Chapter Text
For the first time since Dionysus's birth, Olympus thrums with life as nymphs and satyrs and treasured animals poke their head out at the commotion as Apollo lands his chariot on the edges of Olympus.
He closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath of pure mountain air.
‘It is good to be home.’
He opens his eyes and sees Olympus: its streets of pure gold leading to various temples and monuments made of marble and gold all over his home. Green trees sprout everywhere, with various crops created by Demeter and her followers growing near the trees on patches of hard labored earth. Several silver and marble fountains spout liquids such as golden nectar for the Gods and crystal blue water for the creatures in Poseidon's domain. The sunset turns the normally blue sky orange, a magenta pink, a royal purple, and an ocean dark blue.
‘Chaos, it is good to be home.’ He thinks. ‘And with our children, too!’
“Are you alright?” He asks their children, quickly.
They all nod, looking pale.
…Maybe they are sick.
He needs to actually sit down with them to see what is wrong with them, so he can heal them. He was not able to because Hermes was right there and fading, so he needs to heal them all as quickly as possible (so they do not run again) and understand who they are and how they are all alive-
He hears it then: a whisper between Ares's daughter and her… if he understands it right, her εραστής? “Do you think I can-”
“Don't even try it.” She whispers. “You'll get caught in seconds.”
“Great.” His voice saddens. “I'm sorry I got us caught.”
“That wasn't your fault. They were already looking for us from the moment we escaped the first time.”
“Still-”
“You're okay. I promise you're okay. We can talk about it later.”
“Please.”
‘No names.’ Apollo notes as Dionysus and Pan reach for the kids to help them off his chariot. ‘They did not use names. Interesting. Do they not want us knowing them? We are going to find out anyway.’
“We can get off ourselves.” Thalia snaps, one hand on Jason's head and the other being held by Percy and Annabeth.
“Of course you can.” Dionysus soothes. “We are just here to help.”
“Then why didn't you earlier?” One of his twin sons asks acidly.
Apollo flinches at the venom in his voice.
It is not directed at him, sure, but it is still about them, the Gods, who failed their children when they needed them the most.
“Because I thought it was an illusion.” Dionysus confesses honestly, the Truth in his words vibrates in Apollo's chest. “ένα κόλπο για να με καταστρέψει. I have no surviving children, and I thought their ghosts were haunting me until the end of time.”
He kneels in front of the two, who stare at him with varying expressions of confusion.
“I am beyond sorry, my sons. Had I realized the truth, none of you would be in this mess.”
They both look at each other, and their hands quickly move in a language Apollo wishes he had Hermes for translating.
…actually, Hermes was right there with them- is right there with them now. He could ask.
But he is just getting stable, so Apollo and the others will have to wait.
The boy on the right sighs. “We just wish you heard us, D-”
He catches himself on the word, but Apollo does notice how Dionysus smiles at them calling him “Dad”.
As the children talk among themselves, quietly, but just enough for the Gods to hear: “what do we do?”/”I guess just go with them? We can't exactly go anywhere else.”/”But why? Why are they here now?”, Hermes moves, just enough to get Apollo's attention. Apollo turns to him and opens his mouth, only for Hermes to slightly lift a finger on his left hand- the non mangled hand- and point toward Luke.
‘Mine.’ Apollo self-translates. ‘My son.’
Hermes's eyes shimmer, having apparently realized that Apollo could see the action and understand him. His head dips down in a nod, slowly enough that their children will not notice.
Then he points at Ares's daughter's partner.
‘Mine.’ Apollo translates again. ‘My son.’
He blinks.
Looks at Hermes.
Sees the shimmer in his eyes and realizes that it is not just because he's home.
It is because of his sons.
‘Two of them.’ He thinks. ‘Alive and breathing like they should be. Thank the Fates and Chaos, that all these children are alive.’
He almost calls for his ravens and his swans to watch over the children as he focuses on his brother, but decides against it. Instead, he tells his sacred animals to meet him at his temple and leaves it at that.
He also told Atticus to summon everyone, which, in retrospect, might have been a bad idea because their children have been lied to for years, so they need to hurry before the Olympians arrive.
He clears his throat. “Children?”
They all jump, startled, and cling to each other, grabbing hands and arms and staring at him as if he is the monster.
‘Do not be angry.’ Apollo reminds himself. ‘Do not be angry.’
“I need to take Hermes to my temple so I can heal him.” He says. “Will you all follow me, please?”
They all look at each other.
Then give him varying nods.
Apollo beams. “Splendid! Dio, could you grab our brother for me, please?”
Dionysus holds onto Hermes, his left arm draped over the God's neck while his right arm dangles by his side.
The God sways on shaking legs.
“Guys.” The second son of Hermes whispers. “I just realized something.”
“What is it?” The son of Hades whispers back.
“We're speaking English, right? And they're speaking Greek?”
“Yes…?” Luke sounds confused.
“I know we can understand them. …But How can they understand us?”
As Apollo and Dionysus reach for Hermes to steady him, they catch a glimpse of Hermes's signature wild smile.
/You translated their language, didn't you?/ Dionysus playfully accuses.
Hermes just grins.
~~~
He sways on unsteady feet, vaguely aware of his brothers making him lean on their shoulders. The sparrow on his shoulder seems happier, chirping with relief every time Hermes locks eyes with the mortal man who helped save him.
…Pan is nearby.
So are his sons.
Mortal.
And God.
Both.
And neither.
Somehow, they are mortal and God and neither in the same breath and he is very, very confused.
Though his head hurts and he thinks he is dreaming, he still listens to his sons and the Gods’ children.
Listens to their words, their vowels, consonants, and pronunciations.
The strange way they pronounce Apollo as “A-pall-o” not “Apollyon”.
