#annabeth keeps having to watch her friends sacrifice themselves for her

[fandomfairyuniverse]

You just know that Percy sacrificing himself at the the arch and then again in the tunnel reminded Annabeth of Thalia

And doesn’t that just make you go a little insane

[demigodseameg16]

Can I post my take? I love yours, and it's so interesting to see people's perspectives on these characters. But if we are going by not only personalities but by roles in both universes, as well as motives, not just for themselves but for their families and other goals, this is who I would cast.

Percy Jackson - Adrien Agreste (both are deeply devoted to their mom's with names meaning destruction, and have destructive powers that if they chose too, can either destroy or save the world.)

Annabeth Chase - Kagami Tsurugi (Annabeth and Kagami's whole motive is to make their mother proud, they come from a long line of warriors, are both strategic and wield bladed weapons.)

Grover Underwood - Nino Lahiffe (both are motivated by the desire to protect their friends until the end, and having already failed once, (Nino with his mysterious older brother) they are anxious about this new trial.)

Clarisse La Rue - Anansi (both seem to be bullies and challenge the protagonist at the beginning, but there is more to the story than what is going on. They too want to make their dad proud and protect their siblings, something both Percy and Clarisse can see eye to eye on.)

Thalia Grace - Fei. (This one was hard because I debated Marinette, seeing as everyone holds Thalia and Marinette on a pedestal as Thalia being the daughter of Zeus and Marinette being Ladybug, they can do no wrong and of course the prophecy is about them. But Fei being the Prodigious wielder fits more along the lines of Thalia's sacrifice.)

Nico Di Angelo - Felix Fathom. (I originally wanted all senti-children being kids of the big three, but Kagami to me really fit Annabeth's role. For Felix, he feels as if he is constantly in Adrien's shadow and is knowledgeable about things not even Adrien knows, which is quite similar to Percy and Nico's dynamic. Plus they are technically cousins and I do like how they eventually develop a brotherly relationship between the two of them. In this au Felix just doesn't get a crush on Adrien. (I hc him aro/ace but that's just me.) Also, Felix would totally trick Adrien into bathing in the River Styx.)

Bianca Di Angelo - Human! Dusuu (Dusuu is probably the only one whose "death" would truly affect Felix in the same way Bianca's did to Nico. Plus, Dusuu's miraculous breaking is equivalent to death? I guess?)

Tyson - Human! Nooroo. (Adrien and Nooroo have never met, but from what we have seen of Nooroo, he really does want to meet Adrien, and seems very fond of him, which makes sense seeing as he's probably watched him grow up. Paralleling that with how Tyson wished and prayed to Poseidon for a family and Poseidon answered his prayers by delivering him to Percy and excuse me while I go cry.)

Rachel Elizabeth Dare - Alix Kubdel. (Being the Oracle involves time, and who better then our resident time traveler to be the one to step up to the plate? Plus, both have similar backgrounds and personalities in that they come from rich families, are rebellious against said rich families, love art, especially street art, can keep a secret very well and see things others can't.)

Luke Castellan - Jalil Kubdel (imagine being the son of the failed Oracle, raising your half sister (cause Alix has to be a full mortal in this) by yourself while your dad is busy with his job, and your mom dies from the curse, and so you throw yourself into conspiracy theories and that's how Kronos gets you. Man was really ready to summon the dead and perform an actual sacrifice to prove his theory, even before getting akumatized.)

Charlie Beckendorf - Ivan Bruel (don't kill me for this, but the gentle giant who was the first akuma, and Beckendorf's death being the one to truly signify the start of the war? I'll see myself out.)

Silena Beaugraud - Mylène Haprèle (if Charlie is Ivan, then Mylène has to be Silena in the fact they are the power couple. Plus, while I love Mylène, her anxieties can get the best of her, and she is prone to believe some lies, which is something Jalil can target. But she is a hero, and she would sacrifice herself to bring peace and stop fighting. Plus, rats are known to be double sided agents and who is the rat miraculous hero? I'll see myself out again.)

Drew Tanaka - Chloe Bourgeois (seems like a bully but is actually a sweetheart to those she deems worthy (aka she's very close guarded after her sister's death. Doesn't like her new sister because her new sister is a stark reminder of the one who died and betrayed her.)

Will Solace - Luka Couffaine (What do they both have in common? They are both the group's free therapists when they themselves need actual therapy. Plus both have interesting ways of healing people, and have names dealing with light (Will is a medical healer and can manipulate light, Luka heals via music and hears heart songs.)

Jason Grace - Marinette Dupain-Cheng (Since Fei and Marinette are technically cousins, this works. It allows Marinette the golden child status she has as Ladybug plus the pressures of being guardian as Jason has via praetor. Not to mention the tension Percy and Jason start off on as both think they are the leader (which they are, of their respective camps, while Percy earned leadership of both camps. (Don't come at me Jason stans, I love Jason with all my heart.) Plus, Marinette and Felix have this weird "I know your secret and you know mine" relationship that excludes Adrien "for his own good", similar but unlike Jason and Nico's.)

Leo Valdez - Alya Cesaire. (This was a bit more difficult, but Alya and Leo are both determined to have that dream of being a journalist/opening their own mechanic store. They are very career focused, and Alya's miraculous represents fire on the elemental theorem. They have troubles with their powers because of how it separates them from their loved ones and hates keeping the secrets it causes from their loved ones.)

Piper McLean - Zoe Lee. (If Chloe is Drew Tanka, it's fitting that Zoe is Piper. I usually ignore Zoe's character, but for this it makes complete sense. Both Chloe and Zoe have charmspeak, which makes sense to how Chloe got away with a lot of things at camp, and Zoe, wanting to be an actress, would be a useful skill for her. She doesn't want a new sister however, and is still mourning the loss of her big sister, so one who tries to change things back to the ways Silena had it, it would be a bit of a cat fight before they got along and bonded (unlike canon.)

Hazel Levesque - Aeon (This is partly because she's literally made of metal, something Hazel can control, but also the innocence that seems displaced in some situations while completely knowledgeable in other areas (similar to how Hazel is naive about modern day customs but knows a lot more about magic and the gods, and also history because she lived it.) Plus, both look like cinnamon rolls but they could absolutely destroy you and that energy needs to be captured.)

Frank Zhang - Rose Lavillant (Okay bear with me here (and mind the pun.) Both are absolute sweethearts with hidden depths that most people ignore, and both have a ticking clock strapped to their chest (Frank his fire stick, and Rose her illness.) The reason for this is because they are so powerful that the gods had to give them this weakness in order to make them easier to handle. Think about that for a second. Rose's positivity is second to none. She was an extremely powerful akuma that caused an international incident and as a hero? Her power relies on digging into someone's deepest desire, understanding it and then basically Princess Tutuing it to the akuma. It's a psycho connection that rivals Hawkmoth, because the deepest desire is the truest truth. Now put the power against the gods? Yeah. I'd be scared too.)

Reyna - Soqquleine Wang ( Both are leaders who inspired our golden child, and were their very first friend. Plus they are extremely badass and have a deep moral code, and inspire heroics wherever they go.)

Octavian - Lila Rossi (I don't think I need to explain this one. But if I must, false prophet meets fraud. They have a deep hatred and jealousy of our main heroes for having the life they want, and don't care who dies to fulfill their goal. Plus, It's Will and Nico who ultimately defeat Octavian, which in this case is Felix "world class liar and kleptomaniac" Fathom and Luka "I can hear your heart songs and it sounds rancid" Couffaine.)

Bonus!

Zoë Nightshade - Joan of Arc (Joan was betrayed by her black cat, Zoë was betrayed by Hercules, who wielded Riptide. Adrien is the new black cat and Percy is the true wielder of Riptide. Only after our heroes prove themselves to the former can they be in peace.)

Chiron - Human! Wayzz (both have that protective, wise mentor vibes. I would have put Fu, but Wayzz is more gentle. Plus the shenanigans with a certain Mr. D make it better.)

Mr. D - Human! Plagg (purely for shenanigans. Also he Lowkey Adopts Adrien in this because he tried to claim him to lift his curse, which is American cheese instead of Cameberet, and cause he loves the kid, which he will deny to everyone.)

Smelly Gabe - Gabriel Agreste. (We don't redeem abusive fathers in this household ASTRUC)

Miraculous Ladybug characters as Percy Jackson characters

Marinette Dupain-Cheng - Annabeth Chase

Adrien Agreste - Percy Jackson

Chloé Bourgeois - Clarisse La Rue

Mylène Haprèle - Hazel Levesque

Ivan Bruel - Frank Zhang

Alix Kubdel - Thalia Grace

Kagami Tsurugi - Reyna Ramírez-Arellano

Nathaniel Kurtzberg - Rachel Dare

Félix Fathom - Luke Castellan

Zoé Lee - Nico di Angelo

Lila Rossi/Cerise Bianca/Iris Verdi/Daphne Azzurri - Octavian

[happywitch416]

Full Name: Rose Celene Hawke

Full Titles 

Pre Marriage-Lady Rose Hawke, Champion of Kirkwall 

Post Marriage-Viscountess Rose Tethras Hawke, Champion of Kirkwall and the Inquistion.

