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Prologue
An Ominous Arrival Kindling Hope for New Beginnings
༻✽𖣘✽༺
In the afternoon light of Manhattan, some might say Percy Jackson was content. He stood outside the Empire State Building, on his way out of the skyscraper. What was he doing there, you ask? Why, he had just attended his first meeting as the Demigod Assistant of Olympus (dubbed the D.A.O. by his demigod peers), of course!
It was June 21st, 2012 and the summer solstice meeting had just come to a close. It was the first one in 8 years without anybody on death-defying quests - anybody, of course, being Percy himself.
He hadn’t wanted to be the D.A.O, thinking Annabeth much better suited to the job, but when Annabeth herself had argued that Percy was the best option, Percy had no more excuses.
It wasn’t like he didn’t want to help Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, - he really, really did - he just felt as if there were better options. Reyna, maybe, or Jason would do much better than he would. He didn’t do well with peace-keeping and debates and organization and whatever other traits an assistant was supposed to have. He was sarcastic and quick to anger.
But they insisted and here he was. It wasn’t bad per se; Zeus looked ticked off the entire time, Hera looked disdainful at being made to listen to a demigod, (even if said demigod was one of her so-called “champions”). Hades was as indifferent as ever but didn’t appear to be dismissing his words, so there was that. Demeter didn’t draw much attention to herself, and neither did Hephaestus.
Artemis paid close attention to what he was saying, as did Hermes. Dionysus looked bored, but he did help Percy with his wording and trying to seem more proper, so he had heard all of this before. Athena seemed resigned to be listening to a sea-spawn, but she also seemed to reluctantly consider what he had to say. Aphrodite was listening, that much he could tell, but her eyes would stray every once in a while. Ares looked restless, like he was itching for a fight - which, he probably was.
Apollo was probably the strangest sight: alert, listening, and emoting emphatically in an apparent effort to let Percy know of his agreement. Apollo has seemed to change a lot from his stint as a mortal last year. Nobody was closely involved but Apollo, so he had no real word to go off of but Apollo’s own, but it seemed to have given him newfound respect for demigods and mortals respectively.
And his dad was proud. You could see it in his eyes, his face, his body language. Poseidon could not be prouder of the first and only demigod child he’s sired in 80 odd years. Whispers of the great Lord Poseidon’s pride and joy being a mere mortal surround Olympus and Atlantis alike, burying themselves so deep within the immortal kingdoms that if you did not know the name Perseus Jackson, you were part of the small minority.
So to say Percy fit right in amongst the immortals would be an understatement. It was like second nature, mingling with the gods, goddesses, nature spirits, and more that resided on Olympus.
He felt oddly content with how his life has turned out. After the second war ended, his rocky life started to even out. He and Annabeth tried to salvage what was left of their relationship, but Piper’s coming out changed things for Annabeth. She realized things about herself she hadn’t even considered before.
Their breakup was mutual and while things were a little awkward for the first week or so, Percy simply reminded himself that this was Annabeth - the girl Percy fell into hell for, the girl he’s fought side by side with since they were dumb 12 year olds sent on a quest not knowing if they’d make it home. So whatever tension they had fizzled out and they were just as good of friends as always.
The Seven have gotten closer. Hazel and Frank are still going strong; Frank’s settled in nice as Praetor and Hazel’s doing wonders as a centurion. Piper and Annabeth are dating, with Annabeth going to college and building New Athens, the Greek equivalent of New Rome. Leo and Jason started dating a couple months ago after a lot of encouragement from the rest of them, and last Percy heard they were doing well. Jason’s still working on fulfilling his promise to Percy’s sister, Kym, and Leo’s right by his side.
Reyna’s also doing very well. She’s still Praetor alongside Frank, but with the camps meeting, she’s had a lot on her plate in terms of peace treaties and the like. Hylla visits with her Amazons sometimes, and he’s pretty sure her and Thalia have met a few times since the war ended.