He passes it to his family.
One last gift from the God who let down his guard and was held by a monster for a year.
He should have known better.
He does know better.
And now that he has sons.
He can be better.
For them.
He will not be a prisoner again.
~~~
Pan insists on taking his father's mangled arm.
Which is fine. It allows Apollo to do what he does best.
Heal.
Apollo storms (like his father) into the main halls of Olympus, chiton flowing behind him, snapping his fingers to get the nymphs and satyrs’ attention.
“We need nectar, ambrosia, chitons, towels.” He orders. “Do not remove any clothing or weapons yet. I know it is dangerous, but they will probably be attached to them and will not let them go. Best to not fight them and work with what we have.”
And they have eleven children of the Gods who look at him with fear if he breathes in their direction.
‘I worry. I am worried. I will be worried about these eleven children because I have so many questions. I need to know. I need to understand them, to take them apart piece by piece until I understand who and how and why they are-’
Will looks up at him.
“Keep us together.” The words leave his son's mouth and Apollo blinks. ‘Huh?’
“Keep us together.” Will repeats loudly. “You do not separate us by any means. We're staying together from now on, do you understand?”
There is anger in his voice, directed at the Gods who rescued them. Or at the situation. He can't tell which it is.
“Of course, my son.” Apollo says easily. “We will not separate you or your friends.”
‘Clearly.’ He thinks. ‘They do not wish to be separated, and we will not separate them if that is what they wish. We Gods can definitely work with this somehow…’
Since they rely on each other, the Gods can start by appealing to the youngest three. Percy, Annabeth, and Jason. Although it is not likely that the older children will let them get any closer to them, if those three start wanting to seek out the Gods, then they can not deny their friends that request.
…or maybe the older children would be more approachable. Get them all to let down their guards and appreciate all that the Gods are doing for them. That can allow the Gods to be more involved in their lives.
Hmmmm. A true problem for later. He will leave that puzzle to Athena, then. He has other things to do.
“What is going on?!” Aphrodite enters the main hall in a rush, her red-brown hair flowing behind her and thankfully wearing a pale pink opaque chiton. She catches sight of Apollo, Dionysus and Pan holding Hermes, blinks in confusion, then her eyes drift behind them.
And in the instant her eyes widen, Apollo knows she sees Hermes and the children.
“Is that…?” She whispers.
Apollo nods. He can not keep the joy off of his face, and Aphrodite's face fills with excitement.
“Take them all to the healing temple.” She orders. “Except for Arepo. I wish to speak with him privately.”
She gives the mortal man a kind smile, before she squeals with joy, clapping her hands together excitedly, then beams with delight. “I will gather the others!”
~~~
Zeus stands alone, gazing out toward the distant mountain, mind in turmoil.
Triton would live, thank the Fates, but someone else had come in and taken all of their children. Attacked his children and brother and left them there.
With Hermes still missing, the Gods had no way of knowing if the children were okay, or even alive.
Artemis, full of anger, had immediately volunteered to track the monster responsible for attacking Triton, then shifted her focus to searching for the mortals- because they had to be mortals, there was no monstrous presence to be found on Olympus.
Who else would dare snatch their children from their grasp other than the power hungry mortals?
The only question was where to start searching.
Atticus lets out a loud screech as he lands on the balcony. /Lord Zeus./ He addresses the God with a strange tone in his voice. /Apollo and his brother have returned with shocking news that you need to hear./
Just before Zeus asks what Atticus is acting so cautious about, someone knocks on the door.
“Brother Zeus?” Aphrodite's voice is somber, serious. “Could I come in?”
‘Not King.’ He thinks. ‘Brother. For our Father is Time, and he brought me into this world, then love upon his death.’
“Yes.” He says quietly.
Aphrodite slowly pushes open the door, her face heavy. Her wings rest closed on her back. “Brother…”
She sees Atticus on the balcony and freezes. “Oh, Hello, Atticus.”
/Hello, Lady Aphrodite. You look lovely today./
“Thank you, Atticus.”
“Sister.” He interrupts gently as worry rises in his heart. “What has happened with Apollo, Dionysus, and Pan?”
Atticus looks at Aphrodite. /Do you know, Lady Aphrodite?/
She nods. “Yes, Atticus, I do.”
She turns to look at Zeus. “Brother, there is no other way to say this.”
Aphrodite's serious expression dissolves into pure, unbridled joy. It catches Zeus off-guard because what happened to his sons-
“Apollo found the children.”
Zeus stares at the Goddess of Love.
“...What?” He whispers.
Hope begins to burn in Zeus's chest once more.
~~~
Getting the children into the temple is a lot harder than Apollo thought. For one, they refuse to move from the hall they are all in and stay together in a group (like his flock of swans).
They are adorable.
They are also worrying him. They will not go into what is clearly a safe place, and it unnerves him. ‘Do they believe this is a trap? We have said so many times that we will not hurt them, so why will they not listen???’
He reaches for Will's hand, intending to lead him into the temple, only for the other to literally jump and flinch away from him.
“No, don't!” He begs.
Apollo frowns. “I was not going to do anything…”
But Will is not listening.
“You said you would keep us together!” Will begs. “Please!”
Apollo lowers his hand. ‘Oh, that is what he thought I was doing…’
“And I am keeping you together.” He says quickly, the idea stringing itself together with ease. “I was just wondering if you all needed a second alone.”
Because he is right, keeping them together would be best for them. It helps them trust in the Gods easier if the Gods go along with most of what they are clearly used to.
His son glances at the others, with Luke shaking his head.
“We're alright right now.” Luke says easily.
Apollo raises his head from his son to Hermes's oldest.
‘I should have focused on you instead.’ He thinks. ‘My son is here in front of me, but clearly you are their leader. Clearly they will listen to you.’
