#nothing's gonna stop us now (the Olympians) || siblings

[khaleesiofalicante]

“I need you to get rid of it.” 

“No,” Alec replies. 

“Are you out of your mind?” Magnus demands angrily. “We have two kids!”

“That’s exactly why I need it,” Alec explains. “Magnus. You know I am a target because of my job.”

“I’m not denying that, Alexander,” Magnus sighs. “But you can’t keep a gun in our home.”

“What if someone breaks in?” Alec asks patiently. 

“What are you gonna do? Shoot them?!?”

“Magnus,” Alec pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m not getting rid of the gun.”

“Max found it, Alexander!”

“I told you! The safety was on!!”

“How does that even matter?” Magnus yells at him. “What if he finds it again?” 

“Jesus. Fine. I’ll keep it somewhere he can’t find it.”

“That’s your solution?” Magnus scoffs in annoyance. “No. You have to get rid of it.”

“I’m not getting rid of the fucking gun, Magnus,” Alec says patiently. 

Magnus doesn’t understand. Alec needs it. It’s the only reassurance he has in case something goes wrong. And he knows many things can go wrong for his family. 

Because of him. 

“It doesn’t matter where you hide it,” Magnus says now. “This is Max we are talking about. He’ll find it.”

“Then I’ll teach him how to handle it safely,” Alec sighs into his hands. 

“You are not teaching our son how to use a gun!” Magnus hisses at him. 

“Magnus. It’s not like I am not going to teach him to shoot at people. I’m gonna teach him how to handle it. Maybe work on his aim. There is no harm in that,” Alec explains. “I was planning on taking him to the cabin next month anyway.”

“Alexander,” Magnus says and takes a deep breath. “You are not going to take Max to the cabin. He is eleven years old.”

“My siblings and I were eight when we-”

“We have to do better than our parents, Alec!” Magnus snaps. “You are not going to-”

“Stop telling me what to do!” Alec snaps back. “They are my children too.”

“They are children!”

“And they are allowed to have interests! Don’t turn this into a problem, Magnus. It’s a goddamn olympic sport, for fuck’s sake!”

“If Max ever wants to be an Olympian, then there are plenty of other sports he can participate in,” Magnus shrugs. 

“But he likes this one!!”

“That’s precisely the problem!” Magnus groans. “He has always been fascinated by guns thanks to your brother.”

Alec goes cold all over. “You leave Jace out of this!”

Magnus sighs. “I just don’t want the kids to think owning or using a gun is okay.”

“So, you don’t want them to learn how protect themselves?” Alec demands. 

“Not with a goddamn gun!” Magnus says incredulously. 

“Right,” Alec nods. “So, it’s okay if what you do gets them hurt, but I can’t even fucking try?”

“What did I do?” Magnus asks in confusion. “What are you even talking about?”

Alec sighs. “I got a call from Rafael’s school.”

Magnus stills. “What happened?”

“He got bullied again,” Alec says through gritted teeth. 

“What?” Magnus whispers. “Why?”

“Because of the fucking nail polish, Magnus!” Alec said in frustration. 

Magnus blinks. “How is that my fault?”

“Did you tell him to wear it to school?”

“I told him there is nothing wrong with a boy wearing nail polish,” Magnus replies. 

“Listen…I don’t…I don’t have a problem with Rafael wearing nail polish. He can  wear whatever the fuck he wants,” Alec tries to explain. “But the school has rules. And these kids…Have you met a teenager? They are the fucking worst.”

“So what then?” Magnus crosses his arms. “We tell him not to wear nail polish?”

“Not to school!” Alec points out. “Magnus. You are encouraging him to break the rules!”

“Great. So, we tell our son to hide and be ashamed of his self expression,” Magnus says sarcastically. 

“Don’t twist my words,” Alec raises a finger. “He can wear nail polish at home. Or anywhere else. But not in school. There are rules to follow.”

“Do these rules allow the female students to wear nail polish?” Magnus asks. 

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Magnus echoes. “You didn’t ask?”

“Magnus. All I know is that he is breaking the rules and he is getting bullied for it,” Alec says. 

“He is a teenager, Alec! He is obviously rebelling against something he considers unfair!”

“Then he needs to understand there is a proper way to rebel against an unfair system,” Alec points out. “Breaking the rules is not the way to fix them. He needs to talk to the school administration. Maybe do presentation on the impact of gender roles. Maybe do a social media campaign with his peers. He can’t just break rules to prove his point. That's now how to fix shitty systems!”

“Stop blaming him!!”

“I’m not blaming him! Fucking Christ!” Alec says in annoyance. “I’m trying to teach him how to fix something in a constructive way.”

“This is not Rafael’s fault,” Magnus says. “I told you not to put him in that school. I told you it was a mistake!”

“Magnus, Idris High is the best-”

“Was this not the same school that inadvertently made you to stay in the closet?” Magnus asks. 

Alec flinches at that. “It’s different now.”