Nico’s doing much better than he was a couple years ago, no doubt thanks to Will. It’s nice to see him so happy and so in love after watching the poor kid suffer so much. Of course, Nico’s suffering was mainly Percy’s fault - he knew that, Nico knew that, everyone who knows what happened knew that.
Percy was aware Nico had a crush on him at some point, though he and Nico haven’t really talked much since the wars. Nico seemed to be truly, genuinely happy, and Percy wasn’t about to trample all over that by inserting himself into Nico’s life when he had no right to. He was lucky Nico even still talked to him at all.
Percy’s friends were all doing alright, perhaps even great. As for Percy, you ask?
He was fine. Content. Happy that his life had calmed down and he could spend his days focused on his friends, Paul, his mom, his beautiful baby sister Estelle, and what he wants to do with his life.
The question was, what did he want to do with his life? He’s only known chaos, war, and the constant thrill of fighting for his life since he was 12. How was he supposed to know what he wanted to do for the rest of his life? He spent 4 years thinking he was going to die at 16, then he got kidnapped and lost 8 months of his life, and then he fell into Tartarus and was certain he was going to die down there.
He had never planned to make it to 16, let alone 18. What was he supposed to do now? Why were his friends doing so well? What right did he have to struggle like this? Why couldn’t he be okay like they are?
It was these thoughts that rang in his head as he walked up the stairs to his apartment, about a block away from his mom’s apartment.
It was these thoughts that echoed in his ears as he found the world spinning upside down.
It was these thoughts that led to him finding himself on the floor of the Throne Room of Olympus. The very room he had just left.
To say Percy was surprised to find himself back would be an understatement, especially considering it didn’t feel like the air-teleportation the gods used.
He was even more confused when he looked around the room and saw his friends and more than a dozen gods in the room, some looking far too similar to each other for Percy’s comfort.
“Who dares interrupt the Council of the Gods?” A booming voice echoed throughout the room, all too familiar but different all the same.
Percy looked towards the voice, coming face to face with an admittedly handsome, regal version of his thunderous uncle. The kicker was that he could also see the Zeus he was familiar with, and he looked as confused as Percy felt.
“Who are you, daring to impersonate the gods?” Percy’s Zeus countered, a crack of lightning flashing overhead. Oh, this was gonna escalate fast and by the looks of it, everyone is far too disoriented to intervene. Ugh, Percy thinks, guess I have to do my job.
Percy pushes through the crowd of mortals, demigods, and gods alike, making his way to Hestia’s hearth and jumping onto the outer walls of stone so he was visible to everyone.
“Hey!” Percy shouts, getting the attention of every being in the room. “Knock it off, arguing and throwing hissy fits will get us no answers!” He said, like a parent scolding a child; only, it was a demigod scolding several-millennia-old gods.
“How right you are, hero.” A voice spoke behind him, smooth and rough, kind and harsh, clear and indecipherable, all at the same time - all possibilities and none, past, future, and present, a voice he had never heard but was familiar with all the same.
He turned and bowed his head in deference, his body stiff as a board. “My Lady Fates,” he greeted, and it’s only thanks to his time as a technical war general that he was able to keep his voice steady. “What is going on?” He inquires, raising his head after a long pause.
He stares at the three goddesses before him. No longer were they the old, decrepit ladies that looked his twelve year old self in the eyes and cut Luke’s string all those years ago. They were youthful, beautiful, but even so they radiated power. The most powerful beings in the room.
“Brazen demand, young godling,” The middle one said - Lachesis, if he remembers correctly. “But, you have earned our favor, and so we shall let it slide.” She added with a smile that seemed to chill the room itself. Oddly enough, Percy found that wicked smile comforting.
He didn’t have time to dwell on what earning the favor of the Fates meant for him before the left one - Clotho - barreled on. Not that anyone but him dared to speak in their suffocating, all-consuming presence.
