own devices. He cannot abandon her and he could never live a
day without her or knowing that he damned her to some dark and twisted fate at the hands of
Kronos. Percy would sleep easier at night knowing he led the camp to slaughter than he
would knowing he could have saved his sister. It is fucked up but it is true (and it is par for
the course because Kronos had thought the same, Hades thought the same, Poseidon thought
the same, Apollo thought the same, it was apart of what made the Kronian Bloodline the way
it was- Dark and Cursed.)

“Let’s go.” Percy mutters. They look at him with shock.

“Where are we going?” Nico whispers, his voice hoarse from crying.

“Gather all our cousins, we are going to have a council between just us. We do not tell any of
the other campers, we don't know who we can trust, not even the councilors." He takes a deep
breath and looks around the camp as they make their way out. “Whether we are ready or not,
we have to prepare to take the war to Othrys. We figure out a way and a plan of attack, I
don’t care about anything else or about defending the fucking gods. I’m not leaving Rhea at
Othrys.”
Rhea ends up in a giant library, surrounded by hundreds of ancient books and it is here that
she finally breathes. She hides in a dark corner behind the shelves and feels her mind calm at
the idea that she has found a safe hiding spot to begin planning.

When her breathing calms and her ability to think comes back to her, embarrassment comes
over her. She had a panic attack? She hasn’t had one since before she came to camp and the
closest she ever came was when Percy and Annabeth went missing during war games last
summer. Rhea is furious with herself for the slip up, just when she thought she was doing
good at keeping control of herself.

She is also cripplingly embarrassed that she just saw a shirtless Kronos. Why did her enemies
have to be so attractive, it was honestly so unfair. She just couldn’t believe that she had
stumbled into Kronos’s bedroom, mid panic attack, and seen him half naked only to flee from
him after stuttering out not even half a sentence.

Rhea wishes that the earth would just swallow her up or that she could fall into a hole and
die.

She remains seated in her corner for a while and she realizes that hours have gone by now.
Her body aches from the panic attack and her brain hurts from the effort. Her ass also hurts
from sitting on the floor for so long.

Rhea braces one hand on the bookshelf in front of her and hauls herself up off of the floor.
She wiggles her way out of the corner and just sort of stands among the dusty shelves for a
minute to gather her bearings.

When she is determined that she has pulled herself together she begins to make her way to
the door- determined to go to sleep and forget this entire day ever happened. But because her
luck today is already terrible and she isn’t paying any attention at all, her shoulder slammed
into a bookshelf. That fucking hurt. She bent over grabbing at her shoulder and hissing in
pain. When the pain dulled a bit, she stood and kicked the shelf in irritation.

Her day had fucking sucked. Her cousins were infighting and her grasp on her powers was
unsteady at best. She had got her head bashed in by god knows who and had been dragged to
Mount Othrys and had to spend the evening with the Titan King and then have a panic attack
and now she was attacked by a fucking bookshelf. She kicks the bookshelf again in order to
keep herself from crying in frustration about the state of her life.

The bookshelf teetered precariously back and forth before crashing to the ground in an
epically dusty and horrible manner. The library door slammed open and her guard Perses
stood there with a wild and out of breath expression.

“Princess!” he cries out, heaving for breath. She didn’t realize titans could get breathless.
“Thank Chaos.” He walks over to her and stands in front of her, just staring at her for a few
moments catching his breath. His eyebrows then furrow and he glances down at the fallen
bookshelf and scattered books. He looks back at her. Rhea awkwardly clears her throat and
walks towards the door.

“Please help me find my room.” She asks quietly, exhausted and utterly defeated, as he
follows her out and shuts the door. Exasperation covers his face, she can see the
undercurrents of worry but he hides them well.

“I’ve been searching for you for well over 3 hours my lady. That was my goal after the dinner
but you lost me.” He shakes his head at her and places a hand on her shoulder, gently guiding
her down the hall.

“Sorry.” She mutters half apologetic and he huffs a laugh.

“It would not be the first time this has been done to me. I used to guard the Queen and her
majesty used to slip away from me all the time.” He hesitates and she looks up at him. Perses
lowers his voice to a whisper. “And when the Princess Hestia and Prince Poseidon were
around they would escape from me as well.” Her mouth drops in shock and he grins at her
expression before he pushes them to start walking again. Her exhaustion is quickly forgotten
and it is taken over by curiosity and wonderment.

He had guarded Queen Rhea? Not only that but he had watched over her father and her aunt
Hestia? How? Every story said that Kronos had swallowed his children immediately, so how
had Perses been able to watch over them?

“I hope you didn’t get yourself into too much trouble after you managed to slip away from
me, Princess.” Perses teases her and she tries not to flush deep gold at the thought of the
panic attack she had, Koios chasing her down the hall, her breaking into the Titan King’s
room, or the shirtless Kronos that she had seen.

“No, I stayed pretty lowkey. I didn’t see anyone or have any issues.” She assures him with a
small and lying smile and he narrows his eyes at her and she can see it is clear that he doesn’t
believe her for a second. They arrive at her room and he opens the door for her before
ushering her inside. He takes up his post in front of the door but she taps on his shoulder and
he turns around to look at her. Rhea gives a small and awkward cough.

“Thank you for not being a complete dick to me.” She mutters, embarrassedly. His face
breaks into a smile that looks dare she say, fond?

“I was tasked to protect you, Princess. Why would I be rude to you?” She gives him a shrug
to answer his confused question and he gives a half laugh. “Tomorrow however, lets try to
not get separated. And maybe don’t knock over any more shelves.” Rhea rolls her eyes and
huffs.

“I’ll do my best.” She murmurs and he shakes his head at her.

“Good night, My Lady."

“Good night Perses.” She shuts the door and leans against it.
It is late at night as she lies among her silken sheets that she thinks about earlier. Unbidden,
images of shirtless Kronos flash in her mind and she shoves them out of her head as fast as
possible. As she fell into the land of dreams she remembered Perses’ words about guarding
Rhea, Hestia, and her father and she swore to herself to figure out just what else about the
myths of Kronos were a lie. She was going to free herself and she was going to figure out the
truth about her fucked up family.

Kronos picks up the scythe, Rhea by his side, and Gaea materializes almost instantly. The
ground rumbles, announcing her presence and the rest of her children quickly arrive in the
clearing. When they see Kronos holding the scythe they are taken aback, they did not think
that he would actually do it. Their eyes flicker to Rhea, to see if she will stop him but instead
her face is set with determination.

“You have decided to do the right thing,” Gaea murmurs with pride. “You always were such
a fierce and determined child. I knew you would free me. Free all of us.” Kronos sneers at
her.

“Please cease with your false praises, Mother. I am not doing this for you, I am doing it for
my siblings.” He pauses and looks down at Rhea with an expression of such softness. “I am
doing this for Rhea.” Vaguely he hears Iapetus and Hyperion retch in disgust and Koios
snicker. His mother seemingly ignores what he has said and continues speaking.

“Which of you will do the right thing and stand by your brother?” She asks to her other
children. The titans all give each other nervous and wary looks. Standing by Kronos in an
attempt to murder their father, the King of the Heavens could spell certain death. Hyperion
clears his throat, shifting from foot to foot, before determinedly marching over to stand by his
brother’s left side. He clapped Kronos’s shoulder and the two shared a deep look. It was
always the two of them against the world, protecting Rhea. They had a bond of complete love
and trust.

“I stand by my brother. As I always have.” Hyperion declares, his voice booming and strong.
“I will no longer cower in fear and allow him to terrorize and torture us. I will not stand
quietly anymore as he hunts our baby sister and haunts her every living moment.” The other
siblings began to murmur amongst themselves in agreement.

“Good!” Gaea declared. “And you will be rewarded for it!” Koios strode his way over to the
group to stand beside Rhea. He looked down at her with a fond smile.

“No more hiding.” He declared. Rhea grinned up at him.

“No more hiding.” She agreed. Krios gave a solemn nod and joined them quickly followed by
Iapetus. Theia then joined them.
“I will support you, but I will not kill our father.” She declares. Kronos gives her an
understanding nod and she takes her place next to Hyperion. Phoebe and Tethys are quick to
join as well, giving the same statement as the eldest sister. Mnemosyne lifts her head,
crackling electric blue eyes scanning her siblings. (They all have to steel themselves and
force themselves not to flinch away from her eyes). She gives a nod and calmly walks over to
them; they all fight the urge to sigh in relief. (They did not know if they could bear to have a
sister with those eyes standing opposed to them.) Themis does not move from her spot. She is
quiet, too quiet.

“I will not help you.” She declares and they all grow still with fear. Will she run and betray
them to their father? Gaea’s aura hums and Rhea wonders if their mother will kill Themis in
order for the plan to go through. “But I will not stand against you either. I do not condone
kinslaying, however he is equally as guilty. So, I stand neutral.”

Themis is the titaness of justice and law and so none of the siblings are surprised to hear this
but they are overwhelmingly relieved that she will not adhere too strictly to the laws, and run
to their father the King. It is finally Oceanus who remains, and his calculating ocean blue
eyes run over them all. He then sneers at them.

“You are all idiots to think you can go against Father and win. Do you actually think that just
because Mother handed you some blade that you can go up to him and slay him, forcing him
to unconsciousness for the rest of existence?” He scoffs. “You are all idiots. But I am not. I
am not going to risk my life in an idiotic maneuver.”

“Oceanus-” Tethys protests and his gaze softens when she moves towards him, but he stands
firm.

“No, Tethys. I am not going to get myself cast into Tartarus. I will remain here and wait out
whatever happens.” Rhea watches her eldest sister’s face crumple and how she steps back,
quietly falling back in line with the 9 of them. Koios wraps an arm around her shoulders and
shoots a glare at Oceanus.

It is then that their Mother asks Rhea what she intends to do and she realizes that her Mother
wants her to help carry out the murder. When Rhea says that she will support them and
ensure they get away safely if something goes wrong, but she will not help kill their father,
Gaea’s face twists with rage.

“You will not help?” her voice rises with incredulity. “You will not help kill the father who
tortured you?” When Rhea shakes her head nervously, their mother lets out an infuriated
shriek. “You are an unhelpful little ingrate, Rhea Ourania,” She sneers Rhea’s name, the
tongue of the Primordials falling from her tongue in her rage. Rhea flinches at the sound of
her last name. “You were born with the power of Primordials in your veins! You not only
hold the power of creation, but you hold the power of destruction as well. You are beyond
blessed and gifted with abilities that I called upon for you to receive from my own father! I
waited for a century for your powers to come forth so that I could finally be free, and you
have the nerve to stand here and say that you will not carry out the very destiny that I have
forged for you?” Gaea’s voice has reached a unhinged and dangerous level and Rhea feels
herself shrink back. (Her gut churns with betrayal. Of course, her mother had not appeared
after seeing that Rhea and her siblings were in trouble. She was here to use Rhea’s new
abilities for her own gain.)

She wonders if her mother will now do as her father has always done and punish her for what
he deems ‘ungrateful behavior’. Gaea stalks over to her but Kronos moves in front of her,
protecting her from her mother. Kronos levels the point of the scythe under their mother’s
chin.

“Careful, Mother.” He warns, voice deadly calm. Gaea’s eyes cross as she looks down at the
deadly blade resting under her chin.

“You would turn a blade, forged from my own Divine Energy against me, my son?” She
questions. When Kronos does not cave, she sighs and backs away. “Fine, do as you wish
child.” She declares to Rhea. She goes back to pacing around the clearing, explaining to
them the plan that she has spent ages making. When she finishes, she dissolves back into the
earth, leaving her shell shocked and slightly terrified children behind. Themis walks away
from the without a word while Oceanus stares at them (at Tethys) with well hidden concern
before he turns and stalks away. The 10 remaining siblings come together in a tight knit hug.
Tonight, they will kill their father.

They must succeed. Or they will die.

 Family Meeting

Kronos sat at the newly repaired breakfast table, his head leaning on one hand, already
exhausted and it was only nine in the morning.

Hyperion had arrived at Othrys in the early hours of the morning and so naturally Kronos had
welcomed his favorite brother with a hearty breakfast. Koios was of course invited and so the
trio had made their way into the family dinner room in order to enjoy a semblance of a good
brotherly breakfast.

It had not lasted long. Now Koios and Hyperion were arguing and it was giving the Titan
King a headache. It was an age old argument of fire versus ice, one they had been having for
millennium and it always seemed to happen every time the pair got together. They had slowly
escalated in volume until now they were yelling at each other from across the table.

Kronos sat at his seat at the head of the table and stared straight in front of him, heaving a
sigh as a clump of grapes went flying over the table to smack Koios in the face. Koios
retaliated by throwing his chair back and unsheathing his sword. That is where Kronos
decided to draw the line.

“Stop.” He commanded with his deep, thundering King of the Heavens voice and the brothers
immediately froze. “I have already had to use enough energy to repair this table and dining
room once in the past 24 hours and I do not want to do it again. So the both of you will sit
down. Now.” Hyperion plopped down into his seat right away while Koios waved his hand,
chair reappearing back under him from across the room. They both muttered half apologies
which he waved off, not that irritated with them. After a few moments of silence, Koios
spoke up again, clearly still always the one to be uncomfortable with silence.

“Phoebe sends her regards by the way Kronos. She’s sorry she can’t be here with us.” Kronos
snorted, he doubted that was true. Ever since the first Titanomachy, the titanesses could rarely
be found anywhere near Othrys. “Really.” Koios said, eyes wide with earnestness. “She says
she misses you.”

“What is our dear Phoebe up to these days anyways?” Hyperion asked. Koios brightened up,
he loved being asked about his wife.

“Oh! Well as of now, Asteria is staying with her up in the Northern Caves that Phoebe has
settled in. Since Perses is here having resumed his guard duties, Asteria got lonely and went
to stay with Phoebe. The pair of them have been trying to interpret the visions from the stars
together.” Ah, Kronos had forgotten about Asteria when he had commanded Perses to come
back to his station. Perhaps he ought to invite her as well. When he voiced as such Koios
quickly denied. “She and Lelantos are not getting along well again, and with him coming in
and out of the palace, I wouldn’t want them starting a fight in front of you.”

Lelantos and Asteria never got along well, they took the definition of sibling feuds to the
maximum. A couple thousand years ago, before the Titans downfall, they had engaged in an
enormous fight right in the Great Hall during a large family dinner. Kronos, being a fun
uncle, had encouraged the fight (which had gotten him in a lot of trouble with his wife) and
the dinner had been brought to a swift end when Asteria exploded the Great Hall.

Needless to say, the pair were no longer allowed in confined spaces together.

Breakfast continued as the trio exchanged more stories, Hyperion sharing the latest news of
Theia and their children. Breakfast was wrapping up when Hyperion reached into his pocket,
pulling something out with a muttered, ‘I can’t believe I almost forgot.’

“You’re going to have to massacre your nymphs and get new ones baby brother.” Hyperion
declared with a righteous anger in his voice. Kronos’s eyebrows furrowed. Not that he didn’t
enjoy an occasional murder spree, but replacing one’s entire staff was exhausting.

“And why, pray tell, must I do that?” He asked, extremely confused.

“I went to the garden upon my arrival this morning to my respects to her, and I found this on
the ground.” Hyperion tossed an imperial gold and emerald pin onto the table in front of
Kronos who picked it up before quickly putting it back down when he realized who it
belonged to- or rather, who had been wearing it.

“Hyperion-” he tried, but Hyperion was on a righteous warpath now.

“Clearly the nymphs have forgotten how to show proper respect to their late Queen and have
now taken to stealing her items.”

“Hyperion would you-”

“And not just that, but they seem to have trampled some of our sister’s favorite flowers
knowing damn well that those gardens are to remain untouched! Kronos you cannot just sit
by and let them continue to disrespect the name of our sister, their Queen! You must-”

“FERONOTOS!” Kronos roared out, invoking his elder brother’s true name in order to stun
the titan into silence. The Light Bringer sat back with shock. “Thank you. Now if you had
just shut the fuck up for a second.” Koios looked down at the pin and an expression of
realization dawned on his face and he looked at Kronos with wide eyes.

“Is that from her?” He hissed out and Kronos sent him an ugly side eye. “You didn’t tell him
about her?”

“Who’s her? Who are you talking about?” Hyperion demanded, clearly not pleased with
being out of the loop. Kronos cleared his throat awkwardly, he wasn’t sure how exactly he
was going to explain the entirety of the existence of Poseidon’s daughter and her appearance
to his brother (after all, his brother was unquestionably soft and loyal to his late sister.) He
poked his tongue into his cheek as he thought about what to say and he could see Hyperion
starting to get very visibly upset and Kronos knew it was only a matter of time before he lit
himself on fire as he always did when he got angry.

Just when Kronos was debating killing his brother (or himself) so he didn’t have to explain,
the great double doors of the dining room burst open and Kronos let out a silent cry of relief
at the much welcomed distraction. That was, until Perses walked into the room and gave a
short bow before speaking.

“The Princess, my King.” His voice rang out across the silent room and Hyperion turned to
look at Kronos with a look of confusion while Koios’s eyes went wide again.

“Fuck.” Kronos grumbled.

Perses stood to the side and in walked the Daughter of Poseidon. She was wearing short,
white peplos today, her hair was braided back and she had placed a gilded headband in it. She
wore matching gilded sandals and on her face she wore an expression that showed that she
was here to cause problems. Her pure appearance was no doubt a ruse to mask her
troublesome intentions.

Hyperion’s mouth had fallen open and Koios was watching her make her way towards the
table with wary eyes that flickered back and forth from the girl to Kronos. Perses walked in
quick steps behind her and pulled out the chair for her that sat at the opposite head of the
table. (Kronos wasn’t sure if he liked that Perses assumed that was her seat or not).

She looked at Hyperion and raised a critical eyebrow before flitting her eyes over to Koios
whom she gave a sharp nod to. When her eyes finally rose to meet his he was surprised to
find a slight blush on her cheeks (he had not known she would be affected by seeing him last
night) however he had no time to be smug about it because he was still rather concerned after
seeing her state last night. He opened his mouth to enquire about how she was feeling.

“How are you here?” Hyperion burst out in a dazed tone as if he were dreaming and couldn’t
believe what he was seeing.

“I was kidnapped.” The Princess informed him, shooting a critical glare at Kronos as she said
that. He sent an answering smirk back at her. But Hyperion shook his head.

“No. how are you here?” a confused expression came over the girl’s face before she gave an
exasperated sigh.

“Ohhh,” she drew out the word. “You mean my face? Genetics. You know, Rhea was my
dad’s mom so I guess her looks just passed along and now here I am.” All three of the titans
flinched when she so carelessly tossed around that name but to be fair, it was her name.
(Rhea knew deep down that her explanation was completely wrong. They all did. Genetics
played no factor in her doppelganger looks. It was something more. However Rhea was
definitely not going to acknowledge that).

“That’s not how that works” Hyperion protested.

“Well then explain that to my science teacher because that's what she taught me.” Hyperion’s
face got even more confused and Kronos rolled his eyes.

“Are you alright now?” Came the hesitant voice of Koios and Kronos narrowed his eyes.
Why was Koios asking that? The Princess’s cheeks flushed. Her eyes flicked to Kronos's and
she saw the same question in his golden eyes. She nodded.
“I’m fine, thanks” she muttered out, clearly embarrassed. The girl cleared her throat. “Can
someone pass me the croissants?” Hyperion wordlessly passed the plate down to her, still
staring at her face.

The rest of breakfast was quiet, but so very awkward. His brothers kept looking at the girl
every couple of seconds and the girl was plainly doing her best to ignore them. When she
finished eating, she pushed her plate away and gave a very loud and obnoxious ‘hemhem’.
Kronos set his fork down and looked up at her.

“So,” she drawled. “I have a few questions. And I think it’s only fair if you answer them
considering that you plan on keeping me locked away for the foreseeable future. Think of this
as a fair trade, information for my freedom.” Kronos rolled his eyes at her coaxing tone
knowing good and well that she was not surrendering to her captivity here. However he
decided to indulge her so he gestured to her with his hand.

“Ask away Princess.”

“When you swallowed your kids was that like how you swallow your food or was it
different.” Hyperion gagged on his nectar and he saw out of the corner of his eye that Koios
was trying very hard not to laugh.

“It’s different. Think of it more as absorbing them with my energy and keeping them locked
away inside me.” He answered in a very tired voice and she made a sort of confused face.
“Next?” he asked.

“Why do you not really look like Luke anymore?” she asked before taking a sip of her water.
He winced when she said the name as pain came over his body and the voice of that damned
demigod yelled in the back of his head.

“Do not say that name.” He growled out.

“Luke?” She asked with a mischievous grin and he gritted his teeth. An animalistic snarl
started to work its way across his mouth and she held her hands up in surrender. “Fine I
won’t. But still, why?” Kronos rubbed his temples for a moment waiting for the final stings
of pain to subside before answering.

“As time goes on, my divine energy completely takes over the body, erasing whatever is left
of him and replacing it with my true self. In a matter of weeks, the face you will see will be
completely mine.” She gave a thoughtful nod and popped a strawberry into her mouth. He
watched her lips close around it, momentarily distracted. Koios coughed and his eyes zoned
back out. The Princess looked at him as she chewed with her head tilted for a moment and
when her mouth opened her voice was quiet and different from her usual tone, less sarcastic
and more insightful and wondering.

“Why do you have a carving that includes your kids on it if you hate them so much?” The
room went completely still and the nymph who was coming out to clear the dishes let out a
squeak before disappearing. The air was thick with tension and Hyperion looked between the
two nervously. Kronos leaned back in his chair, one arm propped up on the arm of his chair.
“Koios, go see your son about his next assignment.” Koios tripped over himself as he hastily
stood from his seat and blinked away in a flash of icy white wind. “Hyperion, I believe you
have battle plans to be overseeing?” He reminded his elder brother. Hyperion sat there for a
moment as if he couldn’t hear him, simply frozen in his seat. Kronos kicked his brother in the
shins under the table. Hyperion quickly stood.

“Sorry. I’ll just be going. Thanks for the breakfast, it was great” He began walking out of the
room, but he paused in front of the girl’s seat. “It was lovely to meet you. To see you.” He
paused, voice soft. “Truly.” He hastily exited the room and the door slammed shut behind
him. The princess crossed her arms and stared at him challengingly.

“Well?” She demanded. He silently pushed his chair back, standing up and making his way
over to her seat. As he drew next to her, she didn’t shrink back, and it filled him with
fascination. He held his hand out to her.

“Come.” Her eyes narrowed and he released a sigh. “Please.” She gave a satisfied hum and
scooted her chair back. Ignoring his hand, she stood from her seat and made her way towards
the doors. Kronos was hit with a wave of nostalgia for what felt like the hundredth time since
he had first seen this girl, she was a hurricane of nostalgia, pain, and exasperation for the
Titan King. He walked after her and out into the halls of Othrys. Perses made to follow them
but Kronos waved him off. “Go spend some time with your wife Perses, just be back in a
couple hours.” He gave a fond sort of half smile at the grateful expression that came over his
nephew who gave a hurried bow before disappearing. Kronos began walking down the halls
and the princess fell into step beside him. After a couple minutes she gave an irritated sigh.

“Are you actually going to answer my question or are you going to keep avoiding?” Her
voice filled with annoyance and he fought to keep a grin off his lips, she was often so
irritating that it was fun to cause her the same irritation.

“Do you have another name, Princess? I know that in these modern days mortals often give
their children two names. Do you have one?” He inquired and he watched her grit her teeth.

“Avoidance it is then. Why do you ask? Is it that hard to say my name?” Her voice was
spiteful and he paused in their walk, looking down at her with a serious expression.

“Do not ask me to look into your face, the face of my late wife, and speak her name. It is
utterly cruel of you.” Her eyes intently searched his face for a few moments and he wondered
what she was looking for and if she would find it. (He doesn't know that Rhea was searching
for a soul. She often wondered if Kronos had one anymore. She was looking into his eyes to
see if he actually felt as pained as he had sounded or if he was simply keeping up a façade).
She gave a jerky nod before looking down and away from his eyes. They kept walking.

“Penelope.” She said after a minute and he laughed. Another woman who was exactly like
his wife. Of course.

“Very well, Penelope,” He emphasized her middle name and she rolled her eyes. “Those
carvings exist because my wife had them done.” She sent him an unbelieving look.
“And you just you let her?” he wanted to laugh in her face. No one ever let the Queen of
Othrys do anything. She simply did whatever and they all had to adjust to whatever it is she
had done, she was determined and exasperating like that.

“Yes. It pleased her and after having hurt her so much I was desperate to make it up to her. I
let her have it commissioned in the hopes that it would soothe things between us.” It wasn’t a
lie really. His wife had been so furious and sad that he was afraid she would lose control (he
was more afraid that she would leave him though) and so he had naturally done whatever it
took to please her. Penelope’s skeptical look didn’t fade.

“So why are they here now? Your wife is dead. You guys have been separated for thousands
of years, she schemed to free your kids- which of course she did because you were a dick for
that but anyways- and you just let those carvings exist even now when you prepare to go into
war against said children again?” her voice was rising as she asked each question. Kronos
directed her down another hallway before speaking.

“Thank you for the crude nickname. And while we may have been physically separated, we
were not separated in the manner you are thinking, it wasn't the separation that leads to
divorce. And yes the carvings are still there. Striking them out would require too much
effort.” The girl snorted and he gave her an incredulous look.

“Are you sure? Didn’t you cheat on her?” She questioned and when the words left her mouth
a deadly glare formed on his face. She met it head on and eyebrows raised, unafraid of it,
almost as if she were calling him in his actions. He reluctantly dropped his gaze and looked
away. She was right after all. As if she were pleased by his almost guilt admission, she
changed the subject with a teasing tone.

“And also, oh please. You are as petty as they come. I’ve met your sons and they are petty as
fuck, especially Hades and Zeus. You totally would cast out that carving to spite them even if
no one noticed because it would make you feel petty and you like that.” He gave a sniff. He
didn’t like how right she was.

“Perhaps you just don’t know me like you assume you do.” Is what he said instead. She gave
him a look but he refused to meet her eyes. Luckily, they had reached their destination. He
ushered her through the huge columns, into the Arena and Penelope is suitably distracted.

Because Kronos was a bloodthirsty bastard (as his blood demanded he be), he had a fighting
arena built on the outside of his palace. He often times trained there with other titans or his
siblings. Occasionally he would have a horde of monsters brought in as well. (He used to
dream of one day having a day in the fighting arena with his favored children but he had long
since tabled that idea.)

Penelope looked around the arena with awe, her eyes shining in delight (her blood was
humming at this perfect setting to finally release its thirst). He looked at the glint in her eyes,
pleased, he was afraid he was going to have to practically beg her to duel but now he was
sure she would happily do so. He walked over to the weapons rack and picked out two dulled
training swords- she had only just recovered from a blow to the head and he had no urge to
cause her any harm that was too deadly. He tossed one of them at her and she snagged it out
of the air, twirling her wrist, the blade gliding through the air with her smooth, almost
waterlike motions and glinting in the sunlight. He weighed his own sword in his hand before
violently slashing it through the air, testing it a few times. The princess pointed her blade at
him.

“Shall we dance, your majesty?” A twisted smirk playing on her lips as the question fell from
the blood red of her mouth. A matching smile came over his face and he lazily strode into the
center of the arena to face her.

“Are you sure you don’t want to change out of that nice white peplos first? I’d hate for you to
bleed all over it.” Her eyes flashed with a look he couldn’t quite decipher and her smirk
widened to an all out grin.

“No thank you. I’ll use it as a measure for all the ichor that I will draw from you.” He flashed
his canines and held his arms out in a challenging posture, daring her to swing. (It was
practically his signature pose, deep in her mind she recognized it from somewhere. Had she
seen it before?)

“After you.” He laughs and she laughs with him (because for the first time since Lee died her
blood is awake and singing loudly) and she brings the training sword down hard on his.

The Palace of Othrys shakes.

Percy stood over the war council table, both hands planted on either side of a map of Mount
Tamalpais. Katie was sitting on the seat right next to him, head propped on her chin,
overlooking the map with him. Nico was standing on his other side, staring hard at the map
and Percy knew he was trying to figure out the best place to land for his scouting mission.

Lillian was in her classes as was Madeleine, but the rest of the cousins have been holed up in
the council room for the better part of the day. The past 36 hours have been filled with battle
plans, training, and war preparations. (They do not need sleep yet because the godliness in
their veins surges through them, strengthening them in times of war). Miranda stands over by
a wall with Liam and Seth, looking over their camper to Pegasi ratios and Steve is helping
Thalia finalize the plans for the weaponry needed to take their war to Tamalpais. Katie sighs
after a while and slouches back in her chair.

“Alright.” Percy sighs from his position at the table, they all turn their heads to look at him.
“In six days, we will depart from camp and make our way to Tamalpais. We should get there
quickly thanks to all our pegasi. Nico will shadow travel to Tamalpais on Wednesday to scout
things out and make sure our plans are accurately drawn out so we can change them if need
be before Sunday. We do not tell anyone until the night before we depart in order to maintain
the highest security and make sure our plans do not make it to the Titans.” The cousins nod in
agreement but there is still a tinge of nervousness and desperation in the air.
“Percy, you’ve got to tell your father. Apollo can’t really help but Uncle Poseidon might be
able to.” Katie bursts out, pleading with him, but he shakes his head firmly.

“No. Absolutely not.” The rest of the cousins come over to join Percy, Katie, and Nico when
they hear Katie plead again for the fifth time in the past 36 hours.

“Why not?” Nico demands.

“Yeah, Perce. Why not?” Miranda chimes in and Percy shakes his head again. Katie places
her hand on top of his.

“Come on. We could use all the help we can get right now. Your father has always been quick
to break the rules and you know he would for Rhea. So, tell him.” She urges. “Tell him and
you know he would race to free her.”

“No.” Percy’s voice rings out in a sharp and deep manner (it is the same voice that Kronos
uses as the King of the Heavens.). The cousins fall silent, unwilling to speak up now that he
is speaking as their Leader. “No.” He says a little quieter before falling into his chair with a
heavy thud. They sit for a moment before he speaks again.

“If I were to tell my father what has happened- that I lost my sister and not just to anyone but
that under my watch she was kidnapped by the fucking Titans. By fucking Kronos. Do you
know what he would do?” Percy asks in a breathless and fearful voice. The cousins just stare
at him. “Gods he would kill me. And even if he didn’t, he would take her away. My dad
would spirit Rhea off deep into the oceans to hide away at his palace.” He lets out a mirthless
chuckle. “He would take her away from me. I love my dad, I do. But I have watched over and
protected Rhea for almost 16 years now. I will get her back without his help. And I will not
let him take her away from me. I will not let this slip up cause me to lose her forever.”
 A Deadly Dance

Fighting has always felt like a graceful and deadly dance to Rhea, and now fighting with
Kronos one on one, she feels as if she has found the perfect dancing partner. Their fighting
styles compliment each other perfectly.

Rhea glides through the fight, graceful and smooth. Her motions are fluid and she is light on
her feet- she is so much like the water that is her father’s domain. Kronos however is the
opposite. Every move he makes is aggressive, dominating, and forceful. He fights as if he
means to impose his will on everyone around him. Power is behind his every move.

Their first hit shakes the Arena (and the entire palace) and their smirks widen. With a quick
rotation of his wrist, Kronos slides his sword and they separate. The pair circle each other for
a few moments. Kronos moves like a flash, bringing his sword down hard and the fight starts
again. She parried his strike before spinning and going for his knees (a cheap trick but it’s not
like Kronos was a fair fighter either). He stumbled and she quickly straightened up going for
a hit.

She spun her sword into a reverse grip and slashed at his chest, ichor began to spill out but
only a small amount given that the blades had been fairly dulled. Kronos was seemingly
unaffected by the hit and threw out a hand, smacking her and sending her flying across the
arena. Rhea lands crouched and with one hand on the ground to steady herself. She flips her
head up, hair flying back and she slowly stands.

“You’re good,” Kronos comments “But you did better at the Battle. Use a second sword.” He
commands her and she scoffs as she makes her way back to the center of the arena. The last
thing Rhea was going to do was use a second sword and use all her fighting tricks in this fake
fight so that Kronos could learn exactly how she fought. If they ever did meet in battle, he
would know how to beat her and she refused to give him that advantage.

“Why don’t you use a scythe?” she shoots back, and he bares his teeth at her.

“Fair point.”

They swing at each other at the same time and their swords cross, the two drawn in so close
that their noses were only a few inches apart. The fight continues for a few more minutes
slash after parry, low blows and cheating maneuvers because they both know that in war no
one actually fights fair so why practice like they will. Rhea straightens up and circles Kronos,
twirling her sword in her hand as she walks.

“Did you swallow- sorry, absorb- your kids right away or was that all a lie?” She inquires,
aiming to get answers as well as rile him up and make his fighting messy.

“That’s none of your business.” He snarls harshly at her swinging low and she meets his
strike before shoving his sword away and swinging for his neck. Their swords cross and the
pair whirl away from each other from the rebound of the hit.
“Isn’t it though?” She retorts. She watches as he grits his teeth and he swings at her. She
jumps back, narrowly avoiding a slash to the torso. After a few minutes she loses when he
taps his sword to her collarbone, and she huffs in frustration.

“Maybe if you win, I’ll tell you.” He laughs and it only grows louder at her disgruntled
expression. “If you can win, I’ll answer your question. Pick up a second sword.”

“No.” She is all she says in reply and flips her sword into a reverse grip, settling down into
her stance. She probably should if she actually wanted to win, but she wasn’t willing to hand
him all of her fighting secrets just so he could answer her question.

The fight ends with her back pressed to his front and his sword to her throat with her own
sword having been disarmed only milliseconds before. She feels his chest heaving against her
back and takes pride in the fact that even if he’s won, he’s extremely tired.

For a moment the only sound is their breathing as they stand so close. Rhea’s blood bursts
into song at the closeness proximity of her and Kronos (but it is not the song her blood sings
when she is with her cousins, it is an older song, one much more powerful and one more
ancient.) Rhea wonders if this high feeling is because he is the founder of their bloodline, but
a gut feeling in her stomach tells her that it is something else. However, the silence and
euphoric feeling is quickly ruined.

“Are you even trying to win?” Kronos purrs into her ear. Anger bubbles in Rhea’s stomach
because she is nothing if not competitive and a sore loser. Anger builds at Kronos for
winning this round and having the nerve to taunt her. Anger at herself for the power in her
blood that sings at his closeness. Anger consumes her. She shuts her eyes and focuses on the
humming in her ears, the trill of her power and she draws it close to her chest.

Rhea slams her head back into his chin and Kronos cries out in pain- her determination helps
her to ignore the blistering pain in the back of her head from the hit. She then throws her
elbow back into his stomach before turning around and kneeing him in the balls (Titan or not,
any male is vulnerable to that maneuver). Kronos lets out a pained grunt and falls to one
knee. Rhea grips the back of his hair and slams his head into her knee and he falls, hands and
knees both on the ground. She plants a foot on his shoulder and kicks which sends him
sprawling backwards.

For a moment his sits there and things are quiet save for their breathing. However he then
lifts his head up when she see’s Kronos’s eyes they are not his normal look, they have
become entirely gold, losing the pupil and instead just a brilliant sheen of gold. The sound of
metal screeching on metal fills the air and her stomach drops. Rhea goes to move but she
cannot. Kronos extends his hand as he stands up and strands of golden light pour across the
arena, weaving themselves around the structure, she knows that he has taken ahold of the
time around them and that she is now at his mercy.

The sound of metal rises in volume (the sound of time being taken under control and thrown
from its normal course sounding like someone is forcing a metal wheel to go the wrong way
is very poetic and Rhea wants to scream) and any person of sound mind would have admitted
defeat. Rhea is not that person (she is not of sound mind first of all, and secondly Sally
Jackson did not raise quitters), she is not ready to give up, she will not be defeated so easily.
Kronos may have taken control of the time around them and ensured she cannot move against
him however even he cannot rid her of the deep well of power that sits inside of her. She had
not used it to escape the hold he had her in a few moments ago and her power still cries out
begging for release. (If Rhea were not so determined to win, she would be more concerned
about her destructive abilities. They demand release more and more.)

Her determination to win blinds her to any worries or concerns she would have and in her
anger she finds herself unable to resist the siren’s call that is her power. The song builds
inside her head, overwhelming her senses and she cannot help it. She slowly lets it out.

Her eyes turn white and she sees Kronos’s face grow weary in response and in the back of her
mind she wonders if he is tired of her abilities. The loud and unnatural shrieking sound from
the clearing back at the Battle of the Labyrinth fills the air again. Kronos’s shock loosens his
grip on the threads of time- just barely- but it is the only opening her power needs.

She flexes her hand until she manages to have her three fingers pointed down and with as
sound as if strings were being plucked the raw destructiveness slowly tears through Kronos’s
woven time spell. The energy of Kronos’s own abilities snaps back at him and the recoil
rocks him on his feet.

The shrieking reaches its peak and she caves to the indomitable force that the power is
pressing upon her. With a scream she slams her hand into the ground and a thunderous boom
echoes out. The ground beneath them rumbles and shifts for a moment before giving an
almighty heave and caving in.

She and Kronos both go tumbling down and she blacks out.

“Princess?” She hears Kronos call out. “Princess!” And her eyes shoot open. Kronos is trying
to struggle his way through the ravaged ground to where she is laying in the midst of the
destruction and she realizes that while she blacked out, unlike last time it was only for a few
minutes at max.

“I’m fine” She hollers but she doesn’t move, just laying there for a moment. When she
realizes what she has done she lets out a groan. She thought she had been doing so well
resisting the allure of destruction but apparently not. She had been limiting it so well, and
only ever using small amounts. However something about Kronos had just set her off her
nerves were frayed and she felt like it only egged her on and demanded she use her power. He
frustrated her. She wanted answers, she wanted freedom, and in her frustration she forgot to
be careful.

Fuck her life.

Rhea shifted around and moved pieces of the ground off of her before standing and dusting
off her now brownish colored peplos.
“Holy Shit!” A male voice exclaimed, and an appreciative whistle sounds out as well. Rhea
and Kronos both turn their heads to where the columns stand at the entrance to the arena.
Three Titans and a Titaness stand there admiring the destruction. Kronos sent a glare to the
one of them that had gleaming fiery red hair and white gold eyes and the titan adopted an
apologetic expression. “Sorry Uncle, we didn’t mean to intrude.”

“We heard a fight and got curious, we didn’t know she would be here” adds another male
titan whose auburn hair and silver eyes remind Rhea of Artemis.

“Why does it matter that I’m here?” Rhea pipes up, wondering what the hell that means. The
titans all shift uncertainly and she wonders why they do not answer. They cannot seem to
look directly at her. The blonde titaness meets her eyes for a moment before hastily looking
away.

“I do not want them to bother you.” Kronos informs her and the titans nod in agreement.
“They younger titans can be particularly...” he pauses as if searching for the right word.

“Nosy.”

Rhea turns to Kronos with a judging and questioning expression, and he stares back at her
unapologetically. Rhea wonders if Kronos is shielding her, protecting her from titans who
could want her dead, or hiding her, keeping her power (and her face) away from any he does
not completely trust.

“Lelantos, I thought your father informed you of your newest mission.” Kronos addressed the
remaining Titan with a stern voice, and Rhea wondered why Kronos seemed particularly
eager to get this Titan away from her. “Go.” The titan looked like he wanted to protest but he
clearly thought better of it. This male version of Artemis looked at her intently for a few
seconds but when his eyes shifted, they met the Titan King’s. What Lelantos saw in Kronos’s
eyes, Rhea did not know. What she did know is that it sent the younger titan stumbling back
into a bow and disappearing.

“Uncle, I-” the one with red hair begins, but Kronos holds his hand up and he quickly falls
silent.

“The three of you wait for me in the Throne Room.” The trio do not protest and they quickly
turn, departing from the room. Kronos sighs and turns back to her.

“Should I feel offended that you don’t want me to play with your friends?” She questions
with a mock hurt pout. He smiles at her but she can see weariness in his eyes and she
wonders if the appearance of these Titans means trouble.

“They are not my friends, Princess. They are my niece and nephews.” She rolls her eyes at
his serious tone. Rhea watches as Kronos forces himself to affect a smirk and look at her with
a teasing glint. “I didn’t know you were that desperate to win.” She wants to laugh at his
horrible attempt at changing the subject but she allows it anyways.

“I had a point to prove.” She grumbles and he grins wider at her disgruntled tone.
“Well, you were right. Technically you don’t need to use your double blades to win.” Rhea
sends him a victorious and toothy smile.

Rhea reminds him that he owes her an answer for her victory. She asks him again, lowly and
forcefully, if he had absorbed his kids immediately. She watches as her briefly shuts his eyes
and squeezes them together. She repeats her question again.

“No. I did not absorb them immediately. There were a few that I let live for a while.” He
draws in a raspy breath and his eyes are lost, swimming in distant memories. “Some of
them…I couldn’t…” He breathes in again before forcefully exhaling. “To answer your
question. No, I did not absorb my children immediately. The myths are a lie.” Rhea opens her
mouth to ask another question but he cuts her off. “I have work to do but I will meet you
again for dinner. I will escort you back to the dining room for lunch and ensure that someone
takes you wherever it is you’d like while I am busy.”

When he leaves her in the dining room, a beautiful lunch spread in front of her that she has
no appetite for despite the intense duel and power usage, she is deep in thought. What had
Kronos been trying to say before he found himself unable to? Which one of the Elder Six had
he been referring to when he said ‘some of them’ and why were they so important?

But there is one most prominent question burning in her mind. If Kronos had not swallowed
his children immediately, in some sort of mad rage like the myths had said, then what had
happened to make Kronos rid of his children?

Kronos marched into the throne room and immediately everyone bowed low. He strode to his
throne before sitting upon it, the picture of a powerful and unchallenged king. Hyperion
comes to stand at his left with Koios and Krios just beneath. Kronos looks out over the titans,
demigods, and minor gods who have come to his session of court today- he will not be
hearing out the gods or demigods until later this week though.

He motions to Astraeus to step forward. He had not been surprised to see Astraeus at court
today given that his wife and brother-in-law were here as well. Kronos was however
displeased that said trio had been in his arena, he would not punish them today though.
Missions needed to be done and so their punishment could wait.

“My King,” Astraeus begins as he moves to kneel before the throne. “I bring news from my
children, the Anemoi. Boreas will be remaining neutral in this war, Euros however will be
joining us.” At his pronouncement of another ally, claps resound and many pound their
breastplates. “The bad news is, that my sons Notos and Zephyrus will be allying with the
gods and have pledged to protect Mount Olympus.” Kronos does not sigh at the loss however
because that is to be expected. He is pleased to have gained one of the brothers though.

“Good. Astraeus, well done bringing Euros into the fold. Hyperion will give you your next
assignment after court.” Astraeus gave a sharp nod, rising up from his kneeling position
before giving a bow and walking back into the midst of Kronos’s followers.

“Eos! I was not expecting to see you! Welcome to court.” Kronos calls out to one of his more
favored nieces (he was always a bit more fond of the children of Hyperion and Theia simply
because of the closeness of their relationship with him and his wife.) Eos blushes and sends
him a glowing smile.

“Uncle, I am so pleased to see you alive and healthy. I have truly missed you.” At her words
that he knows are genuine, he grants her a fond smile. “When my husband said he was to
attend your court today I knew I could not miss the chance to come by. I do apologize for not
coming sooner.” He waves off her apology. He knows how devoted Eos is to helping poor
Selene and he would not expect her to abandon her sister to live at his court. He admires such
sibling love and devotion.

“Eos you are always welcome and you need no excuse to come by. I do, however, need your
statement of alliance in this war.” The hall goes silent, awaiting her answer. If she stays
neutral it is no harm or foul but if she denies his leadership and refuses to ally he could cast
her from the family and exile her from Othrys. This would cut off her source of strength and
the amount of power she can wield. However as always his niece does not disappoint him.

“Uncle, you know that I will stand by you. I will not stand by and allow that pretender king
to try and cut you down once more.” Her declaration garners murmurs of agreement. “You
are the son of the Primordials and the Heavenly Throne is rightfully yours!” Cheers and cries
of support roar across the throne room and he lets out a dark chuckle, thanking her.

Kronos asks his niece if she will stay at Othrys for the night or if she will be returning the the
House of the East and Eos mournfully announces her departure but not without a promise to
come back the next week. Eos approaches her father and presses a kiss to his cheek and
curtsying to Kronos before fading out. Helios remains out of the trio that had arrived today
and Kronos stares down at his favorite nephew. Helios does not wait for an invitation to
speak.

“Uncle, I have received your invitation, your request for my powers to aid your war efforts,
and I am here now to respond to them.” Kronos leans forward on his throne. Having Helios
on his side would greatly benefit his war campaign. Helios could go up against Apollo and
win, as was his right as the embodiment of their shared domain. Apollo was a heavy hitter for
the gods and to have Helios could take care of one of the biggest pains in his side. (In more
ways than one. Apollo was good at shielding himself but Kronos knew that he visited the Sea
Princess (although Apollo is very good at what he does so Kronos does not know how often
he visits).

“I will not be joining you in this war. I will stand by neither side.” The temperature drops as
Kronos’s fury grows. Neutrality is acceptable but he had been counting on Helios to side with
him and this loss hit him hard. He feels the urge to strike Helios from their family and sees
Hyperion hurriedly question his son. “I am done fighting Father. Perse and I want a peaceful
existence. I am retired now and I shall remain that way. If you win, I shall gladly congratulate
you and bring you a golden laurel as is tradition. If you lose, I will of course light as many
candles as possible and grieve your death for the centuries to come, but I will not budge on
my stance.”
Helios’s white gold eyes burn with determination, boring into Kronos’s own. Reluctantly
Kronos waves an accepting hand. (He does understand to some degree. Some nights he
dreams of living a peaceful and worriless life with his wife). Helios gives a sigh of relief and
thanks Kronos for his understanding and Kronos feels Hyperion relax by his side. He will not
smite his nephew, not when he stands so boldly before him (it reminds Kronos of his favorite
son who is so unmoving, unrestrained, and stubborn. He imagines that Poseidon and Helios
would have been great friends if they had grown up together.)

Flashes of his children fly through his mind. They have been mentioned too much today, he
has thought of them too much. Images of Poseidon, of Hestia, of Hades, flash across his eyes
and he grits his teeth. He does not want to think of his children. He cannot.

Kronos stands from his throne and looks off to his left. Kronos and Hyperion exchange a look
and Hyperion steps forward to continue the court for the rest of the day. Kronos stalks off the
a door on the side of the throne room, slamming the door open and then shut behind him.

Kronos has to pull himself together. He knows he has become distracted, weakened by the
girl.. He cannot afford to be weak, to forget his mission. His destiny. He has allowed himself
to be caught off guard and thrown off by this girl, by the questions and memories she brings.
Kronos has a mission, he has a set goal in mind and every cell, every fiber in his body, and
every sliver of power he contains is driven to this purpose. He will not let the girl distract
him. He needs her for his mission and he will get what he wants from her.

Poseidon has long since know what his true destiny was. He knew the moment his power
awoke that he had a higher purpose, that he had a cold and cruel destiny that would haunt
him no matter what.

Poseidon knows what a Destroyer is, Hestia had told them all what it was in the eerie
darkness of their prison. When 5 years passed without a sibling to follow Poseidon, she had
grimly told him his fate and of the things she had heard from her time in this prison. She told
him that one day his blood would call him to destroy their Father and he had wept even
though his father had betrayed his trust (because he remembered the loving Father who doted
on him and called him ‘beloved heir’ and his ‘precious son’. How could he raise a weapon to
destroy a father who had once loved him so much).

When Zeus had freed them they all immediately knew he was their brother, that he was some
sibling that had escaped their father’s notice. That their mother had managed to hide away
and save. When they find out Zeus is in fact the youngest, Poseidon wants to fall to his knees
and thank Chaos for this blessing. He sees the way Hestia, Demeter, Hera, and Hades look at
him with such joy and relief and he knew that later that night they would fall into each
other’s arms and sing praises that he had been spared such a horrible destiny.

When Zeus had asked the five siblings if any of them also had the whispering voices and the
siren’s call inside their head, Poseidon almost tells him that he does. He thinks to offer his
baby brother companionship and understanding. To tell him that they both finally have
someone who understands the ever present fate hanging over their head and the power
screaming inside their minds. However Demeter sends him a glare, Hades squeezes his hand,
and Hera delivers the most awful pinch ever.

He does not tell Zeus (perhaps the greatest mistake or the best thing he’s ever done, he still
does not know.) His siblings will not let him share this secret and later when he asks why,
they remind him of their bond. Of the years spent in the darkness together and how Zeus is
not one of them. Although it is mean to say, he knows they are right. This newest siblings is
not truly one of them no matter how hard he tries.

When Kronos is felled and Zeus takes the throne the siblings stand by quietly. When the
prophecy about a son from both him and Metis arrives, they stand silently and wait. Zeus’s
fall does not happen. Hera marries Zeus as they begin to enact their newest plan but
everything falls apart.

When the dust settles, Hera’s screams of pain are embedded in the minds of the siblings. Her
relationship with Hades is left broken, shattered beyond repair. Hestia and Demeter gather her
into their arms in a desperate attempt to soothe her pain and her sobs as Hades and Poseidon
look on. She cries out to Poseidon, grabbing his arm like it is a lifeline and begging him to
give in to the voices into his head, to do what he was born to do. But he cannot. Poseidon
cannot bring himself to do it.

He does not and even though she understands, she does not look at him the same.

Poseidon's children are born with the same song in their blood and he knows that it is because
he escaped his fate once. This is Fate's way of getting what it wants. Poseidon knows that this
war is just Fate’s way of calling on his destiny. He does not think he will manage to escape
his fate again.
 Generational Torment

One does not last long surrounded by black marble and ancient statues. Boredom and
curiosity set in quickly. Rhea is a young girl surrounded by a relic of past- the home of her
family and the herald of her bloodline. She cannot simply lie in her bedroom and waste away
as time passes. Her sweltering curiosity gets the best of her and so she seeks answers.

Knowledge is power and that is especially true in a family like hers. Family History, secrets,
True Names. All of this knowledge can make the world of difference. Knowing these things
can win or lose wars, destroy kings and topple thrones. It could kill a god.

Othrys is drowning with secrets, with knowledge, and with power. This palace holds the
Thrones of the Heavens (not the one Zeus had crafted for himself, but the ones inscribed with
ancient letters, from the mouth of Chaos himself. The Thrones of Ouranos and Gaea.) Othrys
is a tome of family secrets- the first being a carving.

The carving of the King and Queen of Othrys with their five children calls to Rhea and she
answers it, (her boredom will lead her to trouble.) She does not know if Kronos was telling
her the truth or not, and it’s not like she could go and ask any of the other titans as she knows
their loyalty would keep them from speaking.

She does not doubt what Kronos had said about loving Rhea so much that he was willing to
have carvings of his ‘hated’ children etched in the palace walls. What she was beginning to
doubt was the hate. If he hated his children, why had it been so hard for him to talk about
how he rid of them? Why had his siblings gone still with panic at the mention of his children?
His hatred would have been an invitation for jeering and sneers at the Elder Six. However,
fear and sadness had permeated the room, not hate.

Rhea slunk through the corridors of the palace doing her best to dodge and hide from any of
the titans (not too hard considering that they had the same plan to avoid her). She does not
know if any of them would actually stop her from exploring, however she doesn’t really want
to find out.

The hall leading to the Throne Room is just as it looked 7 months ago when she and Percy
had snuck in. This time Rhea loiters even more at the horribly lifelike statues of the 12 titans.
The entrance of the Hall holds the statues of Iapetus and- who Rhea recognizes from her
dreams- Mnemosyne.

Iapetus is more terrifying as a statue than he was in her dreams, but perhaps that is because
she has only dreamed of the titan’s youth. Here in Othrys has statue portrays a scarred,
scowling man who would slaughter thousands if he could. Silver eyes glint down at her and
she stares back at them- realizing he looks exactly like Hyperion only meaner and silver. His
mouth does not smile or sneer, there is only a look of cold determination.

Mnemosyne stands across from him, her brown curls covered by a sheer white veil and a she
is draped in a matching white chiton. Her eyes are downcast, as if she were sad and when
Rhea remembers the electric blue that shines in them she wonders if Kronos had his sisters
eyes carved this way on purpose.

Oceanus and Tethys come next, their matching blue clothing swirling down around them and
pooling at their feet (they almost look like they are wearing water of the deepest blue).
Tethys’ warm blue eyes smile down at Rhea in contrast to the stern frown of Oceanus’s blue
eyes. Krios’s statue is crowned with ram horns that almost make Rhea giggle, his face is
somber but it is balanced out by the serene beauty of the deep blue and silver constellations
marked out all across his armor. Across from him Themis is a stark contrast from his rich
colors as she is calmly seated with scales, clothed and veiled in brown with her brown eyes
watching over the hall.

Koios is where Rhea halts in her steps. He kind of looks like Apollo. Kind of. Not really in
features but more in the way he smirks, in the way his eyes crinkle. The other glaring
similarity is the bright, icy, sky-blue eyes they share (so much warmer and happier than the
crackling blue of Ouranos). She stares at her late boyfriends Great Grandfather, Apollo’s
grandfather and unbidden thoughts of the twistedness of their family tree creep into her mind.
She shoves them out quickly (pondering the oddity of the family tree of Greek deities only
leaves you regretful and nauseous).

Phoebe looks exactly like Rhea remembers her. This version of her looks happier and less
troubled than the Phoebe that Rhea had meet. Rhea wonders if this is because of the toll of
years, war, or perhaps the death of her family. More than likely it is all three.

But there is someone Rhea really wants to see. As she walks, she does not pause to look at
Theia, Hyperion, or even Kronos. This time she marches straight up to the statue of her
namesake.

The statue of Rhea, Queen of the Heavens and the Earth stands tall and proud right before the
throne room, her name and titles etched into the marble in the Old Tongue. And it is looking
at this queenly statue that Rhea sees something. Queen Rhea does not look exactly like Rhea
Jackson. The queen is forever carved as the picture of serenity and love. However, there are
hints of pain and sadness on the tragically beautiful face of the Queen of Othrys. (Rhea
Jackson’s face is a picture of chaos. She is full of anger, scorn, spite, love, snarkiness, and
much more but she is not tragic, not yet.)

It is this difference that Rhea grabs ahold of tightly, something she will keep close to her
chest. She will not let herself be remembered the way that Queen Rhea was- an eternal
picture of tragedy. She will not be remembered as heartbroken, mournful at the toll life has
taken on her and her family and all the things she has lost. Rhea Jackson is going to live.

She does not linger at the statue of her namesake any longer.

Rhea spins on her heel, intending to walk over to the carving that has been occupying her
mind for so long- she wants to examine it more, she cannot help but feel drawn to it. It is
fascinating to stand there and stare at the etching of young Kronos and Rhea with their
children. (It is also so much easier to see family resemblances when they are all together like
that.)
As she strides her way over, a dull hum fills the air and Rhea goes still. She remembers this
hum from before. It was what had led her to touch the throne when she had last been here.
Her body turns to face the throne room and she walks slowly into it, feeling as if she were in
a trance. There are whispers that accompany the hum in the air, they are familiar and she
knows she heard them last time. The closer she draws to the throne the louder the whispers
get.

But there is a voice louder than the whispers inside her head and it is the voice of her cousin.
Liam and the rest of her cousins had explicitly told her not to go near the thrones. She had
agreed with them. The thrones were dangerous and she was not going to touch them again.

So now Rhea stands, about 25 yards away from the thrones and stares, wide eyed at them.
Unlike last time, this time she gets a good look at them.

The ethereal glow that is around the thrones is off-putting and she feels that she should avert
her eyes from them. Awe builds up in here at the fact that she is in the same room as the seats
of the original rulers of the world. This is the legacy of her family and it is standing right in
front of her.

A black marble throne towers over the room and gold tendrils crawl their way around the
throne, giving the black marble the look of golden veins. Beside it sits a beautiful golden
throne that is inlaid with emeralds. However this throne sits dead and cold. There are vines
across it and she sees what was once what she assumes to be various plants and flower.
However it is all dead. The only living thing around it are the flowers that lay on the ground
before the throne as if it were a headstone at a graveyard and Rhea almost wants to laugh at
the morbidity of it.

She stands there a while longer, just taking in the seats of Kronos and Rhea that she imagines
were once thrumming with sheer power that now sit here cold and terrifying.

“I did not think that I would find you here.” The dark voice of Kronos rings out across the
room, but it is different from earlier. His voice holds a different tone now, one she cannot
quite pinpoint.

“I didn’t think I was going to come in here either.” She croaks out, uncertainty making her
voice raw and rough. “But I don’t think I’ll be staying in here much longer.” She wonders if
she can silently sneak out of the room. Kronos’s eyes are fixated on the thrones, and she
doesn’t know if he would truly notice her absence.

“You don’t like it here?” He asks as she takes a step back. She pauses and answers him in a
soft voice.

“I don’t think I belong in here.”

“That’s the question isn’t it?” She hears him mutters quietly. Rhea’s eyebrows furrow and her
mouth turns down into a frown.

“What?” She asks, wondering why he had said that and what he had meant by it.
“Nothing” Kronos replies with a shake of his head and a soft chuckle. “I have been weak, I
admit it. But my goal is so important, I cannot stray from it, not even for the ache in my chest
when I see your face because I know that this will help me. I have a problem, Daughter of
Poseidon. One that has been plaguing my mind for thousands of years.” He pauses
(Something is off, she does not know what, but she does not feel safe) Rhea does not say
anything, trepidation is starting to fill her veins as the air takes on a sinister feeling. Kronos
sighs.

“I have been searching for millennium, thinking, gathering information, doing everything I
could to figure out exactly what it was that I needed to do to fix my problem, to finally find
what I want more than anything. I could find no answers.” He turns his head to look at her,
gold eyes piercing into her. “But then you were born.” Rhea stumbles back a few steps.

“What do you mean?” Her voice is shaky and her body is trembling. This is not the Kronos
that she bantered with only a few hours ago. This is not the man that had watched blood
trickle down her face with a pained expression or the one that promised to exact vengeance
for her pain. This is Kronos, the King of Othrys. The man who swallowed his children, tore
apart his family, his legacy, and ruined the lives of thousands. An age-old fear is now running
through Rhea. Kronos begins to stalk towards her.

“You are an anomaly, something new and completely different. A daughter of Poseidon? My
son has no daughters in his demigod line, he never has, and I don’t think that he was ever
meant to. And yet here you stand, the daughter of Poseidon. You look exactly like my wife as
well, something that has never happened.” He gives an incredulous laugh

“Thousands of years.” Kronos laughs under his breath. “My wife and I had six children and
none of them ever came out as exact copies of either of us. There was always something to
set them apart- eyes, hair color. My sons and daughter married or fucked around, siring their
own godly children and yet none of them look like her- like you- either. Demigods have come
and gone from their lines as well and nothing. Thousands of years of children from my wife’s
line and yet not a single one of them has born her face. None of them have ever been born as
exact replicas of her or of anyone.”

Rhea watches him warily, he had begun to circle her as he speaks and she desperately prays
for the man who was weak for her face to return- her face is a curse right now as it has only
seemed to infuriate him towards her.

“And yet here you stand. You stand before me with her face, down to the exact same freckles
across your nose.” Kronos gives an almost insane laugh and Rhea cringes away from it,
horror crawling up her spine. What has happened? “Why is that?” Kronos asks her.

“I do not know.” Rhea whispers in response, wishing she could give him some sort of answer,
something to appease him so that he would look favorably upon her. (Is this the insanity that
plagues those who sit upon the Throne?)

“I know you don’t.” He chucked. “But I think I do. I think I know exactly why you were born
and I think that you can give me exactly what I need.”
Kronos strode forward, surging towards her and Rhea stumbled back desperate to escape the
room, she falls, hitting the ground. That does not stop her as she scrambles backwards. But
Kronos’s strides are longer and quicker than any movement she can make and he grabs her
before she can run away. He seizes her upper arm in a firm grip and hauling her up. A shriek
leaves Rhea’s lips. (If Kronos were not so set on his goals, if he were not so driven, so
determined, he would have stumbled back and released her at such a sound leaving her lips.
But her pain is temporary, short lasting because in the end it will be worth it and things can
be like they once were. Like they should be.) He quickly walks towards the thrones, hauling
her behind him.

“What are you doing? What are you doing to me? What’s happening?” Her panicked cries fill
the room as they walk.

“I have a theory that I need to test out, and I need your help for it.” He informs her as they
walk towards the thrones.

“Please,” She begs, so lost and confused. “Please, just stop for a minute.” But Kronos does
not stop and she does not think he even heard her. He continues speaking as if she did not.

“You must sit.” Kronos begins to make his way up the steps to the thrones and Rhea begins to
buck and struggle fervently. He is trying to force her to sit upon the throne of the heavens.

For anyone, no matter how powerful of a titan, god, or demigod they are, to sit upon the
Heavenly Throne that is not the Ruler is sacrilege, it is forbidden and the most horrible,
torturous thing that can happen to someone. They will immediately be filled with torturous
pain beyond imagine before the power of Chaos eventually burns through the being’s soul
and kills them, wracking them with eternal pain. It is a story they all know; Chiron has told
this story at camp every year. He tells the new demigods about Zeus’s throne; he warns them
of the dangers of a king's throne and what he has seen it do to people who do not rightfully
belong on it.

Kronos is going to throw her upon and force her to be tortured to the point of death until she
burns up. Fear and terror come over her and she desperately tries to wrench her arm from his
grasp. Panicked breaths and cries for him to stop fill the air.

“I don’t want to…Please…I don’t want to………………..Don’t make me do

this………..Please…” Her words come out fractured and stuttered. She feels cracks in her
mind, as if tiny shards of glass are breaking away. “I’m sorry! Please……….” Her voice
cracks and sobs echo around them.

“I don’t want to…”

Her mind splinters.

-----

He had been so angry over the past few months, furious with them, but had been unable to
catch any of the children, however today had been sunny and bright and so a few of them had
ventured out.

He had caught them.

He had caught her.

He had dragged her up to his mountain, to his seat and had beaten her until she was sure he
face was an unrecognizable mess of ichor and pain wracked her body. Convulsions and
muscle spasms ran through her. her beloved and her favorite brother are beaten and bloody
beside her and her poor sweet sister’s silver and gold eyes are now dripping with ichor. The
four of them were inseperable even now in the torture their father gifted them.

“You are all too strong. She did this on purpose, you know? You’re all too good. She means
to overthrow me. Don’t think I don’t see it. She’ll use you- my blood, my own children- to
kill me, to tear me apart and take away what is rightfully mine.” He grabs her hair, and she
screams in pain as he lifts her head, forcing her to look upon his throne. “You all want it so
much, don’t you? You think that just because my ichor flows through you veins that you
can have what is mine?” he roars at her and she cries out in fear. She cries out apologies,
hoping to appease him. It doesn’t. “You want it so bad? I’ll give it to you then.” he spits at
her and he drags her towards his throne.

“NO” She screams, her lungs aching with the force she put into it.

“You will do this.” A hard voice informs her and she sobs. She doesn’t want to, this means
death, torture, and eternal pain.

“Please! I’m Sorry! I’m Sorry!” desperate cries flood from her mouth. The death march
towards the throne continues. “Pateras, please! Please, I’m sorry. I’m sorry” the steps slow
and she is no longer being dragged so forcefully.

“What did you say?” he questions, and she takes this as a chance to plead with him again.

“I don’t want it! I promise! Please, I don’t want it. I’m sorry, please.” She begs, screaming
and crying “Pateras…” she chokes out.

Flashes of white, gold, and black. Excruciating pain wracking her body and inhuman
screams tearing their way from her lips as he forces her upon it. Ichor pouring from her eyes,
her nose, her mouth, and ears. Her voice is bloody and raw from screaming and she feels the
pain take over completely. Golden eyes bore into her own and she goes still for a moment.
Has father decided to be merciful? She begs again.

“Rhea.”

“Rhea!” Her name rings around her. Who is speaking to her?

“Rhea” the winds call for her, the trees singing to her.

She feels Pateras’s hand leave her arm (they dare not be so informal as to say the name
father in any language other than the Old Tongue) She flees immediately. Blindly racing
down the mountain ?through the halls? desperate to escape before he changes his mind. She
cannot stop running, nothing else matters, she has to get away from him.

“Hey! Hey!” a familiar voice calls out to her and she runs towards it. Brother. Her brother.

“Feronotos!” she shrieks out, colliding with his fiery gold breastplate and curling into him.
He grips her tight pulling her close and she looks up at him. How is he here? Wasn't he on the
mountain? It doesn't matter, he's here with her now. Their gazes connect, sea green to white
gold fire.

“What?” his voice whispers, shocked. Why is he surprised she called him by his name? (As
Hyperion looks into the eyes of Rhea he sees something, something so horrifyingly familiar
that his gut wrenches, tears and rage filling him.) "Rhea" he soothingly murmurs and the
titan beside him tenses. Is that Perses? Rhea wonders. How is he here?).

"Rhea it’s okay. I promise." Hyperion murmurs, pulling her into his chest, running his hand
through her hair and rubbing circles on her back. "It’s ok. It’s over now. The nightmares are
over. It's not happening anymore. I promise. He's gone. You're safe." His voice is familiar,
soothing and she sinks into it.

"I don’t want to sit on the throne Hyperion. I don’t want to." She whispers hoarsely to him
and he tenses before quickly relaxing and hushing her.

"You don’t have to." He assures her. "I promise. Its ok. You're alright, I promise." Hyperion's
voice is choked. Rhea's legs go weak and she begins to fall. Her brother catches her, holding
her in his arms and the last thing she sees are Hyperion’s flaming eyes filled with horror and
worry before she falls unconscious.

Ouranos had left her strung in the sky, still wracked with the torturous pains, for a month
before Gaea had been able to convince him to release her.
 A Twisted Family

The birth of the Cyclops had been a horrible event.

Gaea’s children had come to the birth to support her as well as welcome their new siblings,
and the girls had also come to assist their mother in her labor, hoping to ease her pain.
Ouranos was not there yet, he would not come until the birth was over and the children were
here. Tethys as the oldest had informed them of this because she had experience with the birth
of siblings due to her having witnessed the births of the other titans.

“Pateras comes when it is all over” Tethys had said. “We pray for strong siblings so that he
will be pleased.” While Ouranos was certainly not as nice of a father as Erebus or Aether, he
was not horrible. As king he wanted strong and powerful children- children he could brag
about and rub into his siblings faces.

His 12 eldest children had greatly pleased him, pleased him so much that he had granted
them mostly beautiful skies and a fairly peaceful life for the past century. Ouranos may not
love them, he did not speak to them or visit them, but by granting them peaceful skies they
knew he looked favorably on them. He has always provided for them, granting them lovely
weather, sunny skies, and soft rains to replenish the ground. He ensures that his children are
well looked after. (He also ensures that his siblings do not toy with them because at this time
the Primordials wander the Earth, and Ouranos is King and he will not tolerate the torment of
his children.)

When the birth is over, their mother is holding triplets. 3 baby boys who would have made a
fine addition to the family. If only they had not been born with the more monstrous genes that
occasionally passed on from the Primordials. Tethys passes the babies to their mother with
dread on her face and when Gaea is securely holding the children, Tethys and Oceanus
gather their siblings and ensure that while they are still present, that they are sort of hidden
away and clustered against the walls of Mount Othrys. Gaea loves her husband and all of her
children know this, and in her love she forgets her husband's true personality and convinces
herself that because of their love, her husband will favor these monstrous children. (Their
mother adores her husband and king and he loves her as well. The problem is that they are
often so wrapped up in their affection for one another, that they usually forgot and neglected
their children. Tethys and Oceanus have been forced into the roles of parents from young
ages, leaving one of them eternally tired and worn and the other forever bitter and cynical.)

With a loud crack, Ouranos appears on the mountain with a genial smile cast upon his wife,
he strides over to her with a glowing expression and she responds with a soft smile of her
own, holding their newest children tight to her chest. The siblings all clutch at one another as
their father approaches the new babies, fear beginning to settle over them.

“Gynakoya, let me see our newest children.” He says as he sits beside his wife. He is gentle
today, after twelve successful births he does not even suspect that something could have gone
wrong.
But when Gaea shows him their newest children his gentleness is quickly replaced by rage.
Ouranos declares these new children scourges on his bloodline, a sickness on his reign. He is
furious and in his rage he casts the new children into the depths of Tartarus. When they are
gone from his sight his fury abates and he turns back to his wife. She is shocked, horrified,
and heartbroken for she had never guessed that the husband she adores so much and who
adores her would do something like this. Ouranos cups her chin in his hand and presses a
kiss to her forehead. He promises that next time they will get it right again and that she will
not make the same mistake. He departs without even a glance towards the titans.

For the first time in the last century, the sky cracks with thunder and lightning and rain pours
down from the sky.

When the Hekatonkheires are born, things are a thousand times worse. It has been 10 years,
Gaea had been uncertain about conceiving a child and she had been too heartbroken over
what had happened to try for a few years. When they do try, she conceives almost
immediately. The 12 Titans once again attend the birth and the instant they see their siblings,
dread fills the air.

Unlike their mother, the children hold no delusions about their father accepting a child that is
anything less than perfect for the King of the Heavens. Their Father is constantly paranoid
that his brothers or sisters will try to steal his throne and he will not accept anything that
makes his image appear as anything less than perfect. Ouranos will kill these children as
well.

Gaea does not smile hopefully this time, instead her face paints a picture of anticipation,
skepticism, and the beginnings of fear. In a bolt of lightning Ouranos appears and his 12
eldest children flinch back. He is not gentle this time.

It takes seconds for him to take in the children’s appearance and to cast them away. Their
mother does not take it lying down this time. Instead Gaea’s rage bubbles up (It is justified,
she has just labored long and hard only for her husband to throw away her children.). She
rages and lashes out because how dare he do this? How dare Ouranos take the product of
her womb and her hard work and toss it away as if it were nothing? He is a man, he has
never created and birthed a child and yet he dares to cast them away? He dares to be the one
to decide what to do with them? He would rid of her children simply because they do not
reflect his idea of ‘glory’ ‘strength’ and ‘power’.

Gaea is furious and she throws her might at him and the couple end up caught in a brutal
fight. The sky darkens with Ouranos’s fury and the mountains shake and heave under the
might of Gaea. There is no escape for the titans and so they are caught, stuck hiding there
waiting for their parents to stop, praying for a peaceful resolution and wishing it would all be
over.

Gaea and Ouranos are both the children of Chaos, it is true, but there is a difference in the
power of Primordials. Ouranos is the Heavens themselves and him along with Nyx, Erebus,
Aether, Ananke, and Chronos all hold an explosive and unequitable amount of power. Gaea,
Pontus, Thalassa, Hemera, Tartarus, and Achlys are all extremely poweful as well (their
abilities and domains have vast reaches that are incomprehensible, All 12 primordials are still
siblings but there is a generational gap and power difference that separates them), but there is
just something about Chaos’s eldest Children that when it comes to sheer strength and raw
power that the elder 6 Primordials reign supreme. (The thing that really sets Ouranos apart is
that he is the youngest of his generation and as it always goes in this Bloodline, the
youngest's are always too strong).

Gaea grows into her true form- 35 feet of Energy- her form swirling with a mix of dirt,
leaves, grass, flowers, and more. Ouranos transforms in response and his 40 foot form of
Celestial Energy sends the 12 children crying and cowering in fear. They hide in a cutout of
the mountain desperate to shield themselves.

Gaea puts up a worthy fight but when Ouranos calls upon his power as the Ruler of the
Heavens there is nothing she can do because while Gaea is queen, Ouranos is the King of the
Heavens, appointed by Chaos himself at creation. Gaea’s queenship comes from her
marriage but Ouranos’s comes from birthright.

When Ouranos opens his mouth his voice booms with thunder and he calls upon his throne,
he names Gaea a traitor to the Heavens, a traitor to the king. He curses her as a would be
King Slayer and the Heavens surge forwards. Gaea is strong but under the sheer might of the
Heavens and Ouranos’s raw might Gaea is forced into submission. As she falls down into her
regular form Ouranos spits out ugly words and curses. Gaea screams in horrible pain as her
blood and magic are turned on her. Black and Silver manacles begin form over her wrists
and she lets out a bloodcurdling shriek. Iapetus surges forward as if to help their mother, but
Oceanus and Tethys quickly grab him by the back of his clothing and yank him back.

Ouranos calls down a curse on Gaea’s power and her blood. He curses her that tragedy will
run rampant through her bloodline. Her uses his Kingship and power to bind her to him so
that she could never again fight against him, forever tying her to him so that her strength is
dependent on his. (Fortunately, Ouranos cannot take her power away from her but if he could,
he would.) As he curses her the manacles grow more and more corporeal and Gaea’s
screaming only grows as ichor drips from her nose.

A brand or swirling black and red burns itself into her beautiful brown skin, the brand is
horrid and ugly- runes and cursed words that will forever restrict her etched into her skin.
Ouranos wears a cruel smile at the terrified and pained look on his wife’s face.

It is then- after suffering the horrible pain that he is inflicting on her, the loss of her children,
and the weight of all he has done to her- that Ouranos rips one last thing from her. Where the
earth and the heavens meet the two thrones for the king and queen of the heavens gleam but
as Ouranos binds Gaea and strips her title of queen, the throne on the left covered in soil,
tree roots, and trickling streams of water dies and turns into a cold, black throne when there
is no queen to hold it.

Ouranos leaves, he is full of anger and embarrassment at this ‘stain’ on his bloodline and
Gaea is left kneeling on the ground, bent over and sobbing with her wrists held tight to her
chest. Tiny streams form on the mountain beneath her as her tears pours out of her. With their
Father gone the Titans finally leave their hiding place and cluster around their mother in an
attempt to console her from the loss of her children, her throne, and her agency and the fact
that it was all done at the hands of her once beloved husband.
She screams at them to leave her be, cursing at them for being there and for witnessing all
that happened. They leave (they are not stupid enough to try and provoke her right now) and
return to the ground below the mountain to sleep, desperate to forget this horrible, angry and
vengeful version of their father that they have seen.

The next day Ouranos’s feelings of humiliation have not abated and when he sees his twelve
eldest children roaming the Earth beneath his domain he remembers that they were there
yesterday. That these children bore witness to his shame and that they knew of and had seen
his monstrous children. It is then that for the first time Ouranos rains down his fury on his
children, lightning cracking down from the heavens, striking them and electricity arcing
through their bodies.

Gaea spends years begging her father to awaken from his slumber and to grant her a savior.
She begs him to take her youngest daughter, to use her and bless her. To transform the girl
into a being of power and destruction. After the 11th year, Chaos grants the request and
Rhea’s blood is forever changed. Her destiny is rewritten by Ananke herself and exactly 100
years after Chaos grants Gaea’s request Rhea’s gift finally awakens and a being and bloodline
of destruction is born.

Perses’ uncle had immediately handed the Princess to him before storming off in the
direction of the Throne Room. Hyperion had tossed a command over his shoulder to take the
Princess back to her room, to guard over her, and not leave her for even a moment. And so
Perses had taken her to her room and had stationed himself at the foot of her bed, standing
between the bed and the door, leaning against a marble post that stood in the room.

Seeing the girl like that had been horrible. Thousands of years ago when Perses had guarded
the Queen she had episodes like that as well. Her eyes would go vacant, lost in memories (in
nightmares) where she would scream and cry causing the King to come running from
whatever he was doing to soothe her. When the Royal Marriage had started to go south,
Perses himself had to help soothe her sometimes when she had moved to her own room and
he had always felt extremely gutted and horrified by the information he would learn while
she was stuck in the past.

It was why he had felt so protective over her. In the last war Kronos had sent him to find and
guard over the Queen, dismissing him from his war duties so that the Queen would have
someone to look out for her (the eldest Princess, Hestia did a good job however, so he was
more of a guard than a helper.)
Now Perses was tasked to guard over this smaller girl who looked and talked like his
Queen (before she had been overcome with grief and betrayal.) He had felt automatically
protective of her and loyal to her simply because of her face but now that he knew she
suffered in the same ways, his determination to guard and protect her only grew. He did not
know what had happened to cause her traumatic flashback to occur (it was clear Hyperion
did though) but he knew that when she awoke, he would be there to help her feel safe.

After a few hours, the young princess whimpers in her sleep and Perses tenses up, trying to
decide if he should wake her or not but when her whimpers subside he leaves her be. But
when the Princess lets out a scream and begs her father to please stop Perses quickly walks
over to the bed to wake and not for the first time he curses Ouranos (he has spent thousands
of years watching his parents, aunts, and uncles suffer from nightmares caused by the hands
of his grandfather). He gently calls out to her and shakes the bed softly with his hands (he
does not want to touch her in case that would cause her more harm). When she cries out
again (begging her dad- and he knows by the English and the term dad that she is now
calling for Poseidon- to help her), he raises his voice telling her to wake up and her eyes fly
open and she chest heaves as she struggles to breath. She whispers comforting words to
herself and he resists the urge to give her a comforting hug (he has a daughter-Hecate- whom
he loves very much, to hear this girl cry out for her father makes his chest ache.)

Her eyes slowly lift to meet his and they are no longer vacant like they had been just a few
hours ago. However her eyes are filled with shame as she looks at him with uncertainty, as if
she is afraid he is going to criticize her. He keeps his expression soft and gentle hoping to
soothe her worries.

“Are you alright now, Princess?” he asks, voice low and soft. She coughs and rubs her arms
but she gives a nod and he thinks that she is probably lying.

“You don’t have to call me that, you know.” She mutters in a raspy voice and he chuckles.

“What else would I call you? You are the daughter of the King of the Sea.” She does not
laugh or look at him, her eyes looking at the door. He shifts, putting his hand on his sword
and angling himself so that he stands between her and the door so that anyone who comes in
would be faced with him and she relaxes. Her green eyes meet his own brown.

“You could call me by my name.”

“The situation with your name is complicated.” He tells her and her face morphs into a look
of frustration and anger.

“My name is Rhea.” The Princess spits at him. “And I know that I sound like her, that I look
like her, and that I have her fucking name but for once could all of you stop dancing around
me and actually treat me as the person I am and not as some awful reminder of dead Queen. I
am my own person so could you all please just call me by my name?” Her voice cracks as
she says the last sentence and tears of anger (or sadness) have gathered in her eyes and for
the first time Perses is forced to realize just how hard it must be for this girl to constantly be
treated as the ghost of a dead Titaness.
“I’m sorry.” He whispers out, hesitating before he continues his voice nervous. “Pri- Rhea.”
He stutters out and Rhea’s face colors with surprise and joy.

“Thank you.” She breathes out and he gives her a nod along with an awkward smile (he feels
as if he has committed a crime by saying her name but the Princess- Rhea seems happier now
so it may have been worth it.)

She crawls out of the bed and he respectfully waits in the bedroom as she goes into her
bathing room to freshen up. When she comes out her hair is wet and her old jeans and camp
shirt are back on and it is in these modern clothes that her differences from her namesake are
highlighted and Perses knows she did this on purpose. She stands in front of him and holds
out her hand. He raises his eyebrows in question.

“I’d like a weapon.” She declares and he bites the inside of his cheek debating if he wants to
give her the knife and face possible reprimanding from the King. But when he sees the
hidden desperation of her face he sighs and hands he the knife that is strapped to his thigh.
Her whole body seems to relax and when she moves away her steps are more lively and a
slight smile has come across her face. She walks towards the door and rests her hand on the
handle.

“It’s time for dinner, isn’t it?” He gives an questioning nod and she gives a heavy sigh.
“Will-“ she breaks off for a moment. “Will the King be there?” She questions softly.

“I believe so. Lord Hyperion will be there as well though.” He tells her, hoping that will
soothe whatever worries are on her mind. He makes his way towards her as she opens the
door and they fall into step besides one another.

“You’ll stay by my side won’t you?” Her voice is full of vulnerability and he is reminded of
just how young she is. “Not that I need you to, I’m just asking.” She rushes to say with false
bravado and a fake expression of determination. Perses gently puts his hand on her shoulder
pausing them in their strides and she turns to face him.

“I will always guard you, Princess Rhea. I swear it on the River Styx.” He promises. A boom
sounds in the distance, sealing his oath and Rhea looks up at him with wide eyes. She reaches
up and takes his hand from his shoulder gripping his forearm. They stand there, arms clasped
together in a promise of alliance and protection and Perses knows that history is bound to
repeat itself and that he will spend Chaos knows how long protecting this girl (this face) from
those who would come against her.

“Let’s not keep the King waiting.” She says with a grim smile, they drop their arms and the
descent to the dining room begins.

Hera had not always been so hateful, so bitter. She had once been a sweet and loving sister
who spent hours alongside her siblings listening as their eldest sister regaled them with
stories of their family. Hera had not been one of the ones to live long before being absorbed
so she had not had any time to develop feelings like betrayal or hate or even apathy towards
their father. Instead everything she learned about her father, her mother, and the rest of their
family came from her siblings and the hints of things she could hear from their prison within
their father.

Hestia had told them so many stories. She had told them about how their Grandfather had
gone mad, thrown out his some of his children, tortured and bound his own wife, and then
proceeded to terrorize his own children. Hestia had told them how their Father had taken up
the scythe against Ouranos because he loved their mother so much that he was willing to face
death if it meant giving their mother the chance to live freely and how he had won the Throne
of the Heavens before proposing to their mother, begging her to be his queen.

To be quite honest, young Hera had thought of her Father as a sort of misguided hero who
just needed some help. She held admiration for her father and she desperately craved for a
love like her parents, hoping that someday someone would save her and that they would live
happily and that her father would no longer be upset with them.

Demeter had been the one to be upset, she had been hurt- offended by what their father had
done. However she too would listen avidly to Hestia's stories and even though she tried to
hide it, Hera could see how their sister loved to hear the stories. Poseidon had been the one
Demeter had bonded with the most. They both had felt betrayed (all though Poseidon was not
angry, just overwhelmingly sad). Poseidon had lived longer than the rest of them except
Hestia but he would not tell them about it. When she and Demeter asked he refused to share
any stories of what life in Othrys was like, his pain and the feeling of betrayal too great that
he could not bear to even speak about his happy times with their father.

He would however listen to Hestia's stories with tears in his eyes and he would talk for long
hours with Hestia and Hades, finding solace in his elder brother and sister. She never
begrudged him his sadness. When a decade had passed and Hestia had sadly informed them
of Poseidon's fate, Hera understood her father's fear and why he had rid of them. She was
thankful she had been rid of quickly so that she did not feel such sadness like Hades, Hestia,
and Poseidon. It was after this time that Poseidon began to share snippets of his time at
Othrys, not much but enough for them to know about how doting their father was and how
loving of a mother they had. It was the song inside Poseidon's head that they talked about
most, afraid as to what it meant and hoping beyond all hopes that it would not spell
devastation for their younger brother. She loved him so much and she did not wish for him to
have to kill their father or suffer the paranoia and maddness that came from the patricide and
the burden of the Throne.

But it was not Poseidon, or Demeter, or even Hestia that Hera had been the closest to. It had
been Hades. When Hades had quickly followed Hera the two had become practically
inseparable (not that there was really anywhere to go but they were always together). Their
bond was the closest out of all the siblings and they thrived with one another. When they
were young they played games together, listened to Hestia's stories together, and whispered
secrets in the dark. It was as they grew older that their relationship began to change. Hera had
grown beautiful, no longer a child, and Hades had become a man- tall, strong, and handsome.
The close sibling bond changed and morphed into something even stronger.
Love.

(It should not be a surprise that such a relationship occurred, given the loneliness of their
prison, the allure of their godly beauty, and of course, everyone has a childhood love). It had
started with shy flirtation but they could not help the love they had grown to feel. It was in
those whispered secrets in the dark that she and Hades had made a the promise that when
they were free that they would be married. He had sworn to always stand by her, to love her,
and he had promised that he would always protect her and never let any harm befall her. He
had been the kind of fairytale dream that Hera had wanted and she had been thrilled,
overjoyed by his promise.

Yearning for freedom to do as they pleased- to explore, to love, to simply be-she begged him
to take her to see the world when they were free and he had agreed. They had dreamed up a
beautiful, picture perfect idea of their future together, a wonderful life together and their
siblings by their sides. It would be a happy and carefree scene. (The dream always included a
Father who had seen the error of his ways, who freed them and doted on them.)

But Hera's real life was not the sort of fairytale picture from the childhood stories Hestia had
told her.

Hera's life was painful, brutal, and deadly. It was a tale of disappointment, heartbreak, and
gut wrenching betrayal. They had been freed and instead of being happy, their father had
been sent into a rage. Her childhood fantasies were shattered as they fled for their lives from
a father that tried to kill them now that they had escaped.

She had been thrown into a brutal and bloody war that had ended with her standing over her
father and watching Zeus butcher him to pieces. (She could still hear Poseidon's sobs for the
next few days as he mourned their father with Hestia and she had only folded him into a
gentle hug when he told her how their father had stared him in the eyes the entire time until
he was completely obliterated.)

Hera had thought that with the war over that the other part of her dream would come true,
that she would run across the world and live happily with their siblings. But the Throne had
been cursed and an untrustworthy brother now sat on the Throne of the Heavens and so
dreams had to wait. Hera had desperately hoped that Zeus's marriage to Metis would lead to
an effective end of his reign but in the end Metis was gone and Zeus was still king (and now
the five other siblings were wary, he had just absorbed someone. Just like their father. Fear
set into their bones.)

It was then that Hera had to set aside her dreams. Because Hera is the goddess of family and
she loved hers desperately. She knew that Demeter and Hestia would never have the strength
to marry Zeus, plot against him, and take him down. She knew her sisters and they were
good, too good and pure to do this. (It may have also had to do with her fatal flaw, her
ambition) And so Hera sacrificed herself and her dreams for her family. She trapped herself
in a marriage with an untrustworthy brother who acted eerily like their father and she
conspired to bring him down.

There had been good moments in her marriage with Zeus but he had not been the one she was
meant to be with. She had tried at first, hoping stability and love would help guide Zeus on
the right path. But it became clear quickly that the Curse on their Blood and Zeus himself
were to dangerous to let him sit on the throne. In the first few years before they had begun to
enact their plan to take Zeus down- when she was still trying to help him- Hera had tried
fidelity, she really had. But she could not help it when two very accidental occasions she
would fall into the arms of Hades. After all, it was unfair for anyone to expect her to
completely deny herself love.

When Zeus had begun to demand wifely duties from her and she began to see that he was
unable to be guided down the right path, Hera had begun to set the plans in motion and she
had told her siblings that it was time to begins a multi-year scheme. Zeus wanted an heir. He
wanted a strong Son and a powerful daughter to his name, born of a pure bloodline from
Kronos and not from his failed marriages with Titantesses. Hera could not allow that.
Because she herself had once been the powerful daughter born to the King and she knew
where this would lead. She would not let one of her own sons be handed the awful fate of
Patricide and Destruction.

And so Hera the Goddess of Children and Childbirth had ensured that she born weakened and
less powerful children and when she could no longer ensure that, she stopped having children
all together. For Hera knew this age old tale, the queen would bear her husband strong
children that he would adore for a short while. But his paranoia and rage would grow and he
would cast the children off, ridding the world of them and breaking the queens heart. Her
grandmother, the first queen, had been forced to endure that. Her own sweet mother forced
into this tale as well. Hera refused, she would not let this tragic cycle continue to her. Even if
she had to sacrifice her own self.

It had been worth dealing with Zeus's rage at her failure to give her powerful children to
know that her own children would never suffer the fate that she and her siblings feared. It
was not long after that Zeus (who was far more insightful and clever than Hera had
suspected) had caught onto the plans of his siblings. Now she could not help it, but Hera
could not look at her children- the ones born by her marriage to Zeus, Hephaestus was just
another target for her anger- because as the black manacle on her right wrist gleamed she was
given her daily reminder of the horrible pain of that day and her fate forever bound to a man
she loathed. And Zeus's children only served as a reminder of her nightmare of a marriage.

Her two youngest children though, Hera adored above all because even the reminder of her
pain and the betrayal could not dull her feelings for these two children, born before
everything was ruined. Because Enyo with her raging powers and her pale skin paired with
inky black hair and Hebe with her gleaming onyx eyes that sometimes glinted with hints of
black fire and her domain of eternal youth (a reflection of Hera's own hopes and long
forgotten dreams) would always be her favorite children.

And while she had these children, her two girls whom were her children of love she was
forever bound to a man who loathed her. She was bound to a man who took pleasure in
giving her painful punishments and relished in her torment and her cries of agony. And
Hades? The man who had once sworn to love her? He was now happy with the love of his
life. Hera had never understood how Poseidon had felt about their father's betrayal but now
she did. As bright and strong as her love for Hades had once been, her hate for him now
burned equally as bright. (Although to be fair, childhood romances rarely ever end happily
and Hades was now with Persephone, whom he loved dearly. But Hera was the one trapped
and in pain while he was happy. How was that fair?)

The Youngest Daughter of Kronos (like the Youngest Daughter of Ouranos) was now forever
a picture of tradgedy, pain, betrayal, and eternal heartbreak.

The Bloodline is truly cursed.

 Uncovering Secrets

Hyperion was more furious than he had ever been in his long existence. When the
demigoddess had thrown herself into his arms crying out his true name and sobbing, clearly
stuck in between dreams and reality he had felt his heart break. When her broken voice had
cried to him that she didn’t want to be forced upon the Throne he had immediately known
that Kronos had done something truly deplorable.

Seeing her eyes fogged over, her voice in that softer, more ancient lilt, traumatized and
drowning in memories he had only seen his sister- and so Hyperion, like any good big
brother, had set out to fix things for her.

He had spent millennium climbing and fighting his way through Tartarus with his baby
brother. While Kronos’s body struggled to form in the mortal world above them, he and
Hyperion fought side by side, in their True Forms as Titans, against the Pit to reach the
Doors. They had grown closer than they had ever been. Hyperion had always loved and stood
beside his brother, never wavering in his support.

None of that mattered right now because Hyperion was debating stabbing his baby brother.

When the demigoddess falls unconscious, and he is sure she is secure and sleeping in the
arms of his nephew he storms off to his brother because there is no way he is letting Kronos
get away with this. Hurting the gods or terrorizing regular demigods was one thing but this
girl was an exception. Her name and her face set her apart from the others and Hyperion
would not see her tortured- he cannot stand for it. For this he would defy his king.

Hyperion thunders into the throne room to find Kronos sitting on the steps leading up to the
thrones, his elbows on his knees and hands covering his mouth as if he were in deep thought.
The ground cracks under Hyperion’s steps as he approaches his brother.

“Don’t start with me Hyperion. I’m not in the mood.” Kronos warns him, voice low and
deadly. Normally that would have given Hyperion reason to stop and leave in order to avoid
bringing the wrath of his king upon himself.

“Too fucking bad, because I am.” Hyperion hisses and throws out a beam of pure light and
energy that Kronos barely ducks out of the way from. The beam collides into a column that
comes crumbling down on the impact.

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” Kronos snarls at Hyperion as he stands from the steps,
eyes blazing pure gold and a face of pure fury.

“Have you?” Hyperion shoots back and he watches as his brother’s lips curl into that
terrifying sneer. “What have you done?”

“I do not wish to speak about this with you Hyperion. Stop throwing a tantrum and get out.”

“What did you do?” Hyperion only asks, voice cold with anger.
"Get out." Kronos roars and Hyperion’s anger grows.

“What did you do to her?” He screams at his brother because he needs an answer. He needs to
know why his brother has hurt the image of their sister.

“You would not understand. I am only doing what I have to do. I did not mean for her to react
so violently as I brought her up to the Throne.” Comes the glacial tone of the King and
Kronos’s gold eyes are like ice and Hyperion wonders if he has cut himself off from feeling
anything so that guilt from what he has done does not pour out of him. The King’s eyes shift
towards the black and gold throne behind him, as if he is pondering it.

“How could you do that to her?” Hyperion snarls out, lunging at his brother and narrowly
missing Kronos’s cheek with his fist as the younger spins out of the way. Kronos shoves
Hyperion away from him and Hyperion stands there, chest heaving in his anger. “You think
your pain and longing for our sister justifies this? Do you think that you are the only one who
suffers every day and drowns in the pain and guilt of what we did to her? Your pain does not
mean you get to go around forcing people- forcing that girl- into unspeakable torment upon
your throne. I never thought you would actually be so truly delusional to think that by forcing
that girl to burn away her life force, to burn away her being, that somehow our sister will
return.” An incredulous look comes over Kronos's face, as is he is offended by the
accusation.

“I am not delusional, Hyperion. I am a husband mourning the love of his life and willing to
do what it takes to bring her back- even sacrifice her doppelganger. The daughter of my boy. I
will do what it takes.” Kronos’s eyes take on that cruel glint. “I thought that after thousands
of years of all you saying how much you loved her and how guilty you felt that you would be
grateful. Did you actually miss her? Do you actually love her as you say you do? I am the
only one that is trying to do anything to fix it. To fix everything and bring her back, to give
her the life she deserved." Kronos circles Hyperion like a shark in bloody waters as he
questions him- searching for weakness and ready to strike Hyperion in a flash. Right now
though, Hyperion is feeling anything but weak.

"Do you think that this is the life that Rhea would want? Reborn from the spilled blood of her
granddaughter, of the daughter of her precious son that she bore and loved? The son you took
from her? Even if your idea is possible, do you really think she would want to live beside you
after that and all you did?" Both brothers words were aiming to hurt each other as much as
they could.

"Don’t you fucking dare say her name." Comes the jagged voice of the King.

"She may have been your wife, but before that she was our sister and I respect your decree to
never speak her name but when you desecrate her memory this way I have no choice but to
disobey you. She was good and kind, she was everything that we were not and now she is
dead and you seek to use her name in vain as some sort of excuse to torment her namesake."
Hyperion refuses to back down but he watches as his brother wildly shakes his head.

"I am doing this for her, she would understand. I am doing what I have to." Hyperion does
not miss the tinge of desperation in his brother’s words as he repeats his earlier phrase,
almost as if they are a mantra he lives by to keep himself guilt free.
"Rhea is dead, Kronos." A sad but harsh truth.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT" Kronos roars out lunging at Hyperion but he ducks out of
the way, dancing away from the hits his brother is trying to place.

"Rhea is fucking dead. Accept it, because the rest of us have. She’s gone and she is not
coming back. The pain of what you did to her killed her. She's faded away and we’ve lost her
forever, and now this girl is here. This girl who is blessed with her name and her face and
cursed with our sisters dreams and memories and you would torment her?" Hyperion strikes
back, landing a punch on his brother's cheekbone- ignoring the pain that laces through his
hand and watches as Kronos's cheekbone shatters before swiftly knitting itself back together.
"You would torment this girl, this girl who wears my sister's- your wife’s- face and do to her
what our father did to Rhea. You are so blinded by your own fucking guilt that you can’t even
see what you look like right now."

"Enough!" Kronos cries out, landing a rib breaking kick on Hyperion's chest.

"Nothing about you has changed. You are still the man that broke my sisters heart, the
man- who in the end- she was terrified of." Hyperion spits out, aiming to hurt his younger
brother. "It does not matter why you are doing it Kronos. What matters is that you are
just like him. Here before me stands Kronos Ouranian, truly the son and heir of
Ouranos- the once King." Hyperion venomously spits out his words (words he has never
said before, words none of them have ever said, because such a comparison was so horrid.)

"Don’t you dare call me that." None of them are ever able to bear the sound of their last
name, a title of cruel paternity and the collar of ownership their father had on them.

"You are acting just like our father. I heard what she was screaming loud and clear. You
would drag that girl to certain death and make her endure excruciating pain for a
dream that has no chance of coming true." Kronos flinches hard, as if he has been struck
by one of their father’s bolts and agony flashes through his brilliant gold eyes. Normally
Hyperion would feel bad but he is full of righteous anger. "I have stood by your side, loyal
and unquestioning for thousands of years, brother. I have loved you and protected you
but I cannot let you harm that girl. Any other demigod, but not her. Let go of this
insane dream and focus on the war. Besides it does not matter if you can bring her back
or not if you have no throne or kingdom to offer to her." He tries to appeal to his brother
in a softer voice now, their blows having stopped. "Do not let yourself be distracted
brother. We must win this war first." Hyperion only hopes that such an appeal will distract
his brother, occupying him and keeping him from hurting the girl. He also desperately hopes
that by drawing such cruel comparisons that he has saved the demigoddess from any more
agony. He walks over to his brother and puts a hand on the back of his neck, bringing their
foreheads to rest against one another's. Kronos's eyes squeeze shut before he gives a nod of
assent, confirming that he will cease any action towards this plan.

(For now. Hyperion has won the battle in this war against Kronos’s desires but Kronos has
not given them up for good, he is only setting them aside.)
Rhea and Perses descended from level to level towards the Dining Room and Rhea cannot
help the sickening feeling in her stomach- it feels almost as if she were marching into battle.
Nymphs and Naiads curtsey as she and Perses walk past but neither of them acknowledges
the nature spirits. The pair talk as they walk through the halls.

Rhea asks about his wife, she remembers from myths that Perses was married but she doesn’t
remember much about it. Her guard has a wide smile as he tells her about his wife, Asteria,
and his daughter Hecate. He tells her about Asteria’s smile that shines like the stars, about her
fiery personality, her tendency to fight with her brother. Rhea is absorbed into the stories, she
loves to learn more about her gigantic family. He tells her how smart his daughter is, how she
has created new magicks, how she created witches and emposai, and how Hecate has always
been his greatest pride.

Rhea asks him if he faded or was trapped in Tartarus like the other titans and he tells her how
when her namesake had faded away, he had as well. He had died when the woman he was
charged to guard had, and how he had been overcome with shock when he had reformed in
Tartarus two years ago. He tells her about reuniting with his wife and daughter who thought
him dead and Rhea almost feels bad for the trouble her family has wrecked on people’s lives
before she remembers that technically it’s Perses’s family too- Kronos is his uncle after all.

As they arrive on the floor that has the Dining Room, Rhea’s steps slow drastically, however
her courage is strengthened when a hand reaches over and squeezes her own. She looks up at
Perses with thankfulness and he gives her a fond and encouraging smile.

The giant black stone doors that herald the dining room are hauled open by minor titans that
bow low to Perses and he ushers her into the room. The dining room is empty and Rhea
thanks Chaos for it, she feels like she needs to prepare herself before she sits across the table
from the man who just tried to burn her entire being away. Perses hovers anxiously by her
side as they enter the room.

The room being empty has given her some sense of relief, however it has also increased the
anticipation that she feels and the weird feeling of impending doom that she knows precludes
the appearance of the Titan King. She just stands on the steps of the room, overlooking the
long table and its chairs. However Perses’ voice cuts across her thoughts of ‘what do I do?’

“Where would you like to sit?” He questions softly. She stares at the table a bit more.
“Rhea?” Perses prompts and she slowly makes her way down the steps and towards the table.
She approaches her normal seat and stands next to it thoughtfully for a moment.

She cannot sit there. Rhea feels like if she sits in her normal seat that it would be like
pretending nothing happened and like everything was alright and normal when it wasn’t. She
shakes her head and walks past her seat, rounding the table and making her way to the other
head of it. To where Kronos sits.

She approaches the large, throne-like chair (oddly enough it looks sort of like the ones she
and Percy sit on back at camp.) slowly, cautiously as if the chair were a snake that could
strike her at any second. Rhea hesitantly reaches her finger out and gently runs her fingers
over the ancient oak of Kronos’s chair. As silly as it seems, she is almost testing it, to see if it
could harm her. The remaining strains of fear from the earlier incident run through her. When
the chair does nothing at her touch she breathes out a sigh of relief and a thoughtful hum exits
her mouth. This would make a statement to Kronos.

“I think I’ll sit here.” She declares, lifting her eyes to look at Perses who seems a bit pale at
the statement.

“Are you certain?” He asks, his tone wary and she knows that he is only concerned for her.
She flashes him a self-assured smirk, one that looks far more brave and sure of herself than
she actually feels.

“Absolutely.” He scans her face, as if checking to see if her words are genuine before a smile
slowly stretches across his face and he gives a resolute nod.

“This should be entertaining.” He grins at her and she smiles back, hopefully Kronos won’t
kill her for it. But she is not going to sit here anymore and let him terrorize her.

"You will be polite." The chiding voice reminds him as they walk.

"Yes."

"You will have good manners."

"Of course." Kronos agrees as his brother pushes him down the long hall toward the dining
room.

"And if you even try to terrorize her-"

"You’ll cut my arms off and force me to spend the next few days regenerating, I know."
Kronos cuts across Hyperion’s reprimanding tone. (Kronos was so sick of his elder brother.
Hyperion had of course been a fucking snitch and dragged him to Koios to tell him the entire
event. Kronos had then been subjected to a big brother lecture from Koios who had
threatened to get Krios as well.)

"Good." Hyperion muttered. "Try and make nice conversation. Something that doesn’t
involve war, your dislike of her kind, or anything else that may antagonize her. If she even
comes, that is." Kronos was sure that his brother was setting him up for failure with these
impossible standards. Kronos had not had a single conversation with the demigoddess that
didn’t end up with one of them aiming to get under the skin of the other. He honestly doubted
that the girl would even appear for dinner, he imagined that he would spend the next few days
trying to coax her from her rooms.

However, Kronos was going to try his best to be civil. He did feel bad for what happened
hours ago. Really. Hearing her terrified screams ring out around the throne room as she lost
herself in a vision and pleaded for her life had been a gut punch. More so because it occurred
right in front of the very throne that thousands of years ago, his beloved had let out the same
screams and cries for mercy.

He felt as if he had been thrown back in time to nearly four thousand years ago when he, his
beloved, Hyperion, and Theia had been caught and tortured by their father for days on end
before he had tried to burn Kronos’s wife alive upon the Throne. (The torture had been
nothing compared to the agony of hearing his beloved scream until she was coughing up
Ichor.)

When Ouranos had thrown his youngest daughter upon the Throne she had bled and bled.
Her skin shining a sickly, awful gold and she sizzled as she burned alive. It was only when
he, Hyperion, and Theia had attempted to rise and help their beloved sister that Ouranos had
dragged his youngest daughter from the deadly seat. (Their defiance had resulted in the three
of them being forced to watch as their sister was strung up in the sky before Ouranos threw
them off of the mountain, leaving them to thunderously collide with the earth and spend the
next week healing.)

The screams and begging of the demigoddess (her calling him Pateras, which he had been
doing his best to block from his mind) was what had caused him to stop. When her eyes had
gained their far off look and she had been very clearly thrown into a memory vision. He had
remembered when it would happen to his wife and so he had been forced to come to a stop
and consider his options. The girl had wrenched herself free before he could think clearly
however.

Now he marched his way up to the Dining Room, the guards bowed low and pushed open the
doors, he strode in, Hyperion right on his heels. Kronos came to a quick stop when he
surveyed the room, his abrupt stop causing his brother to slam into his back and let out a
‘what the fuck?’ before he quickly was silenced by the scene of the room.

The Daughter of Poseidon was lounging in his chair, his seat at the Head of the Table, as if
she belonged there. Her head was tilted up as she laughed at something Perses had said to her
before her expression quickly turned to stone when she noticed Kronos’s arrival. Her head
turned straight and her eyes narrowed.

Kronos began to walk forward into the room and the girl stiffened ever so slightly. He
watched as Perses stepped slightly closer to her chair and he wondered when the pair had
found the time to form a (very familiar) bond. Kronos comes to stand by the girl’s normal
seat, Hyperion pausing beside him.

“You’re in my seat.” He informs his son’s daughter. Hyperion hisses under his breath and
Kronos sighs. “Which is fine.” He yanks out the chair opposite of his usual seat and seats
himself in it with a heavy thump. Hyperion takes up his own spot halfway between the two
heads of the table. The girl says nothing, a sneer marring her face.

Kronos finds himself feeling vaguely uncomfortable under the narrowed gaze of the
demigoddess. Her brilliant sea green eyes bore right through him. He meets her gaze with a
fairly neutral one of his own (a soft expression considering Kronos mostly glares at people).
The girl’s face is hard, one full of anger and determination but he can see through it. Kronos
knows her face all to well and the expressions it makes because he spent hundreds of years
learning to read every plane and detail of that face.

He sees the underlying fear, the trepidation that fills her eyes, masked by a brave face and a
cold sneer. Perses has made no move to leave the room as he usually does and Kronos studies
the way he is angled towards the girl. How his hand rests on the hilt of his sword and how the
younger titan is attuned to every move the Demigoddess makes. Kronos cannot find it in
himself to dismiss the younger titan and take away the girl’s source of comfort.

Amid the awkward and heavy silence of the room, Nymphs bring out trays of meat, fruits,
nectar, and ambrosia. Nobody moves to grab any of the food.

“How do you like-” Hyperion begins to speak in a pained voice, trying to make conversation.
The cold voice of the Demigoddess cuts across his words. They are aimed sharply at Kronos,
her glare never leaving his face.

“You will apologize.” Her voice is hard, uncompromising, as if this is some known fact in the
universe that he will give her his apology and announce regret for his actions.

“I beg your pardon?” he asks in a genial tone (it is not very genial but it is as close as Kronos
can get.)

“You heard me.” He almost wants to laugh.

“I am the Titan King, I am not in the habit of apologizing.”

“We both know that’s not true. And even if it was, I don’t care.” Hyperion’s head whips back
and forth between them and Kronos grits his teeth at the fact that she is demanding an
apology while his brother is present. At the fact that she would have him say such weak and
apologetic things while his brother (his subject) is here to witness it.

“Princess-” he starts in a hopefully appeasing tone. However she is unwilling to hear

anything he is going to say that does not have an apology in it. She slams a very real knife
into the table (why does she keep ruining his table) and he watches it carefully wondering
how she got her hands on a weapon.

He cannot help the slight fear that runs through him at the fact that one of the most dangerous
demigods there is, his enemy (and a GodKiller at that) is now armed. (He wonders if she has
enough of his wife’s visions that he doesn't know about to know where his Achilles Heel is. He
hopes not.)

Her eyes have taken on a weird glow and Hyperion gives him a glare that Kronos knows is
saying ‘apologize to her before she levels the mountain.’

“You are my guest,” he begins in a stilted voice (apologies as so hard for him). “I promised I
would treat you kindly and I did not. It will not happen again.” The words ‘I’m sorry’ did not
leave his mouth, he cannot bring himself to utter them out loud but he hopes that this will be
enough to appease her.
The Princess’s gaze runs over him thoughtfully before she gives a nod and removes her knife
from the table. She tries to ignore him for the rest of dinner, not speaking and only giving
vague one word answers to Hyperion (he can feel the awkwardness seeping out of her as she
interacts with his brother.) When Hyperion gently asks how she’s feeling, the girl flushes a
deep golden red and ducks her head before muttering an embarrassed. “I’m okay.”

Because things could not get anymore awkward, Hyperion is forced to depart. In a quick
burst of light, a letter appears in front of Hyperion and he quickly opens it before his eyes
widen and he turns to Kronos.

“It’s from Eos. It’s Selene, she’s not doing well at all.” Hyperion’s words are rushed as he
explains the letter to Kronos but he simply puts his hand up.

“You don’t have to explain it to me, Brother. Go help Selene, and give her my love.”
Hyperion gives him a hurried thank you, a nod to the demigoddess, and disappears in a blaze.

Kronos and the Princess sit across from one another, Perses hovering in the background, ever
the silent shadow. The girl continues to eat in silence and Kronos simply sits back in the seat
and watches her, wondering just how long she can play this silent game.

“Perses, would you wait outside the room? I promise that you will close enough to hear her
scream should I do anything horrendous” he addresses his nephew with snarkiness dripping
from every letter of his sentence and the Princess looks like she’s trying not to stab him.
Perses looks down at the girl with a questioning look. She hesitates for a minute before
giving a nod. Kronos’s eyes zero in on his nephew squeezing her shoulder before hastily
exiting and he tries not to think to hard on it.

The silence continues. She simply ignores him and acts as if he were not present, ignoring his
being entirely. Kronos cannot stand being ignored and so in true Kronos Fashion, he does
exactly what his brother told him not to do. He says something designed to get under her
skin.

“You never did answer my question from a few days ago.” He calmy remarks as he reaches
for the plate of Ambrosia. “The one about your dreams.” Her head snaps up and her eyes
meet his. Kronos quirks an eyebrow. “What do you dream of, Sea Princess?” Her face is like
stone and her voice is snappy.

“None of your business.” Kronos lets out a laugh. There she is.

“No matter. I don’t need you to tell me.” Her eyebrows furrowed “I have them too.” He tells
her. And its true. Kronos knew what the demigod Princess dreamed of. He had known ever
since he had arisen nearly a year ago. The day after his Awakening he had been thrown into a
dream that was very clearly not his own, a dream that featured his late wife coming into her
powers, an event that had changed their lives forever.

He had shared the demigoddesses dream memories every night since the day of the Battle.

The confinement in the Grove, followed by the brutal torture of Hyperion. Gaea offering up
the scythe, his fight with his wife about whether he should take the scythe or not, Gaea’s fury
when Rhea had decided to stand to the side.

He has watched every single one of these dreams from the background, forced to rewatch
history and observe as his wife’s doppelganger is thrown into dream after dream about her
predecessor’s awful life.

He doesn’t know what reaction he is hoping for by telling her this but the one she gives is not
the one he wants. She slams her hands down on the table, stands, and swiftly begins walking
to the doors.

“I’m done talking to you.” she sneers as she makes her way past him, but his hand flies out
and catches her own. She violently tries to yank her arm back but when their eyes meet she
pauses for a moment. Kronos means to say something, he truly does but his mouth only
opens and closes because he cannot find any words to say. She just stares at him and when he
finally gives up, he drops her hand. She walks quickly the rest of the distance to the doors,
opens them and loudly slams them shut behind her.

For some reason Kronos feels as if he will not see her again for a while.

Rhea does not sleep that night, she cannot. She had already slept earlier, after her episode, but
that it not why she struggles now. She cannot sleep because she can hear the voices, they call
to her beckoning her to heed their call and to come to them. They are the same voices that
had called to her early- the ones that had drawn her into the Throne Room originally. She had
never found out what they wanted or what they were saying to her because her attempt at
adventuring and discovery had been horribly interrupted by Kronos trying to kill her.

She rolls around in her bed, unable to block them from her mind. With a frustrated sigh she
sits up and rolls out of the bed, grabbing a robe and pulling it on over the long shirt she had
designated to sleep in during her time in the Palace. The black robe pools around her and she
crosses her arms over her chest in an attempt to stave off the sudden icy chill that has come
over her. Rhea walks over to the door and pulls it open only to be faced by Perses, dutifully
guarding her. He turns to say something but she just shakes her head and holds up a finger to
her lips.

"I'll be right back." She promises and begins sneaking down the hall. (Perses does not even
try to ask what she is doing because Perses does remember the adventure streak Poseidon
had- keeping up with 3 month old Poseidon had been a nightmare). He just shakes his head
as she disappears down the hall.

Rhea is sneaking through the Great Hall full of statues and carvings for the 3rd time in less
than a year, tiptoeing through the columns and entering the ice cold Throne Room. She stands
before the 10 steps that lead to the Thrones. She imagines the glory that there must have been
to behold these thrones once, shining and surrounded by the golden halo that glowed from the
Thrones of the Heavens. The Black and Gold Throne that Kronos sat upon (which had once
shone deepest blue, glowing with constellations and thousands of stars and suns across its
surface) had perhaps once been a thing of majesty that now sits cold and deadly, as if it were
a great curse.

But the Queen's Throne is the one that is calling to Rhea. She doesn't know how because it is
dead, covered in decay like a relic of the past. Yet somehow it beckons her forward, she is
drawn into it and she finds herself slowly ascending the steps towards the Throne of the
Queen. She feels like she is almost stuck in a trance, her head filled with whispers of her
name and other Ancient words. In her haze she tramples the flowers left for the Late Queen
as she approaches the Throne.

Her fingers reach out to graze the armrest of the the seat, the feeling of dead vines running
under her fingers and some of them crumble beneath her touch. The voices grow from
whispers to all out calls, crying out to her.

"...Rhea"

"Rhea!.......Rhea"

"...............................home........"

"Rhea!"

But there is one cry that grabs her attention the most, echoing through her mind and drawing
her closer.

"Ischyros" The Most Powerful. It is the quietest cry and yet the most commanding one. She
knows what it means but she does not understand its context or why it's even being said but
she knows it is a siren's call, luring her in and begging her to come into the honeyed trap. She
knows that she should resist, for her own safety and respect for the late Queen, she knows
that this place is not for her. She is a Demigod, the daughter of the Gods, the enemy of the
Titans. Yet here she stands in their stronghold, beholding the seats of Power. It is so wrong
and yet it is also poetically right. The voices croon to her once more and her eyes flutter shut
as if she were falling asleep and her body lowers down until she rests upon the Throne of
Queen Rhea.

The flowers, vines, and trees that surround the Queen's throne burst with life immediately,
color and life flooding them as flowers bloom and green life overtakes the Throne. Beautiful
green, flowered vines shoot up the walls of the Throne Room. Othrys itself shakes, as if it is
slowly shaking itself awake. Instead of the burning fire that Rhea remembers from her vision,
the Queen's Throne is warm and she fees like she is drunk on the finest wines and her body is
full of ecstasy. Her eyes flare open, glowing ethereal green and white. Rhea manages to look
down at her arms and her once blue veins run golden, glowing up her arms as if someone had
injected pure and shining gold straight into her bloodstream.

She feels raw power, more than she could ever hold as a plain demigod, coursing through her
and she lets out gasping breaths as she struggles to take it all in, to hold on to the power and
to keep a hold on herself. Slowly she stands from the Throne and she could have sworn that
she saw flowers blossom beneath her feet.
As she steps away from the Throne, beholding it with awe and wonder the high slowly dies
and it is replaced with a sick understanding. Everything starts to fall into place, everything
starts to make sense to her and she feels like she could throw up as she feels like the world is
crumbling down around her. Her heart races.

Her face, her voice, her dreams. The horrifying and destructive power that races through her
system. It isn't genetics, it isn't because her father is the Son of Rhea and Kronos. It isn't
genetics or luck or any of the other reasons she had tried to give herself.

Rhea Jackson isn't really Rhea Jackson. She isn't really even Rhea Poseidia is she?

She is some horrible cocktail, some cosmic joke.

Rhea Ourania had died, she had gone to Tartarus like the other Titans, struggling to reform
and pull herself together. But almost 16 years ago when the other Titans had begun to
awaken, so had Rhea Ourania. And when the others resurrected, so did she.

Rhea Ourania, the Queen of the Heavens had been reborn, rebirthed as Rhea Poseidia
Jackson.

Othrys shakes beneath her feet in a giant Earthquake.

"WHERE IS SHE?" The roaring voice of Kronos echoes through all of Othrys and his fury is
palpable. "BRING ME THE DAUGHTER OF POSEIDON".

Rhea has to get out of here. Now.

 The Faint Light of Freedom

Adrenaline coursed through her veins, as if she were back in a battle- fighting for her life. In
a way she was, if one of the Titans got their hands on her they would give her to Kronos and
Chaos only knew what he would do to her. His furious roar had echoed throughout the castle
and terror had shot down her spine at the sound of it.

Rhea broke into a sprint, exiting the throne room quickly- the silky black material of the robe
flapping behind her. She could hear the thunderous steps of dozens of titans rushing to find
her. Lucky for her the were no sleeping quarters on the first three floors, so she had
time (even if it was only a couple minutes) to try and find a way out.

It was as she was running down the long hall, past the Great Dining Hall, that Rhea
remembered the fighting arena beneath her. The arena may not have had real swords but she
could still use the training swords to defend herself if she needed too. Although she had the
dagger, she was honestly not that good at using them and so she needed to get her hands on a
sword as soon as possible.

Rhea flew down the hall, bare feet slamming into the hard, black marble. She reached the
stairs that led down to the arena and began racing down them. Above her she could hear faint
voices growing louder and she knew that the Titans search for her was rapidly approaching
the first floor. Her window to escape was shrinking.

The one factor that was on her side, was the fact that it was dark. The darkness of night
would allow her to hide in the shadows and sneak around (she would be aided by her black
hair and black robe as well) and the dim, barely there lighting would help hide her.

The stairs came to an end and Rhea arrived in front of the columns that stood guarding the
entrance to the fighting arena. Her step became slower and more cautious. Not only was the
arena much darker and harder to see in, but the ground was uneven, and she was desperately
trying not to slice her feet open. She didn’t need a wound while she was running for her life,
it would only slow her down.

The training swords from the other day were nowhere to be found. In fact, there was
absolutely nothing inside or around the arena that could be used to defend herself, except
maybe some rocks but those would be absolutely useless against terrifyingly powerful titans.