Aliases: Songbird, Menace, Champion, Hawke. Red Jenny, Rose of Ferelden 

Writing Master List      Tethras Hawkes Master List

Physical: Face Claim is Anna Popplewell. Rose has auburn curls, dark blue eyes, and freckles. She is short for a human, about 5 feet, and on the curvier side. She has several piercings and many tattoos. The most notable tattoos are the dragon across her back, the climbing roses that trail up her leg from ankle to hip. The Kirkwall crest is on her bicep. A tree trails up one forearm, its roots settled at her elbow where they twist into a fancy band. Five roses are nestled in the tree for her children, 4 hawks for her family, sparrows for those who died in the Chantry explosion, the tree trunk itself is two lovers entwined. 

Style: Rose is a classy sexy, if she can't make everyone she meets go moon eyed then she doesn't want to wear it. In canon, she is a fan of leather and cotton and likes silk as well. A modern take is more glam rocker, still rocking leather pants and prefers moto jackets. She loves a fancy dress but only if she can move comfortably. Corsets do not count against being comfortable, she loves them. Leather armor or she won’t wear it, her favorite set is black with Kirkwall heraldry blazed in red.

Pinterest Board

Colors: Reds, blacks, gold.

Personality: If you value your life you will not come between Rose and her coffee. When she was younger she was brash and impulsive but is brave and good hearted. She wants nothing more than to help people, but her help is usually on her terms and what she thinks is best. Telling her what to do is met with skepticism and disgust at best. She favors sarcasm and has a quick wit. She has a laugh or smile for everything, both as being genuinely happy and as a cover for other emotions. Rose is not one to hold grudges but when she gets angry her mouth gets the better of her. She is a doting mother, if slightly overprotective. She carries a lot of guilt over the people she could not save, or the things she failed to do in her life. She is a quick study with languages, she speaks Orlesian and Tevene fluently and is passable in Qunlat. She understands a smattering of the Alamarri dialects and some Ancient Tevene. She has no patience for tradition or the Chantry or anyone that sings its praises.  

Combat/Powers: Rose is a dual dagger thief who is also a mage. She favors fire and ice, but is not above using blood magic. Where stealth won’t succeed, set them on fire.

Hobbies: Rose deals in rare books for the fun of it, and so she can read them at wholesale prices. She loves card and drinking games. She enjoys singing and learning new songs. Her work for Red Jenny is both for fun and profit. 

Family: She is the last surviving member of the Hawke and Amell families. Rose and Varric adopt several children. Anora when they are with the Inquisition, Duncan, Violet, and Mirra are vaguely from Kirkwall, while Annabeth is from Denerim. Isabela, Merrill, Fenris, and Orana are the family members that round out the Tethras Hawkes clan.

Spirituality: The closest thing Rose has to a religion is the Avvar like beliefs passed to her by Malcolm. The only day she observes is the Longest Night.

The Longest Night: The night to honor the darkness, blood and ancestors, a time to seek hidden knowledge, celebrate the sky and its beauty. It is also the night to honor the Lady and make sacrifices in her honor. Blood can also be used to divine the future on this night. A vigil is held the entire night under the sky and there is an abstinence from food and drink. 

On Magic: Magic is blessing, to do marvelous things to help those in need. A friend to keep you warm when you are alone. It is the belief and promise That there will always be a light in the darkness and wings for those seeking them.

The Lady: Sacrifice and oaths to the Lady are made in blood. If it pleases her, they heal in the day with no scars. If they don't, then no magic will heal them either. That the Lady watches over her children. Every twinkle of the stars is her love to keep them going. That she helps when she can, but that she gives them the strength to take care of themselves. 

Rose on it: I do know that when I look at the stars, I feel at peace. Bigger and smaller, like the knowledge of the world is at my fingertips and like I know nothing at all.

Quotes:

“things i have: light fingers and a magpie heart your spoon in my drawer your shirt in my closet your blanket in my bed my greatest heist: your hand in mine”

“No one remembers the singer. The song remains.” — Terry Pratchett, The Last Hero

[itsomgitsgreenblogging]

Break My Heart: Chapter 11 (A Solangelo Fanfiction)

It’s here, finally! I hope you are all ready, because I know I am! Just a reminder, this fic is only very slightly canon divergent (Will having visions of the future, and I take a few liberties with some of the time line). Just a head’s up as a reminder for that. 

Read on Tumblr: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10

Read on AO3

Preview:

“Really Nico? You can’t kill Leo!”

“Can I disembowl him?”

“No.”

“Skin him?”

“No.”

“Tear out his still beating heart and sacrifice it on the altar of my father? Use his blood as finger paint?”

“No Nico, though I give you an A for creativity.”

“This is why I hate this place,” Nico snapped. “All of you are so sensitive about perfectly reasonable things like manslaughter.”

The infirmary that day was empty, and the emptiness was eating at Will until it was nearly impossible for him to function. If he had something to do, then the silence would have been bearable. Will often found that keeping one’s hands busy was the secret to keeping the mind off of unpleasantness. But Will, as always, had terrible luck. So therefore, he was bored and dwelling on things that were probably left alone. Will spun in his chair, playing with the beads on his necklace nervously as he turned. Kayla looked at him from the desk, unimpressed with his fidgeting as Austin tapped out the bass line of Feel Good Inc with pens on a nearby chair while he listened to music on his ipod. Finally Will put his feet down, literally, stopping himself mid-swing. Both his brother and sister stared at him as Will placed his hands on his knees and offered up a sigh of defeat.

“Nico’s totally avoiding me isn’t he?”

“Took him long enough to admit it,” Austin noted as he popped a headphone from his ear. Kayla just primly rested her head on her hands and seemingly waited for Will to continue. Will groaned and leaned back.

“I thought I was just imagining things!” Will complained as he squinted up at the ceiling. “I don’t even know what I did. I thought our date went really well, he even agreed to go on another one! Gods, I must have done something. Maybe I was too hasty. What if I just was being an idiot and assuming things? Oh Gods what if he thinks I’m doing some weird peer pressure thing to him—?”

“Alright, slow down,” Kayla said as she held out her hands. “How about we don’t go into Apollo Panic Mode and try to think.”    

“Don’t tell me not to go into Apollo Panic Mode! You were just in Apollo Panic Mode when you thought Holly and Laurel shot better than you at archery!”

“Okay that is neither here nor there, let’s deal with your problems before you drive everyone crazy!”

Will had the urge to whine. To say he didn’t want to, to throw a hissy fit and then bury himself under some covers and avoid the world. Maybe binge on chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream with Lou and Cecil, maybe watch some bad TV dramas with Nyssa and Billie, maybe he could cry on Miranda’s shoulder, throw rocks into the lake with Clarisse, rant to Butch or Pollux, hide in Hypnos Cabin and just nap his days away, cry into the phone to his mom or his grandpa. There really were innumerable options in front of him. Honestly, he was a lucky guy. He had family. He had so many wonderful friends at camp. This bud, this fledgling relationship with Nico hadn’t even made it to autumn so it had to be doomed. What would be the point of trying to continue on with it?

               But Will also wanted to kiss Nico. At least once.

               “I don’t really know what happened. Everything seemed fine at the campfire. But after that…I don’t know, he’s just been distant. Like, he used to follow us along to our activities and he’s not doing that anymore. Maybe I just was going too fast for him, maybe I was just too overeager,” Will admitted softly, flicking a paperclip.

               “Well, maybe the best thing is to give Nico space,” Kayla offered sympathetically. “I mean, it’s not like he’s out to the whole camp. Maybe he’s just processing.”

               “Yeah,” Will said, attempting to brush aside the disappointment. He supposed that rushing forward foolheartedly probably wasn’t the best idea sometimes.

               “Doesn’t your counselor meeting start in a little bit?” Austin asked him, and Will mustered up his best smile.

               “Yeah, I should head over. Hold down the fort for me alright?” Will asked his siblings who both nodded. Will tried to ignore their all-too-understanding looks as he left.

               Ever since the influx of cabins and campers that had occurred post-Titan War, they had moved head counselor meetings from the Big House to the Pavilion. Will was sure when most of the campers left camp the next week and fall really descended on Long Island, they would move back. But for now, the audience of counselors ranged from longtime campers such as himself, Jake Mason, and Pollux, to newcomers like the Victor siblings, recently claimed Paolo, and newly elected Butch and Piper. It certainly made for an interesting hodge-podge. Noticeably Nico was absent. Percy and Jason, who both occupied cabins of only themselves sat together playing paper football while Piper observed and added commentary to the ongoing battle.