“He is being bullied for wearing nail polish! How the hell is it different?” Magnus asks him. “That school is still run by a bunch of racist, homophobic, misogynistic bigots.” 

“What do you want me to do?” Alec asks incredulously. 

Magnus opens his mouth and shuts it, as if he doesn’t trust Alec to handle this. “I’ll handle Rafael. You get rid of the gun.”

“I told you I am not doing that!” Alec reminds his husband. “I’m taking Max to the cabin. He likes the cabin. He keeps asking me when we can go.”

“Then go camping,” Magnus replied tersely. “If you take him hunting, I swear to-”

“Magnus. I’m not taking Max hunting! He doesn’t have to do what I did growing up,” Alec sighs. “He loves animals. I know that. We are just going to shoot at targets.”

“I don’t want Max holding a gun,” Magnus says, the words cold as ice. “You’re not going to take him shooting. And you are certainly not going to keep a gun in our home.”

Here is the thing. 

Magnus obviously has a problem with guns. Alec can see that. He can see it by Magnus’ body language. He can see it in the way that Magnus, who is calm about most things, is losing his shit right now. 

But Magnus doesn’t explain himself. He doesn’t tell Alec. He doesn’t give context. He doesn’t even try to help Alec understand.

Magnus makes the decision and expects Alec to understand. As if that’s enough. 

Well. Not today. Fuck this shit.

Alec can already see Max pulling away from him and going into that secluded teen life where Alec is just becomes the boring dad in the background. 

He managed to keep hold of Rafael. But not Max. 

Max has no interest in politics or advocacy or law or any of the things Alec is passionate about. 

Max has difficulty focusing on one thing and keeps finding new obsessions every other month. 

Max has always been an unusual little thing and never marched according to anyone’s tune. He decides everything for himself. 

Alec knows Max loves Magnus and looks up to him. 

Bapak the explorer. Bapak the troublemaker. Bapak the rebel. Bapak this. Bapak that. 

The only thing Alec does that Max finds at least remotely interesting is that Alec know his way around a gun. Alec is an excellent shot and Max has always been proud of that. 

He is not going to let Magnus take that away from him. 

“Sorry, Magnus. But that’s not reasonable,” Alec says. “I’m going to let Max decide what he wants to do.”

“He is eleven years old! He doesn’t know what he wants!”

“I thought we decided not to use that phrase?” Alec raises an eyebrow. “You’re the one who told me we have to let the kids decide!”

“Not about this, Alec! We are talking about guns. They are dangerous! What part of this conversation isn’t going through to your head?”

“Magnus, what are you so afraid of?” Alec finally asks, because he is fucking tired of this shit. “It’s just target practice! Jace takes Lexi and she is younger than Max.”

“I’m not married to Jace. I’m married to you,” Magnus says, not surprisingly, ignoring Alec’s question. “It better be gone by tomorrow.”

“Magnus-”

“The gun goes, Alec,” Magnus says. “Or I do.”

“Magnus! What are you…Don’t say that,” Alec says, feeling like he has been shot in the fucking chest. “Don’t say shit like that. Not as a joke. Not even we are fighting.”

Magnus sighs tiredly and puts his face in his hands. 

“Baby,” Alec moves closer and takes Magnus’ face in his hands. “Please don’t ever say that again.”

Magnus rests his head on Alec’s shoulder. “No guns. Please. Alec. Just. No guns.”

“Okay,” Alec replies. 

Because honestly? What else is he supposed to do? 

- If Alec’s characterisation in fic was a person, I would !@#$%^ them 

[phantaloon-books]

Things about Tower of Nero that I want to highlight to remember them forever:

Lu being an absolute badass woman, I just love her too much

Piper McClean being canon wlw, she was actually kissing another girl, we really fell in love in october

Chaos being canonically female (just chaos being mentioned as a deity rather than what's below tartarus)

nobody DIED, like no one on the good side at least?? yes plenty of beings have died throughout TOA, but nobody died in TON?? so many died in TLO and BOO, I expected to mourn someone and I didn't have too??! it made me so happy

solangelo. that's it. solangelo makes me happy.

will being incredibly supportive of nico, and instead of stopping him, going with him on dangerous adventures because he doesn't want to leave him alone. also them treating Nico's PTSD for what it is

WILL SOLACE CANONICALLY GLOWS IN THE DARK. HE'S A GLOWSTICK BABY.

also will just appearing at the gates of the throne room, glowing in rage because someone touched his boyfriend (and tried to kill his dad), and him just marching through everyone (everyone else letting him), just to pick up his hurt precious boyfriend and take care of him.

meg McCaffrey got her happy ending. she's baby, she deserves her family and her happy ending. also Lu being the mother and the 12 children being siblings?? that's one hell of a way to tell nero to fuck off and right his mistakes. we love meg.