Shouting sounds and she hears footsteps running down the stairs to the arena. Armed with
only the dagger, Rhea takes up her hiding spot in the dark shadows behind a column at the
back of the arena. Her senses are dialed up to an 11 and she hears every sound around her, the
hairs on her neck standing at attention. The sea roars in her blood and her power thrums
around her as she readies herself to fight.

Rhea turns her head, peering carefully around the pillar to see if anyone has made it down to
the arena when her senses scream at her.
She feels calloused hands grab her and yank her back against the column, one hand over her
mouth and the other pressing her into the column. She struggles against the assailant,
thrashing violently and her hands yank at long, dark hair.

“Hush, Rhea. You have to be quiet, or they’ll find you.” The voice of Perses hisses into her
ear and her struggling quickly comes to a halt. Her eyes flicker up to crash into the wary and
alert silvery eyes of Perses and her gives her a grim look. She tries to say something from
behind his hand when she hears titans enter the arena.

The air around her and Perses shifts, and she knows that he is using his own aura and power
to conceal them from the eyes of the other titans. One titan is giving out orders to 2 others,
but Rhea cannot recognize the voices however Perses clearly does because his eyes narrow as
he pushes them further into the darkness.

Rhea can hear the trio search around the arena, but Perses must have hidden them effectively
because they quickly leave when they do not find her. She and Perses remain completely still,
and she practically holds her breath for a few more minutes after they leave and the footsteps
fade in order to make sure that they have actually left and that it is not some sort of ruse or
trap.

When he believes things to be clear, Perses lowers his hand from its place covering her
mouth and takes a few steps back so that he is no longer hiding her against a column. Rhea
clears her throat, straightens up and steps away from the column. They stare at each other for
a few moments.

“There are passages under the castle, the entrance is behind those columns,” Perses points to
the left side of the arena. “If you go through those you should come out somewhere on the
mountain but away from the palace.” He grabs her arm and begins to quickly walk her over
to the entrance.

“Why are you helping me escape?” She asked, her words coming out in huffs as they jogged.
Perses didn’t turn to her or even slow as he replied.

“I promised that I would always protect you.” The way he says it is like this is the most
casual and factual statement. As if it is a no brainer that he is defending and protecting her.
Like there was no other way for this to play out. She couldn’t help the skepticism and doubt-
as much as she liked her newfound friend, Rhea was always quick to distrust.

“Even if it means disobeying your king's order to bring me to him?” She questions with doubt
coloring her tone. It is that question that leads Perses to slow down and turn his head to look
at her. His eyes are full of determination and fondness, and she feels her heart warm at it. In a
way he reminds her of her brother and her cousins.

“I swore to protect you. I vowed it on the Styx and I will not break that oath.” He promises
her as they walk through a final set of columns and his loyalty to her is something she takes
to heart. It is invaluable to her. (And with the overwhelming and new information she had
discovered only a few minutes prior about her own identity, her and Perses bond meant so
much more to her now. She does not take the time to think on her discoveries though because
her safety is at stake and she cannot afford to lose it over what she has learned when her own
life is in danger.)

“Thank you,” she breathed out as they approached the tunnels. They paused in front of the
entrance and he reached down to squeeze her hand.

“You have the dagger?” when she gave an affirmative nod he sighed. “Good. Just go straight
through the tunnels. Don’t take any of the turns or the other paths, they are detours, and
you’ll end up in various spots throughout the castle. I’ll keep them off your trail while you
escape.” He released her hand and stepped away, ready to stand guard as she went into the
tunnel. Rhea turned to go but she paused. She quickly turned back and launched herself at
Perses, throwing her arms around him and hugging him.

“You don’t know what this means to me,” She whispered as he hugged her tightly. “I won’t
forget this.” They released their hold on one another and she stepped back. “You’ll stay safe
and stay alive won’t you?” Perses scoffed with incredulousness

“Of course I will. Can you promise the same?” She smirked, they both knew that she was
always caught in some life or death situation.

“I’ll do my best.” She promised and he smiled at her before waving at her to go down the
tunnel. With one last glance at him and a wave, she plunged into the darkness.

Running through the tunnels was awful. There was very little light, the smell was rank, and
she was pretty sure she could hear little creatures running around her. It didn’t help that she
was trekking though murky water and that she was dressed in a big shirt and a robe while the
night air chilled her. The water was providing her an energy boost and was certainly welcome
but she was fairly confident that it was the source of the godsdamned stench.

She splashed her way through the darkness, ignoring a left turn and staying on the straight
path. She only hoped that Perses would remain safe and that Kronos wouldn’t find out that he
had aided her.

Rhea was too busy worrying about Perses that she forgot to pay attention to her surroundings.
The darkness around her gave a lurch and a figure came flying out, tackling her, and sending
them both sprawling to the floor.

She recovered quickly and grasper her knife before planting her knee in the newcomer’s
chest- pining him to the ground- and holding the knife to his throat. The person ceased his
struggling when the golden blade pressed to his skin.

“Who are you?” Rhea snarled out, more than willing to murder whoever it was if it meant she
could still escape.

“Who am I? Who are-” a young boy’s voice cried out before abruptly halting. Black fire light
up in the boy’s hand, illuminating the passage. “Rhea?” The fire cast a light over the boy
beneath her and Rhea almost cried as she took in the sight of Nico staring in wonderment up
at her. She quickly scrambled off of him, removing the knife and standing up.

“Nico?” her voice was high pitched in her shock and when Nico gave an exited laugh she
extended a hand to help him up before waving her hand and drying them both. The cousins
sort of stared at each other for a moment as if it were hard to believe that they were truly
seeing one another. Then, in a flash, they launched themselves into a bone crushing hug.

“How are you here?” her excited voice rang out, but he didn’t answer, their voices
overlapping in the heat of their thrill.

“You’re alright!” Nico held his fiery hand out away from their hug and then he pulled back to
give her a once over. “We’ve all been so worried about you.” He told her as he pulled her to
his side protectively (Rhea could have giggled about it if she wasn’t so desperately glad to
see her family. Her baby cousin was strong- no doubt- but he would fare worse against the
Titans than she would.)

“Oh my god I missed you.” Rhea’s smile gleamed in the light as she grabbed Nico’s hand and
continued yanking him down the tunnels to continue her escape. “How did you get here?”

“My shadow travelling has gotten a lot better so I was sent ahead to scout out Othrys and see
if I could free you but when I didn’t find you in the dungeons I got really scared.” Scouting?
What was Camp Half-Blood doing scouting out Othrys which was thousands of miles away
from them. She voiced the question and Nico gave her an incredulous and exasperated look
that was laced with fondness.

“We’re scouting Othrys because we were bringing the war here.” At her shocked face he
continued to explain. “For you. To free you. Did you honestly think we’d let them take you
and not tear them all apart to get you back?”

“To be honest, I had hoped that you would all be smarter than to travel across the country and
bring the war to the place where the Titans are the strongest.” She informed him.

“We didn’t say it was the best idea but Percy-”

“Is my brother alright? How has he been? He’s okay right?” She cut across his sentence in
her desperation to hear about her brother.

“Percy’s been a wreck since you went missing Rhea. He’s barely slept or eaten since you
went missing and he’s been planning the war ever since he found out that it was the Titans
that took you.” Nico paused and side eyed her. “He even almost killed your new boyfriend.”
Rhea rolled her eyes, of course Percy had found out about Apollo. Her big brother always
found out the details of her life.

“Apollo’s not my boyfriend.” Was all she said.

“Really? That’s the problem you have with what I said? Not the fact that Percy almost killed
a major god.” Honestly, with everything that had been happening to Rhea over the past day,
not to mention the past week, hearing that her brother almost killed a god as strong as Apollo
only felt accurate. She was a Titan Queen reborn, so sure why wouldn’t her brother be able to
murder gods? It was no crazier than anything else.

“It’s Percy.” Rhea shrugged. “He walloped Ares at 12 so why not Apollo at 15.” Was all she
said and Nico let out a laugh. They continued down the long halls, continuing to catch up,
when Nico finally voiced the question that was seeming to be the most pressing in his mind.

“Rhea,” his voice was quiet and hesitant, almost drowned out by the sound of their feet
splashing through water. “Why weren’t you in the dungeons? And why are you dressed like
that?” He seemed almost afraid of her answer. Rhea remained silent. What should she tell her
cousin?

Could she tell Nico how Kronos had her put in a lovely bedroom with plenty of clothes and
amenities? Could she tell him how the Titan King had played host at a variety of meals and
how they had even playfully sparred together? Could Rhea tell her cousin about the odd
tension between her and the Titan?

No. She couldn’t. Because Rhea knew her cousins. Their Bloodline was volatile, full of
bloodthirstiness and a demand for vengeance. Her family was loving, but they were violent
and full of rage towards the Titan.

They would not understand why he had kept her alive, it would make them cautious and
unsettled. They would worry about if she had been compromised or if something else,
something more horrible had happened.

She already knew that it was unlikely that Percy would ever let her out of his sight ever again
and the last thing she wanted to do was give him another reason to keep her close. (She knew
that her brother’s threads of stability and sanity had been straining and thinning more and
more and she could not afford to have him snap. She worried that it would lead to her being
kept under guard and at camp.)

“I think that they knew I would find a way to escape if I was kept in a cell. They just put me
in a room and kept it guarded.” She chose her answer carefully, making sure that it sounded
like she had been treated as a prisoner and not- as Kronos had liked to remind her- ‘a guest’.
She clears her throat and gestures to her outfit. “These are just the clothes that I found in the
room.” Nico gives a sigh of relief and Rhea does her best not to copy it, thankful that he is
letting it go (for now).

The trek continues and just when Rhea wants to cry in frustration and exhaustion, she sees
faint light in the distance. Excitement fills her body, have they found the exit? She picks up
her pace, now jogging forward, when the tunnel fills with blinding golden light, causing the
cousins to cover their eyes and flinch back. The light dims but does not go away and Rhea
dares to uncover her eyes.

Standing in front of them is Hyperion with his sword of fire and armor fully donned.

Rhea yanks Nico behind her, shielding him with his body. She hears her younger cousin
unsheathe his Stygion Iron sword and thanks Chaos that at least one of them is properly
armed if things come to blows.
However, Rhea knows from her observations earlier that Hyperion had stood up for her to
Kronos (it had been obvious from the way Hyperion had glared daggers at his younger
brother for the entirety of the time he was there.) Maybe she can appeal to his softness for his
sister, the queen (which is technically her, but Rhea does not want to even start thinking about
that until she has successfully escaped). Rhea is ready to whisper soft platitudes and beg him
to sympathize with her by way of manipulation, big eyes, and tears.

“Hyperion” her soft and scared voice sounds through the tunnel and Nico tenses, worried
about the broken tone of voice she has and his protective instincts coming over him. However
it is then that she notes that Hyperion’s face is not one of aggression, it is one of resignment,
sadness, and grief. He holds up his hand, pausing her in the beginning of her scheme.

“I once stood by as my sister was held here.” His fiery eyes briefly shut in pain. “And when
she escaped, I did nothing to help her. I sided with my brother and tried to stop her.” Rhea’s
stomach churns as he tells her this. Her mind starts to whirl and she grits her teeth, grounding
herself and willing her mind to not throw itself into memories of the queen’s(of her?) past. “I
should have helped her.” The titan’s voice is quiet and full of grief.

“You can help me.” She pleads, her voice gentle and full of hope. Hyperion gives a sad smile.

“I should have done the right thing back then, but I did not want my family to fall apart. But I
will try to make up for my mistake now.” Hope builds in her chest and Nico starts to come
out from behind her. “I only ask one thing from you.” Rhea tenses and she hears Nico’s sharp
intake of breath.

“What is it?”

“When the war comes, do not meet me in battle. You will let the others face me.” Rhea’s eyes
go soft and she nods understandingly at the Elder Titan.

“I cannot guarantee it, but I will try to avoid you.” She swears to him, and he nods back,
knowing that is the best promise she can give him. He opens his left hand and there,
gleaming in his palm are her bracelets. Her twin swords. He tosses them through the air and
she snatches them out of it, quickly replacing them on her wrists and giving him a grateful
look.

“Go.” Is all he says, stepping to the side, and that is all the invitation that Rhea and Nico
need. They sprint past him towards the faint light in the distance.

“What the fuck was that?” Nico asks her, breathless as they run.

“Nothing.” She pants, not wanting to deal with having to explain the exhausting dynamic of
Rhea Guilt that the Titans struggled with, before skidding to a halt as they make it to the
light.

The tunnel comes to an abrupt end, cutting off into a sheer drop to the area beneath the
mountain and Rhea grabs Nico to keep him from falling over the edge.
“Can you shadow travel us?” She asks, knowing the answer but still hoping for a yes. When
Nico gives her a look and shakes his head ‘no’ she groans. “Fine. Sorry about this.” Nico’s
eyes widen and she grabs his hand before falling over the side of the mountain.

Rhea was finally free.

 Desperation

Percy sits alone in the darkness of the War Council Room. He is slumped in his chair (throne)
and his chin is propped up on his hand. His face is hidden in the shadows but his expression
screams danger as if a dark storm were rolling over his face. Nico has gone to scout Othrys
and in a couple hours the entire camp will be riding out to the Titan Stronghold.

These next few hours are anxiety filled and they will determine the course of the war and of
history. Percy knows that fighting the war at Othrys is not a good idea. The titans are stronger
there and they have every advantage on their home turf. Manhattan and Olympus are the
Demigods arena of power and would be the ideal place to fight the war. However Percy is
less concerned with what is best and ideal and more concerned with his sister.

After Nico had left, Percy had sent the rest of his cousins away, leaving Thalia and Katie to
take care of anything else the cousins may need to do. He could not be around them. He
needed silence, darkness, a place to mull over what was happening.

There had not been much time to do so in the past few days as the cousins prepared for war.
He had been too busy to truly contemplate what was going on. He had been afraid and angry
for his sister but he had been so driven for revenge and by his bloodlust that he hadn’t
stopped to process.

His baby sister was locked away on Othrys in the midst of their enemies. It was a
breathtakingly painful thought. His cousins had all agreed that she was probably being kept
in a cell or some sort of prison so that she could not escape. And while Percy agreed that this
was possible and that the idea held merit, he had always had another thought.

He saw the way Luke/Kronos had looked at her. he knew that the Titan held some sort of
obsessive and possessive urge towards his sister and Percy could not help but think that this
could possibly change the conditions of Rhea’s captivity on Othrys.

(He prayed that Kronos’s obsession made him more gentle towards her. Percy could not bear
to think of his sister locked away in the darkness being tortured and tormented. His mind
filled with a host of unspeakable horrors that he could only hope Rhea had not endured.)

The door to the War Council room creaks open and light is cast along the floor, shaking Percy
out of his thoughts. He lifts his head, ready to snap at whoever dares to interrupt him. But
standing there framed by the soft light is Annabeth and he feels all anger melt away.

She quietly walks over to him and stands in front of him as if she is trying to decide what to
say. He had disclosed everything to her last night when she had arrived back at camp from
her father’s house, he could no longer keep it from her (he had spent many Iris Messages
lying and saying everything was alright when she saw his state) and he knew in his heart that
she was not the traitor (he knew that she would never betray him).

He lifts his head slowly, eyes trailing up until they meet hers. Her eyes are soft and filled with
worry and compassion. Green eyes stare into grey and Annabeth gives a sigh as she looks at
him.

“Oh Percy.” She murmurs before reaching out and taking his hand. With her other hand she
grabs the chair next to him and pulls it closer before taking a seat in it. Their hands are
clasped and Percy squeezes hers in thanks.

They sit together in the dark and wait.

And so the king sits upon his throne mulling over his anxieties and worries. And at his right
hand sits his Queen clasping his hand in her own and providing a soothing balm to the
darkness of their situation.

They plummet hard and fast. Nico’s high pitched screams ring in Rhea’s ears and her skin
burns as the air whips around them as they fall. Nico screeches at her to do something as the
ground grows closer and closer.

Rhea shuts her eyes and feels for some sort of river, lake, or even a creek beneath them to
take the impact of their fall. If she can find a water reservoir or something than her and Nico
will survive. But she doesn’t have the luck she and Percy did when they fell off the arch at
age 12. There is no water beneath them.

But she does not panic because Rhea knows that as nice as having a ready source of water is,
she doesn’t need it. Rhea remembers Mount St. Helens where Percy flooded the volcano. She
remembers Percy’s fight against Anteaus in which her brother summoned a huge torrent of
water from his own power and not from any external source.

She lets out a scream and a huge wave of water erupts from her, swirling around her and Nico
forming a cocoon (she remembers to leave air for Nico to breathe). Inside their watery
cocoon she and Nico crash into the ground, the water breaking open on impact and a large
and deep pond formed where they crashed.

Her and Nico float in the pond for a few moments gazing up at the sunrise before Rhea
begins to giggle. It grows until it is a full bellied laugh and Nico gapes at her.

“You just threw us off a mountain!” He shrieks at her and her laughter shrieks out. Nico rolls
his eyes at her. “I hate you.” Nico mutters and splashes her before wading to the shore.
Rhea’s laugh only continues.

Her laugh continues to echo out around them. She should probably get out of the water so she
and Nico can get out of there before any Titans can find them but she can’t help but laugh as
mixed emotions flood through her. She successfully escaped Othrys and elation and the high
of success flows through her.
However, her laugh quickly turns from happy and triumphant to maniacal and crazed when
she remembers what led to it. She sat on the Queen’s Throne and survived and now her entire
being has been thrown into chaos and turned upside down.

“Rhea. RHEA!” Nico calls out to her. “We have to get out of here before the Titans gets
here,” Nico’s voice is full of urgency and her laughing ceases. He was right, they had most
likely landed right next to Othrys and it was a very unsafe area. She quickly exits the water
and reaches out putting a hand on Nico’s shoulder, drying him instantly.

“How are we going to get out?” She asked as Nico began to rapidly look around to gauge
where they were. “Can you shadowtravel or are you too tired from jumping across the
country?” Nico shrugged.

“I could probably jump us to like Ohio.” He replied and Rhea frowned.

“I’m not carrying your unconscious body from Ohio to Camp.” Oh hell no, Rhea refused to
be stuck in Ohio of all places and forced to haul Nico's bony and unconscious body. She was
about to offer another suggestion when a winged figure shot out from the top of the
mountain.

“Who’s that?” Nico asked as he squinted through the glare of the sun to watch the figure. She
crossed her wrists which unsheathed her celestial bronze swords and began hustling Nico to
hide under the shade of a tree.

“It’s probably a monster.” She muttered and Nico’s eyebrows furrowed.

“What humainoid monsters have wings?” He asked and Rhea racked her mind for an answer
but she was not known for her knowledge of Greek Monsters. She quickly gave up trying to
think of an answer

“How would I know? Do I look like Annabeth?” Nico snickered at her but he was silenced
by the sound of something slamming into the ground.

The heavy thud that sounded announced the arrival of the winged figure landing on the
ground. He landed with one hand pressed to the ground. A bow and arrows were slung across
his back and a heavy longsword was held in his other hand. The figure straightens and Rhea’s
eyes meet the cruel silvery brown of Lelantos’s eyes.

An ugly smile crawled over his lips and Rhea felt Nico shrink back next to her. But Rhea felt
no fear. A few months ago, maybe. Perhaps even a few days ago. But not anymore.

Now Rhea was armed with the knowledge that she truly outclassed this second generation
Titan. If she truly was the rebirthed Titan Queen and she even held half of Queen Rhea’s
power, then Lelantos stood no chance against her. She twirled one of her swords into a
reverse grip casually and bared her teeth back at him.

The ground shook beneath them but it was not Rhea and she tensed. The shadows surged
around them.
“Nico?” She called warily.

“It’s not me.” He answered, his voice strong but she could hear the fear in it. The ground
rumbled again and the shadow of Lelantos seemed to turn into a pool of inky black water.

A bronze skinned warrior clad in silver armor forms next to Lelantos, arising from his
shadow that was pooled across the ground. A threatening stygian sword hung by his side- one
that made Nico’s look like a child’s toy. Silver eyes gleam and the air turns cold. Iapetus, The
Piercer. Who was a better warrior than even Atlas.

“Nico, call Mrs. O’Leary.” Her voice is cold as she prepares herself for battle.

“But-” Nico protests weakly.

“Now.” Her tone brooks no arguments and Nico lets out a piercing whistle. She feels a sense
of relief because while she may be fully capable of facing Lelantos (and hopefully Iapetus)
she will always worry about her baby cousin. She could fight much easier now knowing that
Mrs. O’Leary would usher him to safety.

She positioned herself so that she was completely in front of Nico, shielding him from the
view of the Titans, her swords gleaming.

“There is no need for this to come to blows Daughter of Poseidon.” Iapetus calls out, his dark
voice echoing over them. Lelantos stalks behind him like a barely leashed, feral animal. “You
only need come with us, the King will not be angry and all will be forgotten.”

But Rhea doesn’t believe him- how could she? They will lock her back in the cage that is the
Palace of Othrys and she will never have another chance to see the light of freedom. And
especially now that she had sat upon the Queen’s Throne she was supposed to believe that
there would not be consequences or that Kronos would not use and abuse her? Her only reply
to Iapetus is to snarl. Iapetus shakes his head at her as if she is a misbehaving child who has
made a wrong choice. He nods his head and Lelantos stalks forward.

Rhea twirls her swords and Lelantos smirks before copying her. Fury bubbles beneath her
skin. Rhea slowly makes her way towards him. Before either of them strike a deafening bark
shatters the tense air as Mrs. O’Leary comes bounding out of the shadows. The hellhound
stops by Nico and turns to look at Rhea. Lelantos is too close and Rhea would not make it to
her cousin and the hound in time without possibly dangering them both.

“Go!” She commands Nico and he turns and quickly climbs aboard the hellhound before they
plunge back into shadows.

Rhea is now faced with a choice. She is stuck here facing two titans (One is a titan that has a
reputation of being crueler than Kronos) and she can either fight it out and possibly lose or
she can uncap her power (something she has been preventing herself from doing in an attempt
to not wreck horrific damage like that day in the camp that killed some of her own people)
and quickly end this but be left with possibly devastating consequences.
The choice is easy because right now, to Rhea, there is no split path, no questions, nothing.
She is fighting for her life, for her freedom. Rhea does not think, her body is coiled, wired to
explode and ready to slaughter those who would stand in her way. (The humanity inside her
dims in times like this, it does in all the cousins but especially in her and Percy.) Rhea is deep
down uncertain and terrified of the knowledge she has learned. She feels cornered and
threatened and like her brother, when she feels like that she will lash out and fight. She
cannot allow these Titans to take her, not back to that castle.

“Fuck this.” Rhea mutters, throwing her swords down and they swiftly reform in their
bracelet form around her wrists. Around her and the ground begins to crack open where her
feet are. The cracks quickly race towards the younger titan causing him to stumble and lose
his balance as the ground beneath him turns unstable and crumbles. Iapetus is less shaken,
and he begins to thunder over to him but she cannot allow him to get to close or else The
Piercer could rain significant harm upon her.

Her gut lurches as she calls upon the water in the pond and it leaps to her command, rising
into the air and swirling past her, racing towards the Elder Titan. The water twists and writhes
forming ropes of water to restrain the fearsome warrior. Rhea stretched out her hand and all
of the ground beneath Lelantos gave out so he fell into a gaping hole that went up to his
chest. She quickly clenched her fist and the ground reclosed around him, trapping him within
its earthy grip.

Iapetus struggled against the watery bonds that held him and Rhea’s other arm remained
outstretched, keeping the bonds tightly clenched in place lest he escape. Rhea walks slowly
and calmly over to the struggling form of Lelantos captured by the ground. She is every bit as
dangerous and deadly as a lion that prowls for its next victim.

She drops the other hand, now commanding the water with just her mind and she stands in
front of Lelantos, towering over him. He snarls up at her, spitting curses at her (It’s useless
though because the Blood of Rhea cannot be cursed because her very existence is one, his
curses in Old Tongue are harmless against her.) She smiles down at him.

“Have fun reforming” she laughs before planting her hands on either side of his head (her
golden veins glowing beneath her skin) and with her bare hands she wrenches the head of
Lelantos from his shoulders. She carelessly dropped the head and it rolled away.

Behind her Iapetus let out a roar of rage and a wave of darkness flooded over them. The
bonds of water that held him trembled beneath his rage but they held steady, binding him in
their watery grip. It is a contest of strength, only this is not physical this is a contest of sheer
power, and Rhea does not question her own. She knows she will be victorious.

But something happens that she does not expect. It is not his show of strength that crashes
into her and unsettles her. no, it is the terrifying aura that exudes from the Fist of Kronos
himself. Iapetus’s aura is cold, deadly, and toiling with pure fury. It threatens to pull her in
and drown her in it. Feelings of bone chilling cold and hopelessness begin to lap over her like
dangerous waves in the oceans and Rhea shakes her head, trying to shake it off.

She can feel a vision(memory?) pressing in the back of her mind, reminding her of the last
time Iapetus had unleashed this upon her (in his own twisted way of trying to force her
submission, just as he was now.)

She remembers sobbing on the cold marble floors of the Throne Room in Othrys after Iapetus
had found out that she (but it wasn’t her. or was it?) had given Zeus the plan to free his
siblings and when the six children had escaped (sneaking Zeus away so he could live was
forgivable, but Kingslaying was not.) He had dragged her to the throne room, with her
screaming and begging him not to the entire way as he hauled her there by her hair.

She remembered him throwing her to the ground at the foot of the Thrones, at the feet of
Kronos in front of all of their siblings and their family. She remembers how he held a sword
to her throat and how even after Kronos had forced him to stand down how Iapetus had been
the one with a cruel grin to suggest that Kronos bind her as Ouranos once had to their mother
when she committed the same crimes.

Mnemosyne may have inherited their father’s eyes but Iapetus had inherited his cold and
cruel nature and her black aura that dominated you, drowning you in its abyss of terror and
pain.

Rhea cannot let him force her into submission and drag her to Othrys as he once did. She
grits her teeth and squeezes her eyes shut, calling upon the well of power that resides within
her to aid her and give her strength against the aura that is so much like the man who used to
torture and torment her (Rhea?Her?)

Her eyes flicker open, no longer the usual sea green but instead a swirling abyss of raging
black and green. The sky rumbles and the ground shakes and Rhea’s veins only glow
brighter. She pushes through the fear, anxiety and pain that Iapetus is pushing at her and she
begins to stalk forward. She can feel the shock and surprise at her seemingly pushing through
Iapetus’s power and she uses his momentary surprise to her advantage.

She raises her hand and clenches it into a fist and when Iapetus lets out a grunt of pain she
only clenches tighter, tighter until she can see his face gleaming gold against his silver head
as she binds and suffocates him with the binds of water. But it isn’t enough, her blood sings
and howls, demanding retribution. Demanding his blood. And Rhea is more than happy to
cave to the cries of her bloodlust. She stops in front of him, beholding his cruel and scarred
face.

“You’ll never hurt me again.” she snarls up at him. And with a twist of her wrists her
swords unsheathe, and she drives them into his abdomen before dragging them out,
effectively cutting him in half.

She drops the water that holds him up and the pieces of his body crash to the ground. Golden
ichor splashes everywhere, staining her clothes, hands, and hair as it mixes in with the earth
and the pond. Rhea’s eyes flutter shut in satisfaction at the ichor that is flecked across her
skin, a physical trophy of her victory over the Titan.

A victory for her and a victory for the Elder Rhea who never deserved the awful things done
to her.
But now Rhea is stuck here, stuck at the foot of Othrys. Too close to the other Titans. She
knows that Nico will be coming soon, probably bringing her brother and a war with him but
she can’t let that happen. If the demigods were to bring the war to the Titans doorstep it
would be the end of their race. Her people would be slaughtered like animals by the cruelty
of the Titans.

No, she couldn’t allow that to happen. She had to get back to camp and prevent her brother
from bringing war against Othrys as retribution for her kidnapping. In a desperation to not be
cornered she wracks her brain, eagerly thinking for a way out. But there are no pegasi, Nico
is gone, Mrs. O’Leary’s whistle is with Percy.

But it was the thought of Nico that gave her an idea. Nico melted from shadow to shadow,
using them to reappear in various places all across the country. Rhea tilted her head and gave
an odd look towards the water. Would it even work like the shadows did?

She then heard shouts, men shouting orders to ‘bring them the girl’ and she knew that more
were coming for her and that she had to get home. Now. Rhea waded into the pond,
swimming out to the middle of it before floating on her back. With a deep breath she willed
herself to sink to the bottom.

Her body sank lifelessly and she pictured the lake at Camp, the shimmering blue waters that
were the host of so many good memories with her brother and her cousins (her cousins did
not fear the water because unlike his brothers Poseidon did not terrorize his nieces and
nephews.) The lake on which she and Lee had so many dates, whispering promises of a future
as they watched the Sun Chariot set the sun in the West.

Rhea gasps as she feels a punching sensation to her gut before her lungs squeeze, all air
exiting her body as if she is being shoved down a tube and yet also being exploded into a
million particles all at the same time.

Is she drowning? A child of Poseidon can’t drown right? But this feels like drowning as
water fills her lungs and she grows heavy. She tries to thrash around and yet there is no body
to move and flail in a desperate search for air and freedom. Her eyes grow heavy and they fall
shut.

Her eyes open in the Lake at Camp Half Blood and her lungs expand filling with air.

Rhea lays there in the water, listening to the sounds of campers rushing and screaming for
Percy to ‘come quickly’. She sees campers quickly running to the water and canoes being
thrown into it as they begin to try and paddle to her ichor stained body.

She is safe. She is free.

And yet Rhea has never been more trapped. She is a prisoner in her own body because is this
really even her body anymore? Who is ‘Rhea’? Does she even exist anymore? Is everything
she has ever done and felt been fake, a figment of her imagination? Or some predetermined
twisted setup by the Fates? Her powers make her exactly like the Queen, her former self, and
the only thing Rhea can think of when she thinks of herself is that she is no longer Rhea
Jackson, that she is a shade of an long dead person and that Rhea has nothing she can call her
own. Her mind, her powers, none of it.

Pearly tears fall from Rhea’s eyes mixing with the late water under her. Who is she? What is
to become of her? And why has she never felt so powerless and restrained than she does now
even when she has just learned that she is the rebirthed Queen of the Titans, one of the most
powerful beings in existence.

Hands grasp Rhea’s shoulder and pull her up into a canoe. Her sea green eyes meet a
matching pair that belong to her beloved brother.

“Rhea?” Percy gasps out, tears gathering in his eyes, threatening to fall. The hope, anxiety,
fear, and stress is so clearly displayed on the face of her brother. But as haggard as he
appears, Rhea has never been more thrilled or overjoyed by his appearance.

“Percy.” Rhea sobs. And Percy lifts her into his arms, gathering her close to his chest. Rhea
buries her head in his chest, her arms clinging to his shirt and she prays to whoever is
listening that someone would give her answers and free her from the hell that is the questions
and despairing loss of identity and personhood that she now bears the burden of.
 Knowledge Revealed

Rhea quickly passes out either from the exhausting experience of being kidnapped or
however the fuck she was able to relocate herself from Mount Tamalpais to Camp. Or maybe
what really tired her out was simply the gut wrenching sobs that had escaped her for a solid
twenty minutes before the realm of Morpheus claimed her.

Percy had held her the entire time she cried, he had lifted her from the boat, carried her to the
infirmary, and held her tightly as her sobs died down to hiccups before she faded away. The
cousins had immediately gone into formation around the twins as soon as Percy stepped out
of the boat with Rhea in his arms.

They formed a guard around the cousins, ensuring that no one could get to Rhea. They had
no idea what had been done to her or the state of mind she was in and so it had quickly been
determined that it was for the best if no one but their family was allowed in the immediate
vicinity of the demigoddess.

Katie had told him- once Rhea was sleeping peacefully- that they should get her examined by
a healer as she was afraid that the ichor staining the black robe had originated from Rhea
herself. Percy knew that it didn’t. There were no threads of red strung in with the gold, this
was pure gold ichor of a titan. He also didn’t want her examined while she was asleep
because Percy couldn’t help but feel like it would be a violation of her privacy. So he told
Katie no and that they’d simply have to wait.

Liam and Seth stood outside the doors to the infirmary- tall sentries guarding their sleeping
Queen. Percy had settled in the chair next to his sister’s cot, still clinging to her hand, his
eyes never leaving her face, content to just drink in her existence because he had now become
so terrifyingly aware of just how easily she had been ripped away from him.

The fact that he had her back soothed some of the burning fury in his chest but it had only
been replaced by a new fury- one that burned higher and brighter. It was a raging fire that
whispered in his head to keep his sister as close as possible, to never let her out of his sight.
To keep her safely hidden away here at camp, to create some kind of fortress for her that even
the other demigods (who he still did not fully trust, and rightfully so. One of them had taken
his sister and he still had no clue who had done it.) in his camp could never breach. Some
place that Apollo couldn’t reach her, some place Kronos couldn’t reach her.

Rhea’s eyebrows were drawn together as she dreamed, her mouth tilted down in a frown that
marred her beautiful face. Occasionally her head would shake back and forth and she would
twitch. Percy wished he could see her dreams.

She sleeps for the rest of the day and he wonders if she is sleeping so long because she needs
to recover from something truly horrible. Liam and Seth become Madeliene and Nico and
then Miranda and Steve. Meals come and go but Percy does not leave her side, simply taking
his breakfast, lunch, and dinner by his sister’s bed.
He leaves Katie in charge of the camp for the day, trusting that she is fully capable of running
things for him (he has seen the grace and strength she rules that camp with before and he
knows that things will go smoothly.) She brings reports of training- everyone is advancing
well-, she tells him of monster hordes that are slowly creeping closer to camp, how the last
round of campers arrived for the summer.

Percy listens with half a mind. He can’t bring himself to focus on his duties. Even when she
tells him of some new, blue-eyed camper that struggled across the boundary of Camp today,
he does not find himself remotely interested.

The sun has set, dinner has long been over, and now his cousins sit in the infirmary with him.
He knows they are concerned not just for Rhea, but for him as well. He doesn’t care. At some
point his head bows and Percy begins praying that his sister would open her eyes, that she
would awaken and let him know that she’s alright. He prays to Chaos, to the Fates, to any of
the Titanesses who once helped heal his sister. He does not pray to any of the gods. He cannot
bring himself to.

“Percy” Katie murmurs, trying to get his attention. He doesn’t so much as twitch, his lips still
moving as he prays while his eyes bore into the face of his sister. “Percy, you can’t stay like
this.” Still, Percy does not respond to her.

“PERCY” Seth bites out, his voice sharper and more demanding than his sister’s. Percy’s
head snaps up and he slowly turns his head away from his sister. His sea green eyes are the
darkest green, now a tumultuous storm of black and green like a raging ocean that threatens
to sink and drown anything that dares to disturb its depths. Seth’s throat bobs as he struggles
to swallow in the face of Percy’s mounting anger. “Katie’s right. You’ve got to go get some
sleep. You haven’t slept in days.”

“Come on man, you can’t run much longer like this.” Liam tries a cajoling tone and Percy’s
raging green eyes soften just a bit. In the back of his mind he knows that they care and are
only concerned for him. It is this knowledge that keeps him from lashing out at them.

“I’ll rest when I know my sister is alright.” His dark voice is so quiet that it should be barely
audible but as it always does, his voice manages to cut right through any conversation and
make itself heard. It silences any further arguments, none of the cousins willing to go up
against him while his mood is so unstable.

So Percy sits over his sister's bed, forever watching and guarding her and all the more
determined to never let her be taken from his grasp again.

A howl of rage and pain echoes across Othrys as her brothers pin their father to the floor. He
struggles and threatens to escape their grip but Kronos is quick and in a flash he lands the
first strike on their father, cleaving his left leg off in one clean stroke.
Ichor splatters everywhere and Ouranos screams. The skies rumble but his severe injury and
the fact that he is pinned to the ground prevent him from calling down his might against his
backstabbing (although technically he was stabbed in the leg not the back) sons.

Rhea chokes on a sob when the scythe flies through the air again and hacks off a hand, and
then proceeds to butcher the already severed leg and hand into countless tiny pieces. It is a
bloody, horrific event and Rhea stumbles where she stands, suddenly finding herself
incapable of standing. Tethys appears at her side, pulling her close and helping her remain
upright. Theia appears on the other side of Rhea and does the same. Phoebe stands with a
smile on her face and Rhea knows that she is satisfied to see Ouranos be subjected to such a
horrible fate.

As Kronos lands another blow Rhea lets out another cry, but he does not seem to hear her. He
is too immersed in his bloody vengeance against their father. She sinks further into the holds
of her sisters.

“This is what he deserves, Sweet Sister.” Theia whispers to her, a gentle giddiness coloring
her tone. “Finally he will know the pain that he inflicted upon us for years.” A part of Rhea’s
mind agrees, it vigorously nods his head and calls for more. Demands the Kronos butcher
their father more. But the other part knows that despite everything, this Primordial fathered
them. His blood runs in their veins, it gives them life and power. She cannot shake the horror
she feels as the scene of patricide plays out before her. Tethys murmurs that it will be over
soon and tells Rhea to hold on just a bit longer.

“Rhea…” Ouranos calls out, stretching his remaining hand out towards her as ichor floods
from his body, polling beneath him in golden pools. She cannot tell if he is demanding her
help or begging for it. Rhea lets out a shuttering breath and closes her eyes, desperate to
block him from her gaze and to escape those awful electric blue eyes. “RHEA” Ouranos
snarls out in pure rage at her refusal to help. Her eyes snap open at his tone and she sees him
point at her and his lips start to move. The sky darkens and the temperature drops. She knows
that he is going to call some horrible curse upon her.

“YOU DARE TO SPEAK TO HER?” Kronos thunders, his voice drowning out Ouranos’s
mumblings. Kronos swings the scythe again and the hand pointing at Rhea falls. “You dare to
look at her, to say her name after everything you’ve done to her?” Rhea feels her breath
catch at the fury and righteous vengeance that Kronos gives on her behalf, equally torn
between horror and satisfaction.

Kronos hacks and hacks as if he is overtaken with blinding rage. He rips apart their father’s
body, limb by limb, piece by piece until their father’s breathing turns labored and uneven. A
telltale sign of a fast-approaching death. But because Ouranos is nothing if not completely
horrible, his harsh gaze turns to Kronos. His mouth opens, a stream of ichor running out of
the corner of it and streaming onto the ground, his teeth stained golden from his own blood.

“As you have cast me down, so too shall you be cast down by your son.” Kronos does not
even pause as he continues slaughtering the body of their father. “As I have been betrayed,
so too shall you be betrayed.” At that Kronos pauses and gives a deep, rumbling laugh that is
echoed by his brothers.
“Betrayed?” Kronos’s voice is full of amusement, as if their Father’s ominous words are the
most amusing thing he has ever heard. (It is not amusing to Rhea, she knows a curse when
she hears one.) “Betrayed by whom, Father?” He spits out the title as if it were a poisonous
word. “I am not like you. My brothers and I stand together, not against each other. We
would never betray each other. Not like you and your brothers. And unlike you, I will never
harm the woman I love. I would never raise a hand against her or curse her as you have
done to our mother. I would never dare to harm my own blood, my own children.”

But Ouranos was not deterred from his curse. What was left of Ouranos’s face was curled in
a bloody snarl as he continued to spit cruel and twisted Curses of Old Tongue.

“Should you sit upon the Throne of the Heavens upon the Throne of Ouranos, know this
Kronos Ouranian. Know that you shall be forever cursed. Blight and horror shall reign
through your mind, your power, and your blood. A stain will fall on your name and your
bloodline will be cursed. As you have done to me, tenfold will be done to you, Ekdikitis. I
name you a Kinslayer, a murderer of your own father, I name you a Kingslayer and know
that my fate will be yours.” As the last syllable of the curse passed Ouranos’s lips, Kronos
lopped their father’s head off with a bone chilling laugh.

The 9 siblings watched as their brother continued to hack away the remaining pieces of their
father before he told Iapetus to gather them up and throw them into the oceans as a ‘fuck
you’ to Oceanus. As Iapetus does so, Kronos wipes the blade on the ichor soaked grass that
covers the mountains.

The prize stands before them, gleaming the deepest blues of the sky covered with thousands of
stars and galaxies. Suns burn bright as they orbit across the Throne of Ouranos. Rhea
shudders at the sight of her father’s throne which no longer shines bright and luminous- a
clear sign that the Throne recognizes the downfall of their Father.

Kronos turns towards the seat of power, his eyes hungry. He begins to slowly make his way
towards the throne, as if he is hypnotized, drawn to it like it’s calling him. It is as Kronos
begins to walk closer to the throne that Rhea begins to hear whispers. She hears voices,
voices that call her name, her true name. It is like hearing a siren’s call but Rhea finds it all
to easy to resist.

She detests that Chaos forsaken seat. After being forced upon it and having to endure the
feeling of her soul being burned away, the allure of the throne does not draw her. The
whispers are strong, but Rhea’s memories and trauma are stronger.

But that is clearly not true for Kronos as he begins to ascend the steps that lead up to the
Throne, she watches as he climbs one at a time, making his way up the ten steps that stand
between him and absolute power. When he is only three steps away he slows a bit. He doesn’t
look back at her or any of their siblings but his steps are definitely slow- cautious- as if he is
remembering the consequences of sitting on the Throne if it was not yours.

But the last three steps are soon climbed and Rhea watches as Kronos runs his long fingers
over the arm of the Throne. She is fixated, anxious to see if he too will be burned alive or if
he will succeed. Kronos turns, a challenging look on his face and a self-confident smile
gracing his lips as he lowers himself down onto the Throne.
The earth around them rumbles and the skies clear to show a shining sun among the pure
blueness. The Throne itself trembles and Rhea watches as slowly from the ground up, the seat
begins to transform. No longer the gleaming blue of the galaxies, the Throne stands gleaming
and deadly black that screams power. Golden cracks spread all over it (a good representation
of the raw power that is barely restrained within the physical form of Kronos) and Kronos
settles back onto the- no, his- Throne.

He raises an eyebrow at their siblings and their brothers fall to their knees in submission,
heads bowed in supplication. A clear acknowledgement of his power and authority and a
promise to follow. Mnemosyne quickly falls to her knees as well, her head bowed all the way
down to her hands and Phoebe joins her.

Rhea’s tears still stream down her face and when Kronos’s eyes come across her face his
entire being changes. No longer a smug King who has just come into a breathtaking amount
of power, his face is now that of a concerned and caring lover. He rushes down the steps of
the Throne, curtly telling their siblings to leave and he gathers her into his arms.

He hushes her and murmurs soothing words in her ears as she trembles (she knows he is
desperately trying to calm her in order to prevent an episode that could level the mountain).
She buries her head in his chest and he stokes his hand over her hair.

“It’s all going to be alright now, My Love.” He whispers into her hair as she sobs into his
chest. “He will never hurt you again, you never need fear again. I will always protect you.”

Rhea watches as her older self cries into the arms of the Titan King and her chest aches at the
knowledge of what will become of them.

“If I could do that to a Primordial when I was only a few centuries old, what do you think I
will do to Olympus and your army now?" the voice of Kronos purrs in her ear and she feels
his dark presence ensconce her as he joins her in her dream. She does not turn to face him-
she can’t. His arms slings itself over her shoulders in a possessive hold as he comes to stand
beside her, tall and dark. He looks only a few years older than his younger self and she
wonders if he likes to keep his appearance at this age because it reminds him of happier
times. “I could be merciful. Generous even.” He tells her in what she imagines to be the tone
of a tempting serpent.

“Mercy isn’t in your nature, Crooked One.” Rhea kept her voice level and calm as she
answered, pushing his arm off her shoulders.

“But it could be. I could be convinced to show mercy, to not decimate your army, when I take
Olympus.”

“Oh really?” Came her dubious response, completely unconvinced by his claim. “And what
is your price for you to show your so called ‘mercy’, your majesty?” She turned to face him,
arms crossed over her chest.

“You.”
Rhea took a step back, now wary and cautious of the dangerous Titan king that stood before
her in the midst of her swirling dreams of the past. Her arms were no longer crosses, instead
they hung by her sides.

“No.” Was all she said to him before she turned and broke into a run.

As she ran her dreams shifted and changed, she saw flashes of a coronation, weddings, births,
fights, and other brief moments of the life of Rhea Ourania but not for a second did Rhea
pause to witness any of them. She could feel Kronos chasing after her. The dream began
fading into darkness and Rhea just kept running.

“You cannot outrun me forever.” He roars from somewhere distantly behind her and Rhea
gasps as if she feels all the air in her lungs being forcibly pushed out. Hearing that name, the
true name of Rhea, sent cold chills all over her as if she had been plunged into icy shadows.
“You cannot run from me Ischyros!”

He knew.

She didn’t know how he did. All Rhea knew was that somehow Kronos knew what had
happened when she sat upon that throne. Maybe he felt it happen, the shift of the palace and
the brief life she had given to it. But by calling her Ischyros, by using that name when
referring to her, he was telling her that he knew that Rhea Jackson and Rhea Ourania were
one.

Her vision began to haze and the rest of her dreamworld went dark before the floor fell out
from under her and she was lost in a void of darkness.
 Forever Trapped

Apollo saw the moment Rhea surfaced in the lake at Camp Half-Blood and the aching
pressure in his chest relieved for the first time in days at the sight of her safely back at camp.
He had longed to abandon his post in his chariot across the skies and race to Rhea’s side but
he knew that his Father was watching (as war loomed closer, Zeus kept even closer eyes on
the Olympians, as if he was waiting to see if they would betray him to Kronos).

Instead he relegates himself to watching her from the skies, his eyes glued to her and his
chest filling with that awful sinking feeling as he watches her sob into her brother’s chest
before falling asleep. He watches as she continues to sleep, and sleep, and sleep until the sun
is now set and she has still not awoken. He wonders what this means about her time on
Othrys. As he drives the sun across the sky his mind fills with unspeakable horrors as he
imagines what could have happened to her. he imagines awful, graphic things that have his
blood chilling and his breath coming out in stuttering gasps.

When Apollo’s job has finally finished, he meets his sister in her temple, ready to send her
off on her own duties. She takes one look at his face and her eyebrows draw together in
worry and he watches as her body grows until she looks 20, just like him. Her silver eyes
bore into his own blue with deep concern.

“’Lo, what is it?” Her use of his nickname tugs at his heart. Artemis is one of the only gods
that truly knows him (perhaps the only one) and she is the only one who knows the other side
of him- the side that sobs for days (weeks) on the floor of his temple, mourning his children
(they die to soon and he loses more children than any other god). She has knelt by his side as
he cried, holding him as he mourns the death of child after child. She has seen the side of him
that smiles his true smile (one that has only been seen by their mother and her, and now
recently, Rhea) the smiles that aren’t full of teeth and fake sunshine.

Artemis knows him and she knows this look on his face, it is the look of longing and
desperation. It is the look he wore on his face when their mother faded away (he had held her
hand, clutching at her body as she faded, begging her to stay- to not abandon him with his
father.). It was the look he wore when he had found his twin, inconsolable after what Orion
had done to her. His desperation to fix, his longing to keep his those he cares about safe and
sound and close to his chest.

“Artemis.” He croaks out and she reaches out a hand, placing it on his arm in an attempt to
convey her presence of love and support. “I-I have to- can you.” His voice chokes up and he
watches as his sister brings her other hand to his face, brushing his golden curls away from
his forehead.

“Apollo, whatever it is, let me help.” Apollo nods his head slowly.

“I need you to cover for me tonight.” Artemis’s head tilts in a very confused manner.

“Did something happen?” Her voice rises as her worry grows. “Apollo, did something
happen to one of your children?” He doesn’t answer and she shakes his arm. “Apollo!” he
rapidly shakes his head.

“They’re okay. It’s not them, it’s something- someone else.” Artemis’s face makes the
beginnings of a disapproving expression- probably thinking that he is talking about one of his
mortal affairs. “I- she- I have to go and try and help.”

“Apollo-” He knows she is going to say no, but he can’t let her. he has to go, he has to see
Rhea. He has to confirm with his own eyes that she is safe and whole. He needs her to wake
up and he thinks (hopes) that maybe, just maybe, she will wake up if he is there. He cannot
fathom or describe his fascination, his wonderment (his obsession) with the demigod
daughter of Poseidon, but what he does know is that she has control over his mind and he
cannot help but want to protect her, to help and heal her. To be with her.

“Please. Artemis please, I’ll explain it later but please. Please cover for me.” He has his
hands on her shoulders now, and with every word he shakes her a bit as if shaking her will
help her to understand how much he needs her to help him.

“Okay. Okay!” Artemis agrees as she steps back, out from under his hands that shake her.
“Okay, Apollo, I’ll help you. I’ll cover for you, okay?” Apollo lets out a breath of relief at the
knowledge that his sister will shield his aura and his presence from their father. With Artemis
hiding him, he will be able to safely visit Rhea and confirm her safety with his own eyes.

“Thank you.” He leans forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you, sister.”

“Whatever it is, whoever they are, go to them and when you are finished come back to see
me, alright?” She says and Apollo nods, once again pressing a grateful kiss to her forehead
before he disappears in a golden flash.

(Artemis wonders briefly who could have captured her brother’s interest and enamored him
but she then remembers a very specific face that holds many of the gods captive and she feels
her gut sink and wonders what the consequences of Apollo having feelings for that girl will
be.)

Percy has spent 19 hours by his sister’s bedside, only leaving to use the restroom but
otherwise never straying from her side. His cousins are passed out in various places around
the room- Nico, Steve, and Seth are all piled on two hospital beds shoved together. Percy
now has his head propped up on one hand his other holding Rhea’s hand and he just stares at
her face- drinking it in, desperate for her to awaken.

His butt has gone numb long ago but Percy doesn’t care, a little bit of discomfort is nothing
in order to remain with his sister who he has only just regained. A breeze sweeps through one
of the open windows of the infirmary and one of Rhea’s black curls blows across her cheek.
Percy moves his hand out from under his chin and reaches to brush the curl back. He smooths
her flyaways but when she flinches away, he quickly draws his hand back. He feels his anger
burn again at the thought that someone had traumatized her so badly she was flinching and
crying in her sleep.

He brings his other hand to clasp her hand between hers and he lowers his head praying to
Chaos for the millionth time of the day. When he finishes his prayer he lifts his head to gaze
upon her face and he feels hot tears of fear and desperation threatening to spill over onto his
cheeks.

“Wake up, Mikri Aderfi”. He whispers to her in a low and hoarse voice that is gravelly
from lack of use. “Wake up”.

“You aren’t supposed to be able to speak that language.” Percy hears from behind him. He
doesn’t move, not scared or threatened in the slightest- fully confident in his ability to kill
anyone who would come to harm him or his sister.

“Hello Apollo.” Percy murmured. “You shouldn’t be here.” He heard Apollo shift behind him
and let out a sort of cough.

“I had to see her and ensure she was alright.” Percy let out a disbelieving and cold laugh at
the nerve of the god, assuming he had any right to come and visit Percy’s sister.

“That is not your responsibility and not your place.” Thunder rumbled in the distance and
Apollo fought back a shiver- he was fairly certain that it was not his father who was affecting
the weather, but rather it was the GodKiller in front of him.

“I just wanted to-”

“Let me make things more clear, you are not welcome here.” Percy bit out, his body tilted to
shield his sister from Apollo and his head having turned so that his rage-filled sea green eyes
pierced through Apollo’s soul. (There was no sword to Apollo’s throat and no weapons
pointed at him- unlike last time- and yet Apollo had never felt more threatened in his life than
he did by the demigod that sat with his back to him as if Apollo’s entire being was powerless
and irrelevant.).

The other children of the Elders that were sprawled across the room stirred and shot awake-
as if they could feel the anger burning in their cousin’s veins. The stood tense, as if they were
ready to dive between him and Rhea at moments notice. Apollo opened his mouth as if to
retort but Katie cut across his words before he had a chance to say something that would
cause Percy to attack him.

“Percy?” Percy’s eyes flicked over to her, giving Apollo a brief respite from the fury of
Percy (who was technically his cousin as well. That was the fucked up thing, wasn’t it? These
were his cousins as well and yet there was a clear wall between the demigods and
him.) “Apollo is the god of healing, maybe he can help her?” Katie’s suggestion is tentative
as she works to soothe the fury of the demigod king and Apollo can see the anger abate
slightly as Percy takes the idea under consideration.

“Fine.” He bites out after a few minutes. Percy shifted to the side to allow Apollo to come by
Rhea’s bedside. Apollo stood over Rhea and stared down at her sleeping face. Even in the
depths of slumber Rhea Poseidia was full of unearthly beauty. Her face was marred with a
frown and her eyebrows were creased. Percy watched as Apollo’s hand twitched towards
Rhea’s face- as if to smooth away the worry line.

An iron grip clamped onto Apollo’s wrist as he reached his hand towards Rhea’s check,
stopping it in its track.

“Heal her.” Percy rumbled and Apollo stared back (for a few moments the cousins thought
they were about to watch a fight ensue for the honor of being able to touch Rhea.) Sea Green
eyes clashed with sky blue in a battle of wills. When tempted with such close proximity to
the face and being of Rhea it was hard for any man or god to resist and so Apollo met Percy’s
challenging gaze head on. But Percy’s grip tightened and he stood, Apollo’s wrist still in his
grasp.

“If you do not get on with healing her then you are not needed here” Apollo was smart
enough to hear the subtext of murder in Percy’s tone.

“I care for Rhea very much-”

“I don’t give a fuck about how you feel, Phoebus Apollyon. I’m her brother and when you
are here in this camp and when it comes to my family, I am in charge. So either heal her or
get out.” Their gazes were still locked but Apollo found it hard to maintain eye contact and so
his gaze broke away first leaving Percy with a triumphant expression. (It is not that Apollo is
not powerful, he is. In fact insanely so. He is only beaten by the Elder Six in terms of godly
power. But a GodKiller, a Destroyer, the son of the Destroyer that was meant to be, and the
grandson of the Original Destroyer is someone that outclasses and eclipses most of the gods
in sheer power. He comes from a line of unmatched power and though he and Apollo descend
from the same Grandfather, the difference is in who their father’s are.)

Apollo, son of Zeus yields to the will of Perseus, son of Poseidon and he shifts his focus from
reaching out to touch Rhea to hovering his hands over her body and beginning to hum ancient
hymns.

Percy watches as Apollo submerges himself in the power of healing, as Apollo’s form takes
on a golden glow and his eyes open, shining white with power. Some of his cousins flinch
back from the power that radiates from Apollo. Nico, Seth, Katie, and Percy remain unfazed.
After a few minutes Apollo’s glow fades away and his white eyes return to their normal blue
and he turns to Percy.

“I healed any injuries she had; she didn’t have many at all. She’s not in a coma, just sleeping.
However, she should be waking up soon.” At that the cousins all scrambled to gather right by
her bedside and they watched with bated breath, waiting for her to awaken. Percy did not
even force Apollo to leave the camp as he too stood with anxious breaths waiting to see if his
sister would in fact awaken and let him know that she was truly alright.
Rhea’s mind filled with light and she stood on a plain with grass stretching as far as the eye
could see and the sun beating down on her back. She turned in a circle, trying to gauge where
she might be but there were no landmarks- no nothing to tell her where she could possibly be.
There were no past versions of herself or Kronos or any of the Titans either and her confusion
only grew.

She was alone, isolated, and stuck in a vast land all by herself. She began to walk, wandering
the grasslands, prowling them like a lioness in search of answers. As she walked she heard
the grass rustle besides her and she turned her head to see a pack of lions prowling right
beside her as if they belonged by her side.

Rhea couldn’t even say that it freaked her out because it didn’t. she played with sharks and
dolphins and rode on pegusi, having a lion pride walk with her was not even close to the
strangest thing. Besides if memory served, Rhea Ourania was known as being the Lioness so
if that was who Rhea really was (and gods she had to try hard not to vomit at the thought
because she wanted to crawl right out of her own skin.) then the lion pride belonged with her.

The male lion came up and brushed along her leg as they walked, he was well above her
waist in height and she found her hand coming up to rest on his head as they walked with one
another. The lionesses swarmed them as if they were bodyguards protecting their king and
queen and Rhea found herself feeling oddly comforted and peaceful with them.

It was after perhaps an hour of walking that Rhea started to feel afraid, the isolation was no
longer peaceful, instead it was now stressful and worrisome. Despite all the walking she felt
as if she were going nowhere. Rhea had just endured stress after stress- starting with being
fucking kidnapped and then accidentally drowning herself back to camp. Now she was stuck
in her own head in some grassland that was never ending.

Tears of frustration started to well up in her eyes and she head the lions shift beside her-
almost as if they were attuned to her worry. She couldn’t help it as the first tears rolled down
her face. Two lionesses immediately began pressing into her side and the male lion made a
rumbling sound.

She couldn’t help it, she fell to her knees amongst the grass and started sobbing.

“This isn’t fair!” She sobbed. “None of this is fair. I don’t want to be here. I don’t want to be
stuck here and alone. I just want to go home. I want to be with my brother and cousins!” Her
words came out in choked gasps amidst the cries, her body shaking under the force of her
crying.

“I just-” she broke off into sobs again. “I just want to be me and I don’t even know who that
is. I don’t know if when I wake up if the voice that will come from my mouth will be mine or
hers. I don’t know if my voice even belongs to me anymore because my face and my mind
certainly don't!” The lions crowded around her, encircling her in their pride as if they were
trying to comfort her. The male lion plopped next to her and pressed into her side. Rhea
couldn’t help it, she reached up and grabbed part of his mane in her hand, running the coarse
yet somehow soft fur in between her fingers. The beast turned its head and looked at her with
the most gentle yellow eyes. Rhea threw her arms around him and buried her head in his
mane- he let out gentle purrs.
“Why does everything have to suck? How can I fight in, how can I LEAD a fucking war if I
can’t even pull myself together?” her tears and snot ran down her face and fell onto the lions
mane.

She just cried and cried- her whole being stuck in a mess of confusion and pain. She was
locked in her own subconscious, her head was pounding from the weight of memories that
were trying to flood through her brain that she was using all of her mental strength to hold
back (Rhea was not going to let those memories in. Ever. It was the last line of defense
between herself and the old Rhea and she would force herself to endure headaches for the
rest of her life if it meant her mind would still be her own.). She kept sobbing repeating over
and over that ‘it isn’t fair’.

She was so terrified that she was now meant to drown in the barren wasteland of her mind for
the rest of her life but she then felt a strange tugging in her gut- as if someone had jabbed a
fishhook in her gut and was trying to yank her around. The sun grew brighter in the sky and
Rhea thought it may burn her skin as the heat grew so uncomfortable, she forced herself to
draw back from the comfort of the lions in an attempt to cool down.

She felt his presence before she saw him.

“I told you that you could not run from me.” Rhea only shook her head, desperately ignoring
his appearance in favor of staring at the lion pride.

“I will still try.” She responded after a few minutes. “You could simply leave me be.” Kronos
let out a scoff of laughter.

“We both know that I can’t do that.” He walked forward, the long grass brushing against his
fighting leathers as he approached her. Rhea sighed, giving the lions one last pet before she
stood, brushing off her jeans as she did so.

“I would like you much more if you did.” Rhea muttered and Kronos chuckled dryly. They
stood in silence (that was definitely not companionable silence). Rhea looked around her
mindscape, stubbornly avoiding any sort of eye contact with Kronos and avoiding even
looking at his form. On the other hand, she could feel Kronos’s eyes boring into her as if they
were drinking in her presence. She let out another sigh before glancing briefly at Kronos.

“I can’t stay here.” She whispered. “I don’t want to be stuck here, but I can’t get out. No
matter how hard I try, I can’t wake up.”

“Does that scare you?” Kronos took a step towards her and Rhea rocked back on her heels,
trying to decide if she should take a step back. She didn’t.

“To be locked away, stuck in someplace with no control of whether I can leave or not?” She
scoffed and lifted her gaze, blazing green eyes meeting his own gleaming gold. “Yes. And
you know it.” Kronos didn’t respond to that.

“I can help you.” He offered, slowly extending a hand out to her, Rhea eyed his hand with
faint curiosity wondering what kind of hidden price would come with it (probably another
much longer extended stay on Othrys). She could hear the double, the triple meanings in his
words. Help her escape? Help her with her new knowledge about herself? Help her live if
only she surrendered to him and left the war? Things were never so easy as to have one
meaning when you were talking to Kronos.

She did not take his hand. She started shifting her gaze around looking for any way out or
away from him. He let out a quiet laugh when he noticed her shifting gaze and her attention
came back to him. There was a fierce look in his eyes- one she did not recognize (she would
if she would allow the memories to flood her mind.).

“No matter where you run, I will always find you.” he states, like it is a solemn promise and
oath. Thunder booms in the distance and Rhea flinches at the sound. It feels like a seal on her
fate. That his oath and the thunder have forever sealed and bound her to a fate of Kronos
always looming in the distance, always present.

Her and Kronos were at a standstill, gazes locked onto one another and Rhea was afraid she
was either going to scream at him or cry (or fight him) but she started to hear faint whispers
on the wind, whispers that sounded like- were they whispering her name?

“Rhea.” Was that Percy? Was that her brother somehow reaching through to her in her
subconscious, calling her name and beckoning to her.

"Rhea!" He called again. Rhea felt something pulling her and the sea roaring in her ears.

“RHEA!” The pain and desperation in Percy’s voice makes her stomach twist.

“Ischyros” The voice of Percy again. Or was it Poseidon? Or was it Kronos. Rhea couldn’t
tell as her vision swam, colorful dots filling her gaze as darkness began to overcome her.
Before her vision went completely black she could have sworn she saw Kronos rushing
towards her but it was too late.

As if she were punched in the gut and the air was forced from her lungs, Rhea let out a
gasping breath and her eyes flew open.

She lay awake in a bed in the infirmary with her cousins and Apollo gazing down at her.

“Rhea?” Percy whispered as if he couldn’t believe that he was seeing her sea green eyes
awake and open. “Oh my god, Rhea.” He gathered her in his arms, hugging her close and
tight as if she were the most fragile and precious thing and Rhea remembered how safe and
protected her brother always made her feel. (A part of her wondered if he would still love her
as much if he knew that she was actually the reincarnation of Kronos’s wife.)

He finally released her, an arm slung over her shoulders, still pressing her close to his side.
Her eyes flitted over her cousins who all looked like they wanted to cry in relief. Nico met
her gaze, his onyx eyes full of tears and at the moment he looked every bit of his 12 years,
too young to be as afraid as he was. Katie was now sitting on her other side, gripping her
hand as her emerald eyes shone with delight. She kept murmuring ‘thank chaos’ over and
over again and Rhea gave her a small smile, trying to convey her own joy at being reunited
with Katie.

But it was when she met Apollo’s bright blue eyes that Rhea felt a big smile crawl over her
face. His golden face was shining like the sun and his eyes full of happiness, she feels bathed
in the sunlight at the sight of his joy. (She wonders how long it will take him to leave her
when he finds out who she is. She also wonders if he will choose to leave or if somehow
Kronos will force him away.) Percy squeezes her shoulder, stealing her attention away from
Apollo.

“Rhea?” Percy murmured, prompting her to speak, his worry visibly growing the longer she
just gazed silently around the room. Rhea opened her mouth before shutting it again,
contemplating whether or not she wanted to hear her voice (would it even be her voice that
came out?) She shut her eyes and took a deep breath before opening her mouth again.

But no sounds came out. Try as she might, Rhea Jackson could not utter a word.
 Forever Cursed

Silence had become Rhea’s best friend and worst enemy.

The silence that resulted from her inability to speak meant that no one asked her to disclose
what her time at Othrys had been like. But it also left her stuck inside her own mind, unable
to communicate, to express her wishes, her thoughts, her opinions.

Silence was her savior, and silence was her curse.

Her mind was only silent some of the time. Sometimes she feared that her mind would break
under the overwhelming pressure of memories that demanded to be let out, that threatened to
swarm her and drown her. The shrieking voices of those memories left her clutching at her
had as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. It left her sitting on the floor of the bathroom
inside Cabin 3, heaving silent tears as Percy stood outside the door, knocking on it and
begging her to come out.

Percy was often silent with her, as if he was doing it out of solidarity. They did not need
voices to communicate that much anyways. They were twins, eyebrow raises and certain
looks in their eyes sometimes conveyed more than words ever could. Her brother stuck by
her side, loving and supporting her as she struggled and she was grateful for his warm and
protective presence. (In another life Rhea had taken comfort in the warm and familiar
presence of another big brother who loved and protected her as Percy did now.)

She did not have much alone time these days. She was always accompanied by 2 people-
either her cousins or trusted Apollo and Athena campers that Percy had appointed to be her
guards. Michael and Victoria from the Apollo cabin were her favorite guards, although
Malcom was a close third. They were her friends before her kidnapping and they were the
ones that did their best to not treat her any differently. While others in the camp (especially
her own cousins and brother) would watch her with terribly hidden curiosity and worry, her 3
Percy approved friends treated her as if she had merely gone to visit her mother for a few
days. If Rhea didn’t wish to speak about the kidnapping, then they didn’t wish to ask.

In the week since she had woken up, Rhea had learned that Percy had come to form a close
friendship with Beckendorf, which resulted in the son of Hephaestus being allowed to come
around her without Percy’s eagle eye gaze. Percy and Beckendorf would hang out while
Silena and Rhea would sit together by the lake. Silena was so sweet with Rhea, she would
braid her hair and tell her about her boy problems and her issues with her mom. (Silena often
found herself feuding with her godly mother.) It was nice to sit and listen to someone else’s
issues. Occasionally the pair would spar together or on more relaxed days, they would put
makeup on one another- Rhea delighting in the way the pretty eyeshadows complimented her
eyes.

Their most fun game was having Silena shift her features to match whoever walked by them.
Rhea would point at someone and Silena would giggle before the roots of her hair would
slowly spread a new color down the length of her hair (which she sometimes would shorten
or grow depending on who she was morphing to look like) , her irises would melt into a new
color and her skin would darken or lighten accordingly. One time she had even shifted to look
like Rhea, her skin taking on the Greek tan and her pin-straight dark hair taking on inky black
curls. Silena could never get the eyes right though and she often laughed about how annoying
it was that she could never copy Rhea’s pretty eyes. She could turn them green or blue, or a
morph of the two but she could only ever get kind of close, never able to replicate the eyes of
Rhea Ourania’s Bloodline.

Silena had told her once that she felt terrible about what had happened to Rhea and Rhea had
simply hugged her before jotting down that there was nothing Silena could have done to save
her from the grasp of the Titans, especially if there was someone in the camp helping them.
Silena’s eyes had filled with tears, and she had yanked the daughter of Poseidon in for
another tight hug while whispering “I’m still sorry.”

Rhea’s cousins all treated her differently. Miranda and Katie were the most normal, a bit
more glued to her side but normal. They still had their sleepovers and her cousins would
gossip to her and they tried to be normal but they had that wariness in their eyes, as if they
were looking at freshly escaped Prisoner of War who had been tortured for a decade.

It was better than the way Nico, Seth, and Liam had looked at her- like they were waiting for
her to break. To shatter and fall apart into a million pieces and take the camp down with her.
Thalia had come to visit when she had gotten word of Rhea’s return and the two Daughters of
the Big Three had sat in companionable and understanding silence. Their differences were
gone and instead they were replaced with respect and love.

Rhea no longer snuck out to the Memorial with Percy unknowing and blissfully asleep.
Instead, he would walk her to the Memorial after dinner or Council meetings and stand a
ways away while she sat overlooking the ocean, Apollo sometimes by her side. While Percy
was silent in his support and love for her, Apollo talked doubly so. He filled the silences that
sometimes made Rhea cry with frustration. He would tell her stories of his childhood, of his
times with his sister and his favorite brother, Hermes. He would tell her of his fondest
memories of his various children or of different things he had seen during his journey across
the sky every day.

And as he would talk, he would look at her the entire time, watching her facial expressions in
the low light that naturally emitted from him. He would gauge her expressions and pause to
let her give wordless reactions or to make motions that conveyed her feelings on something.
He had even brought along a pad of paper and a pen, and she would sometimes write down
whatever she was thinking- she did not write very often, her spirit to low and her mind to
weary to express itself in the written word. (She didn’t know that Apollo kept this small
notebook as one of his most precious treasures, zealously guarding it deep within his temple.)

Her dreams were no better than her real life. She could not speak in her dreams either-
something that had gutted her when she first tried. Often times she dreamed that she was
stuck in a dimly lit room that had dozens of doors or she was stuck back on the endless plain
of grass. She did not dream of Kronos, she did not see him or dream of the past. She could
not even feel his presence in her dreams. She did not miss him. (And yet, didn’t she?).
When she was stuck in the dark room full of locked doors, sometimes she could hear voices
from the other side. She could hear the screams of the dying on the battlefield, war cries, the
cries of a mother in childbirth and the following cries of the child. She heard devastated
sobbing and she heard peals or joyful laughter. She heard happy laughter and yelling that
sounded as if it were coming from a happy family playing games.

But she could never open the doors, they were always locked and the voices were forever
unreachable. Where she thought she would find solace in her sleep, she found only frustration
and her inability to speak following her like a dark curse.

There was no solace for Rhea in the land of the living and there was no solace in the land of
dreams either.

Silence followed Rhea wherever she went. She was always cursed.

Percy watched his sister, his gaze followed her everywhere. He was ever present and ever
watchful of her, ensuring she was safe every hour of the day. He was by her side as much as
possible during the days and if he could not be with her, then his trusted few were with her.

Rhea was a ghost, a shade that floated through the camp- silent, thin, and pale. Her return to
camp and the loss of her voice had caused the life to slowly fade from her appearance. Her
sun-kissed skin was beginning to lighten and pale- leaving her looking as if she were ill-, no
matter how much time she spent out in the sun. Her appetite had become so small that he was
constantly worried she would starve. Rhea would eat some fruit or a few bites of meat but
other than that she would not touch any food.

Percy had spoken to Will Solace the night before, asking what could be done to keep his
sister healthy. Will had not had many ideas to help, after all they could not force her to eat. So
he had tentatively suggested giving her some Nectar and Ambrosia at every meal to keep her
strength up. At breakfast they had tried it and low and behold, a small hint of color and life
appeared on Rhea’s cheeks.

Percy had almost cried in relief.

It had now been 11 days since Rhea had awoken, and 9 days since she had been released
from the infirmary. Percy had spent every single day desperately searching for an answer to
Rhea’s forced silence. The Apollo cabin had tried every hymn and healing trick they knew,
Nectar and Ambrosia did nothing, a Hecate child had even tried some spells and she had
come away with nothing. Apollo himself- the great god of healing- could find no answer.

(Apollo spent hours singing hymns and submerging himself in his power trying to understand
but he had come out with no answers. That was the story of Rhea’s life, stuck in awful
situations with no answers).
When Apollo had been unable to return his sister’s voice, Percy had almost killed him in a fit
of rage and frustration. He had lunged across his sister’s hospital bed and had unsheathed his
sword, inches away from slamming the Celestial Bronze straight through Apollo’s heart. But
he had been unable to. Not because he couldn’t, no he was unable to because Rhea had
thrown herself out of her bed and grabbed onto the back of Percy’s shirt, forcing him up and
off Apollo. She had forced herself between the two grandsons of Kronos and her furious gaze
had met Percy’s own. It was through a series of pursed lips and furious glares followed by a
couple twitches of the eyebrows that had Percy sheathing his sword and backing off with his
hands raised in a mocking gesture of surrender. (Apollo learned then that while the cousins
could calm Percy’s rage a bit, it was the Destroyer’s sister that was the only one that could
truly stop him).

In the nine days since Rhea’s release, Percy had found himself busier than he had ever been
in his lifetime. Not only was he looking for a cure for his sister’s voice, but he was also
watching over her, training the other campers, holding many a council meeting, and of course
trying to spend time with Annabeth (he only wished there was more time in the day so that he
could spend more time with the demigod daughter of Athena who sent his heart into flutters.).
He and Rhea also spend many hours in the arena by themselves, training viciously for hours,
neither giving up and neither tiring. They fight and fight until it ends with one of them on
their knees. Their fights are the only times that Percy sees life in his sister.

May was over not and the rest of the summer campers had finally made their way back to
camp. Since all of the campers had returned it meant that war preparations had reached their
peak. The Hephaestus cabin was constantly forging new weaponry and sending them to the
arena to be tested, the Ares cabin alongside Athena took part in training the campers while
the Council would meet, the Hermes cabin had taken to building bombs and traps and any
other sort of ‘mischievous’ little trick that could be used to gain the advantage during the war.

Katie had begun to shore up the defenses around the camp, her and her siblings had gone to
the edge of camp and dove deep into the well of their powers. They had proceeded to raise up
row after row of hedges, thorns, giant trees, and any thing else they could think of, shielding
away the camp- preventing any monsters from entering and any traitors from exiting. The
only way in or out was if a child of Demeter let you through.

Needless to say, war preparations were going well.

In his rage over what had happened to his sister, Percy still kept any information that did not
absolutely have to be shared- inside the Council. he also had assigned guards to his sister,
leaving 8 campers (guards) that he trusted to cycle through following his sister every day.

Council Meetings ran differently now with Rhea’s affliction. No longer was she the vocal
leader of the meeting with Percy being her strong supporter, ready to put a swift end to
anyone who spoke against her. Now it was Percy’s job to not only be a more vocal leader, but
to be Rhea’s voice to the others who did not understand what she was saying with a simple
look.

Another week comes and Percy’s duties as the camp’s leader only grow- Rhea’s would too
but Percy does not want her to strain herself or do too much work. Now that his sister is
awake and has readjusted Percy takes back the remainder of his duties from Katie.
In the time he spent by Rhea’s bedside and before that- planning an assault on Othrys- five
new campers had found their way across the borders of Camp Half-Blood (before the
Children of Demeter shielded the camp from the outside world. New Demigods could still
make their way to camp. The earth would whisper and the nymphs from the trees would send
word to the children of Demeter to open the forest if there was a new camper). Percy had
spent the 2 weeks keeping a close eye on them incase they were spies and he limited their
contact with his sister as much as possible- terrified that this was somehow a plot by Kronos
to steal his sister out from under him once more.

However Rhea was still very interested in them and she was not concerned about her safety at
all- which aggravated the life out of him. After 10 days and no strange incidences, Percy
started to lighten up about the new campers and he even let them speak to his sister a few
times.

Percy and his cousins had also started taking bets as to who was a child of who. It was hard
to find anything to laugh about or have fun with (even Capture the Flag had grown serious as
it felt more and more like a trial run for the war). So they now bet things like desserts on who
the new campers could be.

The first camper had been so painfully obvious that betting hadn’t even been fun. Honey
blonde curls and gray eyes named the young girl a Daughter of Athena and since Children of
Athena were claimed at birth, there was no fun guessing game to be had. What had been fun
to watch was seeing the little 11 year old girl tag along after Malcolm with big gray eyes full
of hero worship. Sophia was one of the youngest Athena children and she absolutely loved
her elder siblings and followed them like a loyal little puppy. She would not be joining them
on the war front- anyone under 12 was to stay at camp. Instead she was given a knife and
taught self-defense and basic fighting.

The second camper is where the betting began. Brown hair and green eyes that were so dark
they were almost black combined with deeply tanned skin that heralded the 14 year old’s
Greek Descent were the physical features that had led to a variety of different guesses. Lily-
desperate for another sibling- had bet a week’s worth of cookies that he was a son of
Demeter. (She was too young to realize that while his Aura was powerful, it did not scream
that he was Family). Everyone else was split on two sides- Aphrodite and Hermes (because
Hermes, Dionysus, Apollo are known for their habit of occasionally fathering children with
other men.) Percy was firmly in the camp of Aphrodite while Nico and Liam were the leaders
of the Hermes party.

They had been arguing at dinner one night, trying to convince the rest of their cousins to a
side but Rhea had been watching him with a discerning and knowing gaze. She made a
different bet. She grabbed one of the sticky notes and pens that Percy had taken to carrying
with him and wrote down Hecate. (She recognizes his eyes, for this boy has his mother’s eyes,
and his mother has her father’s eyes. Perses’s eyes. Rhea misses Perses desperately.).

Later that night at the campfire two twin torches ignite over his head, naming him Harry
Matthias, the Son of Hecate. That night the cousins slide a pile of desserts over to Rhea and
for the first time in two weeks a huge smile splits across her face at her victory. (She even
eats a few of the cookies).
The 3rd camper is barely a guess. The girl comes to camp with purple/red eyes and blonde
curls and Dionysus claimed her before Rhea was even out of the Infirmary. She is his
3rd child in 16 years and is only a year younger than her half-brother Pollux. Having just lost
Castor, Pollux quickly bonds with his new sister and they become inseparable. There is no
guessing game with Arianna Brown, Daughter of Dionysus. (But they do bet on if she will be
blessed with the gift of Madness like the Twin Sons of Dionysus were).

A 16 year old boy named Isaiah is the 4th new camper. He is suntanned, blue eyed, and has a
head full of blonde curls. Katie and Miranda giggle and nudge Rhea when they first see him
and she rolls her eyes at them. She writes down her guess of Apollo and everyone laughs.
Liam puts down a bet for Hermes because a few months ago a girl who had similar features
arrived at camp and when everyone thought she would go to the 7th Cabin, she had been
claimed by Hermes. He is claimed the day after Rhea is released from the Infirmary (Apollo
would have claimed him sooner but he was too distracted and distraught over the situation
with Rhea).

Michael welcomes Isaiah with open arms and the pair of them take the spots of the eldests in
the Apollo Cabin. Unlike his late brother however, Isaiah cannot summon the flames of the
Sun. Instead he controls the waves of sound, inheriting Apollo’s gifts of music and sound. He
and Michael terrorize people daily with sonic arrows and Isaiah makes fast friends with the
Stoll brothers when he pulls a prank involving his audiokinetic abilities.

But it is the final camper that captures the most interest from the cousins and fills Percy with
distrust and trepidation. His aura is familiar- too familiar. Inky black hair and stormy gray-
blue eyes along with the Greek tanned skin makes the cousins shift nervously. His name is
Alexander (of course it was, because for some reason the lovers of the gods loved to give
their children the names of ancient Greek heroes). Alexander was 6 months older than Percy
and Rhea and he had already celebrated his 16th Birthday.

Percy did not know if he liked him. He had barely interacted with him but that did not stop
Percy’s feelings of distrust from growing, not because Alexander was bad but because he
rubbed Percy the wrong way. He rubbed all of the cousins the wrong way.

(Because deep down they already knew who his Father was. Because both Percy and Rhea
can remember a set of stormy gray-blue eyes glaring down at them from a throne. A set of
eyes that sometimes shift electric blue. A set of eyes that have haunted Rhea’s dreams before).

The 16-year-old with those cursed eyes goes unclaimed day after day and week after week.

It was 5 in the morning during the 3rd week since Rhea’s return when the alarms started going
off around the camp. Alarms that alerted them to the presence of monsters. Alarms that
spelled impending chaos and possible death every time they sounded.
There was no attack at camp, but the alarms meant that Lou Ellen’s spells had been triggered
nearby. A section of Kronos’s army was swarming over Long Island and the Demigods had to
go and face them. These skirmishes were the trademark of war and the past three weeks had
seen 5 other skirmishes (they had not suffered any losses yet, severe injuries yes, but no
deaths). While they could remain in the camp and leave the monsters alone they had learned
over the course of the past year that if they did not go out and participate in these battles then
the rogue demigods and monsters would cause chaos and terror on the mortals, setting things
aflame and wrecking havoc on the world.

The camp immediately plunged into chaos as yelling and clanging ensued from around the
camp as the Demigods began to armor themselves. 2 minutes after the alarm began to sound
the children of Ares went sprinting across the camp and climbed into one of the vans before
quickly speeding across the border as Liam held the forest apart- his hands held out as if they
were physically ripping through the trees and plants.

Another van went roaring out, full of Athena and Apollo kids and Liam dropped his hands,
the forest closing behind them, shielding the camp again. Rhea had pulled on her breastplate
and had yanked her helmet out from under her bed and was racing towards the stables where
the Pegasi had been brought out for the cousins to mount to go lead the Battle. The children
of Demeter were racing across the clearing as she reached where Percy and Nico stood next
to Blackjack and Guido.

She gives a quick pat to the neck of Bubbles (her pretty black and white Pegasus that Dad
had given her last year, the white splotches inspired the name) and swings herself up onto the
back of her steed. Percy shoots her a glare.

“I wanted you to be the cousin that remained.” His voice is deep and commanding as it
always is when they head into any sort of battle. Rhea shakes her head in defiance, glares at
him, and flips him off. Percy rolls his eyes at the rude gesture. There is always to be 2
cousins that remain at the Camp to act as the temporary Leaders and Guardians of the camp.
Rhea had acted as Guardian during the first battle after her return as she had only been free
from the infirmary for 3 days. However, she had participated in the last few and she was not
going to stop now. She had certainly never stayed behind before she was kidnapped.

Steve and Liam will remain today, she gives them both a sharp nod and they return it before
she and Bubbles launch themselves into the sky. The rest of the cousins follow quickly
behind. It takes only minutes for them to arrive at the Battle where the sounds of clashing
metal already ring as Demigod fights Demigod and Demigod fights Monster. The Pegasi
duck close to the ground and the cousins all jump from their backs, ducking and curling into
a roll when they hit the ground.

Cheers go up from the campers as the Cousins arrive and they fight with renewed spirit. The
cousins quickly disperse amongst the campers but Percy remains by Rhea’s side and they
fight as a deadly pair, mowing through any monster that faces them. Percy tries not to kill
their demigod opponents but after one of them nearly swipes Rhea’s leg, Percy rams his
sword through the demigod’s throat.

After that he kills them a bit more easily (he still spares a few, but his mercy dwindles).
Making sure to stay close to her brother (because that look he had given her when they
landed had screamed ‘stay close for the love of Chaos’) Rhea whirled through the depths of
the monsters, slashing and hacking her way through them and she felt silent laughter bubble
up in her throat as blood and gold dust splattered across her skin.

“PERCY!” A camper screamed and Percy slipped away, expecting Rhea to follow. She
didn’t. Honestly, Rhea could take care of herself. She easily killed 3 more monsters before a
dracanae swept its tail under her feet, surprising Rhea and knocking her down, her swords
clattering just out of reach. The serpentine tail kept her pinned, struggling against the ground.

She did not call on her power, she could not. Ever since Rhea had awoken she had been
unable to feel that siren like hum in her mind that hailed the deadly and destructive power
that raced through her veins. Just like her voice and her identity, so too had her power been
taken. And so Rhea struggled desperately, trying to reach her arm out and grab her sword.
Her earthshaker abilities rumbled the ground beneath her and she felt cracks beginning to
spread across the earth. (She still had her father’s abilities but she did not know if she had the
strength to call upon them fully to save herself, she was still weak and unsure of herself).

But just when she thought she may be stabbed by the celestial bronze spear in the hands of
the Dracanae who held her down, the sky cracked open and lightning lanced across the sky.
Cracks of thunder sounded and lightning struck the ground nearby. Rain began to splatter and
Rhea felt her strength surge.

The spear tip drove down at her chest and she caught the blade in her hands, her golden red
blood dripping down on her from where she held the blades. She then turned her body to the
side and yanked the spear down into the ground, knocking the dracanae off balance. Rhea
quickly flipped their positions, twirling the spear high above her head before driving it down
in between the dracanae’s eyes.

She quickly stood and swept her twin swords up into her grasp. She threw herself back into
the battle and found herself fighting back to back with Alexander. The pair worked
seamlessly wading through monsters, Rhea spinning a deadly arch of celestial bronze,
protecting Alexander only to turn and see him decapitate a demigod that made to stab her.
Alexander laughed at the surprise on her face (it was a dark and bloodthirsty laugh, of course
it was, that’s how they all laughed in battle) and if she could have she would have returned it.

The battle was practically over as the enemy’s numbers dwindled. The two rivers that ran on
either side of the strip of land where the battle took place erupted and flooded the land.
Watery tentacles grasping at monsters and demigods, yanking them into the depths of the
rivers. Cheers went up and she heard some of the Demigods chant her brother’s name.

The sky rumbled and the rain fell harder and two bolts of lightning crashed down on the river,
striking the water, electrocuting and killing every monster and demigod that was stuck in it’s
depths.

The demigods cheered in victory. Rhea stared at the spot where the lightning had struck
before turning to look up at Alexander. His stormy eyes lit up in the light provided by the
flickering lightning in the sky. The heat of the battle had changed them (it often darkened
hers and Percy’s) and she looked up at his electric blue eyes and her blood ran cold.
"Neat lightning, huh?" Alexander laughed as he spoke, his eyes full of delight, blood and
golden dust splattered across his face.

And now Rhea stood, faced with another man who called the might of the skies in his blood.
She wondered if he would follow his forefathers and bring unspeakable pain upon her.
 Final Moments of Peace

In less than a heartbeat Rhea had one sword pressed to Alexander’s throat and the other
cocked back and to the side, ready to swing true and cut him in half should he be deemed a
threat. The other campers who were standing around let out murmurs and gasps. In the
background she heard some of her cousins call out her name in concern and ask what she was
doing.

A snarl was curled on her lips, her eyes narrowed into slits as she glared up at Alexander
while she pressed her sword against his neck. Alexander’s smile had not faded at all, instead
he only looked more satisfied, as if she had proven him right or something.

“You’re good.” He murmured down at her, his voice low so that only she could hear it.
“Better than I thought.” She tilted her head to the side. What did he mean by that? Was he a
spy? Had someone told him about her? Had he been sent to find her? She longed to ask these
questions, to scream them and demand answers. She felt frustration bubble in her veins at her
inability to speak.

She dug the blade into his neck further, enough pressure being applied that a cut opened. It
took her a moment to register but when she did she had to stop herself from physically
reacting. Blood that looked just like Percy’s- like hers- began to trickle down his neck and
over the blade of her sword.

Golden Blood threaded with strains of red.

She quickly spun her other sword around and used it to knock his feet out from under him
which sent Alexander crashing to the ground and she planted a foot on his chest, both swords
poised, ready to be driven down into his chest. Alexander let out a choked laugh.

“RHEA?” She heard Percy ask before she heard his footsteps pounding against the ground as
he jogged over to where she was. “Rhea.” He called again as he came to stop beside her. his
sword was not unsheathed but everyone there knew that Percy did not need to have a weapon
out in order to be the most dangerous one there. She turned her head to the side slightly,
enough for Percy to see part of her face, but she kept her eyes trained on Alexander.

Percy did not ask any questions after he saw her face, he wordlessly uncapped Riptide and
placed the point under Alexander’s chin, tilting the other demigod’s head so he was forced to
meet Percy’s eyes. The golden-red blood trail was still running down Alexander’s neck and
dripping onto the ground.

The other demigods began to shift nervously at the aura Percy began to exude, this was no
longer fun and kind Percy who helped other kids out during training or on the Climbing
Mountain or the Percy who led them to battle. This was Perseus, the Destroyer. The Son of
the Earthshaker and Stormbringer.

“Who are you?” He asked the pinned demigod, his voice calm, quiet (deadly). Alexander did
not answer, his mouth opened and closed as if he had found himself incapable of answering
Percy’s question. “Hmm?” Percy hummed questioningly after a few more moments of
Alexander’s silence. He pressed Riptide a little harder into Alexander’s skin and the other
demigod coughed.

“Father,” he choked a bit before speaking again. “Father didn’t think it was very fair that his
siblings sons got to have fun at camp together while I was stuck out there by myself, running
for my life.” Rhea looked at Percy to gauge his reaction to Alexander’s statement and she
watched as his jaw clenched, grinding his teeth together in frustration.

“Are you a spy?” Percy finally ground out.

“Spy?”

“Are you a spy for Kronos” Percy snarled as his frustration began to get the best of him. His
voice was raised as he asked his question and the campers that were watching stood with
wide eyes, wondering what the fate of Alexander would be.

“NO! No, okay?” Alexander seemed almost offended by the accusation. “No, I’m not a spy
for the titans. I was living in a different country up until a year ago and when I finally came
back here I wouldn’t have had time to meet with titans because I’ve been on the run from
monsters the entire time!” Percy was silent, his dark gaze piercing through Alexander as if
his eyes would uncover any lies and see into Alexander’s soul to gain the truth. Finally, he
spoke.

“Your father sent you?”

“Yes”

“My uncle, the king.”

“Yes.”

“You are loyal? You’ll swear allegiance to us?”

“Of course, I’ll prove my loyalty.” At that answer, Percy removed his sword from beneath
Alexander’s chin and sheathed it back into its pen form. Rhea remained standing over their
new cousin for a few moments longer. His eyes met her and although they were stormy blue
and gray again, she saw the flash of that damned electric blue in them. She hated it.

She raised her arms and drove her swords down, slamming them into her target. Flinches and
soft gasps sounded around her. The swords had nicked his ears and one of them had even
nicked his cheek as she drove it into the ground right next to his head- a clear warning if there
ever was one. A message, one that had been given to his half sister well over a year ago by
Percy. (A Message that said ‘your father may be King, but you are not in charge here. Your
life and your fate rest in my hands.’).

Alexander let out a grunt of pain at the sting of the blades cutting into his flesh and she saw
that his eyes had widened in trepidation. He looked into her eyes and she saw fear in them,
the realization that Percy was not the only one of them that was dangerous. She let the blades
sit there for a moment as she met his gaze before she yanked the hilts of her swords,
removing the blades from the ground. The blades moved back through the cuts on his ears
and he let out another grunt of pain.

She turned on her heel and walked to stand at Percy’s right hand, a united front to their
campers. The rest of their cousins came to stand behind them and they watched as Alexander
slowly stood up and watched them, waiting to see what their next move towards him was.
The campers stood silently, anticipating what was to come next. Percy’s voice rang out over
the clearing.

“All hail Alexander Park. The Son of Zeus.”

The campers who were on the battlefield all fell down on one knee to bow to Alexander who
watched with satisfaction as the Apollo, Ares, and Athena cabins welcomed him to the camp.
He then looked to the cousins who all remained standing. (The cousins would not bow to a
son of Zeus. He ranked no higher than any of them and until he proved himself, they would
not bow.)

He nodded his head at them and in reply Percy jerked his head in a way that was a clear
command for Alexander to come join them. (Now that the cousins had acknowledged him,
any fights and feuds would be dealt with behind closed doors and where the other campers
could not see. They needed to present a united front of power and family. A strong family that
led and protected the campers. A group of strength and power who could lead the campers
against Kronos and to victory. No, they would not fight in front of the other campers.).

Kronos stood in his war council room, his back to the door and his hands clasped behind his
back. the titans who had participated in the search for the Sea Princess filed into the room
silently, he could practically feel the anxiety and nervousness radiating off of them as they
came to report back to him. He lets them stew in their anxiety in silence for a few minutes
before he speaks- still keeping his back to them in a clear power play.

“Well?” Is all he says.

“My Lord” Astraeus stuttered out. “The girl- sorry, the Princess- she” he paused again. “She
was nowhere to be found in the palace.” Kronos lets out a ‘hmm’ and he hears the young
titans falling over themselves to explain and apologize. He unclasps his hands and turns
around to face them, his gold eyes burning with barely contained anger. He holds up a hand
to stop them in the midst of their apologies and they all fall silent.

“You had one task,” Kronos begins in a calm voice, deceptively soft. “I asked you to find the
Princess- who was unarmed- and bring her to me before she figured out an escape and yet all
of you-” he pauses and meets each of their gazes and his voice hardens. “all of you have
FAILED ME.” The titans all flinch back and bow their heads in supplication, hoping to
appease his anger. Hecate is the first to try and speak.
“Lelantos- he tracked her to outside the mountain and he went after her but I have not a clue
to where he might be.” Krios shifts in the back and looks as if he wants to speak but he does
not.

“Get out.” Kronos commands. “All of you but my brothers, leave. Now.” The young titans all
file out quickly, eager to escape the wrath of the Titan King. Perses is in the back of the
group, one of the last to leave when Kronos calls out to him. “Perses.” The Princess’s guard
stops in his tracks and half turns. “Wait outside the door.”

“Yes my King.” Perses bows and exits the room, shutting the Council Room door behind
him. Krios, Koios, and Hyperion all stand around the table in the room, glancing at one
another.

“Where is Iapetus?” Koios mutters and Krios goes to answer but goes silent when Kronos
begins to speak.

“Koios, I have summoned Oceanus but he has yet to appear. Go and bring him here at once.”
Koios nods and quickly bows before his form begins to glow and he flashes out of the room.
Kronos turns to look at Hyperion, who meets his gaze fearlessly (things are still slightly tense
between them after Kronos’s actions towards the Princess and yet after the knowledge of her
actions upon the Queens throne makes Kronos feel completely justified in his actions.) Krios
looks between the pair, slightly uncomfortable at the tension and staring contest that is going
on. He murmurs out Kronos’s name. Kronos breaks his gaze from his elder brother and
thunks down in his great wooden chair that sits at the head of the table.

“Hyperion,” Kronos calls to his brother in a seemingly genial tone. “My wife’s bracelets- the
ones that my son’s daughter has been using- are missing from my chambers.” Hyperion let
out a surprised “What?” and made a shocked face. Kronos fought the urge to roll his eyes.
“Where are they?” Hyperion gives a shrug.

“I’m sorry brother, but I have no idea where those bracelets are. They could be anywhere at
this point.” Kronos nods his head thoughtfully.

“Where were you during the search? I felt you return to the palace, yet I am unsure as to
where you were during all of the chaos of the search.”

“I was checking many different areas. Looking for the girl in a variety of places.”

“Ahh.” Kronos nods again. “Searching diligently.” Hyperion nods his head vigorously. “I see.
So when you found her in the tunnels did you even try to stop her?” Kronos asks and
Hyperion freezes, he looks Kronos in the eyes and answers slowly.

“I have no idea what you are referring to.”

“Right.” Kronos lets out a half laugh. “Because of course you wouldn’t help her escape after
what happened.” Kronos stands and both his brothers tense. “I’m sure you just couldn’t wait
for an opportunity to swoop in and play hero to the poor Princess and help her escape like
some dashing Knight.” He begins to stalk towards Hyperion- who to his credit, does not back
down. “Did you help her plan an escape? Did you go to her chambers in the middle of the
night and whisper to her that you would help her? Did you tell her that you would free her
from my grasp? Were you with her behind my back?”

“Brother,” Krios tries to interrupt but Kronos holds up a hand and he falls silent again.

“I did none of that.” Hyperion hisses back at him. “Get over yourself. We don’t all sit around
and plot how to usurp you or rip the Princess out from your clutches. You are not some poor
victim to whispered plots from the dark. Grow up and get past your paranoia and jealously.”
Kronos can’t help the bit of surprise at the way Hyperion speaks towards him but then again,
when it comes to the face of that girl, Hyperion always finds a bit more courage in standing
up to Kronos.

“Hyperion!” Krios whispers in a scandalized voice. (Krios was never one to go against
Kronos so boldly, preferring to use placating tones and compromise instead).

“No, Krios” Hyperion is boiling with anger, flames filling his eyes and Kronos sees smoke
beginning to rise from his brother’s skin and armor as it smokes. “He deserves to be spoken
to this way. You have no idea what he’s done.” Krios leans forward with interest, and Kronos
sees the desire for gossip rising in his eyes (all of his siblings are nosy little gossipers who
love to be up in each other's business).

“What did he do?” Krios asks with an eager tone.

“He tortured Poseidon’s daughter!” Hyperion exclaims and Kronos fights the urge to groan
and bury his head in his hands.

“You tortured Poseidon’s daughter?” Koios screeches and Kronos’s head snaps towards the
door where his two eldest brothers now stand. Oceanus stands behind Koios, his mouth
hanging open in shock. Kronos debates the idea of strangling Krios and also Hyperion before
he can tell on him to their eldest brothers. The clear reprimand sounds in his elder brother’s
voice. It is known amongst his siblings that Kronos’s heart is not so stonelike in the face of
his favored son and daughter. It is not only the fact that the girl belonged to Poseidon (Chaos
be great, even now he feels a small pain in his heart at the memory of his wife’s beloved
child) it is her face that brings a reprimand. (All the titans loved their late sister more than
anything and to hear this news of Kronos’s actions feels like a slight to the memory of their
late sister.)

Tethys, Oceanus, and Koios- as the eldest Titans- were often times the only ones that could
slightly scold Kronos (they may give him a disapproving glare and some words to reprimand,
but Kronos’s wife- along with his favorite sister Theia- were the only ones who could ever
actually scold Kronos).

“Kronos!” Oceanus’s reprimanding voice rings out and Kronos lets out an audible groan.

“Where’s Iapetus?” He asks, desperately hoping for an ally in the face of his disapproving big
brothers as well as being desperate for a subject change.

“Ahhh, about that” Krios speaks up with an unhappy expression. “Both Lelantos and Iapetus
aren’t going to be around for a little while.”
“What happened to them?” Oceanus asks as he makes his way into the room and takes a seat
at the chair opposite to Kronos.

“The girl- our sister’s look alike- she slaughtered them. She literally ripped them apart.”

“What?” Kronos leans forward in shock, he feels breathless (from excitement? From shock?
Who knows, certainly not Kronos).

“She tore Lelantos’s head off with her bare hands. She trapped almost his entire body in the
ground and then ripped his head off of his body. I saw his body still stuck in the ground and
the rip marks on his skin, head completely separated and carelessly tossed aside from the
body.” Shocked murmurs left all of the brother’s mouths as they tried to register the violent
actions of the Jackson girl towards Lelantos.

“And what of Iapetus?” Hyperion asked, curious about the state of his silver lookalike.

“Butchered. I found him torn in half. She cut him into pieces and left his body strewn about.”

“That sounds…” Hyperion hesitated and looked around the room with a bit of concern. “very
personal. Oddly personal.” Words of agreement sounded from the other brothers. “Has she
met Iapetus before?” Hyperion asked and Kronos shook his head.

“Then why would she have any reason to hate him so much? Unless…” Koios wondered
before trailing off his words. His head suddenly snapped up and he looked at Kronos. “Does
she somehow… know things? About the past?” the other brothers turned their heads to look
at Kronos as he reluctantly nodded (although he refused to share any other information.).

“Wait,” Oceanus held up a hand as if he were a child in a class asking a question. “So you
tortured a girl who looks exactly like our dead sister- your dead wife? You tortured a girl who
looks like Rhea and is the daughter of Poseidon?” Kronos’s glare sharpened as his elder
brother spoke her name and Oceanus gave an apologetic look. “I mean, I wasn’t always the
best brother to her but by Chaos, Kronos. What the Tartarus is the matter with you?” Koios
and Krios both nodded in agreement and Kronos could see their visible anger. He had tried to
keep them off that conversation track but clearly it hadn’t worked.

“It was not torture. I did not torture her!” He exclaimed, slamming his hands onto the table.
“And I do not have to explain myself to ANY of you.” At the change in Kronos’s voice all of
his brother’s heads bowed immediately. He was their king before he was their brother and
they had overstepped their bounds by presuming to criticize him. They all murmured
apologies with their heads still bowed. He kept them in their bows for a few more moments
to drive his point home before flicking his fingers in a clear command for them to raise
themselves. Kronos stood over the map of Manhattan; his fists clenched as they rested on the
table.

“I am leaving to board the Princess Andromeda in the morning and from there I will sail to
Manhattan and take the city.” At that, hearty exclamations broke out from his brothers.
Excitement filled the air at the thought of the main event of the war that would lead to the
conquest of Olympus. “Oceanus, I want you to continue the wars on Atlantis. Keep my son
busy fighting you. I want him far away from the rest of his siblings.”
“Yes my king, of course” Oceanus put his right hand to his heart and bowed. He turned to
leave and made his way towards the door.

“Oceanus.” His eldest brother paused in his tracks at Kronos's words and turned to face him.
“You will not kill Poseidon.” His voice was low and hard as stone as he gave the
command. “You will take him prisoner and bring him here to Othrys, where he will be
confined to his old chambers.” Oceanus nodded. “But you will not kill my son.” Oceanus
bowed his head.

“Yes, my King.” With that Kronos waved his hand in dismissal and Oceanus departed from
the room.

“Koios, I want you to find a way to get Iapetus out of the Pit as quickly as possible.
Commune with mother, give an offering to Tartarus himself, I don’t care just get Iapetus out
of there as quickly as possible.” Koios gave a slow nod and Kronos went to continuing
handing out orders but Koios interrupted.

“Might I ask why?” Koios questioned with his icy blue eyes round in their confusion.

“I need Iapetus to occupy Hades and keep him from joining his other siblings in their fight
against Typhon. As long as my three sons are separated, a victory for us is guaranteed. Hades
and Poseidon must remain as far away from Zeus and their sisters as possible.” Koios gave a
sharp nod in understanding while Hyperion and Krios gave murmurs of approval at the
strategy (knowing how powerful the three sons were when they came together- especially
when joined by their 3 sisters.). A brilliant flash of icy white and blue light and Koios
vanished, leaving Krios and Hyperion to receive their orders.

“What do you need from me, my king?” Krios asked, coming to stand in front of Kronos.

“You will go and fetch our sisters. Bring all of them here to me now and when I leave in the
morning I want you to remain here and hold Othrys in my stead.” Krios placed his ram horn
helm upon his head and made to depart before being halted by the words of Hyperion.

“What do you want with our sisters?” Hyperion butted in but Kronos silenced him with a
glare.

“I will be honored to hold Othrys for you, Your Majesty” Krios grinned behind his helm
before flashing out, casting a deep blue and gold aura over the room in his disappearance.
The room sat in silence for a while as Kronos kept his gaze upon his map, drawing up plans
in his mind. Hyperion stood on his left side (it was a habit he could not break) Kronos
however, did not acknowledge his brother’s presence. Eventually, Hyperion’s patience wore
thin and he gave a loud huff of displeasure.

“Do you plan to ignore me for the rest of our lives Kronos?”

“If only.” Kronos snarked back and Hyperion gave a sharp bark of incredulous laughter.
(Theia, Hyperion, Rhea, and Krons were all born within a three and a half year span, leading
the four of them to speak informally with one another almost all the time and often times
there were rather childish with each other.). “Sadly, you insist on making your presence
known and continuing to be an ever present thorn in my side, Hyperion”.

“You would not have me be any other way though, would you, dear brother?” Kronos let out
a breathy sort of laugh and hung his head in reluctant amusement. He then turned his head to
make eye contact with the mischievous fiery eyes of Hyperion. He was never able to stay
mad at his favorite brother for long, with such love and companionship in their history, the
pair fought like bitter enemies but they always made up quickly as they were closer than any
other brothers.

“No,” he admitted, giving a shrug. “You are the only brother who I would ever allow to speak
to me in such a manner.” He straightened up and turned away from the table, going to sit in
his chair. Hyperion sat himself on the table, facing Kronos.

“What do you need from me, brother.” Kronos folded his hands in front of him and they
rested on his lap.

“You will depart with me tomorrow, you will join me on the ship and then you will wait with
the second half of the army to join the Battle at my side when I give the command but only
when I give the command.” Hyperion’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he let out a
confused and incredulous laugh.

“You sound as if you do not trust me, brother” Kronos sighed.

“I love you dearly Hyperion. But I can no longer trust you alone and away from me. I fear
you would plot against me.” Hyperion’s expression turned to one of hurt. Kronos’s own face
was apologetic at his statement but he did not apologize. Despite Hyperion’s denial, Kronos
could not shake the feeling that he had a hand in the escape of Poseidon’s daughter.

“I am loyal to you, Kronos. You are my king, my brother.” Hyperion protested, his voice
filled with hurt and anger.

“I know,” Kronos murmured. He then waved his hand in clear dismissal. Hyperion stood
from the table and came to Kronos’s side, clamping a hand on his baby brother’s shoulder.

“You can trust me, Kronos. I have not and will not betray you. I stand by your side in
victory and defeat as I always have.” Kronos gave a half nod and Hyperion patted his
shoulder again. “I will see you in the morning.” Hyperion turned and made his way towards
the door and as he walked out, he called out. “Try and get some rest though.” And with that,
Hyperion disappeared into the Throne Room and out of sight. Kronos remained there in
silence for a few moments before speaking.

“Perses. You may enter now.” A tall and dark figure appeared in the doorway as Perses made
his way into the council room, giving a deep bow as he stood before his king. “Where were
you during the search?” Perses shifted.

“I searched in the places were the Princess had previously hidden when she went missing. I
did not find her in any of those places.”
“You did not find her at all?” Kronos questioned, his voice quiet, yet clear.

“She was not in any of those places, My King”. Kronos nodded in understanding and waved
for Perses to go. The Titan pounded his right fist to his chest and bowed before making his
way to the door.

“You’re a good liar, Perses. But I am the Crooked One, the King of Lies. You cannot trick
me.” Kronos’s low voice rang out over the room. As low and quiet as it was, it easily carried
to Perses' ears and the younger Titan went still.

“I do not aim to trick you, My King.” He answered, his back still to Kronos as he stood in the
doorway. Kronos stood, his chair harshly scrapping against the floor at the haste of his
actions.

“And what is it that you aim to do?” he questioned his nephew. Perses turned his head to the
side until his dark eyes made eye contact with Kronos’s. He looked into the King’s eyes as he
spoke, almost fearlessly.

“I will do my duty, Your Majesty. As I swore to do.” Kronos had to refrain himself from
lashing out his power and maiming his nephew- knowing his brother would not appreciate
that and that during this war, Perses was one of their strongest warriors. Kronos’s lips curled
into a mean snarl- a warning- and he snapped at his nephew.

“Get out.”

Hades stalked through the streets of Olympus as he made his way to the Throne Room
(a Throne Room that held no seat for him. Him! The eldest son of Kronos, the once heir of
Othrys, to be fair, Hestia had no throne as well, which was an equally large insult). He
arrived at the large bronze doors of Olympus and he shut his eyes, allowing himself to grow
to his full height, standing tall at 30 feet. He threw the doors open, they clanged as they
slammed into the walls of the Throne Room and he entered the room.

Zeus sat upon his throne, his eyes practically black with how dark of a gray/blue they were.
He lifted his head at the loud noise of his elder brother’s entry. Hades’ black eyes connected
with his brother’s and they both lifted their lips into practically identical sneers.

“Hello, brother” Zeus called, lifting his hand into an almost mocking wave. Hades rolled his
eyes at his younger brother.

“Zeus.” Hades acknowledged, with a short nod of his head. Zeus stood from his throne and
made his way down the steps towards Hades, shrinking with every step until he was the size
of a tall mortal, standing at about 6’2. Hades shrank to meet him (standing at about 6’4
because Kronos’s sons were petty like that and they fought miniature battles over small things
like height and such). Zeus clapped a ‘brotherly’ hand on Hades’ shoulder and gestured for
him to walk with him.

“Brother, as you know Typhon is moments away from emerging from his slumber and
beginning a reign of terror and destruction. The Council will be meeting him in battle and
warring against him in the hopes of defeating him and sending him back to his prison before
he reaches Olympus.” Hades nodded, only half listening as he waited from Zeus to say
whatever it was he truly wanted to. “Poseidon’s twice damned son has certainly screwed us
all over when he released that monster from his prison.”

“Poseidon’s children had no way of knowing the consequences of their actions. They were
trying to stop our Father from rising.” Hades’ voice was sharp and cold- a clear reprimand to
his youngest brother. “They made the best judgment they could, brother. And you should
remember that.” Zeus stopped in his tracks and looked at Hades with a look of clear
displeasure.

“You would defend the children of our brother to me? The son who could bring the end of
everything we’ve built. His son he will use to overthrow me and steal my throne! The
children of his oathbreaking!” Hades let out a snort of laughter at that.

“The children of his oathbreaking? Are you delusional, brother? He may have had two
children but it was only one incident. You on the other hand,” Hades raised a judgmental
eyebrow. “You broke the oath three times brother. Three times. Spare me your hypocritical
speech and your false scandalization. The only one of us who may cast judgement is me,
because I am the only one who still stands by the oath.” For a moment, Zeus’s eyes narrowed
and he looked as if he wanted to call his lightning down upon Hades. But just when Hades
thought they were going to fight, Zeus’s expression cleared as clouds do on a sunny day.

“Let us not argue brother, I would hate for tensions to rise between us, especially during war
time.” He said and the pair continued to walk down the halls of the Main Palace, casually
looking at the sights of Olympus which was now sad in quiet as war raged. “I have a request
for you.” Zeus finally said after a while of polite conversation about each other’s godly
children. Ahh, here it is, Hades thought. They were finally getting to what Zeus had really
summoned him here for.

“What is it.” Hades ground out.

“I need you to join me and our siblings and my children in the battle against Typhon. I’ve
sent orders to our brother to join us as well and yet he insists on ignoring them which is why
I’ve chosen to speak to you face to face.” The pair had stopped in the midst of the private
gardens that stood outside of Zeus and Hera’s bedrooms. A tall statue of Queen Rhea stood in
the center of the garden and both sons gazed upon the likeness of their late mother. “Join the
rest of us and fight by my side, brother. It is what our mother would want.”

Hades’ mouth almost dropped open at the nerve of his brother. He kept his eyes on the face
of his mother, hoping it would calm him down from the urge he had to strangle and kill his
youngest sibling.
“What our mother would have wanted?” He spun on Zeus with a look of fury. “Do not speak
to me about what Mother would have wanted. You think you knew her but you didn’t. The
woman you knew was nothing like the woman I knew. You know the shell of our mother but
I knew the real her. You do not get to speak about what she would have wanted.” Spit flew
from Hades’ mouth in his fury and he noticed the slight widening of his brother’s eyes. “As
for helping you? I will not. I will do as Poseidon is and defend my own realm. My hands will
not rise to aid you.” With that Hades began to storm away, like a dark cloud of fury, the entire
garden darkening in a reflection of his now black mood.

“Hera will be most disappointed to hear this.” Zeus called out in an arrogant and patronizing
tone as if he were deliberately trying to wind up Hades and thought that mentioning Hera was
the way to do it. “Although I’m not surprised to hear your rejection. It was after all, Hera’s
idea and you do seem to take pleasure in ignoring her cries for help.”

Black Hellfire burned into existence along Hades’ arms and his eyes burned with it too, the
whites of his eyes disappearing as the fire took over. In a flash he was holding Zeus by the
collar of his button-down shirt.

“Do not speak to me of our sister.” Hades snarled out, the fire that emitted from his body
singing Zeus’s clothes and burning into his skin. “Do not EVER speak to me about her.” He
gave an almighty shove and Zeus went flying across the garden. Hades spun on his heel and
stalked out.

Poseidon sat upon his throne, his head buried in his hands under the weight of the Sea Wars.
His appearance had aged decades, turning him from a young man in his late 20s or early 30s
to a tired man in his 50s. (He was almost the image of his father during the first
Titanomachy)

Triton was gone from the palace, leading one of the fronts of the war and Amphitrite was out
trying to gather some of her siblings to fight against their Father. None of Poseidon’s other
children were here and his generals had all left by now, leaving Poseidon alone in his Throne
Room.

Not only was he dealing with the crippling stress of his war against his once favorite uncle
and the thought of the rise of his once beloved Father, but Poseidon was also crumbling under
the stress of his worry for his youngest children. His beloved twins.

He hadn’t been able to check on them much recently, not being able to visit in person. And
the war was keeping him so busy that he had only been able to see them in his Pearls that he
used to watch over them a few times. By Chaos, he was so worried about his precious
children. His poor son getting ready to lead an army against Poseidon’s father and poor Rhea
who would be right by his side but also had to deal with the fact that she was almost certainly
a main target of Kronos.
He wanted to go to his children and bring them down to Atlantis and shelter them away
forever, to keep them safe within his grasp where his father would never hurt them. Poseidon
did not care about his own safety against his father (Not that he had to be considering the fact
that Kronos would never actually bring himself to harm Rhea Ourania’s beloved son).
Poseidon also wanted to bring his poor nieces and nephews down to hide where he could
watch them. Nothing was more important to Poseidon than family and he knew that Hades
would appreciate Poseidon’s hand of protection and that Demeter would be delighted that
Poseidon was willing to protect her children. (Zeus would not admit if he appreciated it or
not but he would secretly be grateful that his newest son would be safe from Kronos,
especially since Kronos would be most eager to eliminate Zeus’s bloodline. (Poseidon hadn’t
even had time to process the news of his newfound nephew).

Poseidon’s head snapped up as he felt a ripple in his realm, announcing the presence of an
unexpected visitor. He was about to stand up from his throne when he saw Hades, Demeter,
and Hestia standing in the entry of the room.

“Brother, you don’t look well” Hestia cried out with worry, hastily making her way towards
Poseidon to check on him. When she made it to him, she ran her fingers over his face as if
she could wipe away his stress and worry. Poseidon tried to tamp down the clench in his gut.

“I’m alright Hestia, don’t worry.” He tried to reassure her, but she only gave him a look that
told him not to lie and kept checking on him. Demeter made her way towards them and she
brushed her fingers over his hand as she cam to sit on a chair by his side. “Demeter” He
greeted his middle sister with a fond smile and she gave him a sad one of her own. (Demeter
could not deny the slight pain she felt at the sight of Poseidon being cared for by the sister he
truly loved).

“Poseidon, I’m so sorry to hear about your war with Oceanus. I know that you two used to be
so close.” Demeter said and Poseidon reached over to take her hand, squeezing it gratefully.
By now Hades was standing beside Hestia, looking down at Demeter and Poseidon. The
eldest brother didn’t even try to hide his concern for Poseidon as he looked at who he
considered to be his baby brother.

When Hestia was finally convinced that Poseidon was alright she summoned a chair and sat
in front of Poseidon and Demeter, summoning a chair for Hades too. None of them
mentioned how painful it was that there was an empty spot beside Hades and Poseidon where
their last sister once sat.

"What's wrong with you, Hades?" Poseidon asked, nudging his elder brother with his foot
only for Hades to make a disgusted face and smack his foot away.

"It's nothing." At the disbelieving snorts of his siblings, Hades heaved a sigh. "Zeus sucks,
that's all". Words of agreement sounded from the other three and they all sat back in their
seats.

They all sat in companionable silence for a while, just soaking in one another’s presence and
enjoying what very well could be there last time together. The overhanging wars were present
on everyone’s mind.
“Did anyone see the way that Zeus’s newest son revealed himself the other day?” Demeter
finally asked, breaking the silence. Hestia began to giggle and the brother’s broke into
matching grins.

“It truly was the most overdramatic thing I have ever seen. Truly worthy of a Son of Zeus.”
Hades laughed and the siblings all fell into stitches of laughter at that. And with that, the
silence was over and the siblings spent their last moments before the war laughing and
sharing stories with one another before they all fell asleep in Poseidon’s bed in one big pile as
they did so many years ago when they last stood in the face of war with their Father.

Hestia tried not to cry at these moments with her beloved siblings, knowing they would be off
in war soon. The Goddess of the Hearth was moments away from having her siblings ripped
away from her and she would be faced with the possibility of their death. She would remain
to protect Olympus, Zeus knew she was truly the only one who could protect Olympus from
Kronos, should the demigods fail. So, she would stay behind and wait. She would protect the
hearth while her siblings fought for their lives.

Demeter’s feet were by Hades chest and her head was under Poseidon’s arm as she slept, her
mind filled with dark dreams. Whispers from her father, flashes of her mother’s death, flashes
of the unspeakable horrors from the Last Titanomachy and as she slept, she cried. Tears
coursing down her cheeks as even in her sleep she prayed the same prayer she had when she
was so many millennium younger. She prayed that her father would change, that he would
love her and that he would not aim to kill them all again.

Hades slept at the foot of the bed, even now as he slept he acted as a shield, a barrier always
protecting his siblings from anyone who may try and hurt them. He knew his siblings were
grown and powerful and fully capable of saving themselves but Hades would always worry
for them and protect them. He would not fight with Zeus and Hera, he could not stay on
Olympus with Hestia, and he could not fight Poseidon’s war with him, not when Hades had a
possible war of his own on his hands. Hades had no idea where Demeter would be but by
Chaos he hoped that she would stay safe (he hoped that she’d stay on Olympus with Hestia
and stay safe but realistically he knew Demeter would probably be in the heart of all the
action).

Poseidon slept, grateful for this time with his siblings, taking comfort in his sisters and his
brother. But really, Poseidon slept, grateful that he would not be facing his father. Poseidon
would rather fight Oceanus for a thousand years or be tormented by Typhon for another
thousand years before he would face his father.

The cousins all crowded in the council room, pillows, mattresses, and blankets strewn across
the room as the cousins prepared for a giant sleepover after another long series of council
meetings. Rhea’s whiteboard and markers with Ancient Greek scribbled on it was strewn on
the council table with remnants of her thoughts during the meeting. They were getting ready
to go to sleep, having already enjoyed some movies and snacks and now getting happily
ending the day when the door slammed. The sound of unsheathing metal filled the room as
each cousin stood with weapons out ready to end whatever threat was coming for them. But
there was no threat, just an overexcited friend.