               “Where’s Nico at?” Katie asked in their direction as Clarisse unslung Clovis from her shoulder and placed him on the table where he snoozed contentedly in his sleeping bag.  

               “He got a Iris message from Camp Jupiter. Something about the assembly I think Hazel wanted his opinion on,” Percy said with a shrug before seeing Annabeth approach with her arms full of blueprints he got up to help her. Though Annabeth made a show of looking irritated, she allowed Percy to hold some of her things. Will tried to ignore the mix of relief and disappointment he felt.

               The rest of the counselor meeting, as usual devolved rather quickly. Annabeth was presenting to the counselors the different plans she had worked up in order to provide new cabins for the newly claimed campers. Hermes Cabin on the whole was fully throwing their support behind any measure that would get kids out of their already overcrowded cabin as fast as possible. While cabins like Demeter cabin (who were also speaking for the dryads) were against clearing any more forest than necessary, and Hephaestus argued about the onus of construction work that would be placed on them. The different types of arraignments were also a point of contention. Hypnos Cabin, a new cabin that was boasting already three campers with more likely to come from other countries argued the necessity of space (with a rather impassioned Clovis who only fell asleep once), while Paolo, Chiara, and Damien who were all by themselves seemed to be fine with the tree houses or tiny houses plan.

               By the end of the meeting, no compromise had been met. But at least the plans were out. Each Cabin was ordered to take a poll of their occupants and choose the plan that they all liked the most before they would reconvene. After the meeting, Will stayed with Annabeth to help her clean up while the others all went to make sure their younger siblings hadn’t caused any damage.      

                “Will, I don’t understand how you expect the additions to make sense if we allot more space then this,” Annabeth said as she pointed out to the plans for the tiny cabins. 

“And I’m just saying, we don’t know how many children these minor gods have. I feel that it would be premature to commit to a tiny house design without considering that,” Will told Annabeth with a sigh. “Everyone deserves a little space for themselves. I mean, we barely go a week without the Victor sisters almost setting their cabin on fire as it is.” 

Annabeth looked at Will, grey eyes glinting. Her gaze was serious, as always, and Will met it. He liked Annabeth a lot, but sometimes found her to be a little on the intense side. A little too all or nothing. But her penchant for ass-kicking was something that Will admired, even if it was his butt she wanted to kick. She sighed, seemingly content for the moment and leaned back. She massaged her temples and Will found himself moving close and offering his hands. Annabeth gave him a weak, grateful smile before sliding a chair close to him. 

Just pressing his fingers against Annabeth’s temples gave Will the sensation of a tightening cord ready to snap. The start of a tension headache. Will pulled off her hair tie which was doing her head no favors and placing it on his wrist before slowly focusing on pressing the pads of his fingers against the back of her neck and pulling up to her head. He spent time to gently add pressure and release, and become acquainted with Annabeth’s muscle movements. Then, once that was all established, he began rubbing little circles from the base of her skull to her ear, applying pressure on the scalp, and massaging temples and forehead, his power welling up and soothing. 

“You have the most convenient power,” Annabeth muttered as her head fell foreword to allow Will to rub her neck and massage the back of her head.

“As convenient as a certain wisecracking aqua boy we know?” Will asked amused as he worked out a specific knot. Annabeth, like most children of Athena, kept all their stress in the head and neck. Considering their mother’s history with headaches, it wasn’t all too surprising. “I think not.” 

“I don’t think you have much interest in the ocean, how useful would you find Percy’s powers?” Annabeth asked with a raised brow.

“True, true. But does the interest occur as a correlation or causation when the power is present?” Will offered. Annabeth was seemingly struck by this line of thought, tapping her foot as her eyes glinted. 

“It’s never occurred to me,” Annabeth muttered under her breath. “It’s fascinating to think about, really. The implications I mean.”

“I’m not sure the others would think of a lack of free will in the same regards,” Will chuckled. 

“I’ll have to run this by Malcolm. He’s always thrilled to have a sound board on philosophy. I don’t tend to have much of a sustained interest in the subject,” Annabeth said as she stretched, and Will handed back her hair tie.  

“Well, I try not to think about things like that too much,” Will admitted as Annabeth stood up and cracked her neck. “In our lives, big questions don’t often beget rewards.”

“Isn’t that the truth?” Annabeth said as she looked out towards the camp finishing tying up her hair. Will watched as her curls bounced, rather cutely Will had to admit. “I sometimes wonder how much our parents have to do with our natures.”

Will didn’t have much to say about that. Will had never even met Apollo before, only seen him flash by in his chariot during the Battle of Manhattan. He had received a letter from him once, a few birthday cards, had gotten claimed by him. All of these were more than some demigods ever received, but he still had no real clue of what his father was like. He had heard the stories from Percy and Thalia about his father’s bombastic and dramatic nature. Had spoken to Rachel briefly about her relationship with Apollo as the god of prophecy, though since the last war Apollo had gone silent. A punishment by Zeus still probably in the works. At times Will wondered if he should be worried for Apollo. Well, certainly he was worried since Apollo was the sun god and the world couldn’t survive without the sun. But Will found he really couldn’t worry about Apollo as his actual father, because Apollo wasn’t in his life. He was just a flash across the distant sky.

Will wondered how much of him was like Apollo. Will knew he shared a smile with all of his siblings, habits, tastes. Will really doubted Apollo ever concerned himself with Will Solace and his siblings, but he had never been able to say that to any of them. After all, when Lee and Michael had died, not once did Apollo make himself known. Did Will have that ugly selfish side of him somewhere deep down? Will hoped not. He really did.

“I hope they don’t have much,” Will finally concluded, seemingly surprising Annabeth in his answer. “I don’t think I could bear it.”

“I know what you mean,” Annabeth admitted before finishing placing her blueprints in her box. “Tell me something, what’s going on between you and Nico.”

“Uh, what do you mean?” Will asked, taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation to another topic that Will didn’t really want to think about at that moment.

“Listen, me and Nico have had our own issues, but we’re good now. He’s been doing really well since he began tagging along with you and your cabin. But Percy mentioned to me that Nico’s been kinda down lately…and that has to be more so than usual mind you if even Percy’s picked up on it. So I was just wondering if you and Nico had gotten into a fight.”

“We didn’t get into a fight,” Will said as he nudged a leaf with his sandal before sighing. “I asked him out on a date.”

“Oh. Oh,” Annabeth said, obviously taken aback. “You asked Nico on a date? I mean—you know—”

“Yeah. I uh…I like Nico. A lot,” Will told her as he watched the leaf be dragged across the dirt by a breeze. “We went on one date, and I asked him on another. He’s been acting weird since then.”

“Okay, this…this all makes sense to me,” Annabeth told him as she shifted her weight between her feet obviously deep in thought. Will swore he could see the gears clicking and moving in her head, as she catalogued everything she knew into different places. “I do have to say, I didn’t think that after Percy he would go with a guy like you. Even though he swore up and down that Percy wasn’t his type, I kind of expected him to go with a guy more like Percy. Maybe a Hermes Cabin kid or an Ares Cabin kid.”

“I know,” Will said with a chuckle as he picked up Annabeth’s box. “I told him something similar.”

“If it means anything to you, I think you are good for Nico,” Annabeth said as gave him a look and Will handed her box to her. “I think you and Nico are pretty similar in some ways. It makes sense that you guys would get along.”

“You think so?” Will asked Annabeth curiously, and she just shrugged.

“I don’t really buy the whole opposites attract thing. People are always saying that about me and Percy, but me and Percy are a lot alike. Like, I don’t think I could date a guy who is okay just sitting around doing nothing. Percy may put up the front, but he’s always ready to go all in with me no matter what. And I’m always willing to do the same for him. I think that’s important, and that’s just one example. You and Nico are both serious when it comes to your responsibilities. And if anyone has seen either of you interacting with your siblings, you would know you guys were on the same wavelength,” Annabeth explained. “But of course, Nico’s a different person than you so you would need to take that into consideration.”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you told Nico that you like him?”

Will stopped midstep.

“Told…Nico?” Will repeated, dumbfounded.

“Nico’s dense, Will. But more than that, he psyches himself out constantly. Nico’s probably thinking all sorts of worst case scenario stuff right now. You need to set the record straight, tell him that you like him.”

“Oh my gods you are so right. I haven’t been following my own advice,” Will said in shock before tossing Annabeth a smile. “Though there is nothing straight about this situation.”

“Holy Hera, really Will? Really?” Annabeth asked with her patent Chase glare.

“You really can’t blame me, you totally walked yourself into that one,” Will said with a wink.

“Stop flirting with me and go talk to Nico. You have to.”

               “I do. I have to go tell him,” Will realized, his heart racing so fast in his chest that he could hear it in his ears. “I have to tell Nico that I like him.”