dionysus being the best olympian after apollo. the duo content we needed, and now will never get

nico mentioning bob and how he wants to go look for him, because he can still be in tartarus

rachel still being a Total badass and hitting people in the eye with her blue hairbrush thus being iconic

meg acting as lester's anchor and only reason why he didn't let go of the ledge, not falling into chaos, is top tier 'reasons why I cried reading', because if you think about it, Meg is the first ever friend apollo ever had, and them being best friends is everything to me

also apollo choosing to go looking as lester rather than apollo because lester feels like home is on top tier 'reasons why I cried reading' too

again, the only thing apollo did in the end (once he was god again) that could be described as 'godly' was be in several places at once, fly his chariot, and get meg her unicorn

but apollo shooting fucking fire out of his hands is crazy asf, it was so cool. he really got amazing godly powers this book.

rick being bold enough to showcase abusive parenting knowing that a huge porcentage of his readers are minors, helping many realize that they could be in abusive households, and giving them a tool to reach out for help

apollo defeating nero was so satisfactory, because you realize in the end, that nero wasn't really a monster, he was monstrous, but still very much human (if only with some godly power), and pretty useless once he couldn't hide behind props and weapons, his being wasn't powerful, he was just under layers of protection

the jackson/blofis scene was so warm and loving, they really are willing to put their family in danger, baby estelle in danger, to help 'percy's friends' even tho she knew percy didn't like apollo, but she still takes in everyone who needs help, and paul being a loving and accepting husband

sally working on her SECOND novel, she really is having her best life

none of the big heroes from other series having protagonism, besides nico and will, instead giving the other kids from camp halfblood their chance to show they're just as worthy as the "heroes of olympus"

(still I would have loved to see a scene with everyone else, like the heroes of olympus guys, fighting together one last time, just for nostalgia's sake - I legit hoped to see percy and annabeth arriving with chiron in triumvirate tower, but yeah)

the arrow of dodona may have been a dumb, cringey, and slightly ridiculous thing at first, and I personally rolled my eyes everytime it said anything, but it knew what would happen from the start, and without its sacrifice, apollo would have achieved nothing. we stan one arrow

nico wearing a white cowboy hat. idky but it makes my heart swell with joy. he a gay cowboy

y'all know I love Apollo's arch, and I just gotta point this out. his trials, his time as lester, started with him falling to earth, and ended with him getting up after purposely throwing himself off the earth, towards tartarus, almost falling to chaos. that's really clever writing.

the olympians watching over him, and some actually being concerned for him rather than his progress.

poseidon not really giving a fuck about the world or council meetings anymore because percy's not there anymore

athena being the only one apart from artemis who trusted apollo could do it makes me warm fsr

lester deciding that the best way to retell his adventures is by singing is hilarious to me, he really thinks it'll solve everything

Grover not telling percy and annabeth jason died seems so funny to me, he really said "nah it doesn't matter much, field trip, yes"

"hey man" my heart broke in twenty million pieces. like I don't know where I expected to see jason. but that wasn't it. and it hurt me as much as it hurt apollo man.

(also I kinda hoped we would see nico summon his spirit or smth, but I'm actually happy nico realized that jason went by his own choice, and he was in peace, so he decided not to summon him, because it was alright. that hurt too)

kinda love how lester passes out after literally every battle. it reminds you that even tho he's apollo, his body isn't. I'm sure we all would pass out too if we did a quarter of what lester did in the span of 4 days. his body isn't made to endure that, it doesn't even have a halfblood endurance, it's a weak mortal body

the trogs were fucking hilarious. their screeches and grrs, idk there's something ridiculous and so childish about them, it's so fun

really happy that apollo never had a /real/ love interest (reyna doesn't count), cause that wasn't what his story was about. instead he got to make so many friends, and have quality time with them and his children, it's amazing

apollo being thankful people were telling him he'd grown, and was more human, because he realized that was the best thing he could have learned from his time as a mortal

also him saying fuck you man to zeus and his speech, like "no asshole dad, I did learn, I'm not going to see this as punishment, it was a great time in which bad things happened but I enjoyed it." yes, we love apollo not letting zeus win

getting to see what everyone will do now. nico and will figuring out rachel's prophecy, probs saving bob. rachel living her best life away from her parents. leo doing what leo does, always helping those who have no one else. the hunters' open storyline about this fox, possibly hinting at content? piper settling down in a quiet life is what she deserves tbh, she's earned quiet life with a cute gf, wish her the best. Frank and hazel being the best praetors, and I bet they will continue to be so. And annabeth and percy, who chose their happiness over all, at last

kinda wish we got to see someone still really miss jason after apollo becomes god again tho lmao like apollo missed jason more than the others, nico and piper being the exception. I mean, leo is fine and dandy, hazel and frank are okay, percy and annabeth are done mourning... I just we got to see any of them really mourning, rather than reading they mourned. it would have made it feel more emotional

the last conversation and the last words in general. "the sun always comes back" and "we're friends now. call on me. I'll be there for you" that shit got me sobbing my heart out. rick really managed to do right by the books and end it like he should have, unlike BOO. he took what made TLO good and used a similar formula. it's very different from "and for once I didn't look back", but it still fills you with warmth and the feeling that even though it's over, it's okay.