He ushers them into the temple and closes the white and gold-tiled door behind them. He trusts the nymphs and satyrs to watch over them and Hermes while he, Dionysus, and Pan deal with their family. Their children will be overwhelmed with the attention, and that is not what they want at all.
Footsteps echo in the halls of Olympus as the Olympians rush to the temple.
First is Zeus, nearly tripping over his own bull tail and dark grey chiton in his rush to see his son.
Then is Athena and Ares, both flying in on owl and vulture wings and landing next to their father. Both wear red chitons, with Ares's chiton being a darker red than his sister's, and have armed themselves with spears.
Then there is Hera in purple, with peacock feathers flowing from her back, Demeter in the same green chiton from earlier, Hades in black with his hair pulled back and void black eyes scanning the room, and Hestia with her hair hanging around her face in fiery orange. All four arrive at the same time, with Hades gripping his sisters’ hands for support.
Hephaestus is next, along with Artemis, both who look at Apollo with confusion over being dragged away from his forge and her hunt.
Aphrodite arrives last, without Arepo.
Ares narrows his eyes at her. “Where is-”
“He is in the dining room.” Aphrodite says casually with a wave of her hand. “I just wanted to ask him some questions.”
Ares nods, then swivels his head back to Apollo.
“My daughter?” He asks breathlessly. “Did you find her?”
“Not just her.” Dionysus says cheekily.
Apollo nearly elbows him. “I wanted to say it!” He hisses.
Dionysus grins. “You are the one who wants to drag everything out, brother.”
“I am not! I know the power of a well-placed word.”
“And I hold the domain of Theatre. You can not win against me.”
“Watch me-”
“You found them?” Zeus interrupts.
Apollo shares a look with Dionysus and Pan, then breaks into a grin that he has been holding in ever since he found them.
“All eleven of them.”
The other Olympians gasp in delight. Questions explode from everyone, demanding to know how and where and how old and were they safe and healthy and-
“We do not know everything.” Dionysus cuts in, silencing the group. “Because we have more concerns than just our children.”
Zeus frowns, but before he could say anything, Pan takes over.
“We found Father.”
The questions die instantly as faces pale.
“Or more accurately, our children found Father.” Pan continues.
He starts shaking, now that he is standing in Olympus's halls again and his father and brothers are right down the hall.
“He is alive but someone… someone hurt him. Someone tortured him. And we did not even know!!!”
Artemis shifts, until she stands on hind legs and her teeth are sharp wolf fangs.
“Let me go.” She snarls, rage staining her voice. “Let me be the one to track them down and bring their body to Olympus. I will not fail our brother again.”
Zeus bows his head. “Leave, daughter, with my blessing.”
Artemis casts one look at the group, locks eyes with a still silent Athena- ‘Why? What did you hear, sister?’ -then bows to her Father and leaves.
Zeus turns to look at his son. “Apollo, is there a way we could see them?”
He shakes his head. “Father, they are terrified of us. Remember what we told you young Clarisse and the son of Hades said?”
He nods.
“Well, they all believe it. Someone has raised our children to be against us.”
Hera sags against the wall, looking devastated. “So what can we do?” She whispers. “How can we tell them the truth?”
Apollo sighs. “I do not know.” He admits. “But for right now, we need to give them the space they need and show them that they mean no harm. I just need to be with Hermes and the children so I can heal them.”
Zeus bows his head, admitting his defeat. “I understand wholeheartedly, my son. Heal everything you can.”
“Of course, Father.” He bows his head and looks back at the nymphs trying to calm down the children and stop them from tearing the walls down.
“Dionysus-”
“I'll answer what questions I can, but Apollo will need me at some point.” He nods at Apollo, who sighs and starts preparing for a fight. Ares's daughter has calmed since her εραστής appeared, but she- and the others- are wary of them.
As Dionysus starts sharing what he heard, Apollo approaches the door to the temple and is interrupted by a tap on his shoulder.
He turns and sees Aphrodite standing before him.
“May I join you, Apollo?” The Goddess of Love asks. “As you know, Love is my domain. I can view their loves toward others to see if there are any… concerns when it comes to keeping them happy.”
‘Ah.’ “Of course, Lady Aphrodite.” He bows his head. “I would gladly accept your help with our children.”
~~~
When he reenters the temple, the nymphs have gently placed Hermes on one of the beds there, with the eleven children staying near the door.
They are here.
They are here They are here They are here-
‘Focus, Apollo. They need you.’
There are about twenty beds in the temple. Apollo has spoken with Hephaestus about adding more, but with the latter now focusing his attention on the bolt that had impaled Triton, the project (along with many other projects the Olympians would create together) is on hold. Hermes lies still in the first bed, closest to the entrance. His son, Luke, along with the young snake coiled around his neck, has given up his caduceus. It now rests besides the God where Georgios and Martha watch him with worried eyes.
The children are gathered towards the back of the temple, where, just off to the side, a bright blue pool beckons them to jump in and relax.
In the pool, right where Apollo has left them under strict orders not to move, Lord Triton rests with his arms on the edges with his sleeping daughter by his side, resting her head on his left shoulder.
He looks up at the sound of whispers as Apollo approaches and blinks in surprise.
“Lord Apollo.” He greets casually, quietly, to not wake his daughter.
Apollo bows respectfully. “Lord Triton. I am pleased to see you healed so soon.”
Triton smiles. “Not fully, I am afraid. My neck still burns when Pallas touches it and when I turn it.”
“An effect that is sure to go away.” Apollo promises.
Uncle Poseidon had made Apollo swear to do everything he could for Triton, and the god had done everything, from removing whatever was embedded in his neck and passing it to Hephaestus for studying, to pouring his healing power into the God.