“Percy! Kronos’s ship is getting closer, but I think I found a way to stop them and destroy the
ship!” Beckendorf stood triumphantly in the doorway with drawn up plans clutched in his
hands and a look of victory in his eyes. Hope filled in the chests of the cousins and they
quickly waved Beckendorf over, eager to strike a deep wound to the Titan Army.
 Beginning of the End

Eerie light was casting haunting shadows along the walls of the King’s Chambers. The bed
was unmade, sheets and duvet thrown about in an expression of dissatisfaction and the
pillows were carelessly strewn about. The King was not in said bed, having long ago
abandoned it in favor of sitting on a chaise with an arm slung over his face, covering his eyes,
and he grumbled in unhappiness.

Sleep was very clearly not happening tonight.

The outer door of his chamber squeaks as it opens and the King lets out a string of curses
before yelling at the intruder.

“I’m not in the mood to see you or anyone, Hyperion!” He shouts, without having moved an
inch. A huff of laughter sounds and Kronos hears light, delicate steps moving towards him.
The cool and soothing breeze of the visitor’s aura washes over him and Kronos almost
breathes a sigh of relief.

“I would think that you would always be in the mood to see your eldest sister.” The gentle
voice speaks and Kronos moves his arm to come off of his face and sit at his side. A deep
blue eyed, gentle smiling Tethys gazes down at him and Kronos feels the urge to smile back
come over him.

“Hello Mekari Adelfoi.” Kronos greets, rising from his chaise to press a welcoming kiss to
the cheek of the sister who practically raised him. The use of his formal title for Tethys pulls
an even bigger smile from her lips. Kronos has never been respectful a day in his life to
anyone except his beloved wife and his eldest sister (and sometimes Theia if Kronos needed
something from her). But for as long as Kronos can remember he has always called
Tethys, Mekari Adelfoi- beloved sister and eldest. (Oceanus receives no such title from any of
them).

Hello Aderfos, I shall never be used to the sight of you with blonde hair” She laughs,
reaching up and tugging on a blonde lock of hair. “We are all ever so grateful to see that the
black hair is starting to come back.” Kronos pushes her hand away from where it tousles his
blonde and black streaked locks and he motions for her to sit on the chaise while he waves
his hand, a deep emerald green armchair appearing from thin air and he takes a seat across
from her. “You look tired, you have such dark circles under your eyes and your shoulders
seem heavy.” Tethys has always worried over the health of her youngest four siblings, the last
two in particular. She reaches over and grabs Kronos’s hand, squeezing it and he squeezes it
back. No matter the past, their disagreements and any tension, she was still his eldest sister
and she loved and cared for him.

“The burden of being king and of war is never easy.” He murmurs and Tethys sighs.

“Yes but it is easier to bear when you have someone by your side to help.” Kronos yanks his
hand away from his sisters. He doesn’t want to speak about his wife, or her lookalike, or his
children and he has the distinct feeling that he is about to receive a lecture. In his head
Kronos curses Krios (who he knows must have told on him to their sisters when he went to
fetch them) to have some humiliating experience. “Kronos,” Tethys starts, “You leave for war
in the morning and yet you look as if you have not slept in days. This is not healthy.” Oh
thank Chaos, clearly she had no idea about the disaster with the Jackson girl and Krios hadn’t
told on him.

“Sleep is hard to come by these days.” Is all he says and Tethys frowns at him.

“Should I call Morpheus to come grant you peaceful sleep?” Kronos shakes his head in
response and her frown deepens. “Are you sure?” She presses and Kronos gives her a half
smile.

“You know that there is not much Morpheus can do for me. I have not slept for more than a
few hours in thousands of years.” Tethys sighs and nods her head in reluctant agreement.

“I know, but I still thought it best to offer.” Kronos gives her a grateful smile. “Now, what is
it that you need from me, Aderfos? You had all of us sisters brought here, so there must be
something you need.”

“Ah yes,” Kronos agrees, leaning back in his chair, happy with the change in topic. “I did
have Krios bring you all here for a reason. I know that with your husband waging war on
Poseidon, you are left alone in the Deep Waters so I wished for you to be brought here since I
know that you will not engage in the war against him or the demigods. I cannot bear the
thought of you alone and with no protection so I wanted you here.” Not that Tethys wasn’t
one of the most powerful beings on Earth, she was just rather peaceful and many could take
advantage of that. Kronos would not let them however, he would have her safe within the
palace.

“How thoughtful.” Tethys let out a slight laugh. “I would be much happier to stay here with
Krios instead of being alone in the Sea.”

“It wouldn't just be Krios. I plan to have all of our sisters stay here until the war is over and I
return triumphantly.”

“Very well,” Tethys agrees and she stands, brushing of her deep clue chiton in an attempt to
get ride of the wrinkles in it. “I shall inform our sisters, they will be thrilled to hear it.”
Kronos stand with her and faintly smiles at her words.

“I will speak to Theia and Mnemosyne. You are free to tell Phoebe and Themis however.”
She nods agreeably and Kronos holds out his elbow to escort her to the door. She takes it and
they begin to slowly walk.

“You will be careful, won't you Kronos?” Tethys asks anxiously before Kronos can open the
door for her. He raises an eyebrow at her.

“You do remember that I am perhaps one of the most powerful deities to ever live?” But
when she only frowns and glares at him Kronos sighs. “Of course, I’ll be careful,” Kronos
assures her. “Besides I will have Hyperion and dozens of other Titans and Gods on my side.
What could possibly go wrong?”
Tethys shakes her head in gentle, bemused exasperation and stands on her tiptoes and presses
a kiss to his cheek before her knees bend into an elegant curtsey.

“Mahzi therea kai gias padana,” She whispers as she leaves his room. An old promise the
Titan siblings have always sworn to one another, from the happy days in the sun, through the
days of sheer terror in The Grove, and as they faced the devastation of their empire by the
Gods thousands of years ago. Mahzi Therea Kai Gias Padana. Together, now and for
always. The closest the Titans would ever come to an expression of love.

“Mahzi therea kai gias padana, Mekari Adelfoi.” He replied softly as she left the room. He
watches as she disappears down the hall to wherever their sisters are. He then turns and with
a harsh glare and even harsher tone he commands Mnemosyne, who stands by his door, to
enter the room.

He and Mnemosyne do not exchange warm greetings of affectionate words. Unlike his time
with Tethys, the air of the room is not walm or welcoming. There are no happy sibling
moments or any signs of any of the slightest love between the siblings. Instead she sinks into
a kneeling form on the ground as he storms into the room behind her. He goes to sit in one of
his chairs that faces the door and he does not bring her out of her deep bow.

“My King, what is it you require of me?” She speaks, her tone soft as if she is afraid to speak
too loudly lest it anger him.

“I find it utterly amusing that you would call my that when we both know you do not mean
it.” He snarls at her and Mnemosyne flinches at his anger. She does not dare to lift her head
and look at him. The sight of her eyes has sent him into many rages before and though he has
never struck her, he knows that she fears that one day he will.

“You are my king.” She murmurs and a harsh laugh forces its way through Kronos’s lips.

“You cannot even say it convincingly.” She does not respond to his jabs and so Kronos
continues. “I am changing the orders of your captivity. You will remain here at Othrys,
always confined to your chamber and in the company of four guards. You are only to leave
your rooms in the company of one of our sisters or brothers. Is that clear?”

“You still seek to punish me for something that happened millennia ago?” Comes the soft
dissent of the kneeling Titaness and Kronos lets out a feral snarl, standing up so harshly that
his chair crashes to the ground, splintering.

“There is no statute of limitations for your betrayal.” He stands over her now, towering over
her kneeling form and she ducks her head even lower. “You are a traitor to our house and to
this family and to my throne. I have spared your life and that is mercy enough, do not think to
question your punishment when I could easily rip your head from your shoulders.”
Mnemosyne flinches at his threat and he sees water hit the floor beneath where her head
ducks and he knows he has brought her to tears. Still, Mnemosyne is the Blood of Gaea and
Ouranos and the fire in her blood is not easily tamped out.

“And if our sister, your wife, were here today would you punish her as you do me? Her
crimes are not too different from mine, so would you punish her as well?” Her voice is still
soft, her head still bowed yet the sharp bite in her words is present, and Kronos feels the
Bloodlust in him rise. She would dare to compare the Queen’s actions to her own?
Mnemosyne’s head lifts and he sees a bit of her eyes glinting with tears and anger.

His fury rises at her words and his hand comes up, ready to strike her and rid her of her
insolence by force. He could do it. He knows that he could. With the anger in his veins he is
fully capable of striking her now. It is a line Kronos has never crossed but in this moment he
could.

“Kronos.” A disapproving and sharp voice rings out and Kronos brings his hand down. Theia
stands in the doorway, her eyes have shifted to a beautiful gold, to match his, as she always
does when they are together.

“Go.” Is all he says to the kneeling figure of Mnemosyne and she hastily rises, ducking into a
bow one more time before rushing to the door. She pauses by Theia.

“Thank you, sister.” She whispers gratefully, going to lay a thankful hand on Theia’s arm but
she recoils back as if Mnemosyne was trying to stab her.

“Get away from me.” Theia spits at her and hurt flashes across Mnemosyne’s face before she
ducks out of the Royal Chambers. The door shuts behind her and the pair stand in silence for
a moment. “You’re as mean as ever to her.” Theia teases, her words ridden with giggles.

“Like you’re any better.” Kronos snarks back and their laughing only grows. Theia launches
herself across the room towards Kronos and they collide in a hug. He pulls back from her
after a few moments and holds her at arm’s length, looking over her to ensure that she is
alright, he knows she is doing the same to him. “How are you Theia? How is Selene?” Theia
shakes her head sadly.

“She is still no better. The madness grows inside her day by day and I fear she will soon be
consumed by it.” A pit falls in Kronos’s stomach.

“Have you consulted Hecate for some sort of remedy? I’m sure we can find something,
surely the curse is breakable.” His voice sounds almost desperate in his ears. There are not
many that Kronos cares so deeply for but the children of Hyperion and Theia are so beloved
to him.

“We have tried everything, Aderfos.” Theia’s voice is resigned, as if she accepts this horrible
fate for her daughter and Kronos fights the urge to lose himself in rage and not destroy
things. Loss is not something that Kronos is good with and so he instead, he shakes his head.

“No. There is something out there, we just have not found it yet. When the war is won we
will find it.” He refused to accept that his niece’s curse was uncurable. Theia was giving him
a look he could not quite discern.

“I do not wish to speak of it anymore Kronos.” She declared, her tone final, and Kronos
nodded his head agreeably. It would be better to move on to happier topics. “Are you ready to
finally take back your rightful seat?” Theia asked, a conspiratorial grin on her face as they sat
down, a tray of ambrosia with glasses of Nectar appearing beside them. Kronos leans in with
a hungry look on his face.

“I’ve never been more ready.” Theia laughs delightedly. “What about you?” Kronos asks.
“When I win, your husband will guard all of the West. You must be excited to reclaim that as
well.” Theia gives a thoughtful hum.

“I’m not sure. With everything wrong with my child I am not sure if I will have time to guard
the West with Hyperion. It may be best for me to just bring Selene here and stay
permanently.”

“I would be delighted to have you here.” Kronos assures her. “With you living here, things
will be like they once were.” He leans back in satisfaction but Theia gives him an odd look.

“You are so excited to recreate the past.” Her words are slow, thoughtful. “So excited that
you would torture an innocent girl?” Her expression turns accusing and Kronos’s mouth
drops open.

“Who told you?” He exclaims and she rolls her eyes.

“Hyperion of course. You know we tell each other everything. Did you really think you could
torture that poor girl and I wouldn’t find out?” Of course, Hyperion was so deeply devoted
and in love with his wife that he would snitch on Kronos in a heartbeat.

“I didn’t torture her.” he grumbled to which Theia snorted in disbelief.

“So that amount of begging, screaming and crying comes from what then?” Kronos only
shook his head at her, refusing to deign her with an answer. “Kronos,” he looked up at Theia,
her face was serious now. “What is it that you want from the girl?” Kronos’s eyes shift and
Theia’s face takes on an expression of concern at the gleam in his eyes.

“Theia- I can’t explain it and you wouldn’t understand it but there is something off.” Kronos
almost fumbles over his words, unable to finish a thought (because he doesn’t even really
know what he’s trying to tell her.) “It’s complicated.” Is the answer he settles for.

“Story of your life. I do not condone your actions.” Theia grumbles and Kronos gives her a
faint smile. “Not that you care what I think. Just be careful.” When Kronos gives her a
questioning look, Theia looks at him like he’s an idiot. “She’s got that brother of hers who
watches over her like a lion. I know you think you are the most powerful being out there, but
you know as well as I do the kind of power that siblings gain when someone threatens them.”

And she is right. Because their family is one giant epic about how siblings gain unimaginable
amounts of strength and power in the face of their siblings being threatened. Hyperion
withstood unimaginable pain and torture to save their sister from their father. Kronos had
gathered the strength, courage, and power to murder their father and take the throne to save
their sister. He remembered in the Titanomachy when Hades had lit the entire mountainside
of Othrys on fire to save Hera and Poseidon from being captured. He remembered when
Poseidon had toppled mountains in his rage when Demeter was injured.
No, Kronos could not afford to underestimate and misjudge his grandson’s power. The
Destroyer would be looking for every possible chance to avenge his sister’s kidnapping.
Theia was right, he would have to be extremely careful. He clasped his hand to hers and
brough the joined hands in between them before pressing a kiss to his fist where it joined hers
in the gesture of an Old Promise.

“I Swear that I will be careful.” Theia gave him a discerning look before she leaned in and
kissed their joined fists.

There is not much to say after that.

There is tension in the room. There is a worried sister who understands the reality of the
situation, who despite her faith in her brother, understands just what he could be going up
against. Theia has seen a Destroyer in his prime before, she has seen a Destroyer rip apart the
very Sky for someone he loved. Theia has also seen the power in that girl’s veins before. She
remembers the day Rhea escaped Othrys during the Titanomachy and she know that power
that flows through those veins when her desperation rises. And while Theia believes in her
brother and hopes for his victory, she cannot help the sinking feeling in her gut as she thinks
about her beloved baby brother going headfirst into a war.

When Theia left only a few minutes later, it did not take Kronos long to decide to depart for
the Princess Andromeda that night. He had word sent to Hyperion to join him in the
morning (so that way Theia and Hyperion had time to say goodbye to one another) and he
had arrived to his ship, ready to command his armies to Manhattan. The boat was around the
area of the Carolinas which meant Kronos had plenty of time to plot and plan before they
reached land, confident in the fact that he and his warship full of demigods, monsters, gods,
and titans would arrive in a week on the shores of Manhattan to take the city.

It is when he arrives in his private chambers on the boat that Kronos falls asleep for the first
time in a long time. And when he sleeps, he dreams of her. He chases her through memories,
through the past, he tracks her through fields to the once familiar planes of Africa and he
whispers her True Name to her.

And when he awakens, his drive, his resolve, his hunger- they are stronger than ever.

In the two weeks since the Battle of the Twin Rivers Alexander had quickly wormed his way
into the family as he proved himself to be helpful, powerful, and loyal. The Demeter cousins
had been the quickest to fully welcome him in. Alexander was funny, charming, and a good
fighter. Steve had been the first to like him, followed by Liam when he beat the both of them
in a two on one fight. He had won Seth over when they realized they both liked a double
bladed sword as a weapon. Katie and Miranda had been the hardest to win over but he did it
when Lily and Madeleine had been unsuccessfully trying to braid each others hair before he
sat down and did their hair for them.
He had then proceeded to cheekily tug on Rhea’s ponytail and offer to braid hers too, telling
her that she could use it. Percy had been quick to grab his wrist and yank him away from
Rhea, but not before Alexander managed to catch sight of a faint glimpse of a smile on her
face. That incident seemed to spark a drive in him to win Rhea and Percy over.

That evening at dinner, Alexander had plopped down at the table right across from Rhea and
proceeded to tease her for not eating anything, telling her that if she wasn’t careful that she’d
lose all her strength and then he’d be the one throwing her on the ground. The entire table had
fallen silent and Rhea’s mouth had fallen open in shock. Then her shoulders had started to
shake as silent laughter racked her body before flipping him off. She had then proceeded to
bring her hamburger to her lips and devour the entire thing.

Percy had looked at Alexander a bit differently after that, and with a hint of respect.

Alexander had then knocked on their door later that night and held up a monopoly box. Rhea
had stepped to the side to let him into the cabin. That night Percy, Nico, Rhea, and Alexander
had played a rather violent version of monopoly until 3 in the morning that ended with Percy
flipping the board in outrage when Rhea robbed him on the Boardwalk and the three boys
calling her a cheater.

Alexander, Alex as he told her to call him (like he didn’t even consider the fact that she
couldn’t speak), became one of her new sparring partners. They sparred for hours each day,
they raced up the climbing wall, and sometimes he stole chocolates from the Camp Store and
they sat by the ocean and ate their chocolate in secret to keep it hidden from the other
cousins.

He treated her the most normally, not looking at her with worry or pity or anything of the
sort. Maybe it was because he didn’t know her from before the kidnapping, but it didn’t
matter to Rhea. All that mattered was that he treated her normally. Slowly, Alex and Rhea
grew incredibly close and it was this that led to Percy trusting him. The two boys began their
own sparring sessions, they talked about the perils of their demigod life and the stress of their
heritage. They talked about their poor mothers left to raise godly children while their fathers
escaped responsibility.

There was also a new relationship that formed. One between Nico, Katie, Alexander, Percy,
and Rhea. The ones that bled Gold instead of red. The ones who held a bit too much power in
their veins and who constantly fought a war against themselves in an effort to deny the
howling power and bloodlust in their veins. There was an understanding between them, that
they were different, that they heralded a new race, that their very existence was a prophecy of
devastation and death.

It was this new relationship that led to Alex tapping on the window of the Poseidon cabin at 2
in the morning as Percy and Nico snored, deep in their dreams, truly resting for the first time
in the week since they plans to attack Kronos’s ship had started. Rhea quietly rolled out of
bed, slipped a robe and a pair of sandals on, and quietly unlocked the door before sneaking
out to join her cousin.

“You do not look good at 2 in the morning.” Alex snickered as she shut the door behind her.
Rhea rolled her eyes and shoved him away from her as he laughed. She stalked away from
him, heading towards the Hall of Remembrance and Alex jogged to catch up with her. He had
agreed to be her ‘chaperone’ while she snuck out to meet Apollo, who had sent her a letter
telling her that they absolutely had to meet tonight. “I’m not helping you make it to a late
night hookup, am I?” He asked with vague concern in his voice. Rhea shook her head in fond
exasperation before holding up her pen (her usual gesture for ‘talk’) and Alex nodded in
understanding. They climbed the hill looking over the ocean and approached the hall, where a
tall figure stood there, hand pressed to the wall, waiting for her.

The pair approached the god, who even in his most subdued, mortal form glowed with godly
strength. Rhea pressed her fingers to her lips before pressing said fingers to Lee’s name on
the wall. Apollo smiled at the action before fondly smiling down at her. However there was
something else in his eyes besides the usual affection and devotion, something grim and sad.

“Hello, little brother.” Apollo greeted, nodding his head at Alex who nodded back.

“Apollo.” Was all Alex said, his fingers running along the sword tattoo that was inked into
the skin of his inner forearm, the tattoo that triggered his double-bladed sword flying into his
hand when he spoke the word. Rhea gave him a look that said ‘don’t stab my boyfriend’ and
Alex only shot her a smirk. She then waved her hand at him in clear dismissal, shooing him
away from the couple.

“Use protection kids.” Alexander teased, shooting the parting remark over his shoulder and
then laughing as he ducked away from the balled-up wad of paper that Rhea threw at his
head. When he was out of sight Apollo put one hand behind Rhea’s head and the other on her
waist and pulled her in for a long, deep kiss.

The kiss felt desperate, as if somehow Apollo was trying to pour all of his feelings into it, as
if he could absorb her into him through this kiss. If Rhea had her vocal cords she probably
would have let out a whimper from the intensity of it. His hand wound through her hair,
tilting her head back a bit more as his tongue slipped into her mouth. The kiss continued for a
few moments longer before Rhea tapped her fingers against his chest in a sign to let up. They
broke apart, both a bit breathless and with swollen lips and blown pupils. Apollo pressed his
forehead to hers for a moment, his eyes shut as if he were suffering from sort of
overwhelming and unbearable pain. He then pulled away from her a bit, his eyes opening and
a happy smirk forming on his lips.

“Hello darling.” He murmured, his voice hoarse. Rhea’s mouth grew into a brilliant smile in
response, and she wiggled her fingers to say ‘hello’. “I had to see you.” It was then that Rhea
realized that his voice wasn’t hoarse from the kiss, he sounded distressed and upset. She
placed a hand on his cheek and tilted her head in question. Apollo heaved a great sigh. “I
have to go away. I’ll be gone for quite a while.” Rhea tugged her notebook out of his jeans
pocket (the one he always carried just for her).

‘Why? Where are you going?’ she scribbled, the words illuminated by Apollo’s glow.

“Typhon has escaped Mount. St. Helens and has destroyed much of the West coast, ravaging
it with storms and he’s heading towards the Midwest now. My father has ordered all of the
Olympians to ready and armor themselves to meet him in battle in the morning. We will then
use the combined strength of Olympus to bring him down.” Rhea furiously shook her head
and when Apollo started to speak she held up a finger, pausing him before he could begin as
she scribbled another note in Ancient Greek.

‘What about the war? What about Olympus?’

“My father has faith that you demigods will be able to hold Olympus.” When Rhea scoffed
and rolled her eyes, Apollo added on, “He’s left some minor gods there as well.”

‘We need Olympians’ she wrote. ‘There are 65 of us and you gods are going to force us to go
against Kronos all on our own?’

“We cannot afford to spare anyone to the war. Uncle Hades has already denied the call as has
your father. Since we’re down two of the Big Three, two of the Elder Six, we can’t afford to
spare any other Olympians to the war effort.” Apollo’s eyes were wide as he spoke,
apologetic as he explained his father’s reasonings.

Rhea hadn’t known that Uncle Hades had denied the Olympians support. She knew her father
was embroiled in a war with Oceanus and that’s why he was unable to really speak to them or
visit, but after Thalia, Percy, and Nico went on their quest and mindwiped Iapetus (he really
was a stubborn bastard for reforming so quickly) Hades had avoided any sort of Underworld
war. So why wasn’t he helping? Why wasn’t Hades willing to help his siblings fight of
Typhon?

She didn’t expect Hades to fight in Manhattan. Not if Kronos was going to be there. Rhea had
enough knowledge to know that Hades would desperately avoid his father. But for him to not
aid his siblings against Typhon was odd. However, Apollo snapped her out of her thoughts.

“I have to go soon.” He whispered, pulling her in for a tight hug, cradling her to his chest and
he gently ran his fingers through her hair. “I have to go soon but we will see each other
again.” He pulled away from her, lifting her chin to meet his eyes. She saw the desperation
and mania gleaming in his eyes as he spoke (that mania that was always lurking just beneath
the surface). “We will see each other again darling. We’re going to make it through this.”
(His mania did not worry her. Not now, right now she relished his devotion. A dark part or
her that she would rarely acknowledge, thought that she could use him, that she could put
him between her and Kronos and use Apollo's immense well of power to keep herself safe).

Rhea nodded. She did not cry, her eyes did not well up with tears. Rhea knew this feeling, the
feeling of sending someone off to war. Battles that could change the course of fate were
something Rhea was very familiar with. Rhea did not know all of it, she could vaguely
remember some of it, some of the instances that she had sent others to war, but what she did
remember clearly was the feeling.

She knew what it felt like when the Titans had marched up Othrys, when Kronos and his
brothers risked their lives to stop Ouranos’s tyranny. She knew what it had felt like when the
Elder Six marched to war against their own father. She knew what it had felt like when Rhea
Ourania had fought tooth and nail for her freedom when she was held captive in Othrys and
had to fight Kronos for her freedom. She remembered watching from the beach as Percy
fought and beat Ares at age 12, when she had watched as Percy went up against Atlas. The
most gut wrenching thing she remembered though? Was going into the Battle of the
Labyrinth, so deeply submerged in her well of power, so confident in her power and her
victory, so sure of her ability to protect Lee. Only to watch as a sword ran through him and
his neck snapped. When she watched him crumple to the ground like a puppet with its strings
cut.

No, Rhea knew what it was like to send people to war. Instead she nodded and pressed a kiss
to his cheek.

“Stay safe.” Apollo whispered as he pressed another kiss to her lips and pulled her in for one
last hug. (Apollo knew how dangerous this war was for Rhea. Kronos had kidnapped her for
her face once before and now she was going headfirst into a war against him. Apollo’s
stomach churned at the thought of what Kronos may do to her if he got his hands on her
again.) Rhea nods against his chest before she pulls back.

When Rhea steps back, out of his grasp Apollo gives her a nod. A light brighter than the sun
begins to envelop Apollo, as his Divine Form starts to emerge, and Rhea squeezes her eyes
shut. When the light dims her eyes open and Apollo is gone. She feels a pain in her heart but
before it can take hold of her she shuts it down.

She can’t think of how this is the god who cried with her over Lee. How he held her as the
waves crashed in the background as they grieved Lee together and shared stories about him.
About how Apollo had spent months with her, laughing with her, telling her stories. How
when others were scared of her and shrinking away from her because of her power, Apollo
had only been more entranced by it, he had never been scared or freaked out. He had only
admired her. She couldn’t think about how since she had gotten back from her kidnapping,
Apollo had visited her 4 nights a week and how he had taken to bringing her gifts from areas
all around the world.

She couldn’t afford to think of that. (she really needed to focus on the part of her that
considered him a tool, a pawn).

Instead she turned on her heel and headed down the hill, rejoining Alex who was sitting at the
base of the hill. He stood and brushed off his jeans before escorting her back to her cabin.
She felt his eyes scanning her stoic face. He nudged his shoulder into hers and she looked up
at him. He gave her a comforting smile and slung his arm over her shoulder, and they walked
as a unit to her cabin.

Percy was having a really nice time with his only mortal friend, Rachel. Paul had actually let
him drive his car and this was Percy’s first day off in months. He hadn’t done anything not
war related in almost a year and now he was driving on the beach with Rachel. It was
relaxing. It would have been better if Annabeth was with him (Gods, Annabeth. She had been
furious to hear that he was going to hang out with Rachel and he didn’t understand why. He
tried to reassure her that Rachel wasn’t taking Annabeth’s place in his heart, that Annabeth
would always be first to him but he never seemed to be able to get the words out).
“Percy, do you think you’ll be able to make it to the vacation with my family?” Rachel asked,
her voice curious, gently prying him for an answer. Percy sighed and rolled his head to look
at her.

“Rachel-” he started, his tone anything but positive before Rachel cut him off.

“I know that things aren’t really great for you right now but still, I mean this could be really
nice.” Percy felt a sharp lance of anger through his body but he tried to be patient with her
and tamp it down.

“Rachel,” his voice was a bit harder now. “I am leading a literal war. I am about to march
through Manhattan and fight again a millennia old Titan who has more power than I can even
imagine. I have not just my own family counting on me, but I have an entire camp of KIDS,
literal KIDS, counting on me as well as all their mortal parents who are praying to every
deity under the sun that their child comes out of this alive.”

“Percy, I know!” Rachel was gaping at him, like she was horrified that he thought she didn’t
understand.

“No you don’t!” Percy exclaimed, throwing the car into park as the stress of his situation
overcame him. “I also have a sister. A sister who can’t fucking speak! A sister who was
kidnapped and endured god knows what for days inside the titan stronghold at Kronos’s
mercy. She can’t speak Rachel!” His voice cracked as he said it, the reality of his sister’s
situation was never something he was good at discussing. Rachel reached over and grabbed
his hand, squeezing it tightly in her grasp.

“Percy, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked, it was insensitive.” She apologized in a soothing
tone, begging for his understanding. Percy’s temper abated and he looked at her big green
eyes, full of genuine care and he nodded. He knew she meant no harm. “Let’s no fight,
okay?” He murmured ‘okay’. An awkward silence came over them before Rachel offered a
laughably obvious subject change. “My dad’s still a dick.” She said and Percy let out a laugh.

“He still wants to send you off to boarding school?” Rachel mimed vomiting at his question.

“Yeah, he’s been trying to bribe me into going, which is why he agreed to let me ask you to
come. I know things are awful for you but just know that the offer is still open. Besides,
there’s something we really need to talk about.” Percy frowned at her statement but before he
could open his mouth to ask about it Rachel hurriedly stopped him. “You know what? Never
mind, forget it. Lets just enjoy our time together.”

Her face was still painted with anxiety, but Percy had a sister so he was smart enough to
know when a girl really didn’t want to talk about something. So, he just sat there in the
drivers seat and watched the Ocean waves with Rachel. Occasionally he would reach out his
powers and tug at the waves to make a really large one and Rachel would clap.

All in all, Percy felt like it had been a really great day off.

Until Blackjack landed on Paul’s Prius and Bubbles dive bombed them. Percy almost wants
to stab himself right then and there at the thought of his day off coming to such an abrupt
halt.

“Blackjack, Bubbles,” Percy sighed. “What are you guys-” but it was then that his eyes
finished traveling up to come across the sight of his sister and Beckendorf.

Beckendorf had quickly become one of Percy’s closest friends, they spent many hours in the
council room together and over the past two weeks they had been planning the bombing of
the Princess Andromeda together. The Senior Hephaestus councilor was perhaps one of the
greatest minds in their camp (as well as one of the strongest demigods, he was ripped beyond
belief) and only a month before he had bombed an entire bus of monsters.

Unfortunately for Percy, Beckendorf and his sister were in full armor, with their breastplates,
helms, and armguards fully strapped on as well as Beckendorf being armed with a bag of
explosives. Rhea tossed Percy a breastplate, which he caught before it could smack Rachel.

“Time?” Percy asked, Beckendorf only nodded and Percy met Rhea’s eyes. The grim set of
her mouth only confirmed it.

Kronos’s war ship had made it to New York.

“Hi.” Rachel piped up. “I’m-”

“Rachel.” Beckendorf cut her off. “Yeah I know, Percy mentioned you.” He was giving her a
thoughtful look through slightly narrowed eyes before flicking them to stare at Percy with,
was that criticism? Percy narrowed his eyes back and Beckendorf smirked. Percy turned to
Rachel,

“Can you tell my mom please?”

“Yeah, I’ll explain the hood too.” Percy nodded his thanks before making to climb out of the
car. Rachel yanked him back and pressed a kiss to his lips before releasing him and climbing
into the Driver’s seat. It is only when they are far away and high in the sky that Beckendorf
begins to laugh at him and Rhea shakes with silent giggles.

“I’m guessing you don’t want me to mention this to Annabeth?” Beckendorf gasped out
between laughs and Percy winced at the thought.

“Oh gods, don’t even think about it.” Beckendorf laughed and Percy frowned. “That’s an
order.” Beckendorf only laughed harder as they flew.

Dusk had set when they arrived at the warship and Percy felt the chills run down his spine as
they grew closer to the target. He could practically feel the monsters and titans who probably
roamed the ship.

“Everybody have their mission?” Beckendorf yelled and the twins nodded. They had
practiced so many times that they could probably do it in their sleep. They had to do this and
they had to do it right and hopefully stop Kronos in his tracks. Percy ordered Blackjack down
and when they all dismounted on the lower deck he and Rhea quickly sent the Pegasi away.
They make it to the engine room and cut through the few monsters who occupy it. They then
slap bombs to every console and turbine available. In the back of Percy’s mind he kept track
of the bearings on the ship, logging its perfect location and just how long it would take to
land in New York Harbor. Rhea shot him and look and he knew she was doing the same.

“How much longer?” He sharply asked Beckendorf who shook his head with worry and
tapped his remote control detonating watch.

“Way too long, I haven’t even started the wiring.” But they didn’t have ‘too long’. The stairs
above them were pounding with the footsteps of probably hundreds of monsters and
demigods who were coming to find them. And so Percy and Rhea did what a true leader does
and sacrificed themselves, leaving Beckendorf in the engine room as they leave to draw every
monster away from the engine room, Percy going to the left stairs and Rhea going to the
right.

He cuts through a pack of telkhines less than a minute after leaving and bursts out onto Deck
Six, sprinting across it trying to remember the layout of the place from his last two times on
the ship. He came barging into the shopping mall area and was faced with some gargantuan
crab that some legendary demigod had probably faced.

It didn’t take Percy very long to dispatch him. He then sprints to the staircase and comes
across a herd of Dracanae. They throw their nets at him and their tridents come flying at him
but Percy rolls away from them and slices through them. By now, all the monsters had caught
sight of him and were charging towards him. So, Percy turned on his heel and ran.

He burst out onto the main deck, outside the sun had almost finished setting and the only
light now came from the Cruise lighting. The whole ship was deserted and Percy tried to
ignore the suspicious feeling in his gut. The last part left in his mission was to cross to the
other side of the deck, take the staircase, and get to the helipad- which was their rendezvous
point. However when Percy was halfway across the deck the sound of metal on metal
screeching filled the air and a voice called out which made Percy freeze.

“You’re late Perseus.”

Luke stood on the balcony above him except it wasn’t really Luke anymore. His hair was
completely black now, his face had completely changed to that of Kronos and the only hint of
Luke left was the scar that ran across his face. He looked just like Percy and it made him
nauseous.

“We’ve been expecting you for days.” His voice was cold and imperious, and there were
hints of amusement in it, almost as if he had caught Percy with his hand in the cookie jar. But
what really struck Percy about his voice is that any hint of youth was gone, it was now a
voice of power- heavy and ancient. “Come, bow before me Grandson. You are a of my blood
and I will welcome you to my side.”

“Unlikely, old man” Percy sneered. Laistrygonian giants filed in around the swimming pool
and about a hundred archers appeared on the look by Kronos. Hellhounds cam bounding out
as well and Percy’s gut sank. It had been a trap.
He looked up Kronos and felt his blood boil, the burning bloodlust was taking over him. This
was the Titan who had taken his sister. This was the titan who had ripped Percy’s sister away
from him and kept her trapped, locked away in Othrys and tormented her for almost a week.
This titan was the reason Rhea couldn’t even speak now. The whispers in Percy’s head grew
louder and the hum of his power filled his ears.

‘Fight him’

‘Kill him’

‘Kill him’

They whispered and Percy couldn’t help it. He caved to them. Waiting until his 16th birthday
was pointless, if Percy was supposed to save or destroy the world, why not do it right now?
Percy knew he could do it, the power was thrumming in his veins right now and Percy bet if
he cut his veins open right now, they would be glowing gold.

“Come forward, if you dare” Kronos beckoned and Percy bared his teeth in a grin. The
monsters parted and Percy ascended the stairs to his Grandsire, The Patriarch. He uncapped
Riptide and the sword unsheathed with a sickening metal sound. The six foot long scythe of
Kronos appeared in his hands but it did nothing to deter Percy and he charged.

The metal on metal sound filled the air again and time slowed. A syrupy feeling filled the air
and Percy felt his arms grow heavy as he tried to raise his sword. Kronos only gave a self-
satisfied smile He swung his scythe at normal speed and Percy gritted his teeth.

His gut lurched and the Ancient Magic in his blood filled him. The entire ship lurched as the
Ocean lunged to meet his command. Thousands and thousands of gallons of Ocean Waters
surged and doused the entire deck, revitalizing Percy and ruining Kronos’s time magic.

Percy struck.

Fury was what was powering Percy and met Kronos’s blade with a powerful strike that shook
the boat. He then spun and landed a kick to Kronos’s chest. The Titan King stumbled back,
losing some ground and Percy pressed his advantage. But when Percy faulted to the left,
Kronos swung his scythe and it managed to shave off part of his shirtsleeve and slice off a
layer of his skin.

A devastating hit.

This tiny cut was all it would take for Percy’s soul to be completely severed from his body,
for his strength to be absorbed into the scythe and given to Kronos. Percy felt the first sliver
of Power leave him and Kronos’s eyes glowed brighter. Percy stumbled back and Kronos
laughed.

“Your anger makes you sloppy, Perseus Jackson.” But Rhea flashed in Percy’s mind and
strength flooded him again. He lunged at Kronos who stumbled in shock and Percy landed
another kick to his chest.
“I’m still good enough to fight you.” He snarled back and Kronos’s lips lifted into a matching
one. They trade blows for a few more seconds before one particular hit forces them apart. It is
then that a monster cries out.

“My King!” and Ethan fucking Nakamura brings out Beckendorf who looks like hell. He’s
covered in cuts and bruises and his eye is swollen. His armor had been stripped from him and
his shirt and pants were ripped in various places.

“We found him, just as we were told.” Ethan calls triumphantly. “The spy was right!”

“No!” Percy yells and he lunges forward. Beckendorf met his eyes and then glanced at his
hand like he was signaling Percy. Percy’s eyes went to his watch and realized what he was
saying. Beckendorf still had the detonator. How was that possible?

“He was going towards the engine room. We found him headed in that direction and his bag
is still full.” Kronos’s eyes narrowed and the monsters began to grow nervous.

“Open the bag.” He commanded and the monsters fell over themselves to obey. The
explosives bag fell open and dozens of cans of fruit from camp came falling out. A sharp
metallic hum filled the air and Percy felt trepidation fill him as Kronos’s anger rose.

“CHECK THE ENGINE ROOM NOW!” He boomed and a dozen monsters and demigods
went stumbling down the stairs, scrambling in terror to fulfill their orders. Before Percy could
look at Beckendorf, another group of monsters came pushing through, calling out to Kronos.

“My Lord!” Kronos’s head snapped up. “We found another one! An unexpected one! This
one almost took out all of our calvary.” At that Percy and Beckendorf’s heads snapped in that
direction and horror filled Percy while eagerness overcame Kronos’s face. The monsters
parted and Rhea was shoved into the midst of them. She stumbles and falls to her knees and
both Percy and Beckendorf surge forward- although Beckendorf is restrained by monsters.

Percy grabs his sister and pulls her to his side, hoping to shield her from the gaze of Kronos
but it is too late. The horrifying golden eyes of Kronos have already registered her presence
and his eyes have widened with obvious hunger. Rhea’s head slowly lifts, and her eyes
slowly clash with Kronos’s.

“Hello Ischyros.” The Titan King says those words like they are savory on his tongue and
Rhea almost imperceptibly flinches back. Percy snarls at him, he doesn’t know why the Titan
King is calling her this, but he doesn’t care.

“Don’t speak to her. Don’t even look at her. You don’t even deserve to be in her presence
after you did Chaos knows what to her.” Percy warns, his voice jagged as he bites out the
words.

“You haven’t even told him about your time at Othrys?” Kronos laughs, he seems to only be
addressing Rhea which makes Percy’s blood boil.

“She can’t tell anyone anything. She can’t fucking speak!” Percy spits and Kronos takes a
step back as if his shock has physically forced him to take a step. The air grows tense but
before anything can come to blows Percy catches Beckendorf’s eye and he cups his fingers to
a thumb in the motion of a zero. Beckendorf mouthed one word to him: Go.

Percy wanted to shake his head no, to save his friend but he knew that he couldn’t. He had to
get Rhea out of here, he had to get back to camp. Percy had no choice, he launched Riptide
like a javelin and it bounced off of Kronos’s chest. Percy and Rhea pushed through the
crowd, Rhea slicing through the monsters who rushed them, and they jumped off of the side
of the ship, falling hundreds of feet just as the loudest boom Percy had ever heard sounded.

“ISCHYROS!” Kronos screamed as the ship heaved and blew up. And Percy knows the cut
to his arm is making him hallucinate because for the briefest moment he swears he hears her
breath out the out the word 'Ekdikitis'. Her and Percy go flying through the air and pieces of
debris flew at them. A huge piece flew at Rhea and crashed into the side of her head, hitting
her temple, knocking her unconscious and she fell lifelessly into the water. Percy didn’t even
have time to scream at his sister as another piece fell through him- literally.

Percy let out an agonized cry as a sharp piece of metal embedded itself in his back, stabbing
him in the shoulder. Another arrow flew into his thigh and Percy grunted. He plunged into the
sea and willed the currents to grab him and his sister (wherever she was) and carry them as
far away as possible.

The Princess Andromeda let out another explosion and heat seared Percy’s face as massive
green flames roiled into the sky and lit the surface of the water on fire where the ship’s oil
had spilled.

“Beckendorf.” Percy cried out but he knew it was useless. Beckendorf was dead.

He then blacked out and sank to the bottom of the sea.

 Solemn Goodbyes

“Marry me.”

Rhea spluttered out a cough at the abrupt proposal. She coughed for a few moments longer
while Kronos patted her on the back. When her coughing fit subsided she turned to Kronos
with her brilliant sea green eyes wide and her mouth open.

“Are you out of your mind?” She gaped and Kronos only gave her that giant grin that she
loved so much. His smile lines crinkled and his gold eyes glowed ethereally.

“No, in fact I think this is the best idea I’ve ever had.”

“Marry you? As in husband and wife?” Kronos frowned slightly, clearly taking offense at her
tone of voice.

“Am I that bad?” Rhea furiously shook her head lightly shoving Kronos into the tall grass of
the African plain. Kronos toppled over and laughed.

“Of course not! I just- I didn’t.” She pauses to gather her thoughts. “I just didn’t think you’d
want to marry me. I don’t know if I’m the right choice for Queen.”

“Don’t say that!” Kronos gasped in horror. “Who else would I ever want to marry?” He
moved to sit in front of Rhea and took her hands in his own. “You are the only one I have ever
loved, the only one I will ever love. You are the only person for me. No one deserves to be
Queen more than you and I know that with you by my side we can be the best rulers the
Heavens have ever seen.” His voice was impassioned, and Rhea felt a smile grow on her face
and she began to nod. But she had some conditions before she could accept.

“You can never betray me.” She warned him and Kronos grinned, as if he knew she were
going to accept. “You will forsake all others; I will not tolerate a philandering husband. I
will be your only wife, your only queen.” Rhea couldn’t be her mother, she couldn’t handle
the idea of turning into the tragic and anger filled person that Gaea was. Kronos only gave a
loving laugh, like he thought she was the most amusing person to ever live. He took her face
into his hands and pressed kisses all over her face before pulling away and tucking one of her
wild, black curls behind her ear.

“My heart,” He started, his voice softer than Rhea ever thought possible and he rose, pulling
Rhea into a standing position. And then, to Rhea’s complete and utter shock, he knelt at her
feet. Kronos Ouranian, the King of the Heavens and the Earth and the Titan of Time knelt at
the feet of Rhea. Just Rhea, she was no queen, no great Primordial. And yet he knelt at her
feet. He looked up at her with complete adoration. “I make you this vow.” His voice then
dropped several octaves, turning into the Ancient and Powerful tone that came with the Old
Tongue.

“Den thai agapioso kenenan allon prine apo sena.” I shall love no other before you
“Den thai timisio kenenan allon ekteos apo esena.” I shall worship no other before you

“Tha proskynisoi minao esena.” I shall honor no other before you.

“Sais yproschoimai tin agapia, tin pisti mou kais olokliri tin yparaxi mou.” My heart, my
power, and my loyalty shall only ever be for you.

“O ti kano thai einai gias sena. Kai potes den thai se enkataleipso oute thai ses prodoso.
Afto to orkizomai.” Everything I do will be for you and never shall I forsake you or betray
you. This I so swear.

Thunder boomed and the air heated up several degrees in response to his oath. Rhea dropped
to her knees in front of Kronos, tears coursing down her face at his promise. Never did Rhea
think that someone would ever adore her so much as to promise her the universe. She pulled
Kronos close and her lips met his in a passionate kiss. Rhea could have sworn that stars
exploded and the universe perfectly aligned in that moment. They pulled back and their
foreheads pressed together.

“I’ll marry you, Ekdikitis.” A tear slipped down Kronos’s cheek and he gave her the most
brilliant smile she had ever seen. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and Rhea’s eyes fluttered
closed with happiness. Kronos then pulled away from her and reached up to his neck where a
golden chain hung around it, she then noticed a gorgeous, delicate ring on it.

Kronos unhooked the necklace and pulled the ring off. It had a band of delicate gold that
looked like vines and flowers as it would up to the top of the ring where it encircled and
entwined two beautiful, precious stones on the top, an Onyx of the deepest black and a
brilliant green emerald. He then took Rhea’s left hand and slipped the ring on her pointer
finger (unlike Modern times, the Ancient ones swore vows on their pointer finger because
that was were they believed that an individual’s power lay).

The wedding and coronation happened only 12 days later. All of their Titan siblings, the
Cyclops, the Hekatariones, and almost every single Primordial attended. Their mother
beamed with happiness when the crown was placed on Rhea’s brow. (It had nothing to with
her happiness at their marriage and everything to do with the child she wanted on the Throne
being named Queen).

They come to stand before Ananke the Primordial of Fate, the eldest of the Primordials, and
prepare to be coronated together when an epic clash of thunder rings out. For a moment
everyone fears that somehow Ouranos is announcing his presence but there is a brilliant
flash of light and there stands him.

Chaos.

His hair is of the darkest black and inside his eye sockets there are not regular eye whites and
pupils, instead there are gleaming cosmos, thousands of stars and supernovas glimmer in his
eyes. Across his deepest blue/black skin are the Heavens. Stars blink in and out of existence
across his arms and on his neck Black Holes absorb anything near them.
Despite all of that, his features are still so familiar, the sharp and regal angle of his nose, the
shape of his lips and the tilt of them as he observes everyone (they have all fallen to their
knees in his presence). Why does he look so familiar? Rhea cannot pinpoint it but he does. It
drives her crazy that she cannot figure it out.

The Crown has already been placed on Kronos’s brow but he has yet to be anointed. Chaos
takes the oil from his eldest child’s hand and pours it on the head of Kronos. He then takes
the other Crown and with his own hands, Chaos, the Creator of Everything and Father of the
Universe, crowns Rhea Ourania as Queen of the Heavens and the Earth. He anoints her as
well and then steps back to allow Ananke to finish the ceremony.

The Blessing of Chaos carries with them through their reign and 500 years of utter glory
follow them. The Golden Age. When Rhea awakens in the middle of the night to lean over the
side of their bed and vomits, the Heir of the Heavens has been created, and 7 months later
Hestia Kronia is born with brilliant reddish bronze hair and eyes of gold.

Chaos sends them a gift and a name for the babe. Protokonois. Beginning. It is perfect,
everything is wonderful. All of their siblings have arrived for the birth of the Princess of
Othrys and that night Kronos and Rhea triumphantly appear in the Throne Room, will
Kronos lovingly cradling his daughter.

The five months that Hestia lived pass slowly and quickly because for the Titans, time is not
normal. Five Months can fell like five days and five years all at the same time. By the end of
Hestia’s first month (day)(year) of life, she is toddling around Othrys, laughing as she causes
her father many headaches. But then Hestia’s power makes itself known and the Curse of
Ouranos awakens in Kronos’s mind and the madness sets in.

Hestia goes missing one night and the titans presume she has been murdered or perhaps
taken (the Primordials are petty and dangerous and since Kronos deposed Ouranos they have
been antsy). They hold vigils for her and Rhea mourns for a year, her body wracked with
grief as she sobs for weeks. Kronos holds her and cries with her, apologizing for failing her.

Nothing is the same

Demeter Kronia (named Dimiourgos by Chaos. Her name means Great Creator.) is born 2
years later and 3 weeks after her birth she too goes missing only this time it is brutal and
bloody and awful. Her nursery is torn to pieces and splatters of ichor decorate the room. It is
clear that her daughter was ripped to pieces by one of their enemies. Aether has been
growing violent against Kronos and Rhea lately (he even dared to threaten their palace a few
months ago. Kronos had nearly ripped him to pieces but he would be healed by now. Healed
and looking for vengeance).

Rhea does not even think to be suspicious of her own husband until eighteen months later
when her newest babe, Hera Nearos (her name means Cunning), goes missing and Kronos
comes before her on his knees and begs forgiveness for his actions. He tells her about his
madness, his crippling paranoia that has begun to overtake him and how he absorbed Hera
and has trapped her away in a prison of his own Immortal Energy. (He does not tell her that
he is responsible for Hestia and Demeter.)
These lies are the beginning of the end.

Hades Aorato (Their son's name means Perseverance and Kronos crows with pride because
of it, saying that it means his son is strong and determined) is born 18 months later and his
birth is greatly welcomed because Kronos has a son. Kronos is so proud of his son and he
proudly parades his son in front of their siblings for the next three weeks.

But four weeks later Kronos demands that Hyperion and Iapetus take her to see their mother
and when she returns home, her son is gone.

Rhea bars him from her bedroom and her life for well over a year. She rules as queen in
frosty silence and unflinching and unwelcoming scorn. She does not speak to him and she
does not forgive him.

Then Kronos leaves to go to war for six months and Rhea reigns alone on the throne for those
months. She rules the heavens by herself and she is good at what she does. She is fair but she
is cold when needed. Kronos fights to cast their brothers back into Tartarus far away from
Rhea.

But one night he comes home dragged between Hyperion and Iapetus and he is on deaths
doorstep. He screams her name as he fights pain and infection. He cries out for her and he
begs for her presence, for her forgiveness. She finds herself by his bedside nursing him back
to health because she still loves him. She reigns during the day and in the evening she sits by
his side.

3 months after he is healed, they conceive another child and Poseidon is born.
Poseidon Klironomos (His name means Mightiest Warrior and Kronos has never smiled
harder) is beloved the moment he comes out. His eyes of his mother and his face of his father
and a sunny personality endear him to everyone. Hours after his birth, Kronos and Rhea
bring him to the throne room and Kronos summons every single one of his subjects to come
and see his son.

Poseidon lives for 4 months. He grows and he lives and he laughs. He plays with his father
and mother and his aunts and uncles. Poseidon sits on his father’s lap while his father rules.
He visits the earth and the subjects with his mother. Poseidon is the most beloved child
Kronos and Rhea have ever had besides their first.

When his powers first appear Kronos is not even angry. Instead he is proud and proclaims
that one day his son will rule as the emperor of the seas. Kronos is an active parent, a proud
parent, until Poseidon drowns all of Othrys.

Rhea knows before he does it and she disappears into her rooms because she cannot bear to
watch what is going to happen. When Kronos comes to her room her door is barred shut and
she does not let him back in no matter how hard he begs.

The end of the Golden Age is drawing near.

Percy dreams.

Percy dreams of Othrys. He dreams of Othrys and he dreams of a great room bathed in
moonlight. In the center of the room a great, armored warrior struggles beneath the weight of
the sky. Atlas grunts and screams under his great burden. Across the room from him, three
other titans stand over a flaming bronze brazier that is flickering with images. Images of the
Princess Andromeda exploding into millions of pieces and sinking in the ocean.

“Quite an explosion” remarked the one wearing black armor that was decorated like the night
sky and he donned a war helm with rams horns curling on either side. Black eyes peered out
from behind his helm as he studied the flames with admiration. One of the other titans whose
eyes burned with sun-like fire gave an almost admiring chuckle.

“Not that it matters.” He shrugged “It was only a fraction of Kronos’s forces. The other 5
warships are swiftly approaching the harbor anyways. Besides the gods have answered the
challenge and soon they will face a crippling defeat and be brought to their knees to Kronos.”
The images in the fire flickered and changed to show raging storms, crumbling buildings, and
thousands of mortals screaming in utter terror. “Now that I know that Othrys has not also
been targeted in this attack I will return to the warships to help lead our forces.”

The white haired, icy blue eyed Titan shifted, moving from his place around the brazier and
pulled on his gleaming, white helm. He sheathed a great sword and then clapped the Ram
Horned Titan on the shoulder.

“Krios, remember-” Krios scoffed, cutting the blue eyed titan off.

“I know,” he rolled his eyes and Hyperion chuckled while the blue eyed titan’s lips curled
into a teasing smile. “Guard Othrys, Krios. Watch our sisters, Krios, Babysit Atlas, Krios. I
never get any fun jobs while the pair of you are running off to play war generals by our
King’s side. Meanwhile I’m stuck playing Mnemosyne’s jailor.” Under the clouds, Atlas
roared at the sound of his name.

“TAKE MY BURDEN SO I MAY FIGHT!” A flame burned into existence, burning and
scarring the side of Atlas’s face.

“Quiet!” The golden Titan sneered. “You had your chance, nephew and you failed. You have
failed your king and now you will pay the price. Besides, after your father’s failure Kronos is
unlikely to trust your bloodline with anything important ever again. As for you, Krios” he
turned to Krios, “You will do your duty as your king has commanded you.”

“And if you need more warriors?” Krios’ voice was almost desperate as he asked, clearly
wanting to join in on what he probably imagined to be an epic battle.

“We have 14 titans, 20 gods, and over 100 demigods as well as thousands of monsters. We do
not need more warriors, brother. You will stay here and command the remaining gods and
titans to defend Othrys if necessary.” Krios gave an unhappy, reluctant nod while the blue
eyed one pounded his fist to his armor.
“The gods may have been born to bring about a new era but that time is over now and it is
time for us to retake our rightful place! In a few days we will gather here to herald in the
dawn of the Second Golden Age!” The golden Titan and krios pounded their own fists in
agreement before the golden one burst into a column of blinding flames and disappeared
while the blue eyed Titan disappeared in a blizzard. Krios rolled his eyes and yanked his
helm off his head revealing a head of dark blue/black hair.

“Show offs.” He grumbled. The door of the room creaked open and in walked a golden eyed
titaness but Percy’s dream shifted before he could hear what they said. Percy appeared in his
own cabin at camp and Nico came melting out of the shadows.

“We don’t have long Perce. We have to do this.” His voice was desperate and full of urgency.
“We cannot hope to win if you and Rhea don’t follow my plan.”

Percy’s vision went black and he surged awake.

“Percy.” Rumbled a deep voice. The voice made Percy’s head pound even harder and his
vision swam with what Percy was sure was a concussion. A dark figure loomed over him and
for a moment Percy desperately hoped it was Beckendorf but the events on the ship flashed in
his mind and he felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. “Brother?” The voice called again,
full of concern and Percy shook her head to clear his vision. Before him stood his baby
brother.

“Tyson!” Percy exclaimed and tried to rise from the bed to hug his brother but a wave of
nausea hit him and so Percy sat back down. A sheet of almost gossamer like fabric floated
away and Percy took a minute to take in his surroundings.

The room was illuminated by giant pearls that floated about the room, glowing with
unearthly beauty. The blue and green shades of the room and the odd clarity that Percy was
gaining the longer he took in his surroundings quickly clued him in to where he was. A
feeling of being home and a comforting sensation came over him.

Percy was in his father’s palace.

Any excitement he felt about that quickly faded when he remembered the various injuries he
had taken and the fact that his sister had landed in the water somewhere far away from him
and unconscious and who knows how injured.

“How long have I been here? What about Rhea?” He demanded and Tyson frowned.

“We found you last night, sinking through the water. We found sister on the Ocean floor.”
Percy’s eyes briefly squeezed shut as he recalled the last moments before he had lost
consciousness. Being pierced by the arrow, getting stabbed by the giant shard of the ship’s
metal. His sister being struck so hard in the side of her head that she crumpled immediately
and sank lifelessly. The ship exploding into a brilliant plume of deadly, green, Greek Fire.

The Explosion that surely killed Beckendorf. Gods, Percy thought, Beckendorf. Beckendorf
was one of the few Percy trusted. One of his inner circle who Percy had spent months with
side by side as they readied for the biggest moment in the war. Beckendorf who was
supposed to leave for college at the end of August and who had a girlfriend who was
anxiously waiting back at camp for him.

Beckendorf had sacrificed himself for the twins and it was a punch in the gut to Percy. He
knew it was something that came with being a leader but he still hated loosing any of his
people. A giant boom sounded in the distance, shaking the room and green streaks of light
blazed outside Percy’s window and turning the sea into a blindingly bright scene.

“What the hell was that? And where is Rhea?” Percy asked, his concern only growing.
Tyson’s eyebrows creased and he looked worried.

“We’ll go see Daddy, he’ll explain about sister. He’s blowing up monsters.” Tyson informed
him and Percy frowned.

They walked through Atlantis and Percy had to fight the urge to look around with wide eyes
and a gaping mouth as he beheld his father’s home. It was the most beautiful place that Percy
had ever seen, even more amazing than Olympus, even while it was being destroyed. The
longer they walked through the palace the more awe Percy felt.

The palace and the city it resided in were bigger than Olympus. Sprawling courtyards,
gardens, and giant columned pavilions decorated the Imperial Palace of the Seas. The gardens
housed thousands of different coral colonies and a variety of sea plants that Percy was sure
were only heard of in Ancient Myths. The buildings were constructed of abalone and though
they shone with a luminous white they gleamed with thousands of rainbows of colors and the
pathways that spread everywhere were lined with gleaming pearls of a variety of colors.

They crossed through the main courtyard that was filled with warriors. There were cyclops
and mermen and women with their fish tails and blue skin. They tended to the wounded and
sharpened their weapons while discussing battle plans and their next moves. When Percy and
Tyson stepped foot in the courtyard it went completely still as every head turned towards
them. They all split into two sides, clearing a path straight down the middle and they beheld
Percy with something akin to respect (or fear) in their eyes.

Percy took a step forward and as he began to pass the warriors they all began to fall down on
one knee and bow as he passed, their fists pounding on their breastplates (the Greek symbol
of reverence) and Percy felt his heartbeat quicken as they all prostrated themselves before
him. It felt so odd and yet so right. No one said a word as he and Tyson passed through and
even when he had passed all the way through, things stayed eerily quiet- as if they were too
shocked by his presence.

They came to stand before a giant palatial structure that Percy knew was the inner palace- the
place his father resided. Then an explosion sounded and Percy lifted his head to watch as
hundred of warriors descended on a giant Sea Dragon, desperately trying to kill it. However
it seemed to collide with some sort of force field that lit up a shocking blue color upon
contact with the monster and the Sea Dragon exploded into a million tiny particles.

“Daddy!” Tyson cheered and Percy felt pride in his chest. Of course his father had done that.
The King of the Seas and the Son of Kronos and Rhea would not be felled by some sea
monster. No, Poseidon was filled with unimaginably strong power and Percy felt himself fill
with hope at the idea that perhaps his father’s war wasn’t going too terribly.

Tyson tugged at Percy’s arm and dragged him up the steps. Two guards pushed the doors
open for them and bowed as Percy passed. Tyson pulled him down a long and sky high
hallway, leading them to what Percy assumed was their father.

He hadn’t seen his father in months, not since March and it was now the 1st of August. Their
father had sent letters and gifts but the Sea Wars had begun to take over his entire life,
making it impossible for Poseidon to visit his twins. Percy was quite honestly, very excited to
reunite with his father.

Another door opened and Percy was pulled into what he recognized as a war council room
(very similar to Percy and Rhea’s own at camp). The floor of the room was decorated with an
incredibly detailed mosaic that outlaid an exact map of the Palace, the city, and the
surrounding oceans. The incredible thing was that mosaic moved and shifted, lighting up as
an explosion happened. Colored tiles moved as the real-life armies did and sea monsters
appeared on the mosaic as they did outside.

Standing over the mosaic was a variety of what Percy assumed were his father’s councilors
and generals. A tall merman with two golden tails stood closest to Percy and he had a long
spear slung over his back. His black hair was braided back and his eyes were lined with fierce
black war paint. Next to him stood another merman with blue tails and a small silver circlet
on his head (It almost reminded Percy of Thalia’s and that made him want to snicker). Across
from the merman was a dolphin that was covered in battle scars and next to the dolphin was a
beautiful merwoman with tails of silver and gleaming golden hair. She had eyes of deepest
blue and a circlet of silver sat in her hair.

Standing at the head of the table was Percy’s father. He wore silver armor that was encrusted
with thousands of precious gems of blue, green, and white. His sea green eyes were gazing
thoughtfully at the map and his face was lined with worry. His once black hair was now
shining silver with a few black streaks. Across his brow sat the Crown of the Sea. It was
perhaps the grandest crown Percy had ever seen, not because it was overly ostentatious, but
because it was the crown of a Warrior King.

It was a band of black that braided with sea green and gold. In the center of the band, in the
middle of Poseidon’s forehead, was a black trident that had runes running up and down it and
on either side of it were runes of Old Tongue. The runes flashed in Percy’s mind, and he
knew what they said.

They pronounced Poseidon’s heritage for all to see. It pronounced him the King of Atlantis
and the Emperor of the Seas. On the left side of the trident the runes announced his heritage
as the Son of Rhea of Othrys, the Titan Queen and his position as her beloved child. On the
right side in golden runes were the words “The Second Son and Heir of Kronos Ouranian.”
(Percy just knew that Zeus would hate the sight of this crown).

Next to his father stood a beautiful woman who was dressed in deep green armor with
flowing black hair that waved in the water and she wore a crown of crab claws. None of them
seemed to register Percy's appearance
“Delphin,” Father’s voice was deep and commanding, (he sounded just like his Titan father)
“Send Palaemon and his legion of sharks to the Western Sea Front. We need to neutralize
those leviathans in order to hold the Western Gate.” The dolphin chattered in response and
Percy heard his obedient reply in his mind. The dolphin came to an abrupt spot in the
doorway as he came face to face with Percy.

“My Prince!” It chattered out in surprise, ducking its head in what Percy assumed was a bow.
At the Dolphin’s words the rest of the room turned to face the doorway. Immediately the
merwoman and the gold-tailed merman dipped into bows and copied Delphin’s words before
rising. The other woman’s face went completely still while Poseidon’s lit up.

“My son!” He declared, his voice full of joy. “You’re awake!” Percy felt his lips pull into a
grin at the warm welcome from his father. “Come, join me and listen to how your father
commands a war.” At that, Percy’s eyes lit up and he quickly made his way over to his
father’s side. The woman next to his father frowned.

“Husband is that wise? He is but a boy.” Husband. This was Amphitrite, Queen of Atlantis
and Percy’s stepmother. He met her gaze head on. Percy was old enough to lead a war and
possibly sacrifice himself to save Olympus, he was not about to let a bitter stepmother insult
him. Amphitrite looked away first. Poseidon only shook his head with a laugh.

“My son is fighting a war himself. Perhaps we can learn something from one another.” He
turned to Percy with twinkling eyes. “One King to another.” Percy stood by his father’s side
and looked down at the mosaic. He immediately noticed the strengths and weaknesses of
different points on the map. After a few moments of observation Poseidon nudged his son.
“What do you think?” He asked. Percy felt like this was some kind of test and he was
determined to pass.

“I think you need to let Oceanus come to you.” Percy stated and Amphitrite shot him a dirty
look. Poseidon gestured for him to continue. “Evacuate the people, send them to one of the
other cities that are further away from the war, probably further south. Then let Oceanus
come to you, you have the home field advantage here. If he comes here, you can set traps and
be ready. He won’t know the terrain or what to expect because he hasn’t been here in what, a
couple thousand years?” Murmurs of approval came from the two merpeople and Father
smiled proudly down at Percy. However a voice of dissent cut off any praise that his father
was about to give.

“And sacrifice our city? Our palace?” Amphitrite sneered down at Percy. “The words of a
child. My lord perhaps-” Poseidon held up a hand, halting her in the middle of her sentence.

“My son is right. Oceanus will be in unfamiliar territory here and we can be ready for him.”
Percy shot a smug look at Amphitrite who crossed her arms and gave him a cold stare.

“Fine. Well done little Godkiller.” Poseidon shot her a sharp look. “Excuse me, My King. I
must ready for battle.” She hastily exited the room, leaving Percy with his father, Tyson, and
the three other Generals. Poseidon gestured to them.

“Percy, this is Arthyos, the General of my of Southern Forces.” Arthyos dipped his head and
smiled, showing Percy a straight line of sharp teeth. “And this is Tethya, the General of the
Northern Forces. She is my cousin as well, the Daughter of Tethys and Oceanus.” Tethya
smiled at Percy with genuine friendliness. She almost seemed fascinated by him and Percy
shot her a small smile. The blue tailed merman coughed. Poseidon’s face looked vaguely
irritated. “And this is Triton. My other son.”

“But not Heir.” Triton grumbled and Percy felt vaguely uncomfortable. He then gave an
almost snarl-like smile to Percy. “Come to help at last, little brother?” The way he said ‘little
brother’ felt like an insult and Percy sneered back.

“I’ve been a bit busy commanding a war of my own. But if Father needs my help because he
finds others to be less then qualified I’m happy to step in.” Triton fully bared his teeth at
Percy’s words and Poseidon looked like he couldn’t decide if he should laugh or scold Percy.
Triton quickly swam out of the room and Percy wondered if the humiliation of being less
beloved than your bastard brother was too much to bear. Poseidon the coughed before giving
commands.

“Tethya, go gather your forces and have them help the city evacuate immediately. Arthyos
take your forces and begin preparing the surrounding seas to trap Oceanus.” The two
Merpeople bowed to Poseidon and then Percy before swimming away. “Tyson, my son.”
Poseidon calls out and Tyson snaps to attention with a bright smile. “Go to your brothers and
I will come visit you in a few moments.” Tyson gives an eager nod and races over to hug
their dad before he swims out of the room.

“Where is Rhea?” Percy asked now that the room was empty and Poseidon’s face became
worried.

“She’s here, we found her and were able to heal her but there quite a bit of damage to her.
Her mind seems almost fractured.” Poseidon turned to face Percy. “Did something happen to
my daughter that you did not tell me about?” Percy felt his blood run cold.

“The stress of the war has weighed heavily on her. She still mourns Lee as well.” Percy was
not quite sure how to avoid talking about the kidnapping, but he didn’t know if his father
would buy it.

“She mourns him so much that she and Apollo spend time together late at night?” Father
asked with his eyebrows raised in question and Percy almost wanted to stab himself to avoid
the conversation. Before he could think of anything to say in response the door creaked open
and standing in the doorway was Rhea herself.

“Rhea!” Percy breathed out in relief and he quickly crossed the room to get to her and
wrapped her up in a big hug. She buried her head in his shoulder. When they separated they
shared a pained look, grieving the loss of Beckendorf.

“Rhea.” Poseidon called and Rhea angled herself to look past Percy and meet the gaze of her
father. She gave Poseidon a beaming smile and their father returned it before holding out his
arms, beckoning her to come get a hug. She flies across the room and jumps into her father’s
arms, finally reunited with him for the first time in months. Poseidon lets out a deep rumbling
laughter and spins her around before setting her down. “How do you feel?”
Percy panics. Their dad has just asked her a question and to Percy’s best recollection, Rhea
still can’t speak. He racks his mind trying to think of an excuse for Rhea’s verbal inabilities,
but by the Gods he can’t think of a single thing to say because his dad had just said that they
healed all her injuries.

“I feel beat up but I’m okay.” Comes the very hoarse and quiet voice of Rhea and Percy
almost falls over in shock. He is about to say something about her regaining her ability to
speak but he remembers their company and he clenches his jaw shut. Poseidon takes Rhea’s
chin into one hand and examines her face for any remaining injuries.

“Are you sure? You sound terrible honey.” Rhea smiles at their father’s love and Percy comes
to stand beside her, squeezing her shoulder.

“I inhaled a lot of smoke during the explosion. My throat feels like its all scratched up.”
Their dad nodded in understanding before releasing her chin when he found no more
evidence of injury. Rhea nodded her head to the mosaic and pointed her finger at the Titan on
the edge of the mosaic who wore a helm with bull horns and rode in a chariot pulled by
sharks. “Oceanus?” She asked and the dad nodded.

“He has renounced his neutrality. He was neutral in the first Titanomachy but my father
seems to have convinced him to fight. This is . . . well, it's not a good sign. Oceanus would
not commit unless he was sure he could pick the winning side." Poseidon's face fell and he
looked like someone had stabbed him in the chest. "He was once my favorite uncle. I lived
with him and I learned from him. He and my aunt Tethys helped raise me." Percy's father
looked like he was doubting himself and Percy’s stomach fell and he felt worry take a hold of
him. He loved his father very much and the thought of his father falling to Oceanus made him
want to vomit. Percy glanced at his sister and he saw her eyes flicking back and forth as she
looked at the ground but he knew she wasn’t looking at the mosaic, there was something else
in her head that was causing her to look worried. But their father sighed and shook his head.
“Do not worry about me, children, you have enough on your plate. Tell me about your
mission, did you see him? Did you see Kronos?”

Rhea’s face went pale and her eyes widened. She looked like she was caught between fear
and some other emotion that Percy couldn’t identify. So, Percy filled in their father instead.
He told him about Beckendorf and his sacrifice. About his fight with Kronos and how the spy
had told Kronos about their mission and gotten Beckendorf killed. Looking out at the
courtyard through the window, Percy took in the hundreds of dead and wounded warriors.
This war would kill thousands and Beckendorf was only one name on what was going to be a
long list. Tears gleamed in Rhea’s eyes and Percy pulled her to his side. He knew that as
Silena’s friend that Rhea was going to have a hard time with this death and how she would
feel responsible for telling the Aphrodite Councilor.

“Percy, Rhea, Beckendorf chose a heroic death and will surely rest in Elysium. You two bear
no blame for any of this. You did what good leaders have to do and you had to make a hard
choice for the good of the rest of your army.” He put one hand on each of their shoulders.
“You did well. Kronos’s army will be thrown into disarray and thousands were killed. This is
a great victory for our side.”
“Kronos is not dead.” Rhea spoke. Her voice was ominous and foreboding. Percy wondered
how she had so much certainty in her voice. He knew that it would be naïve to hope that
Kronos would have been killed but he still did.

"No," Poseidon admitted. "But you've bought our side some time. Just because Kronos did
not die does not mean that Beckendorf's sacrifice was in vain. You have scattered the
invasion force. New York will be safe for a time, which frees the other Olympians to deal
with the bigger threat."

“Typhon.” Percy grimly stated and his father nodded, a shadow passing over his face and
when he spoke he kept his words vague.

“Chiron will tell you more when you get to camp.” Rhea frowned.

“And you’re sure you don’t need help here?” Their father shook his head.

“I would fear for your safety if you remained here. If Oceanus were to get his hands on you
then you would surely be held hostage at Othrys. If you return to the surface you can remain
at Camp to stay safe. You two have a war to fight and demigods to lead. Return to camp and
tell Chiron that it is time.”

“Time?” Percy asked and he felt Rhea straighten up next to him.

“Time for you to hear the prophecy. The entire prophecy.” Their father’s face took on a
mournful look. “And it is time for you to learn what you are.” He folded them into another
tight hug, pulling them both close to his chest and pressing kisses to the tops of their heads.
"Oceanus approaches," he said. "I must meet him in battle. I will hold him off, I will not lose
my domain. Remember all you have learned and remember that the Sea is always with you.
Keep the gifts I gave you for your birthday close.” He held them so tight Percy thought he
would burst.

“Stay safe Dad.” Percy mumbled. “I love you.” Rhea echoed the sentiment and Poseidon let
out a shaky sigh.

“You both are the most precious things in the world to me. I will always watch over you and
love you.” Poseidon whispered before pulling back and giving them a smile. “I must now
assume my True Form. Go- good luck my children.”

Poseidon’s being began to glow and heat surrounded him as the ocean swirled to come to his
aid. Percy turned his face away and squeezed his eyes shut. When the glow faded, he opened
his eyes and their father was gone.

He reached over and took Rhea’s hand, squeezing it tight and she gave him a grim smile.
Percy felt her call the ocean currents to their aid and the pair went shooting towards to oceans
surface at speeds that should be impossible. Beneath them flashes of blue and green went off
as the Sea Wars waged on.

He did not know that Rhea had not averted her gaze to their father’s form.
 The Great Council

“It’s been 36 hours!” Annabeth snapped as she slammed the council room door open, sending
papers flying off the table and startling Alex and Katie. “It’s been 36 hours and there’s still no
sign of Percy or of Rhea and Beckendorf.” Annabeth was running her hand through her wild
hair in a clear sign of stress.

“I know.” Alex sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. He hadn’t slept since Rhea and
Beckendorf left to get Percy for the mission and he was so fucking tired.

“Well?” Annabeth’s voice was reaching an almost shrill tone. “Rhea put you in charge so
what are you going to do about it?” She was getting awfully demanding and Alex secretly
thought this was a side effect of Percy allowing the Athena girl to do whatever she wanted
because he had such a giant crush on her. He plopped down in the chair that was to the right
of Rhea’s seat.

“I sent scouts to the location a few hours ago and they brough back reports that the ship has
exploded. They even brought back some of the charred pieces as evidence. I do not know
where my cousins or Beckendorf are at this time but I am assuming that given their track
record they probably ran into some problems and are just running late.” Katie snorted and
Annabeth gave a distracted nod and she seemed like she was beginning to calm down.

“Thank you for being so concerned for their safety.” Katie gave a polite smile (she never
really liked Annabeth because of the Athena girl’s pride but she was willing to hide whatever
issues she had because Percy and Rhea liked her).

“Even if you did come barging in here, screeching at me and demanding answers.” Alex
grumbled with a slight glare. “Say thank you to Uncle Alex for being so understanding.”
Alex loved reminding most of the campers that he was their uncle (mostly because of how
irritated everyone got, but it was exactly the kind of weird power play that came from Kronos,
his sons, and his grandsons). Annabeth only rolled her eyes and flipped him off.

“If they don’t return by tomorrow morning, we are sending out a search team right?” She
asked as she made her way to the door, pausing in the doorway to hear the reply from the
cousins. Her tone wasn’t very questioning, more like she was telling them what they were
going to do but Alex nodded his head in confirmation because he too was slightly worried for
his cousins safety. After she got her confirmation, Annabeth left, shutting the door behind
her. Katie turned back to Alex to finish their conversation.

“As I was saying, this being your final test of loyalty- running the camp in our cousin’s
absence- means that you have complete privileges now. You’ve done very well and
everything is running fairly smoothly.” Alex hummed in thought.

“And if they don’t come back?” He asked and Katie went quiet for a moment.

“If they do not return, their directives are clear. The remaining cousins are to come together
and elect two leaders to take their places. The position of prophecy child then falls-”
“It falls to you.” Alex stated grimly, looking up at her green eyes with his own stormy ones
and a look of sheer terror and anxiety came over Katie’s face.

“Yeah” she whispered. “It then falls on me.” She sat down heavily, as if the weight of the
possibility was too much for her to bear. Alex watched her expression flit through a dozen
emotions before he spoke.

“Who will you vote for?” Katie’s expression shifted to confusion, so he clarified. “If we have
to come together to vote- since Percy said we can't fight each other to the death for the spot-
who are you going to vote for?” Alex thought it was smart of Percy to lay that rule out (he
was pretty sure it was Rhea’s idea but since she couldn’t speak all ideas were spoken by
Percy. But they did that weird twin telepathy thing with their eyes and eyebrows and suddenly
Percy was speaking like he was inside Rhea’s head).

“Nico.” Katie declared. “He’s been right by Percy and Rhea’s sides for like two years now
and he is the only son of Hades which gives him both power and a good blood claim.” Alex
nodded thoughtfully. She was right, technically Nico had the best claim to the Demigod seats
of power by virtue of his status as the only son of Kronos’ eldest son.

“Who else?” He asked, curious to see who she would vote to sit opposite of Nico. Katie gave
him a weird look and pressed her lips shut as if she were debating if she would say it.
“Who?” He pressed and she gave a sigh.

“Fine. My second vote would go,” she paused and gave him a slight smile. “My second vote
would go to you.” Alex’s mouth dropped open at that. She would really vote for him? He was
the newest, an outside and a son of Zeus at that and yet here she was saying that she would
cast her favor towards him. He smiled at her.

“Really?”

“Yeah. You’ve really proven yourself over the past two months. You’re a good warrior, your
loyal to your family, your uncomfortably powerful. It’s a no-brainer.” She paused and then
shrugged her shoulders. “Plus I think that if we were to lose our cousins that it would be
necessary for the remaining kids of the Elder Sons to step up and come together to rule.” She
was right, if the worst really did happen, unity between the kids of the Sons of Kronos would
go a long way. “Who would you vote for?”

“You for sure.” Katie raised her eyebrows at his quick answer. “If you’re the Prophecy kid
then you need to be heading the camp. Plus you are the strongest Demeter kid and Demeter is
the eldest child of Kronos to bear children. You’re the strongest candidate in my mind.” She
nodded at his points (though she cringed at the reminder of all the responsibility that came
with being the prophecy child and she secretly thanked the fates that the responsibility had
fallen to either Percy or Rhea). “My other vote though? I’m not sure because part of me
thinks Nico but then there’s a part of me that thinks he’s still too young for the burden.” He
shrugged. “So I guess I’d either vote for Liam, Seth or myself.”

Katie pinched his arm with the might of a fucking titan and Alex hissed in pain. She was
about to make some snarky and 100% rude joke about him voting for himself when raised
voices and yells were heard outside the windows. The two cousins exchanged worried looks
and Alex tightened his breastplate before swiftly exiting the room, Katie hot on his heals.

Alex threw open the door of the Big House and quickly went down the steps. He noticed that
dozens of campers were running towards the beach area. He quickly looked to Katie, nodding
his head in the direction of the beach and they began jogging that way. A younger Apollo
camper came running up to then with a giant grin on his face screeching ‘It’s them! It’s
them!’ at the top of his lungs and a huge smile came over Alex and Katie’s faces and they
picked up speed, now sprinting towards the beach.

Connor was standing in front of grim looking Percy and Rhea and Connor had a horrified
expression gracing his own features. Alex quickly picked up speed, worried that something
awful had happened to one of them. One of the campers went sprinting away, probably
looking for Chiron, when Alex reached his cousins.

He came to stand in front of them and the three of them just stared at each other as his chest
heaved for breath. Percy’s eyes were full of grief and Rhea’s were dark and distant, as if she
was seeing some terrible visions of the past or something. Then Percy gave him a nod of
respect and yanked Alex into a hug, pounding his hand on the back of Alex’s breastplate
before he pulled away. Alex felt his chest tighten at the sign of acceptance. He knew that they
all had been warming up to him but to finally be let in and accepted made his heart burst (he
would not admit that out loud though).

He turned to Rhea and she smiled that sad smile that was always on her face these days and
he yanked her into a hug, folding her into his chest and resting his chin on top of her
head (she hated it when he did that because it made her feel short with Alex being a smooth 5
inches taller than her right now.) They pulled apart and she reached up and ruffled his hair,
tugging at his raven locks and he moved his head out of her reach.

Chiron gallops over to them and breaks this moment of gentle reunion and acceptance with
his appearance. Annabeth is right behind him and Alex watches as Percy snaps to attention as
if he is hyper aware of everything now that Annabeth is nearby. Chiron thanks the gods for
the twins return but he notices what everyone else has begun to and his face goes still with
shock and sadness. Annabeth quickly pulls Rhea into a hug before releasing her and grabbing
Percy’s arm.

She demands to know what happened, she wants to know about Luke (Luke, fucking Luke.
Alex can’t understand why she is always thinking of Luke when there is Percy who is ten
times more powerful and 100% devoted to her). Percy goes to explain but he is cut off by the
sound of the hoarse voice of a girl.

“Kronos.” The name is spoken and every camper’s head snaps to look at Rhea and Alex
realizes that it was her that spoke (he has never heard her speak except for in his dreams). He
looks at her in shock.

“You can talk?” He gasps out in excitement and the other cousins look ready to cheer for her
but Rhea’s face is grim and she cuts off any excited chatter that comes from the sound of her
unused vocal cords.
“There is no Luke. Not anymore. There is only Kronos.” Her tone is firm, and she speaks
with a certain finality that sounds so unquestionable that Alex automatically believes her (but
he wonders how she knows so definitively.) Annabeth looks like she wants to shake the
Daughter of Poseidon and demand answers but Silena comes pushing through the crowd. Her
black hair was uncombed, her makeup half finished as if she had rushed out here in the
middle of doing it, and her brown eyes were wide and frantic.

“Where is he?” She demands, looking around wildly and frantically and Rhea lets out a
choked sob.

“Silena…” She whispers out and Silena’s eyes grow desperate and she shakes her head
wildly.

“No. No! Where’s Charlie!” She cried out and Rhea quickly walked over to her friend and
pulled her in for a fierce hug. Silena began muttering ‘no, no no’. Percy cleared his throat.

“The ship blew up. We managed to blow it up and kill any monsters and demigods on it.
Kronos isn’t dead but his invasion force took a severe hit. Beckendorf, he-” Percy pauses and
clears his throat again looking like someone stabbed him. But he then straightened up and
took on the kingly expression he wore, one that was serious yet understanding. One that was
calm in the face of the storm. “He sacrificed himself so that the mission would be successful.
If it were not for his sacrifice Rhea and I would’ve been captured and the invasion force
would have landed today.”

“NO!” Silena screamed out, crumpling in Rhea’s arms and sliding to the ground, Rhea falling
with her. Her gut wrenching screams and sobs echoed throughout the camp and many of the
campers began to cry. Clarisse shoved her way to the front of the crowd and put her hands
under Silena’s arms and pulled her up against the Daughter of Ares’s bloodred armor.
Clarisse’s arm was over Silena’s shoulder, helping hold her up and Rhea’s hand was clasped
in Silena’s grip.

“Come on S, let’s get you back to the Big House.” Clarisse muttered and she walked Silena
in that direction. Rhea stayed behind. She looked out over the campers and watched everyone
cry for a moment before she spoke.

“Council meeting. Now.” Everyone’s faces went into War mode and they nodded. The
counselors immediately began walking towards the Big House while the Co-Counselors of
their cabins began to usher their other cabinmates off to do training. She then turned to
Chiron. “Summon the eldest four members of the Hephaestus cabin to come before the
council.” Chiron nodded and trotted away. All that remained now were the cousins and
Annabeth. Annabeth wiped away a stray tear and turned to Percy.

“I’m really glad you’re not dead, Seaweed Brain.” Seth snickered at her words and Miranda
hit him to shut him up.

“Thanks.” Percy smiled at her as if she were the whole world and Alex couldn’t decide if it
made him want to smile or throw up. He reached over and clapped Percy on the shoulder.
“I’m sure you did everything you could cousin” Percy turned to him and nodded grimly, his
lips downturned in that self-deprecating look he had after something he considered to be a
failure happened. Rhea reached over and squeezed Percy’s hand and he gave her a grateful
nod.

The cousins decided to go retrieve the Great Prophecy and discuss it together before bringing
it down to the council- with a traitor in their mix they wanted to discuss plans and ideas
privately in order to prevent the Titans from discovering anything. (Of course Kronos already
knew the prophecy but that didn’t mean he needed to be privy to the cousins plans on how to
go about the prophecy). Annabeth came with them, which raised many of the cousins
eyebrows.

The attic was as old and terrifying as it always had been- its dusty and cracked appearance
making Rhea think that this is how a bad horror movie could start. Trophies of the victories
of heroes old and new lined the walls of the attic. They passes the Scimitar of Kampe and
Percy picked it up before turning and showing it to their cousins and Annabeth.

“You remember Briares throwing those boulders?” He asked and Annabeth’s lips curled into
a begrudged smile.

“And Grover causing a Panic?” She asked and Rhea watched as they locked eyes. She was
thrown back to the moments under Mount St. Helens when Annabeth had kissed Percy as
their eyes met. The longing, the pining, and the desire for one another shone in their eyes and
Rhea felt a pain in her chest as her own sense of longing hit her. She longed for the time
when she was the object of someone’s unshakable devotion. (She wondered if she was subject
to Apollo’s).

“And when we all almost died because Rhea went nuclear?” Seth muttered in the back where
only a few of them could hear and they all giggled. Percy and Annabeth didn’t hear and
continued to gaze at one another. After a few more moments Alex gave a disruptive cough
and the moment between Percy and Annabeth broke and Annabeth cleared her throat and
looked away.

“The prophecy.” She muttered. Percy’s eyes still watched her every movement as he drank in
the planes of her features with utter pining.

“Right,” he responded, setting down the scimitar. “The prophecy.” Disappointment colored
his tone and he moved to stand in front of the shriveled, mummified remains of the Oracle.
No mist poured out of her and no words left her mouth and Percy shifted uncomfortably. The
poor oracle who was forever locked inside the mummified remains of her body, who was for
some reason forever cursed to be trapped in this horrid existence and only come alive once
every while to spill out a prophecy. “What now?” Percy whispered to Annabeth as he looked
at the Oracle and she shrugged.

“Chiron always said that the Child of the Prophecy would know what to do when it was
time.” Percy frowned. “I don’t know Percy, maybe you should just ask her for it.”
“That doesn’t sound right.” Alex whispered in Rhea’s ear and she shrugged. She had no idea
how to do this. Apparently Percy thought Annabeth’s idea was sound and he gave a tiny
cough before speaking.

“O Oracle of Delphi, the time has come. I, Perseus Jackson the son of Poseidon ask for the
Great Prophecy.” Everyone tensed but nothing happened and Percy turned to look at Rhea as
if to ask what the fuck he should do now. Rhea gave him a bewildered look.

However when Percy’s mouth opened to say something his whole body seized up and his
eyes went completely white. Lily let out a shriek and Liam quickly shoved her and Madeleine
behind him so that they couldn’t see if Percy happened to die or something. Annabeth cried
out Percy’s name but Rhea lunged forward, ready to grab him and try and help him but Alex
yanked her back and held her tight against his chest to keep her from moving.

“Let me go.” She hissed and he shook his head rapidly.

“We don’t know what’s happening. And if its something bad we can’t risk losing both of you
to it.” He was right but Rhea didn’t care and so she struggled regardless. A green, misty aura
enveloped Percy and a rasping, ancient voice spoke from his mouth.

“Enai miso aima apo tious mekalyyteros theous thai ftesei ta dekaexi enatias se oleis tis
pithanotites.” All of the cousins immediately froze as their temperature of the attic dropped
at least 10 degrees and the feeling of claws raking over their spines hit them. Annabeth’s face
was a mix of terror and curiosity as she beheld the scene. “Kai deis ton kosmo se enanai
ateleioto ypnei, oi iroes psychie kataramenais lekedia tha therisouan. Mia mono epilogi
tha telioseias tis mereis tou, O Olympais na diatiriseis I na Katastrepsein.”

While the ability to fluently speak Old Tongue resided in Rhea’s mind only (although Percy
was able to speak it stiltedly) the ability to understand it was something that was coded into
the grandchildren of Kronos and Rhea. The words of the prophecy rang in their minds. The
green aura around Percy faded and his eyes returned to normal. He locked eyes with his
sister.

“Ow.” He moaned out before his eyes rolled back in his head and Percy collapsed on the
ground. They all surged forward with Annabeth immediately crouching down and cradling
Percy’s head in her hands. Rhea grabbed his chin and turned his head from side to side,
examining him, before forcing open his eyelids to check his eyes.

“Bring him downstairs.” She commanded and Alex and Seth nodded before hauling Percy up
and holding him up between them with his arms slung around their shoulders. They all
stumbled their way down the stairs, Alex and Seth knocking various pictures off the walls
and Nico slamming his head into a light on the wall as he scrambled to avoid them as they
moved Percy.

They were luckily able to make it down the steps and they turned into the kitchen of the big
house to talk before going into the council room. Alex and Seth hung Percy’s head over the
sink and turned on the faucet, coving his head in water before Percy surged awake, drying
instantly. He turned to look for Rhea and when he saw her he relaxed before turning to
Annabeth.
“What the fuck happened to me?” Annabeth gave him a mystified look before giving a clear
guess of an answer.

“It was like you got possessed by the Oracle and you started speaking really weirdly and you
glowed.”

“It was so creepy.” Nico interjected and Miranda nodded in agreement. Percy grimaced.

“I gave a prophecy, didn’t I?” Katie nodded in confirmation and Percy’s grimace only
deepened. “Okay, so let’s start brainstorming. What does it all mean?” Alex raised a hand.

“Um, shouldn’t we wait to discuss it?” When Percy’s head tilted in a questioning manner,
Alex continued. “You know, wait until any non-cousins aren’t in the room?” He gave a
pointed look at Annabeth and Percy’s expression darkened. His eyes turned a dark and
stormy color and the lines of his face hardened.

“You don’t trust Annabeth?” He asked, his voice tone deceptively light for the dangerous
expression that was gracing his features. Alex’s own expression turned to one of caution, but
he pressed onwards.

“Aren’t we on the lookout for a traitor? And wasn’t she once Luke’s best friend?”

“Excuse me?” Annabeth snarled, her tone sharp and her hand on her dagger.

“He has a point.” Katie spoke up. “We are already at a disadvantage because of the traitor,
shouldn’t we keep things between just us?” Liam, Seth, Miranda, and Nico all murmured
their agreement and Percy’s eyes widened. He turned to look at Rhea- who was sitting at the
kitchen table casually observing everything- for support. She only raised her eyebrows at
him, challenging him to handle this himself.

Rhea remembered a king who one stood, questioned by his brothers about the decision to
include his beloved in war plans and how that King had proceeded to kill one of the brothers,
remove the arm of another, and run the other through with his scythe forcing them all to
reform and reconsider their words. They did not question the beloved’s role in the king’s life
after that. She wanted to see if Percy could do the same. And so she just sat there and
remained silent. Percy turned back to their cousins with eyes that were almost black.

“Am I not your leader?” He asked and all of their eyes widened at the fact that he was asking
if they were questioning his authority. They all vigorously nodded and gave words of
agreement to his status as their leader. “And as your leader did you not put your faith in me
and my decisions?”

“Of course.” Katie murmured, ducking her head into a subservient angle. The other cousins
followed. They did not speak in a casual tone; they spoke quietly and carefully. He was not
their cousin right now, they had overstepped their bounds.

“Then why are you questioning my decision to put my trust in Annabeth?” His tone was so
sharp that a few of them flinched at the sound of it.
“My apologies.” Alex spoke, turning to Annabeth and giving a sharp nod (bow) of his head to
her. “It won’t happen again.” He promised. The other cousins followed his actions and echoes
his words.

“Good.” Percy’s entire demeanor became relaxed after that and the cousins knew that things
were alright again. (Although a part of Rhea was almost disappointed he had not sent a more
visceral message she was grateful he hadn’t’). “Let’s get back to it then, shall we?” Katie
nodded in agreement.

“A half-blood of the eldest gods shall reach sixteen against all odds.” Rhea repeated the
words. “It’s fairly obvious. You are a son of one of the Elder Six who are the oldest gods and
it was not expected that you would ever reach sixteen because no one thought the gods would
let us live.” Liam nodded thoughtfully.

“It could also be a good sign. We all know the final battle is going to begin before your actual
birthday so this means that no matter what, you will see your 16th birthday and you will
survive to see the day.”

“Happy fucking birthday.” Miranda muttered under her breath.

“No kidding.” Nico nodded along.

“That is true.” Percy said. “At least we have that assurance. What about the next line ‘And
see the world in an endless sleep’?”

“That line worries me.” Nico declared. “Endless sleep is sometimes used to refer to death so
there’s a chance that this line means you’ll see the death of the entire world.” Rhea felt her
chest tightened and she looked at Percy with worry clearly painted across her features. He
had the same look directed at her. Clearly catching onto the worry that was thick in the air,
Annabeth jumped in with an alternative idea.

“What is it’s referring to a plan of Kronos’s? He has Morpheus and Hypnos on his side and
they both control the domains of sleep and dreams. What if they have something to do with
this?” It certainly was a better idea in Rhea’s head but it seemed so far-fetched. She really
hoped that’s what it referred to because with Percy’s luck it could very well mean that Percy
would see the death of all the world.

"Okay but what about the 'Hero’s soul cursed blade shall reap'? Is Percy gonna get his soul
reaped by somebody? And who’s blade is cursed?” Alex piped up, he had a half disgusted,
half worried look on his face at the idea of Percy getting his soul reaped.

“Well on one hand it just says the hero, so that could mean any of the demigods.” Hopeful
looks shone around the room. “But the prophecy is supposed to be about one specific person
I think, so…” Annabeth trailed off and all the hope deflated out of the room.

“Okay but what about the blade? What blade is cursed?” Alex asked.

“Um, Kronos’s scythe. Duh.” Madeleine pitched in and Alex rolled his eyes at her ‘duh’ and
shoved her off of the chair she was sitting in.
“Riptide is cursed too.” Nico threw out and everyone went silent. It was true, Riptide had
been cursed by Ares but more than that it had been cursed long ago when Zoe had made the
sword for Heracles. Riptide could very well be the blade in the prophecy and it was clear that
everyone in the room felt vaguely ill at the idea of Percy’s soul being reaped by his own
sword.

But that was not the blade that Rhea was thinking off. No, instead Rhea was thinking of the
twin blades that rested as golden bracelets around her wrists. Blades that had once been a gift
from Kronos to Queen Rhea. A gift that Rhea had ripped from her wrists the day she finally
gained her freedom from Othrys and cast into the sea with a curse. Blades that Kronos
himself had cursed after Rhea had turned them on him to gain her freedom. (Rhea prayed to
Chaos that the prophecy did not mean that Rhea herself would turn her own blades against
her brother and kill him.) The heavy silence weighed on the room until eventually Katie
awkwardly cleared her throat.

“A single choice shall end his days, Olympus to preserve or raise. Or is it raze?” Everyone
looked to Annabeth for an answer but Rhea’s voice spoke with the Ancient, gravelly tones of
Old Tongue.

“Katastrepsein. That was the word that he spoke. Not Ypsonoi. Ypsonoi is raise. Olympus
to save or destroy.” She informed them, knowing that they could hear the word but that didn’t
mean they knew the definition or context. Everyone gave an understanding nod and Percy’s
eyes lifted to meet his sister.

Perseus had known from the time he was in the womb that he was a Destroyer. The day of his
birth, a thunderstorm had raged through New York and left devastation. He had shared a
womb with Rhea, Rhea who was a being of destructive energy and powerful devastation that
had only fed Percy’s own destructive nature. He had been a destroyer all of his life and now
this prophecy said he could either save or destroy Olympus. Perseus Katastrefos, Perseus the
Destroyer.

Was this Percy’s fate all along?

Sea green eyes met sea green eyes and a solemn look passed between them. A look that
spoke of the crippling pressure of the weight of destiny and how crushing it felt on one’s
shoulders. Of how so often destiny called for one to become someone they never wanted to
be and to commit unspeakable acts that would rip their very soul apart. Percy’s eyes squeezed
shut in pain and Rhea sharply stood, commanding attention away from her brother.

“I don’t really think that line needs any discussion. I think it’s best if we go to War Council
now.” She commanded, her tone leaving no room for argument and the cousins nodded in
begrudging agreement. Lily knew that this was her sign to leave. As she would be under
twelve at the time of the battle she would stay at camp and there was no need for her to be in
the War Council. Poor Madeleine though, who had been born so blessed to be birthed on the
Feast of Spes, had just turned thirteen. She would now be attending the War Council with her
cousins.
The council room was in mass chaos as a screaming match had commenced between most of
the Senior Counselors. Chairs were being thrown at each other and sides were clearly being
taken. Clarisse- still in full battle armor, gleaming blood red armor- with her new electric
spear strapped to her back, her boar helmet under one arm, and her knife in her belt which her
fingers were clearly itching to grab.

She was screaming at Michael and Isaac of the Apollo cabin and she towered over both-
despite the fact the Isaac stood tall at 6’0. Michael’s face was screwed into a scowl while
Isaac had a look of imperious superiority which was clearly only doing more to irritate
Clarisse. Travis and Connor were right behind the sons of Apollo, yelling at the Ares girl who
was backed by Pollux and two of the Hephaestus campers that had been brought in while the
other two stood off to the side. Silena was the only one not speaking as she sat in her spot in
the middle of the table, her expression vacant and her eyes red and puffy.

Rhea’s expression turned to one of fury at the nerve of the councilors to have some petty
argument while Silena was suffering and mourning such a fresh loss. The rest of the cousins
filed into the room and took up their spots. Annabeth went to her seat at Percy’s right while
Katie sat at his left and Nico went to the left of Rhea’s seat and Alex to the right.

Percy stood with his hands on the back of his throne and Rhea threw the door shut. Everyone
startled and turned to look at Percy but when they realized it wasn’t he who had made the
noise they slowly turned to Rhea and flinched when they observed the look on her face.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing.” Her voice was low, dangerous, and full of barely
restrained fury. Half of them looked taken aback by the sound of her voice. Clarisse had the
nerve to glower at her and then sneer at Michael.

“Michael’s being a self asshole.”

“Oh that’s really rich coming from your mouth.” Michael spit out and everyone’s heads
started going back and forth again.

“I am only here for Silena, otherwise I would be back at my cabin and not here.” Clarisse
shouted and Percy sighed.

“What are you talking about?” He demanded. Pollux cleared his throat and turned reluctantly
to Percy.

“Clarisse has been refusing to speak to any of us until her issue is resolved. She hasn’t
spoken to us in three days."

“It was pure bliss.” Travis stage whispered to Alex and Clarisse’s hand drifted towards her
knife again.

“What issue?” Percy asked, pulling his chair out and sitting down heavily. This was clearly
the last thing he wanted to be dealing with after receiving the prophecy and being told he was
going to get his soul reaped and possibly destroy the world.
“Right, you're in charge here.” Clarisse nodded, “Not your little stand in.” She shot a sneer at
Alex who sent one back. “Does my cabin get what we want or not?” Percy raised his
eyebrows.

“What do you want?”

“The raid last week in Philadelphia. The Apollo cabin seized a flying chariot but my cabin
was the one in charge of the raid. So it’s ours right?” Her tone was as threatening as she dared
without being completely disrespectful.

“Why would it be yours?” Percy asked. “Just because Rhea and I lead every battle doesn’t
mean each of your victories belong to us. You each get your own personal victories. This is
the same. The Apollo cabin seized it so it’s theirs. They have the better claim. Besides is this
really the most important thing right now?”

“Sure,” Clarisse snapped at him, her tone extremely disrespectful now and everyone leaned
forward, anxious to see how it would go down. “There’s always something more important
that what Ares needs. You all just want us to show up and fight when you need us to and not
complain.”

“That’s the dream.” Connor muttered to Nico who smirked.

“You know what?” Clarisse yanked her knife out of her belt and stabbed into the table,
narrowly missing Seth’s fingers (he then turned to look at Alex with an insulted
expression) “All of you can fight this war without Ares. Until I get what I want, no one in my
cabin is lifting a finger to help. None of us are going to fight.” She looked at the Apollo
counselors. “Have fun dying.” Everyone was shocked and no one said anything until a cold
and calm voice echoed throughout the room.

“I beg your pardon?” Rhea asked from where she leaned against the door, her arms crossed
over her chest and one of her legs propped up on the door. The entire room went still, as if
everyone was holding their breath. Clarisse froze as if she had realized that she was treading
on dangerous territory.

“I said-” Clarisse began to speak but Rhea cut her off.

“I heard what you said. I heard you open your mouth and say words that many would
consider to be traitorous. And in a time where we are already looking for a traitor in our
midst, I would think that the last thing anyone would want to do right now is say something
so treasonous.” Rhea straightened up and began walking away from the door and towards the
table. Heavy and heady power was radiating off of her for the first time in months and
everyone shrank back in the face of it.

“That’s not-” Clarisse started again but Rhea held up her hand and she ceased talking.

“Because if you meant what you said that would mean you were going against the camp,
turning your back on your family, and going against mine and Percy’s orders that everyone is
to contribute.” Rhea was taking one step at a time now, getting closer and closer to Clarisse
who looked like she was desperately trying not to show weakness and take a step back. “So is
that what you’re saying? That you are going to betray your family and defy our orders?”

Alex shifted behind her like he was contemplating standing up and coming to Rhea’s side but
he didn’t. Percy watched from his seat with pure pride and joy and she knew he was thrilled
to see her back in her element, using her voice and exuding power as she once had before she
had been so cruelly taken away.

“No.” Clarisse muttered.

“Good.” Rhea nodded firmly, turning and walking back to her seat, pulling it out and sitting
down. “Now, you three need to apologize to Silena for having the nerve to have such a stupid
argument in front of her while she is going through something so awful. So the three of you
will apologize. Now.” Michael and Isaac stood up and turned to Silena and the three of them
all nodded their heads to Silena.

“Sorry Silena.” Isaac said and Michael and Clarisse repeated it. Clarisse yanked her seat out
and plopped down into it heavily. Chiron then looked to Percy, now that the dispute was
settled.

“Right, now if you please everyone. Percy, the prophecy?”

“Right, the prophecy goes, ‘A half-blood of the eldest gods shall reach sixteen against all
odds, and see the world in an endless sleep, the hero’s soul cursed blade shall reap. A single
choice shall end his days, Olympus to preserve or raze.”

“Raise sounds good.” Michael interjected.

“Not raise, raze.” Annabeth said. “Raze as in Annihilate or ruin.”

“Destroy.” Rhea intoned, her eyes meeting Percy’s and he gave a grim nod. Everyone wore
expressions of concern and fear. Chiron’s eyes closed and his lips moved as if he were
praying. Rhea felt irritation rise in her aimed toward Chiron and she turned to him.

“You’ve kept this from him for years. You have hidden a prophecy about his death from him.
FOR YEARS.” Her voice was tight, full of pain and anger and Chiron looked down at her. At
the sight of his face some other anger that she couldn’t explain rose up inside her and she
fought the urge to scream at him and lunge.

“I thought it was for the best.” He wore a remorseful expression and he looked desperately
between the twins, as if hoping they would understand.

"Maybe we can stop it," Jake Mason offered, redirecting her attention. "The hero's soul,
cursed blade shall reap. Maybe we could find this cursed blade and destroy it. Sounds like
Kronos's scythe, right?"

“I don’t think there’s any point in discussing it honestly.” Percy stated, resting his elbows on
the table. “If I die, I die. But what we need to be focusing on is catching the spy. Because of
the spy, Kronos knew we were coming and it got Beckendorf killed.” Silena burst into tears
again and the Hephaestus girl let out a sob. Clarisse reached over and held onto Silena’s
hands.

"Well," Connor Stoll said uncomfortably, "we've suspected there might a spy for years, right?
Somebody kept passing information to Luke—like the location of the Golden Fleece a couple
of years ago. It must be somebody who knew him well." He very obviously did not look in
Annabeth’s direction and the cousins- remembering the discussion in the kitchen- all looked
at Percy anxiously.

“It could be one of his siblings.” Katie shot back at the Stolls in defense of Annabeth.
Immediately they started arguing back at Katie.

“Stop it!” Silena cried out. “Stop it, please! Charlie is dead and you’re all arguing like little
kids. HE’s DEAD! He’s dead and he’s not coming back.” She buried her head in her arms
and began to violently sob.

“She’s right.” Pollux agreed.

“Just keep an eye out for a scythe charm. Kronos had one so the spy definitely does too. But
we have other issues we need to resolve. First, a new Hephaestus counselor.” Rhea warned
with a weary tone. She turned to look at Jake, Nyssa, Shane, and Christopher. “You four are
the eldest and have been here to longest so it’s down to one of you.” The four of them looked
between one another before Jake stepped forwards.

“I’ll do it.” Percy and Rhea nodded.

“Perfect. So why don’t you go ahead and sit down and we’ll continue.” Jake very slowly
headed over to Beckendorf’s chair, across from Silena, and sat down with great trepidation.
His three siblings filed out of the room and the council continued. “Now,” She looked at
Chiron. “Tell us about Typhon.” Chiron picked up one of the bronze goblets that held water
and he threw it into the hot plate on the snack table that stood off to the side of the room.
Steam billowed up, making a rainbow in the fluorescent lights. Chiron fished a golden
drachma out of his pouch, tossed it through the mist, and muttered,

"O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow, show us the threat." The mist shimmered. Banks of storm
clouds rolled through the plains of the Midwest, lightning crashing through the sky and
thunder booming. Tornadoes destroyed everything in their path, ripping up houses, throwing
around cars, destroying highways, and toppling skyscrapers. "The most horrible monster of
all, the biggest single threat the gods ever faced. He has been freed from under the mountain
at last. But this scene is from two days ago. Here is what is happening today." Chiron waved
his hand and the image changed, zooming in on the monumental storm.

Inside the storm the form of a giant was visible, just small glimpses of his true form: a smoky
arm, a dark clawed hand the size of a city block. His angry roar rolled across the plains like a
nuclear blast. Rhea watched carefully and then she saw them. She saw the gods.

A woman in full battle armor with a spear went charging at the storm- Athena confidently
heading into battle. She was followed close behind by the roaring form of Ares, who was
slashing and hacking at Typhon lunging for any part he could reach. Artemis was flying
around the monster in a silver chariot, firing magical arrows from a distance and Typhon’s
roars of pain sounded like giant booms of thunder. As Typhon took another step across the
plains, the very earth rose up, grabbing at his legs, racing up his body and yanking him down,
beginning to trap him within the earth- Demeter had joined the battle.

“NOW APOLLO!” Came the thunderous voice of Zeus who was wreathed in lightning.
Apollo appeared in the view. He hovered in the air and spread his arms out and his eyes shut.
A high pitched shriek sounded and Apollo exploded into a blazing light that looked like it
held the heat and power of a thousand suns. Typhon shrieked in pain and Zeus called down a
mighty bolt of lightning. The storm slowed a bit, but it was almost disheartening to see that
after all of that, Typhon had only been slightly wounded.

“How long until he gets here?” Percy asked, his voice shaky.

“Unless the gods will stop him, he will be here by the 19th.” Chiron answered. It was the
4th now, that meant they had about two weeks until Typhon arrived.

“So then what about Olympus, and the giant army of Titans, gods, demigods, and monsters
that are going to be here within a couple days?” Connor asked.

“We fight them.” Percy said, his voice low and grave, yet determined.

“There are only sixty of us.” Travis protested.

“It will have to be enough.” Percy said. “We will march to Olympus, and we will hold it. We
will hold it or we will die. It is all up to us now.”
 Time to Go

Othrys was a place of icy and stony silence for seven years. For seven years the other titans
watched the frosty, yawning chasm of distrust grow between the King and Queen, it led to
instability, worry, and many of the young titans began to avoid Othrys.

However now was not one of those days of overwhelming and crushing coldness. The Titan
King had left a week before to begin his hunt for Aether (the primordial had been overly
defiant and unwilling to obey and Kronos would not tolerate the insult any longer) and the
Queen had been left alone in charge of the kingdom.

She held audiences, took petitions, held council, and reigned absolute all by herself. But
today was no simple audience, no. Today The Queen of Othrys would be meeting one of the
most powerful beings in existence.

Erebus.

He had sent a note requesting an audience the day before and Rhea had sent a reply granting
it and now she sat upon her throne, awaiting his arrival. There was a hint of nervousness in
her belly at the thought of facing the Primordial without Kronos (even one she got along
with). As much as she disliked her spouse, his presence would ensure she remained unharmed
by the Primordial if he had deviant intentions. However, she knew she could hold her own
and so she resolved herself to meet him.

Perses stood to the side of the Throne Dais, his hand on the pommel of his sword, her ever
loyal protector always by her side, and when a figure passed through the giant columns at the
front of the room her guard tensed.

Erebus was incredible awe-inspiring. He emitted an aura of danger, darkness, and power.
One that made his authority in life unquestionable by virtue of the fact that everyone was too
intimidated to confront him.

Long inky black curls fell to his shoulders and his onyx eyes (lacking any white to them)
pierced Rhea’s soul. He wore a tunic of red with red armor over the top of it and a long black
cape flowed behind him. His skin was of the darkest black- his appearance one of complete
darkness (fitting his domain. As with all Primordials, he was the physical manifestation of his
domain- of the darkness).

Rhea did not stand to greet him. She was queen and she would not rise to anyone- they would
kneel for her. Erebus approached the bottom of the dais and his gaze flickered to Perses.
Rhea saw amusement fly across his face and she fought the urge to smirk as well. The idea
that a titan as young as Perses could protect Rhea from a Primordial like Erebus was
laughable. His gaze then came back to her and she felt him look her up and down, the air
charged with tension and uncertainty. Then with a slight smirk, Erebus lowered himself, and
knelt before her.
“Khaireir Rhea, thais chrimenaitanis kai athleneai basillssia.” Hail to Rhea, the anointed
and true Queen. He intoned and Rhea let herself smile as she flicked her fingers, beckoning
him to rise out of his kneeling position. He stood and graced her with a large smile as he
walked up the dais and came to press a kiss to her proffered hand. “My lovely niece.” He
murmured as he gave the kiss. As he held her hand she stood and allowed him to bring her
hand in to rest on his arm and he escorted her down the dais.

Rhea waved a hand at Perses, dismissing him. Clearly Erebus was here on good terms and
there was nothing to fear. Erebus and Rhea had always had a close relationship. Nyx and
Erebus had often times shown her the parental love and affection she so deeply desired (just
as Pontus had done for Kronos) and while she knew that Erebus had trouble kneeling before
his niece due to her younger age, their relationship was still close and on fairly good terms.
The pair strolled out of the throne room and down one of the long and cold hallways.
Servants bent low in bows as the pair walked past.

“Beloved uncle,” Rhea began in her usual gentle and sweet voice. (she spoke this way
because it ensured that everyone viewed her as soft and sweet and in need of protection. It
put her in a favorable position over everyone). “When I got your request for an audience I
must admit that I was rather surprised. Usually you speak to the King when you have
concerns and such.” An unfamiliar expression crossed Erebus’s face when Rhea referred to
Kronos as ‘the king’ instead of by his name or as ‘husband’ as she once had.

“The matter is something that I have wanted to speak with you about. Privately. And with
Kronos gone, now is the best time.” His voice was low, hushed and wary and Rhea went still,
pausing them in their walk.

“I will not tolerate any treason. Strife between the King and I is not an invitation to whisper
traitorous words in my ear, Dark One.” She now spoke as Queen and Erebus understood
from her tone, he turned to face her a look of disappointment and hurt on his face.

“I do not come to speak treason, niece. I come to tell you something that I have held on to for
well over a decade. Something that you deserve to know.”

“And what in the name of your father could that be?” Her arms were crossed now, her body
language one of doubt and slight aggression. Erebus sighed and pulled her into one of the
dark alcoves along the hall.

“It has to do with your children.” She looked up sharply and he rushed to clarify. “About the
Princesses Hestia and Demeter.” Rhea’s stomach fell and she grasped her uncle’s arm tightly.

“What about them? Do you know something about them?” Her heart ached for her eldest
two girls who had been ruthlessly kidnapped and slaughtered before they had even lived for a
year. She felt hope build in her chest for the first time in years, hope that maybe one of her
children was not lost to her. In the years following the presumed deaths of her two eldest
children, Rhea had spent many months with Nyx and Erebus, crying in their arms and finding
comfort with her relatives in the Palace of Night and Darkness. Erebus cleared his throat and
a look of discomfort mixed with sadness covered his features.
“On the nights where your children went missing, things did not happen the way that you all
assumed they did. The way I let you believe that they did.” He pauses, his voice low and
clearly full of stress. “I did witness what happened that night, and I know I told you that I did
not but I was dishonest. I must admit, I was a bit nervous to make the accusation I am about
to because memory of Kronos’s capabilities was still rather fresh in my mind.”

“What are you talking about?” Rhea’s eyebrows furrowed and desperation for answers filled
her. “Uncle tell me what’s going on. Please.” As she begged she took his hand into her own
and squeezed it, clasping it between her own as if in prayer.

He does not look at her for many moments and Rhea fears that he will change his mind and
not tell her. That whatever secret it is that he knows and what answers he has will be lost to
her now. But he clears her throat again and lifts his head to meet her gaze.

“Rhea, your daughters- they were not kidnapped nor were they murdered.” But that’s not
possible because Rhea saw the ichor splattered across her bedroom, Demeter’s ichor, all
because Rhea had left her daughter to sleep unattended for less than half and hour. She
begins to rigorously shake her head in denial. “It’s true Rhea. What I say to you is true. I
swear it on my life, on my power, and on my family.” Tears build in her eyes because she
knows his oath is solemn and true.

“Then what happened?” She croaks out and he sighs and gathers her in for a hug, as if he
can shield her from the pain his words are about to bring her.

“Kronos- he.” Erebus pauses for a moment and dread sinks into Rhea’s bones. “When you
were dining with your sisters and Hestia was in her nursery, Kronos came to visit her. And
he- by Chaos it is hard for me to even utter the words." He pauses and takes a breath, as if he
must fortify himself and Rhea's breath catches, waiting anxiously to hear what he might say.
"Kronos, that night, he committed an unspeakable offense against you. He... my dear niece I
am so sorry... he did to her what he did to the others.”

“No.” Rhea sobs out and she goes limp against her uncle. “No, please. That isn’t true.”
Erebus squeezes her tighter. And even though she wishes he wouldn’t, he continues. He
marches on as if now that he has told her of the first time he has gained strength.

“And on the night where Demeter was presumed dead. That was not her ichor. Kronos did to
Demeter what he did to the others but his guilt and his desire to hide the truth from you and
keep you led him to cover it up.” Rhea pulls back from her uncle’s warm embrace and looks
up at him with tear filled eyes and horror painted on her face. Nausea curls in her stomach.

“That’s not true.” She grabs his armor and gives him a small shake. “Uncle please. It’s not
true. Tell me it’s not true!” Her words are full of desperation, of pain as she chokes them out.
Erebus only gives her a regretful look.

“The ichor you saw was not Demeter’s. She, like Hestia and like the others, were absorbed by
Kronos.”

His words hit her in the stomach like the dead weight of a stone sitting on her and she flies
out of the alcove and heaves in the hall, retching up her breakfast and leaning against the
black stone walls. She feels a hand pressed to her back as she vomits and another hand
pulling her stray curls back, keeping them away from her now sweaty face. Sheer and
inexplicable pain is the only thing she feels- a pain so vastly different and yet ten times worse
than anything her father had ever inflicted on her- and it is all from the hands and deeds of
the man who swore his eternal love and devotion to her. Who swore to never cause her this
pain.

“Breathe Rhea, Breathe.” He murmurs and she chokes out another sob, tears falling down
her face as the weight of what has happened hits her. She willingly slept with and continued
to stay by the side of a man who practically killed all of her precious children, lied to her
about the fates of her eldest babes, and staged the most brutal and gruesome as well as
horribly traumatizing moments of her life.

To stand in her bedroom and take in the sight of the room ripped and torn to pieces while
pieces of flesh and ichor were sprayed along the walls. To think that she was a horrible
mother, a worthless being for leaving her precious babies only to lose them. For it to happen
twice and for her to live with such awful and crushing guilt and for Kronos to lie about it?
She straightened up and turned on her uncle.

“How could you never tell me?” Rage burns in her eyes and destruction coils in her
fingertips, singing for release, begging to be used and she grits her teeth to resist.

“To go against Kronos and tell you? It was something I could not do. He has killed
primordials before.” Ouranos when he was only a young titan, Thalassa- his once substitute
mother that he loved so much- when she had dared to defy him, later Chronos only 5 years
ago in order to secure himself as the only being on Time. Rhea had seen him slaughter many
different beings before.

“Then why now?” She whispers, defeated and heavy. “Why tell me the truth now instead of
letting me live in peaceful ignorance?” Erebus pulls her close and leans down to whisper in
her ear.

“Because you are the only one who can put an end to this. You are the only one who can stop
him.” She shoves him away with so much force he slams against the wall and her hands go to
cover her mouth. Erebus leans against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Get out.” Rhea whispers. When he doesn’t move her voice raises to a violent scream. “GET
OUT!” Because how can he come before her and tell her this gut-wrenching, horrifying
information about the man she loved and the children she thought she had failed and left
them to die, only to find out it was not her who was at fault but the man who cradled her at
nights, whispering apologies in her ears and telling her that they could try again.

Erebus fled the palace quickly and when she felt the traces of his aura finally drain away
from the surrounding areas does Rhea flee to her private rooms. She barricades the door and
hauls the blankets off of her bed and wraps herself in them while she hides in a dark corner
of her room.

She drifts off to sleep in that same position and spends the entire night plagued with
nightmares. She dreams of her father holding her captive, of him tormenting their mother, she
dreams of her children who cry out for her and plead with her to save them from their prison
within Kronos. Her mind flashes from the Grove she was forced to remain in to the prison her
own children are in and she feels as though she is drowning in misery, in pain, and in
absolute horror.

She wakes up with fresh tears spilling down her face and with a hardened resolve.

She is going to put an end to this. She is going to ensure that Kronos can never hurt her
again. She is going to save her children, she is going to free them and reunite with them and
for once she will bear the memory of her children with a feeling other than that of failure and
guilt. And Rhea is going to LIVE. She is going to be free. She is going to rip Kronos’s throne
out of his grasp and tear his reign out from under his feet. Rhea is the reason he became King
in the first place. Her siblings often called her the Kingmaker as a joke, but it was true.

And just as she had given Kronos the throne, she would take it from him.