“Gods of Olde, listen close and listen well. Millennia in the future, you have.. adjusted your ways, and it has almost spelt your doom countless times. Continuing on as you were would’ve led to a future not many would have survived. An ancient being never truly seen before by immortals stirs, seeking to destroy a certain impertinent young hero for his slight against them.” Clotho speaks, her voice sharp yet not entirely unkind.
“We have explored many options and many points in time we could go through with our decided plan, but the causes that lead to the effects we have seen start all the way back in this time, rooted so deeply that it’d take a miracle to unravel them.” Lachesis picks up, right where Clotho left off. Her voice was gravelly and monotone. “Lucky for you, we have but a single miracle to spare.” She adds.
“In order to avoid mass destruction and total extinction far in the future, we have brought gods and mortals from the future to the past, intertwining your Fates in order to create the best possible future. While you are here, you shall read books we have worked to create detailing two consecutive wars - wars that would’ve ended the Greek pantheon as a whole if not for the mortals who fought tooth and nail for Olympus. Take these books, the experiences of these warriors, analyze your mistakes, and fix those that you can. You have only one chance, failure is not an option.” Atropos explains, finally answering the collective question of why they were there.
All three Fates turn to Percy, their gazes as kind as the wielders of the despicable Fate can get. “Good luck, child. Know that for as long as you live, we Fates are on your side. Hold fast.” Clotho speaks again, her tone softer and less sharp. And with that, they were gone.
And wasn’t that ominous? What a plethora of information that was just unloaded onto them. Who was after him? It was clear they meant him when they mentioned an “impertinent young hero,” so who did he piss off enough to cause mass extinction to all kinds of life?
No, he could think about this later. For now, every single living being in this room was staring at him and he needed to answer their silent questions.
Glancing around the room, he saw his Wise Girl staring back at him, her brow furrowed and her lips just barely pursed, the face she gets when she’s really thinking about something.
Continuing his survey of the slightly overcrowded room, he saw the rest of the Seven, Nico, Reyna, Clarisse, Grover, Thalia, and even Will. That was it for the mortals, though.
As for immortals, he could see all of the Olympians, Hestia, and Hades. Much to his dismay, he also caught the eye of Amphitrite, Triton, Kymopoleia, and another goddess who he didn’t recognize but appeared to be of the sea, if the way she interacted with the rest of the oceanic immortals was anything to go by.
As for the doubled gods, the only ones who were from both past and future (or present, however you prefer to look at it) were the Olympians, Hestia, Hades, and Amphitrite. He supposed he was lucky in that nobody but his closest friends were here. And the gods, but they didn’t really matter to Percy.
Taking a deep breath, Percy’s voice rang out, filling the chilling void the Fates had left in their wake. “Well, you heard the Fates, I guess. Should we introduce ourselves, do you think?” He asked, glancing toward Zeus to see what he thought on the matter.
“I suppose,” The king sighed, lightly massaging his temple in an effort to chase away the headache he knows will soon encroach his mind. “I am Zeus, King of the Gods, God of the Sky, Lightning and Thunder, Law and Order, and Hospitality.” He introduced himself, the Lord of Thunder’s voice booming in the echoey throne room.
Zeus of the past spoke up next, “I too am Zeus, lightning wielder and thunder bringer, Lord of the Skies.”
He was acknowledged with a nod and they moved down the line, all of the immortals introducing themselves and those who had a counterpart making themselves known. Turns out the unknown goddess with the oceanic immortals of the past was Rhode, goddess of the island Rhodes and wife to Helios, a Titan and the Personification of the Sun, another of his father’s immortal children.
Then, it got to the demigods.
“Alright, we can state name and age, titles if you wanna be extra too. I kinda wanna see if they can guess our godly parents.” Percy says with a grin, glancing at Annabeth to start.
“Annabeth Chase, 19, Architect of Olympus, Hero of Olympus, and One of the Seven.” Annabeth introduced, succinct and to the point. The Olympians eyed her curiously, clearly trying to decipher who these Seven™ were and why Olympus would need an architect, being the Eternal Home of the Gods.