Triton had stabilized and was able to be transported back to the temple to fully heal (and he would have kept healing him if it was not for Dionysus's earlier panic.)
‘I understand it, though. I have my son now!’
Triton looks at Apollo, then at the children gathered nearby. He does his best to hide his shock, up until he catches sight of young Percy and Annabeth hiding behind Thalia (who- Apollo realizes with a start- still holds onto baby Jason).
Triton's eyes light up with relief. “Little Pearl! You are alright!”
“Hi…” Percy whispers shyly.
He and Annabeth still does not move from behind the older girl.
“It's alright.” He soothes. “I will not hurt you.”
Percy glances up at Thalia, who gives a small nod, and brightens, grabbing Annabeth's hands and they both sprint to the edge of the pool and jump in with shrieks of child-like laughter.
Apollo catches the others’ slight smiles at the two's laughter, only to flicker as soon as they notice Apollo's glance towards them.
He sighs. ‘Percy and Annabeth are safe with Lord Triton and Pallas for now. They can look after those two while we attempt to connect with the older ones.’
Still, he needs to be careful with this entire situation. As much as he wants to help the children and gain their trust, Hermes is his main priority. He trusts Aphrodite, Pan, Dio, and the nymphs with keeping the children calm until he can make his way around to them.
He approaches Hermes, now lying on one of the beds. Behind him, he can hear the nymphs attempting to coax some of the children to at least sit down- and are successful with Thalia, Clarisse, and Dionysus's twins. The others remain standing.
As soon as he reaches for Hermes, the God starts shaking, his eyes going wide as he grabs Apollo's arm.
/-No-/ Apollo hears Hermes say over their mental link. /-No-Please-/
“It is going to be ok.” Apollo promises. “I have you.”
Hermes presses his left hand into Apollo's chest, trying to push him away. Apollo does not move. He only shifts his feet into raven talons and grips the floor before taking his fingers and pressing them into his brother's temples.
Hermes's right hand reaches for his sons, who watch the movement warily, before he finally falls asleep with a sigh. Apollo sighs too, his wings coming out and flapping once to try and make himself relax.
‘I am sorry, brother. You need your rest, and you do not want to be awake for what I am about to do.’
He spends a moment gently brushing his hair out of his eyes.
“Λυποῦμαι, ὦ ἀδελφέ μου, ὅτι οὐχ ἡμᾶς εὑρήκαμεν πρότερον. Δέομαι συγγνώμης.”
With that said, he presses his hands into Hermes's chest and lets the power flow freely.
The wounds on his chest are first. They are close enough to his very center and look like slashes from a sword.
‘No.’ Apollo quickly realizes. ‘They are from a sharp-clawed beast, capable of tearing through flesh like a kopis.’
They are so deep, Apollo swears he can see his brother's domains attempt to take physical form.
‘Or I am seeing my brother's mortal heart… Oh no.
If I can see his domains and his heart… he is fading!!’
As Gods, the domains they wield or their very essence can take the form of a mortal heart. Attack the heart and successfully remove it from the God's form, the domains are free for someone else to wield and their essence fades.
It is a secret only Gods can know, and it is often by experience that Gods find out.
Near-death experiences.
Like now.
It can only be resolved by praying to the God who has been injured so they do not fade entirely and can reform with hours.
/So Pray./ Apollo thinks to the Olympians. /Pray to Hermes, the God of Messengers, Travelers, Languages, and Lies. Pray to Hermes, Father of the Wild. Hold nothing back./
Golden light spreads over Hermes’s body like a blanket, settling deep into his core, his domains, his essence-
And there is a moment.
A breath.
A heartbeat.
The cracks over Hermes's heart glow gold and start to fade.
Apollo nearly sags to the floor in pure relief.
/We did it./ He thinks. /He is going to live./
Hermes is going to live.
His body will ache with pain and it will take time for him to heal fully, but he will live.
Kronos's damned curse will not take his brother today.
Apollo stares down at his brother as his face shifts from blank to peaceful.
He is in the wild realm of sleep, now.
‘Good.’ Apollo thinks. ‘Now I can heal his other injuries.’
His jaw is next, with golden light flooding his veins, reattaching the broken bone, and sealing the crack. Apollo cautiously moves one hand to his brother's mouth and works it around, left, right, down, before he is satisfied that the bone is reattached and stable.
With that, he signals with his left hand for a nymph to bring forth some nectar from the fountains nearby. Hermes will be thirsty when he wakes up, and he needs to rest and heal inside his temple for a long time.
It will… probably be… a week before Hermes can stand. Though his legs are not as big of a problem as the last two parts Apollo needs to heal immediately.
She bows and leaves, which allows Apollo to focus on one of the two remaining problem: Hermes's arm.
It has not healed correctly.
He frowns. /Dionysus? Pan? Aphrodite?/
/Yes?/ The three Gods ask in unison.
/Could you grab our children? I need to readjust Hermes's arm./
Pan winces. /Ow… But yes, Uncle Apollo. I'll grab them./
Apollo lifts up his head from his brother's sleeping form to see Dionysus and Pan gently gather the children and lead them towards the pool young Percy and Annabeth are happily playing in. Luke eyes the Gods warily, then looks at Apollo.
The God just stares back, and feeling mischievous, smiles with all of his teeth.
Luke's face goes white and he stumbles back into the pool, falling into it with a loud splash that causes the other children to burst out into quiet laughter.
He treasures the laughter.
And their current innocence.
Because here they are, giggling over their friend getting soaked, while Hermes reforms on the nearby bed.
‘Good.’ He thinks to himself. ‘They do not have to see a God fade.’
He takes a deep breath. Nods at Pan and Dionysus.