(And deep in the recesses of her mind and soul, Rhea hopes, she prays that when she tears
Kronos down from the throne that he will finally be free from the paranoia, from the curses,
and from the voices that plague his mind and dreams, from their father who whispers poison
in his ears. She wants to save her children but she also wants to save him. Because how can
Rhea truly give up on him? There is too much between them, too much for her to ever truly
hate him.)

When Kronos returns two weeks later with the head of Aether he tells her that he has finally
avenged their eldest children and that Aether confessed to everything before Kronos
slaughtered him. (Rhea has to resist the urge to give a poisonous laugh. She has to carry out
her plan and cannot afford to give herself away despite how much she wants to laugh at his
lies).

So instead of scoffing, or laughing, or leaving him there in cold silence, Rhea flies towards
him, colliding with his ichor soaked armor and embracing him all while whispering ‘thank
you’s’. Kronos is so taken aback and so delighted he never even thinks to see the
manipulations and plotting that she lays out.

After a year of pretending to slowly warm back up to him- dining with him, ruling with him,
reading in the libraries with him, spending time in her precious garden with him- that Rhea
pretends to fall back in love with him and invites him to her bed once more.

She conceives immediately because of course she does. She planned it so.

She has conceived her vengeance, her justice, her swift hand of destruction that she has
forged by herself. Kronos is a destroyer and that was to be Poseidon’s fate once but now
Rhea conceives this baby and she pours her destructive spirit into growing it. She prays for a
baby that can bring ruin upon the reign of Kronos. The destruction in this boy will not be
from fate, or his father, or any sort of Blood Curse. No, this boy’s destruction will be breathed
into him from the Queen of Devastation herself.

In the last month of her pregnancy she leaves for Crete and prepares to birth her final babe-
her savior. The day comes and when Rhea goes into labor she screams and cries out her pain
and anger and the feelings of betrayal, using them to fuel her and strengthen herself as she
labors. Tethys helps deliver and hide her child. She then goes and lies to Kronos's face and
wants to laugh when she succeeds at scheming a lie against the Crooked One himself.

When the boy with those electric blue eyes is placed in her arms, Rhea recoils in
instinctual fear at the sight of those eyes. But she knows that they are a sign. Those damned
eyes are a sign to Rhea that she has succeeded, that this boy that she has delivered is her
child of devastation.

She raises Zeus, trains him to be mighty, to be strong, to be cunning, and most importantly-
she trains him to know how to lie. She gifts him a sword and teaches him how to fight, Perses
helps train her son as well- her sworn guard ever silent to her treason and her loyal to her.

When the time comes Rhea brings her son to the palace, posing him as one of her hundreds of
grand nephews and Tethys backs her up, claiming the boy as the son of one of her daughters,
Tethya. Kronos accepts to boy into his court and for five years a viper hides in wait, lying in
darkness ready to claim justice.

Rhea does not see that the cycle continues, that where there was once Ouranos and Gaea
there is now Kronos and Rhea- forever stuck in a cycle of betrayal, murder, and destruction.

When Rhea awakens she feels tears dried on her cheeks at the memory of the feelings of utter
pain and betrayal that the Elder Rhea had once felt- feelings caused by the one she loved so
very much. Rhea muffles her soft cries in her pillow and she curses Ouranos for his twisted
and awful nature. She curses Gaea for being a horrible mother and never saving and loving
her children. She curses Kronos for succumbing to the madness and for hurting Rhea. She
curses the other Titans for never doing anything to stop Kronos.

But most of all she curses Rhea Ourania for the day she ever decided to love Kronos.

On Hyperion’s warship, Kronos surges awake and swears that when the war is over he will
hunt down Erebus and rip him into a thousand pieces with his bare hands for ever daring to
turn Rhea against him like that.
Percy finds his cousins having a picnic on the banks of the lake in a rare moment of peace
and relaxation. Alex and Rhea are swimming and engaged in a violent splashing war that is
quickly interrupted by Seth cannonballing in between them. Liam, Nico, Steve, and
Madeleine are all playing what looks to be a highly competitive and dangerous version of
chicken while Lily, Katie, and Miranda lay on a picnic blanket and point at different clouds
and make up stories to go with their odd shapes.

Next to them is a large blanket with a spread of a vast amount of food- half of it probably
created by his Demeter cousins and the other half probably nicked from the dining
pavilion (although it’s not really stealing if the nymphs happily give them food to please the
royal children).

Lily catches sight of Percy first and she shrieks his name while she stands and flies towards
him. He catches his baby cousin and spins her around enjoying these small precious moments
with the young girl (with all of them going to war there is a chance that this 11 year old girl
could very well be the last remaining member of their Blood if the war ends horribly).

He sets her down and ruffles her hair and lets her grab his hand as she hauls him over to the
picnic blanket where he then sits with Katie and Miranda. Miranda hands him a glass of
Nectar and he swigs some of it and sends her a lazy grin which she returns. Miranda is
always ready to push the boundaries alongside Percy and when she passes him a little too
much ambrosia to snack on Percy’s grin only widens as he devours it- enjoying the slight
burning sensation that fills him as the godly food fights with the strains of mortality in him
that grow smaller and smaller with each day. (Katie pretends to not see what they are doing).

“Good afternoon Percy.” Katie greets. “How were rounds with Annabeth?” At the
mischievous and pointed tone of her voice Percy flushes a shade of pink and Miranda starts
to giggle at him. Lily only furrows her brows in confusion. The haze of excess Ambrosia and
Nectar fuzzes over his brain and only deepens his blushing as Katie joins in Miranda’s
laughter. He wishes he could become one with the grass.

“Productive.” Is all he manages to say and Miranda wiggles her eyebrows at him. (Percy does
not tell them that he was stupid enough to talk to Annabeth about his dream of Rachel and
how Annabeth had lashed out at him, calling him a fool and a coward before hitting him and
running away. No, he buries his pain and smiles).

“I’m sure they were.” She responds to which Percy gives her a light shove. Katie only rolls
her eyes fondly at their interaction. She then raises her voice to call out to their cousins.
“Percy’s here!” The remaining children of the Elder Six quickly turn to look at the shore and
when they spot Percy, they begin to make their way to the shore. Steve purposefully dunks
Nico as he makes his way out of the water causing all the cousins to laugh when Nico
reemerges looking like a drowned hellhound. Alex and Rhea are the last ones to exit the
water with final splashes at one another before they race out of the water and collapse on one
of the blankets.

“Finally finished with your morning duties?” Seth asks as he steals Percy’s glass that was
now filled with coke (Katie had taken his glass of Nectar before he could refill it as he had
drained it so quickly). They all turn to Percy as if remembering why he was absent for the
entirety of the morning.
“Oh that’s right,” Rhea’s voice takes on a teasing lilt and a smirk curls on her pink lips.
“Rounds with Annabeth.” She says Annabeth’s name in a singsong tone and immediately the
rest of their cousins begin making teasing ‘ooooh’s’ and Percy prepares himself for a host of
teasing jokes but Alex interrupts anyone before they can say something. (Percy sees the look
Alex gives him when he cuts into the conversation. Alex did it on purpose to save his cousin
embarrassment and Percy gives him a small smile, his affection for his cousin only growing.)
(They are a reflection of what Poseidon and Zeus could have been if only things had been
different. If only…).

“What did I score for inspection?” His voice is eager and Percy is reminded of the bets made
at the breakfast table this morning on who would score the highest at inspection.

“The Zeus cabin got a 4 out of 5. Annabeth docked a point because she said the layer of dust
was disgusting.”

“A four out of five?” Miranda exclaims disbelievingly as Alex let out a triumphant war cry
and pushed Nico and Seth over in his excitement. “There’s no way.” She scoffed.

“Better believe it!” Alex laughed but Percy held up his hand to pause the celebration.

“However the Poseidon cabin was scored a two out of five and given the fact that that is
where you actually live, the Zeus Cabin four out of five doesn’t count.”

(The week before the mission of blowing up the Princess Andromeda, Alex had banged on the
Poseidon cabin door at 1 in the morning until a tired and freshly awoken Percy yanked open
the door while cussing him out. Nico was sitting up in his bunk and Rhea threw a pillow at
him as soon as the door was opened. He snagged it out of the air and threw it back to her.

“I’m not sleeping in that creepy ass Zeus temple- because believe me, that is no cabin- while
all you guys get to live it up in nice cabins.” He had said before pushing Nico’s extra
belongings off the top bunk of Nico’s bunk set and threw his own stuff up there. From that
night on, the Zeus cabin had remained abandoned while the Children of the Big Three all
lived together in Cabin 3.)

Rhea let out a snarky, almost mean laugh at Alex as his face fell when he realized he
wouldn’t get the store credits for having a score of four and up and that he would not win the
bet. In retaliation Alex threw a strawberry at her- which she caught in her mouth and all of
their cousins cheered.

It was this moment here that Percy wanted to hold on to for the rest of his life, this moment
that he would forever hold close to his chest- particularly as he walked into the war that could
very well claim his life. This was what he wanted to remember, him with his family, happy
and laughing as they spent a rare few moments not focused on the war. He kept his eyes on
the scene around him- soaking it in and absorbing it. (Once upon a time, there had been a set
of siblings who were just as close as these cousins who laughed and spent carefree moments
like this together. They too had been driven to war, only it murdered most of them or drove
them apart, dividing them forever.)
They ate their lunch and continued to laugh and everything was perfect for that small amount
of time. But when lunch was over most of the cousins headed back into the water, before
Percy and Rhea could join them Nico gently grabbed their wrists and stopped them.

“We need to talk.” Nico muttered, his voice low and tense. Alex sent them a concerned look
from the water. He nudged Katie who turned to look at them but when Rhea made a motion
with her hand they both turned and distracted the others from what was going on at the shore.

Nico began to walk towards the forest and the twins exchanged a grave look before jogging
to catch up with him. They walked silently through the forest together and at one point Mrs.
O’Leary burst out from a clearing to join them. The cousins watched the hound bounce
around and bark happily and they all secretly wondered what it must be like to live such a
happy existence- not plagued by destiny and death.

Eventually they made it to the clearing of the Council of the Cloven Elders. The place had
fallen into disrepair- its grass yellowed and brittle, the thrones slowly decaying, and the trees
around it were leafless and dead. Grover’s girlfriend stood crying as she spoke to the Elder,
Leneus. When she saw the trio a look of relief came over them and she quickly made her way
over to greet them.

“Percy! Thank the gods! I’m trying to get answers about Grover because something has
happened to him, I just know it and the Elders won’t do anything to help me!” She was now
gripping Percy’s hand, clinging to it with desperation. Percy knew she was appealing to him
because of his link with Grover but in his personal opinion he thought she should appeal to
his sister if she wanted to intimidate and demand answers out of someone.

“I told you, Nymph.” Leneus sneered the word like he thought her inferior and Percy felt his
hackles rise. He wasn’t going to abide by this, he wasn't going to let some judgmental satyr
talk down to his best friend's girlfriend. “I won’t do anything to help you, Underwood is a
traitor to our kind.” Percy went completely still in his steps and Rhea and Nico froze beside
him- exchanging worried looks as they watched Percy’s features turn dark.

“Traitor?” Percy asked, his voice quiet yet it carried throughout the clearing with clear
authority. “I recall Dionysus clearing him of any charges and I certainly remember granting
him a permanent home at camp. Are you telling me that both a god and I did not make a good
choice?” Leneus paled while Rhea and Nico turned their gazes from Percy to the satyr to see
how he would answer the question, dark curiosity on their faces.

“I only meant that… What I mean is…” Leneus stuttered out. “It's just that this is a satyr
matter my Lord, not a camp matter.”

“Grover’s my friend and you reside in my camp which makes it my business. And I know
what you think, you think he lied to you about Pan’s death and receiving his blessing but he
didn’t. I was there and I saw the whole thing as did my sister and Nico.” He began to walk
closer to the satyr until he towered over him and raised and imperious eyebrow. “And I know
that you would never dare to accuse me, my cousin, or my beloved sister of lying.”

“Ne-never.” He whispered, lowering his gaze so he was not forced to look into the dark
vortex of power that resided in Percy’s eyes.
“Good. Then find Grover. Use your magic and find him.”

“But I’ve heard nothing!” Leneus wailed in desperation as he threw himself at Percy’s feet.
“I’ve heard nothing! He is most likely dead, my lord.” Juniper sobbed and Percy squeezed his
eyes shut to steel himself against the pain that struck him at those words.

No, Grover could not be dead, Percy refused to accept it. How could he? Grover was his
friend for a longer time than any of his cousins and Percy could not bear to hear this. His eyes
snapped open and he reached down, grabbing onto the front of Leneus’s shirt and hauling
him up until his feet were dangling in the air. The snarl that curled on Percy’s face was
beyond feral and completely unhinged. Nico’s eyes fluttered shut at the feeling of sheer
power exuding from Percy while Rhea began to smile a dark and satisfied smile as she
watched him.

“Listen to me Satyr,” he sneered the word satyr the same way that Leneus had said ‘nymph’.
“I am telling you he is not dead. You go out there and you find him. You look for him and
search until you drop dead because you can’t go on anymore. Find him and bring him back to
me. You are a leader to the satyrs so LEAD. FIND HIM.” He threw Leneus to the ground and
the satyr sat there in shock for a moment before Percy let out a thunderous command. “GO.”
With that Leneus scrambled to his feet and shot out of the clearing. Percy turned to Juniper
and gave her a tight smile. “There you go Juniper, I’m sure we’ll hear something soon.”
Juniper gave him a shocked and slightly concerned look before ducking into a slight bow.

“Thank you so much Percy! Thank you.” She stood and gave him a quick hug before
disappearing from the clearing leaving a satisfied (but still worried) Percy and his amused
cousin and sister.

“Nice job, Perce.” Nico whistled appreciatively while Rhea gave him a pat on the back.
“Very intimidating.” Percy only rolled his eyes at Nico before giving Rhea a look, meeting
her eyes and letting her see his deep concern for his friend. Her hand slid down from his back
to grip his hand and she gave it a reassuring squeeze. He squeezed it back and tried to draw
strength from his sister’s presence before turning to speak to Nico.

“Now about why we're here, is this about my dream the other night?” Rhea frowned when
Nico sighed and nodded.

“What did you dream of? When was this?” She asked her tone concerned and slightly
demanding as she took in the serious expressions on her brother and cousin’s faces.

“After the explosion, while we were healing at Dad’s palace.” Percy tells her and Rhea’s gaze
sharpens at the news that Percy did not share something extremely important with her. (She
refuses to acknowledge the irony and hypocrisy of the fact that Rhea herself is not sharing
extremely important things. She justifies it to herself that it is not necessary for Percy to know
what happened on Othrys. That he doesn’t need to know that Rhea’s entire being and identity
is a crisis and a lie). Nico turns to Rhea.

“I told him that it was time.” Rhea let out a sharp gasp as if one of them had landed a blow to
her stomach. “We’ve run out of time and options Rhea. I spied on the Titans while you were
on your mission. Their numbers are high- they’ve got dozens of gods, titans, and demigods.
We might be strong but we need to be stronger and by doing this we may actually stand a
chance.”

“I know.” She answered, her voice quiet and resigned. She went quiet for a moment before
she began to sway, almost in sync with the leaves on the trees that rustled in the soft breeze.
When she spoke it was as if she were elsewhere and like she was speaking to someone else.
“I swore I would not fight Feronotos which means it falls to you.” Her tone was now deeper,
as if someone else was speaking through her mouth. “Falls to you.” She repeated. “To stand a
chance against the three brothers this is necessary.” Her mutterings only grow as do her
family’s concerns. “Three of them. Three of us. Three sisters and three brothers. Three and
three makes six. Six and six make twelve. Three of them to face three of us.” Nico frowned
and Percy grabbed Rhea’s shoulders and gave her a concerned shake before grabbing her chin
and tilting her head up so he could take a look at her. Rhea’s eyes were of the deepest green
and there was a distant, lost look in her eyes as if she were a million years away.

“Rhea.” Percy murmured, desperate to understand what she was talking about as his worry
mounted. “Rhea, talk to me. Rhea what do you mean?” Her gaze snapped to his and her eyes
cleared, turning back into the beloved and precious sea green shade she always had. For a
minute her gaze flickers away as if she is desperate to avoid his gaze, as if Percy could
discover something if he were to only look in her eyes. But when she looks back at him he
only sees ferocious intensity and protectiveness.

“Koios and Hyperion, Percy. They will be leading the armies alongside Kronos and you will
have to face them. I can’t Percy.” Her hands came up to grip his forearms tightly and her nails
dug into his arms. “Koios is the second-best fighter of the Titan Brothers and Hyperion is the
strongest in power behind Kronos. You’ve got to follow Nico’s plan. I need you to because it
is the only way that I can guarantee your survival.” Tears are welling in her eyes and blood
(ichor) wells up where she grabs him, but Percy feels none of the physical pain, just the
clenching in his chest at the sheer desperation and fear in his sister’s eyes and he finds
himself quickly nodding- agreeing to Nico’s plan.

“Okay. Okay Rhea.” He turns to Nico and pulls Rhea into his side. “Let’s do this.” Percy
wore a determined expression and Nico’s mouth set into a grim expression.

“Time to follow Luke’s steps. In order to do this we have to retrace everything that led him to
this moment.”

“Why?” Percy asked as they began to walk out of the clearing and back to where their
cousins were splashing in the water.

“I’ll have to explain it as we do it. I’ve already tracked down his mom- she lives in
Connecticut. Also I think it’s best if Rhea joins us.” Percy frowned as he absorbed that
information. Luke’s mother? Luke had a living mortal parent and yet he had willingly gone to
the side of a mad Titan who would terrorize all mortals? But Percy nodded in agreement to
Nico’s idea, Rhea needed to come, right now he was worried about her. However there was
also a part of him that desperately needed her with him if he were to truly go through with
this (and a part of him that wanted to have her go through it with him so that hopefully the
same protection could be extended to her as well).
“And she’s alive?” Rhea asked, voicing Percy’s other thought about Luke’s mother.

“Oh she’s alive.” Nico muttered in that sarcastic voice he always used when he knew
something that the rest of the cousins didn’t. And while he did clearly know something that
they didn’t, the fact that he wouldn’t just come out with it and say it was amusing. Rhea
rolled her eyes at the same time as Percy at the attempt at mysteriousness by their baby
cousin. Despite the seriousness and unknown of what was to come they could not help the
affection they felt for their cousin in this moment. (It also served to pain them a bit because
they remembered how young he was).

They arrived by the lake and Percy cupped his hands over his mouth, calling out to Katie and
Alex, asking them to come ashore. The pair raced back (literally. When Katie won she threw
her fists up victoriously and shoved Alex’s head under the water) and waded out of the water,
refusing when Rhea offered to dry them.

“We’re leaving again.” Rhea started, apologetically. “We’ve got another mission.”
Seriousness came over them and Katie reached out to take Rhea’s hand.

“Is it time?” She asked, her thumb running over Rhea’s knuckles soothingly, at this point well
attuned to the signs that Rhea had experienced distress. Rhea gratefully squeezed her cousin’s
(best friend)(sister) hand.

“Yeah.” Percy sighed. “It’s time.” Alex yanked Percy in for a rough hug, pressing him tightly
for a moment and Percy briefly wondered if this was what it would be like to have an older
brother. When Alex pulled away tears shone in his gray/blue eyes and he cupped the back of
Percy’s head while meeting his eyes.

“Good luck Perseus.” His voice was fierce. “You will survive this. I know you will. And you
will come home to us and lead us to victory.” Percy reached up and cupped the back of
Alex’s head, pulling him in until their foreheads met and their eyes closed briefly. Rhea,
Katie, and Nico watched silently, taking in the scene and watching as the Son of Poseidon so
clearly loved and accepted to son of Zeus. This was deeper than just worry or just a goodbye.
No, this was an elder cousin- no, an elder brother- giving his blessing and sending his
younger brother off to face his destiny, to begin his journey against Fate. The enormity of the
scene weighed on all of them so heavily that the observing cousins almost felt the need to
avert their gazes. The pair pulled apart and Percy went to embrace Katie while Alex yanked
Rhea in for a hug. “Try to stay safe, troublemaker.” He whispered into her hair as he hugged
her. She only gave a choked laugh and squeezed Alex tight.

“I love you cousin.” She said, her words muffled by his chest and she felt him stiffen before
he relaxed again. He pulled away from her, holding her at arm’s length and his eyes full of
the deepest affection.

“I love you too Rhea.” He pulled her back in for one more hug, pressing a kiss to her
forehead and Rhea fought the smile that came over her face at the show of affection. They
pulled back finally, and he gave her a lopsided smile. “Now get out of here.” She gave him a
smile to match his own before turning to Katie.
“I name you ruler in my absence.” Rhea told her, it was only a formality at this point since
everyone in the camp knew that Katie was to rule in Rhea’s absence but it was still necessary
to say. Percy repeated the same words to Alex and the two cousins then came to stand side by
side to see Rhea, Percy and Nico off.

Nico let out a piercing whistle and Mrs. O’Leary came bounding out of the woods to greet
them. Nico climbed up first, followed by Rhea who then helped sling Percy up. They waved
their final goodbyes to their cousins who stood with determined yet grim expressions on their
faces (Alex and Katie only prayed this this would not be the last time they saw their cousins.)

“Good luck.” Alex called out one last time and Percy nodded before Mrs. O’Leary went
bounding towards the shadow of a tree. Before they made contact they slipped into the
darkness, becoming one with the cold of the dark and submerging in the quiet whispers as
they travelled through the endless black.

A pair of Onyx Eyes watched the trio travel, it was the first time he had awaken from his
slumber in centuries. The eyes watched the group as they passed through his realm and with
curious eyes, he beheld their appearances and knew from who they came. But when he took
in the appearance of the girl who sat in the middle his expression changed from one of
curiosity to shock and his laughter began to ring out through the darkness.

He had almost lost hope that she would ever return to the land of the living but here she was,
she had returned while he had slept. She was finally awake. After all this time she was finally
awake and had returned. By Chaos, he could not wait to witness the havoc she would wreck
on the world.
 The Final Quest
Chapter Notes

This one is a bit short but it has to be because the next one is so epically long and
chaotic.
Missed all of you! Love you guys!

The shadows whip past Rhea’s face as they fly through the realm of shadow and darkness to
wherever their destination is. It is bone chillingly cold, a horrifying realm to travel through
and yet Rhea would prefer it any day to that horrible feeling when she had somehow traveled
from Othrys to Camp.

Whispers surround them as Mrs. O’Leary bounds through the shadows and every once in a
while it feels as if shadowy fingers grip at Rhea’s arms and legs, causing nausea to take over
her stomach as she resists the urge to start flailing wildly. She cannot make out the whispers,
but they grow louder and louder until a sharp crack sounds and they all fade from her
hearing. But then a dark voice begins to whisper to her.

“Rhea,” it calls and even though her eyes are squeezed shut, her head turns in the direction of
the voice and she feels a hand caress her fac. Or is it just her imagination? Then why does the
voice sound like the one from her dreams of Erebus? “Rhea,” it whispers again with pure joy,
as if it were a father to his child and Rhea longs to open her eyes, despite knowing she would
see nothing.

She opens her mouth to call something back but then sunlight beams into her face and Rhea
opens her eyes to see a cliff in the woods of Connecticut, lined with large stone houses and
huge colonial style properties that make her want to scoff at the privilege of these people,
living so safe and secure while dozens of demigods die every year just struggling to find
safety.

Mrs. O’Leary stages beneath the three cousins and Rhea grips Percy tighter in fear that she’ll
fall off. Instead of forcing the hound to continue to bear their weight, they all quickly slip off
her back and give her appreciative pats as she thumps onto the ground, yawns, and falls into a
recuperative slumber.

“Is she alright?” Rhea asked skeptically, running a worried hand over the sweet face of the
hellhound.

“She’ll be fine, she just needs a minute. By the time we’re finished here she’ll be up and
ready to go.” Nico reassured her, and Rhea frowned for a moment before accepting his more
experienced words and following after Percy and Nico to giant, white two story house whose
side walk was lined with every stuffed animal you could ever imagine. Chills went down her
spine as Rhea examined the beady little eyes of the stuffed animals and she grabbed the back
of Nico’s shirt to hiss in his ear.

“This is fucking creepy. If we die here I will kill you in the afterlife.” Percy gives an agreeing
‘yeah’ and Nico scowls at the both of them.

“It’s gonna be fine. Trust me.” Percy scoffed at Nico’s words.

“Oh great. Every time you start with that we always end up in some bad situation where I end
up having to bail us out.” Rhea laughed, it was true. Over the summer as Nico’s power had
grown there had been many ‘just trust me’ moments from Nico that had gone sideways
quickly. Such as the one time he had accidentally shadow travelled an army of monster
hellhounds right into camp.

“Shut up.” Nico grumbled and playfully shoved Percy and then Rhea as they climbed the
porch of the house to face a bright turquoise door that had the Poseidon twins nodding
appreciatively. On the door the name Castellan was written in English and just beneath it was
its Greek translation. When she read the name Castellan, Rhea scowled and she could have
sworn the temperature dipped ten degrees. Nico turned to look at the twins with raised
eyebrows. “Ready?” He asked and when Percy shrugged, Nico leaned over to knock on the
door.

“Luke!” An old lady exclaimed, swinging the door open just as soon as the first knock
sounded. Percy’s face took a dark expression at the name and Rhea scowled harder. The old
woman was a complete mess and Rhea could feel something horribly wrong with her from
the second she saw her.

Her aura was one that was cracked and dark, one that reeked of a curse and of devastation (an
aura and feeling Rhea was so familiar with.) The white hair on her head was standing up in
every direction as if she had been electrocuted and her housedress was covered in burn
marks, making Rhea want to take a few precautionary steps down and off the porch.

“Oh my dear boy!” She cried and folded Nico into a hug which almost made Rhea laugh
considering how Nico was the complete physical opposite of Luke, small, short, pale, and
dark haired and eyed unlike tall, strong, blonde-haired blue-eyed Luke. She released Nico
and yanked Percy into a hug, calling him Luke as well before turning to face Rhea.

Her face completely changed, the joy fading away as a look of confusion and a bit of fear
took over her face. The frazzled excited energy about her disappeared the longer she looked
at Rhea Her eyes took on a greenish gleam and Rhea’s head tilted to the side as she examined
the woman. What was that weird feeling she was getting from her, so familiar and old that
Rhea felt as though she should recognize it immediately. One of Ms. Castellan’s hands came
up as if she were reaching for Rhea and she began to point, her voice becoming rough and
gravelly, her eyes that mad green color.

“You shouldn’t be here.” She whispered and Rhea took a challenging step forward. She
would not be told to do by the mad mother of a traitor. “How are you here? I saw your arrival
here but how is it possible?” At that confusion came over Rhea. What did she mean by that?
Did she possibly know something about Rhea and who she was, who she truly was deep
within her, about the pressuring presence of her past self that weighed inside Rhea’s mind
that had rebirthed her? Her hand began to shift to her bracelets, ready to cut down this
woman if she should reveal things that Rhea had no intention of sharing. Nico saw the
motion and shifted to stand between them, blocking Rhea from Ms. Castellan’s view.

“Ms. Castellan?” He murmured and the old woman suddenly snapped back into herself, that
weird smile coming over her once again as she began to usher the three of them inside.

“Come in, come in! I have your lunch ready!”

As it turns out, lunch was moldy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that made Rhea want to
cry by the weirdness of the entire thing. And everything gets so much more horrifyingly
weird as Nico asks Ms. Castellan about the odd appearance of her eyes.

Ms. Castellan tells them of her ability to see through the Mist and how she had been offered
some important job that Hermes had tried to dissuade her from. About how she had tried and
failed to succeed at whatever the job was. She tells them how Luke came to see her almost a
year ago and how his eyes were still blue. (Rhea tries not to flinch at the thought of Luke’s
eyes and how they had turned to the cruel gold that haunted her dreams and her waking
thoughts)

“Ms. Castellan, this is important.” Nico begins, placing his hand on the woman’s arm and
looking concernedly at her. “Did Luke as you for anything?” Ms. Castellan frowned for a
moment as she tried to remember before beaming triumphantly.

“He wanted my blessing! My dear sweet boy wanted my blessing and approval, isn’t that
sweet?” She looks at Percy with an uncertain look. “He was going to a river and needed my
blessing to go. I gave it to him. Of course I did.” Her gaze then shifts to Rhea and the odd
green takes over again as her voice drops again. “You understand, don’t you? Sons always
ask their mother’s for their blessings before they go off on adventures.” Rhea froze in her
seat, her gaze locked onto the other woman’s.

Sons always ask their mother’s blessings before going off.

(“Mama, please. If I am to do this, I must have your blessing. Please, I cannot do this without
it.” Rhea remembers a precious boy on his knees before her, clutching her hands in his as he
looks up at her with electric blue eyes, begging for her approval as he goes off to betray and
kill his father.)

“It is the way of the world.” Rhea whispers back to the voice inside the woman’s body. Percy
and Nico’s gazes have shifted to watch the interaction and Percy looks as if he wants to grab
Rhea and flee from the house with her and then interrogate her for hours to learn whatever it
is that she and the old woman are speaking of. She pointedly avoids looking at either her
brother or Nico, instead moving her sea green eyes to stare at the Kitchen floor. Nico clears
his throat and speaks haltingly as if thrown off by what had just happened.
“Thank you, ma’am. That’s all the information we-” But he is violently interrupted by Ms.
Castellan gasping and doubling over, dropping her tray off cookies and sending all three
demigods jumping to their feet and Percy positioning himself in front of Rhea. Ms. Castellan
straightens, eyes glowing as hauntingly green as the Oracle’s do and she stumbles forward to
grasp Nico’s shoulders and shake him.

“My child,” she rasps and it sounds like metal scraping down a chalk board. Rhea crosses her
wrists together and her swords come springing out. Rhea has seen many horrible events start
this way and she will not be caught unaware. “Must protect him. Hermes , help! Not my
child. Not his fate-no!” She screams, shaking Nico who lets out a strangled scream as he tries
to push her away but fails against her surprisingly strong grip.

Rhea surges forward immediately and latches onto one of the woman’s thin wrists and yanks
with all her might, pulling the woman off Nico and then slamming her head into the table and
letting her fall to the ground. Rhea pointed one of her swords at her throat, keeping Nico
behind her and watching the woman’s eyes warily to see if the eerie green had faded, fully
prepared to hit her again if the first time had not worked.

But May Castellan’s eyes are normal blue again as she looks around confusedly and begins to
call for Luke again. Nico breaths a sigh of relief behind Rhea and she sheathes her swords.
Percy reaches out and grabs the two of them by their shirts and begins to yank them out the
door, no longer willing to allow his family to stay in such an uncertain position where their
safety could be threatened again.

They hastily depart, storming down the stairs as quickly as possible and race towards Mrs.
O’Leary who is awake and thumps her tail against the ground in greeting. Beside the hound
sits a girl, no older than Nico, wearing a brown dress and a simple sheer white veil over her
red hair as she scratches Mrs. O’Leary’s head. A campfire crackles next to her, as the sun as
begun to fade now and a picnic spread of food sits beside her. Rhea watched as every once in
a while, the girl reached her bare hand into the fire and poked it, causing it to glow and even
more vibrant red.

“Hello.” She says in a soft voice, turning her head to look up at the trio and Rhea sees her
eyes for the first time. Glowing Golden eyes that gleam with fire in them. Eyes that look so
much like Kronos’s (like Hera’s), only they glow brighter and yet softer with the roaring fire
that rests in her eyes with her golden irises. A smile comes over Rhea’s face, a true one.

“Hello Lady Hestia.” She greets, dipping a quick bow to the goddess, Percy and Nico
hurriedly copying her. Hestia shakes her head and waves her hand.

“I am your aunt, you can of course call me as such. You are all my beloved nephews and
niece; my family and I am happy to see you all.” Hestia smiles at them, her smile particularly
gentle to Rhea which makes her shift uncomfortably, wondering if the goddess was soft with
her because of how much she looked like the goddess’s mother (because she was? But she
wasn’t? That wasn’t the point though). Hestia’s gaze shifted to look at Percy and she
straightened, her gaze becoming a bit more discerning. “Hello Percy Jackson. Sit. Would you
like some dinner?” her voice made it clear that this was not really a question and more of a
command. Something thrummed in Rhea’s blood at the goddess’s words, making her a bit
confused before she realized what it was.

Their godly ichor recognized that Hestia was the Keeper of their Bloodline and as she
commanded, they obeyed. The call was something so great it was always so hard to resist, the
last time they felt it having been four years ago as the stood before the pit to Tartarus as
Kronos tried to call them down to him. Rhea remembered how she and Percy had been so
drawn to the voice and how they had struggled so hard to resist it before finally being able to
turn away despite the slight feverish feeling it gave them as they defied their Patriarch.

The three of them sat and began to slowly gather their plates into their laps, but not before
scraping part of their portions into the fire- dedicating their offering to their respective
parents and Hestia herself, who glowed brighter for a moment.

“Thank you,” she said to them, bestowing them all with a smile and waving her hand so a
plate of cookies appeared before each of them. She then settled to watch happily as her
brothers’ children filled their bellies. As they ate, Nico paused, swallowing first before asking
their aunt a question. He asked why she did not fight Typhon with the other gods and Hestia
only shook her head sadly. “I am not a fighter, besides someone has to keep the fires of the
homes burning while the other gods are away.”

“You guard Olympus?” Percy asked and Hestia shook her head gently.

“Guard is a very strong word.” But Rhea knew it was true. She realized exactly why the gods
had left Hestia behind, why they entrusted all of Olympus in her hands as they left and it was
probably for the exact same reasons they wanted Rhea to face down Kronos.

They were counting on the fact that Kronos had a historical soft spot for his eldest and they
hoped he would be soft for the face of his wife (they would be right but Rhea would never
confirm it, besides she knew her face would never stop him, only drive his obsession to
capture her to his side until he won the war and could bring her out when he was King).

They hoped that even if every demigod fell, that when Kronos made it to Olympus and came
face to face with his precious daughter, that he would fail, that she would cause him to stutter,
to hesitate and that she would save Olympus by virtue of her face, of her position as her
father’s beloved.

While Rhea is lost in her thoughts and her realizations, her brother and cousin speak with
Hestia about their trip to visit Ms. Castellan. Percy tries to ask about what exactly happened
to her, about what’s wrong with her but Hestia quickly shoots the conversation down, her
face darkening as she tells Percy that it is not a story she likes to tell.

“I don’t blame Luke for leaving,” Percy states, setting his plate down. “His mother wasn’t
right, and his father abandoned him. He was just a kid and he had to find a way to survive.”
“How easy it is to judge others, Percy. But will you follow Luke’s path and seek those same
powers? Will you go down a road that many attempt and few survive?” Hestia asks, opening
her hand, sending the flames roaring high to the sky and heat overwhelming them all, the Sea
inside Rhea being the only thing that keeps her from burning.

“Not all power is spectacular.” Her fiery eyes turn to assess Rhea. “Are they? They can be
devastating, horrifying, and many have ended their lives in fear of the powers that flow
through their veins.”

“And yet some of us haven’t got the choice to run from their power.” Rhea responds, her own
hand opening and a ball of water swirling in her hand and the ground rumbling beneath her
feet and yet they all know that these are not the powers that either woman refers to. “Some of
us are forced to live and die by them, to wield terrible power whether we like it or not, simply
to save others.”

For is that not Rhea’s own fate, has it not always been? Elder Rhea had been a being of
destruction for millennia after millennia. She had birthed a Destroyer, creating him all on her
own overriding fate and creating him with her essence along. With Elder Rhea’s own powers
she tore down the Titan Dynasty and ripped apart her family. And now Rhea had been born
with these exact same powers and had been cursed to this fate all over again. Her powers
exploding out of her and killing her own people, destroying parts of her camp, leaving
devastation behind her as she and Percy cleaved a very mountain in two. She knew her fate,
and it was to wield devastation like a sword, to kill thousands, millions, and to then die by
her own hand just as the elder version of herself had. Gentle understanding and sympathy
crossed Hestia’s features and she nodded sadly, bringing the flames back under control as
Rhea vanished the water in her hands.

“Yes,” Hestia whispered, “That is the fate of some. Some of us can never rid of power no
matter how hard we try.” She shares an understanding look with Rhea and for a moment Rhea
thinks that Hestia may know her deepest secrets. But Hestia breaks their staring and turns to
Percy. “And others must accept this and learn in turn that their greatest power is to yield. And
to allow others to hold the power. Do you believe me?” She asks Percy and he shifts and
Rhea knows by the gritting of his teeth that he hates the idea of relinquishing control to
another and allowing them the power to possibly harm the world (his family). But he nods his
head anyways.

“Yes, I understand.” And Rhea knows he understands (just that he doesn’t like it). He and
Hestia continue to argue the power of yielding, remembering Hestia’s sacrifice of her Council
seat for Dionysus, of Hestia playing peacekeeper with her siblings, about her contenting
herself to yield to the shadows for peace and stability and how Percy must learn to do this.

“I am the Last Olympian, Perseus. When all others have fallen, when they have failed, I am
what remains. Remember me when you make your final decision.”

Final.

Rhea flinches at those words and she see’s Percy tense up as his hand slides across the picnic
blanket to find hers and grip it deathly tight. The words of the prophecy ring in their head and
Rhea feels that sinking feeling return at the goddess’s words. She grips Percy’s hand in
return, if Rhea’s destiny is to reign devastation before fading away once more, she will
slaughter everyone to keep her brother alive and to stop the prophecy from killing him.
 A Final Blessing, the First Betrayal
Chapter Notes

So I lied lmaooo this chapter is short but it was too tempting to nod leave it on a
cliffhanger while I write the next chapter. Enjoy this short chapter lol

CHECK OUT @HUNGRYLUMA YOU GUYS!!!

She makes cute little art of my baby Rhea!!

Percy kneels before their mother in a picture that is all to familiar to Rhea. It is practically a
mirror image of a past memory- of a youngest son created to destroy begging for his mother’s
blessing. Percy kneels with his hands clasping their mother’s and his head bowed to her lap.
Rhea sits on the couch next to Nico, observing as their mother takes a deep breath and
squeezes Percy’s hands.

“Percy, this is extremely dangerous, even for you.” She tells him and Percy’s head lifts,
desperation coloring his eyes.

“Mom, I know. I could die. But this is the only way I can save my people, save my father,
and keep Rhea safe.” Their mother’s face changes at that, her expression becoming one of
dreaded realization that this truly was the only way that could result in her son and daughter
coming out of this war alive.

“Aunt Sally, please.” Nico begs leaning forward where he sits on the couch. “Percy needs
your blessing. The process has to start this war, you have to bless your son’s endeavor.” Their
mother shakes her head and grips Percy’s hands tighter, reaching one hand up to brush back
some of his black strands of hair.

“You want me to bless this?” She whispers in horror and her own blue eyes gaze down at
Percy with so much fear before looking up to see Rhea staring at her hands, carefully
avoiding her mother’s gaze as if by avoiding meeting her mother’s gaze she will be able to
ignore the pain they are causing their beloved mom.

“Mom please, I can’t do it without you.” Percy responds, pressing a kiss to their clasped
hands.

“And if you survive this?”

“Then I go to war. Me against Kronos and only one of us will walk away. But I stand a far
greater chance of protecting Manhattan and my family if I take on the Curse.” Rhea’s
stomach goes queasy as they all choose to lie to their mother and not reveal the prophecy and
Percy’s seemingly inevitable demise. Rhea lifts her gaze to meet her mom’s and her mom’s
gaze softens as she beholds Nico- who is still so young and small- and Rhea and her resolve
strengthens.

“This can protect you, save your sister and your cousins.” Their mother murmurs as if it is
supposed to go unheard by the room. Their mom leans forward and kisses the top of Percy’s
head. “Percy… Rhea… I give you my blessing to do whatever it takes to succeed, to win. To
live.”

There is no magic, there is no thrumming in the air as there had been when Rhea had blessed
Zeus and his mission to destroy his father. There is none of that and yet this is just as
momentous as that moment thousands of years ago. Percy stands from his position before
their mother and turns to Nico who gives him a grave nod.

“It’s time.” Nico says and Percy briefly closes his eyes before nodding and making his way to
Nico only to be stopped by their mom’s hand on his arm.

“Percy, Rhea, when the fighting has ceased and you win the war,” their mom says as she
looks back and forth between her kids and Rhea almost wants to smile at the way their
mother so determinedly believes in them. “Send some sort of signal to me that you survived.
Please.” She moves past Percy and comes to stand before Rhea, pressing a loving hand to
Rhea’s cheek. Rhea quickly nods, agreeing with her mother.

“We’ll find a way. Maybe a flare from the top of Olympus?” Rhea suggests and their mom
smiles at the suggestion.

“Something blue.” Percy interjects and Nico rolls his eyes so hard at the inside joke while
their mom lets out a huff of a laugh at the joke. Rhea cracks a smile as well.

“Perfect.” Mom says looking at Percy with a confirming nod. “I’ll watch and wait for a blue
signal from Olympus.”

They wind up in Central Park and Rhea is about to tease Nico for shadow-travelling them to
the wrong place (since the entrance to the Underworld is in LA) but Nico clearly guesses
what she’s about to do from the teasing smirk on her face and he gives a great suffering sigh.

“This is the Door of Orpheus.” He tells her with a superior look and Percy snickers at how
quickly Nico rushes to defend himself (Nico’s various shadow-travelling mistakes still so
vivid in all of their minds).
“If you say so.” Rhea laughs and quickly dodges the punch headed her way from Nico. Percy
catches her as she stumbles away, and Nico gives a huff before turning his back on the twins.
When Rhea comes up behind him and gives him a back hug and a kiss on the cheek, he
softens and Nico’s good mood returns.

“As I was saying,” Nico starts with an air of superiority. “This is the Door of Orpheus, so in
order to open the door we need music.” He turned to Percy with a mocking expression. “How
is your singing, cousin?”

“I could not doubt shatter glass, but I don’t know about moving rocks. Why don’t you give it
a shot?” Percy snarked back and Rhea giggled at the way the two boys- who looked
incredibly similar- teased each other back in forth.

“How about you Rhea?” They both said, turning towards her with those matching
mischievous grins. Rhea immediately held up her hands in surrender, for while she had many
gifts (curses) singing was not one of them. She opens her mouth to decline with vehemence,
but Percy frowns and his eyes grow distant as if he’s zoned out or somewhere else before he
calls out a name.

“GROVER!” He shouts and Nico (who stands right next to him) jumps at the sound and
hisses, covering his ears from the loud sound of Percy’s shout.

“Jesus Christ.” Nico muttered and Rhea shot him a smirk. “I don’t think that’s gonna work
Perce. Grover’s been gone for ages.”

“Nico’s right, how can you be sure he’ll respond now?” Rhea agrees and Percy just scowls,
upset that they can’t feel what he feels.

“Because I know he will. I can feel him, for the first time in months I can feel him. It’s like
he’s right next to me.” The tone in Percy’s voice, unwaveringly certain, the weird glint in his
eyes as if he is not quite present with them is something all too familiar to Rhea- for she too
occasionally has visions, dreams, insight to the world around them and it would be unfair to
doubt Percy’s ability to have the same.

“Percy,” she starts tentatively, approaching him as one does a startled animal and places a
cautious hand on his arm. “What do you see?” Percy’s eyebrows furrow as he tries to gain
clarity from whatever sight he sees and Nico frowns. All of the cousins are aware that
sometimes Rhea goes distant, that when she sleeps, she has odd dreams and visions and that
even when she is awake sometimes ominous voices whisper in her mind. She knows that
Nico has grown wary that Percy may be the same way.

“He is near, our link is buzzing with life. I can hear him in my mind, I think he’s” Percy
pauses, frowning as if he doesn’t quite know what to make of what he’s hearing in his mind.
“I think he’s…sleeping?” The word sleeping was said with so much confusion that Rhea
could have laughed if not for her concern for what her brother was seeing.

“Can you speak to him?” Nico asked curiously and Percy gave a distracted nod before
concentrating hard, his eyes squeezing shut. Rhea watched as his lips moved to form the
name Grover, but no sound accompanied it. As he spoke the word in his mind the wind began
to whistle, and it was almost as if the trees were whispering ‘Grover’ with him- as if they
were working in tandem to summon the Satyr. Percy’s expression become one of fierce
determination with hints of concern and his eyes flew open- the dark color of a raging Ocean.

“GROVER.” He barked out in his ‘King of the Camp’ voice and Nico’s spine straightened as
he were ready to receive his marching orders and duties. The trees lurched and Grover
dropped from one of them as if he were a meteor falling from the sky and hitting the ground
as a mass of limbs and fur. The trio watched as Grover untangled himself and stood cursing
in a surprisingly colorful manner for his usually fairly clean vocabulary. He then straightened
up and took in the sight of the Percy, Nico, and Rhea staring at him and he blushed fiercely.

“Hey guys!” He beamed embarrassedly at them, and Rhea shook her head with laughter
before waving hi while Percy yanked him into a hug.

“I knew you weren’t dead.” Percy whispered, overwhelmingly relieved to be reunited with
his best friend and Grover frowned over Percy’s shoulder before pulling back.

“What do you mean ‘dead’ I was only out for a day or two taking a nap?” At his words all
three demigods go ramrod straight- for this screams of the work of a titan.

They learn that scouts of Kronos’s have reached Manhattan, that minor gods and titans have
been laying the groundwork for the invasion right beneath Percy and Rhea’s very noses-
invading their home. Morpheus in particular has been around, and it is him that threw Grover
into a several months long nap in order to prevent him from warning Percy and Rhea of the
arrival of the minor gods.

Grover tells them how Morpheus referred to how he was ‘Saving for the Main Event’, and
Rhea nearly cries in relief as she garners the meaning of his words. For days they had all been
agonizing over what the line ‘And see the world in an endless sleep’ had meant and now with
the revelation made by Morpheus and his ‘scouting’ of the battlefield it seemed they had an
answer.

The mortals of Manhattan would not all be slaughtered in one fast wave, no it seemed as if
the Titans planned to force them into a long slumber to keep them out of the way (something
that was surprisingly merciful of Kronos considering thousands of years ago he had hated
mortals. Rhea wondered where this personal growth had come from).

But as relieved as she felt to have an obvious answer to one of the lines of the prophecy, Rhea
knew that prophecies sometimes had multiple meanings all at the same time and she
desperately hoped that the line didn’t actually mean that when the demigods lost Kronos
would kill all the mortals. But it is not all of this that worries them the most, it is the next
piece of information that Grover reveals, words said by Morpheus that send chills down
Rhea’s spine and have her brother and cousin shifting to stand practically glued into her
sides.

“Kronos has sent many of us here with a singular mission. To seek out a Princess, to find her
and take her to him. He has promised that should we succeed that we shall have a prize and
kingdom greater than any can imagine.”
Kronos has sent dozens of demigods, monsters, titans, and gods to hunt her down and steal
her away. To take her and ensconce her in the darkness of Othrys a final time where she will
never see the light of day or freedom again, forever locked away for whatever should be
Kronos’s pleasure.

It sends fear shooting through her veins, accompanied by the electrical surge in her body that
screams that she welcomes the challenge. She dares any of those minions to come for her, for
Rhea remembers what she did to Iapetus and Lelantos outside of Mount Tamalpais. How
unholy power surged through her and how she ripped the head of Lelantos from his shoulders
with her bare hands.

These minor gods, titans, and weak little demigods are welcome to try and find her, to try and
take her down. For they will not succeed, even with the current absence of her devastating
and destructive powers she still has her Father’s powers and her swords and she knows
without a doubt that they are enough for her to fend off and slaughter any who come for her.
(Besides, Percy, Alex, and the rest of the cousins guard her ferociously and she doubts any
would be able to break through the cousins to reach her).

Rhea feels Percy’s hand grasp her own with great strength and she squeezes it back
reassuringly before giving Grover and incredulous laugh and dismissing the words- not
needing Grover to understand the seriousness of those words. They don’t need him running
back to camp and announcing those words to everyone at camp. (Rhea just hopes that this
revelation does not lead to Percy questioning what happened on Othrys- for Rhea does not
know what to say to him. She does not know to tell him of the sheer terror she had felt, the
electricity that coursed between her and Kronos, and the way she had sat on the Throne and
felt her entire being come alive for the first time in her life).

Grover accepts Rhea’s dismissal of the words and Percy’s warning to not say anything about
it to anyone else before taking out his pipes and splitting open the entrance to the Underworld
and sprinting off to find Juniper and explain his months long absence to her. Nico shifts
nervously and Rhea frowns, for Nico and his father have been getting on rather well lately- so
why is he so nervous to enter the Realm of Hades? She pushes the thought away- for it is
probably nervousness to see Percy plunge into the Styx and whether or not he will survive.

Mrs. O’Leary bounces around, thrilled to be in her homeland and Rhea watches with a smile
and an indulgent laugh. Percy has begun to frown and look around with suspicious eyes, as
he notices Nico’s suddenly lagging steps and nervous nature. (The cousins never like to doubt
one another or believe suspicious things of each other but when the signs are right in front of
your eyes it is terribly hard to ignore- and it is impossible not to see how wary Nico has
grown).

But betrayal comes swift and painfully, like a sword to the chest, as the Furies descend from
the blood red skies to surround Percy and Rhea. Rhea turns to Nico, telling him to call the
Furies off with a clear command in her voice but the regret and sad resignation that colors
Nico’s features has Rhea’s gut twisting.

Like Judas had once done to his Lord, so too has Nico turned on his own cousins and handed
them over to his father- who is known to be mercurial towards his demigod nieces and
nephews, sometimes prone to murder them- to be held captive and perhaps even slaughtered.
 His Father’s Son
Chapter Notes

Family dynamics are funky in this family. Enjoy a peek at Rhea with some captivity
PTS and how it affects her temper.

The Underworld is just as dark and foreboding as Rhea remembers it to be. The screams of
the damned echo through the air and the moans of the poor souls who face judgment fill her
ears. Unlike the last time Rhea was in her uncle’s realm the voice of Kronos does not call out
to them to tempt his descendents like a devilish serpent in the garden.

(This time the voice of Kronos is inside her mind, plaguing her thoughts as his voice plays in
her memories that laugh at her, mocking her for her torn existence)

The Furies lead them directly to the Palace of Hades, bypassing Cerberus and any lines of
souls awaiting judgment. Nico tries to catch her gaze during their journey but Rhea
steadfastly refuses to look at him, his betrayal still burning in her blood. How dare he turn his
back on her and Percy for a father he sees only every once in a while. Had Rhea and Percy
not taken him in and loved him as if he were their brother? And yet the knife he had driven
into their backs cut so deeply that Rhea was tempted to turn her sword on him- but she would
not, for it was hard to raise your sword on your family, even when they betray you.

(A part of her knew Nico craved the acceptance of his father and just desperately wanted to
please him. That didn’t mean that Rhea thought he ought to have more of a spine and learn to
stand up to his godly father just as Rhea and Percy did to the Gods).

The heavy onyx doors of the Palace of Hades are heaved open by hooded guards and the
twins are ushered inside, straight to the Throne Room. The walls are imposing Stygian Iron
with black Hellfire gleaming in braziers around the room. Sentries stand all around, a mix of
skeletal Spartan Warriors and more hooded beings whose faces Rhea cannot make out.

A long line of petitioners fills the room as they stand in between red velvet ropes that form a
line to kneel before the Throne of the King of the Underworld. The King sits on a massive
throne of Stygian Iron inlaid with more wealth than Rhea could ever imagine. Precious gems,
gold, silver, and platinum line their way across the great seat and a halo of blood red rubies
rests just above Hades’ head on the throne giving him a look of deadly superiority and
royalty.

Hades himself is ten times more intimidating than his throne, the imposing room, or the
deadly Hellfire. His pale face gleams eerily in the light and his black eyes appear almost
soulless as they bore down cruelly at the soul who kneels before him. He is clothed in a fine
black suit with a black turtleneck beneath it his hair half pinned back beneath his crown, and
he has one hand propped up, fingers digging into the spot where his temple is- indicative of
his impatience with the petitioner.

Atop his brow is a crown of bone and iron, it looks sharp and cruel as if it could scar your
fingers if you even barely touched it. The twisted crown on his head has a ruby in the center
and around the ruby are etched golden runes.

‘Hades, King of the Underworld. Eldest son of the King of the Titans and Queen Rhea
Ourania of the Heavens’

It proclaims his heritage in a far more subtle way than the crown of Poseidon- which
announces his status as the second son and heir of Kronos so proudly, demands that he be
given his due as the beloved son of the Titan King and Queen. Instead, Hades only
acknowledges his father’s status as King of the Titans, seemingly almost brushing the titan
aside, reluctantly acknowledging him only slightly before shifting favor onto Queen Rhea,
the parent Hades loved the most and would gladly owe his inheritance to.

(Not to say he doesn’t love his father- he won’t ever admit it though- or that he doesn’t know
his claim descends directly from his Mother AND his Father. Hades just prefers to snub his
father in the little ways he knows would grate on the Titan King’s nerves.)

When he catches sight of the Furies and the now captive Percy and Rhea he straightens up,
hand falling to the armrest of his throne before dismissing the remaining petitioners (they
grumble as they leave but when the hooded guards step forth with their swords they
grumbling ceases and they all swiftly file out without complaint). The twins make their way
to stand before him (still ignoring Nico) and the uncle and his niece and nephew eye each
other balefully.

“My son! You’ve come home.” Hades greeted Nico with a fond smile and a nod of his head
that Nico returned with a brilliant smile of his own (Rhea wanted to smack it off of his face).
“Niece. Nephew.” He greets with a faint smile. “Welcome to my court.” Rhea scoffs loudly
causing Hades to glance at her with a frown before Percy speaks in a scornful tone.

“I think my sister and I would feel more welcome if we hadn’t been ambushed and forced
here in chains, dear uncle.” The sneer that mars Percy’s face as he speaks is only too
reminiscent of Kronos and it causes Rhea to avert her eyes from her brother’s face, while it
causes Hades to stiffen up as if he is a child who just got lectured by their parent. “I assume
this isn’t the loving summons of a concerned uncle, so why have you called us here?” Percy
snarks, crossing his arms and shifting so he stands just before Rhea.

“Perhaps I just wished to see my dearest niece and nephew.” Hades retorts with false offense
coloring his tone. Rhea rolls her eyes- for Hades is nothing if not his Father’s son, just as
dramatic and just as much of a fucking liar.

“I thought you would lie better, given that you are the son of The Crooked One.” Rhea
replies, coming out from behind Percy to face her uncle. Hades stood from his throne, slowly
descending the steps of his throne until he stood over Rhea (he was barely taller than Percy,
both Percy and Alex had hit an ungodly growth spurt that had shot them up over 6 feet tall.
Puberty hit demigods differently. Way differently. Unfortunately, Rhea was still a short 5’6,
something the boys never let her forget). Hades looked down at her with a slight frown and
spoke with a rebuke in his tone.

“I do not welcome comparisons between me and my father, Princess.”

“And I do not welcome being kidnapped- and yet here I am. For the second time in less than
a year. Just another similarity you have with your father.” She took a step forward,
unintimidated by the god as her confidence in herself slowly returned since she had recovered
her voice. (She knew that the devastating power still lurked in her veins, resting just beneath
her fingertips and yet she still couldn’t bring herself to use it- shying away from the sheer
destruction it wrought. But she also knew the power she inherited from her father was more
than enough to take down any god- and probably any titan. After all, she was the daughter of
a Destroyer).

There is a scowl on her lips and she looks down her nose at him, despite the fact that he is
taller than she. She knows exactly how to give an air of superiority (she remembers Queen
Rhea did it so well during the years of her separation with Kronos. She knows just how to
make men of this Bloodline feel small and insignificant.) Hades clears his throat and steps
back minutely his gaze shifting away from hers for the briefest of moments to see both Percy
and Nico observing the scene with cautious gazes as if they both fear they may need to spring
forth and separate the pair.

“I apologize niece, nephew.” He turns to Percy and gives a nod. “Clearly the Furies treated
you harshly and they should have been far more welcoming in their manners when they
brought you to me. However, it is necessary that you be here with me.”

“And why is that?” Percy challenges his eyebrows cocked and Riptide clutched in his hand
although still in pen form. “Hoping to keep us captive for a few years until Nico turns sixteen
so that you can claim your own blood as the Prophecy Child?” Hades shakes his head with a
sad yet distant look in his eyes, looking at Percy as if he is at his funeral and is waiting to see
Percy’s body lowered into the ground.

“No Perseus. I have known that the prophecy child would not descend from my line from the
day it was uttered. Fate is a funny thing, and I knew the moment it was spoken into existence
that Fate would use this prophecy to correct the errors of previous generations.” Hades takes
another step back as he explains and another after that until he is turned away from Percy,
Nico and Rhea as if he cannot bear the sight of them before he begins to make his way down
the passageway on the side of the room, gesturing for them to follow him.

“What does that mean?” Percy demands as they walk. Hades opens his mouth to explain but
Rhea cuts him off (she thinks it is best if the news comes from her own mouth rather than that
of their mercurial uncle).

“Zeus and Poseidon.” She tells him in that distant voice she always is affected with when she
speaks of the past. “It was always supposed to be Poseidon who overthrew his father, who
took power and claimed the throne. And yet Zeus came and usurped our father’s role. Now
the fates will correct themselves and have made the Destroyer Poseidon’s own son and placed
the fate of the throne in your hands. No matter what, it rests in the hands of Poseidon’s blood
as it should have even if it does not rest on Poseidon himself.” She gives Percy a grim look
and reaches over to grab her hand in his own as they walk. He squeezes her hand back,
seeking comfort and none of the family speak for quite a few moments. At least until they
arrive in what is clearly a private sitting room- far less dark and imposing instead illuminated
with gentle and warm fire and furniture and rugs made of rich and soft fabrics.

Hades claims an armchair by the hearth- giving the hearth a fond smile as he undoubtedly
thinks of his eldest sister. Nico claims the armchair just across from his father as if craving to
be as close as possible and hoping that sitting close will bring him more of his father’s
attention. Percy goes towards a loveseat a bit further away from Hades and positioned closer
to the door- he tugs Rhea along with them.

The strategy of their seat does not go over Rhea’s head- Percy has placed them as close to the
door as possible in the hopes that if this goes south that they can spring a quick escape before
their uncle or Nico can catch them.

“If you haven’t brought us here for your own gain then why did Nico bring us here at all. Do
you plan to harm us?” Rhea asks, her voice cold in order to hide the trepidation that she feels
deep inside, clutching Percy’s hand tighter and taking comfort as his thumb rubs her knuckles
in that way her family knows calms her. Nico sees the motion and hurries to reassure them.

“It’s nothing like that! I promise! I made him swear he wasn’t going to hurt you before I
agreed to bring you here. He wants to help you.” Nico tells them with an eager expression as
if he thinks this wipes away the sting of betrayal.

“You think his oath means anything?” Rhea snaps at him half rising from her seat before
Percy tugs her back down. He still steadfastly ignores their cousin (a smart and cruel move
for Percy knows that his silence will cut Nico ten times deeper than angry words ever could).

“What do you want, Uncle?” Percy’s voice is even but it is sharp and cuts straight to the
point. Hades smiles at him almost fondly.

“You’re very much like you father, Perseus.” Their uncle tells them, and Rhea wants to laugh
at that because Percy really is and it's so glaringly obvious to anyone who spends five
minutes with him. “But as my son has said I have not brought you here to hurt you. You are
my blood, the children of my beloved brother. I made an oath to him- to watch over you both
while he fights his war and fights for his life. I have never broken an oath to my beloved
brother before and I do not plan to start now.” Rhea leans forward with a curious look while
Percy frowns beside her.

“Why would you make him that promise?” She asks and Hades huffs out a laugh.

“I’ve never been good at telling my baby brother no or denying him anything. He asked me
to watch over his only children and I knew I could grant him that- especially as he could die.
I will protect my brother’s children just as I know he would mine.” Rhea feels a softness in
her chest at his words, a feeling of pride and admiration at this clear display of brotherly love
and devotion (a pride that perhaps originates from Rhea Ourania whose presence still beats
at the walls Rhea has erected in her mind). She sees Percy’s lips crack into a small smile- no
doubt thinking of how he would do the same for Rhea’s children or Alex’s or Katie’s. He
turns to their uncle with a polite and grateful smile.

“It’s nice to know we have a good uncle watching over us- especially when our other one
prays for our death.” Hades lets out a rich laugh at that, like every member of their family he
enjoys a good joke at Zeus’s expense (although this is less of a joke and more of a sad fact of
life). “But Rhea and I can’t accept your offer. We have a war to lead and we are needed in the
Mortal World.” Percy stands, brushing off his jeans and Rhea follows him up. “Thanks again
though, Uncle.” Percy nods his head at their uncle and they turn to leave but the doorway that
once stood there is gone. Instead the wall has turned to solid Iron. Percy whips back around
to face their uncle, pulling Rhea behind him. “Let us out.” Percy says, his voice quiet- deadly
and dangerous- and Nico flinches back at the sound of it.

“I cannot.” Their uncle denies, standing from his own chair and waving his hand, causing a
new doorway to appear. “I will not fail my brother as so many have before.”

“Uncle,” Rhea whispers out, fear and claustrophobia tickling the back of her throat and the
urge to cry in frustration fills her once more. She is going to be held captive once more,
unable to leave or do anything by her own free will. She is a hostage once more- something
she has dreaded for months as she’s desperately avoided ever leaving the camp or being
without her cousins so that she could never be captured again. Her breath quickens as panic
fills her and Nico reaches out a hand as if to soothe her. “Uncle please.” She whispers, her
breath catching as she stubbornly refuses to let any tears fall. She is stronger than that (isn’t
she?). “Please don’t do this.”

“I’m sorry.” Hades shakes his head, clear regret coloring his face and words (but not enough
for him to free them). “But I am doing this to save you both.” A skeletal guard appears from
down the hall. “Now if you’ll follow Leonidas, he will take you to your room. I know that the
two of you prefer to room together, so I have had a suite prepared for you with two beds in
your room.”

Ah. Well at least he’s kind enough to take their preferences into consideration if he is going
to keep them captive for an indefinite amount of time.

But why was it that these gods, these men and these titans all whispered honeyed words to
Rhea that they were simply doing what was best for her. That they were going to save her.
They knew what was best, better than her or Percy, and they alone could defend her and
shield her as if she wasn’t a being capable of defending herself. As if the Destroyer was not
her own blood, having grown in the womb with her and fed off her energy.

No one could protect them like each other.

No one.
It is only a few hours later that Percy and Rhea are led from their bedroom to the family
dining room of the Underworld palace. They had both had time to shower and change (which
was awesome considering they both still smelled like moldy peanut butter from May
Castellan’s house) and Percy had been amazing enough to help Rhea French braid her hair
and then wrap it in a know on the top of her head.

They followed Leonidas down the brightly lit halls both wearing hoodies to stave off the
incredible chill in the air of the Underworld (suddenly all the braziers made a lot more sense)
and Rhea thanked all the gods that their uncle had been nice enough to give them comfortable
clothes instead of traditional Greek outfits. They trail behind the skeleton and as they walk,
Percy leans down to whisper in Rhea’s ear.

“I’ll kill the guard and you blast a hole in the walls, and I bet we can escape.” Rhea snickers
for a second until she sees just how serious he is. Rhea is desperate to escape as well- she
truly is given the panic that has not stopped weighing on her chest since the Furies arrived-
but she also knows that they need to be smart about it. She knows her escape of Othrys
wouldn’t have worked without the help of Perses and Hyperion and she knows that if they are
to escape the Underworld it needs to be a smart plan because unlike on Othrys, they will have
no help or allies here.

“That’s a stupid plan and you know it.” She hisses back up at him. “Every time I use that
power people die and we usually win, yes. But I also end up unconscious and in bad
conditions and we can’t escape if I’m not even conscious.”

“I could carry you.”

“And still be able to fight? Don’t be stupid.” She whispers a bit loudly and Leonidas turns to
look at them causing the twins to freeze. Plots will have to wait until they can be whispered
in the darkness of their rooms, hidden under the covers and muffled by pillows. They will not
cease planning, no they will just be patient.

Dinner is quiet. The sounds of silverware on plates fills the room as everyone does their best
to avoid speaking with one another. Hades sits at the head of the table and Percy at the
opposite end with Rhea on his right. Nico sits somewhere in the middle- a perfect
representation of how torn he had looked on where to sit, with his father or his cousins.

“Where’s Persephone?” Rhea asks casually as she cuts her steak, putting a piece in her mouth
with an innocently curious expression. “She decided not to come stay with you as war
approaches?” Hades sighs and sets down his fork to answer her.

“My wife decided her presence would be better served fighting with the Olympians; she has
gone to them now.” Displeasure is written all across his pale features. Rhea tsks her tongue
with mock sadness.
“So brave of her to go out and fight instead of hide away from the inevitable.” Percy replies
before Rhea can say anything and she nearly chokes at his sickly-sweet words. Her brother
has daggerlike words when he wishes as well.

“She is noble, like her mother.” Hades replies seemingly content to ignore the meaning of
Percy’s words. Unable to let him continue to play like this, Rhea pushes forward.

She demands to know why he hides, why he abandons his siblings to their fights so that he
can hide like a coward in the darkness of the Underworld. Rhea feels that hum in the back of
her mind that fills her and her vision clouds, the edges of her vision darkening as she
demands to know why her uncle hides in the Underworld like a fool- like a coward. She asks
him if he truly thinks his father will leave him be in the Underworld, if Hades is stupid
enough to think that when Kronos takes Olympus that he won’t turn his gaze on his
remaining child and storm the Underworld, reclaiming the entirety of his former Empire.

Hades knows his father, but Rhea knows Kronos better (whether she admits it or not she has
knowledge of him that no other has). She knows that Kronos will never be content to leave
Hades be, that he will not let Hades continue to hide in the darkness when the rest of the
Olympians have fallen. Just as Kronos will demand loyalty or death from his five other
children (although Zeus may be put to the Scythe no matter what) he will turn his gaze on
Hades, conquer the Underworld, send Hades to his knees and demand the same.

“You hide because you fear what you cannot control- you fear facing your father and you're
are afraid because you do not know what will happen.” She accuses and Hades scowls,
clearly ready to verbally spar with her but Rhea gives him no chance to speak. “So instead of
facing your fears and doing your duty as a brother you sulk in the shadows like a child. You
grasp for control and cling to the idea that you can control the lives of everyone around you
who share your blood. You may not look like him as much as my father does, but at the end
of the day you truly are a son of Kronos.” Rhea spits at him, slamming her hands down on
the table as she stood and pointed her butter knife at him. Hades leaned back in his chair,
eyeing the knife and Rhea’s hands (which hold such devastating power) carefully before
biting back a response.

“I am not my father’s son.” Hades frowns at her and she snorts.

“Oh please. You can deny it all you like Aorato. But at the end of the day when you can no
longer hide from the truth, you are Hades Kronian.” Hades slams his own fists down on the
table and rises to meet her. (He does not have time to wonder how she knows his True Name
and how she says it so perfectly, as if she has been speaking Old Tongue her whole life and
knows without a doubt that the name she has just uttered is correct.)

“You will not speak to me this way.” He snarls. “I am a god and I am you uncle. You will
respect me.” His niece only laughs a bitter, acid filled giggle in his face.

“I will speak to you any way I like. You have taken me and my brother hostage and you shirk
your responsibilities in favor of hiding. Meanwhile my brother and I are fully prepared to go
to war and DIE before we even turn sixteen. How is it that we are more accepting of our fate
than you- a god who is thousands of years old and has had years to accept what is coming
whereas we’ve only just learned the true meaning of the prophecy within the past few
weeks.” Percy comes to stand beside his sister, and he glares with eyes so dangerously dark
down at his uncle.

“We’ve been raised like lambs for the slaughter Uncle. And yet when the time comes, I’ll lay
down my life willingly for my family. It’s a shame you won’t do the same.” And with that the
twin children of Poseidon, the Godkillers, the Destroyer and the Reincarnate Queen, departed
the room ready to plot their escape and defend their city, their people, and the entire world
until their last breath.
 The Fall of the Golden Age
Chapter Notes

I know I said Kronos and Rhea interacted, but I promise this is not what I meant when I
said that. This was originally a 10k chapter but I am separating it into two parts because
I want to show the start of the first Titanomachy before we begin the one from PJO!!!

Quote from Hamilton that I think belongs with Rhea:

“And when my prayers to God went unanswered I picked up a pen and I wrote my own
deliverance”

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Othrys is home to a great many feasts as of late. Kronos finds himself having every reason to
celebrate now that all six of his children are dealt with and gone. There is no threat to his
reign now and so Kronos has grown laidback and magnanimous. (With his siblings at least.
Just last week he slaughtered an entire town because their offerings failed to please him. And
a month ago Kronos had butchered Pontus when he heard rumors of how the Ocean
Primordial sought to rebel against his former adoptive son to make him pay for the murder of
Thalassa).

But the twelve siblings and their children enjoyed feast after feast and basked in each other's
company. Family dinners and sparring matches in the training arena beneath the palace had
become daily happenings. In his new generous spirit, Kronos had agreed to allow Rhea to
expand her household to include more of her family to serve as her ladies. Selene and Eos
had already been under her tutelage and several of Tethys’s beautiful daughters had come to
court to learn under Rhea.

These were not the only new members at court. A few of their nephews had come as well,
ready to join Kronos’ army and make their way through the ranks to be generals and be
granted command of new regions- just as Kronos had awarded Helios, Atlas, and others.

“Brother,” Tethys called from her seat two spots down from Kronos. “I’d like to present one
of my grandsons to you. He’s come here in hopes of serving you and one day fighting for
you.” Tethys’s deep blue eyes glowed with pride as she spoke of her grandson and Kronos
gave her a soft smile at the sight (his madness ebbed and flowed as of late but while he was
in the midst of his family it seemed to soothe the screams of insanity in the back of his head,
blocking away the curses of their father).
“I’d be happy to welcome any niece or nephew from your line.” Kronos reassured her,
accepting a giant platter of fine fruits from Koios. “Which of your children does he hail
from.” Tethys lifted her hand, motioning to her serving nymph to go find the boy they were
speaking of and the nature spirit swiftly departed.

“He’s Tethya’s boy.” She smiled at the thought of her eldest daughter. Rhea leaned forward at
her words, always happy to hear more of her beloved niece. Theia- who was beside Rhea
leaned in as well. “He’s strong, fine, and powerful. The perfect grandson.” Tethys glowed as
she praised the son of her line, sipping her nectar as she spoke. “The only issue is...” She
trailed off, shifting uncomfortably in her seat and casting a wary glance at the King of the
Heavens. “He was born with rather unfortunate eyes, eyes our sister Mnemosyne shares.”

The rest of the table fell silent at that, turning to hear more about this boy born to the line of
Ouranos with eyes of electric blue. Eager to see if Kronos would explode in his paranoid
rage or if he was so assured of himself, he would no longer be bothered. Afterall,
Mneymosyne had been welcomed to court over the past few decades and she split her time
evenly between an island she had taken a liking to named Crete as well as Othrys.

Kronos leaned back in his seat, looking at Rhea and reaching over to clasp her hand in his.
Even though they had grown so cold, so distant, the memory of their father and the pain he
had wrought on them- as well as the memory of how they had fought so hard for each other-
always revived some of their old love for each other. (For how can you completely hate
someone who tore apart the heavens at the sight of your tears and at the sound of your cries?)
He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to it and Rhea rubbed her thumb over his
knuckles almost instinctually before slowly detangling her hand from his.

“I don’t see why that should prevent him from joining with the rest of our family.” Kronos
hummed thoughtfully after he spoke, raising an eyebrow at Rhea to ensure she was alright
with it as well, knowing how the sight of those eyes could trigger such horrid memories. Rhea
leaned past him and smiled at Tethys.

“We’d be delighted to receive him here. There is always a place for our family here.” Her
reassuring words pulled a smile from Tethys and with a wave of the eldest Titaness’s hand,
the doors were heaved open to reveal a tall, strong looking titan.

He made his way through the throng of cousins, past an explosive fight between Astraea and
Lelantos (which would inevitably end in destruction) and up to the High Table where the
Twelve siblings sat. Eventually the young titan came to stand before them and he lifted his
head slowly, cautiously, to look upon the King and Queen of the Heavens.

He had raven black hair, like those with the strongest connection to their line. His skin held
the Mediterranean tan all of them had (except Oceanus and Iapetus who were pale from all
their time away from the light of the Sun). His features were strong, a herald of his ancestry
and there were hints of Kronos in his features but it was shadowed by his amazing
resemblance to Iapetus, without the silvery hair.

His eyes were piercing, so piercing every single one of the Twelve averted their gazes for a
few moments and shifted uncomfortably at the eerie gaze. The electricity in his eyes was so
powerful and Kronos could have sworn that lightning could blaze from them. That maybe it
wasn’t just the physical color this boy shared, but the powers of Ouranos as well. Tethys
cleared her throat from beside them and all the siblings turned to her. She held her hand out
toward the boy and smiled a smile so proud (but beneath it was a smug smile, an
undercurrent of something else, something Kronos could not identify).

“May I present to you, Zeus.” She announced with a loud voice, catching the attention of all.
The siblings all extended welcomes to their Great Nephew, welcoming him to the fold of the
family.

But from her place beside Kronos, as Rhea met Zeus’s eyes and extended him a warm
welcome, a smirk curled on her lips.

Victory was eminent. And soon her children would be avenged and the world would know her
pain.

Zeus fit in as if he had always belonged with them. Kronos immediately took to him, treating
him as if he were more than just a great nephew- almost as if he were the son of Hyperion or
maybe even his own son. Hyperion was just as taken, finding Zeus to be hilarious as well as a
good fighter. The pair dueled often and even though Zeus lacked any amazing powers he
made up for it in sheer strength and cleverness.

(Rhea does not notice, she is too narrow sighted in her pursuit of vengeance, but she does not
see how Hyperion’s gaze flicks between Rhea and Zeus, as if he has connected the dots
between them. Or how Iapetus narrows his gaze at them but contents himself to watch in
silence instead of call attention to what he sees.)

Rhea watched him interact with her family and her bitterness grew. How could Kronos not
see that this is what they could have had? This is what their family could have been if he had
not caved to the paranoia in his mind. If he had allowed their children to grow longer, to
allow them past their childhood. She watched as Zeus and Mnemosyne carried out their once
secret romance, now happily romancing one another under the roof of Othrys and to the
delight of everyone in the family.

This was the life Rhea had wanted, the future she had envisioned when her belly had grown
round with her precious baby Hestia. It should have devastated her further, driven her deeper
into the haze of darkness and depression at all of her loss. They could have had everything.
Their thrones, each other, and their children.

And now they were estranged, Rhea had only one child left but in secret with whom she could
not interact with, and she would rip his throne away from him. Rhea was not depressed or
devastated now, no she was enraged and burning with a righteous fury that would tear
Othrys down to its foundation.
 In the end her father had been right. Just as Kronos had done to Ouranos, the same would
be done to him. Kronos had usurped their father and just like their father he had harmed his
children and destroyed his family. Rhea would make him pay for it just as Kronos had made
Ouranos pay. She would topple his throne, place her son upon it, and maybe just maybe when
the crown no longer rested on Kronos’s brow, he would return to being the Kronos she had
loved with every fiber of her being (for she could still see glimpses of him beneath that
madness that gleamed in his golden eyes).

Tethys had been enraged at Rhea’s treatment, as the eldest of their siblings she had been
desperate to help Rhea in any way, to help her emerge from the haze of depression that
clouded her with every loss of a child. Rhea had not wanted to take advantage of Tethys’
offer, but she had to.

She had begged Tethys to claim the boy as her own grandson and to have him brought to
Olympus under her wing. She told Tethys that all she wanted was to see her son with his
family and to watch her son interact with his aunts and uncles.

Tethys had happily obliged her, eagerly helping her with this as soon as Zeus had reached his
twenty-fifth year (as soon as he had completed the training that she did with him in secret.
The training Perses did with him as well. Her loyal guard kept her secrets as if they were his
own and he would help her protect her son).

And now the time had come.

Two years of Zeus living in the palace, of integrating himself into the family. Of gaining the
trust and favor of the 6 Titans. It happens at another family feast, the brothers engage in a
drinking contest- again- because of course they do. Except this time it’s different because
Zeus had challenged them.

It takes well over an hour for there to be enough alcohol in their systems- even with the
poison that Rhea had slipped in their cups from her precious garden- for them to all pass out.
As they drink, Rhea carefully lets her power out, drop by drop, carefully weaving a web of her
power that blankets all of them, forcing them to remain in their sleep as her power is far to
oppressive for them to fight it when it blankets them as Rhea carefully weaves it to do now.

As soon as her brothers are passed out, Rhea slips a dose of the poison to each of her sisters
(save for Mnemosyne who is not in the hall). She watches as they sleep and she lets her
power erupt over them, all 11 of her siblings and all their nieces and nephews victim to her
web of power that almost all of them could never hope to combat. She loves her sisters and
she knows that most of them would side with her, but she can’t chance it, she cannot chance
the life of her only remaining child- that one of her sisters could betray her and stop their
plan, betray them to Kronos and cause the death of Zeus, her shining, surviving child.

It is all too easy to watch as her sisters fall into the poison induced slumber, joining their
brothers in their deep sleep. Only Zeus and Rhea remain conscious and their eyes connect
across the room. Zeus nods to his mother and joins her at the High Table as she stands to
come behind Kronos’ chair.
Zeus kneels before her, knowing what is to come. If they succeed, Zeus will be crowned and
the Titans will kneel before him. So he kneels to his mother, taking her hand in his and
pressing a kiss to the signet ring on her finger.

“Mother,” he rasps, voice shaky with nervousness (he does not know if he wants this. He
wants the crown, craves it so desperately with a deep almost unnatural hunger. But he likes
his family, his father. And doing this breaks the bond he has built with them. But he knows he
cannot fail his mother.) “I need your blessing if I am to do this.” He looks up at her, electric
eyes now stormy gray. Rhea is every inch of a queen as she beholds her only son. She brushes
his ebony curls away from his face and holds his chin in her hand.

“Epizon,” she murmurs his true name and the flames in the hearth flicker at the sound. “You
have my blessing my son, to do what needs to be done.” She leans down and presses a kiss to
his forehead. “This is your destiny.” And with that she releases him (refusing to think of his
elder brother, her precious most beloved Poseidon who was the one that was always meant to
be a Destroyer, to be the Heir) and watches as he rises, ready to be the King.

It is Rhea herself who holds Kronos’s head back, watches as his hazy golden eyes struggle to
understand what is happening through the haze of the poison. He struggles to stay awake, to
understand anything at all, all he sees are the sea green eyes of his beloved Rhea standing
over him as she grasps his head in her hands, forces his mouth open and holds his chin open.

Zeus pours the final poison down Kronos’s throat. This will weaken him, incapacitate him for
long enough that Rhea will be able to ensure Zeus’s ascension. Rhea is Queen in her own
right and if she makes it law that Zeus is King and Kronos is not there to argue, her siblings
will bow. She can keep him incapacitated until he agrees to leave their son as king, until
Kronos relinquishes power for good. And if he never does, then she will slip a final dose
down his throat and watch as he fades away for thousands of years. (She can do that, can’t
she? She can send her once beloved off to his death?)

She watches breathless with Zeus by her side, their eyes wide as they wait to see Kronos
forced into an almost eternal like sleep state- to only be awoken at Rhea's pleasure. But
Kronos’s golden eyes don’t fall shut, instead they widen and an almost ozone scent fills the
room.

Kronos surges forward and a vacuum of energy appears from him. Zeus panics immediately,
thinking that Kronos has somehow fought the poison and will now kill them but an almost
sick feeling fills Rhea. A sickness built on the back of hope and unanswered prayers.

From the pure and raw energy of Kronos bursts forth a column of raging fire, so strong,
powerful, and uncontrolled. The fire forms a body, a woman who is fire made flesh. Rhea
almost falls to her knees at the sight because she has seen such a thing only once before and
she knows what now stands before her. The fire draws back a bit and a more mortal form is
left. A teenaged girl with long reddish-brown hair and bronze skin and eyes of pure fire.

It is Rhea’s daughter, Hestia.

Hestia lives.
Behind Hestia emerges another form of swirling earth, an aura so similar to Gaea’s own, of
Rhea’s. With hair the color of honey golden wheat and eyes of earthy green, Demeter
breathes her first breath of life once more.

Hera and Hades follow in quick succession, two pillars of swirling tornado and pure hell fire
and shadows, their hands clasped together and they embrace upon the sight of their home
and their mother.

Poseidon does not follow as quickly. Kronos’s skin grows pale, flaxen and his hair goes limp
almost as if every bit of energy is being drained out of him. His body writhes as it tries to
force whatever is inside of him out- trying desperately to halt the theft of his immortal
essence and energy.

As if formed from his father’s own essence, having created himself and stolen this energy to
give himself life, Poseidon emerges, raw power that outclasses even his father. He is a
hurricane in man's form, lightning, rain, water, make up his body and the ground cracks
beneath his feet with every step, the mountain of Othrys shaking in his presence.

Poseidon.

Her precious boy. The Heir of Othrys, of the Heavens, and the True Destroyer.

He lives.

She only has moments to drink in the sight of her son’s face as his True Form fades and his
humanoid face emerges, the face she loved so much. The face of his father with her eyes-
except his easy smile is gone and replaced with that of a warrior, ready to shred apart anyone
who stands in his way. She only has moments because as soon as Poseidon emerges, Kronos
regains consciousness, the expelling of his energy having fought of the poison Zeus had
forced into his system.

Kronos has always been quick; Rhea will give him that and he takes note of the situation
immediately. He sees his unconscious siblings trapped in Rhea’s carefully woven web of
power, holding them trapped in a stasis. He sees his newly reformed children with their raw,
barely restrained power and Rhea standing there, head high in a clear note of betrayal.

His eyes take on that dangerous gleam that spells Destruction and he slams his hands down.
Pure, unadulterated energy shoots through the room, knocking everyone off their feet and
shattering Rhea’s careful spell. Tables splinter and shatter before disintegrating into ash from
the force of his power. Hestia shrieks and Poseidon grabs her, shielding her with his body as
he takes the brunt of the blow for her. Their brothers awaken, being forced through the haze
and they quickly expel the poison from their systems now that they are not held captive by
Rhea.

They have to get out of there now.

“GO!” Rhea screams at her children and watches as they scramble for the door, Zeus,
Poseidon, and Hestia helping guide the others who don’t remember Othrys as well and Rhea
follows hot on their heels, but not without unleashing her power enough to bring down the
columns that hold up the entrance to the dining hall.

It won't hold them for long.

“MOTHER WHAT DO WE DO?” Demeter screams as she runs, all of them letting out a
shriek as a javelin of jagged ice tries to run them through. Koios. The titans have made it out
of the dining hall.

“MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT OF THE PALACE AND GO TO CRETE!” She calls
back and Zeus nods, already preparing to flash himself out of there but Hera quickly sheds
light on the problem.

“HOW WILL WE GET TO CRETE?” And that’s when Rhea realizes that several of her
children were absorbed before they ever had the chance to truly learn anything. She goes to
reply but solid golden energy and fire bursts through the halls, burning their skin and causing
them to scream in agony. Rhea motions for the children to continue running but she herself
pauses, turning to face the hall and listens to the sound of the footsteps pounding down the
halls.

She knows who’s coming. Lelantos, Atlas, Iapetus, Krios, Koios, Hyperion, Oceanus, and
Kronos himself. They will not stop until they have slaughtered every one of her children and
then until she screams and bleeds for her crimes.

And so Rhea looks around at the walls of her beloved home, at the mural of her children on
the wall and the statues of her siblings and she knows what she must do. She kneels down,
placing bot her palms flat on the ground and she submerges herself in that yawning well of
destructive power deep within her.

Krios skids around the corner just as her eyes flare open, pure white and as her arms glow
golden and white. Rhea stands and spreads her arms out, her feet beginning to lift off the
ground until she is hovering a few feet in the air. And then she brings her hands in front of
her, two of her fingers slowly pressing down until three remain up. Krios’s eyes widen, as do
the eyes of Koios, Atlas, Hyperion, and Lelantos who have just arrived.

“RHEA NO!” Hyperion screams and Rhea looks at the face of her once beloved twin with
regret, but she knows in the end she will do what needs to be done. She is tired of this life and
Rhea will not lose her children ever again. It is too late for her siblings.

With an earthshattering shriek, the sound of a thousand screaming banshees and a high-
pitched whistle as if something were moving at supersonic speed, everything goes white and a
head splitting BOOM sounds. When the blinding white fades and Rhea’s eyes reopen in their
sea green, she beholds what she has done. Almost all of the Palace of Othrys is levelled and
the titans are buried beneath it.

Rhea’s feet touch the floor once more and she exits the doors of the palace, some of the only
structure of Othrys that is left standing and she beholds her children who look at her with a
mix of fear and awe. Poseidon’s mouth opens to no doubt ask questions, (she remembers
before Kronos had taken him that Poseidon had always been so inquisitive, asking every
question he could think of and demanding answers) but they had no time for that now.

“We do not have long, the other Titans will quickly detangle themselves from the rubble and
they will hunt us down. We must flee to Crete immediately. My mother has shielded the entire
Isle with her presence and she will ensure no one can find us there.” She turns to her
youngest son. “Zeus, take your sister Hera with you, she doesn’t know how to access her
power like that yet and you will need to help her get to Crete.” Zeus nods and he looks over
at his golden eyed, black-haired sister who looks at him with suspicion. She slowly offers her
hand and with an affirming nod from Rhea, they blink out of existence. “Hestia, you take
Demeter and Poseidon will take Hades. I will join you all as quickly as possible after I make
sure the other titans are distracted a little longer.”

“Mother-” Hades starts, reaching for her but Rhea firmly shakes her head with a soft smile.

“We can talk more later my son, but for now you must go.” At her words, Hestia grabs
Demeter and they disappear, but Poseidon opens his mouth to no doubt argue some more.
Before he can speak, shadowy chains begin to work their way up Rhea’s body, pinning her in
place, holding her captive.

The work of Iapetus. He must have freed himself from the rubble. Rhea desperately
commands her sons to flee and with a regretful look Poseidon furrows his brows and begins
to concentrate his power. The chains drag Rhea down, restricting her more and more and so
she closes her eyes just as her sons' flash away and begins to harness her own energy to
break her brother’s shadowy bonds.

Blinding pain erupts and fills her senses and power begins to drain from her body. Rhea
looks down and there, stabbing into her middle, is a cruel and horrid Stygian Iron blade,
draining her power and slowly killing her no doubt in an attempt to force her to either fade
or spend months reforming. She looks up to see her silvery brother standing above her with a
cruel smile and she whispers his name in a rattly breath as she tries to reach up through the
chains to grasp the sword’s hilt, to steady it so that it does not cut her wider and cause more
of her power to leak from her.

“Iapetus,” She whispers again, ichor trickling down the side of her mouth. “Brother please.”
golden tears drip down her cheeks as the chains grown stronger and she is forced on her
knees in supplication, a position Rhea has not been in for hundreds of years- since their
father had done this to her. “Iapetus, I beg you-” She pleads but his lips form a cruel smile.

“Oh Rhea,” he sighs at her as if she were a troublesome decade old titan once more. He
narrows his cold and cruel eyes and grasps the sword handle once more before digging it
deeper into her and slowly dragging it out of her, causing more ichor and energy to leak out
of her as if it were some unstoppable river or power. “I always said you were more trouble
than you were worth.” Iapetus grasped her wet, tear-stained face and forced her head up to
look at him as he roughly yanked her hair. “But now you’re a traitor, and you know what I do
to traitors.”

His smirk grew wider and seconds later the screams of Rhea Ourania bounced of the
mountain- just as they had decades and decades ago when their father reigned supreme.
 Rhea was at the mercy of the King once more.

Chapter End Notes

sneak peek of next chapter:

"But for the first time in thousands of years, Kronos could feel it- it was there humming
in the back of his mind, her presence faint and far away but there all the same.
Rhea.
Their bond was alive."
 The Bond Within
Chapter Notes

In this chapter when you get to the italics it isn't a dream or the past. just remember that.

HAPPY EARLY VALENTINES MY LOVESSSSS

I LOVE YOU ALL SO DEARLYYYYY

(also check out the artwork of @hungryluma)!!!

The very Underworld shakes under the might of Rhea’s dreams. The winds howl with her
pain and the spirits who waft around moan in her agony- sharing her torment with her. Her
screams bounce off of the Stygian Iron walls of her room, waking every resident on the floor,
causing her brother to fly out of bed, ready to fight to defend her only to realize her foe is
within her own mind.

The side tables, the chairs, and other various things in the room shake and tremble with her
pain and for a moment Percy thinks that the covers on and under her are blackening and
burning. It is almost as if the strain and power of the dream is so overwhelming that the real
world is bearing the consequences as well- as if the dream cannot be contained to the
imaginary world it is in.

“PLEASE!” Is the screaming beg that erupts from her mouth, the screeching sound that is a
clear representation of agony, like knives are being raked through her body as she shrieks for
mercy. “PLEASE! I’M SORRY! ADELFOI PLEASE!”

A glass pitcher beside the bed shattered, glass flying everywhere, a few shards embedding
themselves in her skin but she didn’t even notice- too racked with some other pain to notice a
few shards of glass. Percy ducked out of the way as some of the pieces came at him as he
tried to get closer to his sister.

“Rhea?” He called hoping that his voice would break through whatever dreamy haze had
taken over her. (His voice? Kronos’ voice? How could she hear him when his very voice
sounded like the man in her dreams whose love she appealed to in order to save herself).
“RHEA!” Rhea’s head lolled from side to side, her lips moving but now no sound was
passing through her lips. She murmurs words over and over again but Percy has no idea what
they are, finally forcing his way towards her, standing over her reaching out with gentle and
scared hands to shake her awake. He jostled her with one harsh push and her eyes flew open
with greater panic than he had ever seen and her hands flew out, one catching the side of his
face and sending him sprawling on the floor from the blow.
“Fygeis apoi maenna!” Get off of me! She screamed as she knocked him away before rolling
out of bed and unsheathing her swords, pointing them under his chin so he couldn’t move.
Percy’s hands immediately flew up in surrender, to let her know he meant no harm as he
examined her.

Her tanned skin had gone pale and sallow in her few hours in the Underworld and in her
dreams. Her eyes are hazed over, as if she is dreamwalking, strutting the fine line between
consciousness and the dream world, her beautiful green eyes hazy and dark that they almost
appear black as she frantically snarls at Percy in her apparent fear.

“Den-” Percy stuttered, his tongue struggling to formulate the Old Tongue words he
desperately wanted to speak to soothe and get through to his sister. But the knowledge of the
language resided in the back of his mind (far less than it did Rhea’s but far more than any
other cousin. He could speak it, he could even be fluent as his ancestors were but it would
take a bit of help). “Den peiresoias. Den peiresoias. Em- Eimai egon au Persie. Den t sa
evlespta pontei.” It is okay. It is okay. It is me, Percy. I would never hurt you.

Her head tilted to the side as the words broke through to her, her grip on the swords wavered,
the blades dipping as her confusion mounted. Percy took that brief moment of weakness as an
opportunity. He reaches his hands up until they grip one of the blades and he slowly rises, the
blade digging further and further into his palms, beautiful golden-red blood pooling on the
floor beneath them. The sight of the blood seemed to draw Rhea out of her haze a bit more as
her eyes followed the steady drip of blood to the floor before her eyes raised to meet Percy’s
with confused concern.

“Percy?” She muttered, as if she recognized it as the name of someone she met long long ago
and she wasn’t sure who that was. “Percy?” She rolled the word around in her mouth before
nodding her head hesitantly, her swords clattering out of her grip and a shaky hand reaching
forward to touch Percy’s cheek- as if she didn’t believe him to be real. He drops one bloodied
hand from where it holds the sword and brings it up to rest against Rhea’s hand, gripping hers
closer to his face as he nods in confirmation, seeking to give her something- anything- to
ground her back to reality.

“Percy. Your twin.” He confirms in his low, gentle voice with just a hint of a command in it,
as if he can command the recesses of her mind to remember him. She nods with him and her
eyes clear up, returning to that sea green that matches his own and has the whole world
tumbling to her feet, to obey her every whim just to keep those pretty eyes tear-free.

“Percy,” she whispers, grasping his other hand and examining it with panic. “Oh gods, Percy!
Did I do this to you?” She traces the outline of the deep cut and looked up at him with an
agonized expression. He frantically shook his head to assuage any guilt that plagued her.

“No! No! Rhea, no. This wasn’t your fault, I did this.” Rhea frowned and looked at him
disbelievingly.

“You did this?” Tentative words, full of doubt but also strains of hope that she is not
responsible for his shed blood.
“Yes.” Kind of. Yes and no. The things he can’t- won’t say because she doesn’t need to hear
that. She needs to get through whatever it was she saw in her dreams, whatever it was that
those people did to her that she begged for her life. She didn’t need to know she had held her
sword to Percy’s throat. “I accidentally grabbed your swords.” she frowned again skeptically
at his words but nodded along as if forcing herself to believe. (She was in fact forcing herself.
The truth was obvious but Rhea was still so shaken, so close to shattering from the contents
of her dream (her past) that she forced herself to deny the truth and accept Percy’s words at
face value.)

“You need ambrosia.” She said before turning to grab the spare squares of ambrosia she kept
in her jeans pockets. She passed him the food wordlessly and watched as he ate it, the
wounds knitting themselves shut before nodding in relief at the absence of his wounds. “Go
wash up.” She murmured, turning away from him so he couldn’t see the look on her face at
the sight of golden blood and the memories it invoked in her.

She brushed her sweaty hair away from her face and up off her neck as Percy disappeared
from sight into the bathroom. It didn’t take long for her to strip her sweat soaked nightgown
from her body and to pull her hair into a ponytail in the few moments she had alone before
Percy came out to behold the sight of her with her jeans and orange camp shirt on.

“Going somewhere?” He asked, eyebrows raised as he reached for his own clothes, taking
her change as a sign that he ought to change as well.

“We are.” She informed him, throwing his shirt at him from across the room. “Out of here.
We need to get the fuck out of this hellhole and to the River before Kronos takes
Manhatten.”

“Right,” He muttered, snatching the shirt up as well as his shoes and disappearing into the
bathroom once more, leaving Rhea to sit down on the bed and begin lacing her combat boots
up. The methodical manner in which she pulled the laces calmed her mind, the repetition
soothing the frayed nerves inside her and allowing her to center herself truly and focus on
what was at hand.

One lace over the other, up the length of the boot. Every motion pushing the memory further
and further back behind the wall she erected in her mind to block out and ignore every fiber
of information and feeling of Queen Rhea (something she had to do, if she didn’t they would
meld, she would lose her mind, her individuality. She would lose herself as she drowned in
the memories). That memory- no, she reminded herself it was a DREAM. A dream. That
dream was so awful so very horrible as her flesh was cut away, as her blood was drained from
her, as Iapetus-

No.

She couldn’t dwell on that. She couldn't think about it, she physically could not or she feared
she would break down once more and never grab ahold of her sanity again. She couldn’t
think of how Kronos had stared down at her, golden eyes that once beheld her so lovingly
now cold as ice, couldn’t think of Iapetus’ cruel touch that made her nauseous and sick to
imagine his hands on her skin, she couldn’t think of how she had screamed for Hyperion, her
beloved twin to help her, to be there for her and save her only for him to look away from her
as tears dripped down his cheeks and ignored her pleas.

No wonder Hyperion drowned in guilt every time he looked at her.

She snorted at the memory of how Hyperion had helped her escape Othrys, no doubt
imagining it to be a way to atone for the things he had allowed to happen. Did he truly think
that would correct his wrongs? That allowing an innocent prisoner to go free would redeem
him for his sins against his twin sister?

Of course he did.

All Titans were delusional like that.

She scoffed again and stood, crossing her arms, waiting for Percy to reemerge only to let out
a great ‘oomph’ as a great force collided with her back and sent her flying to the floor at the
collision. Her breath was forcefully knocked from her lungs and she let out faint, gasping
wheezing sounds as she slowly rolled over, trying to refill her lungs with precious air.

“Oh gods, oh gods Rhea I’m so sorry. Are you- sorry- I” frantic words and frantic hands
reached out to help her up only for Rhea to smack Nico’s smaller hands away, not wanting
his help, just wanting air. “It was an accident!” He protested as she smacked his hand away
while she gasped and coughed. Rolling her eyes at him and scowling she kicked one of her
legs out, sweeping his own out from under him and sending him flying onto the floor as well
as she finally gathered the air and strength to stand.

“Fuck-” she gasped, drawing in another breath. “-you, Nico di Angelo.”

“I’m sorry!” He protested, struggling to get up only to be met with the deadly point of a
celestial bronze sword. Rhea followed the length of the sword with her eyes all the way up to
see the stone cold fury on her brother’s face as he looked down at their traitorous cousin.

“Didn’t think I’d see you here, Nico. Come to tell us some more lies? Betray us a little
more?” Percy sneered, his features almost ugly as they twisted with righteous anger. Nico
gaped like a fish without water as he looked up, gaze flicking from Percy to Rhea as he gave
them a hurt look.

“I didn’t think he would hold you guys hostage! Honest!” At Rhea’s snort, Nico rushed to
reassure them. “All he said was he wanted to speak with you and that if I brought you guys
here then he would tell me more about my Mom!”

Something about his words struck Rhea, it resonated in her. Maybe it was the desperation in
Nico’s voice, the desperate search he maintained for answers about who he was. (His own
desperate search mimicked her own desperation to hide. Nico wanted the knowledge but
Rhea? Rhea feared it and she would hide from it and deny it until it consumed her, absorbed
her, and one day- killed her.) Rhea reached a hand out, searching for Percy’s wrist to tug
gently on it, making him pull the sword point from Nico’s throat.
“You mean it?” She asked, uncertainty coloring her tone. If he meant it she may be able to
forgive it, she could understand it. (Percy never would. Loyalty was everything to him and
once it was betrayed there was nothing left but hate and scorn. Nico’s betrayal left him on
thin ice with Percy. Would Percy ever be able to extend the scepter of forgiveness, the royal
and familial pardon to Nico?)

With a puppy like eagerness in his nod, Nico convinces Rhea and has the Demigod queen
extending a hand of forgiveness like a benevolent deity on high, deigning to grant him life
when the vengeful king would take it. With the Queen’s merciful heart, the traitorous Prince
is saved and lives to see another day. (She slips into the role all too easily, having played it
for a thousand years once before. It is almost a second nature for Rhea to play the gentle
Queen beside the Cruel King).

Nico helps them to escape- he is eager to rejoin the fold once more and does whatever he can
to earn Percy’s favor. They stand before the River of lost dreams, broken wishes, and
abandoned hopes. Rhea sees a diploma float by, an engagement ring, a family portrait.

But it is none of these that punch her in the gut, not like the one that catches on a boulder in
the river and bobs in her view a moment longer than the others had. A golden crown with
emeralds and pearls embedded in it with the entwining Old Tongue Glyphs.

Ekdikiton ais Ischeryon

The matrimonial union of The Avenger and the Most Powerful.

Of Rhea and Kronos.

Bobbing in the waves before it frees from the rocky clutches of the boulder and drowns in the
black waves of the River Styx, disappearing from view forever just as the happy union had
once before. Her fingers twitch, longing to reach out for the crown that is too beautiful to be
lost among the other lost hopes and dreams but she cannot. It is gone, lost forever.

“It is cruel to see the lost hopes of all who came before you, is it not?” Comes a gravelly
voice that sounds as if it is a tire being raked over a gravel road. The unsheathing of steel fills
the air as they spin to see the ghost of a long dead Greek Warrior. A warrior with eyes full of
scorn and hate, a bloody arrow in his heel, and armor that has been torn to shreds.

“Achilles,” Percy breathed out, shocked and awed by the sight of the legendary warrior that
he allowed his grip to loosen on his sword and his protective grip on Rhea to lessen.

“The dreams of the hopeless, shattered from the passage of time.” He continues, eyes never
leaving Rhea’s face. She meets his gaze with an expressionless face, not allowing him to see
how his words gouge at her heart, at the small part of her that is unable to be shoved behind
that wall in her mind and cries for the wrongs and broken dreams of the Queen.
“The past doesn’t matter anymore,” She tells him, stepping out from behind her brother. “All
that matters now is what is before us. Will you stand in our way?” A grim smile and a shake
of the head is her answer.

“I am here to warn you. I warned the other not to follow my descent into this insanity and
now I will warn you.” Achilles now spoke to Percy, almost pleading with him to heed the
words of the long dead Ancient warrior. “Do not do this. This path is not what you think. It
will make you powerful, yes but it will also make you weak. As your prowess in combat
surges past even that of the gods, so too will your weaknesses. You will burn away, consumed
by the current until the crimsons bleed out and the golds are all that hold fast.”

“What do you mean?” Percy snapped as he lifted his sword back up causing Achilles to eye
the blade with heavy wariness. “You think your little riddles are going to stop me? You think
your mysterious omens are enough to stop me from doing what has to be done to save my
family?” Percy snarls every word out with such a dark ferocity that Nico and Rhea recoil
back while Achilles shifts away from the deadly blade, seeing the wrath of the Destroyer for
the first time and understanding the whispered warnings that filled the Underworld about
Perseus Poseidion, the Destroyer.

“It is this arrogance that will be your downfall, Destroyer,” The ghost hissed warningly,
overcoming his fear to step forward to stand nose to nose with Percy. “You think you can
hope to contain this force you would unleash but you cannot. Your arrogance on this matter
will kill not only you, but everyone else! Turn Back!”

“I will not.” Percy spit back, tall and fierce, unwavering in his determination to see this
through. Achilles sighs as he sees that there is no swaying the set mind of the Godkiller-
Destroyer.

“Then let the gods witness that I tried, Destroyer. If you must do this, concentrate on your
mortal point. Imagine one spot of your body that will remain vulnerable. This is the point
where your soul will anchor your body to the world.” Cold hands ran over Rhea’s body at his
instructions, like little needles were prickling at her skin. “This point will be your greatest
weakness, but also your only hope. No man may be completely invulnerable. Lose sight of
what keeps you mortal and the River will burn you to ash.” Achilles' gaze softened to an
almost concerned, brotherly gaze. “Your mortality is a thing of frailty already. Beware.” And
with that, the ghost faded from view, disappearing from their lives forever.

He meant it. Rhea could feel the truth ringing in his words as if they were the utmost gospel
truth. Achilles believed every word he had said. But it wasn’t enough to sway Percy who
only turned to face the River with his face set in determination.

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Nico rushed to say, clearly desperate for Percy to
not change his mind (knowing if he did that it would spell the death and destruction of their
lives and world.) “If anyone can survive this, Perce it would be you. You’re gonna be fine.”

“I know,” Percy agreed in a low voice before reaching out to take Rhea’s hand, tugging her to
follow him as he began to walk towards the river. “But I can’t be the only one to go in.” he
lifted his sorrowful gaze to meet hers. Rhea balked immediately.
“No.”

“I’m sorry. I thought I could protect you, but now I see this is the only way to guarantee that
you’ll survive.” She shook her head with surprising ferocity, yanking on her hand but Percy’s
grip was unwavering.

“Percy please-” She whispered, stopping her struggle and instead looking at him with
pleading, doe eyes.

“I can’t protect you during this battle, Rhea.” Percy was now full on begging her, pleading
just as she was while Nico stood there, torn on who he agreed with. “I won’t be able to be by
your side every second, watch over, and protect you. You’re going to be exposed, vulnerable.
Please Rhea. I need to know you’re going to live, that you’re going to survive this horrible
battle- and this is the only way I can guarantee that.” Rhea froze in his grip. He was right
wasn’t he? Without the protection of the Curse, she would be left as exposed as any other.
But with the curse? Her skin would be like iron and her already enormous genetic well of
power would be widened so exponentially that she could practically be limitless.

“Okay,” she whispered, slowly stepping forward one small step at a time until she stood at
the lapping waves where the river met the beach. “I’ll do it. I’ll go with you.”

They are separated immediately, their hands ripped away from one another as the agonizing
and boiling water dominates them and pulls them into its endless depths, desperate to drown
them, to claim them forever.

Rhea fights, she really does. She fights and fights, churning in the reddish-black water,
desperately looking for her brother in the cloudy, murky water but she can’t see him and with
every second her limbs grow heavier, she grows more and more tired.

She can’t keep fighting.

She’s so very tired.

So tired.

The water becomes heavier, as do Rhea’s eyelids.

It is all too easy to slip away into the nothingness.

A tug pulls Percy’s attention, an aching and sharp yank at the small of his back, his mortal
point. The pain reminds him of why he’s here, of what that spot is supposed to represent. He
imagines a thick cord connecting from his back to the shore and he feels himself bob steadily
in the waves, no longer out of control.

“Seriously Percy?” Annabeth laughs from above him. “I can’t believe you fell out of the
canoe. You’re such a dumbass.” She laughed harder as she held out her hand towards him.
Distantly he heard Rhea and Alex snickering at him and he rolled his eyes- of course they
witnessed his embarrassment. He couldn't believe it- he had fallen out of a canoe? Into the
lake? Just his luck to do so in front of Annabeth.

The cord strengthened as his hand clasped Annabeth’s and the sight of her became clearer-
her beautiful gray eyes and soft honey-blonde curls as she laughed down at him with pearly
teeth. Her camp shirt was tucked into short jean shorts and her necklace hung down as she
helped him up.

“You’re such an idiot,” she smiled even wider. “Come on, take my hand.” Their arms clasped
much more firmly and she hauled him up. Memories flooded back to him, sharp and colorful
and Percy surged out of the river, collapsing on the sand.

Alive.

“Having a nice day, Sweetheart?” Rhea’s head snapped to the side so fast she could’ve sworn
she snapped her neck. Apollo smirked down at her with his ever-present charming smirk. His
eyes shone with happiness as he lay beside her on the beach, his shirt long gone and his swim
trunks a little damp. She was wearing a pretty pale pink swimsuit and her pearl necklace
from her father as she laid against her boyfriend’s chest.

“The best,” she smiled up at him as she replied and leaned up to press a loving kiss to his
jaw.

“Good,” an arm snaked around her waist and tugged so that she was laying on top of him,
looking down into his eyes. Rhea propped her forearms up on his chest so that she could
comfortably look down at him. “After this, we could go on a date, go to dinner, maybe see a
movie?” Apollo suggested, reaching up to brush a long black curl over her shoulder,
knocking some sand off her back in the process.

“Cute but it’s Cousin Game Night.” Came the obnoxious voice of Alex, causing Rhea to
shriek and tumble off of Apollo. She popped back up to see Alex standing above the couple
and giving them a leering smile.

“Go away,” she threw a clump of sand at him that he dodged with a laugh before leaning
down to grab her wrist, hauling her up and beginning to drag her towards the ocean where
he and Percy had been fooling around.
“Sorry, but we all know that your family is more important to you than your little boyfriend.”
Alex snarked back as he marched into the water before picking her up and flinging her with
all his strength, causing her to scream as she flew through the air and collided with the
massive waves.

“ALEX!” She screeched before disappearing under the waves, the last thing she heard before
she reemerged was the sounds of her brother and cousin laughing, Apollo no longer
anywhere to be seen. Her head popped back up above the waves and she scowled at him.
“You suck.” She snapped, sending a huge wave splashing at them.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Alex laughed as he held his hands up in surrender. “Come back over
here now so we can play Marco Polo.” Rolling her eyes at his childishness Rhea began to
swim but after a few moments of trying she noticed she wasn’t moving, if anything she was
drifting farther and farther away.

“Percy? Percy!” She began to call in panic. “Percy! Percy what’s happening to me?”

“Rhea?” Percy screamed but she couldn’t see him. Where was he? Where was Alex? The
water around her turned black and it felt like fire against her skin. The current was too strong
and she was dragged out to sea, the beach no longer in sight. No longer having the energy to
fight, she simply gave in to the current, lifting her legs and allowing herself to be carried
away.

“Rhea?” Her head turned at the speed of light. It was a voice she hadn’t heard in so long, so
so long. One that she cried herself to sleep at night for because she missed hearing it so
much. A voice she only heard in dreams and faint memories that filled her heart with sorrow.

Her head turned to the side and there, floating along the current with her, was Lee.

His skin was still sun kissed, eyes as blue as a clear summer sky, and hair still a mess of
golden curls that had her reaching over to tug on one as she whispered his name in utter
disbelief.

“Rhea,” he whispered in response, beaming that sunny smile at her and in a heartbeat they
had turned in the water, treading in it as their lips met in a rushed kiss that spoke of a lifetime
of stolen passion and unforgotten love.

“It’s really you.” She gasped as she brushed fervent fingers across his warm skin. “How is
this possible?” He took her hand and kissed her fingers.

“As you float closer and closer to Elysium, you get closer and closer to me. I’m here waiting
for you- I always have been and always will be. I just never thought we would meet so soon.”
Lee linked their hands as they floated along and she nearly cried at the soft love he still
looked at her with, even though it was her fault he died ( because deep in her heart she knew
Kronos had killed him because somehow Kronos had known what Lee was to her).

“I know.” She murmured, looking down in shame for a moment. “I never thought I would
give up so quickly and easily.” She hesitated, looking up again to see his expression of
gentleness, love, and understanding as she whispered her next words. “But I’m so tired. I
can’t keep doing this Lee. I just want to rest. I need to rest.” He squeezed her hand tightly
and nodded.

“I know, baby. I know. And it’s okay to rest if that’s what you choose.” He brought their
linked hands up to kiss once more before pulling away. “I’ll be here waiting for you. No
matter when you come.” And with that he disappeared and so Rhea let herself go limp,
sinking far far down, beneath the waters, eagerly awaiting the moment she awoke in the arms
of Lee.

It doesn't come, instead sharp pain explodes in her.

A hand grabbed her hair in a harsh, cruel grasp before yanking her up, causing her to let out
a blood curdling scream as she was thrown onto the grass. Panting at the rush of air in her
lungs and the pain in her scalp, Rhea coughed a few times but falling still as a chilling voice
scoffed down at her.

“That was pathetic. Truly.” A hand grabbed her shoulder and forced her to roll over, to
reveal Kronos crouched down beside her, wearing jeans and a drenched black shirt as he
sneered down at her.

“What?” she coughed at him, wiping away the water that dripped down past her lips.

“That little display?” He stood, brushing off his jeans. “‘I’m so tired, I just need to rest’” he
mimicked her breathy and hopeless tone with a cruel accuracy before laughing at her,
crossing his arms as he loomed over her. “Really? That was pathetic and dramatic, and I
expected far more from you. Do you really think that just because you’ve had a hard few
years that it means you get to give up and drown yourself while the rest of us continue living
on?” Rhea forced herself up onto her knees while Kronos crouched once more, gripping her
chin with a harsh grip, his features cold with a raw fury that took her back. She had never
seen him so furious, as if he was burning with the force of a thousand suns at the knowledge
that she was ready to let the River Styx burn her away. “It took me thousands of years to
build up the strength to simply REFORM,” he snarled at her while pulling her chin up, so she
met his eyes, his scar catching her attention. “I lived in agony, spent thousands of years
toiling in agony and searching for the love of my life. I finally live and have to battle for what
is rightfully mine but you think to leave? Because you’re tired.” he scoffed again, his grip
bruising.

“I have earned it.” She snarled back, shoving his hand away with surprising strength and
pushing him away from her before standing, now it was her looming over him. “I deserve
this.” She spit. But he was not intimidated, no he stood to meet her. They stood chest to chest,
furious eyes burning at each other.
“YOU DON'T GET TO SPEAK THIS WAY.” He thundered down at her, but she did not
flinch, not from him. She met his anger head on. “If you think that then you are weak. You are
a stain on this bloodline and to our name. No match for your brother and certainly not for
me.” Hurt and fury lanced through her chest. How dare he say that? Giving up wasn’t weak.
She wasn’t weak, she never had been, and she never would be. She was more than a match
for his strength, his prowess, and his power. She was the pride of her Father, of her family.
Kronos didn’t get to make her feel this way.

“I am more than a match for you,” she hissed with barely contained rage, jabbing a finger
into his hard chest. “I am better than you.” A flash of a hidden emotion glinted in his eyes (
was that pride? Was it amusement? Eagerness?) before it was gone and his hand came up to
tilt her chin up, exponentially more gentle than it had a few minutes ago, but still harsh and
commanding.

“You don’t get to leave. You don’t get to give up. You don’t get to leave, not before we finally
face one another as we were always meant to.” His words fall over her, combined with the
look in his eyes she cannot move. Cannot breathe. He then smirks and lowers his voice,
leaning in to murmur in her ear with the care of a lover but the harshness of a mortal enemy
who thirsts for your blood. “You don’t get to kill yourself, love.” He whispered, brushing a
lock of hair away from her ear, his breath brushing against her cheek. “Only I get to kill
you.” There is something in his eyes, a fire like no other she has ever seen. A desperation
that sweeps her off her feet and the air from her lungs as she beholds the sight of it. It freezes
her like a gust of the coldest winter winds yet ignites her blood like it is the fires from the
center of the earth. Their eyes stay connected, gold against sea green for a few heartbeats,
their faces so close that their breaths intermix before she finally collects herself and shoves
his hand away, stepping back and removing her hand from where it still pokes his chest.

“Don’t tell me what to do.” She snarls half heartedly and he laughs at her attitude. A tug
demands her attention, a tug as if from a bungee cord that is connected to a spot under her
arm. The spot she chose as her Achilles Heel, a spot that would be impossible to hit because
it was under the arm and would be hidden by the latch of a breastplate. A smart choice for an
Achilles Heel. her instinctive choice. She looked at Kronos once more while he studied her
curiously. The tug pulled again, more insistent this time and she listened to its call, and she
was ripped from Kronos’ view.

Kronos stands at his large council table, gazing down with hunger at the map of Manhattan
before him. War Council has gone for hours now but he is not tired, he does not need rest.
No, he needs battle, blood, to meet the Destroyer sword to scythe in battle. In the midst of the
council a sudden and abrupt feeling bursts through him, causing him to double over in pain,
hands slamming into the oaken surface of the table as splintering, earth shattering pain fills
his chest.

It rips through his spine, lancing fire up and down to his Achilles Heel and through his skull
until it floods his heart with a fire so hot and furious he feels as though he may very well burn
alive. When it finally fades after several minutes, dying to a steady, dull ache, he is left
breathless, sweaty, and shaken. Shaken because it had been thousands of years since he had
felt this sort of fire racing up through his veins, to his heart and his head.

In the old days when he and Rhea had been bonded, bound by vows and magic, he could feel
her as if she were his own body. Her pain was his, her joy was his, every wound and drop of
blood that graced her body graced his as well.

The bond had shattered into a million pieces with every blow Zeus had rained down on him
with his own scythe and when Kronos had finally reformed the only part, the only sign, the
only remnant of the bond between them (the only acknowledgement that it had ever been real
at all) was the dreams they shared- dreams in which sometimes he could swear he almost felt
the full strength of the bond in the dark recesses of his mind only to wake up and discover it
was naught but a cold and cruel mimicry.

But now? For the first time in thousands of years, Kronos can feel it- it was there humming in
the back of his mind, her presence. That intoxicating scent of peaches and vanilla that always
lingered around her and her aura, that scent that was his most familiar friend for the hundreds
upon hundreds of years that they were bound. It was there, her presence, faint and far away
but it was there all the same.

Their bond was alive.

“Rhea! Oh my god what is wrong with you?” Nico shrieked as she flew onto the banks of the
River Styx, her skin glowing bright red from the heat of the water.

“I have no idea.” She coughed shakily, moving to stand before Percy moved his hands under
her arms to help steady her. “The current was fucking strong.” Percy opened his mouth to
agree but was cut off by the booming voice of Hades.

“THERE!” An army of the dead marched toward us. A hundred skeletal Roman legionnaires
led the way with shields and spears. Behind them came an equal number of Spartan Warriors
with their swords and another hundred of Civil War era soldiers with their guns primed and
ready. In the middle of the host, Hades himself rode a black-and-gold chariot pulled by
nightmare horses, their eyes and manes smoldering with fire.

“PERSEUS! RHEA! RETURN WITH ME AT ONCE!” Hades bellowed. When Percy only
raised his sword in challenge and Rhea laughed at his words Hades barked the command for
the soldiers to bring him the three, rebellious children.

“Father no!” Nico cried but it was too late. The front line of Roman soldiers lowered their
spears and advanced. Percy shifted into his fighting stance, twirling his sword. (And though
no one saw it, it happened all the same. His eyes shifted, glinting that forbidding gold that
hailed the Destroyer and his blood screamed at him. It was time. He was awake.).
The River Styx exploded, the black mass of water completely abandoning where it had been
flowing, smashing into the legionnaires and the Spartans behind them. The soldiers dissolved
into the water and the Civil War soldiers lowered their bayonets in response to his actions.