“Thalia Grace, 24, Lieutenant of Artemis and Hero of Olympus.” Thalia was next, just as quick and to the point as Annabeth, clearly wanting this to be over with.
“Piper McLean, 18, Hero of Olympus and One of the Seven.” Piper spoke up from the other side of her girlfriend, Leo and Jason right next to her.
“Leo Valdez, 17, Bad Boy Supreme, Hero of Olympus, and One of the Seven!” Leo punctuated his intro with a wink and finger guns directed at the gathered immortals and mortals alike.
“Jason Grace, 17, Champion of Juno, Pontifex Maximus, Hero of Olympus, and One of the Seven.” Jason followed after, grinning softly at his boyfriend’s antics. Percy exaggeratedly gagged at the affection, grinning at the couple.
“Hazel Levesque, 15, Favorite of Hecate, Hero of Olympus, and One of the Seven.” Hazel introduced herself next, a polite smile on her face to conceal her nerves at most likely being the youngest person here.
“Frank Zhang, 18, Co-Praetor of the Twelfth Legion, Hero of Olympus, and One of the Seven.” Frank came next, offering Hazel a comforting smile and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. They were so cute together Percy feared he’d simply pass away.
“Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, 17, Co-Praetor of the Twelfth Legion and Hero of Olympus.” Reyna gives a quick glance over of the entire room, her eyes calculating and sharp, befitting those of the demigod of a Roman war goddess.
“Nico Di Angelo, 16, Ghost King, Ambassador of Pluto, and Hero of Olympus.” Nico spoke up next and Percy offered him a smile, though he wasn’t sure if Nico saw it or if it was ignored. He wouldn’t blame him if it was the latter, though.
“Will Solace, 16, Hero of Olympus, I guess?” Will had a sheepish smile on his face, scratching the side of his cheek as if he wasn’t sure he’d be considered a Hero of Olympus if he hadn’t contributed in the wars as much as everyone else. Nico discreetly took his hand and Percy saw Will relax considerably.
“Clarisse La Rue, 20, Drakon Slayer and Hero of Olympus.” Clarisse introduced with a roll of her eyes, wanting to be anywhere else. Percy couldn’t lie, it’s been a while since he’s seen her and he’s actually pretty happy to. Their relationship was always so complicated according to other people, but Percy felt like it explained itself.
“Grover Underwood, 32, Lord of the Wild, Chosen One of Pan, and Leader of the Council of Cloven Elders.” Percy saw Hermes perk up at the name of his son, smiling gently. Right, Pan hasn’t yet deceased at this point in time. Percy could feel that same wild energy he had only felt once before, in that cave in New Mexico, where he had watched his first and only god fade before his eyes. It was a sight he never wished to see again.
Finally, it was his turn. Percy turned to the assembled gods and goddesses, his signature lopsided grin on his face. “Percy Jackson, 18, Hero of Olympus, Savior of Olympus, the Prophesied Half-Blood, One of the Seven, and Demigod Assistant of Olympus.” He said, his long list of titles kept quite short and repeating most of what the others have said already.
Finally, as if sensing that introductions were over, books appeared by Hestia’s hearth. Two stacks of 5, it appeared, with the books of the second stack looking to be a great deal thicker. A note sits on top of the first pile and Percy jumps down from hearth and picking up the note.
“Now that familiarity is within your grasp, read these books one by one. You cannot skip ahead, and you are permitted and encouraged to take regular breaks for the sake of the mortals. One last chance to do everything over again. Do not let it slip through your fingers because you are naive enough to believe yourselves untouchable.
Be careful, Favorite of Fate, and good luck.
-The Fates.” He read aloud, tossing the note aside and picking up the first book. He glances at the title and lets out the loudest and longest groan to grace many of the ears in the room.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake-”
The book’s cover read, “Book One: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.”