I'm just really emotional, this is all I can think about, but you bet I'm gonna add more when I remember

[thegoodgayshit]

Luz’s mother really doesn’t want to send Luz to camp. She knows once she leaves, there is no going back. But Luz has a knack for getting into trouble, and one day she stumbles into the same type of people her mother would have preferred she avoided. After helping Luz dissolve her high school bully into dust, Eda and Lilith know right away that this kid is just like them - a child of the gods. So Luz hops on a Pegasus and heads to Camp Half-blood, where she embarks on a dangerous quest that makes her both friends and enemies... and she might even save Olympus along the way.

Chapter Twenty-Four: We Help Out Willow’s Big Brother

Luz’s legs were burning.

She was pretty sure she’d never had to walk this far in her entire life. She’d been hiking a couple of times with her Tia Rosa when she was younger, but she definitely hadn’t enjoyed it. And it definitely hadn’t been more than an hour.

The walk down the highway hadn’t been that bad. They’d stayed off to the side of the road, and even been picked up by a nice mom in a minivan at one point. They’d told her that Gus’ dad had a fishing house along Turquoise Lake, and she’d dropped them off right at the edge of the highway. That had probably cut them about an hour of walking, but it was still slow and brutal.

Eventually, the highway had ended and a dirt road took its place. That’s when they started to move uphill. Luz could handle the straight line, but she was wearing vans and wasn’t at all interested in uphill climbing in flat shoes.

After about an hour and a half of moving along this uphill climb, Luz doubled over, clutching her stomach.

“Can we take a quick break? I’m dying here.”

Willow was more than happy to agree with Luz, dropping into a squat right next to her. “Sure, I’m beat.”

“I don’t know guys,” Amity said with a frown. Somehow, throughout the entire hike, she didn’t look even the slightest bit tired. She was sweating a little along her brow but otherwise looked unfazed. “We shouldn’t stop here. We’re exposed.”

“Don’t you guys think it’s a little strange we haven’t run into a single monster?” Gus added. He also looked a little worse for wear, he had shed his button-up and was now just in a t-shirt and jeans. But he was worrying his lower lip, looking around like they would be ambushed at any second. “I mean, we’re four demigods walking in a group, closing in on Mount Pelion. We couldn’t be bigger targets if we tried.”

“Don’t jinx us,” Willow deadpanned, taking a huge swig of water from one of the bottles they’d bought in Leadville. “I really don’t have the energy to fight a monster right now. We’ve been hiking for two and a half hours.”

“If we’re going to take a break, I think we should at least do it in the trees and out of sight,” Amity suggested, and Luz nodded, straightening back up.

“That’s fine with me, any break is a good break.”

They walked off the dirt road and down a little trail until they ended up a creek. Finding a good spot to sit along some rocks, Willow handed everybody a protein bar. Luz collapsed pretty ungracefully along a rock and closed her eyes.

“This is brutal,” she groaned, “and it’s only going to get more intense the higher up we get.”

“It depends actually,” Amity added with a shrug. “We might have to make our way around the mountain in a spiral. Lots of trails don’t go straight up.”

“How do you know all that?” Willow asks, and Amity tucks her arms around her knees.

“I live in the area, remember? My siblings and I go on hikes all the time during the school year.”

“So do you know the trail up Mt. Elbert?” Gus asks, and Amity shakes her head.

“No, we’re not allowed to go near Mount Pelion. I’ve done Mt. Evans a couple of times though.”

“Well that explains how you’re like, not even out of breath at all,” Luz says with a teasing smile. “You’ve got some superhuman hiking strength.”

Amity blushes, rubbing the back of her neck. “It just takes practice. Eventually, you stop noticing the burn in your calves.”

“Ugh, I wish,” Gus groans. “Mine feel like I’ve just run a marathon.

“Do you think we’re going to make it up the mountain before dark?” Willow asks, and Amity immediately shakes her head.

“We shouldn’t, even if we are in a hurry. The higher we get, the more brutal the winds are going to be. It’s just after noon, so we should hike a little longer before we take a break and look for camp.”

“Ok, then let’s get moving,” Luz said, and when she stood up, every muscle in her legs protested. “The sooner we get there the sooner we can stop.”

They started to make their way back to the dirt road, walking in pairs. Amity was leading the charge with Gus next to her, and Luz and Willow hung back, their feet dragging a little more than they would have cared to admit.

They were almost back at the dirt trail when Amity suddenly stopped cold, and Luz wasn’t really paying attention, so she just slammed into her back. Amity stumbled, but Luz reached forward and caught her arm, pulling her back.

“Sorry,” Luz mumbled, but Amity just held up her hand. It was so unlike Amity that Luz quieted immediately, as did Willow and Gus, who were now looking around the clearing with nervous eyes.