The Destroyer didn’t wait for them to fire. He charged.

They fired.

And every single bullet hit him, but not a single one truly struck him. They all bounced off
his iron skin and his sword swept through their line, hacking them a part. They tried to fight
back but it was truly a pathetic and unfair fight. A hundred soldiers against a Godkiller? A
Destroyer? THE Destroyer? Easy math.

He whirled through them, laughing maniacally the entire time as he slashed them all to dust,
his blood howling in delight and screaming for more victims to claim, more lives to take.
Cut, dodge, deflect, roll. Perseus became an arc of pure destruction and devastation as he
broke through the enemy line and lept at Hades’ black chariot. The god fired a bolt of black
energy at him but Percy deflected it off his blade and slammed into his godly uncle, causing
them to both tumble onto the ground.

He planted his knee to Hades chest and snarled down at him like a rabid animal, holding
Hades by the throat and his sword pressed to Hades’s chest. Hades was defenseless. His army
demolished, his son wouldn’t help (and even if he tried to, Rhea was right there and would
take him down before he could truly even try).

“You don’t understand what I am trying to do-” Hades choked out but Percy shook him.

“No! You don’t understand” Percy spit back. “I’m trying to save our fucking family while
you hide away like a cowardly piece of shit.” Percy’s expression then changed to one of pain,
begging and desperate for Hades to hear his words, to understand what he was trying to say.
“I already have to kill my grandfather, your father. Will you make me slaughter an uncle too,
Uncle Hades?” He hissed his words out and Hades’ expression softened with understanding.
Hades dropped his hand that gripped Percy’s tattered shirt and looked up at him with so much
pain (so much love because this truly was the Son of Poseidon. This boy was just like his
baby brother and Chaos how Hades wanted to protect him. But the boy was headstrong and
this was his destiny. Hades had to let him go).

“Go.” Hades whispered and then he melted into a shadowy puddle on the ground.

The curse worked. They are untouchable. They can go into this war and survive, for their skin
was made of steel now. But deeper than that, their blood, their legacy that heralded such epic
devastation had finally been awoken, truly. The Styx had given them what they asked for.

A way to live.

Their power was truly awake.

They were who they were meant to be now, beings of destructive energy who would burn the
world down and then burn themselves out doing so as they tore everything and everyone
down around them.

And although it was near impossible for them to be cut ever again with this new blessing
(curse) that now plagued their body and spread like a steel shell over their skin, if there could
ever be someone so lucky (unfortunate) as to land such a hit on the Achilles Heel of one of
the twins, that as the precious blood of the children of Poseidon would drip and fall from
their bodies to the ground beneath them, they would see that it was no longer gold with
strains of red

There were barely any signs of humanity inside that precious life blood. The red was all but
gone- save the barest, most tiniest hint but it mattered not. The red was all but gone and all
that remained now was the gold of their Father’s Bloodline.

Nico begs to come to the surface with them. To fight with their cousins and re-earn his place
amongst them. He makes a good case for it but Percy shoots him down quickly and coldly.
He ties to soften the blow by telling Nico to go win Hades over, that they need him and his
armies and that Nico’s mission is to bring Hades and his army to the surface, to the Battle for
Manhattan.

Nico sees this for what it really is (a banishment, a temporary one until he can deliver a great
prize to the king to fully earn his pardon). Percy’s fatal flaw stands between him and Nico
now, Nico knows it and so does Percy as they look regretfully away from one another with
pain in their eyes at the slow and painful death of their relationship. (Will it ever be revived?)

Rhea’s fatal flaw though, does it strip away her relationship with her cousin? Does her flaw
mean the death of the relationship between the Children of Poseidon and the Child of Hades?

Everyone thinks it is loyalty like Percy and their Father. But no, Rhea’s fatal flaw is
something far deeper than that, something more ancient and something that when broken has
devastating consequences on those who have broken it. Rhea’s Fatal Flaw is love and her
love for her brother, her love for her people, for her family demands that she forgive her
cousin- that she grant him forgiveness since all he wanted was answers and to please his
father.

But she can’t forget the betrayed look in Percy’s eyes. When loyalty is broken their is nothing
left but mistrust, anger, and scorn. Nico has broken Percy’s trust and she knows he won’t ever
trust their little cousin fully again (his fatal flaw is funny like that). And Rhea follows her
brother, who he loves, she does too and it is the same in reverse.

For her own sake, she will forgive Nico.

But for Percy’s sake? Her beloved twin’s sake? Rhea will ensure that Nico knows the
consequences should he ever cross them again.
“Nico,” Rhea calls out before she leaves to follow Percy. He pauses by her and she leans
down to whisper in his ear. “I love you. But lie to me or betray Percy and I again and I assure
you, you won’t live to see the light of another day.” She watches him swallow harshly and
nods at him before taking his head in her hands and pressing a kiss to his pale forehead. She
then turns sharply on her heel and follows her brother out of the Door of Orpheus and into the
Mortal World once more to face their fate, once and for all.

Percy and Rhea don’t talk about what they saw in the rivers. He doesn’t want to tell her how
he saw Annabeth, how Annabeth is his only tie to mortality (because Rhea sure isn’t, the two
of them circle one another and push, burn one another further and further to Ascension every
second of every day).

Percy doesn’t tell her how he saw her drift away in the river or how he knew she nearly
drowned before she flew onto the banks nearly 100 yards away from where she originally
went into the water. He can’t. How does one talk about that with their twin sister? Instead he
grips her hand and rubs her knuckles. He loves his sister, and all he can do is watch over her
and be there for her.

And Rhea? Rhea would do her best to ignore the fact that it had not been her brother, cousin,
boyfriend, dead lover, or the gentle words of a past life’s husband that had given her the
strength and will to fight.

For the sake of her own sanity Rhea would have to forget that it had been the Kronos of now,
the cold and cruel Kronos who had smirked as they battled in the arena and battled back as
she challenged him with acidic words, the Kronos who sought to destroy the mortal world
and take Olympus- that it was this Kronos who had lit the fire inside her and caused her to
reemerge from the black waves of the River. It had been Kronos who had given her the fire-
the unbreakable determination- to live.

But no one could ever know- and so she would do as she always did.

Lock it away

Bury it

Hide it

(Until one day she forgot that his sinful smirk, biting words, and rough hands had been the
ones to pull her from the river.)
 The Last Olympian
Chapter Notes

IM BACKKKK
Sorry I got so hyperfixated on my asoif fics but I am here nowww

58.

58. That’s how many demigods Percy and Rhea had to defend Olympus and Manhattan with.
58 fucking demigods and almost every single one was under the age of nineteen meaning that
they had 58 CHILDREN to defend the thrones of the gods with.

Eleven of them were children of the Elder Six, yes, but that meant nothing truly because they
couldn’t protect the entire island on their own. (or maybe they could, but were they truly
willing to submerge themselves so entirely into their powers to do it? Were they willing to risk
losing themselves like that?)

Percy had called Annabeth on their mom’s phone, and she had answered and rounded up the
campers to come to the Empire State Building. Every cabin was there, even the Ares cabin,
despite Clarisse’s disgruntled expression and Rhea nodded to Annabeth, thanking her for
what she had done because she had no doubt that it had been a fight to get Clarisse to shut up
and get in the van.

Every camper had an expression of grim set determination, the fear they had stamped down
inside of them as they approached their fate, their destiny. This is what they were born to do.
Demigods were born to fight, to unleash their power on the battlefield and either burn up or
win. They would never be completely rid of their fear, but what overrode it was the
determination to win, to look their destiny in the eye and command it to give them a new and
bigger challenge.

Percy looked over the crowd of Demigods with a critical eye and Rhea knew just what he
was thinking as he watched them all. ‘One of these is a spy. One of them has betrayed us to
Kronos.’ Whoever it was that was the spy would be executed in a heartbeat when they were
found, there was no mercy for traitors. But until they could identify the traitor, they had to be
ever mindful of everything they did, always watching what they said, what they let others
hear.

The only ones that Percy and Rhea could truly trust were each other, their cousins, and
Annabeth. And they had to fight a war with this distrust running rampant. It made everything
a million times harder. Annabeth walked hurriedly over to Percy, decked out in her black
camouflage under her celestial bronze armor, laying her hand on his arm and giving him a
frown before looking at Rhea as if Rhea held the answers to everything.

“You’re looking at me funny.” She told Percy and Rhea’s gaze sharpened on her brother’s
face, assessing him as his eyes flickered away from Annabeth with a hint of embarrassment
and that look of complete adoration he always had towards Annabeth.

Ahhhh. Annabeth was the one that he saw in the Styx. Rhea rolled her eyes before catching
Alex’s eyes and snickering when he mimed gagging at the sight of lovestruck Percy.

“It’s nothing.” Percy reassured Annabeth, scowling at his elder cousin and sister, having
clearly witnessed their mocking of him. He cleared his throat before looking up at the rest of
the campers. “Thank you all for coming,” he nodded his head to Chiron. “Thank you for
bringing them here.” Chiron smiled sadly at Percy and Rhea in response.

“I could not let you all go to this fight without seeing you off.” The old Centaur told them,
and every camper smiled at that, all sharing the same affection for the man. Rhea gave him a
half smile, but her eyes were still cold, something Chiron easily picked up on for he gave her
an uncomfortable look and averted his gaze.

(He could not tell why, but he did know that the affection Rhea had for him had dwindled
away for now she looked at him as if he were the result of some grievous betrayal. As if his
existence was a slight against her).

“Thank you. Your training and support means everything to me. To us.” Percy said, waving a
hand to all the campers. Chiron placed a hand over his heart and bowed his head.

“I will go to find my brethren and bring them to fight for you.” Chiron swore looking back up
at Percy earnestly, waiting for a dismissal wave before pulling himself up out of his
wheelchair and into his true form. The campers would have liked to watch him go, but they
had a far more pressing concern. The battle plan.

“There is a trap coming,” Percy called, voicing ringing out loud and causing the other
campers to shuffle closer until they encircled Percy and Rhea while listening to the
debriefing. “Kronos and his army are approaching, but there is also some sort of trap or
something headed for us. The gods aren’t going to leave their fight with Typhon to help us
defend the city.” At that several of the campers scoffed and sneered, knowing how true it
was. But they could do this without the gods. “However we need to seek an audience with
Zeus and ask him to extend some kind of protection over the city. We have a duty to protect
the mortals and we can’t defeat Kronos and babysit all the mortals.” Nodding and mutters of
agreement echoed through the group and Percy turned to Rhea to see if she had anything to
add.

“They will try to cow us into submission for questioning them, but remember they need us.”
She reminded them. Alex smirked at that, and Katie let out a quiet giggle while Percy nodded
in agreement beside her.

“Let’s go.” He barked, and the campers cleared a path for him and Rhea to make their way to
the entrance of the building before filing in organized lines behind them.
It didn’t take them long to pass through the lobby, the guard taking one look at the Son of
Poseidon and his stone-like face before handing him the pass to the elevators. Four groups,
ten in each elevator, was how they traveled up to Olympus and with at least one child of the
Elder Six with each group in case of any emergency, any monster attack, or whatever other
disasters could possibly arise.

Surprisingly, nothing bad happened and all 58 of them were safely delivered to Olympus and
gods did Rhea feel so at home there when she took in the view that it made her nervous. (She
didn’t want to feel at home here, she wanted to feel at home at the camp. (the camp which
reminded her of the Grove that Gaea had built for her twelve children but Rhea would never
open her eyes enough to see that similarity).

It struck her like a bolt of lightning (the metaphor making her cringe as it only reminded her
of the dozens of dreams, she had of Ouranos and his punishments) and she realized why
Olympus felt so comfortable.

Zeus had modeled it after Othrys. But instead of sheer black stone it was beautiful white
rock, no columns of black but instead white, though he kept the same ivy crawling up the
pillars of Olympus that Queen Rhea had grown over Othrys. The gardens looked like Queen
Rhea’s gardens; the temples were near carbon copies of the ones erected to the Twelve Titans.

Zeus had felt so at home during his years on Othrys that he had modeled his Heavens after it.
(He had also felt the sheer power that Othrys had exuded and wanted to imitate that, only he
never seemed to get it quite right. Perhaps it was the absence of the True Queen and King, a
lack of the Real Destroyer or the fact that he had driven his siblings away. Or maybe it was
because the Ischeryos did not reign here, the being of pure destruction did not preside over
this Heavens beside her Destroyer. Zeus could never mimic the raw power that the King and
Queen had).

But the braziers that lined the golden streets no longer burned bright, the streets and temples
abandoned as all the nymphs, naiads, High Priestesses, and minor gods had fled the Heavens
in fear of the vengeful approach of the Titan King. It was quiet, unnerving. But the demigods
forged on and the entire way Annabeth kept giving the twins weird looks.

“Where did the two of you go?” She hissed, careful to keep her voice low so the other
campers couldn’t hear, Isaac only two steps behind her and keeping a close eye on Rhea as if
he had decided it was his sworn duty for his father to watch the girl so endeared to the Apollo
Cabin. “You look…different.” Rhea’s gaze flickered to Percy who shook his head minutely at
her. So, Rhea gave a small smile and reached over to squeeze Annabeth’s hand.

“Percy will tell you later.” She whispered back, nodding her head for Annabeth to go join
Percy so that Alex could fall in step with Rhea.

“You look weird.” He muttered and Rhea reached over to pinch him before nudging her
shoulder against his in a gesture of thanks for his concern. “Are you alright?”

“Just saw some shit in the River.” Was all she said back, not noticing how Isaiah’s eyebrows
furrowed as he eavesdropped before widening his eyes when he realized what she had meant
by the River.
“Bad shit?” Alex asked as they walked, kicking a plant that had fallen over out of their way
while Katie hissed at him for it. (Alex sent Katie a soft, apologetic look that had Rhea smiling
to herself. Alex was inexplicably gentle and soft with both her and Katie and yet with her it
was the care for a baby sister. With Katie? It was a devotion that was all too familiar to Rhea
and had her praying that both would survive the war in order to act on it one day.)

“More like stuff I don’t know what to do with.” She answered back, shrugging her shoulders
with faux ease as if she wasn’t replaying the visions in the Styx over and over in her mind.
(Like the image of Lee wasn’t taking up her mind only to be drowned out by Kronos’s hand
lifting her chin, golden eyes boring so possessive, so dominantly into her own as he told her
that her life was his to claim. She couldn’t get his voice out of her mind, she couldn’t get rid
of the weird ache in her chest.) Alex’s voice dropped even lower making it impossible for
anyone but her to hear as he spoke into her ear.

“Then I'm guessing it wasn’t Apollo, me, or Perce that pulled you out of the River.” Rhea
went still, missing a step before picking her pace back up looking at Alex with shock. He
gave her a sympathetic smile before cocking an eyebrow as if waiting for an answer. Rhea
shook her head, confirming his words and looking away with discomfort, Alex reached down
and took her hand so that they walked hand in hand up the steps of Olympus. “I'm here if you
want to talk. About the River, about the dreams, any of it.”

“Thanks.” She smiled back at him, although it failed to reach her eyes and he squeezed her
hand tighter. She knew that Percy, Nico, and Alex heard the things she screamed in her
dreams, Katie did too and both Katie and Miranda did their best to dissuade the boys from
overreacting. Especially the older ones; Seth, Liam, Perce, and Alex. And Thalia when Thalia
spent the nights with them every blue moon. They didn’t know what her dreams meant, why
she could shake the world in the midst of them.

(They didn’t know that the very energy that sustained her life was the same energy and power
that would kill her. The same energy that was draining her away piece by piece the longer she
ignored it, the longer she denied the truth. They didn’t know that the waxen sheen of her skin
or the darkness in her eyes wasn’t actually exhaustion but was instead the screaming force of
devastation that she had thrust behind walls in her mind, ignoring them, denying them, that
was slowly taking over her. That would escape one way or another, either through her death
or through her emergence into what she truly was. They didn’t know she would grow more
and more sick until there was nothing left but a husk of Rhea, a vessel that would die so True
Devastation could be unleashed).

Blue streaks shot through the sky, sending over half the campers cowering to the ground as
they thought it was an air attack from the Titans. None of the children of the Elder Six
flinched, waiting for impact only to see the streaks explode before they could hit Olympus.

Rhea wove her way to Percy, who grabbed her arm and shielded her behind him so that she
was peering over his shoulder. His grip on her arm was tight but she could barely feel it,
instead having to steady her breathing as the position she was in reminded her so strongly of
one she had been pulled into a million times by Kronos and Hyperion in her dreams (in her
past life). She stared up at his profile that was just like Kronos’ and inhaled sharply. Percy’s
gaze snapped towards her at the sound, fearing she was injured but she gave him a reassuring
smile, shoving down the pain in her chest.

“The minor gods.” She told him, gesturing to the streaks in the sky that were fighting, the
blue streaks shooting towards them only to be knocked back by luminous white.

“They sided with Kronos.” Percy frowned but Rhea laughed and shook her head at him.

“Three of the Wind gods did not. They will protect Olympus from Hecate and their traitorous
brother.” Her twin gave a thoughtful hum, as if contemplating her words before he nodded
his head and motioned for the campers to stand and hurry to the Palace, this time the children
of the Elder Six taking the back of the group incase of any danger- always watchful and
always protecting their people.

Percy’s eyes followed Annabeth’s figure the entire time as she walked just in front of them
and several of the cousins snickered as they watched just how intently he gazed upon her. (He
gazed upon her like if she stumbled her would be there in an instant, like if she asked for the
stars he would give them to her in a second. Rhea just wished Annabeth would turn around
so that she could see the adoration in which the Destroyer gazed upon her.)

“Annabeth pulled you out of the Styx,” Rhea murmured up at him, teasing in her tone, with
her brows raised and Percy blushed before slinging his arm over her shoulders, the pair of
them falling into their comfortable routine of ignoring the traumatizing events of their life in
favor of teasing one another and finding comfort in the jokes and loving hugs.

“And who did you see huh?” He tightened his arm a bit as if to jokingly strangle her and
Rhea threw out an elbow, catching him in the stomach so he loosened his grip. “Did your
godly boyfriend pull you out?” It was a jibe, but she knew he meant it, he wanted to know
how serious it was between her and Apollo. (Because Percy saw Annabeth and he loved her
with his whole being, he wanted to know who the anchor for his sister was- who was her
soul’s very tie to reality, who did her heart and soul scream out to, who did her heart know
would come running to save her in an instant if she were in danger?)

“No,” She rolled her eyes at him again, bringing her hand up to pinch his side. “I saw you
and Alex.” She informed him, for it wasn’t really a lie but more of a half truth. (Gods how
she hated how easy it was becoming for her to lie and hide truths from her big brother). Alex,
from Percy’s other side, gave her a massive side eye but Rhea ignored it steadfastly. A fierce
tug was felt in her chest and she lifted a hand to rub at it, a frown marring her beautiful face.
A headache was forming in her skull too and she gave a sigh of irritation.

“Are you alright?” Her brother asked, tightening his grip on her in worry this time and
analyzing her complexion and face as if he could find all the answers and cure her with a
glance. “What’s wrong?” She pressed her hand more firmly into her chest, her cousins
crowding a bit closer and shielding her from any looks the other campers could give. (They
did not ever need to see weakness in their Leaders.)

“Headache and a weird pain in my chest, it’s nothing though.” None of them believed her so
she let out a scoff of a laugh and shoved past them. “Really, I’m fine.” Percy and Alex
exchanged a glance with Katie, one that Rhea saw very plainly despite the fact that they all
tried to ignore that they did it. Finally Percy gave her a smile and shoved her gently.

“What, are you nervous?” The tension in the air dissipated and she grinned back, teeth bared
with delight.

“Never.” Katie giggled at Rhea’s tone and the others rolled their eyes.

“Oh that’s right. You don't get nervous.” Alex teased, bringing back her taunt from Capture
the Flag just a few weeks ago. “You don’t get-” He began to tease again and yet Rhea did not
hear his words, instead she felt as if she were shoved underwater and unable to hear a thing
around her.

The only thing she could hear was him . His voice, his hands on her and his breath against her
cheek as he murmured into her ear.

“You don’t get to leave. You don’t get to give up. You don’t get to leave, not before we
finally face one another as we were always meant to. You don’t get to kill yourself, love.
Only I get to kill you.”

His threat. His promise. (His confession though she did not know it. She did not know that he
saw her. Saw her like no other, not even her brother (brothers). She did not know that it was
his soul that was tethered to her, his soul that was screaming to her and causing the pain in
her head and chest the longer they were apart from one another.)

“-but we have no fear, right Rhea?” Seth snickered as Liam ruffled Alex’s hair with fond
exasperation, Seth looking at her expectantly. She shoved her thoughts back behind the wall
in her mind barricading them away with all her will and might and shared a laugh with her
cousin.

“Right.” She had no fear.

Did she?

The Hall of the Gods was completely unguarded, the gold and silver doors swung wide open
as if their presence was expected and awaited. Nervously, all 60 demigods walked through
the doors, footsteps echoing about the room and beholding the empty Thrones of the Gods.

Everyone’s heads were turning to look at the Thrones, most of them staring at their parent’s
throne, Percy looking at their Father’s with a faint smile on his face, Alex looking at the
scenes painted on the walls of the Throne Room- scenes like the wedding of Hera and Zeus,
the Rescue of the Gods.

Rhea’s gaze was securely on the Throne of the Heavens.

Ouranos’s Seat.

Kronos’s Seat.

Zeus’s Seat.

The Seat of Power and beside it the Seat of the Queen. Queen Rhea’s seat. Rhea took a step
closer to the Throne of the Heavens, feeling the itch in her fingers that demanded she step
even closer and lay a hand upon it. It was far less intimidating that the Throne in Othrys, the
Original Throne of the Heavens that Kronos had taken from his father. This one was the one
Zeus had made for himself, a Throne he had been given by Chaos himself to acknowledge
Zeus’s victory (A throne Rhea had prayed that Chaos would send lest Zeus drag them all to
Othrys and make his palace there among the ruins on his Father’s Seat. She would not have
been able to handle and her grandfather favored her so, favored her enough to give her son a
Throne even when he had not killed off the True holder of the Seat. Even when he married her
traitorous titaness of a wife, Mnemosyne and crowned her Queen only for her to be murdered
for her treason by the remaining vengeful Titans for her own role in killing Kronos and taking
his throne).

“Such proximity to power is intoxicating, is it not?” A sweet voice remarked, and Rhea
turned to see Hestia standing from the Hearth and walking towards her and Percy. “Hello my
nieces and nephews. You and your friends are very welcome here.” Aunt Hestia greeted,
gesturing for said nieces and nephews to come before her. They all gave her bows and she
gave them a kind smile, no longer looking like a young teenager but instead a woman in her
thirties, grown and ready to face the father that she knew was coming.

“Such Power is dangerous.” Rhea murmured, her dreams having shown her, her experience
sitting on Rhea’s Throne in Othrys ringing in her mind. “It means devastation.”

“Yes. It does. Very few can sit the Throne. And even fewer can keep it.” Hestia agreed before
sitting beside her Hearth, the cousins all sitting with her, Annabeth right behind them.

“It is a curse.” Was all Rhea could say and Hestia gave her a sad look.

“Indeed. But it is one we must protect.” Her red eyes then glanced over at Percy, her lips
pursed together as she took in the twins. “I see you went through with your cousin’s plan.
You bear the Curse of Achilles now.” The campers behind them began to mutter wildly and
Rhea grimaced at it. “And you have returned without said cousin. Have we already become
so divided in this war?” Her words were said with sad amusement that made Percy curl his
lip.

“I don’t have time for traitors in this war, Lady Aunt. There is already one in our midst. Nico
will be given the chance to prove himself.” His words were sharp, far sharper than one would
usually speak to a god with, and yet this was the Godkiller, the Destroyer, his tone was the
last thing that the Gods were worried about.

“Nico’s a traitor?” Katie gasped from beside Rhea, and Rhea quickly shook her head to quiet
her cousin with a look promising that she would tell her everything later.
“You must be careful, do not let your arrogance blind you, Perseus. Be careful with the forces
you seek to control, especially with what is coming. You have gained much on your journey,
and yet you are still so blind to one of the most important truths.” Hestia warned. “Perhaps a
glimpse will help.” On Percy’s other side, Annabeth nudged him with clear worry, hissing
into his ear and asking what the goddess was talking about, but Percy was gone.

It was like her brother was no longer inside his body, his eyes locked on Hestia’s as if he
were having some sort of vision and the world around him had disappeared. No one else
seemed to feel the time that crawled by as Percy’s gaze remained tied to Hestia’s. To them it
was all a second, but Rhea was too familiar with visions, with time, with the way it felt
around you as it warped and how the air charged when you experienced a vision. She wanted
to lunge at her godly aunt and demand she release Percy, and yet she knew she could not, lest
that hurt her own brother and so she sat patiently until Percy gave a shuddering gasp and
slumped slightly against Rhea.

“How long was I out?” He murmured to Annabeth. Her eyebrows furrowed.

“You weren’t out. You looked at her for like, a second, and then slumped.” The blonde
replied. Rhea heard the murmurs behind them and shoved Percy back into an upright
position.

“They are watching.” She hissed into his ear and Percy nodded sharply, remembering who he
was, where he was, and his role as the leader (King) of the Demigods. He couldn’t afford to
look weak.

“Aunt Hestia,” Percy began in a strong voice, shifting so that his broad shoulders were rolled
back, and he had his kingly and imposing aura. “We’ve come here on urgent business. We
need to see the Gods.”

“We know what you need.” Boomed an overly familiar voice that grated on Rhea’s nerves
and she gritted her teeth, refusing to turn around to see Apollo’s baby brother. To see the
father of that fucking traitor Luke. Hermes. Percy’s hand gripped her own and so she
reluctantly turned, not even attempting to keep the sneer of her face as she beheld the god
before her.

He was dressed in the armor of a warrior, a bronze breastplate, a helmet, shin and armguards,
and a shimmering cloak of brilliant orange behind him as he gazed down at the seated
demigods.

“I must leave now,” Hestia whispered as the demigods stood, standing with them before
making to disappear. She only halted when she felt Rhea’s hand on her arm, Rhea having
broken out of Percy’s grip so that she could address the goddess.

“Wait-" She begged her aunt with gentle words and a gentle hand. Hestia paused and gazed
upon her niece with such gentleness as if knowing what she would say. "You are Olympus’
last defense.” Rhea said to her aunt, turning to face her as she spoke quietly. “You are the
thing that can keep him from tearing Olympus down, Lady Hestia. You are his favored one.”
A sad smile graced Hestia’s face before she stepped forward and brushed a stray curl back
from Rhea’s cheek, her hand a comforting warmth on Rhea’s skin. “Hestia please- you can
save us all.” She begged, a tear working its way out of her beautiful eyes as she pleaded with
her aunt.

“It is not my role. The Fates are not kind, Dear One. This I cannot do.” Hestia looked as if
she wished to cry, as if she wished to reach out to her Father and stop him but like she was
incapable of it.

“You can stop him. He loves you.” Rhea whispered, clutching at her aunt’s hand, begging her
to listen, to help, to do something, anything. This was Rhea’s final chance to save her people
from going to war. This was her final chance to save 58 children from going to the
slaughter.

“I am not the Savior- not the Godkiller, the Destroyer, or Devastation.” Hestia murmured.
“He loves me, yes, but his love for me is not strong enough. He does not have that kind of
love for any of us anymore I think.” Hestia squeezed her hand as if to apologize before
dropping it and giving Rhea a look that Rhea could not discern. (A look of despair, a look of
tears for what could have been, and a look that was of a child begging her parents to come
back to her). “It will not be me who is the one to keep him from tearing all of this down.”
She stepped back away from Rhea and clasped her hands in front of her. “There is only one
capable of that, and I do not know if they will ever appear.”

Rhea’s chest cracked open. The only living one beside Hestia that Kronos adored was
Poseidon, Rhea’s image. And her father was not coming, no he was facing his own war. But
if Kronos’ most beloved son and heir were to come to him, were to fall before him and cry
out to his father, would Kronos not stop? Because there was not much Kronos could do in the
face of those crying eyes, in the face of those beautiful eyes swimming with tears as sobs
erupted from the lips of that face.

(Behind the walls in her mind, where she could not hear, Rhea Ischeryos let out a choked sob
because she did not have the strength for this. She could not fight this much longer. Rhea did
not know just how dangerous this war, how dangerous seeing Kronos now , was for her. She
did not know just what it would take to end this war. And so Ischeryos cried. For Fate had
never been kind to her,. For she knew it was not her son or her daughter with whom this
burden would fall upon.)

Hestia gave her another sad smile before she stepped back and faded from sight, becoming
one with her flames and leaving Rhea alone with the knowledge of just how defenseless they
may be should Kronos breach Olympus.

When Rhea turned back around, Hermes was towering over Annabeth, screaming at her
while Percy shoved his beloved behind him, meeting Hermes with an aura that was far more
threatening and deadly, an aura that should have caused Hermes to step down and yet he
persisted. And so as she always did, Rhea forced away the thoughts that crept past her walls
and marched over to her brother, itching for a fight and desperate to put Hermes back in his
place.

“YOU SHOULD HAVE SAVED HIM WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE!” Hermes
bellowed down at Annabeth. “YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE WHO COULD HAVE.” Percy
shoved her further back, Alex gripping her shoulders and pushing Annabeth until she was
behind three rows of Elder Six children who were ready to challenge any god who threatened
their cousin’s (their King’s) beloved.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Percy snarled back as he stalked closer to Hermes.
“Annabeth does not have any responsibility to save your son.”

“Don’t defend her, Perseus Jackson!” Hermes turned his gaze and fury onto Percy. “She
knows what she could have done and yet she refused to do it anyways.” Fury lit through
Percy’s Sea green eyes, turning them a furious green that was so dark they were almost black.
Now Percy was practically nose to nose with the god as he snarled into his face.

“Maybe you should be blaming yourself.” Percy spat. “You are the one that abandoned him.
You’re the one that didn’t save him or his mother. YOU’RE THE ONE THAT COULD
HAVE STOPPED THIS AND YET YOU DARE TO SHIFT THE BLAME ONTO HER?”
Hermes’s sword raised, ready to strike down the Godkiller, regardless of the consequences.

“HERMES! Enough.” Rhea snarled out in a clear command and the man’s eyes widened and
he halted in his actions, turning his gaze upon the sight of the furious Sea Princess in the
glory of her deadly rage. She pushed her way to stand by Percy’s side and stood toe to toe
with the god, unfazed by his furious expression.

(The cold look on her face was so reminiscent of a furious Earthshaker that it made him
leery, but his anger was too hot and it overrode his fear But he did hear the voice of Apollo in
his mind, warning him that the Destroyer was dangerous- perfectly capable of putting him
down and claiming his life on a whim if he wished. Chaos, Hermes was grateful that the Son
of Poseidon had sent all the other demigods save the Children of the Elder Six and Athena’s
daughter away. He did not wish for them to see the hints of fear in his eyes at the sight of
Rhea Poseidia).

“This is not a conversation for you, Princess.” He scoffed, saying the title as all the gods did
with a bit of fear and respect but with a hint of scorn. He did not wish to have the Princess
interfering, knowing what upsetting her meant when the Elder Six (and his slightly mad
brother) knew that the precious demigod Princess had been made upset. “You should mind
your place.”

“My place?” Rhea laughed maniacally for how could he lecture her on proper roles when he
abandoned his own children and unlike several other gods- failed to ever visit them or care
for them. “My place is here. My place is fighting here on this isle with all of these other
CHILDREN.” She then leaned closer so that the only ones who could hear her were Hermes
and her brother. “And you are the one that should be careful, Hermes. You should be mindful
of how you speak to me. You know what I can do, who I am. If you’re not careful you could
bring danger upon yourself. Do you really want to chance my father’s anger? The Elder Six’s
anger?” A dark smirk covered her blood red lips as she gazed up at him. “Apollo’s? For we
both know just how powerful your brother is and how much he loves me. And what he would
do if he thought you meant to harm me.”

And so Rhea fell back into her easy role of manipulation. For she had Apollo’s absolute
devotion and she loved it- loved him. And she needed him for if she was going to forever
lock away her own gift, the threat of Apollo’s horrifying power could more than make up for
her lack of devastating power. Hermes’ jaw clicked as he ground it, shrinking so he was no
longer 8 feet tall, now only 6 feet. He let out a sigh and nodded his head once, sharply before
speaking.

“Perseus Jackson, because you and your sister have taken the Curse of Achilles, and because
of who you are, I will not seek retribution or punishment for the words you have spoken to
me. You have no idea how much I sacrificed, how much-” His voice broke and Rhea had to
resist the urge to laugh in his face and scoff at his pain, but she did not wish to draw out this
conflict, to cause any more anger on either side of this god’s petty argument. How much he
had sacrificed? What of the hundreds of dead young demigods who never got to see their
20th birthday? What of the demigods who grew up neglected and shoved into a cabin to
never see their own parent? What of their sacrifice? For if Apollo, Demeter, Poseidon,
Athena, Ares, and so many others could love their own children, what excuse did Hermes
have? And yet his grief was still so strong that he cried for this son he had abandoned. (For
gods truly were fascinating creatures weren't they? Neglectful, cold, and distant and yet
passionately loving, caring, and willing to destroy everything for the ones they held dear).

“My poor son.” Hermes choked out. “He was my greatest pride.” Pain flickered in his eyes,
regret as well as he seemed to think of his lost son and what should have been. The god then
straightened himself up, pulled himself tall and turned his face to an expression of cold stone
as he looked down upon them. “I leave you now for your own war. For We have our own to
fight and I am needed there.” Gold began to erupt from his body as his godly form took over
and Percy turned quickly, his cousins doing the same while Katie ensured Annabeth followed
their lead.

But Rhea’s eyes never left Hermes’ as he burst into his godly form and disappea red. And in
that her eyes shone just a bit brighter and her aura grew that much stronger, and her blood?
Oh how her blood gleamed with just a bit more gold.

(There was not much red left. And with what was to come? Soon her veins would run with
solid gold).
 And thus departs, the last breath of Peace
Chapter Notes

Hello everyone! I want yall to know that I am back and that this story is going to be my
main story focus for the next month or two so I hope to get out two updates a week! I
am sorry if this chapter is a bit boring but I promise it's more of a transitional chapter for
what comes next chapter.

Next chapter we see Percy going Prince of the Seas, Rhea expanding her Poseidon
powers, Kronos vs Rhea, and of course we see the cousins deep dive into their powers
like they did before the battle of the labyrinth and they get some epic shit because of it.

With Percy off comforting Annabeth, trying to soothe her tears, it fell to Rhea and her
cousins to soothe the worries of their people and try to reassure them of their strength.

“We need a plan.” Seth muttered into Rhea’s ear through gritted teeth. Her eye twitched in
acknowledgement of his words but she carried on speaking with the first group of campers
who had arrived back from their security checks. “If Percy won’t come give one, you do it.”

“That’s enough Seth.” Alex warned sharply under his breath. Seth went quiet immediately in
acknowledgment of the elder cousin’s authority, not even daring to scowl lest it got him more
trouble from the eldest of the goldenblooded cousins.

“The gods aren't coming?” Drew of the Aphrodite cabin shrieked in anger but Rhea laid a
calming hand on the girl’s arm and smiled.

“The minor gods will protect Olympus from any air assault and the Olympians will hold off
Typhon. We are more than capable of protecting Olympus from the Titans.”

“How will we do that?” Another camper piped up and Katie took that question with such
grace you would never know that the cousins were impatient and irritated with the slowness
at which Percy and Annabeth were coming to rejoin them. (Rhea’s irritation with Annabeth’s
‘Luke Obsession’ was back in full force and she found herself wondering if Annabeth had it
in her to do what Rhea Ourania had done to Kronos in order to save her family. She could
practically hear Queen Rhea screaming in the back of her head to be let out so that she could
help them stop Kronos.)

(Rhea barricaded her back with mental walls that could have rivaled the black walls of
Othrys.)
By the time Katie had soothed down the next round of frantic questions, Percy and Annabeth
had fully rejoined the group, Annabeth’s laptop out and running at full force as the pair
muttered back and forth about ‘Plan Twenty Three’. Rhea grabbed her brother’s elbow,
shooting him a fierce look of annoyance that he met with barely concealed frustration- clearly
aimed at something that occurred during his conversation with Annabeth- and raised his
brows in question.

“They’re growing antsy and need answers, Percy.” She murmured, angling her head away
from the other campers so they could not hear her words.

“Right.” He muttered, gathering himself before drawing himself to stand straight and tall,
commanding attention and preparing to bark orders. “Okay! Everyone listen up!” He called
out and the 45 campers who were back in Olympus straightened up, ready to receive their
marching orders. Before he could speak again, the ivory doors of Olympus slammed open
and the last search party stormed through the doors, Connor and Travis at the head of the
remaining thirteen campers. They swiftly cut their way through the crowd of campers until
they stood before the twin leaders and ducked their heads in quick nods ( bows ) of respect.

“Connor, Travis.” Rhea acknowledged, seeing out of the corner of her eye how Alex and
Isaac ( her little Apollo guardian) shifted closer to her after having seen the worried looks on
the Stoll brothers faces. “What is it?” Their gazes shifted over to her.

“You guys need to see this.” Travis breathed out, panic coloring his tone along with
confusion, as if he was physically incapable of comprehending something he had seen.

“Like, now.” Connor added and both Percy and Rhea stiffened up before Percy waved to the
brother to lead the way to whatever it was they needed to see. It was a hasty and quick walk
out of the Throne room and over to the side of the Mount, before Connor waved down over
the guardrail so that you could look down on the streets of Manhattan.

Rhea’s eyes quickly glanced over the isle, searching for the attack parties of Kronos’ army or
whatever else could have had the brothers barging into the Throne Room with such concern
and yet there were no approaching armies that she could see, no forces storming towards
Olympus. (None that she could see at least, for there was always the chance that Hecate had
shielded them from the sight of Olympus).

The insistent ache in her chest tugged again, as if a hook was buried in her chest and was
trying to tug her towards something. She gritted her teeth and did her best to ignore the pain
and the sense of odd longing that lit every single one of her nerves. Her heart squeezed inside
her chest and a soft whisper echoed in her head, phantom fingers trailing over her cheeks as if
someone were touching her with the reverence one did when they beheld a statue of their
god. A hand quickly slid into her grasp and squeezed, causing Rhea to look up through her
haze of strange and pained feelings to see Alex standing there, his shoulder pressed to hers. (
He gave her a look that said ‘squeeze my hand, I will take the pain for you’ and Rhea did,
squeezing his hand with ungodly strength and yet Alex did not so much as flinch- bearing the
weight of her confused pain for her).

The feeling that something was unquestionably wrong echoed inside her and yet she could
barely focus on it for the whispers of her name, of the Old Tongue in her mind occupied her
every thought. (The feeling of his hands as he pulled her from the River, as he held her to him
and burned with a ferocity for her that even the Sun could not match.) It was only when
Annabeth spoke, calling attention to the lack of any sound, of any signs of human life that
Rhea was able to startle herself out of the odd trance the hook of pain in her chest had
submerged her in.

“What have they done to my city?” Percy snarled out with such a darkness that even his
cousins took a step back to avoid the blackness of his rage. Hundreds, thousands, maybe even
millions of people lay strewn across the sidewalks and grassy parks of Manhattan, as if they
had been sniped in the head and collapsed on the spot where they had walked. It was a
disturbing sight, the blood trickling from each of their noses as they lay there so chillingly
still. It was brutal. Cold. A feeling of cold certainly went down Rhea’s spine and she bit back
a grimace. It was Kronos, that she held no doubt of. But had he left the mortals alive or dead?
Had he slaughtered them all as the Kronos of Millenia ago would have or had he sent them
into eternal slumber as the cousins had hoped when they read the prophecy?

“Are they dead?” Silena whispered in horror, several of the campers letting out worried cries
at her words, no doubt thinking of family they had that maybe lived in the area (and of the
possible genocide of millions of mortals that Kronos had begun the war with) . Percy went
still at her words and his eyes grew distant as he thought of something before he turned back
to their people.

“Not dead.” He announced, a grim look on his face. “Morpheus had put the entire island of
Manhattan to sleep.” His eyes then met Rhea’s and held her gaze as he spoke. “The invasion
has begun.”

A sharp stabbing pain struck Rhea in the heart, that imaginary hook sinking deeper into her
soul.

It took about twenty minutes for all of them to reach the ground again, gathering the
remainders of the medical supplies and weapons from Argus before he passed a strange,
polished shield to Annabeth, a shield that gleamed with the images of Manhattan, showing
tunnels, bridges, parks, and other landmarks across the isle.

“Daedalus?” Rhea asked as she looked down at the shield from beside Annabeth. The Athena
counselor grinned back at her with delight.

“Yup, one of his ideas I pulled off the laptop.”

“This is so cool!’” Percy breathed out in delight as the shield zoomed in to where the 58 of
them all stood, clustered in front of the Empire State Building.

“Thanks!” Annabeth beamed back at him (Alex and Seth shared an amused look behind her
and Percy’s backs before rolling their eyes in unison at the mutual ignorance of feelings by
the Athena daughter and their own cousin.) “The shield bends sunlight or moonlight
anywhere in the world to create a reflection- meaning you can see any target under the sun or
moon as long as natural light is touching it.” Dozens of campers murmured their awe but
Rhea’s mind went somewhere else, for some reason an odd thought- a sort of warning was
prickling her senses and yet for the life of her she couldn’t remember what it was that she had
to be worried about. (What was there about the natural light of the sky that she had to be
concerned with? Her boyfriend was the Sun and his sister the Moon and yet Rhea held some
apprehension about the ‘natural’ light of the sky, fearing that some things were not as they
seemed, even though she did not know why.). Percy nodded his thanks and dismissal to
Argus, the camp’s thousand-eyed guard nodding back before getting in the remaining van and
driving off with frantic haste.

“This should help us keep track of any movements by Kronos’ army.” Percy smiled at
Annabeth as he spoke before sharing a relieved look with his cousins. Kronos’ spy might be
able to relay their own plans, but this helped level the playing field a bit, allowing the
demigods to see where the Titan Army was marching and what to expect. While Rhea directs
Annabeth to show her a few places around the isle, Percy calls to their hellhound,
commanding her to go and find Grover so that the army of nature could join them in the war.
With the counselors crowded around the shield, Pollux frowned down at the images of the
camp before nodding his head in the direction of the sleeping policemen that rested on the
sidewalk in front of the building.

“I don’t get it!” He announced, straightening back up and his sister, Arianna squeezes past a
few campers to join him- never far from her protective half-brother’s gaze. “Why didn’t we
fall asleep too? Why just the mortals?”

“Magic.” One of the Hecate kids snickered and several of the campers giggled before Pollux
scowled at them.

“Thank you, genius?” He sneered and the giggles increased.

“It’s due to the size of the spell, I think.” Silena spoke and everyone fell silent as she spoke,
respecting the words of a member of the Council. “The bigger the spell, the easier it is to
resist. If you want to sleep millions of mortals, you've got to cast a very thin layer of magic.
Sleeping demigods is much harder." Confidence poured out of her as she spoke and Percy
nodded, accepting her knowledge on magic. Many would have been surprised or shocked at
her knowledge, but in the camp it was known that Silena was well versed in various magics-
Charmspeak, the Mist, and any other knowledge she could get her hands on regarding the
topic.

“It’s the collaboration between Kronos and Hecate.” Rhea added, brows furrowed in thought.
“Mortals were created during Kronos’ reign and he worked in tandem to weave the web of
magic that we call the Mist. Since he is the father of it, his influence over it is stronger than
any other which allows him to knock out all the mortals easily.” Rhea went silent for a
moment, picking at her cuticles with one of her nails before she spoke. “Besides, he doesn’t
want to walk over our sleeping bodies to victory.” Rhea lifted her gaze top meet the eyes of
her counselors. “He wants to claim the throne as he steps over our dead bodies. He wants to
slaughter all of us.” Silence reigned over the group as they shifted in fear at the cold truth she
had laid before them. Alex cleared his throat and stepped forward, drawing their attention.

“We won’t let that happen.” He spat out with the ferocity of a Spartan. “This is our home and
we will defend it.”

“He may kill us, but we will drag him to the afterlife with us.” Katie agreed and echoes of
agreement swept through the demigods before they began pounding their fists on their
breastplates in agreement, just as the Warriors of Sparta had when their Kings spoke.

“Percy,” Annabeth called, she was still looking at the shield and the cousins all turned to her.
"You'd better see this." The bronze image showed Long Island Sound near LaGuardia where
a fleet of a dozen speed boats raced through the dark water toward Manhattan. The boats
were filled with demigods in full armor, weapons strapped to their hips or on their backs, and
dark helms guarding their faces, giving them the appearance of an army of Death. But it was
not this that had Rhea letting out the sound of a wounded animal and pressing a hand to her
chest as she tried to breathe and force the agonizing pain in her heart to go away. No, what
caused that was the image of the banners that flew at the backs of the boats.

Flying proudly across each boat was a flag of the darkest, coldest black, as black as the
stygian black walls of Othrys had been. Emblazoned in the center of the banners was a
gleaming gold scythe- the symbol of Kronos that sent chills of fear through the souls of
everyone who gazed upon the legendary weapon of death. But it was what sat atop the scythe
that had Rhea grasping Alex to remain standing and Percy steadying her from behind, though
they knew not why. Atop the scythe was a crown of green leaves with roses of gold and white
woven across it. The crown that Rhea Ischeryos Ourania wore as Queen of the Heavens and
on either side of the crown were the entwined symbols of KE and RI- the Royal initials of
Kronos Ekdikitis and Rhea Ischeryos. It was the banner that had flown proudly for the
millenia that Kronos and Rhea had ruled side by side and that monster , that beast of a titan
now flew it proud as if he had never been usurped, as if he had never forced his wife to fight
him in the arena for her freedom after months of being held captive in her rooms, as if he had
never actively participated in the pain and heartbreak that caused her to die only years after
his usurpation.

Rhea gave a shuddering inhale and ripped her gaze away from the image, focusing on the
letters on Alex’s shirt and drawing blood from how hard she bit into her lips so as to not let
out another low moan of agonizing pain that ripped through her heart at the sight.

“Rhea?” Percy murmured into her ear as Alex and Katie shifted to hide Rhea safely behind
them and away from the curious gaze of Michael and Isaac (no doubt curious about what was
wrong with their father’s girlfriend and taking in every detail to report to him later). “Little
Sister?” His rough and broken Old Tongue rang through her mind and Rhea lifted her eyes to
meet her brother’s matching ones. “What is it? What’s wrong? Tell me so I can help you.”She
only shook her head, refusing to tell him about how part of her screamed in agony at the
sight, furious and burning with the rage to grab that banner and burn it before Kronos, and
yet how the other side of her cried at the reminder of what had been, of what Kronos and
Rhea Ourania had and how it had been so tragically ruined. She gripped Alex’s hand even
harder and shook her head once more before shouldering her way through her cousins to
stand by Annabeth in front of the shield once more.

“Scan the perimeter of the island.” she said and Annabeth sent a hesitant gaze to Percy,
causing Rhea to snap impatiently. “Now!” The scene of the shield shifted quickly, showing
ferries pushing through the waves near Ellis Island, decks crowded with dracaenae,
hellhounds, telkhines, and the interiors of the ferries crowded with hundred of other horrible
beings. The scene shifted again and the Lincoln Tunnel appeared with three hundred
monsters marching towards the tunnel: cyclops, dragons, World War II tanks, and another
group of fifty demigods. It unsettled Rhea, not because of how many monsters there were,
but because something was missing. “Where are they?” Rhea whispered. There was no way
that Kronos had gathered a force of nearly 100 and had left them all back at Othrys. Staring
even harder at the image, she felt the gnawing nervousness in her stomach grow. “Where are
the Titans?” Alex stiffened beside her and she felt his sharp inhale as he realized that it
wasn’t just monsters and demigods that were coming for- but that there was probably an
army of Higher Deities marching on them as well.

“What about the mortals outside Manhattan?” Percy interrupted. “Is the entire state asleep?”
Annabeth frowned and shifted the shield so that a new image came up of the traffic outside
Manhattan.

“I don’t think so.” She replied and gestured to a NEw Jersey highway on the shield. “There’s
a fifty mile radius around the isle where time seems to be going really really slow and the
closer they get to the isle the slower it gets.” On the image cars moved one mile an hour, the
wind blew through trees at an infinitesimal pace and birds flew in slow motion, the very air
around the area seemed to be slowed to a near halt.

“Kronos,” Rhea breathed out and the tug in her chest grew sharper (in anticipation?anxiety?).
“It’s Kronos, he’s testing and warming up his powers. He’s slowing time around Manhattan.”

“Can he control the time of an area that large and still fight at full power in a war?” Michael
Yew asked, hoping for a negative answer but Rhea only scoffed.

“There were times where Kronos could suspend entire continents in sleep and still tear
through any Titans who crossed him.” Percy and several other counselors gave an odd look at
her knowledge of it and yet at the firm look on Rhea’s face and the equally firm look of
‘Don’t Question it’ on Katie and Miranda’s faces had everyone accepting her word as law.

“Mother must be helping.” Rose- a daughter of Hecate- chimed in. “See how all the cars are
veering away from the Manhattan exits.”

“It’s almost like they are getting some kind of message to turn back.” Miranda agreed,
wonderment and fear mixing on her face at the display of Kronos and Hecate’s powers.

“Nothing is getting into Manhattan. The isle is completely locked down from any outside
help and we don’t have the gods either.” Seth’s voice was low as he spoke and yet it rang out
all the same as the devastating truth hit them all in the face. Silence echoed, none of them
moving or speaking for they knew not what to say.
“We are all alone.” Alex whispered, saying what all of them knew inside. Several eyes
fluttered shut and whispered prayers for strength and of desperate sadness and abandonment
left the lips of the demigods.

“All right.” Percy’s voice cut across the sadness, his commanding voice drawing all their
attention to where he stood, tall and strong as a beacon of power and determination. “We are
going to hold Manhattan.”

“Manhattan is huge!” Pollux protested but Percy held up his hand and everyone fell silent at
his gesture.

“We are going to hold the isle. The wind gods will ensure no aerial forces can breach
Olympus so it is our duty to hold the ground.” Rhea nodded in agreement with her brother’s
plan, tugging at her bands that housed her swords. The rest of the Council snapped into ‘War
Council mode’ standing straight and emotionless around the shield as they began to discuss
tactics and positions, going to another place in their mind where they did not think of their
youth or fear for their mortality but instead dwelled in their powers and drew on their
godliness- abandoning their mortal side entirely. Annabeth hummed thoughtfully before
gesturing to the Lincoln Tunnel on the shield.

“We need to cut off all their access points- the bridges and the tunnels.”

“Agreed.” Came Michael’s response as he shifted his quiver on his back. “But they have
boats.” His gaze flickered over to Percy with an expectant look, clearly awaiting an order or a
plan as a smirk crawled over Percy’s face.

“I’ll take care of the boats.” There was a laugh of complete confidence and smug assurance in
his voice and smiles went over the faces of the other councilors. An arrogant and confident
Perseus was a good sign, a sign that meant he was about to unleash incredible power.

“Okay then just the bridges and tunnels.” Rhea voiced, gesturing back to the shield so they
could continue to plan. “I think it is safe if we assume that their first move is for them to try a
midtown or downtown assault. It’s the most direct path to Olympus and Kronos is going to
want to see how we can hold off the first assault.” The council murmured their agreement and
began to motion to their siblings to come closer to receive their orders from Percy who now
stood over the image of all the tunnels and bridges with an intense look on his face.

“Michael, Isaac!” Percy barked out and the two brothers snapped to attention. “Take the
Apollo Cabin to the Williamsburg bridge. Burn it, lay traps, obliterate them.” Isaac gave a
feral smile in reply.

“With pleasure.” He replied before clapping a handshake with Michael and turning to their
siblings. “7!” He yelled out. “TO ME! WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE IS OURS! LET’S GO
BURN IT TO THE GROUND!” A roar went up from among the eight children of Apollo
that were old enough to fight in the war. Michael and Isaac stepped back from the council to
confer with their siblings as Percy handed out the rest of the orders, readying their arrows and
swords, flexing their fingers, and warming up their powers.
“Let’s split the Hermes Cabin up.” Rhea suggested, pointing to the large group of thirteen
campers that resided in Cabin 11. “Connor can take one squadron to the Brooklyn Bridge and
Travis can take the other half to the Manhattan Bridge.” Both brothers grinned at one another
which had Percy jumping in to interrupt in a heartbeat.

“No stopping for looting, pillaging, or other criminal activity.” He commanded with a
narrowed gaze at each and every son and daughter of Hermes. “Stay focused.” Several
disappointed groans sounded but Percy didn’t let up.

“Sir yes sir.” Connor finally agreed and Travis gave a mock salute.

“Good.” Percy turned back to the plans before glancing at Annabeth. “Athena Cabin- take the
Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, shut it down.” Percy pointed to Malcolm as he spoke.

“Hold that position and activate Command Twenty Three on the way.” Annabeth interjected.
“I will be staying with Percy so you take command.” Malcolm nodded and brought his fist to
his breastplate as he accepted command from his Counselor. At Annabeth’s words of staying
with Percy, Seth and Steve snickered and leaned into one another before Miranda let out a
quiet ‘No detours you two, stay focused.’ which had Percy shooting her a sharp look and
Alex giving her an even sharper glare that commanded the trio to be silent immediately.
“Silena, take your cabin to the Queens-Midtown Tunnel. Your charmspeak works on
monsters and demigods so put it to work, I don’t want a single one of them to make it
through.”

“I’ve been dying to see if I can get someone to kill themself.” Drew piped up from behind
Silena and Rhea shot her a dark smile.

“Well now’s the time to play around and find out.” Drew’s savage smile matched Rhea’s and
Silena only gave a fond roll of her eyes at her sister and best friend before tugging the rest of
her sisters away from the shield, allowing the Hephaestus, Dionysus, and Hecate Campers to
step forward. (Hecate had four children at Camp now and they had taken up residence in the
guest rooms of the Great House, now getting a place in the camp on their own with the war
and their aid being invaluable against their own mother.)

“Okay what else?” Percy asked, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment so that he could think.
“Oh! Alright, Jake, take 9 to the Holland Tunnel, set traps, use Greek Fire, burn them all to
Tartarus and use whatever you’ve got.”

“Gladly,” The Hephaestus Counselor replied, fist bumping his sister. “We’ve got a score to
settle. For Beckendorf!” At his cry his six siblings all roared, beating their breastplates and
repeating his cheer, which was picked up by several of the other campers.

“So then Dionysus and Hecate cabins can take the 59th Street Bridge then.” Rhea suggested,
pointing to the bridge. “They can grow vines, thorns, the whole works, manipulate the Mist,
use whatever magic and use the Touch of Madness.”

“Fantastic,” Percy responded before looking up at Pollux. “You got that?”

“Yeah man, no worries.”

“Alright. Keep in touch with cell phones. You all know Annabeth’s number right? So if you
need to get in touch, pick up a random phone and call us. Use once and dispose and then
borrow another so monsters can’t zero in on us.” At Percy’s words, Connor cleared his throat
and opened his mouth but Percy cut him off in a heartbeat. “And no, if you find a really nice
phone you cannot keep it.”

“Gods dammit.” Connor muttered under his breath causing Rhea to snort in laughter and a
smile to tug at the corners of Percy’s mouth.

“What about the Lincoln Tunnel?” Liam piped up from behind Steve and Percy snarled out a
curse. He then turned to his cousins with a frustrated look on his face. The plan had been for
the cousins to branch out and help different cabins, not all compile in one area. They needed
their power spread out so that no matter where Kronos entered, there was a Child of the Elder
Six to meet him, but if the Demeter Cabin took the Lincoln Tunnel, that left only Alex, Rhea,
and Percy to run around doing the work meant for eight of them.

“We’ll take that one!” An all too familiar voice called and all the cousins whipped around in
excitement (Annabeth as well with a smile splitting her face) to greet Thalia who held out her
arms in excitement and lunged into a hug with all of them. The nine cousins collided together
in a giant hug before Percy pulled back to glance at the thirty hunters who had arrived to help
and then looked back at Thalia with a grateful smile. His smile then turned cheeky as he
reached up and knocked her tiara askew- much to the amusement of the cousins. (Thalia and
Percy had reached a point where any hateful and bitter feelings between them had faded- he
was King of his group and she was the Queen of hers. Now that both held such power there
was no need for any petty competition between the cousins.)

“Thalia!” Annabeth cried, throwing herself into Thalia’s arms, receiving a warm hug from the
girl who was once like her big sister.

“Hunters of Artemis reporting for duty!” Thalia replied, separating from Annabeth and
slinging an arm around Rhea’s shoulders. “You can talk now?” She asked and Rhea laughed,
nodding.

“Have been able to for like a week now I think.” Thalia nodded and squeezed Rhea’s
shoulders in congratulations before nodding her head over at Alex.

“Do I have a sibling now?” Alex lifted a hand in a wave to Thalia which she returned with
great confusion.

“Congratulations, it’s a boy.” Rhea replied in a dry voice that had the cousins dissolving into
giggles. A few more greetings were exchanged, several campers waving hello to Thalia and
calling out hello’s to her which she happily returned. It wasn’t long however before she
called to her Hunters and commanded them to move out, knowing the time for socializing
was over and that the time for war had begun.

“When this is over, all of us are having dinner together okay?” Thalia called as she jogged
away to rejoin her Hunters. “And then you can tell me where the fuck Nico is!”
“Sounds Good!” Percy yelled back. “Try not to die!” A middle finger was what he received
in response and with a grin he turned back to face the campers who looked at him with
expectant, if not fearful gazes. He scanned his gaze over them for a minute, meeting their
eyes with a calm look before he spoke, voice ringing out so that they could all hear his words.
“This is our home, our island and we are going to defend it! I know that there are few of us
and thousands of them but WE are the Blood of the Gods! WE have their power in our veins
and a fire like no other! We will not let them take our home from us! FOR OLYMPUS!” Fifty
eight campers raised their swords in response.

“FOR OLYMPUS!” They roared, banging their breastplates.

“FOR OUR FUTURE!” Rhea called out, wanting them to fight not for the gods but for
themselves, for their hopes, their dreams, and their future.

The roar she was met with could have shattered the windows of the Empire State Building
with how fierce it was, and as fifty eight Demigods roared for victory not for the gods, but for
themselves, Rhea knew that victory was within her grasp.

Kronos grinned up at the sky, satisfaction racing through his golden veins as he beheld the
realm that had once belonged to his father. He wondered if his beloved Ischeryos even
remembered the runes that she had seen decorating the Throne room and inked into the walls
of Othrys as he had begun to siphon and channel the power of their Pateras- stealing what
was his by birthright.

The power raced through his ichor and the bond of Rhea tugged at his chest and his smile
only grew. He had his father's power, he had his own, his scythe and soon he would have his
true form, his throne, and his Beloved. And all would be as it should be.
 Ischerkyas
Chapter Notes

I actually really like how this came out so I hope yall do too!

The cousins were left standing along in a circle, Annabeth inside the Empire State Building
busy monitoring the progress of the enemy armies, the other campers long departed to their
stations- it would not be long until the earth began to shake beneath the booming of Greek
fire, thousands of monsters marching on Olympus, and demigods fighting for their lives. It
was this sense of impending doom and urgency that had the cousins slip into sitting positions
on the asphalt, not even having time to seek shelter in a hotel in order to begin their ritual.

Just as it had saved their camp a year ago during the Battle of the Labyrinth, so too would it
save them now. Liam extended his hands out, the one on his left to Miranda and the one on
his right to Alex, both readily accepting. Liam then shut his eyes and dove into the well of his
power, feeling for the threads of godliness in his cells, in his blood. Submerging himself in it
until all he could hear was the swan song of godly power echoing in his ears. Miranda
extended her hand to Steve who extended to Seth, to Miranda, to Katie, and Katie to Percy
and Percy to Rhea who clasped Alex’s hand in her other. One by one their eyes all fell shut
and they did the same as Liam.

For some, the dive into their power was shorter, there was a bit less to draw on- those whose
blood held a more balanced portion of gold and red. One by one, their eyes began to open,
glowing foreboding and ethereal colors of the sheer expression of their godly power. Liam,
Steve, Miranda, and Seth opened their eyes first- deep green of the earth, almost lacking any
pupil and their fingertips hummed with their power that longed to seep out.

With a sharp gasp and a rumble of the earth, Katie’s eyes snapped open, and her skin glowed
with its golden veins which seeped up into the veins of her eyes. Slowly, armor began to form
over their bodies, as if it had emerged from beneath their skin to cover them. Breastplates
emerged over their shirts, arm braces, leg braces, and finally golden helms that shielded their
head so that one could only see their eyes, mouth, and nose. From the side of each shoulder
flowed their cloaks once more, the Green of their Mother and the Purple of her Royal House.

Alex’s eyes had opened now, that fatal looking stormy gray with cracks of electric blue in
them that mimicked the lightning bolts of his father. Had the helm not been on his head, one
would have seen the slightly static spike of his hair, but nothing was more terrifying about his
aura now as the literal sparks of electricity that bounced off of him as the sky around them
darkened and rumbled, the wind picking up just a bit and vibrating around him. Bronze armor
covered him and down his back flowed cloaks of eclectic blue and purple- fit for the Son of
the King.

The ground gave a heaving rumble and a large crack split through the earth as Rhea and
Perseus’s eyes opened to reveal the swirling hurricane of threatening ocean green eyes that
they possessed. They were covered in only a silver breastplate, their royal red and purple
cloaks pooling behind them- once more declaring their status for anyone with eyes to see. But
it was on their heads, across their brows where the greatest surprise of all sat, no longer was
there a helm- no doubt because their power knew it was unnecessary. Instead, they were
crowned with golden laurels, the crowns of the Greek King and Queen. Lifting their chins
proudly, eyes gleaming with barely restrained power, Percy and Rhea stood. One by one,
their cousins joined them, carefully stepping over the crack in the earth until they stood
before their King and Queen, ready to receive their own orders. Percy nodded his head to
Rhea in deferral before stalking off the find Annabeth so that they could begin their mission
of handling the Rivers and activating Plan 23.

“Steve, go help the Aphrodite Cabin, they’ve got Primordial power in their blood, but they
still need a bit of our help,” Rhea commanded. Steve brought his fist to his heart and gave a
sharp bow before giving a whistle to his pegasus, which stood on standby with the other 6
belonging to his cousins. “Miranda, go to the Manhattan Bridge with the second half of the
Hermes Cabin. Be careful- the bridges could be easily felled.” Miranda gave the same bow
before climbing atop her own pegasus- her and her brother taking to the air and flying off to
give support to their respective stations. “Liam, I want you with the Dionysus and Hecate
cabins, Katie on the Brooklyn Bridge with the other half of the Hermes cabin. Seth, you’ll be
with the Athena Cabin, I know you can’t stand them, but I don’t care. You’re one of the
stronger Demeter children and I need you with them since they don't have any powers
besides enhancements.” Seth had a slight scowl on his face but he obeyed regardless. Left
alone now, Alex quirked a brow at Rhea.

“Where to, cousin?” He extended his arm to her, which she took, and they walked over to
Bubbles, who snorted in excitement.

“I’ll join the Apollo Cabin and You’ll take the Hephaestus cabin, they’ve got a load of Greek
Fire. Throwing your lightning in the mix should be fun.” Alex gave a vicious smile at Rhea’s
words, humming in agreement before releasing her arm so she could mount Bubbles. She
stroked her hand down her beautiful Pegasus’s mane and responded back to the excited
questions he directed to her mind.

“Be careful Rhea. You and the Apollo kids will cast a powerful aura.” Alex warned her,
worry in his tone and a look on his face that looked as if he had something to say but could
not.

“I know.” Was all she said, refusing to look at Alex and instead sweeping her cloaks behind
her. (She would not shy from this war. Rhea Ischeryos had refused to participate in the first
Titanomachy, but Rhea Jackson would not hide from this fight.). Alex rose into the air, calling
the winds to him so that he could fly. He gave her a discerning look, as if thinking of giving
her another warning. But Rhea would not hear it. With a sharp cry, she urged Bubbles up into
the air and took off, leaving her cousin behind to go face down an army of monsters,
demigods, and perhaps even Titans.

Balls of Green light exploded in the evening sky, Greek Fire lighting up Manhattan
somewhere over the East River. In the distance a funnel of clouds formed in the sky before a
mass of 6 bolts thundered down from the sky and collided with the ground, igniting another
round of Greek Fire that exploded with so much force it shook the ground where Percy and
Annabeth were, even with how far they were from the site of the strikes. His cousins were
deep into battle, having raged back and forth against the Titan Army for the past 30 minutes
that Percy and Annabeth had been awakening the automatons of New York City.

“Blackjack, can you pick up the pace a little bit?” Percy hissed down at his ride and
Blackjack shot him a series of cuss words in his mind before beating his wings harder,
gelding down to the outside of Batter Park where the Hudson and East Rivers came together
and emptied into the Bay. Percy climbed down, holding a hand out to Annabeth, which she
took, and she followed him down to the pavement. He gazed out over the Rivers for a
moment, feeling the vibrations of his powers singing in his veins and begging to be let out.
The longer he caged his power up, the harder it barraged against the walls, screaming at him
to be let out so that it could destroy the world.

“What now?” Annabeth asked, still clasping his hand. Percy squeezed their hands before
gently releasing it and taking a step away from her and towards the water. He knew what he
needed to do, and he could not deny the bubbling excitement and howling thirst he felt to
unleash his power.

“Wait here.” Was all he said before he took slow and steady steps to the water. He paused at
the edge of the pavement that overlooked the water before taking a deep breath and stepping
a foot out onto the water. One step after another he walked atop the water as if he were a
deity, striding confidently out until he stood at the centerpoint of the two rivers, looking
onwards at the boats that sped towards him with a host of enemies. Crouching down he
allowed his hands to submerge in the water, running it over his fingers and reveling in the
feel of his father’s domain. (His domain). His ichor sang and Percy shut his eyes.

Slowly he tore down the wall that held his power from bursting out, allowing it to flood out
of him. The water current rushed, speeding up until the current flew towards the boats. It was
as if the water began to recede, as it does during a tsunami, pulling back before it could reach
out with its devastating power. But perhaps the water itself was not the tsunami, but Perseus
was, he was the storm, the hurricane, the tsunami of incredible power that would drown and
destroy you. Under the water, Percy curled his hands into fists and tugged, letting out a
powerful yell and unleashing his godly abilities. The water surged up, grabbing all 12 of the
boats and began to drag them down, down, down until they were submerged in the water,
screaming in panic as they began to drown. (400 monsters and 60 demigods, a massive force
that fell in the face of the power of the Godkiller).
Percy rose to his feet and began to walk towards them, hands still curled in fists as he
beckoned the water to finish them, to drown them and crush them and spread out the golden
dust of the monsters so that they would not be able to reform for years. He walked until he
stood on top of the water, directly above the drowning demigods.

Several of them extended begging hands towards him as they struggled against the pull of
Percy’s power, panicked bubbles of air escaped their lungs and he could have sworn he heard
them calling his name as if he were a vengeful god that they could receive mercy from. But
there was no mercy to be had from the Destroyer. They had dared to turn their backs on their
people, dared to put their trust in a scheming beast instead of in the camp- in the family -
where it belonged. An ugly sneer came over his face and he curled his hand tighter, willing
the water to steal every bit of oxygen from their bodies, to fill every orifice of their body until
it was in their bellies, throats, brain, nose, and mouth and they fell lifelessly to the floor of the
Bay.

Four hundred and sixty.

That was how many Percy had slaughtered in a single move, in a single destructive sweep of
his power. He could have laughed at how fantastical that sounded, at how godly he felt, at
how in this moment he could have marched up to Mount Olympus and taken the throne for
himself. He couldn’t help it, the laugh slipped out, and another before his body shook with
laughter, his hand coming up to cover his mouth so that Annabeth could not hear the cold and
cruel laughter (the laughter that sounded exactly like his Grandfather, the laughter in which if
any of the titan’s had heard it would have sent them fleeing from him in a fit of sheer terror
and panic) before calming himself and turning to walk back to his Annabeth. She stood
where he had left her just getting off the phone, now watching and waiting with a look of
such worry that it made his heart swell in his chest with utter fondness. He stepped off of the
water and onto the pavement, giving Annabeth his signature troublemaker smirk, not a hint of
that cruelty that had run rampant in him only minutes ago.

“Told You I’d take care of it.” She rolled her eyes at him, but he saw the relief on her face. "It
worked; the rivers are safe." She lightly punched his arm with what he knew to be affection
before gesturing to the phone in her hand.

“Good, because we have another problem. Michael Yew just called, and they are facing a
massive army on the Williamsburg Bridge, over five hundred and they think they just saw the
Minotaur.” Percy scowled at the mention of his nemesis before gesturing for her to mount
Blackjack. Annabeth paused however, hand on his arm to halt his movements. “That's not all,
Percy.” Annabeth hesitated as if terrified to tell him whatever she needed to say, and a pit
formed in Percy’s stomach.

“What is it?” He prodded, voice sharp with worry, watching as her steely gray eyes scanned
his face nervously before she resolved herself to speak. Wetting her lips, Annabeth opened
her mouth and spoke damning words.

“Kronos led the first force. And Rhea has met him in battle.”
The Williamsburg Bridge was a gruesome and fiery scene by the time Rhea had arrived and
Battle had only been raging for 15 minutes. She landed just behind the battle line of Apollo
kids and jogged up to crouch beside Michael to get a summary of what was going on.

“Hey!” Michael shouted, giving her a half smile before unleashing an arrow that screamed
through the air and struck the front line of monsters, igniting into a burst of sun fire.

“What can I do?” Rhea yelled back even though she was next to his ear.

“Any of that fun Poseidon shit would be appreciated, maybe even that weird thing from the
battle at camp. There's easily five hundred of them. No deaths from us yet, only two injuries.
Kayla is still going but she has a concussion for sure, she hasn’t had time to stop and heal
herself.” An arrow flew their way, headed directly at them and Rhea swept her hand out,
Sword shooting out from her bracelet, and she deflected the arrow in a quick movement.

“Got it.” Was all she said, making to stand before a hand grabbed the waist of her jeans and
yanked her back down. She turned her head, her furious and dark gaze landing on Isaac who
flinched harshly away from her.

“Cover me. I just need a minute.” Rhea paused and tilted her head for a second, distractedly
deflecting a dagger that was thrown at them as she tried to gather his meaning before it struck
her. Isaac had a rare gift of his father’s (just as her Lee had). He was blessed with the
audiokinetic abilities of Apollo, abilities which could be devastating if he were given the time
to gather his power and release it. Quickly nodding in agreement, she turned herself into a
shield for Michael and Isaac.

A monster broke from the line and threw itself at her. Sliding out of the way, Rhea spun from
his striking range, and as she spun, she rammed her sword up to the hilt in its side and
dragged it. The monster let out a wail of pain before bursting into golden dust. Another group
of monsters was advancing quickly on Kayla and Isaiah, the concussed daughter of Apollo
stumbling just out of reach. Rhea slammed her foot into the ground and a massive earthquake
came over the bridge, causing the group of 6 monsters to fall as Kayla stumbled to safety.
Isaiah moved quick as a flash, running his sword through the six fallen monsters and
dragging Kayla up into a standing position before passing her a piece of ambrosia.

“I’M READY!” Isaac yelled out and Rhea gave a nod to show she heard him. Isaac stood and
let out a shrill whistle. At the sound, all of the Apollo children and Rhea dropped to the
ground, covering their ears with their hands to block out the sound. The sound of the whistle
shrieked louder and louder, although Isaac was no longer whistling, he was using the sound,
making it last and causing it to grow stronger and stronger, louder and louder until several of
the monsters began to bleed from their noses, clutching at their heads as they began to
crumble and dissolve. Isaac whistled again and this time he lashed his arm out, as if he were
directing the sound. As if it were a bolt of magic, the audio of the whistle became a visible
wave of power and it followed Isaac’s gesture, hurtling into the front line of monsters, killing
at least a hundred in an instant. Isaac’s golden-tanned skin went pale, and he stumbled a bit.
Rhea shot up, grabbing him and passing him off to Michael who then passed him off to Will,
who began to shove ambrosia down his throat.
The monsters came to a halt, not moving towards them in attack and instead standing as an
immovable wall, sneering and jeering down at the nine demigods who faced them. One by
one the Apollo kids came to face them, standing together against the monsters while Rhea
moved to the back of the group, lingering behind as she tried to get a read on what was going
on.

A ripple went through the line of monsters and they began to slowly part, separating until
they stood on opposite sides, revealing two pegasi marching forwards with two demigods
riding up the line, each holding up the banner of the royal insignia of Kronos. They made it to
the front of the line and the two pegasi stepped one to either side to reveal who had ridden
behind them.

Astride a golden pegasus was Kronos. He was donning black stygian armor on his breastplate
and arm bands, Backbiter hanging by his side in sword form (why had he not changed it into
a scythe, knowing he was almost unbeatable with a scythe?) His black hair was to his
shoulders now and the front of his hair was pulled to the back and Rhea wondered if it was
braided back or simply tied back (for she knew Queen Rhea used to braid his hair back every
time he had headed into battle). On his brow was his crown- a crown of Stygian Iron that
encircled his head with the Runes of Ouranos and Gaea on it as well as the runes that
declared him the SkyKiller and the Destroyer (for he was, at least, the first of three. Were the
runes for his name of the Avenger on the crown as well? They once had been but Rhea did
not see them from where she stood, concealed from his gaze.) The Titan King, the Fallen
King of the Heavens, swung his leg over the Pegasus and came to stand on the ground before
the Apollo cabin, one hand resting casually on the pommel of Backbiter.

“You have done well, you have made me proud my Great-Grandchildren, the Blood of my
Line!” Kronos called out in a magnanimous voice that spoke of near fatherly pride. Rhea
would have rolled her eyes if she were not hanging onto his every word, struggling to breathe
against the intensified ache in her chest that screamed at her to go to him, to reunite with him.
“But this is a battle of unfair offs, there is no honor in it at all. But I am honorable and
generous.” A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he spoke. He then swept his hand out in
a gesture to the small army that was the Apollo Cabin (and Rhea though he could not see her.
Could he feel her as she could feel him?) “One of you may step forward and face me. Just me
and just you. Solo combat, your best warrior against myself.” His smile, though still one that
was a mockery of sympathetic kindness, was now bordering on that feral smile of
bloodthirsty delight that Rhea knew only too well. Those words, his words, rang in her mind,
all too familiar. She knew them, she had heard them before.

(“Solo Combat, my love.” Kronos smiled coldly down at her, the rough ground of the arena
beneath her feet and the bloody bodies of her brothers around her where she had left them as
she slew them one by one in an attempt to escape her 5-month long captivity in Othrys since
Iapetus had drug her by her hair to Kronos’s feet after her betrayal. She flinched at the cruel
and mocking way in which he spoke the term of endearment. “Your sword against mine. Your
best efforts against my own.” He tilted his head at her challengingly and Rhea shook her
head before she spoke in a low voice.

“I do not want to fight you. Despite everything I still have such affection for you. Do not ask
this of me, Kronos. “Ekdikitis,” she tried appealing to his soft side, the side from their time in
the Garden. “Please just let me go.” I still love you, she wanted to say, yearned to say- to
break through to him in the hopes that her reassurance of her love could earn her freedom.
But she knew it would not. She could not be weak and say it, could not be so weak as to fall
back into this trap and spiral back into the insane circle of earth shattering and devastating
love she had with Kronos. As if he knew what she had longed to say, his golden eyes bored
into her own and his expression softened for a moment. He tossed her swords onto the ground
and gestured for her to pick them up, expression no longer soft but instead one of stone.

“Fight me and win your freedom.”)

“Fight me and bring your people victory!” Kronos challenged, watching as Isaiah, Isaac, and
Jordan’s hands tightened on their swords, as if they were seriously considering facing him.
“Or lose and I will take your life and your siblings as forfeit and march over your bodies to
Olympus in celebration of your failure.” The feral smile was securely in place now and Rhea
flinched back from it, the screaming tug in her chest growing stronger the longer she stood
hidden from Kronos’s gaze.

(“Or lose and come back to me.” Kronos goaded. But she could not go back to him, not now,
not when she had already destroyed Othrys and their siblings in a chance to escape. He may
not ever bind her as their father did to their mother- she would never wear the bands of
enslavement to her husband- but her beloved was cruel in his own ways and she could not
remain his hostage any longer. Not when her children needed her, not when they were losing
a war they desperately needed to win.

“You know I cannot do that.” She replied, bending down to pick up her swords with careful
movements. A soft and sad smile came over Kronos’ face.

“I know.” Was all he said, and Rhea nodded her head sharply.

“Then we will fight.” She raised her sword challengingly at him, twirling the other into a
reverse grip as she readied herself to face him. I loved you, her gaze said, even through all
the bitterness and hate and agony of what he had done to her and her children, it was true.
She loved him.

“So we shall.” I know, his gaze replied, their bond tugging in his chest. He nodded his head
once more. His scythe formed in his hand and the fight began.)

The ache in her chest intensified. ‘Go to him,” the ache crooned in her mind. ‘Go to him.’
She watched as he taunted the Apollo Children who shielded her from his gaze whether they
had done it consciously or not. Did he feel her presence? It was only when he paused before
Isaac and pointed his sword at him.

“You.” Kronos challenged. “You killed over a hundred monsters in one move, boy. Come and
face the rightful King of the Heavens.” From the set in his shoulders, Rhea knew he was
considering it. She couldn’t let him, this was Apollo’s son and how could she let him go to
what would undoubtedly be his death? She would not stand by and watch as Apollo lost
another son (as Lee gained another brother in the afterlife).
“You would pick a fight with a boy you know you will beat? Are you too scared to fight
someone on your own level?” Rhea called out, voice loud and unwavering, unlike the turmoil
in her mind and heart. The heads of the Apollo children, the enemy demigods, and Kronos all
whipped in the direction of her voice. Michael hissed a warning at her, but she only shrugged
him off. Slowly, one by one, the Apollo children parted to reveal Rhea Jackson, swords in
hand, and eyes lifted fearlessly to meet the golden gaze of Kronos.

There was nothing else in the world now as their gazes clashed. There was nothing but them.
Nobody else mattered, just them. Kronos and Rhea. Kronos’s eyebrows furrowed with
surprise, and she watched as his breathing increased in pace, matching her own.

“Ischeryos.” He breathed out, his left-hand twitching as if longing to reach out to her.

“Kronos.” She whispered, her fingers weakening on her swords. She inhaled sharply before
rolling her shoulders back and tossing her hair over her shoulder. “You asked for a challenger
and here I am.”

“Here you are.” He repeated, voice still so low and intimate, speaking only to her. “Have you
come here just for me?” He smiled as he spoke, a mix of teasing and genuine curiosity
(desperate to know if she ached for him as he did for her, desperate to know if she was
attuned to his every move as he was to hers. How he noticed her breathing pattern, the way
she kept rewinding her fingers on the hilts of her swords, the way she bore her laurel crown
so naturally.)

“I won’t let you hurt them” Rhea spat, ignoring his question and wondering if that was why
she had come to aid the Apollo Cabin.

“We need not fight, Ypiriyas .” Darling, He called her. Was he so assured of who she was
that he spoke to her so? 'I loved you', his gaze screamed as he stared down at her with clear
affection in his golden gaze. 'I loved you'.

“I cannot let you do this.” She spoke, repeating the words Rhea Ischeryos spoke so long ago.
'I know', her own gaze said. 'I know you loved her, me, us. I know, and it will be your
undoing'.

“Then let us fight.” Kronos agreed, baring his teeth in challenge at her. (He still refused to use
his scythe. Did he not take her seriously enough? She would rectify that). For a moment a
flash of white came gleamed in her eyes and a maniacal smile lit her face.

“Let’s.” She launched herself at him. Her twin swords, blades once known as Avenger and
Earthshaker, met his first strike with Backbiter and the bridge shook beneath the weight of
the impact. Neither of them was moved by the strike, their strength paralleled as they came to
a standstill. No one breathed, not even the Titan King and Queen as they stared into one
another’s eyes.

“How I have waited for you, Ischeryos.” He murmured down at her. Rhea let out a furious
scream and kicked her leg forward, hitting him in the knee and causing his legs to buckle and
he went careening towards the ground, Backbiter skittering across the pavement and away
from him.
“I am not Ischeryos.” She snarled. “I am Ischerkyas.” She was Devastating Power, and that
power coiled within her. She brought her sword down with the might of a God and missed his
head by mere centimeters as he rolled aside. Massive cracks in the ground appeared as
Kronos got to his feet, the both of them stumbling on the unsafe ground, the sky darkening
and booms of ominous thunder responding to the fury of the Stormbringer’s Daughter.
Backbiter flew back into his hands and he twirled it before the sword shimmered and began
to morph into a scythe.

There he was, Kronos the First Destroyer.

“The Styx served you well, Ischerkyas.” He taunted before bringing the butt of his scythe
down to strike the pavement. A wave of pure energy shot out, sending all of the Apollo Cabin
flying as well as the waves of monsters behind them, cars flew past Rhea as she flew to the
edge of the bridge, swords lost from her grip. Holding her hand out, she called on the waters
beneath her and they surged at her call. They formed a massive cannon and lifted her, both
her and the water shooting forward and blasting into Kronos at full force.

Inside the tumultuous water, Rhea kicked his hand, causing his grip on the scythe to loosen
but not drop. He dragged her into his grip, her back to his chest but she was too quick,
jabbing her elbow back she struck him in the eyes. His hand reached out and grabbed the
braid of her hair, his scythe coming up towards her throat. Rhea grabbed the handle of the
scythe and twisted with all her might, calling the water to aid her. Both she and Kronos
flipped, no longer was she trapped by his grip and instead his scythe was to his own throat
now. The water around them dropped, Rhea was unable to hold it for as long as her brother
could, and she pressed down furiously.

Kronos’ foot kicked up, launching her off him and in the direction of one of her swords. With
quick steps she got to her sword and swiped it off the ground, spinning just in time to meet
his strike that had been coming down hard to her head.

“That’s a cowardly strike.” She hissed, letting her sword slide down the length of his scythe
so that she could spin away and strike at his thigh. It glanced off and frustration burned her.
Where was his Achilles spot?

“All is fair in war.” He reminded her in a patronizing tone, laughter coloring his voice.
Rhea’s anger burned brighter.

“Or perhaps you’re too much of a coward to look me in the eyes when you strike me.” The
growl he let out would have sent lesser men running for the hills but Rhea only laughed
louder. “Is that not true, Kronos Ekdikites?” The flat of the scythe caught her in the ribs and
threw her into the ground with massive force. (How dare she use that name and say it in such
a hateful, scornful manner. As if it were not the name his beloved had called him in private,
the name he had earned just for her and used only with her. How dare she spit it at him now
with such scorn and wielding it as if it were a sword aimed to gut him).

“Just like you are too much of a coward to use those powers I know are resting inside you.”
He spat and Rhea flinched back from the truth, knowing she was so terrified of the power that
she forced to lay latent in her veins- the power she could feel burning through her (burning
her, slowly eating away at her for if they could not destroy others, they would destroy her. But
if she used it, who else would she kill? She would be using the Queen’s power, the power she
didn’t want. Besides Percy could fight just as well with the power of their father). Drawing on
the powers of her father, Rhea tugged at the earth before miming a punch. Massive pieces of
the earth shot up and crashed into Kronos, beating him into the ground, only for him to shake
them off a few moments later. She then held her hands out to the side and called on the storm
that was brewing in the sky in response to her feelings. Before Kronos could move towards
her or release another beam of energy, she pulled on the storm and slammed her hands into
the ground, squeezing her eyes shut so as to not see what she was about to do, so that she did
not endure the flashbacks that came with it.

Lightning crashed out of the sky, striking the bridge, the monsters, the area around Rhea, the
final bolt striking Kronos himself, sending him flying. Torrential rain began to pour down
and the winds raged as the waters of the river began to rise up and lap at the sides of the
bridge. Staggering to his feet, eyes wide with a look that reminded Rhea of her own when she
recalled the trauma of Ouranos’ actions, Kronos stared down the bridge at her, horror
coloring his handsome features. The sky boomed again, and they both gave a mighty flinch.
The terror and horror melted off Kronos’s face and instead cold fury came over him. (She
should have known it would happen, she had brought lightning and storms down upon him
just as his father once had, had struck him with it, just as he and his beloved and his siblings
had been tortured time after time. He would relate with blood and vengeance.)

The awful metal screeching of slowing time shrieked out and the syrupy feeling that
accompanied it came over her. Her steps were agonizingly slow while Kronos kept his strong
and confident stride towards her, the winds now whipping around him, as if answering his
call.

That shouldn’t be possible, should it? Unless he had done what Erebus had warned the elder
Rhea about and stolen the power of his father. Every child could inherit the power of their
parent if they were only strong enough to do what it took and Rhea had never thought Kronos
would ever be able to do what it took, to face Ouranos once more and fight him for his
power, especially when he was not even at his full form. But as the winds began to swirl
around him Rhea knew it was true. Kronos had fought Ouranos for his powers and won.
Kronos was now the Master of both Time and the Sky- he had seized the domains of two
Primordials. For the first time, fear came over her and her eyes widened as he drew closer
and closer to her.

The spell of slowed time and precarious storms was broken in a flash as a booming yell
called down from the sky, shattering Kronos’s focus. Flying towards Rhea and tackling her to
the ground was Alex. They both scrambled to their feet to stand against Kronos’s quick
approach, but a scream of power echoed.

A figure hurdled into the ground, landing in a near superhero pose with his sword buried in
the ground between Kronos and Rhea. He slowly stood, straightening until he stood
unmoving and tall, every inch of the king he was. No more were his eyes the stormy green of
the angry seas. No, now they gleamed the bright Gold of his forefather, screaming for his
Grandfather to see who he was, for the gold eyes were not just a possession of Kronos, but a
sign of the Awakening.
The Destroyer was here.
 Awakened at Last
Chapter Notes

Happy Thursday!!

It was as if the sky were falling.

The evening sky’s sunset was marred with the threatening clouds overhead, the booming
sounds of thunder, the humidity threatening a rainstorm, and the bolts of lightning that lanced
through the sky. Gold eyes were locked on gold, Destroyer against Destroyer, the first against
the last.

Perseus stood clear between his sister and Kronos, a stance with the clear announcement of
‘You will not touch my sister.’ Kronos smiled at the sight, no matter what generation it was,
there was always a loyal brother padding after that face who would defend his sister to his
last breath. Only a couple paces behind Percy were his sister, Alex, and Annabeth and yet it
seemed as if Kronos and Percy were on a completely different plane.

For while they were both Destroyers, neither had been created to destroy the other, Kronos
having been made to be his father’s ruin and Percy made to destroy the gods. Kronos was a
Destroyer who had been long since awakened and purpose fulfilled, his full abilities had been
unleashed already- the only problem was that they were constrained by his possession of the
demigod boy’s body and could only fully be released once he had gained his immortal form
and burned through the mortal ties in the boy’s blood.

With his eyes now that threatening gold, Percy was the image of his grandfather. It was as if
Kronos was looking into a mirror image of himself when he had slain his own father and it
sent a sense of ominous doom through the air, but not for Kronos. This was not his destroyer.
No, the sense of doom was for his youngest, because with the Destroyer now awakening,
Zeus’s days were numbered.

Neither of them moved for what felt like hours, simply staring each other down, assessing
one another and both of their minds burning with the truth of why they stood here against one
another. It wasn’t for the throne. It wasn’t for the crown, for Olympus, or for the gods. It was
a fight for Rhea. A fight between the two Destroyers and their claim to her, both primed and
ready to rip each other to pieces for what they perceived as their rightful claim to their place
by her side.

Finally, Kronos’s lips lifted in a smirk, not even seeing as Alex curled Rhea behind him,
before raising his scythe and bringing it down in a signal, walking pack several yards until he
was no longer on the bridge. In a mad rush, hundreds of monsters charged past Kronos,
straight towards Percy, ready to gut him, tear him down, and rip him to pieces. (Kronos knew
they would not succeed, it was impossible, no demigod or monster would defeat a Destroyer,
even one who was just breaking through the shell. He wanted to see, he wanted to watch as
the Destroyer ripped through hundreds- perhaps it was an odd way of having pride in his
grandson, after all he had never been able to watch any of his other children grow their
powers due to their threat to him, but the grandson was not his Destroyer).

The first wave of monsters crashed over Perseus and he turned into a machine of killing,
slaughtering everything in his path as he cut through each monster and demigod as if they
were made of paper and not bodies covered in metal armor. Dracanae exploded, Hellhounds
turned to shadow as he slashed through them, whirling through the ranks and stabbing into a
line of demigods. From the midst a bubbling, insane laugh burst forth- a laugh that Kronos
himself had given a few times when he was bathing in the insanity and bloodlust of the
power in their blood.

Behind him the Apollo children as well as his other grandson and the Reincarnate Queen
hacked through anyone that broke past the Destroyer- returning them to dust if they broke the
line- not that there were many who did. Out of a group of a hundred, perhaps five to ten
broke free, only to be caught by the waiting demigods. Finally, the monsters and demigods in
the Titan Army turned heel and fled, surging back towards the end of the bridge where
Kronos stood, Percy leading the charge of demigods after them as if to finish them off.

"Percy!" The Athena child (the one who caused the boy still fighting in his mind to scream
and yell) yelled. "You've already routed them. Pull back! We're overextended!" Percy came to
a screeching halt, analyzing the situation and watching as another legion came to stand
behind Kronos, a legion made up of demigods.

The Apollo cabin rushed backwards, back to Manhattan, Alex and Rhea covering them as
Percy and Annabeth took the next wave of combatants, Riptide, her shield, and her knife
gleaming in the fading light as they slowly backed up the bridge, fighting their way back to
their territory. Kronos’s calvary swirled around them, slashing and jeering insults, taunting
Percy and trying to hack at every inch of him to find his Heel. The Titan himself advanced
leisurely, reveling in the sight and taking advantage of his position of King and Lord of Time
to mean that he was in no hurry.

Perhaps in a different world Percy would have tried to wound his opponents, not kill, trying
to spare the lives of the opposing demigods. This was not that life, there was no mercy for
traitors. He cut through them, one after the other, coming to stand shoulder to shoulder with
Annabeth in order to protect his beloved as she gashed the enemy- still aiming to maim and
not kill, for she had far more compassion than he did.

Out of nowhere, Percy stiffened up, straight as a board and a look of alarm colored his
features, his skin paling as if someone had just walked right over his grave. Rhea could feel
it, she could feel the chills down her spine, she could feel it as if someone had just tugged the
thread of Percy’s life taunt, preparing it to be cut and she spun around, ready to scream out to
him despite not knowing what was going on. A cry of pain resounded, and Percy spun around
just in time to watch Annabeth let out another scream and crumple to the ground, clutching at
the exposed junction of her shoulder which was cut deep and gushing blood, a strange tinge
of green around it.

"Annabeth!" Percy cried out as he watched her fall, looking up to see a demigod with a
bloody knife standing over her like a demon of death. Percy’s face cleared with
understanding before it darkened, his features stormy and furious as he registered just how
close he had been to death and how Annabeth had saved him, taking the knife with her own
body as if she had instinctually known what was about to happen.

Percy locked eyes with the enemy demigod, taking in the sight of the eyepatch under the
helm, denoting the person as Ethan fucking Nakamura, a demigod he had allowed to live one
too many times. A snarl erupted from Percy and he slammed the butt of his sword down into
the forehead of the war helm, hitting it with such force that it dented the helm and sent Ethan
crumpling to the ground, very nearly dead on impact.

"Get back!" He slashed the air in a wide arc, driving the rest of the demigods away from
Annabeth, forming a protective circle around her and snarling as if he were a fierce lion
protecting his pride, ready to tear into anyone who dared approach his beloved. "No one
touches her!"

Kronos could have laughed.

Not from hilarity, but from the familiar sight before him, remembering during one of the
battles for Othrys when he had watched his eldest son stand that way over Hera as she
crumpled to the ground, a victim of Iapetus’s cruelty. This was his grandson’s Queen. His
strength, his weakness, his Rhea.

"Interesting," Kronos said, turning his head to meet Rhea’s far away gaze and wondering if
the scene felt familiar to her as well, desperate to tug on the bond between them and ask if
she remembered how he had fought for her this way. But he could not be distracted, he could
not lose focus, not now when his biggest challenger stood before him, his greatest weakness
bleeding out on the ground and perhaps minutes from death. "Bravely fought, grandson," he
said. "But it's time to surrender . . .” He paused, knowing what he was to say could trigger a
fury in the boy or be the key to victory. “...or the girl dies."

"Percy, don't," The dying girl groaned and Kronos watched as Percy’s eyes widened, a frantic
energy coming over him. Her shirt was soaked with blood, the Destroyer did not have long to
make a decision.

"Blackjack!" He screamed out and as fast as light, the Pegasus swooped down and clamped
his teeth on the straps of the girl’s armor, snatching her up off the ground and into the air,
soaring away over the river before Kronos and his army could even react. Kronos let out a
bitter snarl, his edge and means of persuasion gone. He shifted his scythe from his left hand
and into his right, readying himself to fight.

“You may have saved her, but you will fall today on this bridge.” The Titan King growled,
pointing his scythe at Percy and watching as the demigod gave him an animalistic smile.
“I think you will find that I am not as easy to fight as I was a year ago.” Percy bit back,
rotating his wrist and watching as his sword twirled, ready to strike at the Titan. With godly
reflexes, Percy threw himself into the air, coming to land right in front of Kronos and
bringing his sword down with powerful force near Kronos’s head. Kronos took the hit before
pushing away and bringing his own weapon down. Kronos swung down with such a force it
should have devastated the demigod- or it would have if he had not struck at a Destroyer with
the Curse of Achilles backing him. The Bridge groaned under the force of the impact, a far
stronger hit than the one Kronos had leveled at the Queen- even now unable to fight her with
every ounce of strength that he had. Kronos’s biting smile wavered, slowly fading as he
realized that perhaps this Destroyer was not as fresh and new as he thought, that perhaps this
fight would be far more devastating than he had expected.

They spun away from each other in an instant before they collided again, strike after strike,
right and left, back and forth they struck but neither had a single weakness to exploit. They
moved backwards as they struck one hit after the other, both of them spun around, back and
forth, blades glinting as they battered against one another, grunts and furious yells echoing in
the air as they struck one another, hit after hit, raining down blows in each other.

Percy backed Kronos up to the edge of the bridge, the barriers on the side now gone meaning
he could push the Titan over the edge if he was lucky. Kronos struck back, spinning his
scythe and bringing it up to hook at Percy’s sword. Percy twirled his sword back behind his
back before bringing it back out to strike at Kronos’s midsection, which Kronos quickly
intercepted, switching their positions so that Percy was now backed up to the edge.

Percy kicked a leg out, slamming into Kronos’s chest and pushing him back a few paces,
allowing Percy to gain ground away from edge and bring his sword down once one. Pushing
and pushing with each strike, gaining and losing ground when Kronos met him with
particularly hard strikes. He shoved the Titan off the Bridge, watching as he fell a hundred
and fifty feet down before jumping off the bridge to follow him down.

Kronos landed on the water, not sinking through as he called on his energy to keep him
walking on top of the water. Percy fell rapidly towards him, bringing his sword down on the
crevice between Kronos’s neck and shoulder, the blade bouncing off and causing Percy to hit
the water and roll away, not sinking either, for how could he? This was his realm, he would
only sink if he so wished it.

The battle raged on above them but Percy and Kronos were in their own world, jumping,
kicking, and slashing at one another, their fight causing them to move slowly down the river
and the force of their blows causing cracks to work up the sides of the banks, crawling across
the roads.

With a particularly hard hit, Kronos was able to push Percy away long enough to summon up
a blast of power that sent the demigod flying back almost fifty yards. It would have killed any
lesser deity, or they would have at least risen slowly to their feet with a deep, bleeding gash
down their chest from where the blast had collided with him.

Percy’s face was thunderous, furious that he had been sent flying back and lost so much
ground. He extended one of his hands out towards where the buildings stood near the water
and the ground began to rumble, huge cracks splitting through the earth and pavement.
Kronos followed the cracks with his eyes, wondering if his descendant truly had the power to
do what he suspected he was trying.

Cracks went up the side of the building and the earth gave a mighty heave as Percy curled his
hand into a fist and made a mighty tugging motion. The building gave a mighty groan before
it began to lean forward, falling towards the ground at unnatural speed and slamming into the
form of Kronos, forcing him down into the river as the tall building fell into him and buried
him in its mess of rock, stone, and wood. The earth shook with the strength of the fall and
with the Earthshaken abilities Percy was drawing on to pull an entire building and its
structure up from the ground and bring it to fall as if it had been pushed from behind. The
remnants of the building shuddered in on itself before huge chunks of rock and stone flew at
Percy, colliding with him and knocking the air from his lungs.

Percy was thrown towards the street, the impact of the huge slat of stone against him sending
him sailing backwards and colliding into the pavement. He let out a groan and shoved it off
of him just in time to roll out of the way as Kronos came down out of the air on top of him,
bringing his scythe down as if he was about to decapitate Percy. Percy rolled out of the way
and rose off the ground quick as a flash, feeling Riptide return to his pocket.

He brought the pen out of his pocket and unsheathed it in a second, taking the blow Kronos
rained down and hitting back with one just as fierce, bring his sword to twirl back around his
back in his signature move before bringing it up to slam into the scythe, blades crossing right
in between the Grandfather and Grandson, their eyes narrowing as they stood against one
another.

Their blades slid off one another and Percy reached forward to grip the back or Kronos’s
head before slamming it down into his knee, aiming so that Kronos’s eye (though
invulnerable it was still a slightly weaker spot) slammed into the kneecap. Kronos let out a
roar of pain and shoved himself out of Percy’s grasp, bringing one hand up to his injured
eye.

With sheer fury flowing through his veins, Kronos harnessed his power and threw his hand
out towards Percy, watching as gold and black swirling energy grabbed at the demigod and
lifted him into the air. Kronos waved his hand and Percy was thrown back hundreds of yards.

Percy flew back into the side of the building, crashing through the stone and brick and
disappearing within the depths of the building, a man-shaped hole all that was visible as the
sounds of crashing came from within the structure until it slowly began to fall and crumble in
on itself until nothing but debris stood from it. With the Demigods out of order for the
moment, Kronos turned his attention back to the battle that raged upon the bridge.

With a mighty jump, Kronos launched himself back up to the bridge, watching as his army
advanced on the demigods more and more. He prepared to join them in cutting down the
remaining demigods and advancing into Manhattan when a geyser of salt water burst out of
the river, throwing Kronos back as it struck him like a fist. Percy appeared from within the
water, calling it up off of Kronos only to force it back down on him, keeping the Titan within
its watery prison, slowly drowning him and swirling around him.
From somewhere behind him, Rhea let out a desperate, gurgling sound as if she were the one
under the water, as if she were the one drowning and not the titan. Percy’s head whipped
around to look at his sister and watched as she drew back from the fight, coughing and
choking as one of her hands scrabbled at her throat in confusion, the other hand pressing to
her chest as if something were tugging at her heart. What was happening to her, what was
wrong? Had she been poisoned; had she been hurt?

All it took was Percy’s momentary distraction for Kronos to break free of the grasp of the
tumultuous water and to surge forward towards Percy, taking advantage of Rhea’s distraction
to throw himself at the demigod and slam the butt of his scythe into the back of Percy’s head,
watching as the demigod stumbled forward from the blow, falling to one knee before
spinning around and throwing one leg out to wipe Kronos’s legs out from under him. The
titan slammed into the ground, scythe skittering away only to fly back into his hand and
rising to his feet where Percy was lashing out towards him with Riptide.

The battle on top of the bridge came to a near halt as Percy and Kronos resumed their fight on
top of the bridge, forcing both sides to a near halt as the two Kings spun around in a deadly
arc of bronze, hateful, golden eyes boring into one another, snarling like feral beasts at one
another as they used every cheap shot and trick in the book, it was an evenly matched battle-
Destroyer against Destroyer, Golden-Blooded against Golden-Blood in a fight that no normal
eye would have ever been able to keep up with. Their sheer power and abilities were too
similar, too matched for either of them to truly gain the advantage.

An archer from behind the enemy lines leashed an arrow that whistled ominously through the
air, a haze of green smoke following it that threatened only one thing.

Greek Fire.

Screams went up from the demigods as the hastened out of the way of the imminent
explosion, some of them even jumping off the bridge to submerge themselves in the safe
realm of the water, water that would protect them from the utter devastation the Fire would
wreck, leaving nothing but the ashy shadows to remind the world of their existence. Percy
shoved at Kronos, pushing away from him and disconnecting their weapons so that he could
call up an epic wave of water to curl around himself and those that were nearest to him- Alex,
Michael, Isaac- shielding them with water so they would avoid the impact.

It was too late for Rhea, she was too far away from him to be protected by his watery shield
and she had no time to call for her own- it required far more concentration for her than it did
for Percy. Praying to every deity above, whether it be Chaos, Gaea, her father, or the fucking
Christian God, she called upon them in the hopes that the Curse of Achilles would resist even
the Fire of the Gods.

Throwing her arms up, she crouched down to shield herself, tucking herself as small as she
could in order to minimize the impact. The arrow stuck the pavement only a mere 10 yards
away from her. Greek Fire plumed up, an epic explosion ringing out, shaking the pavement,
and she curled in further, waiting to be blown away by the shockwave or to be obliterated in
an instant.
The heat came over her but before the shockwaves or any of the flames could strike her or
scald her, a large being came to cover her, feathered wings coming to curl around her as a
strong body in silver armor tucked her close, curling around her and taking the devastating
brunt for her.

The green washed over them, the heat growing so intense her eyes watered from it, and yet a
few moments later it was over. Rhea’s eyes peeled open, watery tears running down her
sweaty and sooty cheeks as she looked up with wide, sea green eyes to behold Perses. Her
great protector, her loyal guard and friend, standing over her. The God of Destruction had
absorbed the force and fires as he stood in his strongest form second only to his true form-
great black wings stretching out behind his armor and two massive swords strapped across
his back, and another hanging by his side.

“My Queen,” he whispered, smug smirk on his lips mixed with a look of great relief as he
extended a hand out to her to help steady her. She took it immediately, curling her smaller
fingers into his massive hand and beamed up at him. “Rhea.” He self-corrected before she
could remind him.

“I think you stand on the wrong side.” She whispered as she walked around him, her hand
slowly exiting his grip so she could come to stand in front of the enemy line once more- both
sides still struggling to recover. Kronos’s eyes landed on Perses, hovering like a great winged
angel by Rhea’s side and the Titan King’s eyes narrowed, anger plain on his face but
combined with an odd mix of amusement and what seemed to almost be relief.

“It seems I was right about your loyalties, nephew!” Kronos called, readying his scythe as
Percy slammed Riptide down, words not even shaking as he defended himself.

“I am where you appointed me, my King. By the side of my Queen!” Perses bit back,
reaching behind to unsheathe the twin swords from his back and together the pair threw
themselves back into the fray, slaughtering every beast and demigod in their way.

Kronos slammed the butt of his scythe into the bridge, cracks stretching out across the bridge,
one of the only remaining standing structures around them. The bridge was already weak
from Kronos and Rhea’s fight, several of the suspension cords loosed already but his second
blast of energy loosened a few more, some of the cords whipping out and striking two Apollo
kids, drawing blood as they flew through the air. Percy hadn’t lost his footing, standing tall
and firm as the blast shook around them. Alex and the Apollo cabin had stumbled their way
up and off the bridge by now, only Rhea, Perses, and Michael remaining with Percy, Michael
had an arrow notched, perched and ready to fire an arrow.

“MICHAEL, GET OFF THERE AND GO!” Percy bellowed, waving a hand at the archer to
beckon him to leave but Michael shook his head.

“PERCY! The bridge! It’s already weak!” he called back, causing Percy’s brows to furrow as
he tried to comprehend the words through the haze of exhaustion that was creeping up from
the exertion of his power combined with the curse of Achilles. (Rhea could feel it overtaking
her senses as well, prickling at the back of her eyelids as she stumbled her way towards the
end of the bridge, already having understood Michael’s words, Perses’ arm curled around
her waist as he steadied her).
“BREAK IT!” Rhea screamed as Perses shoved her the rest of the way off the bridge. She
could see the desperation on Percy’s face- two more waves of Kronos’ army were coming
and they were headed by a Titan, Astraeus, Rhea could recognize him from here. In the face
of over 200 more monsters and having already lost two Apollo campers, there was only one
option, they were too tired for any others.

Percy stabbed Riptide into the bridge, the magic blade sinking in up to its hilt in the asphalt.
A huge geyser of saltwater shot up, bursting through the fissure and widening the cracks, the
bridge beginning to shake ominously and crumble, chunks the size of houses falling into the
East River. Kronos's demigods cried out in alarm and scrambled backward. Some were
knocked off their feet. Within a few seconds, a fifty-foot chasm opened in the Williamsburg
Bridge between Kronos and Percy.

The vibrations died. Kronos's men crept to the edge and looked at the hundred-and-thirty-foot
drop into the river. They knew how dangerous it would be to touch the water when the
Destroyer could control it, manipulate it and drown them in its depth. They had all been
warned by their master to avoid the waters. Some of the suspension cables were still
attached- the men could get across that way if they were brave enough, Percy knew it wasn’t
impossible for them to make their way over, not when Kronos, a being with unfathomable
abilities could probably span the gap and find a way across the bridge. However, the King’s
gaze turned to Perses and Rhea, studying them for a few moments as if trying to discern a
hidden meaning, before turning back to study the chasm.

By now darkness had completely fallen, light only being provided by the streetlights and
building lights around them. It almost seemed as if the darkness was creeping towards
Kronos, shadowy fingers reaching out to him and whispers filling the air, almost like wind
through the trees but a thousand times more ancient and ominous. Kronos knew those
whispers, knew who controlled the darkness, (knew how much they adored the girl standing
across the bridge, how they viewed themselves as her true parents). He knew that if the
adoptive Father of the Titan Queen was finally shaking off his eternal slumber, thank Kronos
needed to seek refuge at his camp, out of the grasp of the darkness, shrouded instead in the
light of his brother, staving off the reach of the protective Primordial.

“Until tomorrow, Katastrefos” Kronos called, raising his scythe in a mock salute to the
Demigod king. “She’s safe from me for now.” Percy’s eyes narrowed at the King’s words,
resisting the urge to lunge across the fifty-foot chasm to try and shove his sword through the
Titan’s eye socket. Kronos turned, mounting his steed, and galloped back towards Brooklyn.
His hundreds of demigods and monsters followed quickly, Astraeus remaining a few seconds
longer to gaze at the sight of Perses beside Rhea, his eyes wide with discomfort, before he
too turned and departed.

Percy made his way back towards his sister, eyes now the churning sea green of his father
and sister, reaching for her to ensure that she was alright. The titan stood close to her,
observing their interaction (Perses could have laughed heartily at how Rhea and Percy so
closely resembled the Queen and Hyperion.)

“You shielded my sister,” Percy spoke, voice hard but with a shred of gratefulness as he
looked Perses up and down, watching as the Titan’s wings shimmered and disappeared as if
in an attempt to make himself look smaller and less threatening to the overprotective brother
of the Queen.

“I swore to her that I would always protect her.” Perses answered, fist smacking his
breastplate as he spoke of the oath, addressing Percy with a respectful tone but eyes going to
Rhea as he spoke, telling her that he would always be by her side. Angling herself closer to
her brother, Rhea softened her face and stance so as to make herself look sweeter to Percy,
drawing on his softness for her.

“He protected me on Othrys, even helped me escape and now he is here to protect me now.”
Rhea interjected, placing a hand on Percy’s arm with wide eyes, pleading for him to
understand, to not lunge at Perses in attack.

“You saved my sister?” Percy asked, voice lilting upwards in an almost question as he sought
confirmation. Perses nodded, waiting with bated breath until a small smile came over Percy’s
face. He reached out a hand and clapped Perses on his arm plate.

“Then you are welcomed to our camp.” Rhea exhaled a breath of relief at her brother’s
words, turning to Perses with gleaming eyes and watching as Perses bowed in thanks. “You’ll
be Rhea’s guard, you will protect her and watch over her with your life.” Percy ordered, not
even waiting for confirmation before turning to look for Michael Yew. His smile died and his
head swiveled frantically, searching for the Son of Apollo who was nowhere to be found, his
boy laying twenty feet away from them on the street. “No,” he breathed out in horror. “NO!”
He yelled out in frustration and anger, the sound cutting through the stillness of the air and
prompting tears to slide down the faces of the remaining children of Apollo and Rhea.

“Michael-” Rhea gasped out, horrified that in the heat of everything she had forgotten to look
out for the Apollo children, that her boyfriend had lost yet another son to this war, but this
time due to the suggestion of Rhea and the action of her brother. She clutched at her stomach
as pain ripped through her, sorrow filling her bones and watched as Percy’s shoulder’s
hunched. He always took the deaths of their people so hard, taking it as a personal failure. As
if it meant he was undeserving of his position of leader even if he said a dozen others. To
him, it was unacceptable to lose one of their own. Before she could go to him, reach out and
comfort him, their mother’s phone rang and Percy lifted it to his ear, voice tired and heavy as
he spoke into the phone. After a few words he snapped the phone shut and turned to Rhea,
ghostly pale.

“It’s Annabeth.” Annabeth who had taken the knife for Percy, Annabeth who her brother
adored above all. He could not lose Annabeth; she knew he would not survive it. (No
destroyer survived the loss of his beloved and came out of it with his sanity intact).

“Will.” Rhea barked, catching the attention of the grieving fourteen-year-old boy. “Go with
Percy. Now. Save Annabeth”
 Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)
Chapter Notes

I can't believe we only have like 5 or 6 chapters left of this story! so crazy

Also that ao3 hack yesterday was so crazy istg I was going through withdrawal, shaking,
sweating, insanity.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Rhea collapsed in a ground floor hotel room as soon as she arrived at the Demigod base with
Percy, Will, Alex, and Percy. Percy had pressed a hasty kiss to her cheek before flying
towards the stairs with Will- but not before shouting orders at Perses and Alex to stay by her
side and keep her safe.

It was how she ended up in a suite with Alex on the pullout couch and her on the King-sized
bed, both of them quick to fall asleep and join the land of dreams. Perses- may Chaos bless
him- had taken up the post that he had towards the end of her ‘visit’ to Othrys, standing at the
foot of the bed, eyes pinned on the door and hand on the hilt of one of his swords so that he
could cut down anyone who dared to breathe near her. It had been soothing, just as it was all
those months ago and so with the gentle smile and understanding nod that Perses gave her,
Rhea ripped her laurel and breastplate off as well as her jeans before collapsing in her bed
and falling asleep.

Perhaps tied to the events of the day, Rhea fell into a scene, a long forgotten memory of what
she used to be. The scenes flew past her as if they were images in a movie. Rhea sitting in a
giant coliseum on a throne and watching as her beloved husband and champion slew Aether
for her. Watched as a Beast was unleashed within him and how the Destroyer rose in him,
strengthening until he ripped apart his first Primordial. It was beautiful then. It was terrifying
now. (But oh how it was still beautiful, she could feel Him beside her, watching her as she
watched the old them, drinking in her every expression.)

She watched as Iapetus gutted her on the day she had freed her beloved children, watched
him bury a knife in her gut and drag it down, intent on disemboweling her for the betrayal to
their king- facing her with an unimaginable cruelty, as if she were not his once beloved baby
sister. She watched Rhea break her nails as she clawed at Iapetus, hands covered in ichor and
torn flesh as she tried to gain her freedom only to be dragged across the destroyed floors of
Othrys to be thrown at her husband’s feet.

It was a nightmare, it was something Rhea could never have imagined, for even in his
madness and as he absorbed their own children, Kronos had never turned on her with such
cruelty, had never allowed hands to be raised against her in such a manner. He had still loved
her.

“Ekdikitis please-” she had screamed out as Iapetus pinned her to the ground, knife to her
throat, ichor pooling beneath her.

“You have no right to that name anymore, Ischeryos.” Was the cold reply that she received
and both Rheas, of past and present, shrank back and their eyes welled with tears for how
could he betray them so? How could he allow her body- something he once likened to his
own Temple or worship- to be torn into, ripped apart and for her to be strewn across the floor
as if she were nothing more than the carcass of an animal?

“Kronos-” she gasped out, choking on her ichor as the edges of her vision grew black. She
was going to die and spend the next few days reforming, days in which she would be
powerless, unable to fight as he threw her in a cell or bound her to him just as their father had
to their mother. She clawed at the floor, trying to reach out to him and watched as the molten
gold of his eyes softened only the slightest. He reached a hand up, calling for Iapetus to halt
but it was too late. The cold grip of Tartarus grasped her soul, and she was ripped from her
body, leaving the husk on the surface as her soul was forced in the Pit, the price of
reforming.

(In the end he did bind her to him, but even in the depth of his insanity, Kronos could never
do to her what they had seen done to their own mother.)

Her dreams went black, no noise- none of the whispers, laughter and voices that she had
grown so used to. She didn’t feel any of the cold, grasping claws reaching to her from the
dark, a relief after what she had seen. Kronos’s blazing hot presence no longer crowded her,
he was gone, perhaps had left her in a storm of guilt- or more likely he simply did not care to
be there anymore, the dream was over what more could he want. Instead, it was a warm
darkness, familiar and soothing as if being wrapped in a loving hug by a father, shielded from
the world by the protection only a father could give.

“Erebus?” She whispered into the vast dark, waiting with bated breath to see if her dreams
carried truth, that Erebus carried a soft streak for her (that he would answer her, come to her-
provide her another layer of protection between her crumbling mind, between the grasp of
Kronos that only seemed to grow closer). “Erebus?” Her voice echoed, bouncing off of
invisible walls and carrying far, far away from her until they faded into nothingness.

“Oh my daughter,'' a voice called out. The darkness began to swirl, solidifying until Erebus
appeared before her. It was an odd sensation of familiarity that hit her, almost as if the
feelings did not belong to her. (Perhaps they didn’t, perhaps they belonged to Rhea Ourania
who recognized her proxy father and longed to connect with him through Rhea). He gave her
a fatherly smile, one that she had seen on her father Poseidon’s face many times (one that
was never on Ouranos’s face, one that used to look so beautiful on Kronos until the madness
would darken his mind and she would lose him once more). She softened, shoulders slumping
for she could not deny the love in her veins, whether it was hers or someone else’s it mattered
not. Erebus spread his arms and she threw herself into them, burrowing into his chest until
she was protected in his embrace and he wrapped his strong arms around her. “It has been so
very long since I have seen you.”
Mpampas. Papa.

The word echoed in Rhea’s mind but she refused to utter it. That word did not belong to him,
it belonged to Poseidon. Her true father, the one who had offered to shelter her far away in
the far off seas while he fought the war for his territories. She felt Erebus’s hand come up to
stroke her soft, black curls and she buried face deeper in his chest, inhaling the scent of
cedarwood that seemed to emit from him.

“Erebus, Saiempas,” Uncle. She whispered and felt him stiffen for a moment before relaxing
once more, accepting the term she had given him. “You’ve reawakened?” His head shook
against her hair and he emitted a sigh.

“Not yet, at least not fully. Enough to be conscious, to extend my power and warn my
troublesome nephew.” He sounded regretful, speaking softly as if he feared that his words
would send her into hysterical sobs. It was easy to guess who he spoke of but it sent fear
down her spine, he wasn’t strong enough to protect her yet and she doubted he would be.
Kronos grew closer and closer to full power every day and when he achieved it, no one
would be able to stop him. He had killed plenty of Primordials before and Erebus would be
no different to him- he had never feared the Primordials as she and the rest of the siblings
had. “But I can see enough in the darkness to give you this warning-” he pulled back and
tilted her chin up so she could gaze into the voids that were his eyes. “He will show you
things, Hyperion too. They can make things seem as if they are something else. Your friend
thinks she has the key to your battle, that she had invented something brilliant. But know this,
when the Light shines from the Heavens, when the light of the sky and the world fills with
the energy of the day, the illusion can be woven-”

“I must confess I am feeling such strong deja-vu at the moment,” the voice of Kronos
drawled from where he leaned against slowly forming black pillars, the dreamscape around
her slowly morphing into Othrys. He cut through Erebus's words, effectively brining the
primordial to a halt in his words before he could provide Rhea with valuable knowledge for
their coming fight. Rhea stepped back from Erebus, as if caught doing something she should
not, withdrawing from his grasp and watching the way Kronos’s eyes flickered back and
forth between her and their uncle. “You certainly have always loved to visit her, whisper
poison in her ears about me, and turn her against me until she lifts her sword against me and
guts me where I stand.” Ironic that he should speak of being gutted, but perhaps he had
chosen those words on purpose.

