Katie Maybell Gardner forced a smile at her boyfriend until he was out of sight, before it melted into the same expression she'd been wearing for the past two weeks.
It was a collection of emotions, none of them good, that she was trying desperately to hide in front of the younger ones, and the councillors, but once she was alone...
Gods, and everything was going so well too. After the war, she thought she could finally have a peaceful few years before heading to college. Even better, she finally got together with Travis Stoll, after five years of making passes and hinting.
Then the first incident happened.
The Ares campers disappearance shook the camp hard. Despite their really-bad attitude and stubbornness, they were the best fighters in the camp - well, now that Percy Jackson was...
Katie swallowed the lump in her throat. It was difficult to get over the fact that Percy had died. Like...he was actually gone. The two of them weren't particularly close: she had only known him as a friend she could count on and a leader, who had battled Kronos and other Titans, who fought the second Titan war alongside her and other older campers.
She was sure the other veterans felt the same way. It was hard to believe that he had died. His future was bright as well: he had a girlfriend, he could have went to college, but it seemed that the Fates were being their old, unkind selves, to put it lightly.
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Shut up.
The second was the strange memory that everyone seemed to have about this blonde girl. Coincidentally or not, Percy Jackson was gone the night before everyone woke up to having that memory.
The third was the sudden and unexpected closure of Olympus. The gods went silent, Iris Messages to them didn't work, no one went in or out of the Empire State Building.
Fourth was, well...Percy's death. Moving on...
Up till now, the fifth was the message but what Katie assumed was Hippolytus and Nico di Angelo, both warning of a war occurring at camp.
She figured this would happen. The battle of the Labyrinth happened just before the actual Titan War. It was no surprise that the Giants would try to wipe out the demigods, since they were a key weakness they could eliminate.
Still, the news didn't help the morale. Drills were increased and guard posts were doubled. Chiron was trying his best to keep spirits high, but it was painfully obvious that this was one war the camp may not be able to overcome.
The only thing she could do now was pray and hope for the best. Maybe a miracle would happen.
Only time would tell.
~
"Brenda! Lunch!" Butch called.
"Wait! A few more drachmas!" The nine year old girl replied. She heard him sigh in resignation.
Everyone told her it wouldn't work. Olympus was closed, the gods wouldn't respond, blah blah blah. Only Brenda Violet kept trying.
There was no harm. Being a child of Iris, the cabin had an infinite supply of drachmas which could only be used for Iris Messages, so the Hermes kids wouldn't raid the place every waking hour.
She had spoken the prayer a thousand times and got nothing a thousand times. She wasn't sure why she was doing it. Maybe it was due to the prospect of the world being ruled by the Giants and camp half-blood, her only home, being destroyed.
In spite of the attempts to shield the younger campers from this, Brenda wasn't dumb. She overheard conversations. She added up the facts. The war was in - what, 3 days?
And here she was, trying over and over again, to establish contact with the gods. Better a small chance of hope than no hope at all.
She tossed in another drachma. "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, answer my prayer. Show me the Olympians."
She half-expected another automated reply from mom. "Unable to be reached."
Instead, to her surprise, the rainbow rippled. She saw the throne room, and the gods were sitting on their thrones with expressions of confusion and nausea.
"BUTCH!" Brenda screamed without hesitation.
Her half-brother ran in, shouting, "What? What?"
Then he saw the image. His face paled. "Oh my gods. Call Chiron. Quick."
Brenda was out of the door before he finished his sentence.
~
Not again.
Hestia's heart was hammering in her chest. She stretched out her hands and felt invisible walls closing in, ever so slowly, around her, as though they were pitying her. Everything around her was complete darkness.
She hated this. She loathed the feeling of being taken over by a foreign soul. More than ever, she despised the powerlessness she felt whenever this happened.
Then she heard the laughter, signalling the prescence of her.
The laugh was as cold and clear as Arctic water. She had heard it so many times, until it echoed in her head whenever she thought of her.
A flash of pink, and then the goddess appeared, her face shining with delight.
A repetitive sound reverberated throughout the empty void. Applause.
"Aphrodite." Hestia said, trying her best not to sound fearful.
"Geez, Hestia, what's with the face?" Aphrodite frowned.
Hestia remained quiet. Anything she said or did was pure entertainment to the goddess.
"Sorry for barging in. Just needed to bring you two in before you guys mess anything but up."
"You never left, did you?" Hestia asked. "You've been seeing what I'm seeing, hearing what I'm saying..."
"Chaos above, have you been intruding on my thoughts?" The prospect was too horrifying to even consider.
For this, Aphrodite returned a grin. "Smart girl. If it's any comfort, I won't tell anyone about you and Percy. I do enjoy a heartbreaking, tragic, forbidden love story. This is the best one ever! A goddess of chastity and Perseus Jackson..."
Hestia felt her face redden. "That's none of your concern."
"That's so cute! That's the same thing Percy said when he was asked."
"Wait, Percy's alive?"