“Did you hear that?” Amity whispered, stiffening up.

Luz was quiet, listening to her surroundings as her friends did the same. At first, there was nothing. Just the rush of the creek and the swaying of the trees. But then…

RHEEEEEEEEE!

Luz was so startled by the cry, she jumped right back into Willow, who held her shoulders and kept her steady. Gus and Amity called out their shields, holding a protective barrier in front of them, but it wasn’t needed. The cry had come from somewhere deeper in the trees, and following that right away was another cry, this one human.

A very angry human, cussing so badly her Mami would have washed their mouth out with soap.

Then, another cry from whatever had made that noise.

“Someone’s in trouble!” Willow exclaimed, and all four demigods summoned their weapons. Aletheia spun into a sword, and Luz caught it, and charged through the forest with her friends, her previous exhaustion forgotten.

“What kind of monster is that?” Luz cried out as they sprinted through the trees. There was no doubt it was something from their world. No bear or wolf made a noise like that.

“I have a couple of ideas!” Gus offered, doing his best to keep up and not trip on the rocky ground. “None of them good!”

“Sounds about right,” Luz groaned, before deciding to just focus on running.

Amity eventually skidded to a complete stop right as they broke through a clearing in the trees, and Luz stopped a lot more dramatically next to her, her dominant foot slipping and resulting in Aletheia being held up against her face protectively. When Luz looked past Amity’s shoulder at what was making the sound, she gawked.

In the middle of the clearing, there was a gorgeous white and blue farmhouse, with a huge porch. Luz could make out a clothesline hanging from the top of the porch, and a couple of wicker sitting chairs. There was a variety of hanging plants in the garden, and a huge wreath over the door. And the clearing? It was huge.

In fact, the clearing wasn’t a clearing at all. It was more like a twenty-acre farmers' field, just sitting off the dirt road in mountain country. Luscious green vegetables were growing in the fields, along with potatoes, corn, beans, an orchid of apples, and there was even a gods forsaken red barn smack in the center of it with a couple of animals milling about. The enough was enough to shock Luz since she was pretty sure the soil quality up here couldn’t be great. They looked like they could be in Missouri, not Colorado.

But the biggest shock wasn’t the farm. It was the farmer standing just away from the front porch. The farmer’s huge hands were clasping a boar by the tusks, stopping it from charging. He grunted with effort, gritting his teeth and digging his boots in the dirt, his muscles rippling under a green flannel button up.

Luz had never seen a boar before, but she was pretty sure they were supposed to be that big. It was easily the size of a sedan, with massive beady eyes, and it was doing everything in its power to push against the farmer. It’s feet stamped into the ground furiously as it pushed, and Luz saw the farmer tense as he was pushed back an inch in the dirt, and all the shock drained from her body.

“We have to help him!”

Luz charged forward, her friends at her heels. She approached the boar with a furious yell, and with a quick swing, she managed to take the boar by surprise and cut one of the tusks off sending it spinning into the dirt. The boar was now moving off-balance, diverting away from the farmer and charging in another direction. The farmer stumbled and dropped to one knee.

Gus and Amity charged at the boar with their weapons and shields, keeping it away from the crops. Willow had already leaned down to help up the farmer.

“Are you alright?”

He took her hand and stood, brushing his hands down his dirty jeans. “Thanks, kid,” he said to Willow, his voice gruff and heavy with a deep southern drawl. “I’ll be just fine. But we better go help your friends, cuz’ they ain't’ gonna be fine for long.”

Luz spun around, and her eyes widened in horror. The boar had turned on Gus now and had knocked his shield out of his hand with it’s one good tusk and sent it spinning into the dirt. He stabbed forward with his spear, managing to turn the boar away from him, but now it had focused on Amity, rearing back to charge.

“Amity!”

Luz ran forward, but there was no way she could outrun the boar. Amity didn’t seem to need her help though, because as it charged she sidestepped, managing to graze the side of it with her sword. It wasn’t nearly enough to send it running, but it did squeal and give Luz, Willow, and the farmer enough time to make it to the other two demigods.

They readied their weapons, the five of them standing together and watching the boar murderously. Seeming to realize it was outnumbered, the boar huffed in anger, before turning tail and fleeing, exiting through the trees and out of sight.

Luz exhaled, turning to her friends in terror.

“What was that thing?”

“The Crommyonian Sow,” Gus said, his voice very small as he retracted his spear and picked up his sword. “The mother to the Calydonian Boar. It terrorized the village Crommyon and was later killed by Theseus.”

“Theseus?” Luz asked, her voice quickly rising in anger. “That can’t be a coincidence.”

“It’s not, Luz,” Amity said, and Luz’s gaze flickered up to look at her. Her eyes were wide, but not because of the run-in with the boar. “Your dream!”

Luz paled, and Willow and Gus turned to look at her in confusion.

“What dream?” Willow asked, and Luz recalled the dream she’d had of the mountain, from the fight between Theseus and Achilles, Belos’ order, and the Death Mist. When she’d finished, they both had gone pale as well.