Aphrodite notices and slides into the water herself with ease, clapping her hands to get the children's attention.
Pan and Dionysus exchange a look, then Dionysus raises his hand and tall vines block off the pool from Apollo's view. Or more accurately, block off Apollo and Hermes from the pool's view.
Apollo inhales and places both of his hands on Hermes's right arm, studying the angle and the mangled hand intently.
He sighs again.
Grips his brother's arm.
And forcibly snaps the healed bone and the mangled fingers back into place.
Hermes's eyes fly open as he snaps awake and he screeches. Scales and feathers reappear all over his body as his eyes revert back to snake pupils. He opens his still healing jaw to release his venom-laced fangs and bite whoever just attacked him-
Apollo grabs him by the shoulders. “Εἰρήνη, ἀδελφέ! Ἐγώ εἰμι, Ἀπόλλων!”
Hermes does not relax. Instead he screeches louder and starts waving his left arm around wildly as if he is reaching for someone-
‘His sons.’ Apollo realizes.
/Pan! Come here! Now! He needs you!/
The vines part and Pan rushes out, leaping over the beds as he runs to his father's side. Through the vines, Apollo can see Aphrodite and Triton creating shapes out of water for the children to look at. He wonders if they are telling a story about the Gods. Something to break through the lies they were told.
He shakes his head as Pan reaches Hermes's side.
“Father.” He says aloud. “Father, it is I. Your son, Pan.”
Hermes's panicked thrashing slows as his wild snake eyes lock with his son's.
“You are alive.” Pan says softly. “You are safe. You are home.”
Tears begin to fill Hermes's eyes as he stares at his son. Then the ceiling. Then he looks at Apollo, who nods.
“You did it.” He whispers. “You survived. You fought back. You are alive.”
Hermes manages a small smile that is quickly replaced by worry. He raises his head off of the pillow, and stares at the vines.
Through the opening Dionysus created, the three Gods can see both of Hermes's sons. Luke has swam to the side and now has his arms crossed as he sits on the side of the pool. The poor boy looks as if he will explode if he stays still any longer, while Hermes’ second son has his arm around Clarisse's shoulders with an awestruck look on both his and her faces while they watch Aphrodite and Triton mimic poking each other with water manipulated to look like swords.
Hermes smiles and finally closes his eyes.
Apollo immediately panics and reaches for Hermes again. ‘Oh Gods, I just healed your worst wounds and injuries, do not die on me now, Hermes!’
“Uncle!” Pan grabs his arm. “He is asleep.”
Apollo stares at him, then down at Hermes.
His brother is asleep.
His brother will live.
He sighs and reverts back to a more mortal appearing form. He folds his wings on his back and again, brushes a loose hair out of Hermes's eyes.
“There.” He says finally. “We will continue to heal him over the next few days. For now, give him nectar for the next day, then work his way up to ambrosia. After that, we will see how he feels.”
He raises his head to the nymphs.
“No one leaves this room.” He says quietly. “Do you understand?”
“Of course, Lord Apollo!” Various voices shout in unison.
He smiles with relief. “Good. Bring us more nectar and ambrosia for the time being, for we still have a lot of work to do.”
~~~
A few minutes later, Apollo sets down the nectar he had requested for Lord Hermes and looks around the room.
After Hermes had fallen asleep, Dionysus and Aphrodite had led the children out of the pool, where water still drips from their legs and feet as they collapse on various beds around the room.
He looks around at the children, trying to see where he should start.
Percy and Annabeth are still in the pool, with Triton and Pallas and Luke watching over them. Luke has his arms crossed and he leans against a pillar with a frown on his face. Thalia and Jason have curled up together on a bed two rows away, with Jason on her lap and eagerly tugging on her hair with a wide smile. Thalia herself is smiling gently as she lets him run his fingers through her hair. Every now and then, her jaw clenches and her body shivers as if from heat, with Jason becoming noticeably quieter, but she brushes off the nymphs’ attempt at care with a vicious glare.
‘I wonder what that is about. Why are they so close?’
On the bed across from them, Hermes's second son refuses to leave Ares's daughter's side, instead passing out squares of what was clearly ambrosia to her, his son Will, Hades’ son, and Dionysus's sons from the strange satchel on his back as the first three (Hermes’ second son, Clarisse, and Will) rest on that bed while the other three boys (Hades's son and Dionysus's sons) rest on the bed facing them.
…when did he get his hands on ambrosia?!
Aphrodite, thankfully, steps in. “Where did you get ambrosia, young one?” She asks.
Hermes's second son freezes awkwardly as Clarisse narrows her eyes at the Goddess with the square in her right hand.
“We make it ourselves.” She says simply.
Aphrodite looks surprised. “Oh. I see. I did not know you all could make it yourselves.”
“It's only enough to heal our wounds.” The boy says cautiously. “It can't do anything more than that.”
Aphrodite nods. “I see.”
Apollo knows that she is already scheming. /If they have been partaking in making their own ambrosia, then maybe-/
“There have been cases where we eat too much ambrosia and we'll explode.” Will says suddenly.
Aphrodite's hands still even as the boy looks at Will with gratitude. “We do not want that at all. We want you to be safe.”
/By Father's realm!/ She hisses. /I was going to suggest that we keep exposing them to ambrosia so they ascend quicker! Now we have to take our time!/
Apollo fights the urge to laugh at his Aunt.
Instead, he focuses on his son. He needs to start with his son.
“Will?” He asks casually as he approaches. “Could I talk with you, please?”
The son of Hades stiffens. “If you have anything to say to him, then you can say it in front of him.” He hisses.
Will reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder. “I'll be fine.” He says softly.
The son of Hades looks at him with worry. “But-”
“I know.” Will cuts him off. “It's best if we just… go along with it.”