Aphrodite giggled. "Of course not, but he has a soul, doesn't he?"
Hestia was silent for a moment. "So, the whole feeling I felt when Clytius sent me back, that sensation of what I thought was you leaving, it was fake?"
"Yep. Why on earth would I pass up an opportunity to spy? I was already in your head. Why would I leave? I did enjoy the relief you felt when you thought I did. That was funny. Wait, that's supposed to be offensive to me. Ah well, still funny."
"Anyways, nice chat with you. Just stay here for a bit. I promise you'll love the jail. Better than the last one with the wretched giant-demigod mutant...thing." She made a face.
And she was gone, leaving Hestia in the cold, lonely darkness, and the silence.
~
The cave opened up to darkness. Dracanae guards slithered aside, letting her and Aphrodite inside. Torches were magically lit as the two passed them, going down the spiral staircase constructed of polished marble and quartz, which was a stark contrast to the musty and filthy cave. The walls of the cave were rough and crumbly. Dust scattered when Annabeth laid a hand on them, startling her slightly.
As they reached the bottom, the stench hit Annabeth. It smelt like fresh dirt and manure combined. And it came from what lay five feet in front of her.
It was a horrendous sight. It was a living, beating, earthen heart, webbed with roots for veins, and sap for blood.
"Behold," Aphrodite announced, "the heart of the Earth Mother, the primordial goddess of the planet, Gaia."
"I've seen pigs prettier than her." Annabeth snorted. Aphrodite shot her a warning look.
"Watch your tone with her. You wouldn't want to have the same fate as Ares, would you?"
"Ares? What happened to him?" Annabeth couldn't hide a hint of fear in her voice.
Aphrodite smiled. "Indisposed."
"Gods..." The demigod breathed. "He's dead? Faded?"
"Faded is a strong term. He is serving as a power source to Gaia. His life force is slowly draining from him. So he's not faded yet, if that's comforting."
"It's not."
"I said if."
Annabeth looked away from Aphrodite, or Aphrodite in Hestia's body. She couldn't imagine the pain Hestia was suffering, having her spirit ripped out from her form, and Aphrodite replacing her.
"What are we waiting for anyways?"
"Oh, Gaia just wants to talk to you for a bit, before we toss you in prison, or whatever's left." She flashed a cruel smile.
Just then, a wind swooped by, extinguishing the flames almost instantly, at the same time. The room entered darkness for a moment, before a bright green light burst from the heart. The image of Gaia appeared on the surface.
Annabeth took a good look at the goddess. Her hair was tied up into a bun, with what looked like a stalactite used as a hairpin. Her eyes were empty, with granite filling the sockets. Her skin was the colour of sand.
"You may leave, Aphrodite." The voice of Gaia echoed around the cavern. Duh, of course it would. She is the earth.
Aphrodite bowed and left, climbing up the spiral staircase and out of sight.
"So, Annabeth Chase. We finally meet, face to face."
Giving no response prompted Gaia to speak, "I see you do not enjoy formalities. Very well. I come before you with an offer."
"To join you? No thanks."
Gaia frowned. "Come now, my child, let's be logical. What chance does your camp, and your gods, stand against me, and the Giants?"
Before she could open her mouth to reply, she pressed forward. "Furthermore, what, and who are you fighting for?"
Her words washed over Annabeth. It sounded soothing and persuasive, numbing her mind and body. Moreover, it sounded empathetic. Annabeth watched the primordial goddess' expression. It was genuine. She had known betrayal. She had known pain. Centuries of it. Had she been an ordinary mortal, her mind would have shattered.
"I..." Annabeth's voice faltered. She knew she was going to be persuaded. She'd been tempted so many times in her adventures. A part of her mind still spoke clarity, and it was surprised that Gaia was that convincing.
Snap out of it, it warned.
Then a series of images flashed before her eyes. It showed her the strawberry fields and her friends training. She saw her closest moments with Percy: When they were under the lake, when they had their picnic at Central Park...
Fight for them, fight for him, a soft, serene voice spoke to her.
"Well?" Gaia said.
"My answer is no." Annabeth replied, her voice as cold as steel.
Gaia sighed. "It was worth a shot."
The earth opened up and swallowed her, sending her into darkness.
~
Percy couldn't remember how many times he'd battled people that were stronger than him, with his friends' lives on the line, and won.
So this fight should have been a piece of cake, but he had this uneasy feeling that he tried to extinguish that he may not win this one.
Antaeus, Ares, to name a few. They had flaws. They were arrogant, they thought they had the upper hand, which were the causes of their demise.
Tantalus was different. He was obviously stronger than him, but he used every bit of that strength in his fights. He knew that there was that tiny chance that he may lose from his hubris, and wanted to make sure that he exerted the maximum advantage that he had.
Percy focused on the blade Tantalus was carrying. It was made of a strange metal that was darker than the usual iron blacksmiths used. As grey as it was, it produced a dark red glow.