“His exact words were ‘stop them before they find us’?” Gus repeated, fidgeting uncomfortably. “That can’t be good.”

“The Sow started showin’ up today, but it’s come back roun’ here three times lookin’ for trouble,” the farmer said, and Luz jumped, forgetting he was standing there. When Luz and her friends turned to look at him, he stuck his hands in his jean pockets, giving them a white smile.

Luz wasn’t sure how old he was, maybe somewhere in his early thirties? He had curly dark hair and a scruffy beard that made him look like a lot of the dads that dropped their kids off at Luz’s school in the morning. He had a deep tan, and his eyes were a dark green, that twinkled in a way that Luz pegged right away as not human.

Though she should have figured that out already based on the way he held back a boar with his bare hands.                                                                                

“I’m Demophon,” he said with a little smile. “Why don’t you kids come inside for some lemonade.”

Demophon’s house was really homely. It was an old farm style, with a lot of wooden furniture, and the décor was mainly light greens and blues. In the living room next to a couple of couches was a huge brick fireplace, sitting barren and unused. They sat down at the kitchen table that overlooked the farm fields, and Demophon returned from the kitchen with two pitchers of lemonade and plates of snacks: cookies, fresh veggies and fruit, and sandwiches.

They probably should have been more cautious, considering they didn’t really know anything about Demophon, but they were so hungry they couldn’t care less. Luz’s stomach grumbled in delight as she dug into a little tuna sandwich, washing it down so quickly with lemonade she barely tasted it.

“Thank you so much for the food, Mr. Demophon,” Amity said between bites, and he just shook his head.

“Demophon is fine, Amity. It’s my pleasure to help you kids on your quest.”

The four of them perked up, now looking at him with surprise. The farmer chuckled, but Luz noticed a slight lift in her shoulders. She did the same thing when she was worried about something.

“Yes, I know all about your quest. My mother sent me a message earlier this month lettin’ me know you migh’ be stopping by… and that you were on your way to free Lady Hestia.” For a moment, his nerves disappeared as he turned to Willow, his green eyes twinkling in pleasure. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, little sister.”

Willow dropped her sandwich on the plate, looking up at him in shock. Luz felt her mouth drop open and saw Amity and Gus tense next to her. Willow, eventually, was able to reply.

“You’re my brother?”

Demophon hummed, taking a seat next to them. He crossed his huge calloused hands together on the table and smiled. “Well, in a sense. Demeter is more of my adopted mother. But over the many centuries I’ve been alive, I have come to grow fond of her.”

“You’re Triptolemus’ brother,” Gus said, his voice lowering in realization. Demophon chuckled.

“Trip is my older brother yes. Though he rarely visits. He has many other duties to attend to.”

“But how… how are you alive?” Gus said in awe, and Luz realized that Willow and Amity were leaning in, desperate to hear his story. Luz really needed to brush up on her Greek mythology. Maybe she’d take it as her elective when she went back to school.

“What do you mean how is he alive?” Luz asked, blinking. “He’s a god, obviously.”

“No, Luz Noceda,” Demophon said with a shake of his head. He settled his warm green eyes on Luz with a smile. “I am no god. But I am immortal.”

Luz’s brow furrowed. “How is that different?”

“Demeter is the goddess of the harvest, but also fertility,” Demophon explained, nodding his head to Willow. “My birth parents were favored by my mother, just as Willow’s fathers were. In exchange for their adoration, Demeter sought to make me a god in their honor. She is the mother of the Olympians and worked with Hestia to have me stoked on their fires and made immortal. But halfway through the process, my birth mother found me on the fire and screamed, rippin’ me off the flames. The process was never finished, but it was too late to turn back. I was made immortal, but due to my… imperfection… I was never accepted into the Greek pantheon. So, mother let me have this farm here near Mount Pelion, and that’s where I’ve stayed.”

“Why weren’t you accepted?” Amity asked in shock when he finished. She was looking Demophon up and down. “You look godly to me. You held back that sow with your bare hands, and you certainly haven’t aged over the centuries.”

“There is more to being a god than just strength and immortality,” Demophon answered, his voice turning wistful as he talked. “You need drive: godly essence that comes from owning and having. You need to stand for something and have mortals who respect and favor you. Mortals don’t see me as a person who can grant them good fortune and prosperity, and I have no claim over any aspect of humanity.”

“Because the legends said you died in the fire when your mother found you,” Willow said, her mouth open wide with shock and realization. Demophon shrugged.

“Mortals rarely get the full story, and so they fill in the gaps with what they want to see. Complex situations confuse em’. I think you know what I mean, little sister.”

Willow flushed, and Luz realized that maybe Demophon had a point. Willow was teased for being “half a half-blood”, but she was one of the strongest demigods Luz knew. The more Luz looked at Demophon, the more sympathy she felt for him. It must be incredibly lonely, living for this long and never being accepted into the mortal world or the godly one.