“Ekdikitis,” Erebus scoffed, wonderfully confident for someone not yet fully awakened and
easily banished back to the realm of eternal sleep. “She is not a doll to be manipulated. When
presented with the truth she makes her own choices. She is not a child or a toy for you to lock
away and ply with soft words as you play with her and deny her any others.” But Kronos had
no ears for him, instead turning to Rhea and walking slowly towards her, hands in plain sight
as if he were approaching a skittish dog with the intent of capturing it. Rhea refused to take a
step back, not allowing herself to shrink away from him even as he drew close and whispered
to her, crooning to her as if she were his most beloved (when he did that she could not tell
if he truly meant it or if he was mocking her, Kronos was cruel, it could be either).
“You don’t remember yet do you? Your memory drips back to you slowly, dream after dream
you slowly remember what we used to be, isn’t that right darling girl.” She inhaled sharply,
knowing she could not deny, not when he experienced all her dreams alongside her. “You
don’t remember what he did?” He was so close to her, standing before her, golden eyes
boring down into hers so hard that she feared she would melt beneath the power of his gaze.

“He tries to turn us on each other once more, Rhea. Pay him no mind.” Erebus spat, taking a
step towards Kronos as his fear began to die out and his indignation took over. Kronos paid
him a far larger insult, barely giving him any attention, paying him no mind say for a twitch
of the eyebrow and a curl of the lip. “He is the voice of evil and he will do to you what he did
before-” The curl of his lip turned into a snarl and Kronos spun on Erebus, extending three
fingers out at him, just as Percy had done to Gabe four years ago. Erebus shrank back from
the gesture, cowed and clearly in pain.

“YOU DO NOT DARE TO SPEAK TO HER OF SUCH THINGS!” Kronos was animalistic,
a beast in human form, perhaps a wolf or more apt- a lion (the beasts which followed Rhea so
loyally once upon a time). He had positioned himself so that he stood between Erebus and
Rhea, making himself a barrier between them as if he feared what the Lord of Darkness could
do to her. Confusion weighed in her mind as she peered around him, delving deep in her
mind to try and understand what had happened. Guilt, longing, sadness, and faint betrayal
coursed through her, the product of a memory she no longer had but perhaps would one day
hold again. The betrayal was faint, dulled by the longing and fondness she (or the other she)
still felt for Erebus and Rhea wondered just how forgiving the other iteration of herself was.
How much heartbreak, betrayal, and backstabbing had Rhea Ourania faced, accepted, taken,
and forgiven? Kronos’s voice dropped several octaves, coming into a terrifying, deadly calm
voice as one of his arms angled back to keep Rhea behind him, the hand finding purchase on
her hip in order to ensure she was safely behind him. “Especially not with what you did,
turning on her in such a manner. Do not speak to me of treating her as if she were a doll or
toy when you are guilty of that crime far more than I ever was.” Erebus shrank back even
further as Kronos curled his three fingers back into a fist before throwing them out once
more, a finally ward off that had Erebus scowling in defeat and casting one more longing and
regretful look at Rhea before fading into the shadows of a now fully formed Othrys.

When he was sure that Erebus had faded, Kronos turned slowly back to face her once more,
looking over her as if he feared Erebus had tainted her somehow. His gaze was so soft, as soft
and concerned as it had been when she began to choke and gasp for air when Percy had
drowned him, trying to uncover the source of her distress. One of his hands came up to push
back her curls (something he seemed unable to resist doing whenever he joined her whether it
be in dreams, illusions, or reality). One of her hands came up to catch his wrist, grasping the
firmness of his forearm, she did not stop him, only keeping a hold of his wrist as he brushed
back her curls with such a soft fondness. Her sea green eyes peered up at him, large and
murky with tumultuous emotions that swirled around inside her. He finished brushing back
the curl and kept his hand there, reaching one hand to brush the soft skin of her cheek, Rhea
still holding his forearm as she allowed his gentle touch.

“You do not hate me in your dreams as you do when we awaken, beloved.” He stated, gently
pulling back from her until they no longer touched but he remained standing over her.
“In our dreams when the visions end, you are different. Not the same Kronos who haunts my
waking moments, but someone else that I struggle to hate.” She whispered, taking a further
step back until there were several feet between them reminded herself of the scenes she had
been forced to endure. “You are the Avenger in our dreams, not the Cannibal King, not the
Crooked One or the Beast of the Black Mountain.” She knew it hurt him when she used the
English pronunciation of his True name but after what she had seen, how could she use it?
Had he not so callously told her that the name no longer belonged to her? (Was that why he
had gazed upon her with such fierce delight and devotion every time she had called him by
his True Name, taking advantage of the fact that she had not known and delighting at hearing
the word fall from her red lips for the first times in thousands of years?)

Kronos could be cruel, but so could Rhea. He could bury his sword in her chest, but she
could bury hers deeper, dig her claws in harder, hurt him far more than he ever could her
because she remembered it all, she knew it all and she held what he wanted the most. Her
true self, her love, and her forgiveness.

Rhea was crueler than he ever could be, for she would hold them before him only to pull
them back out of his reach. Let him crawl on his knees and beg for her forgiveness, for there
was none to be had. Let him taste the heartbreak and ruin Rhea had, if he thought he had been
devastated by her loss before, she would destroy him further now.

“I remember you had quite a fondness for the Beast of the Black Mountain,” he smirked,
knowing very well that she had seen the dream in which the Beast had been awoken, had
watched the way her breathing quickened and her gaze struggled to tear away from him as he
became something more akin to a nightmare. Both Queens, Titaness and Demigoddess had
derived pleasure from the sight, enjoying the sight of the Beast that so readily guarded their
nest.

“Not when the Beast turned on me,” She murmured and watched as a brief flash of guilt
painted his expression, perhaps the most she had ever seen from him. “The dream awoke the
memories; it is no longer as if I watched someone else’s life. I can feel the coldness of his
dagger burying into my chest, the hilt of it slamming into my ribs before ripping my flesh
apart in a mass of squelching, ruined flesh as he gutted me. I remember you sitting there,
imperious on your Throne as Iapetus dragged me by my hair into the Throne Room, covered
in my own ichor, bleeding out from the wounds he had inflicted on me and the look on your
face as he threw me at your feet. You let him do those things to me- to her- how you didn’t
stop him until it was too late, how you, the man who swore to always avenge her, to protect
me, her, sat there and did nothing as I was ripped into, beaten, abused, and dead.” Othrys
began to shake around them, crumbling and breaking down from the force of her anger. (The
swell of Rhea’s Devastation was so very hard to control in the world of Dreams and the
barrier between her and the Queen crumbled, the differences between them slipping as she
began to refer to herself and the Queen interchangeably). Kronos watched her carefully, not
daring to look away as she raged at him, the very embodiment of a StormBringer. “I
remember how you stared down at me, the savage look on your face as your WIFE as your
Queen was thrown to the ground. What was it you said to me then? What was it you said
when Iapetus presented you with the body of your bloody and broken beloved?”
“You do not need to relive this-” He tried, reaching for her once more but Rhea’s face had
morphed into a cold mimicry of the way Kronos had looked down at her all those millennia
ago, stone cold, sneering and hateful.

“'On your knees where you belong'.” She laughed, high and cruel, her voice an almost exact
copy of his when he had spoken those words. Kronos flinched back, reeling from the might
of hearing his own words thrown back in his face. Recalling the words he had thrown at her,
smarting from the betrayal of her attempted murder and the destruction she had wrought on
their home as she betrayed him and stole their children away, securing the path to the
inevitability of his death. “And though you loved me enough to never do to me what Ouranos
did to Gaea, despite how much Iapetus encouraged you to, you bound us together, locked me
away as if we were in the Grove once more, and only when I had butchered half our siblings
and then was forced to fight you, did you let me- let her go.” Rhea stuttered at the end of her
rant, trying to ground herself and reinforce the difference between Rhea and Rhea (the
differences were fading rapidly as the Devastation inside her began to burn her).

“It seems I was wrong earlier. You find it so easy to hate me now.” He rasped after a few
moments, no doubt registering the angry tears in her eyes as a pained look graced his regal,
handsome features.

“Only because you make it so.” She snapped, turning away from him as she blinked a few
times, taking deep, calming breaths and avoiding his gaze even as he desperately searched
hers out. Regret painted a strange, yet beautiful look on his face. It was regret that she
believed- Rhea had seen in her dreams just what the madness their father inflicted on him had
done, she knew the plague it unleashed in his mind. The things Kronos had done in those
years were things he would never have done before, or perhaps even now. She knew that
Rhea had to fight for freedom from Othrys, had been forced to gut her own husband and
escape, covered in his blood.

She knew the experience had broken Rhea’s mind, turned her into a waif, a shadow image of
what she used to be. (She knew it had done the same to Kronos). It was something not even
her beloved children could heal her from, and even when she thought they might, Rhea had
stumbled across a bastard son of Kronos. His final betrayal. She nearly killed him and Chiron
that day, and as the earth shattered beneath her, so too did the last vestiges of Rhea Ourania’s
mind.

She knew Kronos had been in that dream with her, she could feel him beside her. She knew
he had wanted to speak to her, reach out to her, perhaps to say something to her- beg, plead,
argue. Anything but the stone cold emotionlessness that flooded off of her as Rhea endured
the dream. She could feel him as if he were an angel on her shoulder attempting to reach her,
only to flee when the scene became too much- when his guilt overpowered him. Taking
refuge until he could regain that mask of smug superiority he always wore.

“Come to me,” he whispered, words that jabbed into her as Iapetus’s knife had, stealing her
breath and surprising her. He was reaching towards her so that he had her full attention once
more. His eyes were pleading, genuine as he begged. “Come to me and let me ease some of
the pain in which I have dealt you. I should not have done to you what I did, I was blind in
my rage, in the heat of my insanity.” She looked towards his outstretched hand with an
incredulous expression.

“Do you think I’m an idiot?” Rhea asked, scoffing at the hand and brushing past him to gaze
out on the beautiful sunrises that could only be seen atop Othrys, how she had missed them
when it fell. “I was not swayed by that a few months ago and I certainly will not join you
now. I won’t come to you simply because you feel a little guilty and wish to ease your own
conscious.” Kronos gave a low, deep laugh and came to stand beside her.

“You will not join me, for now. I know that and it is not what I ask. But when I reformed and
when we both swam in the Styx, the bond between us reformed, strengthening and growing
exponentially to the point where you nearly drowned with me, feeling the harm inflicted on
me by others even though we did not feel the harm we dealt to each other.” She turned to
look at him, eyebrows furrowed as she tried to gather his meaning, not fully trusting the
Crooked One as he lured her in with his dulcet tones. “If you come to me, we can ease that,
take away part of it so that we do not feel each other’s agony, I can free you from this bond
that I know you feel.”

Kronos’s words nearly swept her off her feet. He could, couldn’t he- for whoever created the
ties of the bond could undo them if they only had the right ingredients- Rhea remembered
that much. She inhaled sharply and scanned his features, searching for lies on the face she
had once known so well (on the face she was growing all too familiar with once more).

“What?” She breathed out, shrinking back in surprise which allowed him to change their
positions so that she was pressed against the balcony and he stood over her, gentle and strong
as if he were a knight come to swear himself to a Princess. (for he still wore his armor,
something that did not help the mixed feelings that were swirling around like a raucous storm
deep within the heart and mind of the Sea Princess).

“Let me ease some of your pain, Princess,” he whispered, one of his hands reaching to grasp
her own, holding her much smaller hand ever so gently in his own as if she were the most
precious and fragile treasure on the Earth. Othrys shook once more, cracks beginning to
appear along the rocks and the sky flickered, fading light and then dark and then light again.
Rhea was rapidly awakening, his time was running out. “The bridge we fought at today, meet
me there under the White Flag and I shall release this bond between us. Not as a
manipulation, but because…” his tongue wet his lips as he grimaced, not wanting to say the
words that were needed but knowing he should, despite feeling that they made him look
weak. “... because I was wrong, it was cruel to do to you, to bind you to me so that every
strike our sons gave me you would bleed from it too. I was wrong and you never should have
suffered through what I did to hurt you in the war.” Rhea allowed him to step closer, eyes
never leaving his as he held her hand. She was captivated by him, she knew how those words
pained him to admit and her lips parted ever so slightly, eyes softening just a bit.

“Kronos-” the dream shook and cracked once more and they stepped apart, registering what
was going on. Rhea quickly shifted away from the crumbling balcony, allowing Kronos to
steady her as the banister fell away and caused her to stumble- his hands strong as he brought
her into his grasp and kept her safe. He began to grow faint, the outline of him shimmering as
he was pulled back to the land of consciousness and Rhea felt herself grip him tighter for just
a moment, pulling him close. (By the gods it was so easy to fall back into the patterns of what
they used to be, so easy to allow herself to be brought into the web of Kronos just as he fell
into hers.)

“The bridge, Ischerkyas.” He called and the dream shattered. Leaving Rhea falling through
infinite darkness as her soul retied to her body.

Rhea shot out of the bed with a gasp, chest heaving from the force in which she was ejected
from it. Perses turned towards her, concern in his eyes as he reached out to her, to defend her
from her subconscious.

“Rhea? What is it, should I fetch your brother?” Perses murmured as he came to stand beside
her, curling her into a comforting hug. She shook her head and pulled back from the embrace.

“No, but I need you to do something else.” He nodded, ready to help however he could and
helped Rhea to stand from the bed, handing her jeans so that she could begin to dress. “I need
you to take me back to the bridge.” Perses brows furrowed steadying her as she balanced on
one foot to tug her shoe one.

“For?” He asked, clearly no longer speaking to her with the humble, unquestioning tone of a
guard to his queen. (Not that she wanted him too, it just amused her how quickly they had
settled into a comfortable, friendly dynamic).

“We’re going to meet Kronos.”

The waking sky was beautiful, gleaming beautiful orange, pink, and blue- painting a
heavenly picture that Rhea wished she had a camera to capture. The light reflected off of her
tan skin, making her skin gleam as if she were a glowing effigy of a goddess- and in a way
was she not?

She jogged along the sidewalk, Perses following at a pace that mocked her for it seemed like
he was having to force himself to stay at a sedate pace in order to stay by her side and not
leave her in a cloud of dust. It made her want to push him off the sidewalk and cause him to
roll down into the waiting River but she just rolled her eyes up at him and cursed him in her
mind, hoping he would trip. (He in fact, did not trip). She knew he was concerned, afraid for
what she was doing, and heavily questioning her sanity, but Rhea couldn’t find it in herself to
care. She was just thankful he kept his silence and followed her, protecting her, even when he
disagreed with what she was doing. (Did he disagree? Or was he perhaps eager to see his
King and Queen reunited?)

She had to do this, had to rid herself of the ache in her chest, of the chord that tugged at her,
whispering for her to fall into Kronos’s arms and let him whisk her away to her gilded prison
of Othrys. Rhea didn’t have the strength to fight the bond, keep up with the Curse of
Achilles, lead a war, and whatever else she found herself doing. The whispers were growing
stronger with every hour and if this was what it took to ease her mind, then she would do it.
(She did her best to bury the thought of how part of her mind hummed with thrilling
satisfaction of being in the presence of Kronos once more. Did his mind and soul sing as hers
did?)

The ruined bridge stood just before them and Rhea marveled at the absolute ruin that her
brother and the Titan King had wrought on their surroundings, bringing down buildings as if
it were child's play, as if it were as easy as knocking over a child's Legos. On the other side of
the bridge a white flag flew high and beneath it stood 3 men, or rather, 3 Titans, tall and
strong. Rhea and Perses slowed to a walk, Perses now walking in front of Rhea so that he
could take whatever blows or attacks were launched at them if the white flag was a ruse.
Rhea slowly came around his side, allowing him to still be angled in front of her but now
able to see what was on the other side of the massive expanse of the cavern Percy had created
in the bridge.

Kronos stood there, glorious even without his black and gold armor. His hair was loose, no
longer tied back as he stared at her with such an intensity. (She watched as his fingers
twitched at his side, was he resisting the urge to call the winds to bring her to him?) Beside
him stood Hyperion, nervously shifting from side to side as he no doubt wondered what
would happen with his brother and Rhea together once more. The third Titan, Astraeus, stood
there with a cold yet curious look, trying to appear disinterested as he stared at her but failing
greatly. He was a near image of Koios which was almost comforting except he appeared a
hundred times more cold and less likely to show any love or kindness to Rhea. Rhea stopped,
hand grasping at Perses armor to bring him to a halt as well as she analyzed the scene before
her, debating if she was sure. Kronos seemed to catch onto what she was doing, and he
smiled at her, the charming smile of their youth when everything he had done had been about
winning her, sweeping her off her feet and brining her to his side.

"You'll have to come over here if I am to fix this, darling!" Kronos called, a teasing lilt in his
words and Rhea rolled her eyes at him before gesturing to Perses that he could pick her up
and fly her across the expanse of the bridge. it was quick, Perses moved through the air
gracefully, cutting through the morning breeze and landing before Kronos, Hyperion, and
Astraeus with a thunderous boom, setting Rhea down beside him but with a hand in front of
her, a clear signal that he would not allow them to even move towards her. Rhea did not look
at Kronos yet, instead choosing to look at Hyperion, gazing into his eyes and knowing he
could not lie to her.

"He can fix this?" She asked one of her hands drifting mindlessly up to her chest, pressing
against where her heart was. (Both Kronos and Astraeus narrowed their eyes at the sight, one
in curiosity, one in satisfaction). Hyperion nodded slowly, gaze going back and forth between
the pair (between his twin sister and his beloved baby brother)

"The one whose blood created the bond can use the same blood to undo it. Blood given
willingly to create the Ancient Magic can only be counteracted with the same blood given
willingly to take it back." Hyperion says after a minute of staring intensely at Rhea, no doubt
questioning why she had agreed to come to Kronos with Perses as her only backup. She
squinted back at him for a moment, trying to discern if he was being honest before accepting
that he must be.
"Fine then. Let's do this." She agreed, stepping out from behind Perses and leaving his reach
so that she stood just before Kronos, angling her head to look up at him and into his eyes
which burned into hers. Kronos brought out a knife from where it was holstered to his thigh
and Rhea stepped back immediately, no longer the picture of willingness to go along with
whatever he was doing- despite her invulnerability. Instead of turning it on her or doing
something just as dastardly, Kronos brought the blade down across his wrist, bringing
luminous, glorious ichor to the surface that began to pour down from his veins and pool on
the ground beneath him. (She could have smacked herself at the realization, the Curse of
Achilles did not apply to self-inflicted wounds. One could still cut their own skin with a
specific blade imbued with the Old Magic if they wished, however neither Rhea nor Percy
had such a blade, nor the desire to have one. Of course, Kronos did though, one never knew
when they would need to cut themselves and draw their own blood for some nefarious scheme
or another. Rhea tried so hard not to roll her eyes).

"When I created the bond, I forced the ichor down your throat while your soul fought to
reform, I think it will suffice for you to just drink it this time," Kronos's lips curled into a
smirk. "Unless you wish for me to help you with it this time as well." She snarled at him
before stalking forward and grasping his wrist in a cruel grip, digging her nails into the self-
inflicted wound as she brought it up to her lips. She angled her head down and let her lips
encircle the wound, allowing the ichor to invade her mouth and drip down her throat.

It was as if someone had poured pure ecstasy, pure sunlight and power into her veins,
circulating it through her arteries as it spread through her body and to her heart, combining
with her own ichor until she could feel the life essence of Kronos becoming one with her
own, pulling on the thread that bound her soul to his and slowly burning through it, cutting
away at the bond slowly but surely freeing Rhea from Kronos. She gripped his wrist tighter
and began to drink down the Ichor with an eager thirst, pulling him close until there were
inches, maybe centimeters between their bodies, the air between them charged with
electricity and a surge of passion that neither could deny. Little, breathy whimpers left Rhea's
mouth as she consumed the ichor and they were met with the quiet, almost inaudible grunts
of pleasure from Kronos as one of his hands curled around her hip and began to tug her closer
to him, drawing her into him as if they could melt and merge into one being. His free hand
then came up and began to stroke down her hair, smoothing it back as he murmured soothing
nothingness down at her, just as caught up in the web of emotion and magic as he was before
the hand trailed down her back, down her spine and over the small of her back.

"Where is you Achilles, Ischerkyas?" He murmured as she drank his ichor voice low and
dark (a voice that could have made her go weak in the knees if she had not just registered
what he had said to her), no doubt trying to take advantage of the headiness of consuming his
ichor, taking in his life essence and trying to use this small moment of weakness for his
advantage. She dug her teeth into his forearm at that, causing Kronos to grunt and strengthen
his grip on her, tugging Rhea back until she was flush up against his chest, both of their
chests heaving as she drank down his ichor, feeling the thread begin to unravel between them.
Through the haze her eyes narrowed, and realization snapped through her. He was searching
to see if her Achilles was the same as Percy's. He knew. Horror raced through her and she
brought her mouth up, taking in gulps of air now as his ichor dripped down from the corner
of her mouth and felt her eyes gleam gold as the thread snapped, sending her stumbling away
from him at the force of it all, falling into Hyperion's arms (he quickly encircled her, hands
flying to check her face and ensure that she was alright) before Perses snatched her back,
hand on the hilt of his sword in case something happened.

"Nice try," she rasped as she gazed at Kronos, unable to pull her eyes away no matter how
hard she tried, still feeling so intrinsically drawn to him and he to her. "Did you really think I
would tell you that?" He was looking at her and she saw then in his gaze that he knew exactly
what she had seen in the River, or rather who she had seen in the River and who was her
Heel. Instead of shrinking back from it, Rhea met him head on, daring him to say it, daring
him to say that he knew he was her Heel. Instead he only gave her a troublemaker half smirk
that said, 'it's our little secret for now'.

"I didn't think you would tell me, but I did think that perhaps I could find it," Kronos
shrugged nonchalantly as he spoke, and Rhea had to resist the urge to lunge at him and try to
strangle him or rip his beautiful hair from his scalp.

"And here I thought you did this out of the goodness of your heart," She sneered, frustration
boiling within her at the endless games the Cannibal King seemed to enjoy playing with her.

"What heart?" He laughed back but she could see the hurt behind his gaze, he had meant to
do it for good reasons, that she knew. But Kronos was the Crooked One and there was always
an ulterior, hidden motive even when he was at his kindest, and this motive had been finding
her Heel, perhaps so that he could kill her as she had stood in his grasp or use it to blackmail
her and manipulate her.

"Fuck you, you lose a battle and resort to cheating tactics by trying to find my Achilles?" She
laughed as she spoke. Gods that was pathetic, wasn't it? Had he grown so desperate so
quickly? Kronos scowled at her, laughter melting from his expression as he gave her a sneer
fiercer than she ever could have mustered.

"I did not lose." He snapped back at her and Rhea's laughter only grew, safe from behind
Perses as she laughed, aware that Hyperion and Astraeus looked deeply uncomfortable with
how she poked at Kronos, egging him into anger, into making a mistake.

"I think we both know that's not true, not when my brother had you on your knees." Rhea
smarted and watched as Kronos's lip curled up, Astraeus shifting as if he wanted to strike at
her for her words and Rhea only smirked at the Titan, knowing he could do nothing without
his master's approval. "Perhaps you aren't as mighty as you bragged." Kronos's expression
darkened with fury for a moment before the expression passed, now one of amusement and
indulgence as if he were speaking to an unintelligent child.

"You are victorious for now, but you know as well as I do that you and your brother cannot
keep this going forever, the Curse won't be enough against me for long. It will only exhaust
you more and more and I need only wait your out, for the more exhausted you grow with
every battle and every day, the closer I get to my true form." And it was true, they had two or
three days at the max before his true form was achieved and Kronos became almost
unstoppable (for Percy was not his Destroyer, he could stand against Kronos now, but when
the True Form of the Titan King was achieved could Percy stand against it?). Kronos raised
his hand and gave her a small salute and a mocking bow. "Until later today, Ischerkyas." Her
name was said with such mocking, such a lilt in it as he said it, as if he knew it was not her
true name, as if he knew it was a mask she was wearing in her denial and was just waiting for
the Queen to emerge from her cocoon.

As Rhea walked back towards the hotel a cold feeling went up her spine and she froze. Her
Achilles spot, he had wanted to know where it was and had assumed it was where her
brothers was. But when Rhea was in the River and choosing her Heel, her natural, instinctive
choice had been a place under her arm, hidden and inaccessible due to the latch of her
breastplate. An impossible hit, one she thought she had chosen on her own accord but now
that she knew that she had a bond with Kronos at the time she was forced to reconsider. To
open her eyes and see the truth. She hadn't chosen it because she knew it would be impossible
to hit, she had chosen it because it was Kronos's Achilles Heel.

"Oh gods," Rhea breathed out, looking up at Perses with terrified delight. "Oh gods, he may
know where Percy's Heel is, but I know where Kronos's is."

But Kronos, oh Kronos. He was the Crooked One, the King of Lies. And so, he watched as
Rhea departed from him, free of the bond and he rubbed his chest. She was free from that
bond, as was right and it was something he had gladly done for her. It had been a bond that
had been far to cruel to inflict upon her, one he had regretted from the moment she had
escaped him. It had been callous, cruel, and unforgivable and it was because of this that he
happily broke it, set her free from that tether between their souls.

Kronos may have freed her from this bond, but so many millennia ago Kronos had not been
foolish enough to bind them only onceover, not when his beloved was strong enough to break
through it if she could harness enough Power. He had woven a web between them, threaded
them so closely together that their souls were nearly bound as one (for he knew her
reincarnation was the reason he had been able to reform so quickly over the last sixteen
years).

But his darling girl would never truly be unbound from him, no matter how hard she tried.
She couldn't break the final bonds if she tried.

Rhea strode back into the hotel, desperate to tell Percy that Kronos knew as well as her
suspicions only to wish she could walk right back out. Standing in the foyer, leaning against a
column with an exhausted yet furious look, crown upon his brow, stood her brother. A furious
thundercloud of an expression marred his features as he pushed off of the column and stalked
towards her, even Perses shrinking back from the fury of the Destroyer. Rhea averted her
 eyes, hoping the show of respect would soften his anger but it did not. He came to a stop
before her, letting out a hum and scoffing laugh of incredulous disbelief before grasping her
arm in a harsh, inescapable grip.

“I think it’s time for your little half-truths and secrets to end, little sister.” Percy said in a dark
voice before jerking his head in the direction of her room, a command for her to either walk
or be escorted to her room. Closing her eyes, Rhea allowed him to pull him towards her room
and prayed to Chaos that Percy would not fly into a murderous rage when she told him the
truth of her connection with Kronos

(prayed he would not withdraw from her and act as if she were no longer his twin sister but
was instead some Titaness he could not even speak to).

For surely everything was about to change now.

Chapter End Notes

So yea, the Curse doesn't protect against self-inflicted wounds, it feels accurate because
it sounds like some shit out of a Greek tragedy. 'YoU cAnT Be KIlLEd bY OthERs bUt
YoU cAn KiLl YoURseLf'. Plus of course Kronos would be able to imbue some old
magic into the knife so he can cut himself, but no he could not do it with the scythe
because it was created by a Primordial and both the magic in it and the metal in it are far
greater than celestial bronze of imperial gold so no he couldn't do it to his scythe.
 The Truth now Told

Telling Percy the truth is simultaneously the easiest and hardest thing Rhea has ever done.
The entire time she had been plagued with worries for the outcome. Would Percy think she
was the traitorous spy, that she had somehow been turned from his side, been lying to him
and betraying him for months all the while pretending to be his loving, loyal, and devoted
sister? If she told him the truth would he still look at her like she was his sister Rhea or would
he look at her as if she were a Titan, his enemy, and abandoned her forever? But the truth
would take a weight off her shoulders she had never thought she’d ever be free from and she
found herself eager to clear the air between her and her brother.

“Here's what's going to happen, I’m going to speak first and you're going to listen and then
when it's your turn you will speak and answer for yourself. Am I understood?” His sea-green
eyes were cold, looking as if they were a frozen-over ocean.

“Yes,” she whispered out, cowed in the sight of the anger and betrayal on her brother’s face,
it cowed her more than Iapetus’s abuse of Kronos’s fury ever had. Percy gave a sharp nod
before turning to point at Perses.

“I think your titan friend shouldn’t be here for this.”

“I remain by Rhea’s side,” Perses replied stiffly, straightening and putting his hand on the hilt
of his left sword before Rhea put out one hand, stilling her guard’s movements.

“Perses, it’s fine. My brother isn’t going to hurt me.” Her eyes never left Percy’s as she
spoke, wondering if her words were a lie before slowly dragging her gaze away to give
Perses a reassuring nod, thinking of the ichor dripping down her guard's back from his slowly
healing wounds from the Greek Fire blast. “You haven’t had the chance to heal since you
took the impact of the explosion on the bridge. Go heal.” At the clear command in her voice
Perses gave a stiff nod before moving towards the door. He paused just before he left, giving
her one last look before sliding out the door, subtly tapping her bands on the way out to
remind her to defend herself physically if she had to. When the door clicked shut, Percy and
Rhea’s gazes locked back onto each other, both ignoring Alex who leaned against the wall,
close enough to grab either of them if a fight broke out. With far more casualty than Rhea
knew he felt, Percy began to speak, laying down his accusation.

“You were captured by Kronos and you came back traumatized, unable to speak. I had
thought that you underwent gruesome, awful torment that was so horrible it was unspeakable,
literally. Then, we were on the Princess Andromeda and Kronos began to make taunts, taunts
as if by not telling me what happened on Othrys you were betraying me. But I thought
nothing of it still because Kronos is the king of lies and of course he would want to drive a
wedge between us,” Percy paused, waiting for Rhea to nod before he continued. “Then when
I’m fighting Kronos on the bridge- when I had the edge up, I had him, was drowning him-
you started to drown with him. I dismissed even that, thinking maybe Kronos had found
some way to inflict his own pain on you. I thought we could talk about it after we both slept
and then go see Silena and the Hecate kids to see if there was a way to get around whatever
he had done to you. I even accepted your titan guard that you decided to bring back to our
camp with you, taking your words for what they should be- the truth.” Percy stopped his
pacing, coming to stand just before her, cold eyes breaking just the slightest to reveal the
betrayal he felt.

“But then, then after I had dismissed so many other things thinking that my precious sister
would tell me if there was anything I needed to know, I am awoken by Alex who tells me that
he can’t find you or your titan guard anywhere, so naturally we gazed into Annabeth’s mirror
shield and what do I find sister?” (Gods he sounded so much like Kronos in that moment,
cold, cruel, bloodthirsty edge to his voice that told her how close his restraint was to
snapping, how close he was to bringing his full might as king down upon her). “I find you
with him, with Kronos the Cannibal King, our GREATEST FUCKING ENEMY locked in an
embrace on the Williamsburg Bridge!” He roared at her and she shrank back from him,
terrified his temper would snap. From his place against the wall, Alex straightened, looking
like he was ready to pull Percy back if he decided to become physical. Percy sighed, bringing
one of his hands up to drag it through his messy hair.

“And now here we are. So, Rhea,” his gaze pierced through her, threatening to uncover every
secret she had ever had. “I want you to tell me, I want you to swear to me that you didn’t
come back from Othrys as a traitor. That if I searched you there would be no scythe pendant.
I want you to look me in the eye and tell me the traitor we’ve been searching for hasn’t been
you- my own sister, my own twin- the entire time.” Alex watched, waiting for Rhea’s answer
and Rhea wondered if he was here to defend her if Percy became cruel with her or if he had
stayed to help Percy lock her away if she was indeed the traitor.

Rhea crumbles.

She tells him everything, she tells him about waking up on Othrys to Kronos sitting beside
her and how he had played the charming host to her, refusing to fight her for her freedom but
also not allowing any harm to come to her, even promising that he wouldn’t kill her. She tells
him how she met Perses and how he protected her, guarded her, helped her feel safe and
proved that he wasn’t going to let anyone, even his own King hurt her. Rhea told him how
she had met Koios, Hyperion, and several other titans during her stay and how Hyperion had
treated her warmly, cared for her and how together with Kronos he made sure none of the
younger titans could harm her. She even talked about how she and Kronos had playfully
dueled in his arena, trying to get the best of each other, but how the Titan never once made
any attempt to actually harm her or try to kill her.

Rhea’s voice lowers, goes softer as if telling a secret, as she tells him of her dreams, of how
sometimes she sees the past, how sometimes Kronos is there. She tells Percy about how
Kronos tried to force her to sit on the Queen’s Throne, how the true reason he had kidnapped
her was because he was obsessed with the idea that Rhea was somehow Queen Rhea
returned. She told him how Hyperion saved her from Kronos trying to force her onto the
throne only for Rhea to then go and sit upon it that night.
“It awakened something in me, when I sat on that Throne. Life sprung up around me and it
felt like this cord inside me snapped into place and for a moment I felt like I was where I
needed to be but that moment ended and before I knew it Kronos was screaming for me and
had the entirety of Othrys chasing me and hunting me down. I only escaped because of
Perses and Hyperion helping me.” Rhea shuts her eyes for a moment, taking a deep and
calming breath before opening her eyes once more. “Kronos wanted me there because he
thought by forcing me onto the throne it would burn away my mortality and leave him with
Rhea Ourania. I didn’t become his spy, I didn’t switch sides, I didn’t fall to the Titans or any
of that Percy. I played the part of a civil captive and I escaped, I ran from Kronos. He’s been
taunting me ever since I sat on the Throne because he thinks I’m lying, hiding the truth from
him just to punish him but I’m not! And the only reason I went to him on the bridge- the
ONLY reason, was because he promised he could undo the Bond that tied our pain, our
lifelines, and I wanted to undo it before you found out about it to avoid this very thing, to
make sure you DIDN'T think I had betrayed you because I knew that’s what my tie to him
would look like!” She breathes heavily as she stares up at Percy earnestly, pleading with her
eyes for him to understand her, to hear what she is saying and believe her because this IS the
truth. She is loyal to him, has always been, even when she struggles with her connection and
mixed feelings towards Kronos, even as the barrier between her and Rhea Ourania crumbles.
Rhea’s loyalty to Percy is unshakeable, has never wavered, and she needs him to know that.
Tears gathered in her eyes, one or two slipping out as time stretched on and her brother
continued to stare at her, emotionless.

“Are you Rhea Ourania? When you sat there did it burn away your mortality, leaving a
Titaness in your place?” Percy finally asked, voice gentler than it had been the entire time, a
desperate edge to his voice as he hoped for an answer that negated his question.

“I’m your sister, I always have been and I always will be. Nothing and nobody will ever
change that.” She took in a shuddering breath, her tears falling freely down her face now. (It
wasn’t the answer Percy had wanted but it was good enough, and so he accepted it for now).
“I’m not the traitor Percy, I could never betray you or our family. I would rather die than turn
my back on you, on any of them. Even as I have struggled against my own mind, dealt with
Kronos in my dreams and in reality never once did my loyalty waver from you. I only went
to him so that he could unlink our bond, so that I could get it over with and done without
having to tell you, without having to bother you with it. You were struggling with so much
already, you bear such a large burden and I didn’t want to add to it with everything I have
been going through.” A loud sob ripped its way through her lips and she brought her hands
up to cover her face, shielding herself as she tried to wipe her tears. “You have to believe
me,” she sobbed out, begging her brother, pleading with him as if she were his subject,
placing herself beneath him, removing herself from being his equal for the first time in her
life. Percy’s beautiful eyes glanced over her face, taking in the sight of her pearly tears
dripping down her face furiously as she cried for her brother, for him to believe her. His
shoulders slumped and he reached out for her.

“I believe you Rhea,” Percy hushed, tugging her into a tight hug, one of his hands petting the
top of her curls as he gave comforting shushing noises. “You’re my sister, my co-ruler, the
Queen of our people, and I believe you, I love you and nothing will change that. Nothing
could ever change that. And I’m going to protect you from him, from whatever is going on in
your mind, I’m going to protect you from all of it Rhea, now that I know the truth I will
protect you.”

“Thank you,” She whispered into his chest, trying to stifle her sobs in the comfort that her
brother would not turn on her, that he would not look at her differently, that to him she was
still his baby sister. (In the deep recesses of her mind Rhea wondered if he could actually
protect her from any of it. She didn’t think so. The only thing that would ever protect her
would be to go before Kronos and accept his love once more, forever slipping into the
persona of Rhea Ourania). “Thank you.” She whispered once more, shoving that thought
from her mind and instead reveling in the open honesty between herself and her brother
before Percy pulled back and waited until she met his eyes before giving her a bit more of a
serious look.

“But you do have to prove yourself, you have to prove that I can trust you and that your
loyalty is firmly tied to me and to our people.”

“My loyalty has never been anywhere else,” she swore and Percy smiled at that, leaning in to
press a kiss to the top of her head. A tentative knock sounded from the door before anyone
else could say anything.

“Percy, Rhea,” Thalia knocked on the door again before slowly opening it to the sight of
Rhea still tucked under Percy’s arm and Alex leaning against the wall smiling at them.
“Brother,” Thalia nodded to Alex before frowning at the word, wrinkling her nose as if the
foreign title had tasted horrible on her tongue. “We’ve got company.” Riptide appeared in
Percy’s hand, ready to be uncapped and unsheathed in a second’s notice but Thalia shook her
head. “There’s a titan under a white flag of truce, he says he has a message for you from
Kronos.”

The White Flag of peace marches towards them, easily visible from half a mile away as a
Hyperborean- the chosen standard bearer- comes closer and closer to them. Walking
alongside the giant are two empousa as well as Ethan Nakamura but it is neither of them that
Rhea has eyes for, it is Prometheus, dressed in a formal tuxedo walking towards them who
holds her attention.

“Prometheus,” She whispers into Percy’s ear, watching him straighten, stiffening his spine
and hand going to the hilt of Riptide as they wait for the Titan to finish approaching. (Rhea’s
mind filled with memories of the countless interactions Queen Rhea had with the titan, how
he had served as their ambassador not only to the humans, but sometimes to the other
Pantheons. Gods how she had hated him then, thinking him slimy and untrustworthy. Kronos
had held the same opinion, she wondered why he was using the Titan now? Perhaps only
because he thought Prometheus’s desire for revenge against Zeus would serve him well).

“Here they come,” Thalia grumbled under her breath and Rhea shifted, disappearing to stand
halfways behind her brother so as to allow him to take the lead. Alex, Katie, Thalia, and
Grover fanned out on either side of the twins, presenting a united front as the Titan King’s
representatives came to stand before them. In a smarmy, greasy voice, the younger titan
commanded the giant and the empousa to leave the meeting, leaving only Ethan and
Prometheus to stand against the demigods and Grover.

“Ethan, surprised to see you standing and conscious,” Percy smirked, looking down his nose
at Ethan, the disdain only heightened by the fact that Percy had several inches on Ethan. The
son of Nemesis glared back, causing Alex and Percy to share a snicker before completely
ignoring him and turning to the Titan. “What do you want?”

“Ah, straight to business. I admire that in any commander,” Prometheus smiled, eyes glinting
beneath his sunglasses. “I am Prometheus, Ambassador of Kronos, the rightful King of the
Heavens.”

“I know.” Percy shrugged, moving to sit at the picnic table with far too much grace and ease
than was usual for him. “You’ve gone from being chained to a rock and pecked at by eagles
to leading negotiations for Kronos. That’s a hell of a step up I guess.” Thalia slid into the seat
beside Kronos, leaving Rhea, Alex, Katie, and Grover to stand behind them like menacing
shadows, eying Prometheus as he sat down with a wince and an acquiescing shoulder shrug.

“A promotion one could say, but I do prefer if we did not mention the eagles.” One of his
hands went to his chest and rubbed it as if his heart and chest pained him.

“Phantom pains?” Thalia snarked, causing her cousins’ lips to all curl up into smirks.

“Something like that,” The titan agreed, clearly resisting the urge to be rude to her. “Now, as
for my visit here.” Prometheus sat forward and laced his fingers. He looked earnest, kindly,
and wise. "Percy, your position is weak. You know you can't stop another assault." He smiled
sympathetically as he spoke, and Percy gave a casual shrug, not letting on how true
Prometheus’s words were.

"We'll see." the Demigod king replied, keeping his posture loose. Prometheus looked pained,
whether it was due to said phantom pains or Percy's obstinance Rhea didn't know.

"Percy, I'm the Titan of forethought. I know what's going to happen." Rhea bit down hard on
her lip to keep from talking, to keep from drawing attention to herself at Prometheus’s plain
lie. He was the titan of forethought, but he did not know for sure the outcomes of everything.
He saw multiple probable outcomes and the one that would most likely be true, however that
did not always guarantee that this was what would happen for sure.

"Um, you’re also the Titan of crafty counsel," Grover put in. "Emphasis on crafty."
Prometheus shrugged, the accusation clearly not bothering him.

"True enough, satyr. But I supported the gods in the last war. I told Kronos: 'You don't have
the strength. You'll lose.' And I was right. So you see, I know how to pick the winning side.
This time, I'm backing Kronos." Percy snorted at that.

"Out of revenge. You are siding with Kronos because you’re vengeful.” Percy chuckled
coldly at that. “It doesn’t take foresight to know that.”
“Would you not be vengeful?” The titan asked, spreading his hands as if appealing to a jury
as he stood on trial. His attention remained solely on Percy, as if in his attempt to win Percy
to his side he knew better than to address Rhea, knowing it would enrage the Destroyer. "I
won't deny I want revenge. But that's not the only reason I'm supporting Kronos. It's the
wisest choice. I'm here because I thought you might listen to reason." He drew a map on the
table with his finger. Wherever he touched, golden lines appeared, glowing on the concrete.
"This is Manhattan. We have armies here, here, here, and here. We know your numbers. We
outnumber you twenty to one."

“The fucking spy,” Alex growled, causing Prometheus to lift his gaze to look at the Son of
Zeus and smile, a mix of apologetically as well as taunting.

“At any rate, our forces are growing daily. Tonight, Kronos will attack. You will be
overwhelmed. You've fought bravely, but there's just no way you can hold all of Manhattan.
You'll be forced to retreat to the Empire State Building. There you'll be destroyed. I have seen
this. It will happen.” The way Prometheus spoke with such certainty made it so hard not to
take his side- he had always been like this, weaving webs of half-truths that pulled you in,
Rhea could remember the games he used to play on Othrys- and Rhea knew Percy was
struggling against that now. She placed one of her hands subtly on his back, out of view,
steeling him and giving him strength. He leaned against her hand before rolling his shoulders
back and staring Prometheus down, not willing to bow to the Titan’s honeyed, tempting
words.

"I won't let it happen," her brother snarled, ferocious in his protection of his people, of his
family. “I am the Destroyer and this is my destiny. I will go to the death against Kronos,
killing him and myself if I must.” Prometheus leaned forward, as if he had seen the error of
Percy’s thinking and now realized how to sway him. Desperation tinged his words and Rhea
could have laughed for she saw it for what it was. Kronos truly wanted Percy with him- it
guaranteed the failure of the Gods if he was and Prometheus would bear the brunt of
punishment if Percy did not cave.

“You are not Kronos's Destroyer, Percy. That is why he wishes to spare you.” Prometheus
spoke eagerly as he made his desperate case. “You were not put into this world to stand
against him, you were born to destroy the sitting king, who is Zeus. Kronos only wishes to
help you reach your potential. This need not be a bloody war, Kronos will not make a Troy
out of New York. Stand down, and New York will be spared. Your forces will be granted
amnesty. I will personally assure your safety. Let Kronos take Olympus.”

“And what of the Gods?” Katie snapped, drawing everyone’s attention. “What of my mother,
of Alex and Thalia’s father, Percy and Rhea’s father? Do you think we are stupid enough to
believe that Kronos would spare them?”

“Kronos would spare his children if they knelt to him,” Prometheus replied as if the thought
of Kronos killing his own children was abominable, as if it wasn’t something Kronos had
already tried to do, and Rhea rolled her eyes. “They need only surrender and hand over their
power and he would let them live.”

“Not all of them,” Rhea interjected, watching as Prometheus’s eyes snapped to hers,
disbelieving at the sound of her voice as if he had deep down though she may look like his
Queen but that perhaps she sounded different. But Rhea didn’t, the accent of Rhea Ourania
slipped out, coloring her words and adding a richer, more ancient power to her words-
prompting the truth from the little liesmith. A guilty look spread across his face and he spread
his hands, not daring to lie to the woman he once called his Queen.

“Kronos could not spare the Usurper, that much is true.” He then turned back to Percy, easily
sensing the anger that built in her twin the longer the titan spoke to Rhea. he was still hoping
to sway Percy and therefore, stayed away from angering him. “But can you say that you
would not do the same, Percy? You are a King yourself. If one of your own family attempted
to usurp you, would you simply allow them to live after the betrayal?”

“I am no tyrant; my family will not usurp me.” Murmurs of agreement went up amongst the
cousins. Percy had their undying loyalty and none of them would ever move against him.
“My family and I will fight for our city, fight for our family. The Cannibal King will never
have out loyalty” Percy declared, shifting as if to stand, Prometheus reached out, a cold hand
wrapping around Percy’s wrist and holding him in place. All the cousins shifted, hands flying
to their weapons. Grover shifted a step back, ready to slip behind them if a fight broke out.

“We are not your enemies. Don't let the worst happen," Prometheus pleaded, desperation
clear as day. (Rhea almost laughed at how pathetic he was, wishing she would be able to be
there when he returned to Kronos with a tale of failure, his punishment would be glorious-
Kronos always had had such little patience for the young Titan.) "We offer you peace." Percy
wrenched at his wrist, but Prometheus only gripped harder.

“Release him,” Thalia barked, reaching for her hunting knife but the Titan paid her no heed,
his eyes boring into Percy’s as he removed his glasses with the other hand so that Percy could
see his scarred eyes, as if the sight of the gods cruelty would sway Percy. Percy stared back,
unflinching at the sight. Rhea shifted, placing a hand on Percy’s shoulder and drawing her
spine straight before speaking in a calm yet clear voice.

“Let him go, Prometheus,” she commanded, voice never wavering. Prometheus dropped
Percy’s arm as if his skin had stung him, obeying her command without a second thought.
(Even now the Titans could barely summon the strength to defy their Queen. It was so
ingrained in them to obey her every whim for fear of what her adoring husband would do if
he had learned they had upset her or that the Queen would turn her incredible power on
them).

“As you command,” he ducked his head to her as he spoke. Rhea shifted uncomfortably at his
obedience; torn about how she should feel. (Should it delight her that she still held power
over them, that they still feared her and what she could do? Should it disgust her, the
reminder of her tie to Kronos and her ever present struggle- that was becoming less of a
struggle, she could admit it now and she knew her acceptance was inevitable. Sooner or later,
Rhea would give in to the truth of who she was).

Percy’s anger at the entire situation mounted, clearly itching for a fight as he dealt with his
anger of Kronos’s manner towards Rhea and what it meant for his precious sister as well as
his continued fury on the matter of Luke and his fall from Grace. He was able to quickly
goad the son of Nemesis to anger, taunting him, digging at him even as the boy brought up
how all he wanted was respect, Percy pushed on, pushing and pushing until Ethan nearly
drew his sword and Percy’s eyes lit with delight. He wanted a reason to end the truce, to draw
his sword and cut down Ethan and Prometheus and Ethan was going to give him one.

“Enough,” Prometheus called, stilling Ethan in his tracks so as to halt any sort of fight
(something neither Rhea nor her cousins were going to do as they all knew that if a fight
broke out they would clearly win. Prometheus was nothing if not a self-saver. On Othrys he
had always been quick to blame others for his faults whenever summoned to answer for
himself before Rhea and Kronos.) He then narrowed his eyes and nodded as if he had finally
identified the root of all Percy’s anger. “What happened to Luke, it bothers you doesn’t it?
Hestia didn’t show you the full truth. But perhaps if you could see it, if you understood…”
He reached out quickly, the cousins all crying out and Rhea moving to yank Percy back but it
was too late. Before they could react, Prometheus’s index finger touched Percy’s forehead
and he was lost to a vision.

“What have you done?” Rhea snapped, shoving her way forward and flicking her wrists to
bring out one of her swords and pushed it against Prometheus’s throat. The titan made no
move to defend himself, nor did he remove his hand from Percy’s forehead. Ethan pulled out
his blade and made to swing it at her which led to each of her cousins unsheathing their
weapons. Blades were pointed everywhere, an arrow at Ethan’s chest, two swords towards his
throat as his froze near Rhea’s chest, her own sword never wavering from Prometheus.

“No!” Prometheus shouted at him, causing the demigod to halt. “You know the punishment
for such a crime! The Titan King will punish you dearly if you raise a hand against her.”
Rhea laughed delightedly and pressed forward until Ethan’s blade rested on her steel-like
skin.

“I don’t need your king’s protection,” she snarled. “I can kill this pathetic traitor myself. Now
remove your hand from my brother.” She dug her sword into his throat further and watched
as a stream of ichor began to trickle from the wound.

“I cannot do that, Your Majesty,” he coughed against the blade. “If I remove my hand before
the vision is finished your brother will be lost in the vision forever, eternally drifting in a sea
of the past. Do you really want that?” Rhea gritted her teeth in frustration, knowing what he
said was true.

“Everyone, weapons down,” she commanded after a second, watching as her cousins all
sheathed their weapons, Ethan slowly following their lead. Tilting her head so that Rhea was
looking back at Prometheus, she bared her teeth in the mimicry of a wolf’s snarl. “But my
blade will stay on you until my brother resurfaces.” He accepted her words as if they were
justified, as if he was naught but a simple subject who would never dream of telling their
ruler what to do. (How the title ‘Your Majesty’ had slipped from his lips so easily, how it had
been uttered without second thought as if it were completely natural. As if there was no
question as to who she was).

It took only a second longer for Percy to resurface, his gasping breath drawing their attention
as Prometheus pulled his hand back from Percy’s forehead. Rhea pulled her blade back as
well, allowing it to return to its band around her wrist and watched as the wound on the
Titan’s throat slowly knit itself back together. (Prometheus dared not even complain or
wince, years of service to the Queen had trained him to accept her punishments when the
Queen of the Heavens was angered). Rhea immediately grasped Percy’s chin and turned him
to look at her, analyzing his face furiously for any sign that harm had been done to him. His
face was clammy with sweat and Rhea felt the tug in her gut as she banished the sweat from
his face. Percy met her gaze and put a hand on her wrist, giving her a reassuring nod before
turning back to Prometheus with an unsteady gaze.

“What did you see?” Thalia asked, her words clearly uneasy as she never took her eyes off of
the Titan. Neither Prometheus nor Percy gave her an answer, instead they only focused on
each other.

“The truth is so appalling, isn’t it Perseus. The gods know what is to come, and yet they do
nothing, even for their children. How long did it take for them to tell you your prophecy,
Percy Jackson? Don't you think your father knows what will happen to you?" The kind tone
of Prometheus barely hid the tempting condescension that really layered his words and Rhea
dug her nails into Percy’s shoulder, silently telling him not to give in, not to allow his anger
to arise to the bait. “Do you really blame Luke?” the Titan asked, continuing to tempt as if he
were a forked tongue serpent, tempting humanity like the Devil of Christian mythos. “And
what about you, Percy? Will you be controlled by your fate? Kronos offers you a much better
deal.” As soon as he uttered those words, Rhea knew any possibility of swaying Percy was
gone, for Percy would never cave to any deal made by Kronos, not when he felt as if his
family was under personal attack by the Titan King.

“Kronos will have neither my surrender nor Olympus. And he most certainly will not have
my sister.” Percy snarled, standing from the bench, Thalia quickly following. “And you can
tell him I said that.”

“My Queen,” Prometheus stood, bowing to Rhea and causing her cousins to stiffen, a
warning growl slipping from the mouths of both Percy and Alex. Any attention to Percy was
gone as Prometheus tried to appeal to her with great desperation, knowing he would be
returning to Kronos with nothing but failure, something that often ended with long torture
and eventual death. “Surely you can understand, surely you will listen to reason. You can
save yourself and your entire family if you only do what is necessary.” Rhea could have
laughed, Prometheus was still so presumptuous all these years had not changed him a bit.
(Rhea had hoped he would learn some humility in his centuries bound to that boulder
suffering for such presumption).

“I kneel to no one,” Rhea snapped back, Fire roaring through her veins. Rhea had knelt for
decades, well over a century. Spent years on her knees before her monstrous father and
begging for mercy as he tormented her and her titan siblings. She had knelt to no one since he
died and she would never kneel again. (She had knelt to Zeus all those years ago after her
first quest but even then it hadn’t been a true bow- her eyes never looking away from his and
her posture anything but subservient. Perhaps even then Rhea Ourania had been within her-
been her- and knew she had no place bowing before Zeus). Prometheus flinched in the face of
her rising anger and nodded his head before sighing.

“Still” Prometheus began. “Percy if you change your mind, I have a gift for you.” A Greek
vase appeared on the table. It was about three feet high and a foot wide, glazed with black-
and-white geometric designs. The ceramic lid was fastened with a leather harness. Grover
whimpered when he saw it. Each of the cousins stiffened at the sight of that, a chill of fear
down each of their spines that went with the inherent knowledge that they should not be
anywhere near the beautiful jar before them.

“Is that-” Thalia murmured, shrinking back against Katie as if she feared the Jar’s mere
presence would burn her.

“Pandora’s Box.” Percy gaped, sucking in a sharp breath of air as he stared at the jar with
trepidation.

“Pithos,” Katie muttered under her breath and Rhea resisted the urge to crack a smile at
Katie’s ever present need to correct them when they got the myths wrong.

“If you know what it is, then you know of the story behind it.” Prometheus began standing
and making his way towards them, Pithos cradled in his arms as he spoke. “The gods gave
this jar to my poor brother and his wife to teach a lesson, it was a trap, Percy. A trap meant to
punish not only them but the entirety of the human race for daring to question the gods, for
daring to go against them- just as Luke, as Ethan, and countless others now do.” Percy’s hand
found Rhea’s clinging to it with a great enough force she wondered if she didn’t have the
Curse would he have broken her bones? She didn’t know what was going on in her brother’s
mind right now, but the darkening in his eyes, the aggressive shift in his stance told her all
she needed to know. Prometheus had found a foothold in her brother, something to begin to
turn his anger towards the gods and away from Luke- away from Kronos. She squeezed his
hand back, desperate to get him out of his own thoughts. Prometheus tapped the lid of
Pandora's jar. "Only one spirit remained inside when Pandora opened it."

"Hope," Percy murmured and Rhea flinched, not liking the trance-like sound of his voice.
Prometheus looked pleased.

"Very good, Percy. Elpis, the Spirit of Hope, would not abandon humanity. Hope does not
leave without being given permission. She can only be released by a child of man." He
slowly passed the Jar into Percy’s remaining hand, letting go and forcing Percy to hold it. "I
give you this as a reminder of what the gods are like," he said. "Keep Elpis, if you wish. But
if you decide that you have seen enough destruction, enough futile suffering, then open the
jar. Let Elpis go. Give up Hope, and I will know that you are surrendering. I promise Kronos
will be lenient. He will spare the survivors." Rhea snorted at that, a sound mimicked by Alex
and Thalia, a sound which quickly snapped Percy back into himself as he aggressively thrust
the jar back at the Titan.

“I don’t fucking want this,” He growled. “Take it back. Now.”

"Too late," Prometheus said. "The gift is given. It cannot be taken back." The pleased look on
his face spoke volumes about his confidence that Percy would cave. Backing away slowly
with his hands up in surrender, Prometheus left. Shooting them one last snake-like smile he
turned and called for his Peace Party to join him. Waving goodbye to Percy, Prometheus
called out once more. "My master and I will see you soon, Percy Jackson. One way or
another."
In response Percy snapped his teeth back like a feral animal while the children of Zeus held
up their middle fingers (for having never met they seemed to have a lot of the same impulses).
He then grabbed Rhea and Katie and turned to make his way back to their camp, dropping his
sister and cousin’s arms when the entire group began to walk with him.

“Your Majesty!” Prometheus called and Rhea froze, her family walking on, as she turned
slowly to face him with a cold look, Alex remaining behind with her after a sharp look from
Percy “Why do you fight it? Why do you prolong the inevitable?” In that moment, Rhea
knew he did not mean surrender, the victory of the Titans, or anything else. He was talking
about her , about the ever-crumbling wall in her consciousness that separates Rhea Jackson
and Rhea Ourania (what little separation there was to be had these days). “You know it and
the King knows as well. I have foreseen it, it is inevitable.” Fury lit within her, how dare he
speak of something he could not dare to dream of understanding. Neither he nor Kronos had
any place butting into the dilemma of her mental state.

“Watch your tongue,” Rhea snarled and he bowed his head, quickly acquiescing.

“You know what is to come, you above all others know he will not stop until he has what he
wants.” Prometheus warned, a dangerous look of foreboding on his face. “And when the time
comes, you will know what you must do to save your family.”

“Don’t ever presume to speak to me again, little Titan.” she commanded, ancient accent
flooding her words, before she held out her hand and thrust out the three fingers of warding
off evil and sending him stumbling back before she spun on her heel and turned to rejoin her
family.

As soon as they were within the safety of the Plaza, Thalia grabbed Percy’s arm and yanked
him off to the side, the pair beginning to talk back and forth in hissed words, a clear message
that the other cousins were not to know what they were discussing. Rhea could have giggled,
after keeping so many secrets Percy had decided he was going to have some too. Grover
quickly bid them farewell with hasty words of needing to chew on some furniture in order to
relax and the cousins waved him goodbye before going to sit in the lobby’s sitting area only a
few yards away from Thalia and Percy.

“What’s he going to do with Pandora’s Box?” Alex wondered aloud, slumping back on the
couch as he eyed the Jar still held under one of Percy’s arms.

“Pithos,” Katie corrected, and Alex rolled his eyes at her (though Rhea was not so blind as to
miss the obvious affection in his eyes as a troublemaker smirk crossed his lips and he began
to purposely antagonize Katie.)

“But it's called Pandora’s Box ,” he shot back with an expression that screamed ‘duh’.

“But that's incorrect. It's a pithos,” Katie replied in a lofty tone that screamed superiority.
Alex’s eyes only softened further as he took in the grin toying at Katie’s lips. He opened his
mouth once more only for her to tsk and cut him off. “Pithos. You can’t speak until you call it
the right name.” Alex narrowed his eyes at her before letting out a huff of air and throwing up
his hands.

“Oh my god fine, Pandora’s Pithos. Are you happy?”

“Ecstatic. Thank you,” Katie sniffed, looking down her nose at him. Alex’s smile was no
longer small, it split his face and he shone with his affection for Katie.

“You’re impossible,” He told Demeter’s daughter, and Rhea was sure she had never heard
such words spoken so fondly before.

“He won’t let Elpis go, if that’s what you mean.” Rhea interjected before the pair could get
going once more. “I’m sure he’s just going to leave it here and try to never think about it
again.” Katie nodded in agreement but before either her or Alex could reply, Percy’s sharp
voice echoed across the marble floors of the Plaza.

“She’ll do fine.” He snapped in clear reprimand to Thalia who frowned back at him, not as
easily cowed by his anger as the rest of the cousins. Slowly, Katie, Alex, and Rhea stood,
making their way over to be ready to intervene in case a fight similar to the one three years
ago broke out (Alex had heard stories about it and he was almost disappointed he never got
to see Percy go ‘Lord of the Seas’ on his unknown big sister).

"I don't know. After that night, after we left his mom's house? Luke was never the same.”
Thalia was saying, Percy’s arms were still crossed- Jar on the floor- and an angry look still
graced his face but he appeared to be listening to her. “He got reckless and moody, like he
had something to prove. By the time Grover found us and tried to get us to camp . . . well,
part of the reason we had so much trouble was because Luke wouldn't be careful. He wanted
to pick a fight with every monster we crossed. Annabeth didn't see that as a problem. Luke
was her hero. She only understood that his parents had made him sad, and she got very
defensive of him. She still is defensive. All I'm saying . . . don't fall into the same trap. Luke
has given himself to Kronos now. We can't afford to be soft on him." Percy stared down at
Thalia and Rhea held her breath, wondering if the mention of Luke being Annabeth’s hero
would make his temper fly off the handle and cause him to lift a hand against Thalia. Luckily,
Percy gave a sigh and uncrossed his arms and let them hang by his sides as he nodded his
head.

"You're right," he finally said. And Thalia gave him a sad look before patting his shoulder.

"I'm going to check on the Hunters, then get some more sleep before nightfall. You should
crash too." Percy snorted as he moved a step back so she could walk past him.

"The last thing I need is more dreams." Percy’s voice was dark and Rhea wondered what he
dreamed of, did he see visions of the past or the future? Rhea had been so busy drowning in
her own dreams and struggling to wake from them that she had never noticed if he woke
from his screaming, crying, and trying to fight away the haunting demons of their dreams.

“Amen to that,” Rhea muttered only to receive an elbow in the side from Alex.
“We don't say ‘Amen’” He whispered to her with a look of faux superiority. Rhea rolled her
eyes and shoved him into Katie.

"I know, believe me." Thalia’s words cut rang out, drawing Rhea’s attention back to the topic
at hand. "But Percy, there's no telling when you'll get another chance for rest. It's going to be
a long night—maybe our last night." Everyone fell silent at that, none of them wanting to
acknowledge the truth of that statement.

“Yeah, fine I’ll take a quick nap.” Percy agreed, swiping his Jar off the floor and turning to
Rhea with a raised brow. “Coming?” Rhea vigorously shook her head no, despite her
unlinking from Kronos, she didn’t think she had the capacity to handle Demigod Dreams
along with the whispers in the dark that had plagued her for months.

“I’ll take the watch,” she said instead, gesturing to the comfortable couch that had been
placed by the front doors for the people on Watch. Percy narrowed his eyes, no doubt
thinking of their conversation only hours ago. She remembered his words, his barely veiled
warning. ‘You have to prove yourself to me Rhea. You have to earn back my trust’ he had
told her, and Rhea had understood, had accepted it and was fully ready to show her brother
that her loyalty was to no one but him and their family. “Let me do this,” she whispered to
him, placing a hand on his arm as she pleaded for him to give her this chance. Percy’s eyes
wandered over her face for a minute, taking in her expression and looking at her as if he were
trying to uncover ever thought in her head before he finally nodded.

“Alex, stay with her,” he commanded, watching as Alex nodded in agreement, shifting back
to stand right behind Rhea. “I'll find Perses before I sleep and send him down. I’m sure he’s
rested enough and healed all his injuries; he can help you two guard.”

“Sounds good,” Alex called, slinging an arm around Rhea’s shoulders and waving genially to
Percy as if Alex and Rhea were going to a state fair and not guarding their camp from a sneak
attack by a Cannibal Titan and his army. Rhea gave an okay sign and smiled, Percy smiled
back and turned around, making his way towards the elevators.

“Wait! Rhea!” Percy called, turning around with Pandora’s Box held between both hands like
a football.

“Yeah?”

“Throw this in the hotel vault.” And then he launched the Jar at her, which Rhea caught with
an audible ‘oof’. She held it up like she had scored a winning touchdown and watched as
Percy smiled fondly at her before entering the elevator and leaving Rhea and Alex to defend
the hotel.

“If we drop it, do you think it will break?” Alex asked as they sat on the couch in front of the
doors, Pandora’s Box in between them like a child between their parents. They both had their
weapons out as well, propped up against the arms of the couch, ready to be used at any time.
Despite having been there for her session of truth-telling with Percy, nothing had changed
between her and Alex, if anything he looked at her a lot more clearly (and a lot more
protectively) as if now he understood everything about her. Lolling her head towards him,
Rhea gave a half-hearted shrug before examining the jar.

“It's made of clay, so probably.” Alex frowned at her response, clearly deeming her response
not good enough. He picked the jar up and held it close to his face like he could see through
it if he glared hard enough, like he could develop X-Ray vision. Rhea snorted as he made
himself cross-eyed.”

“But it's also magical,” He retorted and Rhea vaguely pointed at him in agreement. “The gods
probably made it stronger so you couldn't just slip and ‘oops there goes Hope’.” Rhea
snickered at the possibility, wondering if she could damn the entire world if she happened to
slip while taking the pithos to the Hotel vault.

“Valid point,” she agreed, knowing the gods definitely had to have made it unbreakable
because of people like her and Percy. Rhea paused for a moment, both of them silent before
she looked up at him with a smirk. “Want to drop it?”

“Absolutely.” Alex laughed and they both shot off the couch. “And then put it in the vault?”

“Naturally. Should we drop it from the stairs or should we just throw it on the floor like it’s a
wedding and we’re breaking plates.” Rhea’s suggestion had Alex cackling and he shrugged,
passing her the pithos.

“Dealer’s choice,” was all he said as he stood next to her and waited for her to figure out how
she wanted to test it.

“Fuck it,” Rhea shrugged and hefted the legendary pithos above her head and then threw it
into the ground with as much force as she could muster. The pithos bounced back up as if it
were made of rubber, nearly smacking the two cousins who pushed each other out of the way
as they stumbled away from the heavy jar, giggling like children as the jar bounced once
more and rolled away from them.

“Did you just throw Pandora’s Box?” Came Perses’s accusing voice as he descended down
the stairs, though there was no disapproval on his face. (For it had been a long time since he
had seen his Queen look so light and full of life).

“No.” the two cousins chorused, Alex leaning down to quickly swipe the jar off the floor.

“Like I’m going to believe that” the titan sighed before stopping in front of them and holding
out his hand like a father did when standing before troublesome children. “Give me the
Pithos and I shall put it away- your brother had a feeling something like this would happen
and he asked me to make sure the two of you did not accidentally destroy the world.” Alex
handed it over with a guilty look that was terribly matched with the smile on his face.

Percy’s words to Perses were not completely unfounded, this was the exact bullshit Rhea and
Alex had been getting up to ever since she had fully recovered and gotten her voice back.
Percy knew his cousin and his sister (little sister as he kept trying to claim) well enough to
know they could not be trusted with something as important as Pandora’s Box. Rhea grabbed
Perses arm before he could walk away and he turned to her with concern and devotion in his
eyes (he wondered if the joy he had seen on her face was naught but a facade).

“How’s your back, have you fully healed from the explosion you absorbed?” her hand went
to touch the skin of his back, his wings absent as of now and gave him a concerned look. He
had become her confidante and her friend, not just her guard and the idea that he had been
injured saving her had been something that made her feel so incredibly guilty. Perses took her
hand from his back and clasped it between his own.

“I have reformed completely, you need not worry,” Rhea smiled at his reassurance, squeezing
his hands. “Besides,” Perses lowered his voice and ducked his head as if he were a medieval
knight before his king. “Any injury received protecting you is an injury worth having, My
Queen.” Rhea was lost for words and she felt tears gather in her eyes at his words as she
floundered for something to say. (The way he called her his queen never felt the way it did
when the other titans did. It wasn’t a reference to who she was in the past. She was his queen,
her, Rhea Jackson. And that meant the world to her because it felt as though he was the only
one that looked at her and saw her).

“Thank you,” she finally settled on looking down as she swallowed her tears back and
stepped away. “Now, take the pithos before Alex and I start playing football with it.” Perses
bowed, giving her a smile before whisking himself away to secure the pithos. Jumping over
the back of the couch, Rhea flopped into Alex like a marionette with her strings cut. Alex
shoved her off of him with a good natured ‘get the fuck off of me’ and Rhea giggled,
flopping right back on to him. “Well,” she sighed after a moment. “The pithos isn’t
breakable.”

“Is it wrong that I’m disappointed?” He asked, gazing out into the dark night and wondering
if there were spies from Kronos’s camp staring right back at them.

“I am too.” She laughed before the pair lapsed into silence. They sat there in their silence for
a few more minutes, Alex opening and shutting his mouth a few times as he contemplated
whether or not to give voice to his question. Rhea didn’t rush him, content to let him find the
right words.

“What did Prometheus mean, about how you would know how to save us all, about how
when the time comes you will do what is needed?” Alex shifted so he had his elbows on his
knees, angling his head to look back at her. “What does Kronos want from you, would he
spare us all if you told him you were the Queen?” Rhea sighed, running a hand through her
hair before moving to copy his stance. She looked at him, thinking of how much Alex looked
like Zeus and how Zeus’s line were the ones that had the least similarity to Kronos. She
wondered if it was Kronos’s way of showing which of his children he hated the most. Just as
she hadn’t pressured him to speak, neither did Alex- content to let her speak the truth on her
own.

“No, it's more than that. He wants me to come to him, he doesn’t want some symbol like
Percy releasing Elpis, that won’t do it for him when it comes to me. The release of Elpis will
stop the war, but if we were to truly have his mercy, he would want me to come to him-” she
paused and wet her lips, deciding not to expand on what she knew even deeper down about
what Kronos wanted. “He wants me to come to him on my own volition, to surrender to him
personally and win the lives of my family and my people on my knees.” She chooses to say
instead, thinking Alex will understand that Kronos desires the submission of the Godkillers
above almost anything.

(She doesn’t think she can tell him that Kronos wants her to be his once more, he wants her to
ask for the lives of her family by giving him the thing he wants the most- herself. She wonders
if Kronos truly thinks that will ever happen, if he’s truly secure enough in his sense of
victory.)

(She thinks about the electrical feeling of being held in his arms as his ichor dripped down
her throat and for a moment, just a moment she wonders if it would truly be a terrible thing
to be his.)

(Rhea banishes the thought as quickly as it comes.)

“Would you do it?” Alex asks, cutting across the haze in her mind as she ponders her self-
disgust. She moves, standing from the couch and moving to stand with her hands on the rails
of the door.

“It won’t come to that.” Rhea whispered, before clearing her voice and saying it again, louder
and injecting far more confidence into her voice just as Perses walked back into the room.

(Alex stared at her reflection in the glass panes of the door, trepidation is painted clear
across her face, and he wonders not for the first time, if they are fighting a losing battle.)

“Percy get up!” Annabeth shouted, yanking Percy out of his dream. He shot out of bed so
hard that his head slammed into her mirror shield, causing him to let out a groan and stumble
back into the bed.

“Ow, fuck! Annabeth?” He whined, hand going up to rub his forehead. His gaze cleared up
and he took a good look at her appearance, frowning and gently grabbing her good arm in
concern. “Wait, why are you in armor? Is the army already here? You aren’t going to face
them. Annabeth, you should be resting, what about your wound? You should be in bed, here
you can take mine.” He began to maneuver her so that she could sit comfortably on the bed.

“Wait, no, Percy-” she tried as he began to remove the shield from her grip so that he could
fuss over her and her pale countenance. Annabeth frowned before rolling her eyes and
making to stand. “Percy I’m fine, I swear. The nectar and ambrosia fixed me!” She rolled her
shoulder weakly. “See?” He moved, allowing her to stand but not shifting from his stance on
her involvement.
“Uh-huh, you can’t seriously go out and fight like that.” One of his hands came up to gently
cradle the elbow of her injured arm. “You should stay here.” (Gods, he loved her so much, the
very idea of her going to battle made him have to tamp down the urge to be sick).

“Percy, I'm not letting you and everyone else go out while I sit here with the injured! I’m
fine. Besides, you're going to need every person you can get. There’s an army-”

“Heading towards Central Park, I know.” He tugged a new camp shirt on, Annabeth averting
her eyes and grabbing a breastplate for him- now that she knew his Heel she had become the
most avid defender of it.

“They’re almost there and Katie took the first squad out there.” Percy’s face lit up with alarm,
after yesterday they were down to 34 able bodied fighters, Katie would have only been able
to take out 12 max and that was not enough to face an army.

“We need to go. Now.” Percy yanked on his shoes and fled the room.
 The Titan Slayer
Chapter Notes

LMFAOOOOOO ENJOYYYYYYY

Next chapter you guys, shit goes down even worse

The lobby of the Plaza was a hive of activity, around fifteen demigods were preparing for
battle, yelling at one another to pass them different items, hastily tugging on armor and
grabbing their weapons. Miranda stood in the midst of one group, breastplate already on, and
she was barking orders, pointing to various places on a map while Seth finished strapping his
arm guards. Percy’s eyebrows furrowed at the lack of hunters as well as the missing
demigods and Liam sidled up to him, strapping two knives to his belt.

“Rhea and Alex met Katie’s messenger and took the Hunters as well as a small squad of
seven to meet with Katie in case the army got to them before we could arrive with the rest of
the camp.” Percy immediately tensed, thinking about what could happen if the army
overwhelmed his sister and cousins, about what would happen if Kronos decided to allow
Minor Gods into the attack and he wondered if his cousins could take them (he was sure that
they could, but it was a lot riskier than them just battling monsters and demigods. The
thought of the added danger made him nauseous with concern).

“Good,” Percy replied before raising his voice. “LET’S GO!” And the remaining demigods
were on the move, jogging towards the Central Park reservoir (Katie had chosen the spot
well, knowing it would serve as a booster for the Well for Percy and Rhea’s Power). Thalia,
the Hunters, as well as all the Head Counselors were already at the Reservoir, either having
been apart of Katie’s group or been selected to go with Rhea and they were standing in a
semi-circle, eyes never staring from the horizon as they made hasty battle plans. When Percy
arrived with the final 15 available campers all their stances relaxed with relief, a lot more
assured of their victory now that their leader was there.

“Perce- awesome,” Thalia greeted. “The army is coming, one of my scouts just reported
they've crossed the Harlem River.” She was gesturing wildly with a silver arrow and Alex
kept having to duck or lean back to avoid her jerky movements- much to his cousins'
amusement. “There was no way to hold them back. The army . . ." She shrugged. "It's huge."

She thought this was their final stand, that this would be the site of the Demigods' defeat and
of the fall of Olympus. Percy looked over Thalia’s head to where Rhea stood, defiance in her
eyes. Speaking with their eyes alone, the twins stood silent for a moment before Rhea nodded
slowly. They would both burn themselves up, use the entirety of their father’s power within
them to win this, they would burn up and take all of Kronos’s Hades-Damned army with
them if they had to.

"We'll hold them at the park," Percy declared, meeting each of his councilors gazes. They
each nodded, ready to lay down their lives- not really for the gods, but for one another and
for the thirteen young campers still at Camp Half-Blood who hadn’t even turned fourteen yet,
who couldn’t protect themselves. "Grover, you ready?" Percy’s best friend nodded and
tugged uncomfortably at his leather armor.

"As ready as we'll ever be. If my nature spirits can stop them anywhere, this is the place."
Percy nodded thankfully, clapping a grateful hand on his friend’s shoulder.

"Yes, we will!" said another voice. A very old, fat satyr pushed through the crowd, stumbling
over his own spear. He was dressed in wood-bark armor that only covered half of his belly.
Upon seeing the satyr Rhea rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose in a mix of a disgruntled
and disgusted expression that forced Percy to hold back his snicker. The councilors and
Thalia allowed the satyr his moment of grandstanding before deciding to ignore him entirely,
shifting their attention back to their battle plans.

"Well, Grover, you won't be alone. Annabeth and the Athena cabin will make their stand
here. Alex, Katie, Miranda, and Rhea, you four will stay here with me and Annabeth as well
as… Thalia?” The leader of the Hunters gave a sharp nod.

“The Hunters are ready.” Thalia then turned to one of her Hunters and began to give orders
for the scouts to return so that they could hold the Park. Percy looked to all the other
counselors.

"That leaves the rest of you with a job just as important. You have to guard the other
entrances to Manhattan. You know how tricky Kronos is. He'll hope to distract us with this
big army and sneak another force in somewhere else. It's up to you to make sure that doesn't
happen. Has each cabin chosen a bridge or tunnel?" The counselors nodded grimly. "Then
let's do it. Steve, Liam I want you to go with the Hermes and Aphrodite cabins, Seth you take
the Hecate kids since there’s only five of them. Hopefully we can hold off this army and I can
send Katie, Miranda, and Alex out for the rest of you.” His cousins all nodded, quickly
moving so they stood with the counselor of their assigned group. Rhea squeezed Seth’s hand
as he passed her and he gave her a nod, trying to convey that he would do his best to come
back alive. (Each of the cousins exchange looks, taking a final glance at each other in case
they should die in the field. They each silently sent a prayer up to Chaos that he would allow
them to all come back to one another.) “Alright then,” Percy cut into the silence with a loud,
confident voice. “Good hunting, everybody!"

The Hunters, the Satyrs, the Athena cabin, and the remaining cousins shifted uneasily the
longer they waited, the loud noises of the army creeping closer and closer as if the entire
army of the United States was marching on them with tanks, machine guns, and grenades
galore. Percy stood just behind Rhea, looming over her shoulder like a demon perched on the
shoulder of his victim, his gaze dark as he waited for their enemies to arrive. A dark shadow
dove down from the sky, landing with a thunderous boom only a few feet away from them.
Perses, back from scouting.

“Any second now,” he relayed and Rhea nodded at his words as her guard quickly walked to
stand on her other shoulder, beside Percy.

There was a giant, earthquake-like rumble through the earth that caused several of the satyrs
to stumble. At the north end of the reservoir, the enemy vanguard broke through the woods—
a warrior in golden armor leading a battalion of Laistrygonian giants with huge bronze axes.
Hundreds of other monsters poured out behind them.

"Positions!" Annabeth yelled. The Athena cabin burst into action, scrambling to their chosen
destinations for the battle strategy. The idea was to make the enemy army break around the
reservoir. In order for the army to get to the remaining demigods, in order for them to be able
to fight against the Cousins and the Hunters, they would have to follow the trails around the
park, marching in narrow columns on either side of the water.

Like the idiots they were, the monsters fell right into the trap. The enemy army divided and
began to stream towards the demigods who maintained their easy, relaxed stance as they
waited for their defensive plan to kick in. They made it only halfway across before the
jogging trails erupted like Mount St. Helens in an explosion of Greek fire. Dozens of
monsters were incinerated immediately, dozens more flailing around as they were engulfed in
the deadly flames, falling into the water only for Percy and Rhea to clench their fists and
drown them, forcing them to explode into golden dust beneath the currents they created.

“NOW!” Annabeth yelled and the Athena campers threw out grappling hooks, catching the
largest giants and pulling them to the ground.

“LAUNCH!” Thalia commanded and the Hunters loosed a stream of arrows into the enemy
line, immediately destroying well over thirty dracaenae. A familiar, defiant scream was
unleashed and the sky darkened before a giant bolt of lightning crackled out of the sky and
shot down into two Laistrygonian giants, frying them instantly. Rhea smiled, knowing that
Thalia was just getting warmed up while Alex applauded his sister’s rather impressive bolt of
lightning.

“I bet I can go bigger,” He muttered within the hearing range of his remaining cousins and
Percy cracked a smile, though his eyes never left Annabeth, his worry for her overwhelming
his senses.

“Boys and their egos,” Miranda laughed, causing the rest of the cousins to let out a chuckle.
With a nod from Percy, Grover raised his pipes and played a quick tune. A roar went up from
the woods on both sides as every tree, rock, and bush seemed to sprout a spirit. Dryads and
satyrs raised their clubs and charged. The trees wrapped around the monsters, strangling
them. Grass grew around the feet of the enemy archers. Stones flew up and hit dracaenae in
the faces. It was a fantastical sight, watching the wild come to life and yet still the army of
Kronos marched forward, undeterred. Giants smashed through the trees, and naiads faded as
their life sources were destroyed. Hellhounds lunged at the timber wolves, knocking them
aside. Enemy archers returned fire, and a Hunter fell from a high branch.
“They’re not stopping,” Katie breathed out under her helm and Rhea saw the fear in her eyes.
Before Rhea could say anything to comfort her cousin, Annabeth cried out Percy’s name,
redirecting all their attention towards the reservoir.

The titan who had been leading the army, wearing his brilliant golden armor, wasn't waiting
for his forces to advance around the sides. No, instead he was stalking towards them, walking
straight over the top of the lake and yet his feet never once touched the water- a smart move
so as to not allow Percy or Rhea to pull him beneath. Percy turned back to rhea, waiting for
her to identify who it was. She didn’t know right away, there were several titans who wore
Golden armor after all.

Before she could admit she had no idea who it was, a greek firebomb exploded right in top of
him. He raised his hand and absorbed the flames out of the air, stealing the bomb’s heat and
energy without a second thought.

“Is that-” Annabeth began, awe clear in her voice.

“Hyperion,” Rhea bit out, an ugly feeling curling in her stomach as she recalled her promise
to not face him in battle, the price for his aid in escaping. Perses took a step closer to Rhea,
allowing her to feel the warmth of his presence close to her back but she could feel his own
uneasiness- not liking the idea of facing his own uncle who had always been loving towards
him.

“Hyperion controls the east, the strongest of the brothers of the Four Corners of the World,”
Annebeth hissed, watching Hyperion’s calm pace with a mix of awe and fear. “He’s the father
of Helios, the first sun god.” Percy’s eyes widened a bit, recognition at the name from his
conversation with Rhea earlier and he turned towards her. Rhea shook her head.

“I can’t help you with this one, it was the price for his help in my escape, I had to promise to
do everything I could not to face him,” Rhea wet her lips, tightening her grip on Percy’s arm,
not sure if she would need to defend her promise. Percy only nodded, accepting her words
and knowing he couldn’t ask her to go back on an oath she made.

“Then you’ll lead the fight against the army,” he commanded, and Rhea nodded, releasing her
grip on him, readying to turn and lead the march but Percy gripped her, tugging her back.
“Any advice?”

“He is second only to Kronos in power and the third strongest fighter of all the elder male
titans.” Allowing a sardonic smirk to curl over her lips, Rhea shrugged. “Don’t hold back.”
Percy rolled his eyes at her advice, trying not to allow the nerves from her warning to
overtake him before shoving his little sister in the direction of the army.

“Right back at you,” was all he said, and then Percy charged to meet Hyperion.

From the second his foot connected with the water, his element surged up to meet him, power
swirling around him as he charged the Titan- walking on water as if he were a god himself.
From the corner of his eye, Percy registered the sight of Alex, Katie, Miranda, and Rhea
launching themselves into battle, the earth and sky lurching as the foursome dwelled into the
depths of their powers. Percy shook his head, refocusing as Hyperion continued to advance as
if he had all the time in the world.

Percy didn’t have the time to wait.

He picked up his pace until he was sprinting across the water, eyes beginning to gleam the
gold of the Destroyers as he charged. Hyperion raised his sword, eyes narrowing as he
assessed the sight of Percy.

“The Prince of the Seas,” Hyperion mused (my sister’s brother, Hyperion thought in his
mind). “You're the one who trapped Atlas beneath the sky again?" An amused smile hinted
across Percy’s face and he snarled, not willing to play at friendly banter with the titan, even if
he came with a slightly higher recommendation from Rhea than Kronos did.

“You’re the one who sat by as your brother held my sister captive?” Percy fired back and
now it was Hyperion’s turn to snarl, clearly hearing the accusation in Percy’s voice (Hyperion
was ever so sensitive when it came to the matter of how he had a habit of sitting off to the
side and allowing Kronos to get away with less than stellar treatment of Rhea) .

“You speak of things you do not understand,” He spat out and Percy only laughed that cold,
harsh laugh. (Hyperion fought the urge to shrink back at how similar it sounded to his King).

“I understand perfectly.” Was all Percy said, voice cold and cruel- accusation clear.
Hyperion’s rage ignited and so did his body, his power bursting forth as his body lit into a
column of light and heat. Percy looked away but nothing saved him from the blinding light.
His instincts screamed, his golden eyes gleamed brighter, and Percy raised his sword.

Hyperion’s blade slammed into it, the impact creating a shockwave in the form of a ten foot
ring of water. Fury at being blinded coursed through Percy and he let out a roar, the ten foot
water ring reversing and rising up, slamming into Hyperion. It immediately doused the titan’s
light and fire, causing Hyperion to let out a scream of anger. Percy landed lightly back onto
the water as Hyperion unleashed a burst of energy, vaporizing the water that had crashed into
him. Hyperion’s gaze came to rest on Percy once more, that furious, murderous rage still
burning in them. Both their swords raised and they flew at each other once more, the battle
still raging all around them but it was nothing compared to the furious strikes between the
Lord of Light and the Godkiller.

What were they fighting for? Two brothers to the same person, to Rhea whichever version of
her that they had grown up with. There was the battle of titan vs Demigod, the battle for
Olympus with neither side wanting to fail their end goal. But deeper than that, there was
another battle raging on, a battle only the two men, the two deities knew about.

It was so similar and yet so different to the battle that had taken place between Percy and
Kronos. There was the underlying war for Rhea, for each male to lay their claim upon her, it
was the brother of her past versus her brother of the present, neither able to stomach the idea
of Rhea having another most beloved twin than themselves. They could not bear to have
another around who could have that claim on her, who could turn her against them. Finally,
Hyperion’s patience snapped.
"Enough games, we fight on land." And with a quick wave of his hand, a wall of sheer energy
flew through the air and slammed into Percy, throwing him backwards three hundred yards,
crashing through the pavement so hard an indention of his body was left in the ground.
Hyperion flew through the air, coming down on Percy with blinding speed but Percy was
ready to meet his challenge, calling on the water to obey his command and Percy
disappeared.

He became a hurricane, cocooned within a hundred foot tall storm that swirled around him
made of lighting, water, and swirling tornados. The powerful winds ripped from his
hurricane, slamming into both Percy’s own side and the monsters, sending several of them
flying.

Further up the path, Rhea was a blur as she cut through lines and lines of monsters, mowing
them down as if they were nothing but blades of grass in the wind. Perses was at her back-
any monster she missed he felled, always a step right behind her and leaving a ring of
destruction in his wake. However, just when it seemed that the demigods had gained the
upper hand and were pressing the titan army back, a horn blew and a second wave of the titan
army burst forth from the trees on the right side, sealing the demigod army in with the first
army to their front, the reservoir to their left, Hyperion and Percy’s deadly and dangerous
duel behind them, and this new army to their right.

All three armies paused, the second wave of the Titan army clearly waiting for some sort of
sign to march forward and obliterate the demigods, waiting for some kind of order, but Rhea
couldn’t tell who from. The first wave was waiting too, expectant looks all over their faces.

They were trapped, sealed in with no way to retreat.

How? They hadn’t seen it coming, they should have seen it coming. It should have been
visible in Annabeth’s shield and yet it wasn’t. They had seen no sign of a second army
coming into the Park and yet here it was.

So how had they been so badly blindsided?

And then she remembered her dream, her dream from not too long ago, Erebus’s words of
warning, words she should have held onto, words she should have remembered instead of
getting wrapped up in the chaos that ensued between her and Kronos in both the dream and in
reality.

“He will show you things, Hyperion too. They can make things seem as if they are something
else. Your friend thinks she has the key to your battle, that she had invented something
brilliant. But know this, when the Light shines from the Heavens, when the light of the sky
and the world fills with the energy of the day, the illusion can be woven.”

When the Light shines from the Heavens and the world fills with the energy of the day, the
illusion can be woven.

Hyperion.

The Lord of Fucking Light.

He had woven an illusion, manipulated the light- as she was sure Kronos had too now that he
held the powers of the sky- so that an entire army could sneak up onto them, seal them in,
and trap them to certain doom and death. She felt a scream of frustration building in her
throat. Closing her eyes, she began to pray, knowing the deity you prayed to could hear
whatever you chose to think.

“Hyperion you absolute fucking bastard” she spat in her mind, cursing him to the ends of the
earth. From where he was fighting Percy, she heard a great booming laugh- Hyperion- and it
sounded like the laugh of a brother who had managed to get away with pulling an elaborate
prank on a sister. Rhea sneered at the sound and sent him the mental image of both her
middle fingers.

Slowly, the second army started to part down the middle as two tall and proud figures strode
forwards, walking until they reached the very front of their line. They came to a pause in the
front of the line and it was then that Rhea was able to get a good look at them. Astraeus stood
tall and proud in front of the army, arrogance all over his face as if he thought he could
obliterate the demigods all on his own, claim a victory for his King, (acting as if he wasn’t a
third generation Titan, a child really, Rhea scoffed in her mind). She had no fear for the
younger titan, however when she identified the being next to him she let out an audible
groan.

Hair of white spilling down his back, silvery-white armor, a helm of winter’s snow white, and
icy blue eyes gazed back at her. Koios. Rhea shifted from one foot to the other, vaguely
uncomfortable at the idea of facing the Titan who had been kind to her and treated her as if
she were a beloved guest.

But Percy’s words rang in her mind, his questions of her loyalty, demanding to know where it
lay, telling her that she needed to prove herself. Setting her jaw and shoving any feelings of
sympathy away, she turned to Alex with a slight smirk, cold and impassive towards the Titan
who part of her mind screamed was her beloved big brother. She had only one brother, Rhea
reminded herself.

“I need to prove myself, that’s what Percy said, right?” She asked, giving an insane little
giggle. Beside her Katie frowned with confusion.

“Right?” Alex replied slowly, nodding but clearly not following where she was going with
this. Rhea’s grin widened.

“Do you think the heads of two titans would do it?” Alex’s eyes widened with her question
and he let out an incredulous laugh.

“Yeah that should do it,” her elder cousin was smiling at her like she was insane but he was
nodding, clearly liking her idea.

“Awesome. Miranda, Thalia, take the Hunters and go finish off the first wave of the army.”
The two girls nodded, quickly, Thalia giving a sharp whistle before they charged out, racing
towards the monsters with a bloodthirsty cry. “Alex, go help Percy. He’s been holding a
hurricane for almost ten minutes, he doesn’t have much longer.” Alex nodded, flicking his
wrist and causing his sword to come shooting back out into his hand.
“On it,” and with that, Alex summoned the winds to his feet and flew through the air, hurtling
straight towards Hyperion, bringing his sword down at the Titan’s shoulder, engaging in the
battle with Percy- who looked relieved to have company. With Annabeth on one side and
Katie on the other, Rhea smiled and held out a hand as if allowing them to walk into a
building for her.

“Well cousin,” Rhea smiled. “Shall we kill a titan?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Katie grinned back, a savage, terrible thing with her canines
bared as if Katie were a feral dog, ready to rip out a throat with her teeth.

“Perses, go help Thalia! NOW!” Rhea barked as she and the children of Athena charged
towards the army of Astraeus and Koios. With a pained look, Perses gazed towards his cousin
and one of his favorite uncles before giving a sharp, short nod and throwing himself into
battle beside Thalia, blasting dozens of monsters with destructive energy.

Astraeus and Koios charged at the same time, clearly not willing to go one on one, but
instead wanting to take out as many demigods as they could. (Both wanting to be the one that
captured the Queen for their king, bringing the Godkiller of Demeter’s line would just be an
added bonus worth high praise). They charged straight for Rhea, Astraeus stabbing a satyr
directly through the throat as he came for Rhea.

Pulling back so that she and Katie were back to back, She met Astraeus’s first strike, taking
the hit before bringing her other sword up to hit him in the chin, forcing him back just in time
to duck from the swing of Koios’s double bladed sword. She and Katie exchanged, Koios
now stabbing at Rhea, which she managed to deflect, her two swords making her a good
match for his sword-staff. Landing a particularly hard hit to Koios’s side with the flat of her
blade, Rhea mimed a punch, calling the earth up to strike Koios, sending him flying through
the air, several yards back.

Katie ducked under Astraeus’s hit, bringing her sword down to drive it into his foot. The
Titan let out a roar of agony and brought his free hand up to punch Katie in the side of the
helmet, sending her sprawling onto the ground, barely managing to roll out of the way as
Rhea flew at Astraeus, bringing her swords down in furious strikes, not alternating between
each sword but instead laying dual, continuous hits on him with such an angry force that
managed to push him back. With a lithe spin, she twirled around Astraeus, hooking one of
her blades under his wrists, disarming him in a swift move before bringing her other sword
down to cut through his wrists, slicing his hands off and sending the appendages falling to the
ground, golden ichor pooling on the ground between her and Astraeus as she forced him onto
his knees.

She registered Koios in the corner of her eye, watching as he fought through Satyrs who tried
to trap him in wood, freezing them and their plants as he broke free from their woodland
magic with his northern magic. Both of Rhea’s swords were poised on the opposite sides of
Astraeus’s neck and she looked down at him, feral gleam in her eye as she saw the
fascination and slight laughter in his eyes as he wondered if she would truly kill him.
Allowing her lips to curl into a smile, she pulled her swords through flesh, decapitating him
in one swift move and watching as he fell lifelessly to the ground.
“Katie!” She called her cousin away from where she was single handedly cutting down a
dracaenae herd. “Cut off all his limbs! We don’t want him regenerating here, we want him
sent to reform in Tartarus!” Katie quickly followed the orders, bringing her gold sword down
to hack through each of Astraeus’s extremities, separating them into little pieces before
managing to turn in time to send a spike of wood through a telkhine’s throat. By now Koios
had made his way back to stand in front of Rhea, for the first time in millenia watching first
hand as Rhea dealt her version of cruel justice. Rhea lifted her green eyes to meet his raising
her eyebrows in challenge.

“Will you kill me too, little sister?” He asked, voice calm, casual, as if he asked if she’d like
to join him for dinner. Shrugging in a just as casual manner, Rhea twirled both her swords,
wrists rotating with the move.

“I only have one brother,” she replied, voice bitingly calm, knowing how the declaration
would hurt him- would hurt the titan who had treated her with love and care during her
captivity. A look of pain flashed in his eyes but it quickly passed as Rhea brought her swords
down on him.

It was the most exhausting fight of Rhea’s life. Koios was strong, second only to Kronos in
fighting skills and third in power. She and Katie fought for their lives, side by side, two
Godkillers against one of the most powerful Titans. Flashes of icy white, brilliant green, or
gold would flare as they threw their elements at one another. Katie called up the earth to aid
her, with every strike of her sword, branches of trees or vines of ivy would arise to block
Koios’s way, making him vulnerable to each hit, only for the nature to be buried beneath ice,
killed and left broken on the ground.

Rhea summons the water of the reservoir to her air, hitting Koios over and over again with
barrages of water, punching him with it, forcing him back step by step only for him to turn
each wave into cold flurries of snow, flying through the soft white condensation to bring his
sword down on them, nowhere close to tiring.

There fight goes on for what feels like hours (it has only been 10 or 15 minutes but with
consistent use of her abilities, constant fighting, and no sleep Rhea feels as if she has been
fighting for hours) and Koios shows no signs of slowing. Summoning a sheet of ice and a
wave of pure, white power he throws it at Katie, sending her flying through the air and into
the hoards of monsters before turning on Rhea, not giving her so much as a second to wonder
if her cousin was injured, alive, or fighting.

Rhea meets his strikes, sometimes gaining ground but slowly she loses more than she gains.
(She is damning herself. With every day that she denies her heritage, with every day that she
tamps down the powers of Rhea Ourania, they burn through her harder, exhausting her,
sapping her energy away and leaving her weaker and weaker than she was the day before.)

Rhea can’t keep doing this, she doesn’t have the power that Percy has, she can’t maintain this
as long as he did, she can already feel exhaustion creeping towards her with each summoning
of the earth and the water that she makes.

A cry of pain called Rhea and Koios’s attention and she turned just in time to see Alex
grabbing at his left arm, golden-red blood leaking from where Hyperion had cut him deeply.
Hyperion advanced on the injured demigod, making a fatal mistake- turning his back on
Percy. The Destroyer heaved himself up off the ground and called the reservoir to him. Water
surged under his feet, lifting him through the air. Coming down at Hyperion, Percy lifted his
sword and stabbed. Riptide went straight through Hyperion’s heart, coming out his front with
the force in which Percy had jammed it through his body.

A massive explosion of golden light and energy burst through the clearing, blowing everyone
near it off their feet. Rhea stumbled as the earth shook and turned back to Koios. Shock was
painted plainly across his features as he bellowed out Hyperion’s name with fury. This is it,
this is her chance- she won’t have another as lucky as this.

Taking advantage of Koios’s momentary distraction, Rhea lunged. Grasping his shoulders
with strong hands she collided with his body and swung, bringing herself to rest upon his
shoulders. Both of his hands went to her thighs and he yanked, struggling to free himself
from her grip. But it was too late and he let out a quiet gasp as a golden blade jutted through
his throat.

Rhea had stabbed him through the back of the neck, effectively killing him.

Koios dropped to his knees, Rhea falling with him and getting thrown from his shoulders as
she fell. Icy blue eyes met her own with a look of pain, sadness, and a hint of brotherly pride
before the light of life faded from his body. Koios was gone.

(She had defeated him this time by luck alone, had they gone longer she would have lost,
been dragged to Kronos in defeat unless her brother managed to save her- unlikely due to his
own exhaustion. Koios only hoped the next time he faced his sister that he would face her in
all her glory and power, the way she should be).

(Not forever, she had not dealt with him as well as she had Astraeus, after all, Koios had been
so kind to her. He would spend the next week healing, regenerating. But by then it would be
too late, the war over and won, for which side, who knew but Koios would not fight in it).

The battle went completely still, the titan army clearly confused as they realized that all three
of their Titan generals were dead, unsure of their next move. But before either side could
decide what to do, a horrible screech filled the air and a massive Sow fell out of the air, trying
to claw at and kill every demigod in its path.

Of course two massive armies and three titans wasn’t enough, Kronos had to send the
Clazmonian Sow to terrorize them. It was a smart strategy, hit them over and over again until
the Demigod army grew too exhausted to fight back, a lack of rest causing them to either
burn out, become quickly killed targets, or make them more likely to surrender.

“Percy!” Rhea yelled, calling over to him from where she was ducked beneath Perses’s wings
after the Sow had nearly caught her with its claws. “Take the Sow! We’ll finish up here and
then go check on the other cabins!”

“ON IT!” Percy called back. He hefted a grappling hook and swung it like a lasso, catching
the Sow in his grip before being yanked off the ground and pulled into the air, holding onto
the rope attached to the Sow. For a minute, Rhea watched as her brother swung above the
treeline and towards the skyscrapers before she turned back to the group of about three
hundred monsters before her.

“Let’s wrap this up, shall we?” Rhea suggested, watching as her cousins and Annabeth gave
her nervous grins. Their numbers were even lower than when they had first split off, now
down to 19 of them- Rhea and her cousins included. It wasn’t enough to face the three
hundred monsters, not when each of them was already running low on energy.

“We need a plan!” Malcolm argued as he and his siblings jogged over to where the rest of
them stood, the wall of Greek fire they had ignited giving the demigods and Hunters a few
minutes to gather their breath and plan.

“No battle plan, I need all of you alive and healthy,” Rhea fired back. “All of you fall back,
I’ll take care of this.” A hand curled around her elbow and tugged her back- Alex, the only
one who would actually challenge her in front of the campers, although he made sure it never
looked like a challenge to the campers. Perses’ hand twitched towards one of his swords, no
doubt fighting to tamp down the urge to cut off Alex’s hand for such an offense.

“You’ve been fighting for hours, have had no sleep, and have used a lot of power. You’re
running too low to do whatever it is you’re thinking about,” he hissed at her under his breath,
eyes sparking electrical blue as he tried to warn her off. “Let us fight them off.”

“We do not have the time,” she snapped back, wrenching her arm free. “There are dozens of
other campers who are spread thin around Manhattan and they need all of us who can help.
Our numbers are already severely diminished. I’m not risking any more of you.” Rhea knew
that Alex could not argue, her case was solid. They had wasted too much time in Central Park
and gods knew how much ground the rest of their army had lost to the massive might of the
Titan army.

Rhea lowered herself to the ground, kneeling into the grass and slowly sinking her fingers
into the soft, green grass, feeling the earth beneath her fingertips. It is odd for Rhea, what she
feels when she immerses herself in nature. She is not Katie, Miranda, Seth, or any of her
other Demeter cousins, she did not feel the connection with the plants, soil, and the very life
that teemed beneath her. Or at least she hadn’t. She hadn’t felt it before Othrys, now she
could- barely, almost imperceptibly- but there all the same. It was Rhea Ourania, the Titaness
of the Earth and of Life, who felt the connection with the life of the earth beneath her and the
ability to feel it had seeped through the walls in Rhea’s mind, just another thing she was
forced to share with her predecessor.

She pushes past the life in the earth, pushes past the feeling of the soil, of the life buried deep
in the soil and instead calls on the power of her father- the powers of the Earthshaker. The
Greek fire dies down and the army begins its slow march towards the demigods and Hunters.
Rhea digs deeper, reaching out for the tectonic plates in the ground, reaching down into the
very core of the earth. She feels it, feels the plates of the Earth that mark her father’s domain,
the earth that is commanded by the power of the sea and she lets out a huff of laughter before
she digs her fingers into the ground and pulls .

The powers of the Earthshaker rip their way out of her as if someone has split open each of
her arteries and allowed all of her blood to pour forth from her body. She can physically feel
the power leaving her, draining out of her, and exhausting her. The Earth splits apart, giving a
massive heave before splitting and spreading at an alarming rate, creating a massive chasm
several hundred feet deep and at least a hundred feet wide . (In the back of her mind she
wonders if she just made a gateway straight to Tartarus). As the chasm grows larger and
larger it claims the lives of more and more enemy monsters and demigods- the Titan army
falling to their death beneath the crumbling earth.

At least a hundred monsters remain and Rhea grits her teeth, pushing back against the
burning feeling in her chest- the warning that she is overreaching and threatening to burn her
up. She pushes on, drawing on everything left in her Well of Power as the Daughter of the
Earthshaker and she rips the earth apart even further. It starts to spread, uncontrollably so,
further than she had meant and Rhea inhales sharply, knowing it means she is beginning to
lose control- and fast.

She doesn’t have the strength to control it much longer- she hasn’t slept, ate, she’s already
used too much of her powers. Rhea is also fighting her ever present battle against the
devastating power of Queen Rhea, every day she diverts at least half of her power to holding
up that wall, to keeping the lid on her borrowed abilities from the Titan queen. Rhea begins to
cough, gasping breaths coming from her lungs and blood ( ichor ) bubbles up from her lips as
her lungs fill with her blood. Golden-red droplets begin to fall to the ground, painting the
grass gold as the life-giving substance drips from her nose- a final warning before she burns
out.

“Rhea!” Perses barks, trying to call her attention, to snap her out of the trance of power that
she is too far deep into.

“RHEA! PULL BACK!” Katie yelled, pushing her way forward and placing a hand on
Rhea’s shoulder. Her presence only served to give Rhea an idea. Closing her eyes once more
she dove deep into her mind, feeling for her Well, going past it and feeling for the threads
that bound her and all of her cousins, the thread of their shared ancestry, their shared power.

Whispering a ‘sorry’ Rhea mentally grasped the thread of gold and green that denoted Katie
before gripping at the strand of blue and gold thread and yanking desperately. It was as if
someone had shocked her, as if Rhea had been hit by a million tons of energy, power flowed
through her, rejuvenating her and giving her enough of a boost that she regained control of
the shifting earth beneath her fingers. Behind her, Katie and Alex had both stumbled, falling
to one knee as they felt her steal their power, claiming it for her own. Slowly, Rhea felt down
into her power as the Earthshaker’s daughter and one by one, she released the mental fingers
that she had ripping the plates of the earth open. The ground heaved again as she pulled her
power back and the two sides of the gap in the earth she had created flew towards each other,
the earth nearly snapping back together like a released rubber band.

Rhea collapsed against the ground, heaving and gasping for breath while coughing up the
blood in her lungs. Katie’s hand rubbed her back for a moment before Rhea lifted a hand,
waving her off to declare that she was fine. Giving herself one moment longer, Rhea gathered
what little strength she had left and stood, shaky as a newborn deer and turned to face the
gathered Hunters, Demigods, and Perses who were all looking at her with awe and fear. Paler
than should be physically possible and with eyes of dull, sickly green, Rhea stumbled her
way towards them.

“Is everyone alright?” She rasped out, desperate to know if anyone had been injured while
she lost control. When all she received were nods, Rhea let out a breath of relief. “That’s
good,” she mumbled. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and Rhea collapsed onto the
ground, unconscious.

When she wakes up, her head is in Miranda’s lap as Katie and Annabeth force ambrosia and
nectar down her throat, causing Rhea to begin to cough as she comes to. Alex was gone- as
were Thalia, the hunters, and the rest of the Athena cabin, leaving only Perses, Rhea, Katie,
Miranda, and Annabeth. With a gag, Rhea got down another bite of ambrosia before she
forced herself into a sitting position under the concerned eyes of her family and friends.

“How do I look?” she coughed out, causing Katie to let out a giggle with relief while
Miranda only shook her head.

“Still unnaturally pale, but better. You were out for like 15 minutes, we had Alex and Thalia
take the rest of our force to go aid wherever they could.” Miranda informed her, tilting the
canteen once more so Rhea could have another sip of nectar.

“Then we’d better get going.” Rhea answered, allowing Perses to pull her to her feet gently
and leaning against his side. Her gaze wandered over Annabeth, wondering if the Athena
Councilor had stayed because Rhea was Percy’s sister or if it was because of the friendship
the two girls had (she put more stock in it being because of Percy, Annabeth may be her
friend but she would not miss the battle for Rhea’s injury, not unless she felt a personal stake
in it). Annabeth looked pale as well, ill, and she was rotating her shoulder uncomfortably.
Wordlessly, Rhea passed her the nectar and watched her take a sip, sighing as her shoulder
healed up just a little bit more.

“Don’t tell Percy?” Annabeth asked, after swallowing the nectar. Her eyes were lit with
amusement, no doubt recalling how Percy tended to hover like a mother hen when she was
injured. Rhea laughed and gestured to herself, weak and pale.

“Don’t tell Percy?” Rhea fired back and Annabeth joined her giggles.

“Deal,” The daughter of Athena agreed, before filling her in on where they were needed for
the still raging battles.

It’s hard to convince Perses to leave her side, but Rhea manages it. He was lucky he wasn’t
forced to face Hyperion, Astraeus, or Koios in Central Park and she doesn’t know if he will
be lucky enough to avoid fighting his family for much longer. Rhea could never fight her
family, betrayed or not she could never turn her blade on Alex, Seth, Thalia, Katie, Nico, or
any of them. She won’t ask Perses to do it, not even for her. So she sends him away, to guard
the Plaza where dozens of injured demigods tried desperately to heal (to stave off the
whispering grip of Thanatos).

Rhea and the rest of her group had convened on 33rd at the Park Avenue tunnel and while
Annabeth fought off a Hyperborean with her siblings, Rhea, Katie, and Miranda fought off a
telkhine hoard. Streaking out of the sky was a bolt of black- Percy atop Blackjack- and he
threw himself onto the Hyperborean’s head, driving his shield into the nose of the giant as he
slid down his face.

He then hit the pavement running. The Hyperborean breathed a cloud of white mist, and the
temperature dropped. The spot where he had landed was now coated with ice, and Percy was
frosted over with ice and snow like a coat left out in the wet snow. It didn’t take long to fell
the giant once Percy had arrived, the Godkiller driving Riptide through the giant’s knee and
turning the Hyperborean into shards of ice before leaping forward to help his sister and
cousins finish the telkhines.

"Thanks." Annabeth winced, trying to catch her breath after the last three telkhines were
turned to dust "The pig?"

"Pork chops," Percy replied with a grin, clearly thinking he was hilarious. Rhea rolled her
eyes, leaning heavily into Miranda who snorts while Katie wrinkled her nose.

"Good." Annabeth replied, flexing her shoulder, still aching from her wound despite her
recent intake of nectar, immediately drawing Percy’s mother hen-like concern. (Rhea could
have kissed Annabeth, grateful that Percy’s love for her had distracted him from noticing and
questioning Rhea’s lack of good health.) Before he could hover, Annabeth rolled her eyes and
pushed him away. "I'm fine, Percy. Come on! We've got plenty of enemies left."

Annabeth was of course right. The next hour of the battle was a blur, nothing but a haze as
the little group of seven cut through the hoards of monsters who charged at them. Legions of
dracaenae, dozens of telkhines, small armies of empousai, and a host of enemy demigods met
them on the battlefield but it felt nearly as impossible at Central Park was- no matter how
many they cut down, dozens took their place.

In the middle of fighting an enemy demigod, an electric shock ran down her spine and Rhea
straightened up- gasping with fear. Her wild eyes turned to look for her brother, Annabeth,
her cousins, anyone. She met Katie’s eyes and her cousin cut through two more demigods in
order to slide next to Rhea.

“We have to get to the Empire State Building, now,” Rhea gasped out, eyes burning fiercely
as she dug her fingers into Katie’s skin, desperation leaking from every pore. She felt some of
her strength returning to her, as if someone had plugged her into an outlet and rapid charged
her and she knew what that meant, somehow, she didn’t know how, but she knew it meant
Kronos was near.

“Ok,” was all Katie said, cutting a telkhine down before yanking Rhea to follow her, the pair
sprinting up and down the blocks in a desperate race to Olympus. “Percy and Annabeth have
already headed this way, Miranda will follow soon I’m sure!” Katie shouted into the wind as
they ran. Rhea had no answer for her, every nerve alight with nervous energy.

They came to a stop about thirty feet from the entrance to Olympus, finding a ring of the
remaining demigods, hunters, and nature spirits surrounding the doors, fighting desperately.
Percy and Annabeth were in the front of the right side, hacking through anything that got
close, but they were losing ground. To the left, Alex and Thalia were a network of electricity,
charging such a massive electrical current between the two of them that they were able to
hold dozens of monsters back, but it wasn’t enough.

Behind the enemy troops, a few blocks to the east, a bright light began to shine. Rhea let out
another low gasp, her nerves igniting once more as she sunk back into the lines of their
fighting force, unable to tear herself away from the sight of Kronos riding towards them in a
golden chariot. A dozen Laistrygonian giants bore torches before him. Two Hyperboreans
carried his black banners with the crowned scythe and initials of the Titan King and Queen.
The Titan lord looked fresh and rested, his powers at full strength. Rhea knew what he was
doing, advancing so slowly. He was letting Percy- his main opponent wear himself down,
weaken himself further after hours of fighting. Percy’s eyes narrowed at the sight of Kronos
and he began to look around him, desperate to locate his sister so that he could protect her.

“ALEX! TO RHEA!” Percy commanded, voice booming across the battle. He didn’t need to
look to make sure his older cousin obeyed. Alex sent a powerful shock through the monsters
he faced and then fell back through the line, grabbing Rhea with one arm and pulling her
towards him so that they were fighting side by side. More often than not, Alex would fight
off one of Rhea’s opponents, stealing kills from her- something that should have upset her if
her attention was not almost entirely focused on Kronos’s imminent arrival.

"We have to fall back to the doorway. Hold it at all costs!" Annabeth screamed into Percy’s
ear and he nodded, turning to order the retreat when all the sudden a blast from a hunting
horn split through the air like a fire alarm. A chorus of horns answered from all around us,
echoing off the buildings of Manhattan. Rhea angled herself to look at Thalia with raised
brows- Percy doing the same. Thalia only frowned and shrugged.

“Isn’t me, all the Hunters are here.”

"Then who?" Percy demanded, stabbing a demigod in the throat before angling his head to
see where the sound came from. The horns got louder. Nobody could tell where they were
coming from because of the echo, but it sounded like an entire army was approaching. The
demigods and hunters began to pull closer and closer, closing the ranks as they prepared for
another wave. But Kronos's forces looked as confused as we were. Giants lowered their
clubs. Dracaenae hissed. Even Kronos's honor guard looked uneasy. Then, to their left, a
hundred monsters cried out at once. Kronos's entire northern flank surged forward. They ran
straight past the crowd of demigods and crashed into their southern allies. A new blast of
horns shattered the night. The air shimmered. In a blur of movement, an entire cavalry
appeared as if dropping out of light speed.

"Yeah, baby!" a voice wailed. "PARTY!" A shower of arrows arced over the demigods’
heads, each of them looking up to follow the arc of the arrows, and slammed into the enemy,
vaporizing hundreds of demons. But these weren't regular arrows. They made whizzy sounds
as they flew. Some had pinwheels attached to them. Others had boxing gloves rather than
points.

“What the fuck is going on?” Rhea breathed, wondering how on earth they had gained allies,
allies who had saved them from the deadly blow Kronos’s next wave was about to deal them.

“Not what the fuck,” Alex laughed, pointing on the horizon. “Who the fuck.”

"Centaurs!" Annabeth yelled. The Party Pony army exploded into our midst in a riot of
colors: tie-dyed shirts, rainbow wigs, oversize sunglasses, and war-painted faces. Some had
slogans scrawled across their flanks like HORSEZ, SUC MY DIC, or KRONOS SUX.
Hundreds of them filled the entire block and Rhea let out a hysterical giggle, burying her
head in her hands as she laughed- remembering her last encounter with the Party Ponies and
thanking whatever deity was available at the moment that Chiron had been able to bring
reinforcements.

"Percy! Rhea!" Chiron shouted across the sea of wild centaurs. He was dressed in armor from
the waist up, his bow in his hand, and he was grinning in satisfaction. "Sorry we're late!"

"DUDE!" Another centaur yelled. "Talk later. WASTE MONSTERS NOW!" He locked and
loaded a double-barrel paint gun and blasted an enemy hellhound bright pink. The paint
must've been mixed with Celestial bronze dust or something, because as soon as it splattered
the hellhound, the monster yelped and dissolved into a pink-and-black puddle.

It was like watching a chaotic, ten year old’s birthday party at Main Event but instead of laser
tag, the Party Ponies kept shooting monsters with their hybrid paintballs, sending the
monsters running for their lives. The centaurs trampled everything in their path,
overwhelming Kronos’s army and giving the demigods much needed aid. With a nod from
Percy and a battle cry, the demigods poured forward, charging after the Titan Army and
pushing them back several blocks. Kronos was bellowing orders- something that sounded
like a command for them all to return to their camp now that his plan had been foiled. No
doubt they needed to regroup and replan for their invasion of the entrance of Olympus. They
pushed the enemy for several blocks until Chiron yelled,

"HOLD! On your promise, HOLD!" It wasn't easy, but eventually the order got relayed up
and down the ranks of centaurs, and they started to pull back, letting the enemy flee- the
demigods, nature spirits, and Hunters having already dropped back to watch the monsters
flee.

"Chiron's smart," Annabeth said, wiping the sweat off her face. "If we pursue, we'll get too
spread out. We need to regroup."

"But the enemy—" Percy argued, the need for a fight still coursing through his restless
Bloodline (a feeling he knew without a doubt that his Grandfather shared).

"They're not defeated," she agreed. "But the dawn is coming. At least we've bought some
time." Percy didn't like pulling back, but he was a good leader and his people were exhausted,
injured, in dire need of a nap and some ambrosia. He watched as the last of the telkhines
scuttled toward the East River- Percy would have drowned them but he was suddenly more
exhausted than he had ever been. Then reluctantly he turned and headed back toward the
Empire State Building.

Annabeth went to sit by some of her siblings, cleaning her weapon, while Perses appeared
out of the sky and immediately began to check on Rhea- Percy would have to remember to
thank the Titan for his mother henning when Percy couldn’t do it himself. After checking on
each demigod and hunter, making sure that everyone was alright or at least getting help, he
made his way back towards Annabeth, coming to stand in front of her, saying nothing and
just taking in the sight of the girl he loved, covered in blood, sweat, and monster dust. Never
before had she looked so beautiful.

“We can’t hold this much longer can we?” Annabeth whispered, pain in her voice as she
looked out at the devastation that had hit New York. “We have the centaurs now, but I don’t
think it’s enough.”

“I know,” Percy murmured, holding out his hand to help Annabeth to her feet, registering the
sight of Rhea taking slow steps after them, Perses on her heels, close but not infringing on
Percy and Annabeth. "Listen, there were some . . . some visions Hestia showed me."

"You mean about Luke?" Her tone wasn’t cold or angry, merely expectant like she had known
all along and was just waiting for him to come to her.

"Yeah," He said, maintaining his sedate pace down the street, keeping one eye on Annabeth
in case his words hurt her. "You and Thalia and Luke. The first time you met. And the time
you met Hermes." Annabeth slipped her knife back into its sheath, finally done cleaning it.

"Luke promised he'd never let me get hurt. He said . .. he said we'd be a new family, and it
would turn out better than his." Her eyes were scared, desperate, agonized as if it were
tantamount to torture for her to remember the lies Luke had plied her with. (How could she
still hold out hope for him?)

"Thalia talked to me earlier," Percy tried, keeping his voice gentle like she was a wounded
animal. "She's afraid—"

"That I can't face Luke," she said miserably. Percy nodded.

"But there's something else you should know. Ethan Nakamura seemed to think Luke was
still alive inside his body, maybe even fighting Kronos for control. I don’t know if it’s true-
Kronos certainly doesn’t think so and neither does Prometheus… but you have a right to
know." Annabeth tried to hide it, but Percy could almost see her mind working on the
possibilities, maybe starting to hope. (gods he hated it, how could Luke have such a hold on
her? Why did he? What was so special about Luke, what loyalty or love had he given her?)