Apollo hears the unspoken for now and bites the inside of his cheek. He notices the way Will trembles as he gets off the bed.
Apollo quickly decides that Will needs to be close to his friends, so he sits on the bed two rows down from them, across from Hermes. Will sits across from him, looking… uncomfortable.
“I…” Apollo hesitates, searching for the words he wants to say. This is not a poem. This is his flesh and blood, his son in front of him. He needs to be careful.
He settles for the truth. Or parts of it.
“I have so many questions.” He begins. “So many that I do not even know where to start. How are you all alive?”
Whether it is because of Pan's melody he has taken up again or the situation he has found himself in, Will snorts. “That's a question I ask myself all of the time.”
Apollo stiffens. “What do you mean? Is there a problem with you and your friends?”
“It's nothing that can't be handled.” Will says tightly. “Besides, I know what I'm doing. I can help them.”
“I believe it.” Apollo says gently. “But now that I am here, now that you are here, now that you are home, I want to learn everything I can to help you.”
Will, his son, starts shaking like a leaf. “But I can help!” He protests. “I've been taking care of them this whole time!”
Apollo gently brushes his hair out of his eyes. “I know.” He whispers. “And I am so proud of you for that. I am glad you've been taking care of everyone.”
His hand slides down his face to cup his cheek. “But who has been taking care of you?” He asks.
Will freezes.
He opens his mouth to answer, then stops.
Apollo watches his son's eyes fill up with tears before he starts sobbing, burying his face in his hands and sobbing like the child he is.
“I am sorry, son.” Apollo whispers. “I am so sorry.”
His heart breaks for all the pain their children have experienced.
He gently pulls Will into a hug, cupping the back of his neck and pressing his face to his shoulder.
“I am here now. I will take care of you now.” He promises. “We all will.”
Will just sobs into his shoulder.
With his son in his arms, he decides to start there. While Will cries, he gently raises his hand to the boy's head and concentrates. Lets his healing power flow through the boy's body, seeking out the injuries. He saw a few earlier, back on the mountain, but now he has the opportunity to fully see how healthy his son is.
There are little, only cuts and bruises from his captivity in the mountain. With how recent they are, it does not look like they had been there for very long, maybe only a day.
‘Then where were they before all of this? Did they escape the mountain and that's how they stumbled across Aciri? No wonder they were so afraid of us when they saw us, their heads were filled with lies to make them afraid of the truth.’
Will is just exhausted, drained of energy and looking around as if he is seeing things.
‘What are you seeing, little one? What were you told to make you so afraid of us?’
With a start, he realizes that maybe- maybe the truth of them being their family is too much for them to bear at this point. They are here, they are alive, they are together, and-
There is poison in Will's mouth.
He fights back the rage, just this once. Will- and the others, but he has a son now- should not be afraid of him if he keeps himself in check, right?
It is something to speak to Father about.
The poison is small, but he recognizes it from time with Artemis.
Henbane. Something his Priestesses and his Wolves would use to try and understand the visions he would give him. It had its side effects (the body twitching, vomiting, seeing things that were not there) and Apollo was usually able to heal them without any further effects (an endless sleep before Thanatos appeared out of the shadows and took them) being shown.
Usually.
But now, as he knows what to look for, he pulls away from his son and looks at him. Really looks deep into his eyes.
Will is afraid of him.
He is trying not to show it but he is very afraid.
As a God, Apollo wants nothing more than to take his son to his temple and understand him.
Apollo has never been a father before. He tries with his Priestesses and Wolves, but they are bound in service to him and have to listen to him.
His son, his currently only son (if there are more in the mountain, if they are dead in the mountain, then the Gods of Olympus will simply remove the mountain and free them all. Maybe Thanatos will be kind to them and allow them all to be reborn as healthy children of the Gods.) is shaking from the poison and from fear.
Apollo closes his eyes.
And forces himself to relax. Will was here now. They all were. Alive and together and here within his reach.
“I can heal you.” He tells Will, instead of asking all of his questions. “Would you like me to?”
Will blinks, and Apollo catches the shock in his eyes before it is replaced by confusion.
“Yes, please.” He whispers.
Not Father. Not Lord Apollo.
Both are what he is to Will and Will is too deep in the lies-
Wait.
Wait.
One of Apollo's domains is Truth. He could just ask where they are from.
Except, no, that would not work, because they are afraid.
They need healing. Healing is a start. He doesn't know why he is acting like this.
/Because your son is in front of you./ Aphrodite says quietly, Goddess to God. /Your son is front of you and so is the truth. You need answers as much as we do. But we can not get those answers until we heal them and they start to trust us. They need time./
He bristles at the comment. /Time, Lady Aphrodite? Time has done nothing good for us from the moment we formed. Why would it start now?/
/I have a theory./ She glances down at the children she stood near. /From listening to you all talk. But I will save it for another time. We have something to finish./
Right, their children.
He is still in shock over this. Eleven children, all alive.
All injured.
He heals Will quickly, easily. The effects of the henbane should be gone within an hour.
“You can go back to your friends now.” He tells his son.
He blinks. “Really?”
The word leaves quickly, as if on instinct, before Will pauses and hesitates.
“...Thank you.” He says.
Apollo fights the urge to beam.
“You are welcome.” He says instead.
Will hops off of the bed and rushes back to his friends, climbing back on their bed and interlocking hands with the son of Hades.
/Oh./ Apollo and Aphrodite say in unison.
He will have to ask her and Dionysus what they notice later.
As a favor to Will, the son of Hades is next. He is young, pale, smaller than what he should be.
There are similar cuts and bruises on his wrists and arms and Apollo immediately heals those. Like Will, there are no major injuries. He is just exhausted, like his son. There is still the taste of henbane in his mouth, so Apollo cleanses that too.