“I’m sorry we brought the monster to your farm,” Luz said slowly, and Demophon looked over at her with the tiniest hints of a smile.

“Now, now of that, Luz. I’m no fool, and unless you’re the man that sent that beast, I have no quarrel with you. But you kids ain’t safe heading up the mountain until that monster’s been taken care of.”

Demophon stood up and went into the kitchen, but came back relatively quickly. He had a cloth package in his hands, which he handed to Willow.

“These are some of my mother’s apples. She has me grow them here in case harvest on Olympus is poor. It never is, so I always have plenty. When you need a boost, take a bite. Hopefully, it helps you on your quest.”

Willow held the package so gently in her hands, it was like she was afraid they would disappear. She looked up at Demophon in awe.

“These apples… they haven’t been trusted to mortals in centuries. Why would you give us something like this?”

Demophon’s face suddenly went dark.

“I want Belos gone just as much as the Olympians do. Hestia is the reason I’m here, able to tend to my farm and my livestock. She’s always been kind to me… kind to all who cross her path and say hello.”

He looked over at the huge fireplace in his living room, which was completely dark. His eyes were fixated on it, like the sight of it alone physically pained him.

“My fire hasn’t lit since she was taken,” he said, his voice breaking slightly on those last few words. “Without her, all the love and light and happiness that we know will fade from existence. Somebody needs to stop him, and get her back. If I were not bound to this farm, I would go up the mountain myself. I will do anything I can to help you.”

Demophon sat back down at the table and went back to cradling his calloused hands in his lap. Luz was suddenly struck with a pang of homesickness. Demophon did the same thing with his hands her Mami did when she was worrying herself sick about something. He was just as scared about the success of the quest as they were.

“You seem to admire Hestia a lot,” Luz said quietly, so quietly she wasn’t sure anybody would hear her. But Demophon looked up, and so did her friends, turning to look at Luz. She glanced at Amity, for only half a second, and realized that she was watching Luz with a careful expression.

Had she overstepped?

Demophon met Luz’s gaze, and that’s when Luz saw it. It was the same look Amity gave her when she was grappling with a decision. To tell or not to tell.

“I’ve had so few people I could truly call a friend while I’ve worked this farm,” he eventually said, glancing over at the fire. “I could always rely on Hestia to show whenever I lit that fire and passed on my offerings. There are so few certainties in a life as long as mine. If you were in my place, would you be happy with that changing in the blink of an eye?”

“No,” Luz said immediately. She couldn’t imagine just sitting at her Mami’s apartment while her friends were in danger. She’d do anything to protect Willow and Gus. She’d do anything to protect Amity.

She’d move the entire mountain by herself if she had to.

She opened her mouth to reply, to assure Demophon that they would do everything they could to save her, but she didn’t get the opportunity to. Because Amity spoke next, swallowing hard before shaking her head.

“I’ll get her back,” Amity said, leaning in to look Demophon in the eye.

It was so surprising Luz couldn’t help but turn and look at Amity out of the corner of her eye. Amity’s expression was startling. Her face looked exactly like how Luz was feeling.

“I’ll break her out of the cage and make Belos pay no matter what happens. I swear it on the River Styx.”

Outside, thunder rumbled. The temperature in the room seemed to drop. Willow and Gus were looking at Amity with a mixture of shock and horror on their faces. Luz didn’t really know what was happening, but judging by the equally as awed look Demophon was giving her, whatever she’d done was pretty serious.

“You don’t know what you’re promising me, kid,” Demophon tried, but Amity shook her head, leaning in again with such a ferocity Luz couldn’t look away no matter how hard she tried.

“I do know,” she insisted, reaching forward and gently resting her hand over his. “I know that nobody deserves to have someone taken from them. Being around the people you love makes life worth living.”

Willow cracked a small smile, nodding her head and leaning forward to rest her hand on top of Amity’s.

“She’s right. I’ll help too.”

“Me too!” Gus added, reaching forward to put his own hand on top of Willows.

Luz broke into a grin, nodding and adding her own hand to the now growing pile. “Obviously I’m in too. We’ll free Hestia, even if Theseus throws a hundred more stupid pig-boars at us.”

“Let’s hope he doesn’t,” Amity deadpanned, and Luz laughed, hard enough that everyone at the table cracked into smiles. Even Demophon, who was looking so grateful Luz thought he might start crying.

“Thank you, kids,” he said, wiping at his face. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

“We do know. That’s why we want to help,” Luz insisted, her whole body vibrating with adrenaline at what they were about to do. “Now let’s go make some pork chops.”

[griffinsandpeacocks]

A Tie And A Cry

A/N: A cute fluff story regarding domesticity. @piersthepenguin for the prompt idea. The list of ideas on a Pinterest prompt post that we liked and agreed to do together is a previous post I made after i was tagged by Penguin; link here to their post: 

https://piersthepenguin.tumblr.com/post/646023737465077760/i-found-this-small-little-challenge-on-pinterest. 