"I didn't want to tell you," He admitted, voice low and it was clear that he still wished he
hadn’t. She looked up at the Empire State Building, longing written all over her face.

"Percy, for so much of my life, I felt like everything was changing, all the time. I didn't have
anyone I could rely on." Percy nodded, familiar with her story, knowing she was going to
excuse her affection for Luke once more, but resigning himself to listen to it. "I ran away
when I was seven," she said. "Then with Luke and Thalia, I thought I'd found a family, but it
fell apart almost immediately. What I'm saying . . . I hate it when people let me down, when
things are temporary. I think that's why I want to be an architect."

"To build something permanent," Percy said, keeping his voice light as if they weren’t talking
about the reason she kept trying to get herself killed, reaching for Luke who was most likely
dead and gone. "A monument to last a thousand years." She held his gaze.

"I guess that sounds like my fatal flaw again." She didn’t sound ashamed as she said it,
couldn’t muster enough regret to feel bad for why she kept hope, why she kept trying.
Perhaps it was impossible for Percy to imagine because of his own flaw. Loyalty. If someone
betrayed him, then there was no turning back, no mercy, no rebuilding. Even within his
family- Nico’s betrayal had cut deep and the only reason Percy was still somewhat warm to
him now was the fact that Nico had only done what he did in his desperation for his father’s
love. Percy had been prepared to imprison and maybe even execute his sister if she had been
the spy. He would have hoped there was an excuse for her betrayal, like the titan’s corrupting
her mind, but if there wasn’t he had been prepared to kill her. He know Rhea would do the
same if she had been in his shoes. Their flaws demanded it.

"I guess I understand how you feel," Percy said eventually through gritted teeth. "But Thalia's
right. Luke has already betrayed you so many times. He was evil even before Kronos. I don't
want him to hurt you anymore." Annabeth pursed her lips. It was obvious that she was trying
not to get mad, but Percy was frustrated too, irritated by her consistent loyalty to a man who
had done nothing but lie to her and betray her. "And you'll understand if I keep hoping there's
a chance you're wrong." Percy looked away, guilt filling him as he took in the sight across the
street. The Apollo campers had set up a field hospital to tend the wounded—dozens of
campers and almost as many Hunters.

From where she stood a few feet away- desperate to look like she had not been
eavesdropping- Rhea saw it before it happened. The air turned electric, the smell of wine
tinged the air, Percy’s eyes went glazed, and he was gone from his own mind- stolen away by
some god (Dionysus if she was to guess based off the scent in the air).

He’s gone for three seconds- zoned out just enough for Rhea to notice but back before she
can react. Annabeth doesn’t see or suspect a thing, caught up in her worries of the war to
notice that Percy’s consciousness had been briefly stolen away. When Percy is back in his
own body Rhea starts to make her way towards him, ready to check on him, question him,
find out what their insane little camp director wanted.

“What?” Annabeth frowned, just now noticing how Percy was still stuck, staring as if
processing whatever he had just been told.

“Um… nothing, I guess.” Came her brother’s hopeless response, Annabeth’s frown
deepening.

“What did Dionysus want?” Rhea asked, coming to stand on Percy’s right. Her question
caused his gaze to snap to her, a frown playing at his lips.
“How did you know?” She shrugged in response to his question before giving a vague smirk
as she answered.

“Smelt it,” Percy’s mouth dropped open, gaping at her like she had just told him some crazy
secret.

“What are you, a dog?” He snorted, clearly over her antics and Rhea only giggled, shrugging
again before lightly kicking him in the shin, prompting him to answer her question. Percy
sighs, wrinkling his nose as if the last thing he wants to do is think about Mr. D. “He gave me
a warning- told me about how Kronos has not attained full power yet. He told me that within
the next few days at most, Kronos will burn away his mortal body and take on his true form.”
Rhea lets out a whoosh of air as if she were punched in the gut. Only a few days left at most
to stop Kronos (only a few days left at most to see the true face of Kronos).

“His form will be more powerful than that of the gods. His very presence would turn
everyone to ash.” Rhea murmurs, tugging on a stray lock of black curls as she thinks,
wondering if she would be able to look into the light of Kronos’s true form and see it just as
she had seen Hermes’s.

“Not just that but when he takes his true form, all the other titans get a major power boost. He
said that the titans are weak now, compared to what they will soon become, unless I can stop
them. The world will fall, the gods will die, and then Mr. D decided that was enough being
helpful and turned back to his pac-man game after dropping an atomic bomb’s worth of
world ending news on me.” Percy shrugged then, slinging an almost careless arm over Rhea’s
shoulders. “But part of me is just like ‘how much worse can it get, honestly’.”

“Okay so we still have at least a day or two?” Annabeth asked, sighing with relief when
Percy nodded. “Okay, we can still make a plan, there’s time.” Rhea nodded in agreement-
though part of her thought it was futile.

“Well in the span of today we have lost nine demigods and at least eight Hunters so our
numbers are looking really…” Percy trailed off, as if his attention had been forcefully
dragged elsewhere, his gaze narrowing and a confused look playing on his face.

Following Percy’s gaze, Rhea spotted what he saw, her eyes widening with panic. Percy
bolted down the street and she followed hot on his heels. What the fuck was Paul’s Prius
doing in the middle of the warzone? Why weren’t they safely asleep in their apartment?
Annabeth yelled after them before following them, coming to a stop beside them as Percy
and Rhea stared through the windows of the step-father’s car. Their mother was passed out in
the passenger seat, Paul in the driver's seat just snoring away. They could have been here for
days and yet Percy and Rhea had never noticed.

“Oh gods,” Rhea choked, reaching over to cling to Percy’s arm, guilt and terror plaguing her
stomach and mind. “What are they doing here?”

"They . . . they must've seen those blue lights in the sky." Percy rattled the doors with his
other hand but they were locked. He turned to Rhea and Annabeth with desperate eyes. "We
need to get them out." Rhea nodded furiously, dropping his hand and coming to yank on the
car doors with him, trying any of the doors with the desperate hope that they could be
unlocked. Perses stood off to the side, one hand on one of his knives as he debated if his
Queen wanted him to break the car apart.

"Percy," Annabeth said gently as Rhea nearly broke a door handle off. Percy didn’t pay any
mind to her words, going to beat on the windshield.

"I can't leave them here!” His desperation was mounting and Rhea fed off of it, the both of
them furiously trying to get into the car without hurting their family. “I have to move them. I
have to—"

"Percy, just . . . just hold on." Annabeth waved to Chiron, who was talking to some centaurs
down the block. "We can push the car to a side street, all right? They're going to be fine."
Percy’s hands shook and he extended one out to Rhea, beckoning his sister to come to him-
which she quickly did, allowing Percy to grip her hand to find strength. Chiron galloped over,
doing his utmost best to ignore Perses standing over Rhea’s shoulder.

"What's . . . Oh dear. I see."

"They were coming to find us," Percy explained frantically. "My mom must've sensed
something was wrong."

"Most likely," Chiron said. "But, Percy, they will be fine. The best thing we can do for them
is stay focused on our job." But Rhea’s focus was elsewhere, completely zoning out of her
brother and Chiron’s conversation as she focused on an object seat-belted down in the
backseat of the car.

Pandora’s Box.

Rhea let out a choked sound, tugging Percy’s hand and redirecting his attention to the
offending object. He turned, eyes narrowed as he looked for a threat before his gaze fell on
the jar.

“Is that… no way.” he muttered, causing Annabeth to lean in and look through the window.

"Pandora’s Jar? That's impossible!” she gasped out, “I thought you left that at the Plaza."

“We made sure it was locked in the hotel vault!” Rhea protested after getting a reassuring nod
from Perses, wondering if this was another trick from Kronos. Chiron demanded an
explanation, one Percy promptly gave as he relayed what had happened at the meeting with
Prometheus, causing a grim look to fall over the teacher’s face.

"Then the jar is yours. It will follow you and tempt you to open it, no matter where you leave
it. It will appear when you are weakest." Chiron’s voice was more grim than Rhea had ever
heard and in that moment she felt sorry for the old teacher- wondering how difficult it was for
him to watch over and over again as his Heroes faced their terrible fates. Percy’s expression
went through several phases: confusion, desperation, realization, understanding, and finally,
fury. He drew Riptide and cut through the driver's side window like it was made of plastic
wrap, doing so carefully so as to not hit Rhea or Paul as he swung.
"We'll put the car in neutral," He finally said. "Push them out of the way. And take that stupid
jar to Olympus." Both Rhea and Annabeth nodded, moving to get in place behind the car so
they could push, Perses eventually pushing both girls to the side so that he could plant a hand
on the back of the car and push- fully capable of moving the car all on his own. Chiron
however, hesitated, uncertainty all over his expression.

"A good plan. But, Percy . . ." Whatever he was going to say, he faltered. A mechanical
drumbeat grew loud in the distance—the chop-chop-chop of a helicopter. The sound shattered
the mechanical silence that had plagued Manhattan for the past two days and immediately the
four of them lifted their gazes upwards, horrified to watch as a helicopter veered through the
magical barrier and began to fall from the sky. It was a civilian model painted dark red, with
a bright green "DE" logo on the side. The words under the logo were too small to read, but
Rhea had a bad feeling that those words read: Dare Enterprises. She slid her gaze to look at
Annabeth whose face was turning red with anger and hints of jealousy. (Percy’s expression of
panic- not for Rachel but because he didn’t want to upset Annabeth- could have sent Rhea
into gut wrenching laughter however she managed to stay silent).

"What is she doing here?" Annabeth demanded. "How did she get through the barrier?"

"Who?" Chiron looked confused. "What mortal would be insane enough—" The realization
that the chopper had hit the Sleep enchantment struck them all at the same time, and while
Rhea, Chiron, and Percy froze in horror, Annabeth sprang to movement and called Guido
over immediately.

"Come on, Percy," Annabeth growled. "We have to save your friend." Percy looked back to
Rhea who waved her hand at the car and nodded, silently promising to move their parents to
safety while Percy saved his annoying little mortal girl.

Rhea wished that Annabeth had let the helicopter crash.

Rachel came in and immediately ruined everything. Percy and Annabeth had been growing
closer and closer through the course of the war, their love and devotion becoming more and
more obvious and Rhea had been so convinced that her brother’s love life was going to work
out fine. That was until Rachel Dare decided she just had to come find Percy because he was
‘in danger and she had a message for him’. Annabeth stormed off in a cloud of heartbreak,
jealousy, and anger and Rhea watched her go, momentarily contemplating either chasing her
down and telling her Rachel was inconsequential, or hitting Percy ‘round the head and telling
him to go find her and to ignore the mortal. (When had she started looking down on mortals
so much? Was this a side effect of having a Titaness in her mind? Was it the Godkiller in her?
Or was she simply over Rachel and her ridiculousness?). Rhea and Perses exchanged an
amused look at the drama between Percy and the girls who vied for his attention.

“What’s the message you needed to deliver?” Percy asked, his voice hollow and slightly
upset. Rachel frowned at him.

“How did you know about that?”

“A dream” Rhea resisted the urge to yell ‘duh’ after her brother’s words, instead choosing to
bite the inside of her cheek so that she could hear the message, lest it be something important.
Rachel flinched hard, as if someone had electrocuted her and Rhea flinched as well,
reactionary and always paranoid. Her ever present guardian lifted a hand gripping her
shoulder in reassurance that everything was alright.

“Percy, something is about to happen- the traitor in your midst, their secret will be revealed.
Secrets end in death.” The mortal girl hissed out, causing the twins to frown in unison. Now
that was worth paying attention to.

“What do you mean? Whose death?” Percy demanded, one hand coming out to grab Rachel’s
elbow, holding her in place as if she would fade away before she could explain.

“What about the traitor? What’s their secret?” Rhea jumped in, about three seconds from
trying to shake answers out of the red head. (She and Percy had already asked Perses if he
knew who the spy was, only to be incredibly disappointed to learn that Kronos only allowed
himself and a select few of his brothers to know).

"I don't know." She looked around nervously. "Don't you feel it?" Feel what? Rhea wanted to
scream, about at her wits end with the girl. Percy meanwhile dropped Rachel’s elbow and
stepped back, as if she was useless since she couldn’t expand on her cryptic warning.

"Is that the message you wanted to tell me?" He asked, voice montone almost bored. Rachel’s
expression turned to one of hurt. (Rhea could have laughed, did this poor mortal truly think
she stood a chance in Percy’s affections?)

"No." She hesitated. "I'm sorry. I'm not making sense, but that thought just came to me. The
message I wrote on the beach was different. It had your name in it."

"Perseus," Percy cut in, impatience clear in his voice. "In Ancient Greek." Rachel nodded.

"I don't know its meaning. But I know it's important. You have to hear it. It said, ‘Perseus,
when the time comes: do not be a Hero." Rhea curled her hands into her palms, seriously
contemplating if the mortal girl was actually any help at all or just wasting their time. Percy
however, looked as if he had just been punched in the jaw.

"You came thousands of miles to tell me not to be a hero?" He demanded, anger rising
quickly within him, visible from the way his aura grew ten times more threatening,
something that had Rhea resisting the urge to shrink back. “I am fighting and leading a war,
trying to save my dad, the city, the mortals, the camp, and my family and you’re telling me to
not do this?”

"It's important," Rachel insisted desperately. "It will affect what you do."

“What does it mean? When the time comes don’t be a hero? What the fuck does that mean
Rachel?” He growled at her, taking a menacing step forward, causing Rachel to stumble
back. “Am I supposed to abandon my people, abandon my family? Throw down my sword
and surrender to the Titan King?” Rachel glanced over at rhea, clearly asking for help. Rhea
reached out tentatively and grasped his arm, placing a calming hand on his skin and
reminding him to not scare the mortal.

"I'm . . . I'm sorry, Percy. That's all I know. I had to tell you because—" Percy’s face had yet
to soften, the thunderstorm of anger still painting his handsome features.

"Well!" Chiron cantered over, providing a much needed interruption. "This must be Miss
Dare." Percy cleared his face reluctantly and stepped back, introducing their teacher to
Rachel before giving a subtle warning for Chiron not to let Rachel ‘go too far’ (Rhea did not
know what that meant but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. She had far too much on her
plate to deal with and she was not about to add worrying for the mortal to it). “Percy, while I
talk with Miss Dare, perhaps you and Rhea should get some sleep. The enemy seems to have
decided to stay put and we’ve set up bunks in the lobby of the Empire State Building.”

“I just slept.” Percy grumbled, apparently not noticing he looked like absolute shit- clothes
smoking and torn, countenance pale from consistent use of his powers.

“You and Rhea need to regather your strength,” Chiron argued, placing careful emphasis on
Rhea, drawing Percy’s attention to her. Clearly he remembered his earlier worries about her
as he looked at her once more as if with new eyes. Paler than should be possible, eyes a dull
green, and dried stains of ichor in the corners of her lips and under her nose from when she
had torn the earth open.

“Yeah okay,” Percy acquiesced, clearly only for her benefit. Rhea gave Chiron a glare that
conveyed that she didn’t appreciate being used to manipulate Percy, only for the centaur to
stare back unashamed. “C’mon Rhea,” Percy beckoned, tugging her hand. The twins
stumbled their way towards the Empire State Building Perses on their heels, shoving the
doors open and quickly locating an empty bunk beside a group of injured Hermes campers.
Percy grabbed one of the bunks and shoved it into the next one, creating a queen-sized bunk.
He pushed Rhea onto one and after he was confident that she wasn't going to argue about
sleeping, he collapsed in the other bunk. It took seconds, one moment they were gripping
each other’s hands and the next they drifted into the land of dreams, Perses watching over
her, ever so faithfully.

Rhea stood in the savannah, the same place Kronos had found her and proposed to her all
those centuries ago. The nearby lion pride had quickly found her and bonded to her, curling
around her and welcoming her into the Pride as if she had always belonged there. She
stroked her fingers through the male lion’s mane (Perses she called the beast in her mind,
even though she had deliberately chosen to be away from him right now, desperate for space,
she still missed her companion guardian) and desperately fought back tears as she
remembered what she had stumbled across.

A nymph had come to her children, begging Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades to take in her child
and allow him a place amongst them- as was his right as the son of the King. Fury and
heartbreak had torn through her chest and yet Rhea did not so much as flinch, unwilling to
give away any sign of how deeply this cut her. Her precious, beloved boys had turned to her
immediately, not willing to make a judgment without her approval (she was the only person
her proud boys bowed to). Hades was resigned, as if this had only confirmed what he had
suspected- that his beloved father was truly gone. Poseidon had been devastated on her
behalf, she could see the tears behind his beautiful eyes, disbelieving that the father he
remembered worshiping Rhea’s every breath would betray her so. Zeus had been enraged for
her, ready to call down the sky on the Nymph and centaur, ready to kill them and give his
mother their dead bodies as her justice.

Rhea gave a minute shake of her head to her devoted sons before inclining her head with a
look that stated, he will not remain in my presence but I don’t wish for him to die yet. Zeus
leaned back in his seat before waving his hand for the nymph to rise.

“When the war is won, your son will have a place in our realm.” Her son settled on, drawing
a clear line that the centaur (Chiron, her mind spat with disdain) would be given a good
posting but would never have a place beside the legitimate children of the King and Queen.

Not long after the nymph left with her bastard, Rhea rose from her throne and swept towards
the doorway of the makeshift palace, pausing only when she came up alongside her youngest
son.

“You will kill him, my son.” Rhea snarled to Zeus before she left, her grip bruising his skin.
He had spent the past three years begging her to give him permission to slay their father
instead of merely trying to imprison him. She had wanted to spare him, to save her beloved
husband, convinced she only needed time and help to save him from the Curse of their father,
that she could undo the damage and madness it had dealt his mind. She had never given her
permission, but now, after this final betrayal she would. “The Titan King must die.”

Kronos had locked her away, deprived her of her children, and abandoned his vows to stay in
her bed alone. But none of that had hurt as much as the knowledge of the fact that he had
deemed it acceptable for this little centaur to live. Fighting each other in the arena was
nothing- they had done it several times before, their passion turning to rage often enough that
the only way for them to rid themselves of it was to fight so bloodily and brutally that at least
one of them was forced to spend a week regenerating. But how could he want the little
creature to live and yet not their beautiful, powerful, wonderful children. Were Hestia,
Demeter, and Hera not beautiful enough, loving enough, sweet enough? Were Poseidon and
Hades not strong enough, handsome enough? Were they not the image of their father? He
had not even given Zeus a chance, but when she had presented Zeus to him as their nephew
had he not loved, adored, and favored Zeus above all others? How could he not deem them
worthy of life but allow this beast to remain alive, to grow happy and free?

Agony and hate lanced through her heart and she met her youngest son’s gaze, her precious
little savior. He searched her gaze for a moment, stormy eyes (for he dulled their electric
appearance just for her) before finding the sincerity in her eyes. Leaning forward he pressed a
kiss to his beloved mother’s forehead and nodded.

“We will avenge you, Mataerias,” Mama. He swore, not willing to allow his mother, who had
raised him alone, who had taught him to fight, to channel his power, who had officiated the
wedding union of himself and Mnemosyne to be hurt and insulted in such a manner. His
mother was the Chaos Chosen Queen and yet Kronos sought to demean her in such a manner,
siring a bastard while he was still legally bound to Rhea.

How could Kronos deal her this betrayal, Rhea wondered as she stroked a hand through the
Lion’s mane. Had his heart turned to stone, had the madness taken complete hold of him? Or
was this some fucked up punishment for what he perceived as her betrayal of him. She was
pulled from her thoughts as the lions began to shift in front of her, protecting her and letting
out warning rumbles. She rose, knowing she could protect herself and the lions better than
they could and was greeted by the sight of her husband, her king.

Kronos stood there in black armor, clearly shocked to see her. Had he come here for the same
reason she had? Because of the precious memories it had for the both of them? Why would he
come here for that when he had just betrayed her in the worst possible way? Rhea moved,
swiftly making her way in front of the Lions so that they would be safe if her and Kronos’s
fury turned physical.

“Rhea,” Kronos breathed out, as if he couldn’t believe that he was seeing her with his own
eyes, as if he thought this were a dream. “You are here. I’ve been searching for you for years
and now I have found you.” Desperate hope and love was painted all across his face and
Rhea could have cried at the sight of it. How could he say her name as if it were a prayer and
look at her that way when he had dealt her such a betrayal. He reached a hand out and she
flinched back violently. His eyes widened with alarm and she watched as his madness
receded, pushed back at the realization that his beloved Rhea feared him. “Rhea, darling. It’s
alright, I won’t harm you. I know why you did what you did and I’m not upset with you. I
know why you stood against me. I forgive all of it, just come back to me and we can move
past it.” She couldn’t help the deranged laugh that escaped her lips, shocking Kronos as he
looked at her with concern.

“But can I forgive you?” She laughed before abruptly halting and staring down at the ring
on her finger with hate.

“Rhea?” His voice was full of concern, so reminiscent of her Ekdikitis from their youth, her
darling Ekdikitis who had adored her more than anything, more than power, more than a
throne.

“Of all the things I thought you and I would do to one another, this never crossed my mind.”
She whispered, twisting the ring around her finger as she remembered their wedding.

“Rhea, my darling, I don’t know what you speak of-”

“My darling,” she mocked, pitching her voice to sound like his and scoffing cruelly. “Tell me
Kronos what was it about that nymph that enchanted you so? Did you sleep with her to hurt
me, to punish me? That I could understand, perhaps even forgive one day.” Horror and
realization came over Kronos’s face and he took a desperate step towards her, reaching out
only for her to step back and hold up a warning hand.

“Rhea- oh Chaos, Rhea I can explain, I never meant-” He was desperate, pleading with her
as if he were pleading for his life but she would hear none of it, cutting cruelly across his
excuses.

“Never meant to what? Fall into her cunt? For me to find out?” She paused, stepping
forward, walking closer and closer until she stood only a foot away and allowing a harsh,
ugly look of fury to mar her features. “Or did you never mean to father a child on her?” Her
eyes were black with fury and Kronos’s eyes widened as he realized the depth of his perceived
offense. He opened his mouth to speak but Rhea’s hand flashed out. With enough force for a
sound like a crack of lightning to fill the air, her hand struck Kronos’s cheek, forcing him
back several steps as ichor dripped down his cheek from the point of contact of her wedding
ring to his skin. Kronos looked back up at her, not an ounce of anger on his face, only pain,
both physical and emotional.

“Rhea, we were apart- we had betrayed each other and I-”

“Do you love her? Do you love it ? The little bastard who could NEVER hope to compare to
my beautiful sons?” Perhaps it was cruel of her to speak this way of her husband’s bastard
but she didn’t care. Rhea was a just queen, usually kind and compassionate. But she was a
titan and like all others she was cruel, vengeful, and hateful when offended. “What made you
choose to let him live when you could not even spare Hestia or Poseidon- our son, our boy,
our perfect mix who adored you so and who I KNOW you loved more than any other save
Hestia.” Her voice rose higher and higher in pitch as she pointed an accusing finger at
Kronos. “You cannot keep blaming the curse of our father for everything. No, it is you, YOU
are the monster and you are a greater monster than our father could ever be.” Rhea went
silent, chest heaving with anger as she stared at her husband in silence. Above them the sky
rumbled, as if their father could hear them and was laughing. Cold determination settled in
Rhea’s veins and she lifted the three fingers meant to ward off evil as she began her curse in
Old Tongue, damning her husband. “May your sword fail you when you need it most, may
our Father’s Curse remain strong in you and may it damn you to the same gruesome death
you dealt him, may your body be as broken as my heart is. May you spend millennia in agony
and know this Kronos Ekdikitis, you have brought it upon yourself.”

She turned to walk away from him, unable to bear the sight of him any longer, feeling as her
heart shattered into thousands of pieces. Rhea had stayed so strong, she had endured the
years without her children and tried to save her husband, she had raised a child in secret and
helped said son to rescue her other children, she had endured the humiliation of Iapetus and
won her freedom in a duel against Kronos. She had no strength left in her, she was too tired,
too worn from betrayal after betrayal.

“Rhea!” Kronos called once more, his voice was a mix of rage and agony, enraged that she
dared to turn away from him, curse him, and leave him but agonized that he had ever caused
her so much pain. Rhea spun back around and summoned the last dregs of her power that
resided within her. Lifting her hand and pointing her three fingers at Kronos she unleashed a
blast of pure devastation. The blast went off, cratering the earth and burning Kronos in the
devastation. Rhea closed her eyes and let out a heartbroken sob, fleeing the scene, leaving
nothing but the crater and her wedding ring as evidence that she had ever been there.

Her dream began to slowly turn black before she was pulled from the savannah and
descended into the eternal black of her subconscious.
*

Percy was standing outside the United Nations, about a mile northeast of the Empire State
Building. The Titan army had set up camp all around the UN complex. The flagpoles were
hung with horrible trophies—helmets and armor pieces from defeated campers. All along
First Avenue, giants sharpened their axes. Telkhines repaired armor at makeshift forges.
Kronos himself paced at the top of the plaza, swinging his scythe so his dracaenae
bodyguards stayed way back, his black hair was tied back and his golden eyes gleamed from
behind Luke’s scar. Ethan Nakamura and Prometheus stood nearby, out of slicing range.
Ethan was fidgeting with his shield straps, but Prometheus looked as calm and collected as
ever in his tuxedo, Gods how Percy wanted to punch that smug titan right in his scarred face.

"I hate this place," Kronos growled. "United Nations. As if mankind could ever unite. Remind
me to tear down this building after we destroy Olympus." (Kronos wondered if his beloved
would beg for him to spare this place, when he won and she came before him to beg for the
lives of her family would she beg him to spare this place and others like it? Would she cry
those gem-like tears and plead for the lives of billions or would she only plead for her
family?)

"Yes, lord." Prometheus smiled as if his master's anger amused him. "Shall we tear down the
stables in Central Park too? I know how much horses can annoy you." A smirk than flitted
across his face as if a terribly amusing thought had hit him. “Perhaps we can visit the zoo
after and free the Lions, I know how fond you can be towards them.” Kronos let out a furious
snarl and lunged, catching Prometheus by the collar of his jacket.

"Don't mock me, Prometheus and do not DARE to speak- even in vague references of her!”
Prometheus gave a hasty nod, holding his hands up in surrender. Kronos gave one last
animalistic snarl before dropping him. (In the back of his mind, Percy was sharply reminded
of the myths of Queen Rhea Ourania. Lions were her chosen animal, the symbol of her
power, the Kings of the Savannah to represent the Queen of the Earth. Was that what had
triggered Kronos?) “Those cursed centaurs will be sorry they interfered. I will feed them to
the hellhounds, starting with that son of mine—that weakling Chiron. Chaos damn him to the
depths of Tartarus, that creature has done nothing but ruin everything since the day he was
born." Prometheus shrugged, clearly uncaring of the constant irritating reminder that the
centaur was to his King, a living, breathing reminder of the fall of Kronos from Rhea’s heart.

"That weakling destroyed an entire legion of telkhines with his arrows." Fury, ugly and
devastating, twisted Kronos’s face and he swung his scythe and cut a flagpole in half. The
national colors of Brazil toppled into the army, squashing a dracaena.

"We will destroy them!" Kronos roared. "It is time to unleash the drakon. Nakamura, you will
do this."

"Y-yes, lord. At sunset?"

"No," Kronos said. "Immediately. The defenders of Olympus are badly wounded. They will
not expect a quick attack. Their most powerful demigods are holding up the entire army and
consistent attacks will weaken them, they will not have much more power to draw on if we
continue to strike them- giving them very little recovery time. They are already down two sons
of my middle daughter.” Ethan frowned, clearly disagreeing with the strategy.

"But, my lord," Ethan began with fear. "Your regeneration, you need time to heal as well."
Kronos pointed at Ethan, and the demigod froze. Kronos smiled at his own power, flexing his
fingers and watching the eerie glow of the golden river of time flowing through his fingers,
manipulating it nearly effortlessly.

"Does it seem," Kronos hissed, "that I need to regenerate?" Ethan didn't respond. Kind of
hard to do when you're immobilized in time. Kronos snapped his fingers and Ethan collapsed.
"Soon," the Titan growled, "this form will be unnecessary. I will not rest with victory so close-
I am so close to having everything I have desired back in my grasp! Now, go!" Ethan
scrambled away.

"This is dangerous, my lord," Prometheus warned. "Do not be hasty."

"Hasty? After festering for three thousand years in the depths of Tartarus, you call me hasty?
The Throne of the Heavens is to be restored to me- my Throne, my True Form. And with those
I will be able to recreate everything my chaos damned son stole from me, turning my own
wife and children against me." Percy could have laughed at Kronos’s words, did Kronos truly
think he had nothing to do with Queen Rhea and the Elder Six turning away from him? Or
did he know but just wished to forget, deflect, and cast all the blame on Zeus to ease his own
non-existent conscience?

"Thrice you've fought him," Prometheus pointed out. "And yet you've always said it is
beneath the dignity of a Titan to fight a mere mortal. I wonder if your mortal host is
influencing you, weakening your judgment or perhaps it is your personal grudge against him
for having what you believe is yours."Kronos turned his golden eyes on the other Titan. His
face was emotionless, a cold, stone-like visage without feeling.

"What I believe to be mine?” He whispered, repeating the words in a voice so deceptively

soft, something that sent alarm bells through Percy and clearly Prometheus as well, both
knowing the soft tone was not a sign of gentleness, but imminent punishment and pain. “You
call me weak and then you dare to speak of her?” Kronos began to walk calmly and slowly
towards Prometheus who dared not move- or perhaps he couldn’t, maybe Kronos had frozen
him. “I have been exceedingly generous with you, little titan. You returned to me with nothing
but tales of failure, failure to sway my grandson- a boy who could do so much for me and
who I would gladly welcome to my side. I was kind, I only injured you enough for you to
spend a few hours regenerating, taking only your tongue as punishment for its failure.”
Kronos stopped right in front of Kronos and clucked his tongue condescendingly, looking into
his eyes as he tilted his head. "Are your loyalties divided?" Kronos asked. "Perhaps you miss
your old friends, the gods. Would you like to join them? Or perhaps I should make you a gift
to the Sea Princess, for from what you said it seems she would be eager to deal with you far
less… kindly than I did." Prometheus paled, sweat dotting his brow as he quickly averted his
gaze from the deadly calm of the Titan king’s gaze.

"I misspoke, my King. My mouth speaks before I think and it is the gravest of sins, I was
deserving of your punishment.” Kronos nodded approvingly as Prometheus thanked him for
punishing him. ( Percy couldn’t tell if he was horrified by or admiring of how efficiently
Kronos ruled his people, ruling with an iron fist and unshaking command). “Your orders will
be carried out." He turned to the armies and shouted, "PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" The troops
began to stir, gathering and preparing themselves for battle.

From somewhere behind the UN compound, an angry roar shook the city—the sound of a
drakon waking.

The noise was so horrible it woke him, and Percy realized he could still hear it from a mile
away. A pit formed in his stomach and he turned to look down at his still sleeping sister,
wishing he didn’t have to wake her but knowing that he had to. Grover stood next to Percy,
looking nervous.

"What was that?" He asked, voice shaking as if he knew the answer but was really hoping he
was wrong.

"They're coming," Percy told him, reaching over to shake Rhea out of her sleep- not catching
the heartbreak in her eyes as she pulled herself from her dream. "And we're in trouble."

Kronos was full of surprises and Rhea was just about sick of all of them. Three titans,
multiple waves of armies, the Sow, and now a fucking Drakon with another army all in the
span of 24 hours. To make things worse- Rhea had only had one nap where Percy had two,
meaning her Well of Power was definitely not as replenished as his and that she would
instead be forced to rely on her fighting skills instead of her powers lest she overexert- again.
(She could technically draw on her brother’s and cousins’s powers, stealing some of their
strength to bolster her own, but she didn’t want to, not when she had a naturally deeper, more
powerful Well than any of them save Percy). Clarisse came to stand beside Rhea, watching as
the Drakon slithered up and down the sides of skyscrapers, slithering steadily closer to them.

The beast gave a massive roar, shattering thousands of windows with the sound. None of the
demigods so much as blinked.

“It can only be defeated by the child of Ares,” Clarisse stated, almost emotionless as she
stared at the massive beast.

“Yeah, have fun with that,” Rhea replied, not an ounce of her regretful at getting to pawn the
monster off to the daughter of Ares. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Clarisse- okay she didn’t
like her, but she didn’t dislike her either- after all they had a mutual best friend and whether
Clarisse and Rhea liked it, they had often ended up forced together by Silena. “Don’t die.”
Clarisse turned to Rhea with a slight smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“Why, would you miss me? I knew you liked me.” Rhea shoved Clarisse, making a disgusted
noise at her frenemy’s words.
“Shut the fuck up and forget I said that, I take it back,” At her words, Clarisse let out her
gruff, booming laugh before pulling her helmet down and turning to her siblings.

“ARES, TO THE DRAKON!” Clarisse and the dozen other Ares campers lifted their spears,
swords, shields, and whatever other weapons they carried and charged straight towards the
Drakon, a bristling line of angry red armor with no fear, ready to take down the mythic
monster.

“The rest of us need to hold the line against the army,” Percy commanded, turning to the
councilors as he spoke. Each of them nodded at his words before turning and barking the
same command to their siblings. “Steve and Liam are safe right?” He asked Rhea, not
wanting to go into battle until he could be reassured of their cousins safety. Rhea gave him a
nod. She had assigned Perses to watch over their injured, healing cousins and she knew he
would guard them with his life, not wanting to fail his Queen. (‘I need you to protect my
cousins’ she had told him, her hand gripping his own gently. ‘We are going to fight against
your family, your uncles, and your King. I am not asking I am ordering you- stay out of the
fighting and protect my cousins’ He had bowed sharply, barely hiding the relief in his eyes
before departing for the Plaza, determined to hold the hotel if the titan army decided to
ransack it and kill the injured). Percy then turned to Annabeth, one hand extending, as if to
touch her before he rescinded his hand, regret all over his face. (Rhea wished she could take
both of them aside and bash their heads together as she screamed ‘YOU LOVE EACH
OTHER’). “Stay with me?” Percy decided on asking, eyes hopefully scanning Annabeth’s
face.

“Of course,” she replied miserably, pain- and not the physical sort- painted across her
beautiful features. “I help my friends”. Percy’s expression was agonized and Rhea did her
best not to groan, instead choosing to meet Katie’s eyes on the other side of Percy- the pair
sharing the most exasperated and exhausted look.

“Percy, it’s now or never,” Alex interjected, clearly just as tired of the mutual pining that was
happening right in front of them. Percy cleared his throat and looked away, Annabeth doing
the same.

“Right,” Percy spoke, voice just a tad hoarse. He cleared his throat again and when he turned
to face the campers his eyes were burning with power. “FOR OLYMPUS!” He roared.

“FOR OLYMPUS!” 25 demigods and almost a dozen Hunters roared back, weapons held
high in the air. Chiron gave a similar encouraging cry to the Party Ponies who yelled back.
And then they all dove into battle.

The battle was a disaster with a victory they barely managed to pull out of their ass.

The centaurs had panicked when faced with the onslaught of demons and giants. Waves upon
waves of monsters kept crashing into the line of demigods, forcing them back step by step-
pushing them closer and closer to the Empire State Building. Fire exploded across both
armies, monsters exploded, centaurs were felled. Arrows screamed through the air as they
were fired from both sides.
The Demigods kept losing ground.

Percy and Rhea cut through dozens and dozens of monsters but no matter how many they
took, more seemed to take their place. It was as if Kronos had poured every single one of his
monsters and demigods into this battle, meaning to overwhelm them by sheer numbers and
through exhaustion. Occasionally she felt the tug in her gut of Alex drawing on the tethers of
power that connected the Wells of Power of the cousins (now that she had pulled that trick,
the others seemed to be doing so as well, using it to perform feats usually beyond the
capabilities of their Well), pulling on their strength as he called bolt after bolt of lightning
down, summoning it into his hands so that he could rip through monsters with his bare hands,
electrocuting them as he went and turning them to dust. She should stop him, wall off his
ability to take her power given how depleted her stores of energy are but she doesn’t- more
than willing to become weak to give her cousin strength. Katie was hacking through the lines
of defense right beside Rhea before Miranda came up on Rhea’s other side, the three girls
working like a whirlwind of golden swords as they tried desperately to protect the line of
archers behind them.

It wasn’t enough, they were falling further and further back, the archers pressing up against
the doors of the Empire State Building while the rest of the demigods and centaurs who could
fight hacked away at the monsters furiously, creating a semi-circle around the doors.

The Ares kids were fairing a bit better, causing the drakon to become a pincushion of bronze
javelins, Clarisse had long since exited her chariot and had thrown herself onto the drakon,
stabbing into various chinks in the armor of the serpant before managing to stab it in one of
its eyes. She looked up for a moment, registering the dire situation of the rest of the camp and
screamed an order down at her siblings, causing six of them to peel off from the drakon
fighting group and to charge at Kronos’s army, crashing into them and providing much
needed aid to the battle.

Her momentary distraction was the beginning of the end.

She was hurled from the drakon, crashing into the side of a building and falling to the ground
in a slump. One of her siblings was swallowed in one gulp, another sprayed with poison,
another knocked aside and screaming while cradling his arm which was no doubt broken.
The drakon then began to slither its way towards Clarisse, no doubt identifying her as the one
who took its eye.

“CLARISSE!” Silena screams, panic filling her voice. She bolts with speed and certainty that
Rhea has never seen before. Silena hacks through monsters who impede her way as she
struggles to get to her friend. Another monster nearly slices Silena’s head off, a well timed
duck the only thing that saves her.

“PERCY!” Rhea yells over the screaming of the battle. “I’M GOING AFTER HER!” Percy’s
head pops up from where he’s busy slaughtering a host of hellhounds. His eyes flash over to
where the remaining three Ares kids try to fight the drakon and protect Clarisse’s prone form
before seeing Silena sprinting that way. Percy then looks at Annabeth and some sort of silent
communication takes place between the pair (oh the bonds of the King and his Queen, the
same no matter which generation it is) before he looks back to Rhea.
“ANNABETH AND I ARE COMING! SHE NEEDS HELP AGAINST THE DRAKON!”

“GO!” Katie screams, ducking as a javelin nearly pierces her in the forehead. “WE’LL
HOLD THE LINE!” Rhea gives her a quick nod before she, Percy, and Annabeth duck out of
the furious, desperate battle and begin to sprint after Silena. More javelins were thrown at the
drakon, furious attempts to hack away at its face while dodging its poison.

Silena made it to her fallen friend and pulled out ambrosia and nectar, pouring the nectar
down Clarisse’s throat while shoving ambrosia in her mouth, forcing her to chew and
swallow it. Annabeth, Percy, and Rhea joined the protective barrier of Ares kids around
Clarisse, doing their best to allow her time to heal so that she would be able to defeat the
beast- something only the Child of Ares could do - as they all knew it had to be her that did
it.

“We need to draw it away,” Annabeth called, diving out of the way of a blast of poison.

“Good idea! Fan out, let’s try and give Clarisse some space!” Percy ordered and they
scrambled, flying towards the drakon before dodging to its sides, jabbing their weapons into
its scales in an attempt to infuriate it into abandoning its desire to make a meal out of
Clarisse.

It works for a minute. They get lucky enough to distract the Drakon momentarily, giving
Clarisse the time to wake up and begin to pull herself together. Unfortunately for her,
staggering to her feet meant noticeable movement, which only served to drag the drakon’s
attention right back to her. The monster gave one last snap at Percy before slithering back
towards Clarisse closing in on her quickly- as she swayed weakly where she stood.

It opens its great maw, staring balefully down at Clarisse. There is a sharp hiss in the back of
the monster’s throat as yellow-green poison builds in its mouth, preparing to spray her with it
and kill her. Clarisse’s eyes widen and she goes to move, trying to throw herself out of the
way of the poison spray. Rhea prepares herself for the death, knowing that Clarisse won’t be
fast enough to get out of the way.

“CLARISSE!” Silena screams once more, ten times more desperate, and throws herself at her
friend. Clarisse is knocked out of the way just in time for the blast of poisonous spray to hit
Silena in the face, burning through the metal of her helmet and striking her immediately. The
daughter of Aphrodite lets out an agonized scream and collapses to the ground.

“Silena!” Rhea cries out, running over to her friend, screaming as she runs for Annabeth to
get a healer immediately. She makes it to Silena quickly and crouches by her side, moving
Silena so that her head lies comfortably in Rhea’s lap as she removes the helmet and brushes
Silena’s burned, ruined hair away from her new wounds.

"NO! Curse you, WHY?" Clarisse wailed, crawling over to Silena and Rhea, sitting beside
them and taking Silena’s hand in her own. “Why would you do this?” She sobbed out, furious
tears beginning to course down her cheeks. The drakon- who had been momentarily
distracted by Percy managing to get its head trapped in a brick building- ripped its head free
and whirled on Clarisse once more, baring its fangs at her. Visible fury courses through her
and she stands, picking her fallen electric spear up from where it lay only a few feet away.
"YOU WANT DEATH?" Clarisse screamed at the drakon. "WELL, COME ON!" Clarisse’s
breastplate and helmet had been removed by Silena in an attempt to revive her, so with very
little armor and no shield- she charged the Dragon She leaped aside as the monster struck,
pulverizing the ground in front of her. Then she jumped onto the creature's head. As it reared
up, she drove her electric spear into its good eye with so much force it shattered the shaft,
releasing all of the magic weapon's power. Electricity arced across the creature's head,
causing its whole body to shudder. Clarisse jumped free, rolling safely to the sidewalk as
smoke boiled from the drakon's mouth. The drakon's flesh dissolved, and it collapsed into a
hollow scaly tunnel of armor.

Clarisse turned immediately, not even celebrating her victory as she ran back to Silena-
Percy, Annabeth, Rhea, and the rest of the Ares kids all crowd around her. The raging battle
still continued along Fifth Avenue but it was almost as if it didn’t even exist, nothing existed
save for Silena who lay dying on the ground after sacrificing herself for Clarisse.

Her beautiful features were ruined, no ambrosia, nectar, or even appearance shifting would
ever be able to change it. She was dying, slowly, brutally, terribly- wheezing and wet gasps
escaping her lungs as she fought for each breath.

“What were you thinking?” Clarisse gasped as she held Silena’s hands in her own, gazing
into her eyes with such agony.

“Couldn’t… let you-” she broke off to cough, another horrible sound leaving her body.
“Couldn’t let… you die for… what I did.” All of their brows furrowed, completely confused
by what she meant. However, a pit began to form in Rhea’s stomach and she let out a shaky
exhale.

“What do you mean S?” She whispers, brushing Silena’s hair comfortingly, desperately
hoping what her mind is screaming isn’t true. (Oh it would be so like Kronos to do this and
she hopes to the gods that she is wrong).

“All my fault,” Silena whispered, a tear streaking down the side of her ruined face. “The
Drakon, Charlie’s death… camp endangered.” She then separated one of her hands from
Clarisse and brought it to grasp at Rhea’s with desperate apology. “The kidnapping.”

“Oh gods,” Rhea breathed, dropping Silena’s hand immediately and scrambling back. It was
true, Kronos had done this. Kronos had turned one of her closest friends into his spy in the
camp, he had used her best friend, ordering her to kidnap her and transport her to Othrys. The
same friend who then spent days on end comforting Rhea when she had reappeared at camp.

Had that even been real friendship or had it been a scheme, or maybe even guilt?

Silena’s desperate gaze never left Rhea’s as she opened up her hand, the one she had grabbed
Rhea with and revealed a silver bracelet with that silver scythe charm. Rhea flinched back at
the sight of it.

“You betrayed the camp?” Percy ground out, hand tightening on the hilt of Riptide as he no
doubt fought the urge to march forward and take her head as was done for traitors.
Annabeth’s hand curled around his wrist, halting his movements as if to remind him that
Silena was already dying.

“It was you, you’re the spy. You're the traitor,” Rhea breathed out, agonizing pain ripping
through her chest as if a knife had dug into her heart and cut her open. “You helped them into
the camp last summer?” Rhea struggled to get each word out, backing away, tripping and
falling over herself as she struggled with the implications.

Silena was part of the reason Lee had died. Rhea knew now that Kronos always would have
killed Lee, but if he had been kept out of the camp, if the Battle of the Labyrinth never
happened then Rhea could have done her damned best to keep Lee out of Kronos’s reach.

“Don’t you dare-” Clarisse started, glaring up at Rhea as she began to threaten her. Percy
took a step forward, no doubt only seconds away from putting Clarisse back into her place.
However, Silena was faster, attempting to soothe Clarisse by stroking her hand.

"It happened…before . . . before I liked Charlie, Luke was nice to me. He was so . . .
charming. Handsome. Later, I wanted to stop helping him, but he threatened to tell you Rhea.
He promised . . . he promised I was saving lives. Fewer people would get hurt. He told me he
wouldn't hurt . . . Charlie. He lied to me." Either way, Kronos would have achieved
something, he either got his spy in the camp or he would have gotten to have Rhea’s faith in
her people shaken. It had been a win-win situation for him and Silena had been the one
caught in the middle. Percy met Annabeth's eyes. Her face was chalky. She looked like
somebody had just yanked the world out from under her feet. He averted his gaze from her
once more and focused on his rage at Silena.

She was the reason that his sister had been kidnapped, and had endured everything she had
over the past months. Silena was the one who had been the catalyst for the events that had
created a chasm of mistrust between the twins. Percy reached one of his hands out and
grabbed Rhea’s waist, pulling her into his side as if he could shield her from the pain of this
betrayal. Behind them, the battle raged on, Clarisse scowled at her cabinmates.

"Go, help the centaurs. Protect the doors. GO!" They scrambled off to join the fight, leaving
only Percy, Rhea, Annabeth, and Clarisse to stare down at the dying form of Silena the
Traitor. Silena took a heavy, painful breath.

"Forgive me." Clarisse nods quickly, so willing to forgive her closest friend. Rhea however
stares down at her, tears in her eyes as she takes a slow, shaky step towards Silena’s
outstretched hand. She folds it into her own once more and crouches down.

“I can never forgive you for this,” Rhea whispers, brushing away her tears with her free hand.
“But I can understand why you did it.” She knew Percy’s fatal flaw would never allow him to
forgive her dying friend and Rhea’s flaw of love had been broken, leaving her heart torn apart
in the yawning cavern of her chest. She felt the hate for Silena burning in her chest,
threatening to tear her apart but she refused to allow herself to act on it. Silena was already
dying, Rhea’s hate would do nothing.

“That’s all I can… ask for,” Silena spluttered, coughing up red blood tinged with the green of
the poison now coursing through her system. “May I… may I ask for one thing?” Rhea
nodded, what harm could a dying girl do with one request after all. “I don’t want to die… this
way. Slow…painful… boiling alive from the inside.” Her temperature skyrockets once more
and she shakes from the force of her fever, coughing up more blood. “Please… kill me.”
Clariss began to nod furiously, no doubt not wanting her friend to suffer this horrible death
any longer. She went to draw her knife so that she could cut Silena’s throat, giving her a
quick, nearly pain-free death only to be halted by a cold command.

“Stop.” Rhea’s command was soft, but cold and deadly, pausing Clarisse’s movements in
their tracks. “Silena, you betrayed us. You know what that means.” Silena gave a brutal
cough before nodding slowly. “You can either die from the poison or die the death of a traitor.
There is no third option.” Silena let go of Clarisse’s hand, shakily pushing herself up onto her
knees, gazing up at Rhea, her Queen with sincere regret.

“Then let me die a traitor’s death and hopefully one day I will earn my way to Elysium.”
Rhea searched Silena’s gaze, trying to make sure she meant it and after a moment she finally
nodded, letting one of her blade’s drop to the ground so that she stood before Silena with only
one golden blade.

“Rhea, I can do this for you. You don’t have to bear this.” Percy whispered, placing a gentle
hand on her shoulder only for Rhea to shake it off.

“She was my friend, I will do this for her.” Rhea whispered, eyes never leaving Silena as she
remembered all the time they had spent together. Silena let out a choked sob, closing her eyes
as she readied herself for death before reopening them, giving a decisive nod of her head. She
was ready to die. Rhea moved to stand right in front of Silena before addressing her former
friend, handing out her sentence.

“Silena Beauregard you have committed crimes of the highest order to not only your leaders
and your camp, but to your family. You have schemed against us, lied to us, and betrayed us.”
Rhea took a deep inhale, steadying herself as she spoke the final piece of the sentence.
“There can be but one punishment for your treason and therefore I sentence you to death. Do
you accept this?”

“I accept for I…am guilty,” Silena rasped out, giving another cough.

“Then may Hades have mercy on your Soul.” Rhea prayed, the others quickly repeating the
prayer. Rhea lifted her sword, pushing every memory of her friendship with Silena from her
mind before driving her sword home. The cursed blade pierced straight through Silena’s
heart, the point of the sword coming out of her back and she let out a gasp, coughing up a
final gush of blood. She gave Rhea a mournful look before turning to Clarisse and smiling.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. Rhea pulled her sword back, leaving the wound gaping in
Silena’s chest. Silena held her body up for one breath, then another before collapsing
forward, giving a shuddering death, and passing into the Afterlife. Clarisse crawled forward
to her friend’s body, pulling Silena’s head into her lap while stifling what sounded like a sob.
She stayed silent for a moment before looking up with tear filled eyes.

“She was a hero,” Clarisse choked out. “A hero!” Rhea let out a choked sound, whether it
was a hysterical laugh or a sob she did not know. She wondered if she had just fulfilled a line
of the prophecy, if by turning her sword- her fucking cursed swords, the marriage gift that
they were from Kronos- on Silena and killing her, had Rhea just sealed the line of the
prophecy ‘the Hero’s Soul cursed blade shall reap?’

“No. She was a traitor and her actions, the secrets she has given away may have very well
damned us all.” Percy replied, voice steady and without a hint of regret, the betrayal having
already begun to chafe at his fatal flaw. He gave a nod to Rhea and she turned, allowing him
to guide her and Annabeth back into the fray of the battle which was beginning to die- the
Demigods finally taking an upper hand as they cut down monsters in the doorways. Clarisse
stood, but then she hesitated, looking down at the body of her dead friend and leaned over,
gently rearranging her body as if she were only sleeping. Sending up a quick prayer that
Silena would be allowed to try for rebirth, Clarisse then turned and lept back into the battle,
swearing to herself that Kronos would pay for this.

But that night as the bodies were burned Rhea found Silena’s and slowly dragged her corpse
over to the fire, long after all the other campers had left. She would be denied a shroud and a
send off from her family, but Rhea would still burn the body of the girl she had once thought
to be her friend. So she stood there, watching her friend’s body burn, waiting until the very
last flame burned out and there was nothing left, saying all the customary prayers of death.

And as her friend burned, her body becoming nothing but ash and smoke in the air, her soul
already descending to be judged in Hades, Rhea was reminded that she could truly trust no
one but her family.

They were all she had.

 Together We Stand…
Chapter Notes

So I lied lol, this chapter isn't very painful.

The next one tho.... is epic.

The doorman was gone from the lobby, no one to guard the entrance to Olympus but the
demigods. The lobby however, was far from empty given that it was the temporary camp for
the demigods- filled to the brim with wounded campers, Hunters, and satyrs. Rhea stood
outside, watching the dead burn in the funeral pyre and whispering the traditional prayers of
the dead. Alex stood at the doors of the Empire State Building, watching her, but refraining
from going outside- giving Rhea the space to grieve and mourn that she needed. Further
down the block, Clarisse was still parading the empty shell of the drakon, riding up and down
the streets, dragging the shell with her chariot as she screamed for Kronos to come face her.

“Should we help Rhea?” Grover asked, cradling the Laurel sapling that Leneaus had turned
into upon his death. “I mean, she’s been standing by the pyre for like an hour now, that can’t
be good.”

“Leave her be,” Percy cut across, voice soft but still holding a clear command. Rhea needed
to deal with her heartbreak and betrayal on her own terms and Percy would respect that.
Besides, he trusted that Alex would intervene if it was absolutely necessary. He would give
Rhea the time she needed and meanwhile he would take care of the more pressing matters.
Turning to Grover and Annabeth he sighed and rubbed his brow. “We need to go to
Olympus,” He muttered under his breath. At their agreeing nods, Percy cut a path through the
wounded and resting campers towards the elevator.

For 300 floors of the ride up, the elevator was silent save for the awful music choices
provided by Rhea’s boyfriend (gods it made Percy nauseous to think about Apollo with his
sister). Occasionally Grover and Percy would exchange glances, looking over at a quiet
Annabeth who looked like she was fighting back tears. Neither of the best friends quite knew
what to say.

“Percy?” Annabeth whispered, voice as close to tearful and broken as Percy had ever heard
from her. (It made him want to pull her close, curl her into his embrace as he protected her
from any pain that this horrible world may try to give her, not that she would want that.
Annabeth was strong, stronger than most and rarely did she need protection). “You were
right about Luke.”
Hearing that should have tasted like victory- Percy should have been resisting the urge to
throw his hands up, pop confetti, and sing ‘We are the champions’. But he felt none of that,
none of his typical ‘I told you so’ feelings that he often got on the rare occasions that he was
right about something. No, instead he felt horrible, sorry, and guilty, as if it was somehow his
fault that Luke was the absolute worst and had betrayed Annabeth’s expectations of him.

“Annabeth,” he breathed out, one hand coming up tentatively to rest on her shoulder, praying
she wouldn’t shake it off. “I’m so sorry-”

“No,” Annabeth furiously shook her head, her voice shaky, unstable, but she didn’t move
away from his touch. “You tried to tell me, you tried to warn me about what he was- about
how Luke was no good.” She inhaled again, leaning her head back against the wall of the
elevator and staring straight up, avoiding Percy’s gaze. “I didn’t believe you until now. I hope
you’re happy.”

“That doesn’t make me happy… not when you’re so upset.” He dropped his tone, speaking so
low he wondered if Grover could hear him. When Annabeth gave no response Percy sighed
and pulled his hand back from her shoulder and stepping away, giving her space. Grover
coughed awkwardly, eyes going back and forth between Percy and Annabeth.

“Well,” he began after a moment, shifting from hoof to hoof. “It sure is good to be together
again. Arguing, almost dying, abject terror. All we need is for one of us to be held hostage
and it’s just like every quest we’ve ever done. Oh look, it’s our floor!” Grover’s casual way
of speaking about the circumstances would have made Percy die of laughter on any other
occasion- had they not been in real danger of losing this time.

The doors dinged open, and the trio stepped onto the aerial walkway that led to Olympus.
The glorious home of the gods had lost its sense of etherealness and had instead become a
depressing sight. The braziers remained unlit, the streets were deserted, windows were dark,
and the only sign of life was in the parks where the Apollo cabin had set up a field hospital to
treat those who were badly wounded. Will and Kayla were running around healing campers
while Naiads and Dryads tried to assist by using their nature magic to heal burns and poison.

Grover departed from the trio to plant the laurel and as he did so Percy decided to do what
any good leader would do- make his rounds through the wounded, try to lift their spirits, and
give them any reassurances he could. There were various broken limbs, a demigod bandaged
from head to toe, one whose entire right arm was suffering from third degree burns. It was a
gruesome sight, but they were alive, they weren’t burning in the pyre downstairs and Percy
had to take that for the win it was. They may be injured, but they had not died.

He spent several minutes crouching beside one injured child of Hephaestus, allowing him to
grip Percy’s hand with terrifying strength while Will applied burn salve to his leg. Percy then
was with a daughter of Aphrodite, holding her as she cried with fear for what was to come as
well as grief for her sister and her betrayal. When Lacey had finally calmed, Percy moved on
to Pollux, encouraging the son of Dionysus to sit the rest of the battle out, to stay here with
the injured and give himself time to heal. (Pollux frowned the entire time but when Percy
resorted to making it an official order Pollux had no choice but to agree- after all, Percy was
not about to deal him the embarrassment of a lifetime by telling Pollux that his godly father
had asked for his son to be benched).
Eventually the trio was back on the path towards the Palace, the giant ivory marble building
looming on the horizon and Percy couldn’t help but think about how as soon as Kronos made
it through the doors, this would be where he headed- to destroy the throne room. (Which one
would he destroy first? Percy had a very certain and very awkward feeling that it would be
Apollo’s).

The bronze doors of the palace creaked open, displaying the godly wealth and beauty that
was hidden behind the doors only for the first time in Percy’s life, the Throne Room was
cold, empty, and dusty. Their footsteps echoed on the marble floors with each step and the
constellations which usually shone so bright and warm in the sky twinkled down coldly. At
the Hearth, Hestia sat, small and shivering- looking younger than Percy had ever seen her.
(Percy would have no way of knowing this, but Hestia looked the exact age she had been in
the final month before Kronos had absorbed her, the equivalent of a seven-year-old).
Standing at the foot of Zeus’s throne, in the shadows of the giant marble structure, stood
Rachel, cradling Pandora’s Box as if it were the greatest treasure and not the greatest curse.

“Rachel?” Percy tried hesitantly, unsure of what she was doing. “Why do you have that?”
Rachel doesn’t look at him, instead she traces the scenes engraved on the side of the jar, her
eyes glowing suspiciously bright- just like May Castellan.

“I found it,” She whispers, as if in a trance. “Pandora’s Box.” Annabeth shifts, hand going to
her knife while Percy takes another step forward, hands reaching out tentatively as if he were
approaching someone holding a bomb- which he basically was.

“Please put the jar down,” Percy tried again but she only continued to run her fingers along
the ceramic designs, her fingers trailing closer and closer to the lid.

“I can see Hope inside it. So fragile.” Her fingers grip the lid and the fear inside Percy snaps.
He moves fast, with unnatural speed, giving Rachel no time to react. His hands come to grip
Rachel’s wrists like steely manacles, locking them in place and not allowing her to touch the
lid a moment longer.

“That is enough,” Percy’s voice is harsh as he grits out each word through his teeth. His voice
seemed to bring her back to reality. She held out the jar, and Percy took it before quickly
stepping away from her, ensuring that the jar was far from her reach for good. The clay felt as
cold as ice (reflecting the rim opportunities and the quickly fading hope of victory).

"Grover," Annabeth mumbled. "Let's scout around the palace. Maybe we can find some extra
Greek fire or Hephaestus traps." Grover frowned, lifting a hand to point at Percy.

"But—" Annabeth elbowed him, causing Grover to jump a foot away from her.

"Right!" he yelped. "I love traps!" He then cast a final look at Percy as Annabeth dragged
him from the Throne Room, hoping Percy would spare him from being put to work. Grover
found no such help for Percy’s eyes were already fixated on his aunt who huddled by the fire,
rocking back and forth as she sang a lullaby in Ancient Greek. Percy slowly walked towards
her, Rachel trailing behind before following his move to sit by the fire.
“Hello, my Lady Aunt.” Percy greeted, bowing his head respectfully to his favorite aunt.
Hestia’s pained look turns to one of affection, a brief smile flitting across her face.

“So formal, Nephew, and after all this time. Just Aunt Hestia will do.” Percy returns her smile
and nods his head agreeably. “It’s getting colder, harder and harder to keep the fire going.”
Hestia’s voice goes quiet as she speaks, thoughtful and sad as she contemplates what that
means.

“I’m sorry, Aunt Hestia. The Titans are near, and we are losing ground- fast.” Percy bows his
head, defeat coloring his tone but Hestia makes no move to shame him, instead reaching over
to pat his hand reassuringly.

“My father is nothing if not persistent, when he sets his mind to it he is unbeatable.” Hestia
does not so much as flinch when she mentions her father, instead staring into the flame as if
she is remembering her life with her father. Percy wonders what her life with her father was
like- he wonders if Kronos was always so cold and cruel or if there was ever a moment where
he was good to his children, to his family. Hestia finally looks away from the fire, gaze
clearing as she turns to Rachel. “Hello dear girl. You’ve come to my Hearth at last.” Rachel
blinked, scooting back a bit at that.

“You’ve been expecting me?” She asks, green eyes widening with shock. Hestia didn’t reply,
only giving a secretive smile before holding out her hands, causing the coals to glow and the
fire to burn brighter. Images flickered through the flames, images of Percy with his mom,
sister, and Paul enjoying Thanksgiving on one of the rare occasions they got to leave camp
and their battle plans; Percy with his sister and cousins playing twister on their weekly game
night, everyone falling over with laughter as Alex fell into the splits with an extremely high
pitched screech; Annabeth kissing Percy before they parted ways inside Mount St. Helens.
He knew Rachel didn’t see the exact same images but based on the way the tension
disappeared from her shoulders and the warmth of the fire seemed to spread through her
Hestia had shown her something just as comforting. (He wondered what Hestia saw in the
fire, did she even have any happy memories to see for almost every myth about his aunt was
tragic and sad).

“To claim your place at the hearth,” Hestia began, waving one hand over the fire and
changing the color of the flames back to a comforting orange-yellow rather than the red it had
previously been. “You must let go of your distractions. It is the only way you will survive.
For thousands of years women like you have ascended, and those who fail to let go have
always fallen.” Rachel nodded, leaning in and hanging on to every word.

“I understand, My Lady.” Rachel whispered, allowing Hestia to take her hand. “I will not
shrink from my fate.” Percy frowned at that, looking back at his aunt.

“Her fate? Thousands of years women like her have ascended? Ascended where?” He
demanded and yet neither seemed willing to deign him with an answer- and then it hit him.
The way Rachel’s eyes seemed to shine with hidden knowledge, her visions of things she
should have no idea about, the vague half prophecies she seemed to ear in the way the wind
blew. “Rachel,” he tried again, not daring to reach out and touch her if his guess was true.
After all, if he was right then Rachel could not be touched by man, she belonged to Apollo
alone. “Rachel, are you going to try to become the Oracle?” Rachel opened her mouth to
reply, only for Hestia to tsk at her, holding up her hand to stop the conversation while giving
Percy a look of slight reprimand.

“Perseus, her journey is her own. Rachel has disclosed what she can, but her future is for her
alone.” Chastised, Percy nodded, lowering his gaze respectfully in response to Hestia’s
words. “However, you have a great decision that approaches far more rapidly than Rachel’s
fate- a choice that will set the scene for the future of our world. When the time comes, will
you be able to allow nature to take its course, for fate to stitch together what was always
meant to happen? Are you prepared for what you must do?”

No, Percy was not prepared. Not even close. In fact, he was terrified, terrified due to Rachel’s
words about how when the time comes he shouldn’t be a hero. He couldn’t even fathom
stepping aside and standing back while one of his cousins, his sister, or one of his people
stood against Kronos and Percy abandoned them to it. How could he be expected to stand
aside? How could Hestia- his aunt, the protector of the Hearth- expect him to just move aside
and allow his family to be hurt just because a dumb fucking prophecy said so. He heard
footsteps. Annabeth and Grover came back into the throne room and stopped when they saw
the trio around the Hearth.

"Percy?" Annabeth didn't sound angry anymore—just concerned. "Should we, um, leave
again?" The concern in her voice lit a fire in Percy’s stomach- illuminating him to what had
to be done. He was going to make sure that by the time Kronos achieved his true form that
the gods would be here to stop him. He turned to Rachel and gave her a curious look.

“You’ll be careful? You know the risks and this is what you want?” She managed a faint
smile before nodding her head.

“This is what I was made for- just as war is what you were made for.” Percy let out a scoff of
laughter at her words, but it was true. The gods made demigods to fight their wars for them.
Percy’s entire existence was to live, fight, and die in wars for the gods. But they were his
family, his father, his uncles, his aunts, and his cousins- and family meant everything to
Percy.

So he was going to save it.

Percy picked up Pandora’s jar, watching as the spirit of Hope fluttered inside, trying to warm
the cold container.

"Hestia," he began, voice deliberate and respectful, "I give this to you as an offering."
Hestia’s beautiful eyes of fire narrowed as she gazed at him, confused and slightly amused.

“I am the least of the gods, not even an Olympian and yet you would gift this to me?” Her
head tilted as she spoke, the fire dulling in her eyes until she had normal- human eyes, the
fire now only making up her irises. Percy shifted from his seated position and knelt before
her.

“The least? You undervalue yourself Aunt Hestia.” Percy spoke. This goddess was the very
thread that had held the Olympian family together for millennia, she was a goddess of
everything he valued- family, loyalty, faith. “You are the strongest of the Olympians, the
eldest and the greatest. What your siblings endured, you endured longer and they would not
be here if not for you- you are the last Olympian and the most important.” (He did not know
that his words struck so true in her head, for it was true. Whatever betrayal the others had
faced, Hestia had faced worse. She wondered if Percy held any hopes that she would be able
to stop her father. She hoped he did not- she would hate to disappoint Poseidon’s son).

“And why is that, Percy Jackson?” The goddess studied the Godkiller, the very being made to
destroy her kind. And yet she looked upon him with nothing but motherly love and concern.

“Because, Hope survives best at the Hearth. You have kept our family strong and united for
three-thousand years, before that you kept your siblings alive when your father absorbed you.
You- in a manner of speaking- are Hope.” Percy paused, lifting Pandora’s Jar in a clear
offering. “I give this to you Lady Hestia as my offering. Guard it for me so that I will never
be tempted to give up and turn on my family.”

Hestia smiled at him, reaching one hand out to grasp his hand and the other taking the jar.
Percy’s eyes shot to their connected hands before looking at his aunt’s face- taking in how
she gazed at him with such pride. (This boy was so special, he was just like Poseidon before
the war, just like her father in his early months of fatherhood. So full of love, hope, and
strength- loyal to his family above all. It was agonizing and beautiful to see and Hestia only
hoped it would not be crushed out of him as it had his predecessors).

“You make our family proud, my nephew.” Hestia whispered, gripping his hand that much
tighter. She then released his hand and placed Pandora’s Jar in the Hearth. The flames glow
brighter and taller, Olympus seemingly grows warmer and a bit fuller of life in that moment.
“May the blessings of the gods be upon you.” Percy and Hestia shared one last smile before
he rose and nodded to Grover and Annabeth.

“We’re about to find out,” he grumbled and marched towards his father’s throne.

Rhea finally walks into the throne room of Olympus, having left Alex to take care of things
downstairs, to be greeted by the sight of her brother doing an absolutely idiotic thing- sitting
on their father’s throne. Of course, their father adores Percy so much that it is doubtful that
Percy will experience any real consequences of his actions, but Rhea is concerned for the
mortal part of her brother. His mortal blood and body cannot handle the might of the throne,
even if he has more godly blood than most and Rhea can see tendrils of smoke beginning to
rise from his skin- a sign of the sheer divine energy coursing through his body.

Hestia sits by her Hearth- watching Percy with curious but wary eyes- and Rhea makes her
way over to the goddess, sitting across from her and drawing her aunt’s attention away from
Percy’s reckless stunts. Neither says anything for a moment, both simply content to stare at
each other, marveling at how similar they look. Hestia has the exact same expressions and
facial structure as Rhea, the exact same gentle curls that fall down her back beneath her veil,
and her lips curl to make the same smile. However where Rhea’s hair is so deep a black that
it is almost blue, Hestia’s is a dark red, where Rhea’s eyes are vibrantly sea-green, Hestia’s
are made of pure fire, occasionally shifting to a pure gold that is so similar to her father.

“We don’t have much longer,” Rhea breathes out eventually, reaching one of her hands out to
hover close to the flames. “Kronos is coming, he will make it through our defenses soon.”

“Yes, he will,” Hestia murmured, a sad smile on her face. For a few seconds a brief image
flickered in the fire. The image of a young Hestia, looking like she was perhaps six years old,
perhaps in her fourth month of life before Kronos has swallowed her. She was held tight in
Kronos’s arms as he taught her to speak in Old Tongue. Both were laughing and smiling,
Kronos pressing kisses to her chubby cheeks while Hestia giggled happily. Hestia waved her
hand and the image disappeared before the goddess brought her regretful gaze back up to
look at Rhea.

“Are you sure you can do nothing to help?” Rhea pleaded, already knowing the answer but
trying again anyways. They could use the goddess, Kronos would hesitate to strike her- but
not only that, Hestia was extremely powerful and would lend incredible strength to their
cause.

“I was not made to fight my father,” Hestia reminds her and Rhea nods. She knows that
Hestia and Poseidon are avoiding the Titan King at all costs, and not out of fear. But perhaps
even if she would not help them physically, Hestia could give valuable insight.

“You said you didn’t fight in the first Titanomachy?” Rhea paused and Hestia gave a nod of
confirmation. “But you must know how your father fell. Dionysus says that when he achieves
his true form that he is ten times stronger than any god. So how did your siblings win?”

“We spent three years running, hiding. My siblings fought the war with tricks, strategies and
underhanded tactics to stay alive and slowly pick off the other titans.” Rhea nodded, listening
with rapt attention as Hestia seemed to retreat within herself to remember the fight for
freedom from Kronos. “And then something happened, only Poseidon and I knew about it.
My mother saw my father one last time before we won the war, after the last time they saw
each other, it was less than a week before my siblings defeated Kronos.”

“I dreamt of it, of their meeting.” (Our meeting, Rhea thought in her mind). She played with
her cuff bracelets that housed her swords as she spoke, noticing how Hestia’s eyes were
drawn to them. “Your mother confronted Kronos about his affair- about Chiron. Kronos was
trying to sway her to come home but she was too heartbroken.”

“Yes, so heartbroken she faded not too long after our victory.” Another scene flickered in the
flames as Hestia spoke, a scene of six children crowding around their mother’s bed in their
new palace of Olympus, crying as they begged her not to leave them. Those six children then
holding the greatest funeral with the finest shroud and pyre ever seen as they said their final
goodbyes before commanding monuments and statues to be built in their mother’s name.
“But she had already secured the future for us, whether she knew it or not.”

(But the Queen had known, hadn’t she? Deep down, Queen Rhea had sat on her death bed
and known the truth behind her children’s victory- known it had come from her hand.)
“What do you mean?” Rhea asked, holding her breath in anticipation as if she already knew
the answer. Hestia paused, a faint smile playing at her lips as if thinking back on her parents
were cause for fond smiles when in actuality it should have been cause for tears and
nightmares.

“I never believed it was a simple coincidence that my mother and father happened to meet
one last time- a meeting in which my mother revealed just how betrayed and heartbroken she
felt- and then only a few days later my brothers somehow managed to bring down Kronos.”
Hestia confided in a voice of complete calm, as if she had not just begun to undermine the
entire truth everyone had been told about the gods' victory in the original Titanomachy.
“Gaining the upper hand on my father and bringing him to his knees was a feat they had not
been able to manage over the three years of the war.” Rhea sat in silence, allowing those
words to roll around in her mind.

What Hestia was implying was that Kronos had not been truly defeated. No, instead he had
thrown the battle, allowed himself to be beaten down and torn into a million shreds? All
because he had finally realized the depth of his madness, the depth of his betrayal of his wife,
because seeing Rhea rip her ring off and declare their union at an end had been a sort of wake
up call?

“Then the war was never truly won?” Rhea whispered, horrified to find out that the entire war
that the demigods had been forced to fight alone- a fight they had continued based on the
hope that if their parents could take down Kronos at his full might then they would be able to
take him when he was confined to a mortal’s body- was built on a lie. (Oh gods, Rhea wanted
to scream, she wanted to hurl and cry at the horror of this revelation. Their camp, her people,
her family. They were all damned because there was nothing to stop Kronos this time. No
madness to claim his mind, no Fate to ensure that he was destined to lose to the gods again,
and no Rhea Ourania to stop him because now there was only Rhea Jackson, and he wanted
her to surrender on her knees to him). “He threw the battle?” She prayed it wasn’t true,
prayed directly to Chaos that this would be untrue.

“We were destined to win, the Fates ensured that the Titans would fall one day. That is why
the gods were born after all, the next generation to take the place of the Titans.” Hestia’s
voice was gentle, as if sensing the turmoil she had thrown Rhea into. “However a war that
should have taken decades was over in a few years.”Hestia hesitated once more and allowed
a new scene to take over the fire, Kronos held captive within the earth at the grips of
Demeter, Hades, and Poseidon, his hands already cut off and his scythe laying on the ground
between Zeus and Poseidon- the imagery not lost on Rhea at all. Hestia focused on the image
as she spoke, her tone completely mournful. “He tried to goad Poseidon into killing him, over
and over again trying to poke at the fact that Poseidon had adored him and our father had
repaid it with betrayal. Hades said our father carried on with his taunts for several minutes,
almost like he was hoping that Poseidon would be the one to strike him down- the one to take
his place as king.”

“But he didn’t.”

“No.” Hestia laughed, a huff of almost sarcastic laughter as the scene changed to show Zeus
cutting their father into a million pieces with his very own scythe, leaving his head intact in
the same arrogance that Kronos had with Ouranos. Rhea sat and watched with Hestia as
Kronos screamed inaudible curses at his youngest child, damning him to the fate of his
predecessors in the same manner Ouranos had done to Kronos. “And according to my sisters,
our father’s fury was terrifying when Zeus picked up the scythe and claimed the title of
King.”

“But why would he do that, why would the Titan king, in the peak of his madness, allow
himself to be felled by his sons and daughters and then try to goad his favorite son into
killing him?” Rhea asked, unable to or perhaps unwilling to understand what could have
driven Kronos to give up, to allow himself to be slaughtered and cast into Tartarus for what
he knew would be thousands of years of torment as he tried to reform and return.

“There are some things that are greater even than the curse his father forced upon him.”
Hestia shrugged, not meeting Rhea’s eyes purposefully as she poked at the Hearth. “Things
that Fate itself has designated to each of us.” Hestia’s word choice sparked a realization in
Rhea and she leaned forward as she spoke.

“His Fatal Flaw?” Rhea could barely speak, voice barely audible and lower than a whisper.
The pair sat in silence for a moment as if Hestia could not bring herself to speak. Finally, she
lifted her gaze revealing eyes that glowed the exact same molten gold as Kronos, giving
Hestia a far more mature and dangerous look.

“I have always thought it to be ironic that you were born with the face of my mother and the
flaw of my father.” Hestia murmured, never even blinking as gold eyes bored into sea green.

A gasp came from behind Rhea and she turned to see Percy sliding off their father’s throne,
shaky and pale as his skin continued to steam and he stumbled into Annabeth and Grover’s
arms. Rhea rose quickly, jogging over to Percy so that she could help steady him while
Annabeth pulled out her final stash of emergency ambrosia and slipped Percy a piece.

“Are you alright?” She asked her brother as he leaned his head into her shoulder. Percy
nodded into her and accepted Annabeth’s ambrosia, sighing as energy flooded back into his
body.

"If you'd sat there any longer," Annabeth said not even trying to hide her worry, "you
would've spontaneously combusted. I hope the conversation was worth it?" Percy made a sort
of face and shrugged, pushing off of Rhea and standing straight and tall once more.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” was all he said, casting his eyes towards the tall windows
where you could see Manhattan far beneath them. Just then the doors of the throne room
swung open and Thalia marched in. Her bow was snapped in half and her quiver was empty,
all she had was her shield and spear and the angriest most fearful look Rhea had ever seen on
her.

"You've got to get down there," she told them. "The enemy is advancing. And Kronos is
leading them." Panic flooded Rhea’s veins as it did everyone else and they all began to run
towards the doors, ready to go downstairs and engage in what they all knew would be their
final battle. Rhea paused at the doors, thinking about Hestia’s last words. But when Rhea
turned back around, desperate to ask Hestia one more question- to ask if she could save Rhea
from what she knew was coming- Hestia was gone.

By the time the five of them made it onto the street in front of Olympus it was too late.
Campers and Hunters lay wounded and dying across the ground, Clarisse had been
completely frozen by a Hyperborean, the centaurs had either panicked and ran or been
disintegrated. The titan army was only twenty feet away from the doors and closing, Kronos’s
vanguard in the very front consisting of Prometheus, Ethan Nakamura, a dracaena queen in
her green armor, and two Hyperboreans.

But Kronos himself stood in the very front, ahead of his army and standing tall and proud in
black armor scythe hanging by his side, loose and casual. He was uncontested, standing
amidst his fallen foes, unbeatable and as terrifying as ever. And the only thing standing in his
way was Chiron and his few remaining grandchildren that remained unharmed- Alex, Katie,
Miranda, Seth, Liam (who had healed enough to rejoin the fray) the six of them plus Percy,
Rhea, Annabeth, Thalia, and Grover were all that was left to defend Olympus. Eleven versus
at least a thousand.

Unbeatable odds.

“CHIRON!” Annabeth screamed, her voice trembling. She made to move but Percy hooked
one arm around her waist, holding her in place. There was no way Chiron hadn’t heard her,
but he didn’t answer. He had an arrow notched, aimed straight at Kronos's face, staring his
father down without a hint of fear. Kronos seemed almost amused by the thought that Chiron
thought himself capable of standing against him, however beneath that amusement was his
visible distaste and hatred for Chiron’s existence (almost as if he thought Chiron had a lot of
nerve for daring to appear before him).

Kronos however, heard Annabeth clearly and his gaze slid over to her before moving on to
register the sight of Percy holding her close. His lips curled up into a slight smirk and he
nodded his head in greeting to the Godkiller before then turning his gaze upon Thalia- his
eldest grandchild- and he tilted his head as if trying to get a read on her- no doubt seeing the
fantastical resemblance between the Huntress and her father. Whatever he saw must have
been unsatisfactory, because Kronos’s gaze slid back to Percy, his greatest opponent and
challenger.

“Step aside, little son,” Kronos waved a hand, gesturing for Chiron to move but the centaur
did no such thing, only snorting at his father’s words and at the note of disgust as Kronos
spoke the word ‘son’ as if it were the worst thing to be.

“Whether I step aside or not, you intend to kill me,” Chiron shrugged as he spoke, as if he
were not speaking about being murdered by his own father. Kronos to his credit, had no sign
of guilt anywhere on his face.
“Your life has stretched on far longer than should be allowed,” the Titan King sneered. “You
should never have been created.”

“Ah yes, for I am a reminder of your sins,” Chiron's tone was steely calm, the way he gets
when he's really angry. None of them could move, for a moment Rhea thought it was from
anticipation and fear until she realized that Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Thalia were
straining to move as well. Kronos had slowed time and he didn’t seem to even be breaking a
sweat as he wove the time spell.

"Chiron!" Annabeth called, eyes snapping to the threat that sailed through the air. "Look out!"
The dracaena queen became impatient and charged. Chiron's arrow flew straight between her
eyes and she vaporized on the spot, her empty armor clattering to the asphalt. Chiron reached
for another arrow, but his quiver was empty. He dropped the bow and drew his sword,
causing Rhea and Percy to shift uncomfortably- both of them knowing how much he hated
fighting with a sword, that it was his least favorite weapon.

Kronos let out a laugh at the sight, and it wasn’t a cruel laugh either. Instead it was one of
amusement, the charming laugh that he had during his younger years and during his early
reign as King. (Percy hated the sound of the charming laugh, not only did it sound like
Percy’s, like Poseidon’s, but it showed how truly unconcerned Kronos was- how reassured he
was of his imminent victory). The Titan King advanced a step, no doubt toying with Chiron
whose horse-half skittered nervously, his tail flicking back and forth.

“You are a teacher, not a hero,” Kronos sneered.

“Luke was a hero,” Chiron snapped back. “He was a good one too until you corrupted him.”
Kronos laughed once more, this time the laugh touching more on the cruel side. He stepped
forward once more and his face shimmered to the visage of Luke, young and angry, before
shifting back towards the regeneration face of Kronos- even closer to his true face than it had
been in the past three thousand years.

“Corrupted him? No, the boy was already filled with hatred, full of feelings of abandonment
and disdain for the gods,” Kronos replied, voice conversational as if telling a fun work story.
“He craved to serve me and found me before I found him. It is amusing how truly terrible the
gods are to their children. You would think they would be better given what I did to them.”
Chiron’s gaze hardened even further, if that were even possible.

“They do not know how to care for their children, not when they were abandoned by their
own father. You started a cycle of abandonment and betrayal that has tainted all following
generations.” (Rhea thought she could see a hint of pain in Kronos’s eye at the accusation,
she knew that he had hated what he had done to his beloved children when he had done it.
Did he still hold regrets?). Chiron’s hand tightened imperceptibly on the handle of his sword.
“Just look at Zeus, he is a wifekiller as well just as you were to Rhea, for everyone knows
you truly killed her.”

Kronos’s face turned to an expression of sheer outrage and fury and in that moment while he
was distracted- whether it be by the accusation or the sound of someone daring to say her
name- Chiron struck. It was a bold move, good but bold, angering Kronos and striking while
he was blinded by rage, but Kronos was better. He had all of his own fighting skills, plus
Luke’s. Kronos knocked Chiron’s blade aside in one move before yelling, ‘BACK!’.

A blinding white light exploded between the Titan and the centaur along with a massive wave
of sheer energy which sent Chiron flying into the side of the building with enough force that
the wall crumbled and collapsed on top of him. With the wave of energy however, the time
spell broke and Thalia, Percy, and Annabeth raced forward to free Chiron while Rhea joined
the line of her cousins, the last line protecting Olympus. (Her eyes never left Kronos’s, and
his eyes never left hers even as her brother, cousin, and friend pulled helplessly at the bricks
and the titan army laughed cruelly at them).

“YOU!” Annabeth turned on Kronos with a furious cry, eyes welled with angry tears and
cheeks red as she pointed her dagger at the Titan. “To think that I … that I thought-” A tear
tracked down her cheek and she took a step forward.

“Annabeth, don’t-” Percy warned, trying to grab her arm but Annabeth moved faster, calling
on her enhanced speed from her mother. She attacked Kronos and his eyes quickly peeled
away from Rhea to watch as Annabeth lept at him, a rather curious expression on his face as
if wondering what Annabeth possibly hoped to achieve or how Percy would react.

Annabeth plunged her knife right between the straps of his armor, right at his collar bone.
The blade should've sunk into his chest, would have been a devastating blow if Kronos were
anyone else. Instead it bounced off, glancing off his steel skin before Rhea had the chance to
call out the warning that Annabeth was aiming for the wrong place.

The daughter of Athena doubled over, clutching her arm to her stomach with a low moan of
pain- a clear sign that the jolt had been enough to dislocate her bad shoulder once more. As
she was doubled over, Kronos swung his scythe. Percy grabbed Annabeth by the waist and
yanked her back just in time as Kronos’s scythe came down, slicing the air where she had just
stood. She fought against Percy’s grip, kicking and screaming ‘I hate you’ over and over
(whether she was talking to Percy, Luke, or Kronos was unknown, but what Rhea did know
was that in this moment Annabeth was finally seeing that Luke was dead).

“I have to fight him,” Percy hissed down at Annabeth as he barely managed to pass her into
Thalia’s arms, no doubt frustrated by his beloved’s suicidal streak.

“It’s my fight too!” Annabeth screamed back, trying to fight against Thalia despite her
injured arm. The cousins looked on with sadness, watching as Annabeth struggled with her
grief for the boy she once loved and her desire to avenge him.

“No,” Percy murmured, shaking his head and bringing out Riptide. “It isn’t. This fight is for
me and my family.” Annabeth stilled at his words, eyes widening as the children of the Elder
Six came to stand all together, a wall of children- the eldest of them 18, all that stood between
Kronos and Olympus.

“She has so much spirit!” Kronos laughed, leaning forward a bit as if he and Percy were best
of friends just discussing girls. “I see the attraction, I see why she is so precious to you, and
why Luke wanted to spare her.” Annabeth let out a pained sound at that, pressing against the
doors as Thalia moved to stand on Rhea’s other side and Grover came to help Annabeth
stand. Kronos then raised his brows, looking past his grandchildren and straight to Annabeth
as he began to address her. “Do you think there is any mercy or care for you within my
body?” Annabeth dared not to answer, simply watching him with tear filled eyes. Kronos
smiled that cruel and cold smile. “I assure you there isn’t. Luke is dead, all that is left is me.”

(It was then that Rhea noticed the slight haze of gold that surrounded him and felt her blood
run cold. It was the first sign of Kronos’s true form. He was nearly ready to completely
reform. Her eyes widened and Kronos smiled.)

Kronos raised his scythe.

The eight children of the Elder Six tensed, weapons unsheathing.

The scythe came down, the butt of it slamming into the pavement and causing a small crater
beneath it. A wave of monsters flooded towards them, streaming past Kronos who watched
with amusement and fascination, as if this were some sort of test and he was eager to see if
they would pass. (Perhaps he was just bidding his time until his True Form burned through
the mortal body).

The eight of them fell into a semicircle, leaving no one’s back undefended as they slashed
and hacked at the wave of monsters. Their power bounced off of one another, each of them
drawing on each other’s power until a veritable storm of energy resided within each of them.

Thalia let out a bloody scream and brought her spear down into the chest of a dracanae and a
massive bolt of lightning came down. It struck the monster and spread out like a spiderweb of
electricity, taking down at least a dozen monsters. Just before the lightning could die, Alex
called down two bolts in quick succession which connected with Thalia’s bolt and spread
across the monsters, turning them to dust.

It should have caused them exhaustion, instead each of the cousins felt only that much more
charged up. From Katie’s hand jagged spikes of wood came flying out, from Seth’s came ivy,
wrapping its way up his victims, holding a good half dozen still so he could cut them down
with ease, leaving demigod blood to pool on the street, running towards the gutters in rivers
of red.

Percy and Rhea remained with their family instead of wading into the fray which would have
opened their cousins up to weakness. Instead the twins relied on their swordsmanship,
allowing their cousins to tap their Wells of Power and draw extra strength while Percy and
Rhea called on the Curse of Achilles to become veritable monsters in the battle.

They cut through as many as they could, at least a hundred falling but just as there always
was- more seemed to take their place and Kronos seemed content to keep playing this game,
content to see just how long their energy would last, how long his Grandchildren could make
their final stand against him.

Rhea should have seen it, should have noticed, but she was distracted as she ducked under the
massive claws of a hellhound, shoving her swords into its underbelly as she butchered it. She
was too distracted to see Prometheus move, too distracted to watch as he took advantage of
the slight separation between Liam and Miranda. Prometheus, underhanded and tricky as he
was, brought one knife up to meet Liam’s strike, taking advantage as Liam tried to dodge a
swing from a demigod, before he flicked another knife out from his sleeve and drove it into
Liam’s chest.

They never should have let him come to fight, she should have commanded that he stay
behind and heal. Why hadn't she done that? Why had she allowed him to fight, allowed him
to be killed?

“NO!” Miranda screamed and the earth rumbled beneath her, massive strands of ivy shooting
out of the ground to entrap, strangle, and kill dozens upon dozens of monsters as the
Daughter of Demeter clutched her chest. They could all feel it, could all feel as Liam’s soul
left his body, as the thread that bound him to the rest of the cousins snapped, cut off from
them forever, his Well of Power disappearing from their vision forever as his soul departed
for the Underworld. The seven of them were gasping as if they each had been stabbed, their
chests tight as if someone was gripping their hearts in a tight grasp.

Prometheus allowed Liam’s body to fall to the ground carelessly, stepping over it as if Liam
were an obstacle in the road and not the beloved eldest cousin of seven of the most powerful
demigods in history. (Did he think such a move would earn him favor with the King?) The
golden blood within each of the Godkillers began to boil, whispers filling their ears as the
voices of power commanded them to act, crooning pleas of bloody vengeance. Liam may not
have been the strongest of them, but he was the eldest and his family had adored him.

Rhea’s gaze lifted to meet Kronos’s. His expression was nearly neutral, save for the hint of
regret and surprise that remained in his eyes as if he truly hadn’t wished for his grandson to
die. However when he shifted his gaze to look at Rhea his face changed, not hardening but
instead challenging. The question was in his eyes and he tilted his head.

Rhea was never one to not rise to the challenge. Twirling one of her swords she brought it up,
pointing it at Prometheus in a clear oath of vengeance. She felt the shift beside her as Percy
and Katie slid to either side of her. None of them noticed how the battle was slowly coming
to a stop as Kronos failed to command another wave forward and none of his army dared to
move. Everyone was held in suspense to see what the Godkillers would do, to see what
bloody reckoning they brought upon the Titan.

They were upon him in seconds. Prometheus never stood a chance against the fury of the
three of them. Percy had both of his knives on the ground in two quick movement’s, Katie cut
each of his hands off and forced him to the ground before Percy brought his fist back and
punched.

His fist went straight through Prometheus’s chest cavity. The skin broke easily beneath the
raw strength of Percy, ribs shattering beneath the force of the blow as Percy’s hand reached
out to grasp Prometheus’s heart with a cruel grip, ichor streaming down around his arm but
he only made to occasionally squeeze at the organ, tormenting the titan who gasped in
shuddering, wet exhales, ichor leaking from his nose and mouth as he struggled to speak.

It was then that Rhea descended upon him, coming behind him and exposing her back to the
titan army in a bold but brave move, taking full advantage of the fact that she knew Kronos
would never allow anyone but him to take her life. Gently, Rhea brushed her fingers along
the scars on Prometheus’s face, knocking his sunglasses to the ground as she caressed the
scars with almost love-like strokes before pausing at the base of the scars. She leaned in,
allowing her breath to cover Prometheus’s ear as she tsked at him in disappointment.

“I told you-” Rhea exhaled forcefully, pressing closer to Prometheus in a very clear threat. “-
not to come before me ever again. You failed to obey me.” Rhea snarled into Prometheus’s
ear before she tightened her grip, digging her nails into the skin of his scars and pulled . The
skin broke once more and she dragged her nails viciously up the skin, reopening his wounds
as he howled in agony beneath her, ichor streaming down his face like tears and Rhea
laughed, reveled in the sound of his pain. “And now you will face your punishment,” She
declared as she brought her fingers up to his eye sockets and pushed. She pushed as
forcefully as she could, crushing his eyes and causing an agonized scream to rip from the
Titan’s ruined lungs.

Percy’s hand, still deep in Prometheus’s chest cavity, no doubt still gripping the Titan’s heart
with merciless strength, stilled in its pulling, it’s slow and agonizing extraction before he
slowly moved out of the way, giving Katie the opening she needed.

With ruthless accuracy, Katie’s sword buried itself in Prometheus’s gut, causing another gasp
to leave the titan. But she was not finished, no Katie’s arms flexed and then she pulled ,
ripping her sword in a bloody line across Prometheus’s stomach until his organs spilled out
around him. Percy’s hand then moved once more, and in a swift movement he yanked his
hand out of the titan’s chest just as Rhea ripped his head off, ensuring that Prometheus would
spend a long time regenerating.

The trio came to stand together, the rest of their cousins moving forward to stand beside
them, Liam’s body laying on the ground behind them, Annabeth and Grover watching with
wide but awestruck eyes. Neither side moved, discontent and fear spreading through the Titan
army as they looked at the dead, mutilated body of Prometheus on the ground and the three
bloody Godkillers who stood with bloodlust and triumph in their eyes, daring the enemy to
come against them.

Kronos began to stride towards them, intent clear in his gaze and he brought his scythe up.
Percy raised his sword, ready to defend, but before Kronos could strike, a dog’s howl pierced
the air somewhere behind the titan army, halting the titan in his tracks.

“Mrs. O’Leary?” Percy called out and Alex turned to look at him like he was an idiot. The
enemy forces stirred, growing more and more uneasy before they began to surge out of the
way, clearing a path through the street like something behind them was forcing them too. At
the end of the path they had cleared stood a hellhound, and perched on its back was a figure
in familiar silver and black army with a red cape spilling down their back.

“Oh my gods,” Miranda breathed out, eyebrows climbing high on her face in disbelief.

“NICO?” Rhea called, nearly delusional hope in her voice. Mrs. O’Leary gave an answering
bark before bounding towards them, ignoring the hoards of growling monsters on either side
until she came to stop right in front of them. Nico slid down her back and lifted the face
guard of his skull-shaped helmet to grin at his elder cousins who grinned back with delight
and clear affection- all transgressions forgiven as he came to aid them in their final battle.
“I got your message Perce. Is it too late to join the party?” Percy let out a huff of laughter
while Rhea giggled.

“Son of Hades,” Kronos growled, clearly unhappy to see his final grandson before him,
completing the Cousins, the final of the children of the Big Three, a dangerous addition. “I
thought you were wise enough to stay out of this.” Nico drew his sword- three feet of wicked
sharp Stygian iron, black as night and deadlier than the tooth of a hellhound.

“I belong here, beside my family.” Nico spat, and stepped into his place at Rhea’s right hand,
opposite of Alex on Percy’s left. The ground rumbled. Cracks appeared down the road, the
sidewalks, the sides of the buildings. Skeletal hands grasped the air as the dead clawed their
way into the world of the living. There were thousands of them, and as they emerged, the
Titan's monsters got jumpy and started to back up.

"HOLD YOUR GROUND!" Kronos demanded. "The dead are no match for us." The sky
turned dark and cold. Shadows thickened. A harsh war horn sounded, and as the dead soldiers
formed up ranks with their guns and swords and spears, an enormous chariot roared down
Fifth Avenue. It came to a stop next to Nico. The horses were living shadows, fashioned from
darkness. The chariot was inlaid with obsidian and gold, decorated with scenes of painful
death.

Holding the reins was the Eldest son of Kronos, the Lord of the Dead, Hades himself in black
armor that nearly matched his father’s and a cloak the color of fresh blood. On top of his pale
head was the helm of darkness: a crown that radiated pure terror. It changed shape as before
their very eyes—from a dragon's head to a circle of black flames to a wreath of human bones.

Hades turned to look at his father, an oddly pained, angry, and yet wistful look in his eyes.
Kronos looked back with almost the exact same look and in that moment the father and son
had never looked so similar.

“Father-” Hades breathed out, as if he had not believed Kronos to be truly real until now that
Kronos stood before him. “You are here.”

“My eldest son, my Aorato ,” Kronos smiled at his son as he called him by his true name.
“Have you come to see your Mpampas?” And though Rhea could hear the jibe in his words,
she could also hear the truth in it, the genuine question and hope that one of his sons would
be joining his side.

“I will never stand with you, Pateras.” (Kronos nearly flinched at the sound of the name that
he had used to address Ouranos). “Not so long as your madness reigns within you and you
seek to destroy all that we have built, our homes, our children, our reigns.

“My madness has long since left me and I am of clearer mind than I have been in thousands
of years.” Kronos snarled back, stepping towards his defiant eldest son, his former heir.
“Now I only seek to reclaim what belongs to me.”

“None of this, nor any of us are yours anymore.” Hades spat in return before unsheathing his
sword. “So face me! Stop hiding behind your armies and fighting children and face me!”
“I’ll not fight you,” Kronos snapped under his breath (whether it was from impatience to take
Olympus or a true desire to avoid harming one of his children he actually liked, he did not
know). He struck the ground with his scythe. A crack spread in both directions, circling the
Empire State Building. A wall of force shimmered along the fissure line, separating Kronos's
vanguard, the cousins, Grover and Annabeth from the bulk of the two armies.

"What's he doing?" Percy muttered as car engines revved to life, pedestrians woke up and
stared uncomprehendingly at the monsters and zombies around them- the Mist working hard
to shield them from the truth of it all.

“He’s sealing us in,” Thalia hissed by Percy’s ear. “He’s collapsing the magic barriers around
Manhattan- cutting off just the building and us.” Down the block, Percy and Rhea’s mom got
out of Paul’s Prius, staring with wide eyes at the two armies who faced off against each other.
Not willing to give Kronos the chance to capture her mom and use her as a bargaining chip
for Rhea and Percy’s surrender, Rhea widened her eyes frantically at her mom and mouthed
at her to run. When her mom grabbed Paul’s arm and yanked him down the street,
disappearing from the block, Rhea breathed with relief, only to tense once more as Hades
brought his sword down.

“ATTACK!” he roared.

The two armies clashed together, war exploding into action down Fifth Avenue as the street
devolved into absolute chaos. Mortals screamed and ran for cover. Nico slashed and hacked
his way through the enemy, trying to protect the pedestrians as best he could. Watching with a
satisfied smirk, Kronos made his way through the chaos, barely turning to address Ethan.

"Nakamura," Kronos commanded, tone blithe and pleased as he made his way towards
certain victory. "Attend me. Giants—deal with them." He pointed towards the cousins and
then he ducked into the lobby. Rhea could have laughed at how cowardly Kronos was, she
knew Percy would take it as Kronos ignoring him like he wasn’t worth the trouble when in
reality Kronos had no wish to face Percy and Rhea again, instead wishing to take his throne
and regain his life with minimal trouble (and minimal fighting against his son and Rhea).

The first Hyperborean giant smashed at Percy with his club. Percy rolled between his legs
and stabbed Riptide into his backside, causing the giant to shatter onto a pile of ice shards.
The second giant breathed frost at Annabeth, who was barely able to stand, but Grover pulled
her out of the way while Thalia went to work. She sprinted up the giant's back like a gazelle,
sliced her hunting knives across his monstrous blue neck, and created the world's largest
headless ice sculpture, the giant falling to the ground at Rhea’s feet while she resisted the
urge to applaud Thalia’s actions before she called out to Percy, catching his attention.

“WE DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! KRONOS IS ALREADY IN THE ELEVATOR!”
She screamed. Immediately Percy’s eyes widened with panic as if remembering their
mission. He held out a hand to her, gesturing for her to come with him to Olympus before
turning to Nico with a worried look.

“Can you handle this? Are you good?” The Destroyer asked, knowing the agony he would
feel if he had to choose between fighting Kronos and staying to help his cousins.
“GO!” Alex snapped, rolling his eyes at Percy’s worry. “Save the world!”

"Yes," Nico gave a half-smile in answer to Percy’s questions, "we'll handle the army. You
have to get Kronos!"

"Come on, Seaweed Brain!" Annabeth called, tugging at his arm. Percy turned to his sister,
looking down at her with weary eyes.

“Are you ready?”

“We have no choice.” Rhea said, emotion absent from her voice as she thought about the
prophecy, about how the line ‘A single choice shall end his days’ echoed in her mind and
made her want to sob and beg Percy to stay here. Percy nodded, before turning to Alex and
with a nod and raise of his eyebrows he commanded the son of Zeus to help Hades finish the
battle. They began to make their way towards the entrance of the building but when they
passed the rubble where Chiron was buried, Percy winced.

"Mrs. O'Leary," He called, whistling to catch the dog’s attention "Please, Chiron's under
there. If anyone can dig him out, you can. Find him! Help him!"

The hellhound bounded over to the pile of rubble and began to dig furiously, trying to
uncover Chiron as best as she could. With the reassurance that their teacher would be saved
and that Hades had the battle under control, Annabeth, Grover, Thalia, Percy, and Rhea raced
for the elevators.
 A Single Choice
Chapter Notes

Ah the sweet feeling of being almost finished with this story,

I do think i'll go back and edit the early chapters and clean them up for you guys- make
them better and shit.

This story has been such a fun journey and as we make our way to the close I just wanna
say i love you guys so much so this chapter is dedicated to all of you.

Also let me know what fun family stuff you guys would like to see in the mini sequel
between this story and HoO!

Olympus was collapsing, falling into pieces before their very eyes as if it sensed the
imminent fall of the gods and rise of the Titans. The bridge that connected the elevator to
Olympus was dissolving beneath their feet, huge cracks jutting out every time the five of
them took a step. Part of the floor fell out beneath them and they all had to desperately jump
to reach the more stable slabs of marble. Annabeth slipped, her feet going out from under her
as she slid down the marble, grappling at the edge as she began to fall into the abyss beneath
Olympus.

“PERCY!” Annabeth screamed and Percy turned around in a flash, eyes widening before he
lunged forward to grab her hand. The pull of the abyss began to tug him over the marble too,
the both of them sliding closer and closer to death. Their feet dangled in the open air, Percy
holding on to the marble with four fingers as he desperately held onto Annabeth.

“Grab my leg!” Rhea commanded Thalia as she reached down, securely wrapping her hand
around Percy’s and beginning the process of pulling him up with Thalia and Grover’s help.
Her muscles shook, every second she grasped at Percy she felt as if her muscles would break
apart, like she would lose them. However Thalia had enough strength for them both and
managed to pull Rhea- and by proxy, Percy and Annabeth- to safety.

Rhea’s weakness and pain bothered her as she tried to think of a reason for it. She knew that
as Olympus fell, Kronos grew stronger. And as Kronos grew stronger, so too did the Titans.
But Rhea did not. Every breath was harder to take, she felt like her cells were ripping each
other apart and she was burning up. Agony coiled through her body, shooting through her
veins and curling in her spine- she felt like she was being torn into two. Her vision began to
swim and dizziness took over but Rhea managed to shove it aside, blocking her pain from her
mind as quickly as possible and instead crouching on the ground, trying to make her nervous
shakes go away. Percy and Annabeth were laying on the ground, wrapped around one another
as they trembled, neither willing to let go of one another until Grover gave an awkward
cough- startling the pair away from one another.

“Um, thanks,” Annabeth muttered, flushing a bright red and refusing to look at Percy- or
Thalia and Rhea who were sharing maniacal smirks and resisting the urge to laugh. Percy
coughed, clearing his throat and looking away as his ears turned red, Rhea and Thalia’s
smiles only growing.

“Uh, duh,” he replied and Thalia had to press her mouth into Rhea’s shaking shoulders to
keep her laughter muffled at just how embarrassing Percy was. Eventually Grover decided
that was enough and reached down to yank Percy up off the floor.

“We need to keep moving,” the Satyr sighed, exasperation clear in his tone. Both Percy and
Annabeth nodded, as if remembering where they where, before the five of them began to
sprint across the sky bridge, dodging and jumping as more stones disintegrated and fell into
oblivion. It was a harrowing, adrenaline filled experience but they finally made it to the edge
of Mount Olympus just as the final section of the bridge collapsed. Annabeth looked back at
the elevator, which was now completely out of reach—a polished set of metal doors hanging
in space, attached to nothing, six hundred stories above Manhattan.

"We're marooned," she said. "On our own." Annabeth’s words caused a pit to sink in Rhea’s
stomach- knowing that there was no way for the rest of their cousins to come and join them,
no way for them to be reunited. They were divided.

“The connection between Olympus and America is dissolving!” Grover cried, peering into
the abyss. “If it fails-”

“The gods won’t be able to move on to another country when the Light of the West moves,”
Thalia finished, fear all over her face. “This will be the end of Olympus. The end of the gods.
The final end.”

“Then we can’t fail,” Rhea’s voice was hoarse as she spoke, wondering if the demigods
would all die if Olympus fell. Could they exist without their godly parents? Was it possible or
were their lifelines intrinsically tied to the life of the gods. Another burst of pain shot through
her body and Rhea fought the urge to double over, instead inhaling deeply and doing her best
to ignore the pain.

“Let’s go,” Percy snapped, anxiety clear in his voice and the five of them took off once more.
They ran through the streets past burning mansions, toppled statues of Zeus, of Mnemosyne,
of Hera (unsurprisingly, Kronos left every statue of Rhea standing, as he did with the Temple
of Hestia and the Temple of Poseidon. The Temple of Apollo that stood tall and golden along
the street had been reduced to nothing but rubble and Rhea rolled her eyes at Kronos’s petty
behavior) . The trees in the parks had been blasted to splinters but thankfully the field
hospital the Apollo Cabin had set up was gone, abandoned in haste and no doubt they had
sought refuge in the Temple of Hestia.
Despite the urge to run into the temples to check on their injured campers, Rhea, Percy, and
the others continued to follow the winding path toward the Palace of the Gods. The trip felt
longer than it ever had, maybe Kronos was making time go slower, or maybe it was just
dread and anticipation that made it feel like the journey was dragging on forever.

The sight of Olympus was devastating, the entire mountaintop was in ruins- so many
beautiful buildings and gardens reduced to rubble and ash. Temples were in ruins, braziers
overturned and their offerings trampled on the ground. Dead bodies littered the streets, the
few minor gods and nature spirits who had tried to stop Kronos only to be met with certain
death at the hand of the vengeful titan and his scythe.

Hebe lay on the ground, coughing up ichor before fading away, no doubt to spend the next
decade reforming. Eris and Enyo followed her quickly, the damage done to them was too
much and they couldn’t survive the horror Kronos had wrecked upon them. When they faded,
all that was left behind to remember them by was shattered armor, ripped clothing, swords,
broken spears, and pools of ichor dripping across the walkway. They could hear Kronos
somewhere ahead of them, the sound of his scythe shattering statues and his bolts of energy
reducing buildings to nothing.

“BRICK BY BRICK! That was the oath I swore to my cursed son! I would come back and
tear this damned place down BRICK BY BRICK!” Kronos roared, triumph clear in his voice.
He was minutes away from victory. A white marble temple with a gold dome suddenly
exploded. The dome shot up like the lid of a teapot and shattered into a billion pieces, raining
rubble over the city. Rhea winced, throwing up an arm to shield her face from the dust that
rained down around them, snorting when some of the dust went up her nose. (With every
building he destroyed, pain hit her harder and harder. She didn’t know how much more she
could take).

“That was a shrine to Artemis,” Thalia grumbled, fear and anger in her eyes. “He’ll pay for
that.”

“Then we’d better hurry up and stop him,” Percy shot back, picking up the pace so he was
jogging through the ruins of the dead nature spirits and remnants of minor gods. The rest of
them followed quickly, careful to not slip on the ichor puddles. They were running under the
marble archway with the giant statues of Zeus and Hera at the entrance when the entire
mountain of Olympus seemed to groan in pain before rocking violently to the side like a boat
trying to fight its way through a violent storm in the sea.

“MOVE!” Grover yelled, shoving Rhea and Percy forward as the archway crumbled. Rhea
stumbled out of the way just in time to watch as the twenty-ton statue of Hera (it was not a
very flattering image, her eyes were bronze- not gold, no doubt to minimize her similarities to
Kronos- and she was giving an ugly scowl) topple over. Annabeth was nearly crushed, as was
Percy, who was a few steps behind Rhea, but Thalia managed to shove them to safety.

Only to be crushed herself.

“THALIA!” Rhea screeched, rushing forward to try and pull Thalia out from under the
statue. The daughter of Zeus’s entire lower half was trapped under the statue and she was
gritting her teeth as she tried to stop tears of pain from flowing down her face.
“Oh gods,” Grover choked, nausea all over his face as he looked down to the red blood
coming out from underneath the statue- a confirmation that at least one of Thalia’s bones had
broken through her skin and caused her to start bleeding.

“Thalia?” Percy asked, wanting some confirmation on her status as he tried to lift the statue
to no avail.

“I’m fine just irritated as fuck,” Thalia growled, clearly not wanting to talk about the terrible
pain her lower half was probably in.

"It's Hera," Annabeth said in outrage. "She's had it in for me all year. Her statue would've
killed me if you hadn't pushed us away."

“I’m sure that she’s just as thrilled to have crippled me given how much she loathes me,”
Thalia grumbled through deep breaths. “Don’t just stand there, I’m fine but you’re wasting
time. Kronos is getting closer! GO!” As if to help make Thalia’s point, Kronos let out a
delighted laugh as he approached the Hall of the Gods.

Percy and Rhea exchanged a glance, not wanting to leave their cousin behind but knowing it
was necessary. Gritting their teeth in frustration they reached down to squeeze Thalia’s hands
in reassurance before calling to Grover and Annabeth to ‘hurry and run’ as a fireball erupted
on the side of the mountain, right at the gates of the Palace.

The massive golden doors to the palace had been ripped off their hinges, smashed and
crushed into a massive pile of rubble on the ground as if they had weighed nothing. As if they
were nothing more than a slight inconvenience in the way of Kronos’s mission. The foursome
had to climb over the huge pile of broken stone, twisted metal, and precarious tripping
hazards in order to get inside the palace but eventually they made it, crossing through the
entrance to see Kronos standing in the middle of the Throne Room, staring up at the starry
ceiling in silence.

(Rhea wondered if he was praying to their father, sending up spiteful prayers about how
Kronos had risen against their father’s curse, fallen just to rise again. Ready to take the
Throne for the second time, a feat their father never could have accomplished).

After a moment Kronos’s head came back down and he stared straight at the Throne of the
Heavens, the massive platinum and silver chair with its rolling clouds and bolts of lightning
flickering across as a declaration of who currently sat the Throne. A bellow of almost
hysterical and yet completely delighted laughter echoed out from Kronos, louder than the
laugh that Percy and Rhea had heard when he had been in Tartarus. Percy flinched back,
angling himself in front of Annabeth and Grover but Rhea took a step forward, as if drawn to
the sound. (Or perhaps she was drawn to Kronos, drawn to the Throne, drawn to the seat of
the Queen which sat just beside the Throne).

“I am finally here!” Kronos laughed incredulously. “The great Olympian Council! So proud,
so mighty as they reveled in their victory over their father! And yet that same Father has
arisen and come to reclaim what is his from his errant children!” Kronos turned to Ethan with
a smug and almost content smile, the kindest he had probably ever looked at anyone (except
for Rhea, Hestia, and his siblings) since he had arisen. “Which seat of power shall I destroy
first?” Ethan looked back, startled, as he had been standing off to one side and desperately
trying to stay out of Kronos’s way.

Percy looked around, trying to locate Rachel and Hestia, hoping they were safe and out of the
way. The hearth had nearly died, only a few glowing coals remained within the ashes and
Hestia was nowhere to be found. Percy wondered if she had fled at the sight of her father- he
hoped she had and that the goddess had taken Rachel with her. Rhea took another step
forward, Percy moving with her until they were bathed in the torchlight, causing Ethan to
notice them.

“My King,” Ethan warned, eyes widening fearfully at the sight of the twin Godkillers come
to face his Lord for what he knew would be the last time.

Kronos turned and at the sight of him Rhea inhaled sharply. Any and all traces of Luke were
gone and all that was left was the tall, strong, handsome form of the Titan ( Annabeth let out
a pained sound, almost as if she were an injured animal being forced to walk on broken
limbs). His golden eyes shone sharp and brilliant with cruelty and vast depths of knowledge.
His black hair hung shaggily around his face, making the titan look as he had in the Grove,
looking as if he were in his early twenties. His lips curled into a true smile as if he were
happy to see Percy and Rhea.

“Perseus,” Kronos greeted, bowing his head slightly. “My grandson, you are indeed the finest
of my descendants and I admire your tenacity, your perseverance.” The pride on the Titan’s
face was real, and he tilted his head, giving Percy a regretful look. “However we no longer
have any time to indulge in our little games of your defiance. You continue to stand against
me, to defy me- your Patriarch. Shall I destroy you now? Is that the choice you will make- to
fight me and die by my hand instead of bowing, accepting my reign, and fulfilling your
destiny?” Kronos clucked his tongue in disappointment, as if Percy were a young child who
told their father ‘no, I don’t wanna go to bed!’. “Prophecies never end well, Percy, but you
needn’t die. My victory is inevitable and by the end of the day what was mine shall be
returned to me.”

“You will never reclaim the Throne, it is not your right. Not anymore. The line of succession
has moved on.” Percy snapped back, rolling his shoulders back as he prepared himself for the
fight. “Are you going to fight with the scythe? I suppose you would have to, wouldn't you?
You probably don't have the skill for a sword.”

Both Percy and Rhea knew that Kronos did in fact have the skill, but Kronos was far more
beatable with a sword. Now that Percy had made the challenge, Kronos would not be able to
turn it down and would use a sword only due to his pride. Kronos sneered (for a moment
Rhea thought he would roll his eyes but he didn’t) before his scythe began to change, the
metal shimmering and twisting until he held Luke’s old weapon, Backbiter. Half-steel, half-
celestial bronze, doubly deadly to Percy. Annabeth let out a gasp at the sight of the sword.

“Percy, the blade!” she unsheathed her own knife, ignoring her shoulder injury. “The Hero’s
soul, cursed blade shall reap.” Rhea’s eyes widened as well, reaching out to grab Percy and
yank him back but it was too late, Kronos had already raised his sword and Percy lifted his
own to meet the first hit.
Kronos was a whirlwind, fighting with such strength and agility that Percy had never seen
from him before. Was this coming from Kronos inching closer and closer to his true form?
Percy dodged, slashed, struck back, and rolled out of the way but everywhere he turned
Kronos was there and bringing his sword down again with the strength and ability of a
hundred swordsmen.

Ethan ducked to one side, trying to get behind Percy to no doubt strike at his Heel, but
Annabeth intervened, attempting to fight him off with one good hand. Her pain had made her
a poor fighter but Annabeth was giving as good as she got. After a particularly bad hit, Ethan
managed to get one up on Annabeth, causing Rhea to unsheathe her swords and push
Annabeth out of the way, taking the blow and picking up the fight, despite the fact that ichor
was leaking out of her mouth, eyes, and nose, every breath taking vast energy as she
shuddered through the agonizing feeling of her body being burned as if she were a witch on a
stake being burned alive.

Grover was playing his pipes, using his woodland magic to try and instill strength, courage,
and calm into Percy as he fought Kronos while also trying to dodge Rhea and Ethan as they
threw themselves at each other. Kronos managed to back Percy up against the Throne of
Hephaestus- the huge mechanical La-Z-Boy chair that the god had covered in bronze and
silver gears. Kronos slashed at Percy, causing him to jump straight up into Hephaestus’s seat
which began to whirl and hum in anger, triggered by the fact that someone who wasn’t
Hephaestus had dared to touch it.

“Defense Mode, Defense Mode,” A mechanical voice warned. Percy (who was way too
familiar with the different traps that Hephaestus came up with, cue the Tunnel of Love and all
that bullshit) jumped straight over Kronos’s head as the throne shot tendrils of electricity in
all directions. One of the bolts hit Kronos directly in his eye- one of the only weak points left
on his body- before arcing down his body and up his sword. Kronos let out an agonized
scream, trying to use his inherited powers of the sky to control and absorb the electricity but
he was still inexperienced with those abilities.

The titan lord crumpled to his knees and dropped his sword as he shuddered through the pain.
( He had almost burnt through the Curse of Achilles, Rhea realized. If the electricity pained
him that badly then Kronos was perhaps a little less than a half an hour away from fully
reforming and his sheer power had already burnt through most of Luke’s mortal body and the
Curse of Achilles. It wouldn’t be long until the curse was gone, replaced with complete
immortality once more) Annabeth, having gathered her strength from the blow Ethan had
dealt her, saw her chance. She dodged Rhea and Ethan and charged at Kronos.

“Luke! Listen to me!” Annabeth shouted, desperately trying to appeal to the boy she had
loved.

“Annabeth, NO-” Rhea tried, turning to catch Annabeth but it was too late and the daughter
of Athena raced by. Kronos half turned, irritation all over his face as he flicked his hand
carelessly. Annabeth flew backward, slamming into the throne of her mother and crumpled to
the floor, seemingly unconscious.

“ANNABETH!” Percy screamed. Rhea tore herself away from her fight with Ethan, kicking
him to the ground, and stumbled her way over to Annabeth, coughing up blood and ichor as
she tried to check on Annabeth. Ethan got to his feet, now standing between Percy and
Annabeth with his sister- who had crumpled to her knees beside Annabeth as she searched for
a pulse, Rhea’s countenance growing paler and paler. (The whispers that often plagued her
head had grown to screams, the burning intensity grew and Rhea gasped to breath. Was
Kronos’s ascension killing her?) Percy couldn’t go to them, couldn’t fight Ethan without
turning his back on Kronos and that was a death sentence. Grover's music took on a more
urgent tune as he moved towards Annabeth and Rhea, but he couldn't go any faster and keep
up the song. Grass grew on the floor of the throne room. Tiny roots crept up between the
cracks of the marble stones. Kronos rose to one knee, his hair smoldering and his face was
covered with electrical burns as he threw out his hand, causing Backbiter to fly into it.

"Nakamura!" Kronos groaned. "Time to prove yourself. You know where Jackson’s Heel is.
Kill him, and I will heap rewards upon you beyond measure!” Percy didn’t know how
Kronos Ethan knew where his Heel was, but when Ethan’s eyes dropped to Percy’s
midsection, fear coursed through Percy. They knew, they didn’t have a guess, they actually
knew. The aftershocks of the electrical current wouldn’t hold Kronos off forever, if Percy
wanted to rid himself of one of his threats then he had to do it now.

“Look around you, Ethan. This is the end of it all, the end of the world. Do you really want
this? You want Kronos on the Throne, able to kill whoever he wants, destroy whatever he
wants, unchecked?”

“Because Zeus is so different?” Ethan sneered, and Percy had to give it to him, that was a
valid point. “There is no throne to my mother, no honor for the minor gods.”

“That’s right,” Kronos spat as he stumbled to get up (his body warring with itself as he
burned through the mortal body of Luke, in a strange limbo of weakness as his true body
tried to take over and reform, the whole process worsened by the blow of electricity that had
caught him before he could control it). “Strike him down! He fights for the gods who have
failed you! Bring honor to your mother, to me!”