               “I agree—”

               It was at that moment that an ear-piercing scream came from the center of the camp. Annabeth dropped the box, and Will and her raced to the center of camp. Nyssa was comforting a nearly hysterical Harley on the ground as Nico held up a scroll that had seemingly floated in on the breeze. A holographic Leo Valdez, riding on Festus’ back with a brunette beauty by his side like the cover of a terrible romance novel for moms had appeared at the center of campus. The image spluttered and faded with static but by the time Will and Annabeth were within hearing distance Will caught,

               “Love ya guys! Adios amigos, oh! And get ready for a taco party when I return!”

               And with that the imagine cut out, leaving a stunned silence in its wake. Nico pulled his hand down which had been shaking and nearly crushing the parchment in his hand but Will clearly saw that Nico was shaking—no, seething, no erupting with rage. His usually colorless eyes were terrifying black pits, his teeth were gritted, and he was steaming up the late summer air with puffs of cold.

               “I am going to murder Leo Valdez,” Nico announced his murderous intent before the various witnesses. Some of them nodded obviously very understanding of the sentiment, others like Percy and Jason face-palmed as the chaos continued to erupt.

               “Uh…maybe I’ll tell him later. When he’s feeling less…homicidal,” Will told Annabeth as he swallowed.

               “Probably a good idea,” Annabeth noted before jogging off to inform her cabin of what had just gone down.

“Why is he so angry?” asked Sherman and when he received the weird looks he shrugged. “Just because I’m a child of Ares it doesn’t mean I’m always angry without a reason. For example I’m always mad at Ellis because he’s a dumbass all the time.” 

“Shut the fuck up,” Ellis grumbled, casting Cecil a look as Cecil cackled under his breath. Lou Ellen jabbed him in the ribs 

“I think that’s why,” Lou Ellen pointed out. 

Harley was still crying against Nyssa’s shoulder softly. Nyssa and Jake Mason sat red eyed and shocked. Nico was pacing beyond as Percy attempted to reason with him quietly. It all felt rather like some kind of late season twist like you would find in a show DeGrassi or Glee or any other trashy high school drama. But Will had to hand it to Leo, he definitely knew how to announce his comeback.  

“Nico, I know you would probably feel much better if you went all stabby mcStabberson on Leo with your scary stabby sword, but has it occurred to you that it would just kill Leo again?” Percy asked him, half-understanding, half on the verge of nervous laughter. 

“Oh but I do. I do want to kill Leo and make sure he stays dead this time,” Nico said with glee before bearing his teeth. “He. Made. My. Sister. Cry. I can’t let him keep breathing. I have my honor to uphold, so I need to utterly destroy him.” 

“Really Nico? You can’t kill Leo!” 

“Can I disembowl him?” 

“No.”

“Skin him?”

“No.” 

“Tear out his still beating heart and sacrifice it on the altar of my father? Use his blood as finger paint?”

“No Nico, though I give you an A for creativity.” 

“This is why I hate this place,” Nico snapped. “All of you are so sensitive about perfectly reasonable things like manslaughter.”

“Stop being a murderous whiny baby!” Percy told him. 

“Why don’t you make me you—“

The Grecian swear Nico used was so foul that Nyssa yelped and clapped her hands over Harley’s ears. Will lunged forward and grabbed Nico’s shoulder and physically got between both Percy and Nico before they could do something stupid like bring the whole camp down around their ears with their collective power. Sherman and Ellis looked rather disappointed, but Lou Ellen and Cecil held them back from joining the fray.

“Okay that’s enough!” Will demanded. “Nico you come with me. Right now—don’t even think about arguing with me so don’t open your mouth a single centimeter. If you do I swear you’ll be speaking in limericks for the next month Apollo protect me! Percy, go cool down in the lake!” 

“Where are we even going?!” Nico demanded as Will grabbed his arm and trudged with him through camp. Will didn’t dare look back, or else he would definitely lose his nerve. No matter how brave he wanted to feel, the cold emanating from Nico like an air-conditioner on full blast was very intimidating. Finally they got to the nearly deserted training grounds. Will pushed Nico in front of a training dummy and handed him a sword from the rack.

“There. You want to stab, stab the dummy. Get out your anger,” Will ordered as he pointed to the dummy, hoping Nico wouldn’t decide that he was a better dummy to stab. Nico stared at Will incredulously before turning to the training dummy. The first few thwacks were half-hearted, but Nico’s hits soon took on a savage angry edge. Every hit Will could imagine bone breaking or puncturing muscle or tearing of skin. Eventually Nico had to slow down, breathing heavily and still glaring forward while not giving Will any sign of his weakness as he went through positions seamlessly, but he was no longer 10 below.

“This is stupid,” Nico spat towards the very beaten practice dummy.  

“I don’t understand why you are so angry, but you are and here we are,” Will said as he sat on a log.

“You don’t understand,” Nico growled, whirling on Will. “Leo is out there trapezing around and you don’t understand?”

“He’s alive! You should be happy. You even said that he would be coming back,” Will said as he threw his hands in the air. “Honestly, Nico. What is going on with you?”

“Happy? Happy that…that idiot died, leaving only pain for those who loved him and thought he was dead, only to send some sort of half-baked message like that?” Nico demanded of Will. “What about my sister—my sister who agonized over Leo? Why didn’t he rush back for her? Or his siblings? Or anyone else?”

“He obviously went back for that girl.”

“Ha. He went back for Calypso. How fitting. The two of them ducking their fates and riding off into the sunset,” Nico said as he stabbed at the ground angrily as if imagining their faces there.

“So that’s it? You’re mad because of that? You aren’t mad because he hurt your feelings?” Will asked him calmly, brushing aside the fact that Nico was saying that somehow Leo had gotten Calypso, the famed nymph, to fall in love with him. Now that was a story Will wanted to hear at some point, if Nico didn’t kill him first.

“I don’t have any feelings,” Nico snarked as he threw the sword he was holding back in the pile.

“Nico—”

“Gods, why can’t anyone just stay. For the sake of the gods, why does everyone just have to go and—“ Nico muttered under his breath before grinding his teeth. “But obviously I’m just crazy, right? Everyone just loves me. No one was ever uncomfortable with me and wanted me to leave, right? Everything is just peachy keen. It’s just all in Nico di Angelo’s head, he’s just some wacky child of Hades, he’s just crazy. He’s not allowed to be hurt, or angry, or anything because he’ll just blow everything for everyone with his uncontrollable powers.”

“Nico, is this about the battle? What I said to you?” Will asked, totally floored at the sudden change. There was a growing pit in his stomach, as flashes of childbirth, Half-Blood Hill torn by the battle, and a pale and ghostly Nico di Angelo came back to him. “When I was telling you to stay?”

“Just forget it—”

“No, I won’t,” Will said firmly. He swallowed, trying to work past the suddenly lump in his throat. Will was ashamed and he could barely breathe. “I…I’ve never meant to tell you that how you felt wasn’t valid. How you feel is important to me. Really, it is. I’m…I’m so sorry that the way I said things made you feel otherwise. Oh Gods, I’m a total asshole. You must think I’m an absolute asshole.”

“Wait, what’s happening—are you crying?” Nico demanded, sounding horrified.

“No,” Will lied, equally embarrassed as he rubbed his face. Will was just as horrified at his sudden show of emotion as Nico was, his face was hot and his tears were warm and he wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there forever. “Yes.”

“Oooh my gods, di immortales, please, please stop crying,” Nico begged Will. “Oh gods I hate it when you cry. Please stop crying. This is my fault, it has to be my fault.”

“No, it’s my fault! It’s all my fault because I’m an idiot,” Will said impassioned at his utter stupidity. Suddenly everything was so clear to him. Nico wouldn’t break up with him because of anything that Nico found wrong with Will. It would be because Will was too caught up in himself and what he was feeling to be good for him. “I haven’t considered your feelings, not really, this whole time and I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

“I…I forgive you,” Nico said slowly, but with feeling. “I do.”

“Is this why you’ve been avoiding me?” Will asked him softly.

“I…no…kind of…it’s complicated,” Nico said as his hands hung by his sides limply. “I just…I had a lot of fun on our date, Will. But I…there’s probably other people that you would rather go on dates with and…you are so nice to me. I just don’t want to feel like I’m being a burden on you.”

“Nico?”

“Yeah?”

“You aren’t a burden on me. I didn’t go on that date with you because I’m nice. I went on that date with you and I want to keep going on dates with you because I like you.”

Will woke up feeling chilled, sighing heavily. He didn’t want to get up yet, as his blankets and quilts were so utterly and deliciously warm, but finally Will forced himself out from the bed. The air was chilled, and Will enjoyed the scent of autumn was on the wind as he walked to the infirmary. It wasn’t like there was anyone in the infirmary, but there was a Keurig, and with a Keurig there was coffee.

He sat at the stoop of the Big House, sipping his coffee and watching the sky turn pearly, the edges just beginning the lighten in dawn. The sun was calling to him, and he waited patiently for it to rise as his coffee wafted and steamed in the air.