"Like my blade? She's called Lucifer. You know the story, right? Lucifer used to be God's right hand in Christianity, until he fell from grace, into the depths of hell." He tossed the blade into the air and caught it casually.
"Enough talk." With that, Percy lunged forward.
In the blink of an eye, Tantalus had sidestepped it and parried. As the metal of Anakamuklos clashed with Tantalus' blade, it screeched a deafening sound. It was like the sound of fingernails on a blackboard amplified a hundred times.
Tantalus seemed unfazed about the aggression Percy was displaying, carelessly parrying and defending.
"Alright, playtime's over."
A flurry of strikes were immediately thrown at Percy. The latter pulled back and just managed to block them. He returned a stab at Tantalus' gut but the king moved to the side and slashed in an arc at Percy's chest. He rolled to the side to dodge and recover his position.
Percy's arm ached from blocking. Tantalus' strikes were quick and strong; Percy had to use quite a bit of strength to hold his ground.
"Give up, Jackson. You can't defeat me."
"I'll keep trying till I'm dead." Percy breathed hard, using Riptide to steady his weak legs.
"You already are. If you die now, you'll be gone. Forever."
That struck a nerve. Percy looked up. Tantalus stood a distance away, his sword held steady, pointing to the ground. He looked sympathetic.
"Did Hades not tell you? You can die once in the mortal world, and your spirit will be sent here. But die here, as difficult as that is, yet possible, and your spirit is erased permanently."
"No...you told me, I have all the time."
"I said you had time, not the life. Why do you think Hades had to go to the Styx? You thought it was because he killed Sisyphus? No. He resurrected your soul, and in that, he broke the Ancient Laws."
"No!" Percy roared. "He's the god of the dead. He can bring back the souls. It's within his sphere of influence." His voice grew weaker with every word. It sounded as though he were trying to comfort himself. How would he tell Nico, assuming that Percy survived this fight, that his father had sacrificed himself to save him?
"I'm afraid not." Tantalus' expression was full of pity.
Don't listen to him, a voice in his mind argued, he's lowering your guard, he has no sympathy for you. This is what he wants.
"What would happen if you died forever?" Tantalus pressured. "Think of your family, friends..."
"Think of Hestia."
~
It was at those words that time stood still. It seemed as though the lava stopped churning, and the hill behind stopped rumbling, the falling rocks stopped crashing onto the surface, the acidic wind stopped hissing.
Tantalus looked at the demigod with concealed satisfaction, whose eyes were hidden behind his hair. His form, which was once solid, or more solid than any soul he'd seen, started to fade, becoming more and more transparent.
"Join us." He said, taking a step forward. He knew he was convinced. His fatal flaw, loyalty, so simple to exploit, he thought.
In the next instant, the demigod had thrown himself forward, brandishing his sword forward.
Hmm, not what I expected, but predictable nonetheless, the king thought. As quick as his thoughts were in reaction to Perseus' sudden aggression, he had raised his blade in the direction to block his strike.
Typical to try something sneaky like this, Tantalus told himself, his demigod mind is so easy to read.
Or so he thought.
~
Percy held his right arm at bay, instead first slamming his fist into Tantalus' chest. The latter stumbled back, clearly unexpecting the punch. Taking advantage of his momentary unbalance, Percy lunged forward and slashed at the other soul's sword arm.
A wail of agony pierced the cavern. A severed arm holding a blade dropped to the ground, ethereal, pale and transparent blood pouring from the slashed joint.
Anger flashed in Percy's eyes as he stood over the king's defenceless state.
"Thanks did the tip, Tantalus. I did think of Hestia." With that, Percy plunged Riptide into Tantalus' chest, having a fleeting moment of pity for the blessed ruler who once had the privileges of dining with the gods, but threw that all away from his greed.
"Rest in peace, Tantalus." Percy capped Riptide.
Then he turned to Nico and saw he was crumpled on the floor. "Nico!"
He sprinted to the son of Hades' side and looked at his face. He checked for a pulse. Thank gods, he was still alive.
"Nico." The demigod opened his eyes slowly.
"What...happened?" Percy heaved a sigh of relief. He didn't seem to be insane.
"We did it. We defeated Tantalus."
"No, I mean, where is she?"
"Where is who?"
Nico looked around, with a confused expression. "Bianca. We were in New York, just the two of us at McDonald's. We were eating. Everything was so peaceful and happy."
Percy was silent for a count of three. Of course he was thinking about Bianca. Why wouldn't he? "It was just an illusion, Nico. I'm sorry." Percy put a hand on his shoulder.
Nico was quiet for a while, before saying, "It felt so real. It didn't feel like a dream, the type I usually have. I...I wish I could go back. Go back, to the way...the way it was-"
Percy didn't even realise Nico was sobbing until he saw tears leak down his cheeks.
---
Vote if you enjoyed it. Any feedback would be much appreciated. Rights of Percy Jackson and other relevant characters go to Rick Riordan. I own any other copyright. Please don't copy my plot without asking. Thank you.