**Here it is! The chapter you've all been waiting for! I can't believe I've actually gotten this far with it... thank you to all of you guys who have stuck through some pretty long waits for these updates, and kept commenting nice things all the way through :) I seriously wasn't planning on this being a serious project at first, but now it's easily become my longest and most successful book, and I definitely wouldn't have gotten this far without all of your support.
Well, with those cheesy words in mine, here's the chapter ;) **
Chapter 24: We All Get Crowns
ANNABETH
After the vision they both had, Percy had Annabeth back to Camp Demigod in no time. He rushed into the house to find the others already congregated around the dining table.
"Annabeth!" Piper sighed in relief, "and Percy. Thank the gods."
"Did you guys-" Percy started.
"Have visions?" Jason interrupted. "Yeah. Well, except for Calypso."
Annabeth pulled out a chair for herself, panting, as they had practically just sprinted back to the house. Annabeth figured now that that probably wasn't the wisest thing for her pregnant body, but she was okay.
"Have you guys been here for a while?" she asked.
"No, we just got here. Good timing on your part," Jason said.
"So... what do you guys think that was all about?" Percy asked the table.
"No idea," Jason shrugged. "What did you guys all have in your visions?"
Everyone was silent.
"Well, I'll start then," Jason said awkwardly. "I was just sitting on my bed, and then I was struck by a bolt of lightning. There was this huge storm, it was destroying everything. I could find Piper anywhere. But I had this... I don't know, this instinct or something that brought me to New York City, where she was. It was horrible... the buildings were collapsing, people were screaming... I had to try and tame the storm."
"What happened to me? In your vision or whatever, I mean," Piper asked.
"I'm-not sure," Jason answered with a pained expression. "You were just there, and I saved you, and you told me to be a hero and save the rest of the city and then... I set you back down, and I'm not sure what happened after that. But you're here now," he added as if to assure himself.
"Yep," she replied, putting her arms around him.
"What was your vision?" Hazel questioned her.
Piper fidgeted anxiously, removing her arms from around Jason. "I just... I had to fight that snow goddess, Khione."
"Fight her?" Hazel checked. "That's all? Just you and her?"
"Well... not exactly."
"Go on," Jason coaxed her.
"It's... I'd rather not say."
"You can tell us anything," Annabeth assured her.
Piper closed here eyes, sighed, and opened them again. "Well, Khione was there. I just didn't have to fight her. Jason was there, and my dad. She was going to... to kill my dad, or make Jason fall in love with her! I tried to fight her and save you both, but I couldn't and so... well... Jason... it was our marriage or my dad's life, so please... please don't think of me differently-"
"It's okay," Jason soothed, stroking her hair calmly. "I don't know what was happening there, but is was clearly designed to test us, and make us face some of our greatest fears," Jason concluded.
"I had to face Gaea again," Hazel spoke glumly, "and manipulate the mist to help Frank, my mother and... Sammy." Hazel kept her eyes down.
"I had to get through all of these obstacles... it was weird. I had to keep transforming into different animals to get through them. And then... at the end, Hazel was there, and I was still in the form of a bear, and I guess she got frightened or something but... she was about to light my firewood. The one that symbolizes my life." Frank avoided Hazel's eyes.
She gasped. "Frank, you know I would never-! I would die before lighting that on fire!"
"I know," Frank sighed. "It just scared me." Hazel leaned her head on him.
"I had to save Calypso and Caleo from-from a fire in the workshop," Leo admitted. Calypso smiled sadly.
He didn't say anymore, but Annabeth knew that Leo was a lot worse off than he was letting on. He remembered that Leo's mom had died in a workshop fire that Leo had accidentally started himself.
"I had to save Percy from a bunch of spiders," Annabeth wrinkled her nose. It sounded so pathetic compared to all of the others' heroic acts.
"I had to save Annabeth from the sea, all these huge waves," Percy said. "It was weird, though, because there was actual damage when mine was over."
"Obviously I wasn't actually in the water, but maybe yours was part vision and part real? Maybe your powers did the damage, rather than the storm itself," Annabeth suggested.
"Well thanks, Annabeth..."
"I didn't mean to blame you!"
"I know," Percy smirked. "I guess that would be possi-"
Percy stopped midsentence as two people barged in the door.