He is just about to tell the boy to go back to his friends when he senses-
Dark.
Rot.
Pitch black rot that coils around his spine and stomach and Apollo almost almost almost stumbles back in terror because why does this boy have Tartarus in his body?!
‘No.’ He thinks wildly. ‘No. No. No. They were in Tartarus. They were hidden in Tartarus. Someone took them and put them in Tartarus. This has to be a lie, this has to be a lie-’
But no. On the son of Hades, the very buried, very faint mark of Tartarus coils around his spine and stomach.
‘That is why you are smaller than what you should be.’ Apollo thinks frantically. ‘That is why we never found any of you. THEY HID YOU IN TARTARUS!!!’
He needs to find these mortals. They all need to find these mortals or monsters who took their children AWAY FROM THEM!!!
“Um.” The son of Hades blinks at him. “Is something wrong?”
‘Tartarus has a hold on you.’ He wants to say. ‘Tartarus has a hold on you and we need to get rid of it NOW.’
He takes a deep breath and cautiously nudges the rot with his power.
Nothing changes.
“I-”
‘-am not strong enough to cleanse this from your body… I am sorry, young one.
Thankfully, It… has not spread anywhere else. It is just your spine and stomach. You will live. You just need time away from it in an environment that will heal you and worship you.’
“...It is something I will talk to you about another time.” He says finally, seeing the boy's concern. “You can go back to your friends.”
‘If I draw attention to it, then it will cause unnecessary panic among our children. We need them to trust us.’
The son of Hades hesitates, then nods, gets off the bed, and rushes back to his friends. He climbs back up on the bed, nudges Dionysus's twins, and says jokingly “You're up.”
The left one groans. “Okayyy…”
~~~
Healing the other children goes by quickly, surprisingly.
The twins and Thalia are also suffering from the effects of henbane in their bodies, although the twins have their father's gift of poison wearing off quicker. Thalia suffers from the convulsions henbane can cause. He heals them all with ease.
Baby Jason is perfectly healthy. Thalia lets him lay his hands on Jason after he insists that he will not separate the two, and he only places them on his forehead just to see. And he is healthy.
Thalia sags in relief as soon as Apollo pulls away and gently presses Jason's head back into her shoulder.
One of the nymphs speaks up. “I can hold him-”
“Don't you dare touch him!” Thalia snarls.
Apollo immediately gestures for the nymphs to back away and give the two their space.
There is something about them that reminds him of himself and his sister… but maybe, he is imagining it.
Clarisse has a large wound in her side. It is the one Apollo would have healed earlier, but Clarisse had fought him off, so Ares had bandaged the wound. Apollo approaches her slowly, in view of everyone else gathered around her.
“Could I look at the wound?” He asks her.
She stiffens, eyes narrowing-
But nods slowly and grips her εραστής's hand tightly as Apollo approaches. Her εραστής does not look away, only tightening his grip on the spear and saying quietly to her “Say the word.”
“We don't have a choice.” She mutters back. “We can't fight like this.”
The wound is healing, thanks to the ambrosia in her body. Apollo only lays a hand against it and lets his power flow. She hisses through her teeth, but presses her other hand into the boy's chest as if to stop him from attacking Apollo.
“I'm fine.” She mutters. “I'll be fine.”
He raises his gaze toward Luke and is met with a glare. “Don't.” He says simply. “I'm fine.”
“Sure you are.” Will mutters.
Apollo hears the bitterness in his words. ‘What happened to all of you? One of you bears the mark of Tartarus, several of you have been injured or drugged, we found Clarisse with a Titan, and two of your youngest three friends have Amnesia. What is going on?!’
…wait.
The younger three.
Percy, Annabeth, and Jason.
He could try to talk to Percy and Annabeth now that they are out of the pool and face each other on different beds.
/Aphrodite, Dionysus? Could you look at everyone now? I will try to speak with Percy and Annabeth./
/Good luck./ Dionysus warns as Apollo stands to his feet and slowly walks toward the duo.
Annabeth, surprisingly, sees him first. She blinks, then tugs on her chiton and nudges Percy with her shoulder. The boy jumps, looks at Annabeth, then up at Apollo.
“Hello.” She says kindly.
“Hello.” He returns the greeting warmly. “Do you know who I am?”
Percy nods. “You're Apollo, right? God of the Sun?”
He looks at Annabeth, who nods encouragingly.
“That is right.” Apollo says warmly.
Someone gasps behind him and he ignores it.
“I have been wanting to meet you both for a while.”
He holds his hands out to them, keeping his claws retracted to not scare them.
“It is okay.” He soothes. “I will not hurt you. I just want to heal you.”
Something strange flashes in both their eyes and they tense.
“How do we know you're telling the truth?” Percy hesitates. “That you're not lying to us and you won't kick us out later?”
‘Kick us out. Us. As in, someone left them on the streets.’
“I am the God of Light, Healing, Truth, and Prophecy.” He answers. “I do not lie to people.”
Annabeth and Percy exchange a look with each other before she looks at Apollo.
“Okay.” She says. “Do we just take your hands?”
“Exactly. You do not need to do anything else.”
The two hesitate, then slowly reach out his right and her left hands and place them on Apollo's left and right-
-a fist, rising to his face; a window, strange in shape but open to a smoky night sky; a lack of vision; a boy's voice, screaming for his mother; a girl's voice, screaming for her sister and brother; pressure, pushing down on their backs; a flash of pain in her shoulder; the ground, vanishing beneath their feet; a whispered curse in the night; echoes upon echoes of screams in the dark; darkness and rot and burning hot fire in their chest and bellies; darkness and rot clouding their minds and clouding their thoughts and sending pitch black cracks up into their skin-
Apollo jerks his hands away from the duo and stumbles back, nearly bumping into the next bed as ichor drains from his face.