“Good morning Will,” Chiron said, hooves clopping as he stood beside him.

“Good morning,” Will greeted the teacher. “It’s a beautiful sunrise isn’t it?”

“That it is,” Chiron hummed, taking a sip of his own coffee as he rubbed his beard thoughtfully. “It has been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a sunrise, but I find no better company than the one I share with right now for it.”

“Now you’re just buttering me up for something,” Will said with an attempt at teasing, but his heart wasn’t really in it. He let his smile fall from his face, and continued to gaze ahead thoughtfully as the sky began to turn orange, brushstrokes of red deepening against the darkness and brightening with a shock of color. From there one could see the horizon stark against the sea, opening up the world to a bright new day. Will was so absorbed in his thoughts that he barely caught what Chiron was saying to him.

“Will, I believe I heard something about you and Nico,” Chiron said, and Will frowned as he wished he hadn’t heard Chiron at all.

“Oh,” Will said slowly, resisting his urge to blow bubbles in his coffee, however Will couldn’t bring himself to be rude to Chiron or duck the question. Chiron, who had let Will stay, who had taught Will how to suture a wound and perform an appendectomy and who seemingly knew Will better than he knew himself was someone he couldn’t lie to that easily. “Uh…yeah, that’s not happening. I kind of messed everything up, as usual.”

“As usual? I was under the impression that you only truly attempted to romance one girl previous,” Chiron said with an arched brow.

“Uh…Chiron, please, if we could avoid any blows to my ego I would be real grateful,” Will drawled slowly.  

“I didn’t mean to—” Chiron cut himself off and seemingly reformulated whatever he wanted to say, his hind quarters shifted and plodded nervously on the ground. “I do not have extensive experience with romantic issues. Granted, the only romance that I’ve been involved with is the romance of other demigods with each other, and even then I preferred to stay out of it. Forgive me for my lack of tact.”

“You are forgiven,” Will promised Chiron immediately, not having it in his heart to hold that against Chiron. “I guess I just don’t really know what to do. I made my feelings as clear as possible, but Nico just kind of…well, he freaked out and ran off. Maybe I was just too forward, but what else could I have done? I wanted him to know how I feel, but I’m sorry if I sprung it on him. Though, I don’t think he’ll appreciate my apology after my sudden declaration of love.”

“Love? I see, love.”

“Yeah.”  

“I have to admit,” Chiron said as he obviously hid a smile, “that part of you is from your father. No one has more of a penchant for sudden declarations of love than he does.”

“Oh, great, and those seem to always go so well for him,” Will grumbled under his breath. “Well, thankfully my track record isn’t that bad. No one’s turned into a plant yet.”

“Well, this is also true,” Chiron chuckled before placing a hand on Will’s shoulder. “But as I was saying before, if I may give you some advice Will? In manners of the heart, it is valid to plunge forward recklessly. Some people can’t do that, and must take a moment to stop and think. Give Nico time to think.”

“You think he might come around? Or at least forgive me?” Will asked, recalling Nico retreating back to his cabin after his declaration without a single word, just a pale white ghost. As far as Will knew, he hadn’t once emerged from the cabin the whole rest of the day or night, and as far as anyone could tell he may or may not have even been at Camp Half-Blood anymore.

“I can’t say. But I’ll have you know, I’ve given this advice to your brothers before.”

“Great, which ones?” Will asked as he watched the waves crash against the shore from the distance, the waves of long grass being tussled gently.

“Michael and Lee, at different times of course,” Chiron said, the look on his face fond and gentle. Will had meant his comment as a joke, but suddenly he felt that lump return to his throat. Michael and Lee were hardly ever talked about by anyone, except to talk about how they died. Will had almost forgotten that they had lived outside the sacred place in his heart he had built for them. “Wait for Nico’s response patiently, Will. Wait for him, and listen to him well when the time comes. And when it does, you will choose how it plays out for you. But know that I am rooting for you, Will Solace.”

Will smiled the best he could before he finished sipping his coffee and promised that he would talk to Chiron later. He returned the mug to the proper sink before deciding that the best thing he could do would be to head back to his cabin. He could wake up his siblings, get going on the day—

“Will.”

Will yelped, tripped on a tree root and promptly wiped out. He groaned as he managed to pull himself up, before looking back to see Nico staring at him half-emerged from the shadows. He was pale except for the shadows that ridged around his eyes, he looked generally grungy like he had been for a long and sweaty hike in the woods, his clothing was disheveled and slightly torn.

“Oh my gods, you look terrible,” Will blurted out.

“Oh, wow, thanks,” Nico said with a grimace that pulled hard as his lips.

“What happened?” Will said, seeing blood dripping down his arm.

“I…uh…went for a run.”

“A run?” Will asked with a raised eyebrow. “And you got this beat up during a run?”

“I also might have run into a flock of Stymphalian birds on this run,” Nico explained. Will just sighed, put his head in his hands for a moment as he attempted to collect himself before pulling up to his feet.

“Well, come on then. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

Nico was quiet as he let Will lead them back to the infirmary. Nico took a shower in the bathroom while Will collected the supplies he would need for the first aid. None of Nico’s various scrapes, bruises, or cuts would need healing magic, but they did need disinfectant and gauze. Will worked robotically as he tended to Nico’s wounds. When he offered the unicorn draught, Nico didn’t complain, but when Will began lining up other products and ordered Nico to wash his face Nico was hesitant.

               “Stop grumbling and rinse,” Will ordered, and Nico splashed his face free of the suds.

“I don’t understand why we’re doing this,” Nico grumbled as Will pulled back the headband to keep his hair from getting any wetter before drying his skin and then patting on the toner.

“Because a good skin care routine is important and will keep you from looking like death warmed over,” Will told Nico a matter-of factly as he grabbed the eye cream. “Close your eyes.”

“It’s cold,” Nico commented suspiciously, though he allowed Will to continue without biting his fingers off. “What does this have to do with healing?”

“In the humble words of a wise person, treat yo’self.”

“But isn’t ten steps excessive?”

“Okay, unless one is a certain gorgeous child of Aphrodite, bless her heart, one does not have perfect skin. We work for perfect skin. It’s a necessity.”

“You are just a vain child of Apollo. Normal people do not care about their skin this much.”

“Ha, please. Don’t make me laugh,” Will commented as he finished putting on the moisturizer. “There, you look like a human again.”

“I’m not a human though, neither are you,” Nico commented wryly as he pulled on his shirt.

“Then we are just both vaguely human shaped and we have a charade to uphold,” Will told him as he put away his things into their various shelves.

“You know, I didn’t really know what to expect when you told me to come here,” Nico said as he swung his legs, not unlike a child would. “I didn’t really know what to think about you either. You weren’t scared of me, you were easy to talk to. You were funny, but you took what I had to say seriously. When I found out I might have a chance, you know, when you were joking with Antonio that one time, and when I saw Nyssa and Billie together, I freaked because I was so surprised and happy. It’s stupid, but most of the people I like end up hating me so I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t worth it giving it a shot. Percy told me that sometimes you just got to dive in, but I can’t really do that. Whenever I do that someone always gets hurt. Eventually…I don’t know how or when, I’ll hurt you. I’ll be selfish and I’ll hurt you. But…but for some reason I felt like you might be able to handle it but then I suddenly got so terrified that I…so I…godsdamnit I’m not making any sense am I?”

Nico was glaring at the floor ferociously, as if the floor had just insult him, his father, his sister, and his dog. Will sat next to him on the bed, at the creak of the springs Nico looked up.

“I like you, Nico,” Will said, because that was all he could say. He looked towards Nico, hoping that a fraction of what he was feeling was being conveyed to him somehow. His words weren’t enough, but maybe the rest of it could be.

“You said that before,” Nico said with a glare and narrowed eyes.

“But I do,” Will argued. “I really, really like you.”

“Did you not hear anything I just said,” Nico demanded with a huff.

“I did. And I know, Nico. I already know that you’ll probably hurt me and I might hurt you, but I still like you,” Will promised Nico firmly. “Trust me, I know it better than anyone. I’ve been agonizing over that for a while now, but I’m ready for whatever happens, because I like you. Do you like me?”

“I…I do,” Nico answered.

“Then do you want to go out with me?” Will asked him curiously.  

“If you go out with me, I’m going to need a little bit of time…before we tell everyone. Just so I can get used to it,” Nico warned him.

“I can wait,” Will promised, grasping Nico’s hand. Nico squeezed his hand in return.

[assassinnovice]

Prologue

                                                      Prologue

You have been told that about the bloodline of the Daughters of Eden. How they fought to protect.

Nora, The first daughter of Eden, Assassin of the Third Crusades, killing all Nine Templars and her own Grandmother, become Altair's second in command, then later married Mailk and died of old age.

Nymphilna, The Assassin of the Renaissance age, the adopted daughter of Ezio Auditore, she fought to cleanse Italy of the taint of the Borgia family and understanding a little of Those that came before and of herself and her heritage, she meet and married her first love, Antonio Antouras, she retired of her Assassin life and died along with her husband.