Rachel and Nico.
"I can explain!" Rachel said as she burst inside.
"Okay..." Annabeth said, startled by their sudden dramatic entrance.
"As... the... oracle and all... I..."Rachel panted.
"Rachel, take a breather before you faint!" Percy said.
"Yeah," she smiled faintly, and sat down with Nico.
"Sorry we didn't get here earlier, Rachel said a prophecy so she was kind of passed out," Nico muttered.
"A prophecy?" Annabeth exclaimed.
"Just about the tests," he clarified hastily.
"Tests? Is that what they are?" Percy asked.
"Yeah, I guess. Rachel knows more," Nico said, fidgeting nervously, probably not used to all of the attention that he was getting.
"Yeah," Rachel began. "They were tests from the gods so they could see you react to your worst fears before you become gods yourselves. And my test was to watch all of yours and decide wether or not you passed."
"You saw all of them?" Nico asked quietly, eyes wide.
"Yes," Rachel replied simply.
"The whole thing?"
"Yeah."
"Why? What was yours about?" Percy asked.
"I just had to... save Rachel from a giant robot. Like... what happened Bianca." Annabeth sensed there was more, but no one pushed it.
"Did we all pass?" Annabeth checked.
"Yep," Rachel replied.
"You would have made sure to pass us though... wouldn't you?" Percy asked.
"I wish I could say that," she sighed. "But I think I would have gotten in major trouble by the gods if I had purposefully lied to them." The table was silent for a moment.
"You say your test... are you becoming a goddess?" Annabeth said.
"I suppose... I'm not really sure. We'll find out I guess."
"Is anybody else starving?" Leo interrupted.
Within five minutes they had all forgotten about the tests for a moment as they sat down to a nice dinner.
***
For the next two weeks, everyone went about their daily routines as if nothing was out of the ordinary, but Annabeth could sense a certain nervous energy in the air as they all awaited their upcoming visit to Olympus.
The day came quickly, and this time no one need to be awoken by Leo in his Spongebob pajamas. Everyone was awake, alert, dressed and fed by eight o'clock, and at that point they all sat around the kitchen table, no one saying a word but each fidgeting nervously or staring blankly as they thought about the possibilities of what they might become.
They all jumped as a shrill beeping sound filled the air. Leo looked around quickly and then sprinted in the direction of his bedroom, returning quickly with his magical tool belt. He reached into one of the pouches, felt around, and then pulled out a small slip of paper.
"It's how my dad contacted me last time," Leo shrugged, reading the note. "It says 'We're ready for you.' Way to be over dramatic, Dad."
"I guess we better go, then," said Annabeth with a deep breath. She took Percy's hand as they walked out the door.
***
Annabeth had never been on a more tense elevator ride. For one thing, the super-high-speed elevator that took them to Olympus was making her rather nauseous now that she was about five months pregnant. But besides that, she could tell that everyone was speculating on what they would become the god or goddess of, and trying to reassure themselves that it wouldn't be anything embarrassing.
When they finally stepped into the throne room, the gods had already shrunken themselves to human size.
"Welcome," Zeus' voice boomed as he spread his arms open wide. "I am assuming you all know why you are here: to join us gods as immortals, and to be assigned your powers and domains. We have all decided to assign you each two things: a trait of character, and a more physical thing that you will rule over. Your godly parent will announce to you what you those two things are, granting them to you, and at the end we will make you all immortal. Good luck,"Zeus said. "I'll begin with Jason. Please step forward, son."
Jason stepped forward nervously. "Jason Grace, son of Zeus," Zeus began, "I proclaim you God of Strength, both mental and physical, and God of Storms." Zeus placed his hands on Jason's shoulders, and instantly Camp Demigod shirt and jeans were replaced by a grey Greek toga and a crown that looked like a black wire with little bolts of lightning sizzling all around it. The other Olympians clapped, and the demigods soon followed suit.
"Thank you, Dad," Jason said, smiling proudly as he stepped back.
"Percy," Poseidon said as he stepped forward, nodding at his son. "You'll be going next."
Percy stepped closer to Poseidon, trying to look confidant, but Annabeth could tell he was nervous.
"Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, I grant you God of Loyalty and Waves." If the situatation hadn't been as serious, Annabeth might have snorted as Percy's casual clothes were transformed into a sea blue toga and a headband of seashells and swirling water. This was not an outfit he would have picked out. Nonetheless, everyone clapped.
God of Waves... that seemed like it would fit Percy. He was always smashing in waves to save them in the nick of time back in their questing days. But God of Loyalty, that fit her husband perfectly. Percy would go to the end of the earth and farther to save his friends and loved ones.
"Nico di Angelo," a voice said, and Annabeth jumped when she noticed Hades sulking in a dark corner of the room. She hadn't even seen him there. He emerged from the shadows toward his son as Nico stood in the middle of the room silently. "Nico di Angelo," he repeated, "son of Hades, I proclaim you the God of Independence and the God of Shadows." Nico nodded silently as he was put into a toga so dark it seemed to be woven of real shadows and a thin golden headband surrounded by a thick black fog. Everyone clapped again, but Hades' sudden presence toned down the excitement of it.
"Hazel Levesque," Hades said, "daughter of Hades, I grant you Goddess of Charity and Jewels." Hazel beamed in her dark red toga and jewel-encrusted crown as everyone applauded.
After that, Piper became the Goddess of Natural Beauty and Charmspeak, looking stunning as usual in a light green toga and olive branch crown. Frank became the God of Courage and Animals, and Annabeth had to admit this was probably the first and last time she'd ever see a leapard-print toga. Leo became the God of Humor and Fire, and although his firery orange toga seemed hot and menacing, his crown, one of those headbands with two antennae sticking out of the top, showed evidently the Olympians' lack of knowledge on modern humor.
Finally it was Annabeth's turn, and she stepped forward as Athena called her name. "Annabeth Jackson, formerly Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, I proclaim you Goddess of Strategy and Architecture." Annabeth beamed broadly, relieved at her mother's choices for her. Strategy meant that Athena thought she was wise, smart and thought things through, and Annabeth couldn't think of anything better than architecture to be the goddess of. Percy grinned back at her, knowing that she had gotten exactly what she wanted, and she hardly even noticed as her clothes changed to a simple white toga and intricately carved crown.
"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," Apollo said. "You are not becoming a goddess, but you will live forever as the immortal Oracle of Delphi." Rachel nodded, smiling a relieved smile at Nico.
Zeus cleared his throat, and everyone stopped clapping and turned their attention to the god. "Now you've all been assigned your traits and symbols. Please close your eyes as I give you all immortality."
Annabeth shivered out of pure nerves and excitement. This was finally the moment. After this, she wouldn't have to fear losing Percy, or her baby, or her friends to death.
"Three..." Zeus chanted. Annabeth braced herself, screwing her eyes shut tight
"Two..."It was almost time...
"Troll in the dungeon!" someone yelled suddenly and instintively Annabeth's eyes flew open at the sound.
"Sorry," Leo muttered. "Continue on."
Zeus sighed in annoyance, but the corners of Hephaestus's mouth twitched up. "Well, we did just declare him the God of Humor," he shrugged.
"Anyways," Zeus said, ignoring Hephaestus's remark. Annabeth shut her eyes again."Three... Two... One!" Even with her eyes shut tight, Annabeth was almost blinded by the bright golden light around her. A feeling of immense warmth hit her, spreading throughout her body. For one horrible second, she thought she was going to end up passing out in a coma she had when took in Eirene's power, but the heat soon subsided. "You may open your eyes," Zeus told them.
As Annabeth's eyes fluttered open, it was like seeing the world for the first time. Everything was so much clearer, so much more vivid. She could easily read the tiny inscriptions on Athena's throne twenty feet away. She felt taller, stronger, more invincible. She was still Annabeth Jackson, but physically, she couldn't have been more different.
"Wow," she heard Piper whisper softly, and that about summed it up.
***Well, there you guys go! I'm not really sure what do with the story now, I will continue it (don't worry!) but it might be a little while, especially since I am leaving for a week in Jamaica on Wednesday. Unless I get some genius idea and write like crazy the next two days, which is possible, but don't be on it. Yeah.
What d'you guys think of what they all became the god/goddess of?
Enjoy your summer!***