“Honor to your mother? Total destruction doesn’t honor your mom, Ethan!” Percy interjected
desperately, eyes flickering to Kronos who had managed to get to his feet. “Your mom is the
goddess of balance- a goddess. Kronos is a Titan, fighting for the Titans, for vengeance
against the gods which your mom is one of! He won’t have any justice for her! She won’t be
honored! He will make her subservient!” Ethan looked at the sizzling throne of Hephaestus.
Grover's music kept playing, and Ethan swayed to it, as if the song were filling him with
nostalgia—a wish to see a beautiful day, to be anywhere but here. A hazy mist filled his eye,
as if he were on the verge of tears. His good eye blinked, he looked at Kronos whose fury
was mounting, to Rhea and Annabeth, both weak and vulnerable, and then back at Percy.

And then Ethan charged… he charged Kronos.

But Kronos had regained his steadiness and the weakness of transition seemed to be quickly
fading. Ethan swung his sword but Kronos was faster. His hand flew out, catching the blade
in mid-swing before wrenching it out of Ethan’s hands, twirling it in a quick move to turn,
before he drove it into Ethan’s abdomen. The son of Nemesis let out a shocked, pained gasp
as the sword pierced his body. Kronos pulled the blade out and watched as Ethan fell to his
knees, trying to hold his blood inside.
“I have no tolerance for traitors,” Kronos snarled, rage across his handsome features as he
planted a foot on Ethan’s wounded stomach and kicked the demigod back.

“Deserve better,” Ethan gasped out as he looked at Percy, face tight with pain. “If they…
just… had thrones-” Kronos stomped his foot and the floor ruptured beneath Ethan, and the
son of Nemesis fell through the fissure that went straight through the heart of the mountain—
straight into open air.

“I am a generous lord, but I do not have patience for traitors. If only he had stayed loyal, and
if only you had knelt to me,” Kronos sighed as if all of this pained him. Twirling his sword in
a relaxed grip in a way that mirrored the way that Rhea twirled her own blades all the time,
Kronos struck once more.

Titan and Godkiller fought violently. They fought through the hearth, kicking up coals and
sparks as they fought up the stairs towards the thrones once more. Percy hopped from the
Apollo Throne- resisting the urge to laugh maniacally when Kronos cleaved a huge cut
straight through the center- before jumping over the Ares throne, narrowly avoiding Kronos’s
blade as he slashed off the armrest. Kronos then backed Percy against the Throne of
Poseidon, unwise because in that moment the power of the sea rushed through Percy in a
stronger current than he had ever felt. He lifted Riptide to meet Backbiter, their blades
clashing in a shower of sparks. Percy pushed Kronos back, his power surging through him so
strongly that Percy struck again- slashing Riptide across Kronos’s breastplate so hard that he
cut a gash through the stygian iron. (Surprise and a hint of pride rippled across Kronos’s
face).

Kronos brought one hand up and snapped his fingers in a clean, sharp movement, the snap
echoing through the hall, and time slowed. Percy tried to attack again but it was futile- the
river of Time flowed through Kronos’s fingers once more and he backed up leisurely,
catching his breath.

Kronos half-turned, casting a glance behind him, taking in the sight of Rhea slumped beside
Annabeth, ichor steadily leaking out of her nose, and his eyebrows furrowed. When he turned
back to Percy, the Godkiller could see the concern written all over the titan’s face before
Kronos shook his head slightly and his face became neutral as he examined the gash in his
armor.

Percy’s frustration and desperation grew. Kronos could take as many time-outs as he wanted,
he could freeze time whenever he wanted, he could even use this time to circle Percy and
drive his blade through Percy’s breastplate and into his Heel. He could only pray that the
effort of holding time was draining Kronos, that he was diverting too much strength to
reforming and that controlling time would weaken him.

“I could kill you right now, Perseus,” Kronos said in a conversational tone, lowering
Backbiter and staring at Percy with an amused look. “You can’t fight me right now, I could
walk around to your back and stab you right in the small of your back and you couldn’t stop
me.”

“Then why don’t you?” Percy snapped, irritated and impatient.

“It would be incredibly unsatisfying,” Kronos sighed, clearly this was the greatest
inconvenience ever. “To defeat you in such a manner would be pathetic and embarrassing,
not at all the great duel we are prophesied to be having. I would much rather defeat you in
combat, beat you down and then claim your life, not win by cheating.”

“That doesn’t really live up to your name of the Crooked One,” Kronos let out a huff of
laughter.

“I know,” the titan looked incredibly upset at the fact, as if this was truly just tearing him up.
“However none of it matters. It is too late, Percy Jackson. Behold.” Kronos turned, pointing
to the hearth and the coals glowed. A sheet of white smoke poured from the fire, forming
images like an Iris-message. Nico, Alex, and Katie were the only cousins left uninjured,
fighting desperately alongside the army of zombies, ringed by enemies in a hopeless battle.
Perses had joined them and was fighting side by side with Hades, both deities summoning
wave after wave of dark energy, destroying monsters left and right but the forces of the Titan
Army seemed to be endless. All around them Manhattan was being destroyed. Terrified
mortals were running in terror as the Mist began to tear, beginning to show the reality of what
was happening. Cars swerved and crashed, mortals fell into craters caused by the armies,
trapped and dying in the ground.

The scene shifted, and Percy saw something even more terrifying. A column of storm was
approaching the Hudson River, moving rapidly over the Jersey shore. Chariots circled it,
locked in combat with the creature in the cloud. The gods attacked violently, desperately.
Lightning flashed. Arrows of gold and silver streaked into the cloud like rocket tracers and
exploded. Flashes of sun fire lit through the sky, blasting the storm only to be absorbed by it.
Slowly, the cloud ripped apart, and Percy saw the face of Typhon clearly for the first time.

It was an image that Percy knew he would never forget, the image would live in his mind for
the rest of his life. Typhon's head shifted constantly. Every moment he was a different
monster, each more horrible than the last. Looking at his face would have the ability to drive
even the strongest of demigods mad, so Percy focused on the gods, desperately praying for
their victory.

"The Olympians are giving their final effort." Kronos laughed, but a disappointed look
crossed his features for the briefest of moments. "I was so certain my children would be able
to defeat the beast, but it seems my youngest had divided them too greatly. They will never
win without Poseidon." Zeus hurled his thunderbolt, the blast lighting up the world with such
force that it should have killed Typhon instantly, the shock of the blast being felt even up on
Olympus. But when the dust cleared Typhon was still standing, roaring in anger and
advancing on the gods.

Percy’s limbs began to loosen up, Kronos’s grip on the time spell weakening as he focused on
the fight and his impending victory. From behind Kronos, Rhea began to stir, slowly pushing
her way through the time spell and towards the flask of nectar that Grover had been trying to
slide towards her and Annabeth. Percy moved his gaze away from her, trying not to draw
Kronos’s attention to hers or Percy’s movements, hoping he could hold out for a few more
seconds, that his dad would keep his promise.
“Please Dad, please. Don’t fail them now,, don’t fail me!” Percy prayed desperately in his
mind. His dad would come through wouldn’t he? He wouldn’t abandon his brother and sisters
to die, right? Typhon stepped into the Hudson River and barely sank to midcalf and Percy
prayed harder and harder.

It was like a miracle, the sound of a conch horn blasting from the smoky image- the Call of
the ocean, the Call of Poseidon. Both Percy and Rhea’s faces lit with hope. All around
Typhon the Hudson River erupted, churning with forty-foot waves, the earth rumbling, and
the sky darkening, rain pouring as the Stormbringer burst forth from the water in a massive
chariot pulled by hippocampi.

Poseidon was the near image of his father, no longer an old man, but glowing with a blue
aura of power and his crown sat proudly upon his brow as the King of the Seas rode a defiant
circle around the giant’s legs. Tall, strong, tanned and sea green eyes gleaming, Poseidon
swung his trident, the river responding by forming a funnel cloud around the monster.

“My Klironomos,” Kronos whispered in shock (in pride, his son had not died in the seas
fighting Oceanus, no his beloved son rode through the waves tall and strong, more powerful
than ever.) Mightiest Warrior, his son had been named, and those words never struck so true.
But his delight at the sight of his favorite son died as the Titan realized what this meant and
shock faded to horror quickly. “No… NO!”

“NOW MY BRETHERAN! STRIKE FOR OLYMPUS!” Poseidon commanded, voice

booming with the power of a King. Warriors burst out of the river, riding the waves on huge
sharks and dragons and sea horses. It was a legion of Cyclopes, and leading them into battle
was Tyson, Percy’s beloved baby brother. He'd magically grown in size. He had to be thirty
feet tall, as big as any of his older cousins, and for the first time he was wearing full battle
armor. Riding behind him was Briares, the Hundred-Handed One who was armored and
looked braver and more confident than Percy had ever seen him. All the Cyclopes held huge
lengths of black iron chains—big enough to anchor a battleship—with grappling hooks at the
ends. They began to swing them like lassos, ensnaring Typhon in the chains as they threw
lines around his arms and legs, using the tide to keep circling, slowly tangling him.

Typhon shook, roaring in rage as he grappled against the chains but there were too many, too
many chains, too many cyclops and he was beginning to be weighed down, slowly sinking
into the river. Poseidon threw his trident and impaled the monster in the throat, ichor spilling
from the wound to create a waterfall of immortal blood flowing into the river.

The shock and awe of Poseidon’s arrival died off and the gods struck once more with
renewed force; Zeus, Hera, and Demeter coming to stand side by side with their brother. With
the might of four of the elder six and the combined efforts of the other Olympians, Typhon
bellowed in agony, fighting against the rising water that encircled him like a cocoon.

Typhon thrashed, fighting with a desperation that made it clear that the victory of the gods
was imminent. Waves sloshed the Jersey shore, soaking five-story buildings and covering the
George Washington Bridge in water but it didn’t matter. He had lost. Poseidon opened a
tunnel within the watery cocoon at the bottom of the river, a pathway of water that would
escort the giant straight to Tartarus, never to reform again.
“CHAOS DAMN YOU POSEIDON!” Kronos roared, furious and pained. Had his son
minded his business and stayed in the seas, Oceanus would have brought Poseidon to Kronos
and he never would have to fight his son. But now? Now that Typhon was banished and
Poseidon was headed this way, Kronos would face his son in battle.

“They’re on their way,” Percy laughed hysterically, pushing through the time spell further
and further, regaining control over himself. “You’ve lost.”

“I haven’t even started,” Kronos snarled, turning on Percy with a terrifying fury in his golden
eyes, a ferocity that Percy had never seen before. “The Olympians may be coming but they
have wasted all their energy fighting Typhon. None of them save for Poseidon have the
energy to face me- let alone to beat me- and Poseidon cannot win alone. They will struggle to
even break through the spells I have placed around Olympus.” Kronos’s body shook,
trembling, but it wasn’t from the effort of holding time or exhaustion. No, instead the golden
glow around him grew stronger, Kronos growing another inch taller and his appearance
looking healthier and healthier. He was approaching his ascension.

Percy summoned a blast of water from the air, pulling all the moisture to answer his call and
flung it at Kronos. The time spell shattered and the two Destroyers flung themselves at each
other once more. They both fought with desperation, with fury and power that neither had
called on before. They were blurs, neither form able to be made out as the two males called
on the depths of their power, lashing at each other, beating each other back and forth.

But Percy was losing, he was losing ground, fast. Kronos was pushing him closer and closer
to the rubble of the doors. For every foot Percy gained, he lost two, Kronos was fighting at
blinding speed and with Power Percy had never seen. A budding Destroyer against a fully
matured one.

It all became clear to Rhea. Kronos had been holding back the entire time, he had been
holding back his strength, taking his time and playing games all so he could bid his time for
his ascension, testing the power Percy had and waiting for the perfect moment to unleash his
abilities. He had wanted Percy on his side to guarantee Zeus’s defeat so badly that he had
been holding back.

The pain bolted through Rhea’s body once more, dropping her back to her knees as she
sobbed through the pain. But with the agony, came an odd clarity and everything began to
clear itself within her mind.

Rhea was weak, she was in pain, tearing herself apart all because she was her own greatest
weakness. She had been too caught up in herself, to caught up in the struggle of who she
wanted to be, who was in her head, and what she wanted to see what Hestia had been telling
her all along, to hear what Hestia had revealed less than an hour ago at the hearth, to hear
what the other Titanesses had told her over a year ago.

Kronos’s Fatal Flaw was Love, and flaws never changed, even when you reformed or
regenerated. Rhea was what Kronos wanted most, Rhea was the reason Kronos had thrown
his final battle with his children.

Rhea.
She was Kronos’s greatest weakness. She was his flaw, the greatest weapon they had against
him. She had been too busy struggling against Rhea Ourania when in reality there was no
difference.

Rhea Jackson. Rhea Ourania. But there was no difference. She was Rhea, and instead of
realizing that she was what she made herself, that she could be both of them, combine herself
into her own creation with the memories and powers of Rhea Ourania, but the family and life
of Rhea Jackson, she had been weakening herself the entire time by denying her existence.
Rhea Jackson was Rhea Ourania and Rhea Ourania was Rhea Jackson, she could be both and
yet neither, she was a creature of her own making, the beginning and the end.

Rhea’s sea green eyes fluttered shut and she took a gentle inhale, tasting the blood and
metallic tinge of power in the air as she began to swim deep into the well of her power and to
the walls she had erected to block those unwanted memories, those memories and powers
that scared her so much.

What she had thought were emerald green and sea green threads defining the separations of
her consciousness where actually threads of her power, of her past and her present, braided
together. She reached out in her mind and grasped those braided threads before tugging.

Memories flooded her mind and Rhea began to gasp, trying to pull as much air into her lungs
as possible as the walls in her mind crumbled. Memory after memory rushed into her mind-
her birth, her childhood, the beginning of her romance with Kronos, the abuse of her mother,
the fall of her father, everything. Emotions that felt so strange, felt like they belonged to
another filled her; heartbreak, devastation, loyalty, betrayal, agony, love, devotion, adoration,
fury, all of it.

And those emotions belonged to her- to Rhea Jackson and Rhea Ourania and for the first
time, Rhea allowed herself to simply be, to become one, to be beholden to neither but instead
be the being she chose to make herself. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, gleaming a brighter,
more powerful sea green than ever before and she knew what she had to do.

But the sight that greeted her quickly killed the peace that coursed through her body- the pain
finally gone. Percy was weakening, horribly. He did not have very long left and Kronos was
growing, glowing brighter and brighter as his strength grew.

“No… no,” She breathed out watching as Percy continued to push desperately against
Kronos, the demigod growing weaker and weaker the more he pushed himself. Rhea pushed
herself up to stand. (her swords lay strewn on the ground as she failed to grab them). Percy
sidestepped, jabbing under Kronos’s guard in a good maneuver- one Luke had taught him.
Kronos countered quickly, twisting his wrist and disarming Percy in one swift, smooth
movement. Riptide flew across the floor, skittering straight into the open fissure leaving
Percy weaponless, defenseless save for his powers.

Her brave, stupid brother lunged once more, hands extended as he prepared to grapple
Kronos with his bare hands and fight for his life that way. As Rhea moved, slowly stumbling
her way towards her destination, Kronos raised Backbiter. He swung the sword in a
devastating arc, the flat of the blade catching Percy’s side and sending him flying a hundred
yards through the air and crashing into the rubble of the stone and metal doors, burying Percy
within the mess.

Grover was unconscious.

Annabeth was awake but struggling to move, unable to fight.

Percy was buried beneath a mountain of rubble, probably unconscious.

There was nothing left in Kronos’s way. A delighted laugh, almost disbelieving, left his
mouth in a quiet breath as Kronos stood facing the rubble, only a few yards between him and
the Throne of the Heavens as he currently stood by the Throne of Ares. When he turned he
would be less than ten yards away from the Throne of the Heavens. Kronos would be
victorious, he was going to achieve his destiny, reclaim what had always been his.

“PERCY!” Annabeth screamed before managing to scoop up her knife and stumble towards
Kronos who watched with a bemused expression. “HOW COULD YOU! LUKE, STOP!”
Rhea moved, as quick as a blur, sliding in front of Zeus’s throne and placing herself between
it and Kronos while his attention was elsewhere, the Titan not even registering Rhea’s
movements as he filled with anger at Annabeth’s continued pleas for Luke to listen to her.
Annabeth continued to scream and rage and Kronos moved away from Ares’s throne, stalking
towards Annabeth as he readied himself to put her down once and for all.

“Kronos,” called the ancient, lilted accented voice of the Titan Queen, stern and yet almost
breathless, as if she was seeing Kronos differently for the first time. Kronos stopped in his
tracks, shoulders dropping and eyes widening as he slowly turned to see Rhea standing there,
in front of Zeus’s throne, covered in her own ichor looking at him with eyes he had not seen
in so long.

“Rhea,” Kronos breathed out her name as if it were a prayer, as if he was Atlas and the
weight of the sky had been lifted from his shoulders. It was the first time he had uttered her
name in three thousand years- and he said her name as if it were the very breath in his lungs,
spoken with such softness and hope as if this were the first time he had ever beholden her, the
same way he had said her name when he had appeared to her on the savannah to ask her to
marry him.

Slowly, as if she were a wounded animal and he was afraid he would scare her off, Kronos
stalked towards her, moving closer and closer, eyes never leaving her until there was only a
foot between them, nothing but Rhea’s body between Kronos, his sword, and the Throne of
the Heavens.

Olympus shook around them- the first sign that the gods were trying to break through the
spells Kronos wove to keep them out.

“You have accepted who you are, the truth of your nature, but do you truly think that you can
stop me?” He murmured down at Rhea as he towered over her, voice still soft. “You are not
strong enough right now and you are within a mortal body. Do you truly believe you can keep
me from this, Beloved?”
“I’m not confined to a mortal body, this is my body. I am who I am, the Rhea of the past and
of the present. I am my own being.” She whispered back, powerful green gaze never
wavering from his. “And I don’t intend to raise my sword against you Kronos.”

“Then you will join me? Beg for the lives of your people and come back to where you have
always belonged?” Kronos smirked as he spoke, lifting one hand to brush back a sweaty,
black curl with more gentleness than he should have been capable of.

“No, Kronos, I won’t,” Rhea shifted back a step until her back pressed up against Zeus’s
Throne, the most powerful seat not harming her as she touched it- as if she were supposed to
touch it. “You and I both know that I never will. If you want to take the throne, you know
what you have to do.” Her voice never shook as she spoke, words so quiet and yet Kronos
heard each of them perfectly, taking a step closer to her so the distance between them was
closed once more. “Take the Throne, kill me and take it, Kronos. That’s the only way, you
have to kill me if you want the Throne.” Kronos stopped, body going completely still as he
absorbed her words. Annabeth let out a croaked cry, calling to Rhea, trying to distract
Kronos. But none of it worked, there was nothing else in the world beside Kronos, Rhea, and
the Throne.

Nothing existed but them.

“I could throw you to the side, toss you away and take the Throne- and deal with you
afterwards,” Kronos argued, his voice deceptively calm and cold. But Rhea knew him, she
knew him more than any other and she knew what that meant. Her words had unsettled him,
Kronos was torn on what to do and he was desperate for an out, desperate to not make the
choice.

“You won’t, you can't bring yourself to do it,” Rhea denied, no cruelty or triumph in her
words, just her unyielding tone and the truth of it all. “And you know that if you do, I will
raise my sword and then we will fight.” She stopped, inhaling deeply before letting the air go,
wetting her lips. “And I will not stop until I have died fighting you, because we both know I
cannot win this. So you have to kill me if you want the throne. So do it. Take the Throne, take
it and lose the chance of ever having her- no, of having ME ever again but at least you will
have your seat, your power.” Rhea spat, the heartbreak and betrayal of thousands of years
welling up within her.

Choose, she wanted to scream, cry, and beg him. Choose for once and for all. Me or the
Throne. Power or love. Which one do you want? This would be the last time he ever had the
choice- he would never get this chance again. It was his ambition and his greed or it was
Rhea and his love for her.

“You will reform,” he shook his head as he spoke, denying the reality Rhea had laid out in
front of him. She could hear the slight shake in his voice and she knew he had heard the
words she didn’t dare to verbalize. This was his chance to take back what he had done three
thousand years ago.

“You can’t be sure of that. You don’t know that and you won’t know until you kill me and
either way you will lose me forever.” Rhea took a shaky breath, watching as Kronos shut his
eyes in agony, in denial. “I am in a mortal body now. If I die, I stay dead unless Chaos
decides otherwise.”

“You don’t know that,” he denied, venom and discomfort in his voice. He was backed into a
corner and when Kronos felt trapped he could easily turn violent- but Rhea would not back
down.

“Then do it, take the throne.” The challenge was clear, Rhea tilted her chin up and waved
down at his sword. Kronos rolled his eyes uncomfortably and shifted his stance as if he were
contemplating striking her down.

“The curse will protect you,” he scoffed and Rhea smiled, nodding her head and conceding
his point. Reaching up, Rhea unbuckled her breastplate, pulling at the straps until it loosened
and she was able to let it drop to the floor.

“Rhea? What are you doing?” Annabeth screamed, horror evident in every word as she tried
to crawl their way. Neither Kronos nor Rhea paid her any mind, their eyes never leaving each
other as Rhea extended her arm away from her body ever so slightly, and turned it, revealing
the smooth skin of her underarm- revealing her Achilles Heel.

“You know where my Heel is, it was the same as yours,” Rhea lets out a small huff of
laughter. “It always was, Kronos.” The rubble by the doors shifted, rumbling as Percy began
to shift and push his way out, inching towards freedom. Olympus shook once more, the
ground rumbling. They were running out of time, Kronos had to make a choice and soon.
“Take what is yours, Kronos,” Rhea whispered gently before hardening her voice, forcing
Kronos to look her in the eyes as she snarled her next words. “Do it, but don’t you dare look
away. Look into my eyes as you drive the blade into my Heel, as you kill my body in truth
this time, not just in spirit as you did all those years ago. Do not turn away from what you
do.” Kronos’s eyes were full of pain, agonized as he looked down at her, torn with this single
choice.

This choice that would determine everything.

“Rhea,” he murmured, reaching out for her as if his touch would change this, reveal that it
was naught but a nightmare. Rhea shifted away from his touch, enforcing her challenge for
him to choose.

“I have betrayed you, Kronos. I sided against you year after year, schemed against you,
plotted your downfall. I betrayed you, so kill me for it.” Rhea brought a hand up to brush her
hair away from her arm, the curls having fallen to obscure the skin. “Be the King you say you
are, be the Beast of the Black Mountain- the deity famed for his cruelty, for how fearsome
and terrifying he was. The titan who cut down anyone who dared to stand against him. Kill
me for my betrayal.”

The mountain of rubble gave one final heave and Percy emerged, covered in dust and spitting
out a mouthful of golden-red blood. Rhea barely registered the sight of him over Kronos’s
shoulder but she saw him just the same and prayed to Chaos that he would leave it be, that he
would choose to say out of this, that he would heed Rachel’s words and that he wouldn’t be a
hero.
“Rhea?” Percy called, Riptide returned to his hand as he began to stalk towards them.
Kronos’s eye twitched, registering Percy but unable to look away from Rhea as he agonized
over the choice he was given- as he begged Rhea with his eyes to stand aside, to not make
him choose. Kronos’s grip tightened on Backbiter and he slowly lifted it, Rhea’s name
whispering from his lips as he pointed Backbiter at her Heel, only inches away.

It was like a game of chicken, he was trying to see if she would flinch, if Rhea would take it
back and move, rescinding the choice and allowing him to have it all. She didn’t flinch,
didn’t blink, didn’t move, she just continued to stare at him, sea-green eyes piercing through
his golden eyes.

Rhea knew Kronos, she knew Kronos Ekdikitis, the Kronos that had once been the epic love
of her life. If his madness was gone, if her Kronos was still in there then she had nothing to
fear. His body began to glow brighter and brighter, the clock winding down of how long they
had until his True Form ignited and he incinerated everyone in the room and became
unstoppable. He could just procrastinate, wait until then but Rhea knew he wouldn’t. Kronos
wanted to win when he wasn’t even his full self, because just how fantastical and awe
inspiring would it be if he defeated the gods when he wasn’t even at full power?

“DON’T TOUCH HER!” Percy snarled, picking up his pace. Annabeth hobbled towards him,
grabbing his arm and trying to pull him back. Rhea wondered if Annabeth had figured out
that this was the only way.

Kronos pulled his arm back, hefting Backbiter up as he gathered his strength, muscles
tightening as he prepared to drive the sword home to its target, to claim what was Kronos’s
by right- to reclaim his power and his throne.

Rhea would reform, it would probably take decades but now that he would be king he would
be able to hasten it, wouldn’t he?

Rhea would reform, this wouldn’t be the end of her, it couldn’t be. Could it?

But even if she came back, he knew his beloved would give him no third chance. This choice,
this single moment and single choice would determine his future. It would determine whether
or not his days of freedom would be forced to an end as he surrendered to Rhea and by proxy
the gods.

His brave Rhea never flinched, only smiled sadly and gently up at him- that same sadness he
had come to be too familiar with in their final years together, the sadness he swore he would
never inflict upon her. Backbiter shimmered and shifted, morphing from the sword to the
form of his scythe, his true weapon.

His choice was made.

With a roar of utter heartbreak, pain, and agony the Titan King brought his scythe down, his
eyes never leaving Rhea’s as a single tear slipped from his golden eyes and dropped to the
floor beneath them. Percy and Annabeth let out agonized screams of horror, screaming and
begging for Rhea to move, for Kronos to stop.
The scythe came down, striking through its target with deadly precision, cutting through
cleanly.

The blade struck the Throne right between Rhea’s arm and her body with terrifying accuracy,
not even nicking her armor or Heel as it buried itself where its handler intended- only taking
the smallest hint of orange fabric with it.

Rhea’s eyes fluttered shut and she let out a wet, choked sob. She was alive, Kronos had
chosen. She swallowed harshly and slowly opened her eyes with a ragged breath to see
Kronos gazing down at her with pain yes, with anger and frustration,, but most of all he
looked upon her as if she were his moon, his sun, his stars, he looked at her with adoration-
agonized love. A pearly tear dripped down her cheek.

“Ekdikitis,” Rhea breathed out, one of her hands reaching for his, feeling his strong and
calloused hand grasping her own as if to reassure himself that she was alive. He had chosen,
Kronos had chosen, he had given up his war for her. He knew that the Olympians were
coming, that he had probably five to ten minutes before his True Form burst through but he
had thrown down his weapon. Kronos lifted his other hand to caress her cheek, and wipe
away her tears before he leaned in, inhaling the scent of the earth, the sea, and sweet roses
that had always wreathed Rhea. he brought his forehead down to touch hers and they both
closed their eyes, inhaling one another and realizing they were alive, he had chosen her. After
a moment Kronos pulled back, looking at Rhea with an almost teasing glint in his eyes as he
shook his head indulgently, regretfully, lovingly.

“Oh, my beloved Rhea, I could never kill you.” A watery smile came over Rhea’s face and
Kronos gave her a small smile in return as he stepped back, one, two steps until she stood on
the dais of the thrones and he was on the marble floor beneath her. “You win, Rhea. You will
always win.” Kronos, the Beast of the Black Mountain, the Cannibal King, the Crooked One,
the Titan King whispered as he dropped to his knees in surrender before Rhea. Percy came up
beside her, wrenching the scythe out of the throne and throwing it across the room, away
from Kronos’s grasp.

Olympus gave a final shudder before a loud crack almost like a crack of lightning sounded.
The rubble that was once the doors burst, exploding in every direction as the Olympians
stormed into the room in full battle regalia- exhaustion clear on their faces- ready to fight,
even when they lacked the strength for it. Hestia’s form shimmered, appearing in the
entrance, hidden two steps behind Poseidon who moved to shield her from their father’s fury
and power.

What they found was Kronos, the Titan King who plagued all of their nightmares, kneeling at
the feet of Rhea Jackson as Percy stood protectively by her side, holding Annabeth up with
one arm on his other side. The King looked up at Rhea and gave her that confident, smug
smirk (but oh she could see the love in his eyes) before he lolled his head over to look at his
children.

“My sons, my daughters, you’ve arrived just in time for me to give my birthday present to the
twins.” Kronos announced, his voice light and genial as if he were joking around. He held up
both hands. “I surrender to Rhea and Percy Jackson, my armies will cease fighting,” Kronos’s
smile grew as he looked into Zeus’s eyes. “The demigods have won. I have lost.”
 The Greatest of the Line
Chapter Summary

The finale

Chapter Notes

You guys, I just wanna say thank you from the bottom of my heart. this was my first
ever fanfic and it started out rough but you guys have been here with me every step of
the way, loving my story and encouraging me no matter what and I love you guys so
much.

This has been such a wild ride and I am happy to present you with Chapter 48 of
Bloodline, the Greatest of the Line

See the end of the chapter for more notes

None of the Olympians could move, none of them could breathe- especially the children of
Kronos who stood clustered together, gravitating towards one another in the presence of their
father. Zeus’s mouth opened and closed several times as he took in the sight of Kronos on his
knees before the Jackson twins- resisting the urge to smack the shark-like smile from his
father’s face. Hera and Demeter clasped one another’s hands, the two sisters who looked as
different as night and day, nearly clinging to one another just as they had done as children.
Hestia’s hand had slid into Poseidon’s as she aged up, looking to be in her late teens as she
examined the sight before her with a slight smile. Rhea had taken her advice, Rhea had seen
the truth and now she had won.

The other Olympians seemed plenty content to stay behind the Elder Six, not wanting to draw
Kronos’s attention to themselves. If the Elder Six couldn’t take Kronos, the other Olympians
certainly couldn’t. The only one who seemed to be less afraid was Apollo, who looked to be
torn between staying with his siblings or racing to Rhea’s side to pull her away from the
Titan. (But there was part of him that didn’t dare touch Rhea in Kronos’s presence).

“What is this?” Hera finally demanded, voice shaky and broken, relaying her storm of
emotions; her fear, uncertainty, and that smallest undercurrent of hope. “What game do you
play, Father? Do you mean to trick us?” Kronos’s smile grew, how smart his youngest girl
was to ask such a question.
“No, Your Majesty,” Kronos drolled, sarcasm leaking from every pore of his body as he
called her by her title without an ounce of meaning or reverence. “No trick, I have laid down
my weapon and surrendered to Rhea.”

The collective flinch at Rhea’s name amused Kronos, his smile growing and his canines
glinting as he tilted his head to the side, examining Zeus. However, Kronos was soon forced
to close his eyes as his body gave a shudder. The temperature in the room skyrocketed and
the glow around his body was becoming blinding. It was time.

A laugh bubbled from his lips and echoed across the silent room as he loosened his jaw and
looked at his youngest son- unable to bring himself to look at his favored children quite yet.
The sound of the amused laugh was like metal scraping against rocks, it was not his charming
laugh rather one that promised good things for him and horrid things for everyone else.

“I would encourage you to act quickly, Zeus for my True Form is seconds away from
emerging,” voice completely calm and relaxed as if he were right where he wanted to be,
Kronos painted a rather smug picture as he watched the horror come over his children’s faces.
Several heads started to turn, desperately searching for his scythe so that they could rid the
world of him. But no matter how hard they looked, the scythe was nowhere to be found.
(Kronos may have surrendered, but is not willing to die, not now that Rhea is finally alive
and within his reach. He has banished his scythe to Othrys, safely out of the grasp of his
grasping son and daughter).

“You know,” Kronos sighed, wondering how much longer he’d have to kneel. “Even if you
could find my scythe- which you will not for it is gone, disappeared to where you know not-
you do not even know my Heel, which probably holds minimal power as of now. So without
the knowledge of my useless Heel and a lack of a proper weapon to do away with me, what
are you going to do, Oh Great One?” Rhea- despite the fact that she could barely breathe due
to her anxiety about the future of Kronos, (did she want him dead?) - rolled her eyes at just
how sarcastic and petty the Titan King was. She lifted her eyes to the Heavens and prayed to
Chaos for unending patience so that she wouldn’t kick Kronos. “My True Form is going to
come forth within the next minute and given that the one person who stopped me is currently
in a mortal body, my form will incinerate her. And without her to stop me, who knows what I
will do to all of you with my newfound power?” Zeus’s face turned to dread as Kronos
smiled innocently up at him, Poseidon’s to stonelike anger. The ground beneath Kronos
cracked and Rhea knew time was up, the heat was blistering, she was struggling to see, to
keep her eyes open as she, Percy, and Annabeth stumbled their way back and away from
Kronos as Poseidon and Athena called out to them.

The Olympians were frozen with panic, none of them knew what to do, how to stop Kronos,
how to save themselves from the utter terror he would reign on them when his True Form
burned through and Rhea burned up with it. But Zeus; cold, callous, cruel Zeus lept into
action for he was anything if not self serving and without moral when it came to saving his
own future. Zeus, who took after his father and grandfather far more than he should have,
was smart and he knew what to do, how to save his reign.

The King of the Heavens was calling upon the power only he had, whispering the words of
the Old Tongue faster than light as he extended his hand and wove together a new path,
forged a bond that he knew his father would not be able to break. A screaming sob erupted
from his niece’s lips as she lifted her wrist to her chest, cradling it close as she fell to the
ground in agony and though Zeus felt the guilt for what he did to the girl with his mother’s
face and name, he knew what he was doing was necessary to save her, to save him, to save
them all. The heat of the room increased, and so did Rhea’s screams as did Kronos’s low
groans of pain. (Hera looked away, she knew what this was, the screams all too familiar, she
couldn’t forgive this but she could understand it).

“Brother, enough,” Poseidon commanded, shoving his way towards Zeus, trying to stop
whatever his kingly brother was doing.

“Father stop!” Apollo shouted, pushing through the Olympians to try to see what was wrong
with Rhea but unable to see through the harsh, golden glow. When Zeus paid no mind and
continued to whisper in quick words, Rhea’s screams peaking, Poseidon lunged for his
brother.

“ZEUS, STOP THIS!” Poseidon spat, casting his brother to the ground but it was too late,
Zeus had finished what he intended to do. The temperature of the room decreased, returning
to normal and the harsh light faded away leaving a heartbreaking sight before them.

Rhea lay shaking on the ground, clutching her wrist as she dry heaved, unable to stop crying
as she curled in on herself. Kronos for his part was panting heavily, clearly in pain by the way
he gritted his teeth and the way his eyes were dark, narrowed in fury, but he tabled his pain
and instead frantically made his way over to Rhea, whispering her name desperately as he
reached out to touch her, quickly pulling back when she flinched and let out another
heartbreaking sob. Poseidon quickly strode forward, hastening to his daughter but Percy had
already gathered her into his arms- Rhea having allowed his touch- and he was curled over
her as if he could shield her from pain with his body. Poseidon crouched by Rhea, stroking a
gentle hand over her black hair as he crooned gentle words, trying to calm her sobs as he told
her over and over, ‘Papa’s here, Papa’s here now, you’re safe, it’s all over’. Apollo walked
over as well, coming to sit by Rhea as he tried to coax her into showing him what was wrong
with her wrist.

Kronos, having ignored the pain in his own, felt an awful realization within him as Rhea
pulled her hand away and revealed a tight, black band wrapped around her wrist, looking as if
it had been melted into her skin, unable to be pried off for it was now a part of her. He took a
shaky inhale, praying to Chaos that he would look down and not see what he suspected was
there.

He extended his wrist out, and there, on Kronos’s wrist, was a tight, black band that had been
melted into his skin, the same as Rhea’s. An unholy, righteous fury lit through Kronos’s
veins- a fury he hadn’t felt since his beloved Rhea had been tortured by Ouranos and hung in
the sky for days despite how much she cried, begged, and pleaded to be let go. Kronos turned
his gaze to Zeus to see a regretful yet satisfied look on the face of the king of the gods.

“What have you done to her?” Kronos snarled, forcing himself to stand as he turned on his
youngest son, lips pulled back as he bared his teeth like a feral animal. The question was
entirely rhetorical, for Kronos had known what Zeus was doing from the second his son had
stepped forward and began to speak in rapid Old Tongue and the air filled with a familiar
hum of power that Kronos had recognized from his youth. He strode towards his son, intent
on tearing him to pieces, which led to all the other Olympians jumping back, scrambling out
of his way.

“Father, wait-” Hestia interrupted, sliding between Zeus and Kronos, allowing herself to
grow into her twenties so that her father would take her more seriously. Kronos was in no
frame of mind to allow his eldest child to stop him from what he was going to do. He refused
to listen to Hestia defend Zeus’s horrible actions. Planting one hand on Hestia’s shoulder,
Kronos shoved past her and extended his hand, ready to wrap it around Zeus’s throat.

“Kronos-” Rhea croaked from behind him. Kronos’s attention snapped to her immediately as
he turned to face her- his fight with Zeus not mattering in that moment for Rhea was his only
concern. Rhea was struggling to her feet, out of the grasp of her boyfriend, brother, and father
to stumble her way towards Kronos. She was unsteady, tripping over her own feet as if she
lacked the strength to hold herself up and Percy followed quickly behind her, hands
outstretched as if to grab her if she faltered. When she was about three feet away from
Kronos, Rhea stumbled and her legs went out from under her as she hurtled to the floor.
Kronos lunged forward, arms wrapping around her as he caught her before she could hit the
floor. Rhea’s head came to rest on his upper arm as he slowly pulled her back into a standing
position, both of them now facing down Zeus- who couldn’t seem to look at Rhea.

“You should rest,” He murmured down at her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders to
help her stand. Rhea scoffed, pushing away from him slightly as she tried to steadied herself.

“What he did to me, he did to you and you’re fine,” she grumbled back, voice still hoarse and
raspy.

“I am stronger than you,” Kronos reminded her, smiling at her stubbornness as she shrugged
his arm off and stepped away from him.

“Rude,” Rhea snapped back, not an ounce of venom in her voice before she looked back at
Zeus and held up her forearm, extending it halfway out so she, Kronos, and Zeus could have
a good look at the band on her wrist. “What is this?” She asked Zeus, voice deceptively calm
and low. “Tell me that this is not what I think it is.” Zeus shifted uncomfortably, not used to
having to explain himself. He usually would have commanded Rhea away or threatened her
for daring to question him, but when faced with the glaring faces of both his mother and his
father, Zeus found himself giving a reluctant explanation.

“To contain a deity’s powers, you have to bind them to someone they cannot defeat, someone
that is either stronger than them or unable to be killed,” Zeus cleared his throat and looked to
Hera for assistance. Hera refused to meet his eyes, clasping her forearms as she averted her
golden gaze away from her siblings, father, and Rhea. Zeus raised his head boldly, no longer
looking for help or forgiveness., staring as unflinchingly as he could at his father. “Poseidon’s
daughter is the one person that you won’t kill, therefore the binding is secure. You know the
rules, Father,” Kronos sneered at the word coming from his son’s lips (a son he didn’t even
consider to be legitimate). “The binding can only be undone through the death of either of the
parties or the one who made the bind, or through a willing sacrifice of blood, which the
demigoddess will not give because she is loyal to her brother, her father, and to Olympus.”
And though Zeus didn’t say the words, Kronos and everyone knew exactly what the King of
the Gods wanted to say, wanted to brag about but still had enough fear of his father, to be
wise enough not to do so. With Zeus acting as quickly as he did and binding Kronos when he
did, Kronos was stuck not only without his true form, but he was stuck with all the powers
and abilities he had at that moment. Zeus had bound Kronos before he could regain every bit
of his true power.

“You bound me to him?” Rhea asked, voice weak and shaky. She knew it wasn’t the same as
the kind Ouranos had done to Gaea, knew it wasn’t the kind Iapetus had suggested to Kronos
when she betrayed him but it didn’t matter. All she could see was the manacle on her wrist
and hear the words “I bound you” replaying over and over in her mind. Kronos’s fingers
twitched by his side as he resisted the urge to reach for her (or strangle Zeus, he didn’t know
which one would be better). Poseidon’s hand come to rest on Rhea’s shoulder while Percy
grabbed her hand in his, trying to give her the comfort she desperately needed. “Without
asking?” The hurt in her voice was palpable, and for a moment she felt as if she were more of
her past self, leaning more into that aspect of her newfound combined being. She couldn’t
understand how Zeus, the one surviving son who had done everything he could to protect her,
who had offered to kill his bastard half-brother to ease her pain, could do this to her so
heartlessly.

“There was no time, and consent was of no concern,” Zeus replied stiffly and Rhea re-
centered herself, having to resist the urge to snort and burst into hysterical giggles at his
words. This was Zeus after all, consent was never a high priority on his list. Kronos gave her
an odd look, like he knew what she was thinking (he didn’t but Kronos did know that
expression and he knew Rhea was three seconds from bursting into laughter).

“You should have bound her to me or Hestia,” Poseidon snapped from where he stood behind
Rhea, father and son looking more alike than ever as they glowered at Zeus for his offense.
Zeus glared right back, clearly furious at having been reminded just how little their father
(who he tried so hard to emulate) thought of him and just how much Kronos had loved Hestia
and Poseidon.

“He couldn’t,” Rhea snickered, causing Percy to tug her hand with a concerned look. When
she felt everyone’s confused gazes on her, Rhea let out another odd laugh. “Kronos would
kill you or Aunt Hestia or anyone else because he knows they will reform. He doesn’t know
that I will and he doesn’t want to take the chance.” She then looked at Zeus with an oddly
discerning look. “And it works for Zeus-” he frowned when she didn’t call him Lord,
“because I’m just a demigod and while I’m loyal to Olympus, I’m easily rid of if my loyalties
waver.”

“You would kill her? My daughter, your niece, the girl who holds our mother’s face and
name?” Poseidon moved, pushing Rhea behind him as if he feared Zeus would kill her now.
At his words, Demeter, Hera, and Hestia turned to look at Zeus with angry expressions and
raised brows.

“To save Olympus-” Zeus tried only to be interrupted.

“You mean yourself?” Kronos interjected in a tone of faux innocence. When Zeus had no
answer Kronos laughed as if the answer delighted him. “You truly are my father’s heir and
my son!” The titan clapped his hands as if that settled the matter before putting his hands
behind his back. “I believe then we are at an impasse and we should begin to negotiate my
surrender.” Nobody moved for a moment, staring back and forth between Zeus and Kronos.
When the King of the gods finally gave a nod of his head, Demeter stepped forward and
waved her hand, summoning a long, oak table with six chairs at one end and a single chair at
the other end. Ambrosia and nectar sat on both ends, ready to be consumed to grant strength
to the deities in the room. Kronos eyed the chairs and clucked his tongue, pointing to Percy,
Rhea, Annabeth, and Grover. “The demigods should have a seat at the table, after all it is
them that defeated me and them who I surrendered to. The satyr can have one too.”

Demeter scowled at her father, clearly displeased with the ease in which he commanded her
but after a moment she complied, summoning two more chairs. (He was still her father, she
feared him, she loved him. It was so hard to resist his commandments). The five present
children of Kronos moved gingerly around Kronos, walking to take their seats at the table as
they tried to keep their eyes on him at all times (like he would summon his scythe and stab
them in the back if they looked away. Honestly, it was ridiculous. If Kronos was going to stab
them he’d do it in the front so they knew it was him). Kronos followed, going around the other
side before pulling out his seat slowly, ensuring the awful sound of the wood screeching
against the marble before he sat down.

Zeus moved to the head of the table, only to whip his head around in surprise when the seat
was already filled, Hestia sitting at the head with Hera and Demeter on either side of her.
Poseidon sat beside Demeter leaving the only other open seat on end by Poseidon and had
left a space clear for Hades by Hera, a seat Zeus clearly wasn’t allowed to sit in. They were
sitting in age order. Zeus scowled, taking the seat by Poseidon before turning to the rest of
the Olympian Council.

“Send Hades up here at once, the rest of you will depart and begin to rebuild the city. You
will only return when summoned.” Zeus’s voice brooked no argument and each of the
younger gods bowed quickly before scurrying out of the room. (Kronos resisted the urge to
wave them off and tell them to obey like good little soldiers but his attention was stolen as
Rhea slumped into a chair near the middle of the table, Grover coming to sit beside her.)
Awkward silence reigned for the time it took Hades to arrive, the Elder Six looking
uncomfortably amongst each other, Poseidon checking on his kids, Rhea, Percy, and
Annabeth slowly consuming ambrosia and nectar while Kronos sat contentedly on his end
with a smile as if he was in complete control of the entire situation.

The sound of a clearing throat caused everyone’s attention to snap towards the entrance of the
Throne Room to see Hades standing there, armor gone and arms crossed, with the rest of the
Cousins behind him- staring at Kronos with wide eyes. It seemed that whichever of the gods
had sent Hades up had filled him in since the eldest son of Kronos quickly crossed the room
to take his empty seat, giving his father an odd look as he watched how the Titan seemed
only concerned with whether or not Rhea was eating enough ambrosia and healing correctly-
even when Rhea and Percy hissed at him to back off.

“The terms of surrender?” Zeus prompted, voice gruff as he looked at his father. Behind him
Alex stiffened up, realizing this was the first time he had seen and heard his father in person.
(Rhea watched with narrow eyes as Katie’s hand slid into his own and she resolved to tease
the pair about it later).

“I am the captive so perhaps I should not be the one to start,” Kronos laughed lightly.
“Although if you are giving me the opening then I shall have to demand that myself and all
other titans under my command be free from the threat to our lives. Instead of being executed
in the future, myself and the remaining titans will remain on Othrys, not to leave.”

“You are prisoners-” Zeus began, tone sharp.

“Not yours.” Kronos reminded, his voice still light as if he had no concerns in the world. “I
didn’t surrender to you.” Zeus’s eyes crackled with power and anger at the reminder, his jaw
clenching as he no doubt tried to stop himself from gnashing his teeth at his father.

“Still,” Zeus began, voice stilted as he tried to control his anger. “You are prisoners and
should be contained within Olympus.”

“To live out the rest of our days in the bowels of Olympus?” Kronos’s laugh was far more
sharp. “You cannot hope to hold us all here, however if I am allowed to remain within
Othrys, the titans will remain with me and shall not disobey my orders to stay within the
Black Walls,” Zeus opened his mouth, no doubt to refute and continue to argue but stopped
when he heard a slight cough from Hestia. Zeus’s eyes met Hestia’s and they communicated
silently for a moment before he sighed and nodded.

“Very well,” Zeus conceded. “But should they disobey then you will be bound by oath to
exile them, cutting them off from Othrys as a source of power, and they will then be hunted
and killed by myself and the other Olympians.”

“That is…” Kronos paused, as if the words physically pained him. “... A reasonable request.”
Kronos shifted in his seat, lounging in it as if he were lounging upon his great, black throne.
“Naturally I must demand that any action taken by my siblings and my other allies to defend
Othrys during the war be pardoned. They were, after all, defending their home.” There was a
twinkle in the titan’s eye as he stared the Olympians down, as if he had just let out some great
secret. Demeter shifted uncomfortably, Hestia coughed, Hades cleared his throat, and
Poseidon let out a groan. Zeus glared at the Titan with such force that Rhea wondered if bolts
of lightning would emerge from his eyes. “Is it something I said?” Kronos asked, tone of
complete innocence while he clasped his hands across his stomach. Zeus let out a growl.

“They will be pardoned- after they let any prisoners go.” Every word Zeus spoke was stilted
with anger and the struggle to get them out, however he finally did. Kronos nodded, pleased
at the concession, but Zeus was not finished. “On the condition that you free Mnemosyne and
allow her to return to Olympus.”

Everything went still, Kronos’s posture changed from playful, relaxed, and genial to
aggressive, tense, and ready to fight. His knuckles turned white where he clasped his hands
and the energy in the room began to crackle with electricity. The hairs on the back of the
demigods’ necks stood up as they felt the Titan King inching towards a fight with the King of
the Gods.
“What did you say?” Kronos asked, voice deceptively soft as he spoke. Rhea wanted to beg
Zeus not to answer, to make him take it back even if she knew why he was asking. (She knew
he loved Mnemosyne, that the titaness had been his only true love and that he had turned
cold and cruel when his first Queen had been killed by a titan, torn from him forever to fight
her way through Tartarus only to resurrect and be held captive within the grips of the Titans).
But Kronos would not take this offense lightly, he may concede, but he would remember
forever. The binds would not hold Kronos, not forever and one day he would break free and
when he did, he would come to avenge this slight, to kill Zeus and to recapture their sister-
starting the war of father against son all over again. (She just wanted them to live, even cold,
cruel Zeus. She didn’t want them to continue to fight their father, she wanted them to live, to
reunite. She knew they perhaps would never, but it was still her dream).

“If you want pardons for the rest of the Titans, Mnemosyne will be released from Othrys and
handed over to me,” Zeus snapped, staring his father down. Hera stared down at the table in
humiliation and embarrassment as her husband fought for the love of his life, the woman he
had lorded over her and claimed she could never live up to. The woman whose children- the
Muses- he loved more than Ares, than Eris, and her other precious children. Hestia, from her
place beside her sister slid her hand into Hera’s under the table, trying to soothe the sting of
humiliation. Kronos sat completely still for a moment and Rhea watched as he wavered back
and forth from anger and outrage before settling on vague curiosity, amusement, and general
for lack of a better word, dickishness.

“And what use do you have for your former wife?” Kronos laughed, raising his brows as he
leaned forward. “You married Hera in the eyes of Chaos, you cannot be unbound except in
death or mutual consent- which I doubt you will get from her.”

“You have wrongly imprisoned her, even if I cannot wed Mnemosyne she deserves to be
free,” Zeus had risen from his chair, fists planted in the table as he stared down at his fairly
relaxed father (He was far less relaxed internally than he portrayed on the outside).

“Wrongfully imprisoned? I was her brother and her king and she stabbed me in the throat. I
wouldn’t call that innocent.” Kronos’s grin sharpened into a shark-like smile. “And as I recall
you did worse to others for far less offenses.” Hera and Poseidon both flinched at Kronos’s
words (their father failed to notice but Rhea did and she felt worry build in her stomach).

“I AM KING!” Zeus screamed and Kronos’s patience with his youngest son snapped. Was
this the boy that was to be King of the Heavens? This child who ran around screaming about
how he was king and life wasn’t fair? This was the god who took the throne instead of
Poseidon, or Hades, or Hestia?

“YOU ARE A PETULANT CHILD!” Kronos roared back, straightening in his seat as he
slammed his palm down on the table. “YOU ARE NOT FIT TO BE KING AND YOU
HAVE NO RIGHT TO THE THRONE!”

“Enough!” Hera snapped, interrupting both her brother-husband and her father with a harsh
and exasperated tone. “How can we hope to end this war and come to a peace if you insist on
rising to our father’s bait every time!” Zeus turned on Hera with an infuriated look and she
steeled herself, trying so hard not to be cowed by it as she normally would be. (Did she feel
stronger against Zeus’s fury because her father was sitting there at the table? Did she have
some innate knowledge that Kronos would rise to her defense should Zeus step against her?)
“And you!” She turned to her father and in that moment she looked just like Rhea when Rhea
was breaking up a fight between the titans at dinner that Kronos couldn’t even muster a scowl
at her. “You are not helping in your case against us not killing you when we regain our
strength!”

She had been so caught up in her lecture that Hera hadn’t even noticed that she had thrown
her hands up, revealing the thing she so desperately tried to hide. Her wrist. Metal flashed
and Kronos’s eyes latched onto the sight in an instant, eyes narrowing with a rage that Rhea
had only ever seen when Kronos beheld the sight of Ouranos’s abuse against her. He was
vengeful, infuriated and righteous in his anger. But more than that, there were strains so faint
of fatherly love and protectiveness in his eyes. Kronos’s chin tilted up and his one hand
twitched towards Rhea as if he were going to reach out and take her hand.

“Hera,” Kronos began, voice so tight and restrained as if he were three seconds away from
lunging across the table and tearing out someone’s throat with nothing but his teeth. “What is
on your wrist?” All six siblings went still, none of them daring to move. Hera’s gaze fell to
the table, refusing to look at her father as she clutched her wrist with her hand in her lap,
hiding it from her father’s gaze. Kronos gave her a minute, watched her and waited for her to
come to her; however when too much time passed, Kronos tried again. “Hera, show me your
wrist.” As if she were a toddler who was sneaking a slice of cake, Hera shook her head
tentatively and refused to meet his gaze again. (She was trembling so hard that Rhea feared
she would break the chair she sat on.) “Nearos,” Kronos called, voice so soft and gentle that
Rhea looked up in surprise for he only ever spoke to her like that. Kronos’s five beloved
children all looked up in surprise at his voice, Hera’s golden eyes that were just like her
father’s were filled with tears. “Nearos, my daughter, it’s alright,” he encouraged, extending
one hand out to Hera as he called her True Name. “Just show me your wrist.”

Was it the gentle tone, his fatherly concern, or the fact that Hera finally got to see the version
of her father that Hestia and Poseidon had gotten that had Hera slowly pulling her wrist from
her lap so that she could reveal the ugly, black manacle that bound her wrist.

A manacle just like the one that Ouranos had given Gaea, now sitting on Hera’s wrist- Hera,
his youngest daughter. Horror curdled in Rhea’s veins and she felt the urge to cry or throw
up. Zeus had bound Hera? Hera, the girl she remembered as being a cute, chubby, and happy
little baby with the cutest curls any babe had ever had? Zeus who had once viewed his mother
as the greatest deity above all, who had promised to always be his mother’s hero and warrior
had gone and done something like this? (She was going to scream, she was going to scream,
rip her hair out, and cry. How could this have happened? How had Hera endured this for so
long? How could Zeus have done this to her?)

The air was still, no one dared to move or breathe. Even the demigods and Grover who didn’t
know what it meant knew better than to make a sound as Kronos sat as still and cold as a
glacier while he took in the sight of the Binding his daughter had been forced to endure for
Chaos only knew how long. The only sound in the room was Rhea’s shaky breathing, her
descent into hyperventilation as she fought to tear her eyes from Hera’s wrist.

Everything was still.

Almost peaceful.

Kronos stood, quick as a flash and with so much strength that his chair fell to the floor and
shattered behind him as he began to stalk around the table towards his youngest godly son,
raging at him the entire time.

“YOU LITTLE INGRATE! YOU DARE TO DO THIS TO HER? YOU WHO ARE LITTLE
MORE THAN A BASTARD CHILD, NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED OR ACCEPTED,
DARE TO LAY YOUR HANDS UPON MY DAUGHTER? THE PRINCESS OF
OTHRYS? YOU AREN’T WORTHY ENOUGH TO BREATHE HER AIR LET ENOUGH
DARE TO SHACKLE HER TO YOUR WORTHLESS SELF!” Kronos’s voice was so loud-
powerful and booming as he reached for Zeus who scrambled back in fear of his father’s
terrifying fury. The power that rolled off of Kronos and the might of his righteous anger was
so overpowering, even without his True Form. Kronos in that moment, felt like the most
powerful deity in the room. Percy grabbed Annabeth and yanked her out of the way, out of
Kronos’s path towards Zeus. Hestia and Demeter were screaming at their father but their
words were indiscernible. Hera was watching with her mouth open and eyes wide, too far in
shock to move or say anything as her father descended on Zeus out of defense for her- the
fairytale Kingly fatherly she had dreamed of her entire childhood.

“Wait!” Poseidon yelled, trying to move to the other side of the table- did he want to stop his
father? (No? Yes? He didn’t know, he just knew it felt wrong to let Kronos actually kill Zeus).

“Father! Father, just-” Hades tried only for Poseidon to cut him off.

“Mpampas!” Kronos was deaf to their pleas as he marched on Zeus only to be stopped by a
firm hand planted in his chest and a 5 '6 Rhea standing in his way.

“You may NOT kill your son,” she hissed up at him, an intimidating figure even though the
Titan stood ten inches taller than her and his body burned with more power than Rhea had
probably ever felt.

“Get out of my way,” Kronos snarled down at her, straining against her hand but unwilling to
physically shove her aside. “Look what he did to our daughter? You would tell me he doesn’t
deserve to burn in the pits of Tartarus for the rest of his miserable existence?” Rhea could
have let Kronos go, could have let him try and kill Zeus, maybe even succeed if he
summoned his scythe back but could she let her son be banished from existence forever? He
didn’t really feel like her son anymore but she could remember birthing him, raising him,
loving him, the way he avenged her and sobbed into her lap when she was fading.

“He deserves pain like he inflicted upon her but you may not take another child from me- not
when you already have done so much to me,” She whispered, fingers clutching at Kronos’s
chest as she appealed to him. (She hated Zeus, gods she could rip him apart right now. She
wanted him dead but she didn’t at the same time. She was Rhea Ourania and Rhea Jackson
and this was the life and feelings she was stuck with for eternity). Kronos stopped straining so
hard but murderous rage still glinted in his eyes and Rhea knew the situation was still
precarious so she shifted a little closer to him. “What happens to you, happens to me. If you
lose and he kills you, he kills me too Ekdikites . Can you live with that?” It was blatant
manipulation and both of them knew it and yet Rhea wasn’t wrong, Kronos couldn’t live with
it. “Take your vengeance later. You have thousands of years to plan.” She murmured, so low
no one else could hear. She then stepped back and watched as Kronos let out a snarl before
rolling his shoulders and forcing himself to calm down.

“Father?” Hades tried again, garnering Kronos’s attention as the titan turned on him with
sharp eyes, anger still boiling within him.

“You, my eldest son,” Kronos addressed, waving off any words Hades could utter. “How
could you stand by and allow this? You failed to protect your sister from your worthless
younger brother. You are the eldest son, you are responsible for protecting them and you
failed.” Kronos gestured to Poseidon and shook his head at his sons. (Hades was filled with
guilt, remembering how Hera had begged him and Poseidon to help and he had turned her
down, abandoned her and commanded Poseidon to leave her be, using his position as
Poseidon’s elder brother to ban him from doing anything that could risk his own life). “You
are my heirs and you should have saved her from this, you should never have let him touch
her.”

“So he could kill all three of us? We had just rebelled against him and nearly succeeded! His
rage almost matched yours and he has the power of the Heavens behind him! Would you
prefer you had three dead children?” Poseidon snapped, stepping in front of Hades with his
usual lack of fear towards their father. (He didn’t mention the fact that the biggest reason
Zeus had done this to Hera was because he had learned that two of her children belonged to
Hades).

“You are lashing out at the wrong children,” Rhea reprimanded, coming to stand by Kronos.
“The blame is on Zeus and Zeus alone. Remember what I told you.” Kronos took a deep
breath and nodded, slowly stalking back to his seat, stopping between his two sons to give
them an understanding nod, the closest he would ever come to an apology to them (at least
for now, Rhea swore she would not rest until she saw the day where Kronos verbally
expressed his love for his children).

Slowly, everyone returned to their seats- the gods watching with slight shock and
dumbfoundedness as Rhea- a mere demigod- masterfully handled Kronos down from a ledge
of uncontrolled rage and convinced him to return to his seat. When Zeus sat down last, no
small measure of uncertainty and barely hidden fear, Hestia regained control of the
negotiations.

“Shall we resume with all our terms?” Stilted nods came from everyone and Kronos sighed.

“Fine, for pardons of the titans and a guarantee that you will not take action against myself or
them in the future even when you regain your strength, Mnemosyne will be released,”
Kronos ground out, leaning back in his seat as if saying the words had drained more strength
from him than the war ever could.

“Fine, I agree,” Zeus was quick and firm with his answer, clearly willing to be done with the
negotiation.

“Oh I wasn’t finished,” Kronos huffed out a laugh. “My final term for her release is that you
will send Rhea, in person, to renew the Blood sacrifice aspect of our Bindings.” Poseidon
looked like he was three seconds from refusing, but Kronos wasn’t looking at him or at Zeus.
Instead he was looking at Percy, asking the demigod king, Rhea’s brother and King as he laid
out this term. Percy looked over at Rhea and she slowly nodded. It wasn’t a big ask, she
would go to Othrys at a regular time period, once every three months maybe, to slice open
her own arm with the blade she and Kronos had used earlier so that she could renew the
strength of the manacle and prevent the Bindings from weakening and giving Kronos a
chance to slowly wiggle through them.

“I agree,” she spoke, voice quiet and yet heard by all as she basically signed a deal with the
devil and bound herself to regular visits with Kronos (was that a good thing? Or a fucking
nightmare?)

“Rhea!” Poseidon protested, reaching towards her but Rhea shook her head and gave her dad
a small smile.

“It’s fine Dad, if that’s all he asks to end the war and restore peace then I agree. It’s a small
price.” Poseidon looked over her face, scanning her features as he looked to see if she was
genuine but he found nothing but certainty. “It’s fine,” she whispered, forcing a bigger smile
onto her face until her father believed her, even if she didn't believe herself.

Everything passed in a blur from there, the final bits of the negotiation were wrapped up and
Rhea could barely remember any of it. She only knew that when Hestia and Hades had
moved forward to take Kronos back to Othrys she had been unable to look away from him,
looking into his beautiful gold eyes despite the fact that she wanted nothing more than to look
away.

Rhea had hoped that she would get to come to terms with who she really was, hoped she
would have time to figure it out, to slowly understand everything she remembered and felt
(for the Elder Six, for the Titans, for Kronos). And yet now she felt almost trapped. She didn’t
regret agreeing, not when in two simple words she had secured peace for her people, for her
family. And yet she would see Kronos every six weeks, be forced face to face with him-
alone- whether she was ready to be or not and it made her uncomfortable. Made her skin
crawl. It was all too easy to draw on her aspects of Rhea Ourania when the world was ending
and she needed to save her family, but when it was just her and Kronos alone? Things seemed
too hard.

Could she do this?

Every six weeks?

The doors of Olympus opened and the rest of the Olympians came rushing back in, Apollo
heading straight for Rhea who stood in an almost catatonic state only to sink into Apollo’s
embrace with a gasp of relief and comfort at the familiarity of it. Percy stood silently,
watching as Apollo fussed over his sister, giving her water and trying to heal her as well as
cleaning her shirt of all the blood. The Great Prophecy was clear now, it all made sense to
him. Every line had come true but just as with every prophecy, the way it had come true had
been in ways he least expected.

A half blood of the eldest gods reaching 16 against all odds was him- Percy was never
supposed to make it that far and yet here he was, on the day of his birthday, 16 and alive.

He saw the world in an endless sleep, Morpheus putting all of Manhattan to sleep so they
could wage war on Olympus.

The hero’s soul cursed blade shall reap; Rhea had taken Silena’s life with her blades, blades
that Rhea had told him had been a gift from Kronos to the original Rhea when he swore to
always fight for her and yet had broken that promise. Silena was a traitor, but she had saved
Clarisse’s life (and Hero was a synonym for demigod just as half-blood was).

A single choice shall end his days; Percy’s choice to let Annabeth stop him, to let Rhea stand
alone against Kronos. Kronos’s choice to surrender, to give up his days of freedom (Zeus’s
choice to bind Kronos, Percy knew Kronos would kill the godking for that one day).

Olympus to preserve or raze; by making the choice to stand aside, Percy had allowed fate to
run its course, for Rhea to do what had to be done to save Olympus. Kronos had surrendered,
Olympus was saved.

In the end, Rachel was right. The time had come and Percy had to hold himself back, had to
stop himself from being a hero so that his sister could step up. This was the way it always had
to be and looking back, he saw that now. The way Luke-Kronos had protected his sister in the
Labyrinth, the way Kronos had tried to keep Rhea hidden away in Othrys in some twisted
form of protection,the way Kronos had been drawn to his sister on the Princess Andromeda.
Athena had warned Percy that his flaw could destroy the world or save it and Percy had a
feeling that Kronos’s flaw had just done that.

A smile broke across Percy’s face as he laughed to himself. Beside him, Annabeth’s knees
buckled and she crashed towards the floor. Percy managed to catch her, but she cried out in
pain and he realized he’d grabbed her broken arm.

“Oh gods,” Percy gasped, eyes widening. “Annabeth, I’m so sorry!” Annabeth smiled faintly
and leaned into him.

“You’re good,” she said and then she passed out in his arms.

“She needs help!” Percy yelled and watched as Apollo’s head snapped in his direction before
Rhea pushed him to go help.

“I’ve got this,” Apollo beamed his brilliant smile as he stood there in his fiery armor and
Percy gave him a half-smile back, after all Apollo wasn’t so bad. “God of medicine at your
service, cousin. Or should I call you brother since I’m dating your sister.” And of course he
had to ruin it.
“I will kill you,” Percy hissed back under his breath so no one else could hear. Apollo
blinked, alarmed, before smiling once more as if he hadn’t heard a word Percy said. The god
then passed his hand over Annabeth’s face and spoke an incantation. Immediately her bruises
faded, her cuts and scars disappeared, her arm straightened, and she gave a sigh in her sleep.
Apollo smiled at the sound and a job well done.

“She’ll be fine in a few minutes. Should I use the time to compose a poem to herald the day?”
Apollo asked, only half-joking, and quickly wiping the relieved smile from Percy’s face.

“Abso-fucking-lutely not,” Percy replied and stepped away from Apollo as soon as two
nymphs came by to set up a hospital bed for Annabeth. Poseidon was hovering over Rhea,
completely neglecting the repairs being made to the Throne Room in favor of looking over
his daughter. Casting one last look to Annabeth and getting the reassurance from the nymph
by her side that Annabeth would be out for a few more hours, Percy began to help Grover
heal all the wounded and eventually welcome the rest of the demigods into Olympus when
the sky bridge was fully repaired.

The Cyclopes had saved Thalia from the fallen statue. She was on crutches, but otherwise she
was okay. Connor and Travis Stoll had made it through with only minor injuries. They
promised Percy that they hadn't even looted the city much and reported that Percy and Rhea’s
parents had made it to safety and were back in their apartment. Mrs. O'Leary had dug Chiron
out of the rubble and rushed him off to camp. The Stolls looked kind of worried about the old
centaur, but at least he was alive.

“I saw Rachel run out of the Empire State Building at the end of the battle. Rachel had
looked unharmed, but we have no idea where she went,” Katie confided, leaning into Percy
as she reported to him. Percy waved her concerns off, knowing damn well where Rachel had
headed (camp) and knowing he would get around to her eventually. “Seth also saw Perses
disappear in a flash, before Perses left he said he was being called back to Othrys which I
assume is because of the deal made with Kronos.”

“Yeah, probably,” Percy nodded before patting Katie on the back and moving off to grab
Alex and examine the gash across his cheek with the concern of a brother, not a king. Hades
and Hestia returned not long after and Hades came over to congratulate his nephews as well
as thanking Percy for accepting Nico back into his fold.

“He’s my little cousin, he did something stupid but we’ve all been there,” Percy shrugged.
The moment Nico had shown up to fight and die with them, Percy had forgiven him for the
lies and betrayal. Casting a side glance to Nico with a slight smile, Percy looked back up at
his uncle. “He saved us and as far as I’m concerned, Nico and any other child of yours has a
place in my camp.” Nico gazed back with teary eyes, stance softening before flinging himself
at Percy. Percy’s arms wrapped around his 14 year old cousin and held him close.

“Thank you, Percy,” Hades murmured, bringing one hand to rest on Percy’s shoulder while
the other sat gently on Nico’s back. (It was as if he were watching a younger version of
himself and Poseidon and the sight warmed Hades’ heart. He only hoped their bond would
remain as close as Hades had with his brother).
The three sons of the Big Three stood side by side, Percy in the middle with the son of Zeus
on his right hand and the son of Hades on his left (Rhea, Katie, and Miranda stood talking
with Kayla from the Apollo cabin, Apollo holding his youngest daughter to his side while he
beamed at his girlfriend). Together the three sons of Olympus watched as the final groups of
demigods walked into Olympus.

Clarisse marched in, still shivering from her time in the ice block, and Ares turned to her with
a proud smile and outstretched a hand to her as he bellowed.

"There's my girl!" The god of war ruffled her hair and pounded her on the back, calling her
the best warrior he'd ever seen. "That drakon-slaying? THAT'S what I'm talking about!"
Clarisse looked entirely overwhelmed, surprised by her distant father’s sudden affection. All
she could do was nod and blink, like she was afraid he'd start hitting her, but eventually she
began to smile.

“Perseus,” A musical, gentle voice called and Percy spun to face Hera. She stood in a
beautiful blue and green dress, her hands clasped in front of her as she stared at her three
nephews. “You did well and we are indebted to you.” A small smile graced her lips and she
walked closer, ignoring the way Alex and Nico stepped back away in clear fear of being near
the vengeful goddess. “You once said I was just like my father, that I wasn’t loyal to my true
family and I think you may have been right.” Percy stood there, unable to say a thing except
nod his head at her words. The Godly Queen’s golden eyes were soft, almost regretful as she
looked at Percy, her gaze flickering over to Nico and softening even further. (She wondered if
she had a son with Hades, would he have looked like this? Would she have a powerful son
like the little Godkiller son of her love?).

“I did what I had to in order to save my family. You are my family, Lady Hera.” Percy finally
rasped out, remembering the rage across Kronos’s face when he had seen a manacle that
matched Rhea’s gracing her wrist. Despite everything, Kronos had still cared about his
daughter and had risen to fight on her behalf. She was his family even after thousands of
years of betrayal. (In that moment, Percy admired Kronos more than he had admired any
other, not that he would ever admit it). Hera nodded gracefully back at him and for the first
time all traces of fear were gone from her face (she no longer saw the fear due to his nearly
identical appearance to her father. Was it because of how her father had defended her or was
it because Percy had helped save Olympus).

“Niccolo, Alexander, thank you for all you did as well.” Hera nodded to them as she spoke
before turning on her heel and walking away. The three cousins stood there in silence for a
moment, all of their mouths gaping wide open as they watched the Queen of Olympus return
to the rebuilding efforts.

“Holy shit, she spoke to me and didn’t smite me!” Alex whispered in shock, a hysterical
laugh bubbling up his throat. Percy let out a bark of laughter and turned to clap Alex on the
shoulder.

“Congratulations, she likes you more than Thalia.” Nico giggled at Percy’s words, stumbling
into Alex’s side and the three boys devolved into more laughter. Eventually, Grover came
over to stay by Percy’s side and from time to time he would break down into tears, quickly
sobering Percy.
“So many nature spirits dead, Percy. So many! I feel like I led them to their death.” Percy
handed Grover a rag to wipe his tears with.

“You did a great job, Grover, and they died with honor. We will come back from this, we’ll
plant new trees, we’ll clean up the parks and your friends will be reincarnated into a better
world and a better life than this one.” Grover sniffled at Percy’s words and nodded dejectedly.
But before he could say anything else, Conch Horns blew, announcing the arrival of the army
of Poseidon. In a glorious march, the army barged into the Throne Room, bedecked in their
silver armor, armored to the teeth.

“Percy!” Tyson yelled as he charged towards Percy with his arms wide open. He shrunk back
down to normal size as he ran and collided with Percy, hugging his big brother tight. “You’re
not dead!”

“I know! Awesome right?” Percy laughed and Tyson clapped his hands and nodded.

“Tyson? Tyson!” Rhea exclaimed from across the throne room, dashing over to see her little
brother. Tyson called her name happily and swung her up into a huge hug, spinning around as
Rhea clutched him tight. “You’re alright? No injuries?” Rhea checked, looking over Tyson
once he set her down.

“Nope! I’m healthy and not dead! We got to chain Typhon and it was so much fun!” Tyson
looked so excited as he told his older siblings what he got to do. Rhea and Percy smiled back,
proud that he had gotten to fight, proud that their father had stepped back and allowed Tyson
to shine. Behind him, fifty other armored Cyclopes laughed and nodded and gave each other
high fives.

"Tyson led us," one rumbled. "He is brave!"

"Bravest of the Cyclopes!" another bellowed. Tyson blushed and turned to Percy and Rhea,
shaking his head fervently.

"Was nothing." He insisted but Percy held up his hand in denial and gripped Tyson’s hand
with his other hand.

“I saw you, Ty! You were incredible as you led the army!”

“You got to lead the army? That’s incredible!” Rhea gasped, pride shining through her
features as she leaned forward to give Tyson a side hug. The cyclops surrounded Percy, Rhea,
and Tyson, accidentally pushing Grover away (although his fear of cyclops was so great that
the satyr didn’t really mind) and began to talk excitedly with the demigod children of
Poseidon.

“Percy! Rhea!” Poseidon called, striding through the cyclops who parted, creating a path for
the Emperor of the Seas. “My children,” he whispered so softly as he came to stand before
them, placing one hand on each of their cheeks, cradling them as if they were the most
precious things he had ever seen. “You did so well and I am so very proud of you. No hero
would have had the strength to do what either of you did.” Rhea sniffled, leaning into her
dad’s hand as she basked in paternal love (she remembered hundreds of years of having a
father who loathed her and now she had a father who loved her more than anything). Percy
was looking at his father with tears in his eyes. He knew his father loved him more than any
of his other children, that he and Rhea were Poseidon’s favorite children, but hearing how
proud his father was of him warmed Percy’s soul more than anything else. It made all those
years without a father suddenly mean nothing, he had his dad now and his dad was proud of
him and loved him so much. Everything was okay now, the war was over, Rhea and
Annabeth were safe, his mom was safe, and Percy had a dad who loved him.

“Dad-” Percy choked out, Poseidon only shushed him and yanked his two children into a
tight hug as if he feared that someone would come and take them away from him.

“You two have risen above any other hero,” Poseidon murmured as he cradled them to his
chest. “Not even heroes like Hercules could ever have-”

“POSEIDON!” The voice of Zeus roared. The rest of the Olympians had taken their thrones
and were waiting for Poseidon, even Hades and Hestia were sitting on guest thrones at the
foot of the hearth. Nico, Alex, Katie, and Miranda all stood off to the side, watching Percy
and Rhea’s interaction with their dad with big smiles. “Well, Poseidon?” Zeus asked, grumpy
and irritable. “Are you too proud to join us in council, my brother?” (My brother? Poseidon
wondered what on earth had prompted Zeus to choose such wording, was Zeus trying to win
over his siblings in the aftermath of the incident with Kronos).

“I would be honored,” Poseidon replied after a moment, slowly releasing Percy and Rhea.
With one more pat to their cheeks and a kiss to Rhea’s forehead, Poseidon strode over to his
throne- his fishing seat- and the Olympian Council convened. While Zeus was talking—some
long speech about the bravery of the gods, etc.—Annabeth walked in and stood next to Percy.
(She looked good for someone who'd recently passed out and Percy found himself struggling
to look away from her, so much of a struggle that Rhea had to pinch his arm on Percy’s other
side.)

"Miss much?" she whispered.

"Nobody's planning to kill us, so far," Percy whispered back.

"First time today." At Annabeth’s hissed words, Rhea’s shoulders began to shake with silent
laughter and Percy cracked up. Grover, who stood behind Percy nudged him and drew
Percy’s attention to where Hera was giving them a look of reprimand.

“As for my brothers,” Zeus said, voice strained and three seconds from cracking due to his
lack of desire to get the words of thanks to his big brothers out. “We are thankful” he cleared
his throat like he was choking on the words. “To, um Hades, the aid he provided to the
demigods was… invaluable.” The King of the Underworld nodded with a smug smile before
giving a nod to Alex, Katie, Miranda, and Nico- the demigods he had fought side by side
with to stop Kronos’s army from reaching the doors. “And of course,” Zeus continued,
looking like he wanted to die. “We must…. Thank Poseidon.”

"I'm sorry, brother," Poseidon said. "What was that?" Zeus turned an ugly shade of red and
Demeter snickered.
"We must thank Poseidon," Zeus growled. "Without whom . . . it would've been difficult—"

"Difficult?" Poseidon asked innocently and smiles began to appear on the faces of all the
Olympians at the look of pure, unadulterated hate on Zeus’s face.

"Impossible," Zeus said. "Impossible to defeat Typhon." The gods murmured agreement and
pounded their weapons in approval. Poseidon gave a very kingly and gracious nod, looking
across to Hades to share a pleased smile with his favorite brother.

"Which leaves us," Zeus said, "only the matter of thanking our young demigod heroes, who
defended Olympus so well—even if there are a few dents in my throne." He called Thalia
forward first, since she was his daughter, and promised her help in filling the Hunters' ranks
to which Artemis smiled and praised Thalia’s efforts before strong-arming Hades into giving
the fallen Hunters immediate clearance to achieve Elysium. “Alexander, my son!” Zeus
called with pride, as if having a demigod son as strong as Alexander was one of his biggest
achievements. Alexander strode forward, cutting a powerful figure in his bronze armor,
tattered blue cloak, and his helmet under his arm. Alex went to one knee before his father and
bowed his head. “My son, you fought with the might of a god and for that I grant you the
same invulnerability of the Hunters. You will never fall ill, you will remain strong and
powerful with increased prowess on the battlefield. You will still age but you will only be
felled in battle- the glory of a true Greek Hero. Now rise, my son.” Alex stood slowly, his
eyes wide at the gift his father had given him and bowed his head in thanks.

“Father, thank you for this blessing, I don’t know what to say.” Alex stammered out, shifting
his helmet from one arm to the other. Zeus’s face softened just a bit and he looked at Alex
with what could almost be described as fondness.

“There is nothing to say! It is a reward fitting for your deeds!” The King of the Gods replied
before waving his son off and calling Tyson forward. Tyson was rewarded with a new
weapon and a position as the General of the Olympian Army- much to Tyson’s delight and
the pride of all the cyclops, Poseidon, Percy, and Rhea. Grover was then called forward and
rewarded by Dionysus with a position on the Council of the Cloven Elders- a reward that
prompted Grover to faint from shock and be taken from the room and under the care of a
hoard of beautiful naiads.

“Annabeth Chase!” Athena called out, commanding attention to herself where she sat on his
silver throne, dressed in her battle armor, black hair braided back and her gray eyes shining
with fierce pride. “My own daughter.” Annabeth squeezed Percy’s arm in nervousness before
walking forward to kneel at her mother’s feet. Athena smiled, fierce expression turning
gentle. “You, my daughter, have exceeded all expectations. You have used your wits, your
strength, and your courage to defend this city, and our seat of power. It has come to our
attention that Olympus has been left trashed and devastated by this attack. The Titan King did
much damage that will have to be repaired. We could rebuild it by magic, of course, and
make it just as it was. But the gods feel that the city could be improved. We will take this as
an opportunity. And you, my daughter, will design these improvements." Annabeth looked
up, stunned.

“My… my lady?” Athena smiled wryly in response. (Percy felt that little bit of sadness in his
heart for Annabeth, for even Thalia and Alex got to call their godly parent ‘Father’ while
Annabeth was relegated to a far more distant relationship with her own mom).

“You are an architect, are you not? You have studied the techniques of Daedalus himself.
Who better to redesign Olympus and make it a monument that will last for another eon?"

“You mean I can design whatever I want?” Annabeth gasped out, looking like she might fall
over onto her side.

"As your heart desires," the goddess said. "Make us a city for the ages. Now rise, my
daughter, the official architect of Olympus.” Annabeth rose in a trance and walked back
toward Rhea, Alex, Katie, Miranda, and Percy.

“Way to go,” Percy murmured under his breath, reaching over to grip Annabeth’s hand with
pride. For once, Annabeth was at a loss for words as Katie and Miranda were called forward
by their mother to receive their reward.

"I'll . . . I'll have to start planning . . . Drafting paper, and, um, pencils—" Annabeth stuttered
out, not even hearing as Katie and Miranda were granted the honor of the rebuilding of all the
nature and earth that had been destroyed in the war against Typhon. The two sisters had
beamed with pride, knowing how important of a task it was to rebuild the parks, to mend
Mount St. Helens, to heal the earth and what it meant for their mother to entrust them with
this.

"PERCY AND RHEA JACKSON!" Poseidon announced. The two names echoed around the
chamber and all talking died down. The room was completely silent except for the crackle of
the hearth fire. Everyone’s eyes were on the twins as they walked to the middle of the throne
room- all the gods, demigods, cyclopes, and spirits. Percy still with his breastplate on and
Rhea still covered in dried ichor, the twins cutting a deadly and powerful image. Hestia
beamed proudly at them from where she sat beside Hades. She was in the form of a young
girl again and seemed happy, content by the Hearth now that her family had been saved and
peace had been restored (and that her father was alive, that he was alive and back into his
right mind and hopefully, hopefully one day with the help of Rhea, he could become the man
he had been so long ago). Neither of the twins knelt before Zeus, only standing before their
father with their chins tilted up- every inch of the King and Queen that the demigods
pronounced them to be.

“Great heroes must be rewarded and these two have done what no other could ever dream
of!” Poseidon proclaimed, voice ringing out loudly and brimming with pride. “They have led
armies, they have slayed titans, and they have defeated Kronos and his army. Is there anyone
here who would deny that my son and my daughter are more deserving than any other?” He
looked around the Throne Room with an impassive gaze, daring any of the gods to step
forward and challenge his statement, to stand against Poseidon, the would be King, and his
children who had saved Manhattan, who had stopped Kronos. Not a single god protested,
only murmuring in agreement and nodding their head.

"The Council agrees," Zeus said after a moment. "Percy and Rhea Jackson, you will have one
gift from the gods."
“Any gift?” Percy asked after a moment’s hesitation, an incredulous look on his face. Zeus
rolled his eyes and nodded, though Rhea didn’t miss the gleam in them as if the god saw
some great opportunity before him.

“I know what you will ask. The greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The
gods have not bestowed this gift on a mortal hero in many centuries, but, Perseus Jackson—if
you wish it—you shall be made a god. Immortal. Undying. You shall serve as your father's
lieutenant for all time. Your sister would be a Princess of the Seas, undying and forever
protected, immortal and untouchable"

"Um . . . you would make us gods?" Percy asked, stumbling over the words as he looked at
Zeus. Rhea could have laughed for now Zeus’s motives were clear. If Percy and Rhea became
gods, then they were no longer Godkillers, no longer the King and Queen of the Demigods.
They would no longer hold so much power and no longer be a threat to Zeus’s reign. Alex
would move forward to take command of the camo and Zeus had nothing to fear from his
own son. It was a brilliant move and truly worthy of his father, the Crooked One.

“Yes, with the consensus of the entire council, we would grant godhood to the two of you.”
Zeus looked at Rhea as he spoke before quickly looking away and back at Percy. (Was it the
look of Zeus, the young son of Rhea who sometimes looked at his niece and just wanted to
hide her away and protect her?).

“I like this idea!” Ares mused and Rhea rolled her eyes.

“Of course you do,” She muttered and the god only gave her a shark-like smile.

“As do I,” Apollo quickly jumped in, eyes never leaving Rhea as he internally begged her to
accept and be by his side forever. She looked back at her boyfriend and felt herself seeing the
merit of the idea. She didn’t want to be in any more wars, didn’t want to face the possibility
of having to exterminate the gods one day. This way she could live peacefully with her father,
brother, and boyfriend forever.

But her cousins would all die around her, she would remain young and watch as they all
faded away and she was helpless to protect them. No, she couldn’t do this.

“I approve as well," Athena said, though she was looking at Annabeth. Percy glanced back at
Annabeth and noticed how she was trying not to meet his eyes. Her face was pale- anxious
and desperate as if she was going to pass out, cry, or vomit- or maybe all three. Percy flashed
back to two years ago when he thought she was going to take the pledge to Artemis, to
become a Hunter and leave him forever. He had been on the edge of a panic attack thinking
that he was going to lose her and how he would rather tear his own heart out with his bare
hands then watch as Annabeth walked away from him for the rest of eternity. Now it was
Annabeth who looked like that and Percy’s choice became clear. Yes, he could be immortal,
in top condition, powerful and serving with his father forever, but none of that even
compared to living everyday alongside Annabeth. Listening to her laugh, watching as she
talked about architecture, fighting beside her. There was nothing else he would rather do.

"No," He and Rhea replied in tandem before looking at one another, not in surprise but in
amusement. The Council was silent. The gods frowned at each other like they must have
misheard.

"No?" Zeus asked, a dangerous edge in his voice like a storm was brewing and threatened to
erupt. "You are . . . turning down our generous gift?"

“We are honored by the offer,” Rhea interjected with a gentle voice meant to placate the
angry god. “But we can’t.”

“I would hate to peak in my sophomore year-” Percy interjected, thoughts running away from
him before he had the chance to stop them. The gods- save Poseidon- glared at him but none
of it mattered because Annabeth was looking at Percy with delight written across her face and
her eyes shining with what Percy knew was adoration. “I do want my gift though, and I’m
sure my sister does too. Do you promise to grant our wishes?” Zeus sat there for a moment,
pondering, before he nodded.

“If it is within our power.”

“It is,” Percy reassured. “And it isn’t even difficult, but I need you to promise on the River
Styx.”

"What?" Dionysus cried. "You don't trust us?" Rhea snorted and Percy grinned at the camp
director.

"Someone once told me," He said, looking at his uncle Hades, "you should always get a
solemn oath." Hades looked back, completely unashamed as he shrugged and smiled
mischievously at his nephew.

“Guilty,” was all he said.

"Very well!" Zeus growled. "In the name of the Council, we swear by the River Styx to grant
your reasonable request as long as it is within our power." The other gods muttered assent.
Thunder boomed, shaking the throne room. The deal was made.

“From now on, I want you to properly recognize the children of the gods," Percy demanded.
"All the children . . .of all the gods." The Olympians shifted uncomfortably.

"Percy, what exactly do you mean?" Poseidon asked hesitantly.

"Kronos couldn't have risen if it hadn't been for a lot of demigods who felt abandoned by
their parents," Percy replied. "They felt angry, resentful, and unloved, and they had a good
reason.” Zeus’s nostrils flared at the accusation and he opened his mouth to interrupt but
Percy simply shouldered on, too far on a roll to stop. "No more undetermined children, I
want you to promise to claim your children—all your demigod children—by the time they
turn thirteen. They won't be left out in the world on their own at the mercy of monsters. I
want them claimed and brought to camp so they can be trained right, and survive. And the
minor gods; Nemesis, Hecate, Morpheus, Janus, Hebe-—they all deserve a general amnesty
and a place at Camp Half-Blood. They rose against you because you ignored them and
treated them like they didn’t matter but in the end they almost managed to take you down!
Their children shouldn't be ignored. Calypso and the other peaceful Titan-kind should be
freed too, they aren’t responsible for their heritage. If they didn’t fight then they deserve
freedom. And Hades—"

“Are you calling me a minor god?” Hades asked, voice quiet and dangerous like his father’s.

“No, never, Uncle Hades!” Percy replied quickly, holding his hands up in placation. "But
your children should not be left out- they should have a cabin at camp. Nico has proven that
he's just as strong as me, Rhea, Alex, Katie, Miranda and the others and he is no less than us.
He deserves to be treated as befitting his station. No unclaimed demigods will be crammed
into the Hermes cabin anymore, wondering who their parents are. They'll have their own
cabins, for all the gods.” Percy paused for a moment, and turned to look at Thalia,
remembering what Hades had done to her, remembered the many times Zeus had tried to kill
him and Rhea, and he found the courage for his next words. “And no more trying to kill the
kids of the Big Three, we are your nieces and nephews and we don’t deserve to be punished
for your broken oaths. You've got to stop trying to get rid of powerful demigods. We're going
to train them and accept them instead. All children of the gods will be welcome and treated
with respect. And Hades and Hestia should get permanent seats on the council! They’re the
children of Kronos and Rhea too and more powerful than most of the other council members
so they deserve to be honored as well! That is my wish." Percy finished triumphantly, staring
Zeus down without an inch of fear. Rhea stood beside him silent, shocked and proud that her
brother had made such a demand. (It emboldened her towards her own). Zeus snorted,
looking incredulously down at his defiant nephew.

“Is that all?”

"Percy," Poseidon said, "you ask much. You presume much." But Percy would not be cowed.
Poseidon, for his part, was unsure if he was proud or astonished by the nerve of his son.

“I hold you all to your oaths.” Percy replied in a steely voice, unmoving from his stance.

“And what of you, Daughter of Poseidon? What demands do you presume to make towards
us?” Zeus asked, leaning forward as he stared down at his brother’s daughter. Rhea only
laughed and shrugged, stepping forward.

“My demand is far more simple,” she began, and watched as the gods let out exhales of
relief. (They had no idea the simple, one demand, she was going to make of them.) “When the
time comes and your strength has reached its peak once more, I want your oath that you and
the rest of the council will not kill your father, Kronos.” There were shocked exhales, gasps
of horror, and yells sounding across the room as several gods called her mad, demanded to
know what was wrong with her or if she was a traitor but Rhea was unflinching. She didn’t
care about their opinions.

“Rhea, my daughter. Are you sure you want to make this your one wish?” Poseidon asked,
his voice gentle as he looked down at his daughter with concern.

“If you kill Kronos, the cycle of violence will only continue. He will die, he will regenerate,
and he will resurrect and there will not always be Percy and I here to stop him. Kronos
himself said that the only reason he stopped was because of me and I won't be here in three
thousand years when he resurrects and comes for you all once more.” Rhea gave her father a
half smile. “This cycle between the gods and the titans has to come to an end. For your own
survival and that of your demigod children that you force to be a little army. We cannot
continue to be stuck between you and them because we are the ones that are butchered and
dead for all of eternity while you all get to rise again and return to continue the fight. And
one day Kronos may win if you kill him. And then what becomes of all of you? Of all of us?”
She got a lot of horrified but thoughtful looks from the Olympians as they realized the truth
of her words. If they killed Kronos, if they managed to get their hands on a weapon capable
of it, he would only regenerate once more- strengthen by the very existence of his godly
children (by Rhea, and who knows, if they killed him while she was still alive would he die
only to come back a year or two later?). The Elder Six shifted uncomfortably, Hestia and
Poseidon looking like they were at war with themselves. Strangely however, it was Athena
who coughed to garner attention and speak up in favor of the wishes of both Percy AND
Rhea.

“Perseus is correct, we have been unwise to ignore our children. It proved a strategic
weakness in this war and almost caused our destruction. Their anger, and that of the minor
gods proved to be our near downfall and we would be unwise to allow it to continue,” Athena
then turned to look at her father with uncertainty. “And the daughter of Poseidon is correct as
well. It is unwise to test fate by continuing to go against Kronos when we cannot guarantee
victory every time. There are… greater threats on the horizon and we would do well to save
our strength for those instead of continuing this war with the Titan King. Let him stay locked
up where he is and bound to the girl. I move that we accept the plans of the children of
Poseidon”

“We are being told what to do by presumptuous children!” Zeus scoffed and Rhea frowned.

“Presumptuous children who saved Olympus,” she snapped back with more nerve and less
fear than any other would in the face of the Olympians. Perhaps she felt secure in the fact that
she was the only thing holding back Kronos and she knew she could speak as she wished.
Nevertheless, Zeus was shocked into silence at her sharp reminder.

“All in favor?” Apollo interjected before his father was shaken from his stupor and tried to
threaten the girl. Slowly, one by one, all the gods raised their hands and the twins breathed
sighs of relief.

“Um, thanks” Percy said while Rhea called out her own thanks. They turned to leave but
before they could, Poseidon called out.

“Honor Guard!” Immediately the Cyclopes came forward and made two lines from the
thrones to the door—an aisle for the twins to walk through. They came to attention, weapons
raised to the heavens.

"All hail, Perseus and Rhea Jackson," Tyson said. "The Saviors of Olympus . . . and my big
brother and sister!”

“What now?” Rhea asked under her breath as they made their way out the double doors.

“Now we go home,” Percy responded with a smile, reaching out to take his sister’s hand in
his own and the pair strode out of the Throne Room with pride and hands clasped. And for
the first time in years, they stepped out into the world without the shadow of the prophecy
over their lives

Of course that couldn’t be the end of things. No, Rachel just had to steal Blackjack and run
away to camp where a dragon would probably gobble her out of the sky. Nobody got to steal
Blackjack- not even Percy’s own family or Annabeth- and yet Rachel had taken him and run.
Percy was infuriated.

“What was she thinking?” Annabeth exclaimed as she, Percy, Rhea, Alex, and Nico raced
towards the river.

“Oh I know just what she’s thinking and she’s an absolute idiot for going off to do it without
any company,” Percy snarled and began to run faster, letting out a sharp whistle as he did.
Two pegasi swept down from the sky, Goldilocks and Bubbles, and came to fly alongside the
four demigods. In a quick move, without even breaking her stride, Rhea swung herself up
onto Bubbles and reached down to haul Nico up. With a little less grace, Percy managed to
do the same on Goldilocks while Alex summoned the winds beneath him (he was very pale
as he did so, and Rhea felt a yank in her gut as Alex stole her power so that he could fly) and
began to hover into the air.

After a few more seconds, the two Pegasi and Alex shot off towards the camp, quick as
bullets. Argus was waiting for them at the stables and he was glaring with all his eyes as he
stood there with his arms crossed.

“Is she here?” Percy demanded as he dismounted, only pausing to grab Annabeth’s waist and
help her down. (On the other side, Rhea and Nico fell off in a mass of limbs as they both tried
to dismount at the same time). Argus nodded grimly and Percy let out a sharp exhale.

“Is everything okay?” Rhea asked as she pushed Nico off of her and accepted Alex’s hand to
stand up. Argus shook his head. The five of them followed Argus up the trail and to the Big
House, glancing around surreally at the sight of the peaceful camp; no burning buildings, no
wounded fighters. The cabins were bright in the sunshine, and the fields glittered with dew.
There were only a few sounds as the anxious young demigods left behind began to peer
through the windows to gaze in shock and awe at the five demigods. Up at the Big House,
green light was shooting out all the windows, and the air was filled with a heavy, ominous
charge. Chiron lay on a horse-size stretcher by the volleyball pit, a bunch of satyrs standing
around him while Blackjack cantered nervously in the grass. Rachel stood at the bottom of
the porch steps, her arms raised like she was waiting for someone inside the house to throw a
ball at her.

“What’s going on?” Annabeth demanded, turning to look at Percy who had a grim and angry
but unsurprised look on his face.
“She came here- alone and without giving me a chance to check with Hades first- and
decided to just start trying to welcome the Oracle’s spirit into herself like a fucking idiot,”
Percy snarled.

“Are you serious?” Alex hissed, taking a step towards Rachel as if to stop her when the house
rumbled. The door flew open and green light poured out, accompanied by the warm musty
smell of snakes. Mist curled into a hundred smoky serpents, slithering up the porch columns,
curling around the house.

It was then that the Oracle appeared in the doorway. The withered mummy shuffled forward
in her rainbow dress. Her hair was falling out in clumps and her leathery skin was cracking.
Her glassy eyes stared blankly into space, and yet she didn’t need to see as she moved as if
she were being drawn straight towards Rachel, who held out her arms without an ounce of
fear.

“You’ve waited for so long,” Rachel whispered lovingly. “But I’m here now.” The Sun blazed
ten times brighter and with a brilliant flash, a man appeared above the porch, dressed in
Ancient Greek style but with sunglasses to complete the look.

“Apollo?” Rhea called, taking a step forward, looking like she was about to climb the porch,
grab her boyfriend by the ear, and give him the scolding of a lifetime. He immediately held
up his hands in surrender before gesturing to Rachel with a pleading look, begging Rhea not
to walk up there to kick his ass until he finished what he came for.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," he said. "You have the gift of prophecy. And while it is a gift, it is
also a curse. Are you sure you want this?" Rachel nodded dreamily.

"It's my destiny."

"Do you accept the risks?"

"I do."

"Then proceed," the god said before looking at Rhea with childlike excitement, causing Rhea
to smile back at him with only minimal reluctance. Rachel closed her eyes and began to
speak her oath.

"I accept this role. I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future
and embrace the past. I accept the spirit of Delphi, Voice of the Gods, Speaker of Riddles,
Seer of Fate." As she spoke, the Mist thickened and a green column of smoke uncoiled from
the mouth of the mummified oracle and slowly slithered its way down the stairs to curl
affectionately around Rachel’s feet. The Oracle's mummy crumbled, falling away until it was
nothing but dust that quickly fluttered away on the light breeze.

The Mist enveloped Rachel into a column, blocking her from everyone’s view for a few
seconds before the smoke cleared. For a moment nothing happened and then Rachel
collapsed, falling forward and curling into a fetal position. Percy and Annabeth moved to
rush forward but Apollo shouted for them to stop, holding up his hands as he warded them
back. The god then made his way down the steps and towards Rhea, curling one arm around
his girlfriend’s waist and shielding her with his body in case something went wrong with the
Oracle.

"What's going on?" Percy demanded. "Did it work?" Apollo peered down at Rachel before
shrugging and returning his focus to Rhea.

“We’ll see, either the spirit takes hold or it doesn’t.” Apollo’s tone was far to blaise and Rhea
smacked him lightly on his half uncovered chest. “What?” He asked incredulously, leaning
forward to brush his nose against Rhea’s- far more delighted to be with her, both of them
alive, well, and victorious against Typhon and the Titans. (Behind them, Alex mimed throwing
up while Nico gagged and stepped away from them). With a sharp gasp, Rachel awoke, her
skin pale and clammy but she was alive all the same and no longer glowing green. Percy
rushed forward to help her up, extending a hand out and pulling her to her feet while he
scolded her for coming to do this alone and not giving him the chance to ensure the curse was
lifted first.

“Are you alright?” Percy finally asked when he concluded his scolding.

"I'm all right," she murmured. "Thanks for helping me up, the visions—they're a little
disorienting." Apollo from his place with Rhea held out his other hand in a triumphant,
sweeping motion, clearly not willing to leave his current position.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce the new Oracle of Delphi." The god beamed and
Annabeth turned to him with an exasperated look. “Happy Birthday!” Percy scowled at him
while Rhea rolled her eyes and sighed.

“No kidding,” she said before stepping forward to help Percy with Rachel. Apollo only
shrugged and moved his arm from around Rhea’s waist to sling it across her shoulders.

“Does this mean you can tell the future now?” Alex interjected from where he stood at a
distance, clearly unwilling to get too close to Rachel after all the snakes and mist.

"Not all the time," she said. "But there are visions, images, words in my mind. When
someone asks me a question, I . . . Oh no—" Rachel doubled over like someone punched her
and Alex’s eyes widened.

“It’s starting!” Apollo announced as Rachel stood up straight, eyes glowing serpent green and
Mist pouring out of her mouth. When she spoke, her voice sounded tripled and it boomed
across the camp like it was coming from a loudspeaker as she delivered a devastating
prophecy.

"Seven half-bloods shall answer the call.

To storm or fire, the world must fall.

An oath to keep with a final breath,

And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death."

At the last word, Rachel collapsed, luckily Percy and Annabeth caught her and helped her to
the porch.

"I'm all right," she said, her voice returning to normal while the rest of the demigods stared
down at her, Rhea having broken away from Apollo to stand shocked before the new Oracle.

“What was that?” Percy asked, voice hoarse. For a moment, nobody said a word until Apollo
hesitantly stepped forward.

"I believe that we just heard the next Great Prophecy." Rhea and Percy gawked at Apollo and
he held his hands up.

“What does it mean?” Percy stalked towards the god, demanding answers. Apollo turned to
Rhea for help and she moved forward, positioning herself slightly between the god and
Godkiller.

“I’m not quite sure, but I wouldn’t worry about it too much Percy!” Apollo said, giving Percy
a hesitant, beaming smile to assuage all worries. “The last Great Prophecy about you took
almost seventy years to complete. This one may not even happen in your lifetime." Percy
nodded slowly, not agreeing but not wanting to press the issue. Apollo moved forward,
dropping a kiss on Rhea’s head with a promise to come by soon so he could give her a real
birthday present before insisting that Rachel needed to rest.

The rest of the day was as strange as the beginning. Campers trickled in from New York by
car, pegasus, and chariot. The wounded were cared for. The final round of the dead were
given proper funeral rites at the campfire. Dinner at the pavilion was low-key, nearly silent as
everyone absorbed the fact that they were somehow alive. There were only two highlights of
the night and one highlight was Juniper the tree nymph, who screamed, "Grover!" and gave
her boyfriend a flying tackle hug, making everybody cheer. They went down to the beach to
take a moonlit walk, and Percy gave Grover a smile and a thumbs up- happy for them.

The second highlight came when Alex moved away from his seat beside Rhea and across
from Percy and Nico to go sit beside Katie at the Demeter table, a shy smile on his face. For a
moment, the son of Zeus said nothing, nervously playing with his hands and pulling at his
cuticles until Katie sighed loudly and demanded to know what he wanted or if he was just
here to be annoying (the teasing lilt in her voice was unmistakable). Her familiar banter
snapped Alex out of her nervous fidgeting and he leaned forward, propping an elbow on the
table and resting his chin in his hand while he stared Katie down with stormy, adoring eyes.

“Just wondering how you’d react if I kissed you,” Alex replied, voice completely cool and
nonchalant. Several of the cousins ‘ooed’ loudly while Percy rolled his eyes and looked at
Rhea exasperatedly.

“He thinks he’s so smooth,” the Hero of Olympus laughed and Rhea giggled.
“I think that was actually pretty good,” she replied, watching as Katie phased through shock
and surprise to flushed with hope.

“Maybe you should kiss me and find out,” the Daughter of Demeter responded, voice
trembling with nerves. Alex’s smile grew from a smirk to a smile before he stood and slowly
walked around the table to stand before Katie. He stood there, looking at her for a few
minutes, not moving as she looked up at him. The entire camp sat there silently, waiting to
see how this would play out. Alex extended a hand which Katie slowly accepted before
standing. They were only inches apart, staring at each other for another second before Alex’s
hands came up, one cradling her neck and the other one on her cheek as he pulled her forward
and slotted their lips together in a passionate kiss.

Loud cheers went up around the camp as everyone began to bang their cups on the table in
congratulations. When the kiss continued, several of the cousins picked up rolls from off of
their plates and began to hurl them at the new couple while complaining about how gross it
was getting.

Slowly, the dinner crowd trickled away. Some went to the campfire for a sing-along. Others
went to bed, Rhea wandering off with Miranda to go sit by the ocean. Percy sat at the
Poseidon table by himself and watched the moonlight on Long Island Sound, he watched his
sister and his cousin play in the waves, happily splashing water at each other with laughter
and he smiled. It was peaceful.

"Hey!” Annabeth slid next to me on the bench. "Happy birthday." She was holding a huge
misshapen cupcake with blue icing and Percy stared back at her, dumbfounded by the baked
good she presented him with. "Make a wish," she said with a smile.

“Did you bake this yourself?” He laughed, pulling the plate towards himself.

"Tyson helped."

"That explains why it looks like a chocolate brick," He replied before swiping a finger
through the icing and wiping it on Annabeth’s cheek. "With extra blue cement." Annabeth
laughed and brought her hand up to wipe off the icing, licking it from her fingers as she did.
Percy blew out the candle before cutting the cake in half and sharing it with Annabeth, the
pair eating with their fingers and watching the stars shining like diamonds on the surface of
the ocean.

"You saved the world," she said.

“No, Rhea did.”

“Your choice allowed her to,” Annabeth fired back and Percy shrugged, not willing to argue
the point. "And Rachel is the new Oracle, which means she won't be dating anybody."

"You don't sound disappointed," Percy noticed, wondering if this meant that Annabeth would
stop being so mad at him about being friends with Rachel. Annabeth shrugged and wiped her
hands on her shorts.
“I don’t care,” she denied.

“Mhm.” Annabeth raised an eyebrow at the sound.

“Do you have something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?” Percy fought hard not to flush,
muttering under his breath that she’d only kick his ass if he confessed. They sat there for a
second before Percy decided to brave on, to finally say what he had known for years.

"When I was at the River Styx, turning invulnerable . . . Nico said I had to concentrate on one
thing that kept me anchored to the world, that made me want to stay mortal." Annabeth kept
her eyes on the horizon, no doubt feeling Percy’s eyes on her but unable to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"Then up on Olympus,” Percy soldiered through,” when they wanted to make me a god and
stuff, I kept thinking— about my sister about my dad and I-”

"Oh, you so wanted to."

"Well, yeah but I didn’t or I guess, I… I couldn’t! Because when I thought, I mean I was
thinking about how… I didn’t want things to stay the same for eternity because things could
always get better.” Percy was totally butchering this and in that moment he cursed Alex for
being so charming with Katie while Percy stumbled over every word and was burning with
embarrassment, wishing the earth would swallow him whole. “And I was thinking,” He
coughed, throat incredibly dry. “I remembered how I felt when I thought you were going to
become a Hunter and leave me, how I thought I wouldn’t be able to keep living if you left
me.”

“Yeah?” Annabeth encouraged, voice soft and hopeful. Percy chanced a look over at her and
saw the small smile on her face.

“Are you laughing at me?” He complained and Annabeth shook her head in denial.

“I am not!”

“You are so not making this easy.” Percy whined, burning his face in his hands. Annabeth
laughed, a musical and sunny sound that had Percy looking up. Annabeth looped her hands
around his neck and smiled softly.

“I am never, ever going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it." And
then she kissed him- for real, not the kiss from under the mountain. It was as if everything in
the universe was made right in that moment and Percy wanted to stay that way forever.

Well, it's about damn time!" a voice interrupted and the pavilion filled with light as campers
filed in with torches. Clarisse led the way as the eavesdroppers charged and hoisted the
couple onto their shoulders. The cousins all stood on the outskirts and laughed, clapping their
hands and cheering for Percy and Annabeth.

“Were you spying on us this whole time?” Percy demanded and was met by a chorus of
‘yes’s’ from his sister, cousins, and the rest of the campers.
"The lovebirds need to cool off!" Clarisse said with glee.

"The canoe lake!" Connor Stoll shouted. With a huge cheer, the mass of campers carried
them down the hill, but they kept Percy and Annabeth close enough to hold hands. Both
Percy and Annabeth were laughing so hard they ached from it, Percy’s face flushed
embarrassingly red while Rhea and Alex led the charge of teasing jokes at Percy’s expense.
None of it mattered though, because he got to hold Annabeth’s hand right up to the moment
they dumped them in the water.

In the end though, Percy got the last laugh. With barely a thought, he made an air bubble at
the bottom of the lake. The rest of the campers stood, waiting for them to resurface and
giving up after a few minutes when Percy showed that he and Annabeth were not in any sort
of hurry. In the back of his mind he heard his sister and cousins booing them and splashing
some of the water before running off and giving the new couple some privacy.

And it was pretty much the best underwater kiss of all time.

The pavilion was lined with demigods dressed in their finest armor, their helms were tucked
under their arms and long cloaks in the color of their parent’s House flowed down their backs
and towards the floor. All tables and chairs had been removed except for two, which sat at the
very head of the pavilion- waiting.

They stood in order of their precedence. At the entrance of the Pavilion were the children of
Hermes and Hephaestus, one on each side, standing tall and at attention. From there, the
children of Dionysus, Ares, Athena, and Hades completed the rest of their line towards the
head of the pavilion where two, huge oak chairs sat- the Oak chairs from the War Council
room. Nico, the Son of Hades in his black armor and blood red cloak stood beside the throne
on the left. On the other side the Aphrodite, Apollo, Demeter, and Zeus children completed
their half of the line, with Alex standing tall in bronze armor beside the throne on the right.

Two horns blew, announcing the arrival of the guests of honor and all the demigods snapped
straight and parted to create an aisle directly to the massive chairs in front of them, the two
lines facing each other. At the entrance of the pavilion, standing between the Hermes and
Hephaestus campers, were Percy and Rhea.

They were resplendent in silver armor, ocean blue cloaks flowing down to the floor and their
eyes shining, luminous with the raw power that flowed through their golden veins. Rhea’s
unbound hair flowed down her shoulders in loose curls (she knew if Kronos were here he
would understand that she had made herself to look as she had when she had been crowned
the Queen of Othrys and the Heavens. She almost wished he could be here now to see this).

It was a coronation, an official one, for though the camp had long since seen the twins as
their king and queen- the war had left them wanting to crown the rulers, to truly acknowledge
who they were and their importance, their power, and their leadership in the war.
Slowly, the twins made their way up the aisle, their hands held up between them and clasped
tight in a show of unity and equality. When they would pass a cabin, those campers would
turn to face forward, waiting for the moment when the twins would take what would
officially be known as their thrones (the chairs would be returned to the War council later,
Percy and Rhea refused to sit ‘on high’ while their people ate at tables beneath them. That
wasn’t the kind of rulers they wanted to be).

The twin rulers- two monarchs, just as Sparta had once had- walked up the steps to their
chairs and in near perfect sync, turned and sat to face their people. Jake and Harley of the
Hephaestus Cabin then strode down the aisle, each holding a silver and steel laurel crown in
their hands. The two boys passed those crowns on to Alex and Nico, who accepted them with
smiles.

The sons of Hades and Zeus then ascended the steps to the great oak chairs and placed the
metal laurels of Kingship on the heads of the children of Poseidon, before bowing to the
twins and stepping back. (It was almost poetic, for while Zeus and Hades themselves may
never bow and acknowledge Poseidon as the King of the Heavens as he should have been,
the Sons of Zeus and Hades would bow before the Children of Poseidon and acknowledge
them as their rightful rulers).

“This war has taught us so much,” Rhea began to speak, her voice solemn and yet so full of
hope as the campers hung on to her words. “We got to see all of our strengths and yet at the
same time, all of our weaknesses. We learned where our true loyalties lay, who our real allies,
friends, and family are and we have come out stronger! Never before had we faced such a
challenge, not even during the Battle of the Labyrinth, but we faced the might of the Titan
Army and we lived!” Cheers went up from the sixty campers and they began to beat their
breastplates in congratulations. “But what Percy and I realized was that so many of us grow
up thinking our fate is to live and die fighting for the gods before most of us even have a
chance to truly live. We stay here, at a summer camp to try and have a minimal amount of
safety and yet we trudge out into the world, braving the thousands of threats against our lives
so that we can experience schools, colleges, jobs, vacations, going shopping, and even
something as simple as going out for coffee!” Solemn and sad faces looked up at Rhea as
they heard the truth she spoke. Just look at Beckendorf- he had wanted college and would
have been forced to leave the camp, to leave the one safe place on earth for them. He had
tried to have a life- however unsafe it would be, but he then died- lived and died fighting for
the gods before he even turned 19. “So,” Rhea continued, leaning forward with a wide smile
and brimming with excitement. “Just as Olympus rebuilds and renovates, so will we. We
deserve more than a summer camp! We deserve real schools for all ages, colleges, stores to
buy clothes in or to go get food from if you don’t want to eat at the pavilion! We deserve to
have neighborhoods and apartments to move into when we are old enough to want families!
Our camp will be more than just a summer camp where we learn how to fight, it is going to
be a place where we can live our lives to the fullest.” Katie gave Rhea a proud smile, and
clapped in response to her oath, leading the rest of the demigods in a round of loud applause
that only ended when Nico unsheathed his sword and spoke aloud in a booming voice that
carried out over the camp.

“Hail Perseus, son of Poseidon, the Hero of Olympus and the King of the Demigods!” Nico
shouted, lifting his sword high.
“Hail Perseus!” The campers shouted, banging their fists to their breastplates.

“Hail Rhea, daughter of Poseidon, the Savior of Olympus and the Queen of the Demigods!”
Alex called, sword emerging from its tattoo so he could hoist it just as high. Before he buried
it in the marble of the pavilion and fell to his knees before his Kingly and Queenly cousins.
Nico and the rest of the cousins came to stand beside Alex and knelt, laying all of their
swords before their official rulers.

“Hail Rhea!” The campers shouted before falling like a wave to their knees behind Alex,
Nico, and the Children of Demeter. The twins began to smile with excitement and
overwhelming love for their people.

And as Percy and Rhea rose from their thrones and stood amongst their clapping friends and
family, Rhea cast a glance over to where Chiron was standing, their old mentor watching
them with an enormous and proud smile. And right beside Chiron, stood Poseidon, clapping
and cheering just as wildly as any demigod as tears rolled down his cheeks. He put his fingers
in the corners of his mouth and let out one of those typical dad whistles that had Rhea smiling
and laughing as she waved, tugging on Percy so he would see their dad who had come for
their special day. Poseidon caught their eye, smile widening and he waved back before
disappearing into a cloud of bubbles.

It had been perfect.

That evening was the last night of camp—the bead ceremony. The Hephaestus cabin had
designed the bead this year. It showed the Empire State Building, and etched in tiny Greek
letters, spiraling around the image, were the names of all the heroes who had died defending
Olympus. There were too many names, but never before had the campers been so proud to
wear a bead.

“Speech! Speech! Speech!” The Ares cabin began to chant and Percy was dragged to his feet
as he laughed. When he finally agreed, the Ares, Athena, and Hephaestus cabins roared with
approval while the others laughed.

“We will never forget this summer!” Percy declared, holding up his glass in toast. “We have
discovered bravery and friendship and courage this summer. We have upheld the honor of the
camp and now we will march forward to create something so much better, so much cooler,
and we are going to have an awesome time!” Laughter and cheers went up around the
campfire as the Athena cabin surged forward to pat Percy on the back and swarm him like
they were storming a celebrity.

Rhea turned to look at the roaring campfire, higher and brighter than it had ever been and
noticed Hestia sitting there, powerful and eyes brilliant, staring right back at Rhea. Rhea
lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers in a wave to her aunt who smiled and waved back.

“You have done well,” Hestia said and Rhea bowed her head in thanks. “But your work is not
over.”

And she knew it was true, Rhea may have brought the war to a halt, but the tentative peace
they had now rested entirely on her shoulders and her ability to keep Kronos in line. Her
work had just begun.

Percy, Annabeth, Katie and Rhea stood on the top of Half-Blood Hill, watching as the vans
pulled out with less than a dozen campers that were returning home. Almost everyone wanted
to stay at camp, with Annabeth and the twins plans for renovation- the schools, the houses,
the city, and everything else that would be finished by the end of the year- no one wanted to
leave. They would be able to live a well rounded life within the camp now and most of them
knew it wasn’t worth the risk to go visit the family they had on the outside (especially when
most of their families were shit).

“Goodbye,” Rachel said to Percy, waggling her fingers in goodbye before turning to give
Rhea and Katie a far more awkward goodbye, not sure what to make of the two powerful
girls.

“You’re going to do great!” Annabeth promised, leaning in to hug Rachel, much to

everyone’s surprise. Percy’s eyebrows drew together at the sight, no doubt still confused over
how well the girls seemed to be getting along these days. Rhea and Katie exchanged a glance,
they were ever so fond of Percy’s cluelessness. Rachel wished them all well one more time
before bounding down the hill towards the van, the foursome waving her off before Percy
turned to Annabeth with a small smile.

“I’m glad you’re staying here,” He murmured, fingers twitching as if he wanted to grab her
hands. (Rhea and Katie shared another look before turning and heading back into the camp
to give the couple some privacy.)

“It wouldn’t make sense for me to design and oversee the renovations to the camp and
Olympus if I’m all the way in California,” Annabeth laughed, cheeks flushing just a bit under
Percy’s attention. Percy’s smile widened and he shifted a bit closer to her.

“But you’re also staying to be close to me,” he teased, one eyebrow raised. Annabeth laughed
gaily, smiling never fading as she looked at Percy with adoring, sparkling gray eyes.

“Someone has an inflated sense of self importance,” Annabeth snickered as she laced their
fingers together, Percy immediately latching on and rubbing his thumb lovingly across the
side of her hand. The couple- gods Percy couldn’t believe that they were finally together-
stood there in contented, peaceful silence. The guard dragon Peleus curled contentedly
around the pine tree underneath the Golden Fleece and began to snore, blowing steam with
every breath. It was serene, it was perfect and it was something Percy had thought he would
never have after the war.

“You’ve been thinking about Rachel’s prophecy?” He asked knowingly after seeing the
thoughtful glint in Annabeth’s beautiful eyes. She frowned at him, angling herself to look at
Percy.
 “How did you know?”

“Because I know you,” Percy smiled and Annabeth conceded with a nod before bumping
their shoulders together. “Does it worry you?”

“Part of me is hoping it means nothing. The first Great Prophecy was uttered like hundreds of
years ago so it could be several generations before anyone has to worry about this one,”
Annabeth responded after chewing her lip for a moment. “But I don't know, Percy, but I don't
like it. I thought. . . well, maybe we'd get some peace for a change."

“With our luck? That’s never happening,” Percy sighed, only half joking but mind racing
with the terrifying thought of his precious sister, cousins, and girlfriend being put in danger
once more. “But we should think positive, this could be a problem for another generation of
demigods. Then we can kick back and enjoy." Annabeth did not seem comforted at all and
nodded with an extremely uneasy expression on her face. “Race you to the road?” He asked
suddenly, desperate to get her mind off the prophecy. Annabeth’s face lit up and she
detangled her hand from Percy’s.

“You’re so going to lose.” And with that, she took off down Half-Blood Hill, golden curls
bouncing behind her. Percy watched her with sheer adoration for a moment before dashing
off after her.

And for one, he didn’t look back because maybe, just maybe his girlfriend, his family, and
most importantly, his sister would be okay.

Chapter End Notes

I am happy to officially sign off of Bloodline and bring it to a close!

Never fear, the journey is not over because the second story will be coming out very
soon and is entitled....

"Every Six Weeks"

I'll see you guys really soon with all the chaos of Percy, Rhea, Kronos, and the rest of
the fam.
<3
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