Juliet, An Assassin of America left by her parents of an old Assassin, trained from childhood and became a warrior, only because that was the only thing she knew, but a native came into her life and changed everything. They both fought together to save the land from the British and New England, giving birth to a land called America, she married the native and live out her life on the land she fought and bled for.

Nifria Andrews, Pirate and Assassin of the Seven seas, broken from the betrayal of her beloved and mother, became a pirate to strike back, giving way for women’s strength, drowning herself in sex, alcohol, and killing, but Dante Valentine came and healed her of her wounds and help her find her closure, she left her pirate life and retired to England with Dante.

Bernetta, Colonial Assassin betrayed by the Creed she swore to serve, but her Assassin brother that was now a Templar stayed true and honest to her, never betraying her and they sought to protect the world from the Assassins that unknowingly seek to tear contains apart, hunted down and killed their Assassin brother and sisters and stopped the last of the Assassins from making a grave mistake. She then left the colony with her beloved, Marco and returned to her homeland in France, starting a family and life from the war of the Templars and Assassins, but she was hunted down by an Assassin and both her and her husband were murdered.

Elizabeth, Assassin of France. Trained to be a killer, a weapon of the brotherhood. Emotionless, but her adoptive Templar father and sister, raised her to just be a proud woman, but another force took him away from her, pulling her back into her Assassin life, that dragged her best friend Arno Dorian in as well, they fought for the Assassins. Killing for them, Arno treated her like his friend, giving her a reason to live, but her reason was tearing for the deaths of her brothers in arms. Then exiled her refusing to obey the brotherhood, then torn for the loss of her Templar sister. She vanished from the city and was lost, then Arno came back into her life. They found the will and love to fight for their home once more, but Elizabeth never returned to the Assassins, she life as a shadow. Then retired with her husband and raised their child, dying a peaceful death.

Alexandria, Assassin of London. A living exile of the Creed and formed her own creed in London, took on two appearances and they fought back against the Templar that tries in taking control, but the Frye twins entered her life and turned everything around for her and she fell for Jacob Frye and help them take the city back from the Grand Master and stops him from having a peace of Eden. She continued her life as an Assassin, keeping her home safe. Even married Jacob Frye, giving him twins of his own, but in her 40s, she was wounded and cared for by Jack the Ripper that loved her like a son would love his mother. After his death, she retired and lived her last remaining years, by her husband’s side.

Annabeth, The Modern Assassin, trained since she was a child, her cousin, Desmond Miles ran away when he was 17 and was never heard from since. Betrayed, Andy continues with her training, become the best and most dangerous Daughter of Eden to ever live. She searched for her cousin and fought him in Abstergo’s hands. She fought her way in and took her cousin back and stayed by his side, trying to stop the end of days, trying to save humankind from extinction, they found a way, but it came at a price, Desmond sacrifice himself to save the planet, but Andy was heartbroken from this and cut herself from the Assassin, finding her own way to bring him back, but an ex-Templar named Danial stops her and heals her of her pain and wounds, helping her stops Juno from returning to the world and finish what her ancestors started.

But how did the Daughters of Eden become to be in this world? How were they apart of the Assassins? Who was there at the beginning of the war? Well, we have to go back. Back to where it all began, who started to white hooded killers, the Birth of the creed and who was the Mother of Eden.

~8~8~8~

Siwa Oasis, 45 BCE

Bayek, Aya, and Ahmose were protoling on the edge of Siwa, they watch as the animals were hurrying along the fields, Ahmose smirks as he places his bow away and looks at the sky, “It’s a wonderful day today, perfect for a hunt.” he informs the two. They both smile at him and continued, “Have you found a wife yet, Ahmose?” Bayek asks him, he scoffs and looks away from him, “I have no interest in taking a wife, just yet.” he answers and Aya chuckles. “You might have a change of heart,” she tells him and Ahmose chuckles to himself. “Maybe I will and I won’t, but as of now. I will not,” he tells them and Aya sighs a little at him, but then they felt the ground shaking, they stop and look at their feet. “What is happening.” Bayek questions, then Ahmose looks ahead of them, “Move. Move!” he shouts and they saw a herd was heading towards them, they dived out of the way as the herd ran past them. Then once the herd was gone, they pull themselves back onto their feet and Senu flew over them. “Senu, find out where they came from.” Bayek calls out and Senu flew off, the three lookouts any more surprises, “What causes them to run?” Aya asks and Ahmose looks around with his bow out and ready. “Something must of frighten them.” he states as Senu then came back, “Senu.” Bayek calls out and she hovers over them, “Show the way.” he calls out and she did so and the three followed her. “The animals must of sense something powerful, I pray to Orsis that whatever this is, that we can stop it from causing any harm on Siwa.” Ahmose states, “Be not afraid, Ahmose. We will see what caused the animals such a fright.” Aya assures him, he nods at her and saw Senu hover over a field, they hurried and were in awe as they arrived, the once dead patch of grass, tree and dried pond was once again flourished with life. “What causes this?” Aya asks as she ran her hand along the grass, “It’s rich with life, so sudden as well.” Bayek agrees, Ahmose looks around the green grass and found a glowing body. “Bayek, Aya! Come look at this!” he calls out. They both look and hurried over to him. They stop and look down at him. He looks up at them then down at the body.

A young woman, dressed in white, with long black hair, dark skin like theirs and faded white markings. “Is she alive?” Aya asks as she kneels down next to her, “I do not know.” Bayek answers her. Bayek kneels down next to them and places his bow down, and places his hand over her mouth, “She breathes.” he informs them and they look down at her, then Bayek places his hand on the side of her face, brushing her golden bangs from her face, her markings glow under his hand, Ahmose gently held her in his arms as the woman then groans “She’s waking.” Aya mutters as she flutters her eyes open, her vision was blurry as she turns her head and looks up at them. “Are you well?” Bayek asks her, “Where did you come from? How did you come to be here?” he asks her, she just looks up at them, colored eyes, one right blue and one golden. “Help…” she whimpers to herself then past right out. “We must get her back to Siwa.” Aya tells him, “She is right.” Ahmose agrees with her. Bayek nods at her. “Come, let us hurry.” Bayek tells them, “Here, I will carry her.” Ahmose said and gently pulls her into his arms and they stood up and hurried to Siwa.

~8~8~8~

The woman tossed and turn in her sleep, remembering everything. Her power-hungry kind, the reaction of the Eden, the creation of the human race, giving two humans will and life of their own, her sister’s betrayal and the eternal darkness she was left in. the woman gasps an awake as an old woman took a hold of her shoulders “Easy, easy. it’s okay. You’re safe.” she tells her. The young woman looks around, seeing that she was now in a house. “Easy, easy.” the woman tells her, she pants and looks at her, “Where… where am I?” she asks her, “Siwa, you’re safe.” she assures her. The woman pants as she swung her legs over and forces herself to stand, “Careful, tifl, you are unwell.” the old woman tells her. “No, I cannot. I have to return. The war, I have to stop them.” the younger woman said as she grunts and struggles to stand up. “What war do you speak of, tifl?” the older woman asks her, the younger woman stood up and looks at her, “My people, the tyrants. They will destroy everything, I must stop them.” she tells her and started to walk. “Lay back down, tifl. You are not ready to move.” the woman tries to shoves her back on the bed. “Please, you must not stop me. I have to-” she states, but then Ahmose appears in front of her as he entered the house with food in his hands, “What are you doing up?” he questions the woman as he sets the food down and picks her.

The woman gasps and swung her fists at him, “Unhand me! I have to save the others! Put me down!” she shouts, Ahmose rolls his eyes at her, setting her back down the bed, took a hold of her wrist and pins her down, “Rabiah, go get Bayek and Aya.” he tells her, the old woman called Rabiah nods and took off. “Stop fighting me!” he tells the woman, she growls at him, “Never! I have to save the others! I will stop that traitor from taking over the world!” she shouts at him. This confuses him, giving the woman a chance to free one of her wrists and she shoves her hand into his face, but they both gasped as the markings on her skin glowed and she saw all of his memories, his birth, his parents, his training as a Medjay, the land he has explored, his home, Siwa and within Egypt, his friends and brothers and sisters in arm, right up to where they found her. The woman pulled her hand back, the glowing stops and they both looked at each other, tears well up in the woman’s eyes as she then pulls her hand up and covers them. “They’re gone. All of them, my friends, my home, culture. Everything I knew and love, gone. It’s all gone.” she weeps, Ahmose looks down out her, letting go of her other wrist, places his hand on her waist and pulls her to him, wrapping her in his arms and she weeps on his shoulders. “Shh, shh.” he shushes her.