‘Stars Above and Chaos Below…’
“...what are you?” He whispers in shock and horror. ‘Tartarus has a greater hold on you than the son of Hades. Why? Who did this to you both?!’ “How are you both still alive?!”
“Because we have each other, Thalia, and Luke.” Annabeth crosses her arms. “Duh.”
Apollo does not respond to her.
Instead, his eyes are focused on the pitch black cracks slowly retreating from her elbow- from both their elbows.
His golden eyes flicker to Percy's arms.
There is a strange symbol in faded charcoal on the young boy's skin. A circle with two tails coming off it, one on the bottom, and one on the top.
Apollo freezes. He knows that symbol, knows what it means.
/...Typhon./ He thinks.
Aphrodite's head snaps up from examining Hermes's second son, who insists that he is fine, he is just worried about everyone else.
/What?!/ She shrieks.
/Outside./ He tells her, not wanting to scare any of the children.
/No./ She snaps. /I need to see this for myself./
She quickly excuses herself from the small group and walks over to young Percy and Annabeth. Apollo watches her as she takes young Annabeth's hands in hers and asks her something he can not make out through his own panic. He does see Annabeth shake her head, to which Aphrodite smiles, kisses her forehead like a mother would, and gently nudges her to lie down on the bed. Aphrodite does the same to Percy, taking his hands in hers and asking him something he can not make out.
Percy immediately starts shaking his head no, and his own mouth opens and says something back. Apollo can not hear him, but Aphrodite's shoulders sag in clear relief, and she nods. She says something else to him, before letting go of his hands and standing to her feet.
Percy smiles, visibly thanks her, and hops off the bed before running over to the daughter of Athena's bed and climbing in with her, pulling the sheets up over both their shoulders, and grabbing her with both his arms. She visibly relaxes into him, head gently resting near his chin as they both finally close their eyes.
'They are alive. Somehow, despite the clear and obvious threat of Tartarus and...' He swallows. '...and their descension... they are alive.'
He does not know what to make of the vision he saw when he took their hands. 'Whatever that was, it is clear that I am not strong to heal them of these wounds... but that is impossible. I am the God of Healing, I should be able to heal this. Why
“Is everything alright?” He asks Aphrodite after she has walked over to him. “Did I miss something while looking over them?”
She waves him off. “Something concerned me about the boy's familial love. I wanted to ask him about it.”
‘I see. I hope it is not serious… I am sure Aphrodite would let me know if it was.’
~~~
As night finally begins to fall, Apollo steps away from checking on his brother and looks around the room one last time. The nymphs have started coaxing the children into beds so they can fully rest and let Apollo's healing power flood their tiny bodies. With Percy and Annabeth already asleep, along with Thalia and Jason, Apollo watches as the other children bicker over the beds they choose.
It ends up with Percy and Annabeth next to the pool, Thalia and Jason to their right, Will and the son of Hades across from them, with Clarisse letting her εραστής rest his head on her shoulder to the right of the son of Hades.
Dionysus's twin sons collapse on a bed next to Will and the son of Hades.
Luke is to Thalia's right, with the snake around his neck already fast asleep. The young boy has curled up with his arms around his knees and stares aimlessly ahead at the twins.
Or past the twins.
/I have looked at them already./ Dionysus whispers from behind Apollo. /We need to speak to Father about this, now./
/They are alive./ Apollo says quietly. /They are alive and will heal within a day. What we need to do is seek out everyone who knows of their existence./
/And if there is no one?/ Dionysus hisses. /We can not rush this, Apollo. Do not think Lady Aphrodite and I missed your panic over our bond. You are as terrified and confused as we are, and we need help. We can not help them on our own./
/Fine!/ Apollo snarls. /Fine. I- I feel helpless, brother. I hate feeling helpless. I hate not knowing what to do or how to fix this./
/They are our children. We can not just “fix” this./ Dionysus turns toward their Aunt. /Lady Aphrodite? Do you have something to add?/
/Only that you are right./ She casts one last look over the children and Apollo sees the sadness in her gaze. /We can not “fix” them. They are our children, living, breathing, alive, and mostly healthy. We need to understand them first before we can help them./
She slowly turns to look at Apollo. /That is why we need to talk to our family, Apollo. They need to know everything that we have discovered./
Apollo bows his head. /I understand, Lady Aphrodite and Dionysus. I misspoke./
/It is no concern of mine. I just worry for them./ She stares at the group of children and sighs. /Let us pray that they will live through the night. It is Brightest Star Day, after all. I hope this is not just a vision of what could be./
/I agree, Lady Aphrodite./ Apollo cast his own gaze over the children and his brother.
/I agree./
~~~
Thalia has too many questions. Not only has she and her friends been forcibly brought to Olympus (forcibly because she knows that if they were in their right minds and not injured, they would have run), the Gods are watching them all like Hawks.
These can't be the Gods. These have to be fake.
She knows she's sick with something. Apollo had placed his hands on her forehead for a reason, but she just feels exhausted.
‘I want to go home. I don't want Jason to be anywhere near these strangers. I want to go home.’
She tightens her grip on her brother as he rests his head on her chest.
‘I don't know how awake or how aware you are, Jason. But I will get you out of here. I won't lose you again. I'll be damned if I let you go or let any of these false Gods near you.’
Thalia can't stop the yawn that leaves her mouth.
‘Although… maybe… it would be… good if I… close my eyes… for a minute…’
She falls asleep to the sound of nymphs singing, and for a brief moment, she thinks she hears her and Jason's mother in their voices.
Then she's asleep with her brother in her arms.