Rabiah returns with Bayek and Aya and they saw that the woman was weeping on Ahmose shoulder, “Is she alright?” Bayek asks him, he looks at them and shrugs. “I am not sure. But she is in pain,” he answers them, Aya looks at Bayek and she walks over to the two and rubs the woman’s back. Her cries were reduced to sniffles and hiccups, then Ahmose pulls back and brushed her hair back, “Tell me, what year is it?” she asks them, “Year 45 BEC.” Aya answers her. The woman nods as she swung her legs over and sat on the bed, “I’ve been in darkness for that long?” she mutters then sniffles. Then Bayek walks over and knees down in front of her. “Tell us, what has happened to you?” he asks her, and she looks at him, “The last thing I remember was, there was a war, the ancients were fighting humans, I was fighting alongside the humans and I was stealing the Orb of Control, but someone I once called sister, that was helping me, she betrayed me and somehow locked me within the orb and I was locked away, lost in eternal darkness for a millennia. That’s all I remember.” she answers him. Bayek nods and looks at his friends. “I am not lying, I have no reason to lie to anyone of you.” she assures them and Ahmose nods at her, “We believe you,” she tells her and she exhales with relief. Then Rabiah walks to them and offers her the food. “Thank you,” she mutters and took the food.

Then Aya, Bayek, and Ahmose step away from the two, “Do you think she is a spy?” Aya asks them, Bayek shook his head, “No, she is very confused right now, but I do not think she is lying.” he answers her, “He’s right when she… I do not know how to explain it, but she got in my head, saw my memories and when she saw everything, the look in her eyes, they were full of horror, hurt and loss. I believe she is telling the truth about her past. She knows nothing about the world today.” he informs them, “Excuse me.” the woman calls out and they look at her, “Did I have these markings on me when you found me?” she asks showing them her arm, Bayek walks back and gently took her arm. “Yes. Were they not here before?” he asks her and she shook her head. “No, these must be the work of the Orb of Control, etched into my skin. Even my hair and eyes have changed too.” she states looking at her bangs, then Aya walks over and sat down next to her, “Do you remember your name?” she asks and the woman looks at her, “My name…” she mutters and looks away, “My name… my name… my name is… um, it’s…” she mutters, pressing her hand to her forehead head. “You can not remember your name?” Aya asks her, the woman looks at her and shook her head, “No… I cannot remember.” she answers, Aya bites her lip and a name pops into her head. “Salyian. You are Salyian,” she informs her, the woman looks at her in surprise. Aya just smiles at her, “You are now Salyian of Siwa and you are our friend now, we will teach you all about our home.” she promises her. This makes the woman smile as Bayek and Ahmose walk to them and they smile down at her. “Salyian, I’m Salyain,” she mutters and cries tears of joy.

~.~.~.~.~

Here it is, the story of the beginning, how the daughters of Eden came to be. the Mother of Eden. I’m going to have so much fun, but idea and suggestions are well to make this story fantastic. send me zhe ideas

[lesbianrewrites]

Blood of Olympus - Chapter 42

*disclaimer* This is a project done for fun, and none of these characters/works belong to me. I do not claim to own any of the material on this page. This is a Lesbian edit of The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. Chapters will be posted every day at 10am EST. Google doc version can be found here. The chapter can also be found under the cut. Enjoy!

PIPER’S DAD USED TO SAY that being in the airport didn’t count as visiting a city. Piper felt the same way about sewers.

From the port to the Acropolis, she didn’t see anything of Athens except dark, putrid tunnels. The snake men led them through an iron storm grate at the docks, straight into their underground lair, which smelled of rotting fish, mould and snakeskin.

The atmosphere made it hard to sing about summertime and cotton and easy living, but Piper kept it up. If she stopped for longer than a minute or two, Kekrops and his guards started hissing and looking angry.

‘I don’t like this place,’ Annabeth murmured. ‘Reminds me of when I was underneath Rome.’

Kekrops hissed with laughter. ‘Our domain is much older. Much, much older.’

Annabeth slipped her hand into Penny’s, which made Piper feel downhearted. She wished Jessica were with her. Heck, she’d even settle for Lorena … though maybe she wouldn’t have held her hand. Lorena’s hands tended to burst into flames when she was nervous.

Piper’s voice echoed through the tunnels. As they travelled further into the lair, more snake people gathered to hear her. Soon they had a procession following behind them – dozens of gemini all swaying and slithering.

Piper had lived up to her granddad’s prediction. She had learned the song of the snakes – which turned out to be a George Gershwin number from 1935. So far she had even kept the snake king from biting, just like in the old Cherokee story. The only problem with that legend: the warrior who learned the snake song had to sacrifice his wife for the power. Piper didn’t want to sacrifice anyone.

The vial of physician’s cure was still wrapped in its chamois cloth, tucked in her belt pouch. She hadn’t had time to consult with Jessica and Lorena before she left. She just had to hope they would all be reunited on the hilltop before anyone needed the cure. If one of them died and she couldn’t reach them …

Just keep singing, she told herself.

They passed through crude stone chambers littered with bones. They climbed slopes so steep and slippery it was nearly impossible to keep their footing. At one point, they passed a warm cave the size of a gymnasium filled with snake eggs, their tops covered with a layer of silver filaments like slimy Christmas tinsel.

More and more snake people joined their procession. Slithering behind her, they sounded like an army of football players shuffling with sandpaper on their cleats.

Piper wondered how many gemini lived down here. Hundreds, maybe thousands.

She thought she heard her own heartbeat echoing through the corridors, getting louder and louder the deeper they went. Then she realized the persistent boom ba-boom was all around them, resonating through the stone and the air.

I wake. A woman’s voice, as clear as Piper’s singing.

Annabeth froze. ‘Oh, that’s not good.’

‘It’s like Tartarus,’ Penny said, her voice edgy. ‘You remember … his heartbeat. When he appeared –’

‘Don’t,’ Annabeth said. ‘Just don’t.’

‘Sorry.’ In the light of his sword, Penny’s face was like a large firefly – a hovering, momentary smudge of brightness in the dark.

The voice of Gaia spoke again, louder: At last.

Piper’s singing wavered.

Fear washed over her, as it had in the Spartan temple. But the gods Phobos and Deimos were old friends to her now. She let the fear burn inside her like fuel, making her voice even stronger. She sang for the snake people, for her friends’ safety. Why not for Gaia, too?

Finally they reached the top of a steep slope, where the path ended in a curtain of green goo.

Kekrops faced the demigods. ‘Beyond this camouflage is the Acropolis. You must remain here. I will check that your way is clear.’

‘Wait.’ Piper turned to address the crowd of gemini. ‘There is only death above. You will be safer in the tunnels. Hurry back. Forget you saw us. Protect yourselves.’

The fear in her voice channelled perfectly with the charmspeak. The snake people, even the guards, turned and slithered into the darkness, leaving only the king.

‘Kekrops,’ Piper said, ‘you’re planning to betray us as soon as you step through that goo.’

‘Yes,’ he agreed. ‘I will alert the giants. They will destroy you.’ Then he hissed. ‘Why did I tell you that?’

‘Listen to the heartbeat of Gaia,’ Piper urged. ‘You can sense her rage, can’t you?’

Kekrops wavered. The end of his staff glowed dimly. ‘I can, yes. She is angry.’

‘She’ll destroy everything,’ Piper said. ‘She’ll reduce the Acropolis to a smoking crater. Athens – your city – will be utterly destroyed, your people along with it. You believe me, don’t you?’

‘I – I do.’

‘Whatever hatred you have for humans, for demigods, for Athena, we are the only chance to stop Gaia. So you will not betray us. For your own sake, and your people, you will scout the territory and make sure the way is clear. You will say nothing to the giants. Then you will return.’

‘That is … what I’ll do.’ Kekrops disappeared through the membrane of goo.

Annabeth shook her head in amazement. ‘Piper, that was incredible.’

‘We’ll see if it works.’ Piper sat down on the cool stone floor. She figured she might as well rest while she could.

The others squatted next to her. Penny handed her a canteen of water.

Until she took a drink, Piper hadn’t realized how dry her throat was. ‘Thanks.’

Penny nodded. ‘You think the charm will last?’

‘I’m not sure,’ she admitted. ‘If Kekrops comes back in two minutes with an army of giants, then no.’

The heartbeat of Gaia echoed through the floor. Strangely, it made Piper think of the sea – how the waves boomed along the cliffs of Santa Monica back home.

She wondered what her father was doing right now. It would be the middle of the night in California. Maybe he was asleep, or doing a late-night TV interview. Piper hoped he was in his favourite spot: the porch off the living room, watching the moon over the Pacific, enjoying some quiet time. Piper wanted to think he was happy and content right now … in case they failed.

She thought about her friends in the Aphrodite cabin at Camp Half-Blood. She thought about her cousins in Oklahoma, which was odd, since she’d never spent much time with them. She didn’t even know them very well. Now she was sorry about that.

She wished she’d taken more advantage of her life, appreciated things more. She would always be grateful for her family aboard the Argo II – but she had so many other friends and relatives she wished she could see one last time.

‘Do you guys ever think about your families?’ she asked.

It was a silly question, especially on the cusp of a battle. Piper should have been focused on their quest, not distracting her friends.

But they didn’t chide her.

Penny’s gaze became unfocused. Her lower lip quivered. ‘My mom … I – I haven’t even seen her since Hera made me disappear. I called her from Alaska. I gave Coach Hedge some letters to deliver to her. I …’ Her voice broke. ‘She’s all I’ve got. Her and my stepdad, Paul.’

‘And Tegan,’ Annabeth reminded her. ‘And Grover. And –’

‘Yeah, of course,’ Penny said. ‘Thanks. I feel much better.’

Piper probably shouldn’t have laughed, but she was too full of nervousness and melancholy to hold it in. ‘What about you, Annabeth?’

‘My dad … my stepmom and stepbrothers.’ She turned the drakon-bone blade in her lap. ‘After all I’ve been through in the past year, it seems stupid that I resented them for so long. And my dad’s relatives … I haven’t thought about them in years. I have an uncle and cousin in Boston.’

Penny looked shocked. ‘You, with the Yankees cap? You’ve got family in Red Sox country?’

Annabeth smiled weakly. ‘I never see them. My dad and my uncle don’t get along. Some old rivalry. I don’t know. It’s stupid what keeps people apart.’

Piper nodded. She wished she had the healing powers of Asclepius. She wished she could look at people and see what was hurting them, then whip out her prescription pad and make everything better. But she guessed there was a reason Zeus kept Asclepius locked away in his underground temple.

Some pain shouldn’t be wished away so easily. It had to be dealt with, even embraced. Without the agony of the last few months, Piper never would have found her best friends. She never would’ve discovered her own courage. She certainly wouldn’t have had the guts to sing show tunes to the snake people under Athens.

At the top of the tunnel, the green membrane rippled.

Piper grabbed her sword and rose, prepared for a flood of monsters.

But Kekrops emerged alone.

‘The way is clear,’ he said. ‘But hurry. The ceremony is almost complete.’

Pushing through a curtain of mucus was almost as fun as Piper imagined.

She emerged feeling like she’d just rolled through a giant’s nostril. Fortunately, none of the gunk stuck to her, but still her skin tingled with revulsion.

Penny, Annabeth and she found themselves in a cool, damp pit that seemed to be the basement level of a temple. All around them, uneven ground stretched into darkness under a low ceiling of stone. Directly above their heads, a rectangular gap was open to the sky. Piper could see the edges of walls and the tops of columns, but no monsters … yet.

The camouflage membrane had closed behind them and blended into the ground. Piper pressed her hand against it. The area seemed to be solid rock. They wouldn’t be leaving the way they’d come.

Annabeth ran her hand along some marks on the ground – a jagged crow’s-foot shape as long as a human body. The area was lumpy and white, like stone scar tissue. ‘This is the place,’ she said. ‘Penny, these are the trident marks of Poseidon.’

Hesitantly, Penny touched the scars. ‘He must’ve been using his extra-extra-large trident.’

‘This is where he struck the earth,’ Annabeth said, ‘where he made a saltwater spring appear when he had the contest with my mom to sponsor Athens.’

‘So this is where the rivalry started,’ Penny said.

‘Yeah.’

Penny pulled Annabeth close and kissed her … long enough for it to get really awkward for Piper, though she said nothing. She thought about the old rule of Aphrodite’s cabin: that to be recognized as a daughter of the love goddess, you had to break someone’s heart. Piper had long ago decided to change that rule. Penny and Annabeth were a perfect example of why. You should have to make someone’s heart whole; that was a much better test.

When Penny pulled away, Annabeth looked like a fish gasping for air.

‘The rivalry ends here,’ Penny said. ‘I love you, Wise Girl.’

Annabeth made a little sigh, like something in her ribcage had melted.

Penny glanced at Piper. ‘Sorry, I had to do that.’

Piper grinned. ‘How could a daughter of Aphrodite not approve? You’re a great girlfriend.’

Annabeth made another grunt-whimper. ‘Uh … anyway. We’re beneath the Erechtheion. It’s a temple to both Athena and Poseidon. The Parthenon should be diagonally to the southeast of here. We’ll need to sneak around the perimeter and disable as many siege weapons as we can, make an approach path for the Argo II.’

‘It’s broad daylight,’ Piper said. ‘How will we go unnoticed?’

Annabeth scanned the sky. ‘That’s why I made a plan with Frances and Hazel. Hopefully … ah. Look.’

A bee zipped overhead. Dozens more followed. They swarmed around a column, then hovered over the opening of the pit.

‘Say hi to Frances, everybody,’ Annabeth said.

Piper waved. The cloud of bees zipped away.

‘How does that even work?’ Penny said. ‘Like … one bee is a finger? Two bees are her eyes?’

‘I don’t know,’ Annabeth admitted. ‘But she’s our go-between. As soon as she gives Hazel the word, she will –’

‘Gah!’ Penny yelped.

Annabeth clamped her hand over her mouth.

Which looked strange, because suddenly each of them had turned into a hulking, six-armed Earthborn.

‘Hazel’s Mist.’ Piper’s voice sounded deep and gravelly. She looked down and realized that she, too, now had a lovely Neanderthal body – belly hair, loincloth, stubby legs and oversized feet. If she concentrated, she could see her normal arms, but when she moved them they rippled like mirages, separating into three different sets of muscular Earthborn arms.

Penny grimaced, which looked even worse on her newly uglified face. ‘Wow, Annabeth … I’m really glad I kissed you before you changed.’

‘Thanks a lot,’ she said. ‘We should get going. I’ll move clockwise around the perimeter. Piper, you move counterclockwise. Penny, you scout the middle –’

‘Wait,’ Penny said. ‘We’re walking right into the whole blood-spilling sacrifice trap we’ve been warned about, and you want to split up even more?’

‘We’ll cover more ground that way,’ Annabeth said. ‘We have to hurry. That chanting …’

Piper hadn’t noticed it until then, but now she heard it: an ominous drone in the distance, like a hundred forklifts idling. She looked at the ground and noticed bits of gravel trembling, skittering southeast, as if pulled towards the Parthenon.

‘Right,’ Piper said. ‘We’ll meet up at the giant’s throne.’

At first it was easy.

Monsters were everywhere – hundreds of ogres, Earthborn and Cyclopes milling through the ruins – but most of them were gathered at the Parthenon, watching the ceremony in progress. Piper strolled along the cliffs of the Acropolis unchallenged.

Near the first onager, three Earthborn were sunning themselves on the rocks. Piper walked right up to them and smiled. ‘Hello.’

Before they could make a sound, she cut them down with her sword. All three melted into slag heaps. She slashed the onager’s spring cord to disable the weapon, then kept moving.

She was committed now. She had to do as much damage as possible before the sabotage was discovered.

She skirted a patrol of Cyclopes. The second onager was surrounded by an encampment of tattooed Laistrygonian ogres, but Piper managed to get to the machine without raising suspicion. She dropped a vial of Greek fire in the sling. With luck, as soon as they tried to load the catapult, it would explode in their faces.

She kept moving. Gryphons roosted on the colonnade of an old temple. A group of empousai had retreated into a shadowy archway and appeared to be slumbering, their fiery hair flickering dimly, their brass legs glinting. Hopefully the sunlight would make them sluggish if they had to fight.

Whenever she could, Piper slew isolated monsters. She walked past larger groups. Meanwhile the crowd at the Parthenon grew larger. The chanting got louder. Piper couldn’t see what was happening inside the ruins – just the heads of twenty or thirty giants standing in a circle, mumbling and swaying, maybe doing the evil monster version of ‘Kumbayah’.

She disabled a third siege weapon by sawing through the torsion ropes, which should give the Argo II a clear approach from the north.

She hoped Frances was watching her progress. She wondered how long it would take for the ship to arrive.

Suddenly, the chanting stopped. A BOOM echoed across the hillside. In the Parthenon, the giants roared in triumph. All around Piper, monsters surged towards the sound of celebration.

That couldn’t be good. Piper blended into a crowd of sour-smelling Earthborn. She bounded up the main steps of the temple, then climbed a section of metal scaffolding so she could see above the heads of the ogres and Cyclopes.

The scene in the ruins almost made her cry aloud.

Before Porphyrion’s throne, dozens of giants stood in a loose ring, hollering and shaking their weapons as two of their number paraded around the circle, showing off their prizes. The princess Periboia held Annabeth by the neck like a feral cat. The giant Enceladus had Penny wrapped in his massive fist.

Annabeth and Penny both struggled helplessly. Their captors displayed them to the cheering horde of monsters, then turned to face King Porphyrion, who sat in his makeshift throne, his white eyes gleaming with malice.

‘Right on time!’ the giant king bellowed. ‘The blood of Olympus to raise the Earth Mother!’