This one is Adjusting the other’s jewelry or tie as well as the one for reacting to the other crying about something. I decided this was going to be a romantic ship but it’s pure fluff and no smut; just cute tender moments between a tailor and the King of the Underworld. Once I started I couldn’t stop and realized I did a two for one. So here it is.

Lumiere saw Hades fighting with the charcoal tie and chuckled. He walks up and gently smooths the now rumpled cloth. He smiles as Hades stills and let’s the tailor close his brown eyes warm with fondness as he affectionately swats the god with the tail of the tie then carefully does it and adjusts it to fit snug but not too tight against Hades’ neck, then folds the collar down and smooths it. 

“Brat.” Hades chuckles his own blue eyes filled with affection as he grins and the slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes remind Lumiere of how deceptive the youth of this god is. Hades was an ancient god, and he had carefully ruled the Underworld for ages beyond what Lumiere could fully grasp due to just how far back his lover’s history extended. 

He was glad this ancient beautiful man loved him. He loved how much faith and trust Hades had in him and how easily he was able to return that same trust and faith. It was no struggle to trust Hades’ word, Hades was careful with them after all. As easy as it was to love the god though; he was ancient and had had many loves but when he chose a lover it rarely went in his favor and Lumiere wanted nothing more than to prove to Hades he was not like any of them. Yet it was hard to do that as much as Hades showed he loved him he was still jaded in some ways and though never distant or rude to him Lumiere at times felt like he knew little of his lover. So Hades trusting him with new facts or information about his past or himself was like gold for the once candelabra.

He even knew, as odd as it may sound, Hades had a fear of being stuck in an enclosed space that was dark. Hades had explained to Lumiere only recently why that was after getting panicked when a storm had knocked out power and thus the soft light Hades had in his room. He’d summoned a blue flame in a knee jerk reaction and had looked started and afraid. Lumiere had wondered what had him so scared and Hades had shut his eyes shaking as he took steadying breaths.

“Hades... Are you crying?” Lumiere had hesitated to ask but seeing wet trails reflect in the flame light made him too concerned to stay quite. Hades swallows and meets the worried dark eyes and he doesn’t know what to do a long moment of silence reigns between them. Without breaking it Lumiere lifts an arm out offering Hades his side to hide in. The god paused but moves closer.

“How much do you know about greek myth?” Hades had asked sitting by his lover on the bed and leaning into his side staring down at the fire in his hand. Lumiere had wrapped an arm around him watching the soft caramel give a strangely pale glow in the blue light. Hades looked ashen in his own fire light, it was oddly discomforting though Lumiere couldn’t say why.

“A bit. Not much I am afraid I know a few names and their roles.” Lumiere admits and Hades takes a deep breath shaking and smiling softly but brittle as glass when Lumiere tightens his arm around him.

“Do you know about the Titans?” He asks and Lumiere shakes his head Hades sighs and swallows thickly. He almost wished Lumiere did so he can skip the backstory.

“Long ago, before many things were even walking across the world, Gia and Ouranos made a union and gave rise to the titans, one of those titans was my father... Kronos. He was the king among them after castrating his father. He started a union with Rhea. My mother. A prophecy came one day... Like his father he would be usurped by his own son. This caused him to become... Paranoid. My mother did her best to keep me away from him and protected. One day he had enough he came before she could hide me and swallowed me.” Lumiere makes a disgusted sound and Hades chuckles shivering softly as he looks up and Lumiere sees a haunted look so keeps his words silent but his eyes worriedly watch as Hades takes another moment before he continues.

“I spent years alone... Trapped in a dark void only occasionally spoken to by my father mostly so he could mock me. Then one day he informed me I had a brother. Poseidon. Like me he was trapped with no way out and he like me would be left forgotten except by him. It was twisted and disturbing. To know I had a sibling somewhere... With no way to find him unless Kronos wished it. It was years before we were freed by Zeus. Even longer for my body to heal from the escape given he well... Took several snaps at us as we were fleeing. I... When it’s dark even knowing where he is I hear him and I-” Hades shakes violently and Lumiere carefully and gently pulls him into his lap and wraps him in his arms to avoid burning himself or accidently setting Hades on fire. 

“I have the sense that I wouldn’t last a second against him though I want to swear to defend you I know I am far feebler than you. Unfortunately I am a mere mortal and you are far more capable of protecting anything than I am. However, I do promise to listen when you need me to or to merely be here to hold you and talk to you to remind you he is nowhere near you and will never be again. You had to have made sure of that given he isn’t around anymore.” Lumiere says gently into the soft white and blue hair. Hades chuckles and leans into his lover. Though Lumiere was slighter than him he was taller and he fit snuggly against his chest. 

“My brothers and I sealed him and many other Titians within Tartarus. So long as the gate remains sealed, he is trapped. To be honest no Olympian would ever open that door especially Poseidon and I. Mostly becuase none of them like the Underworld.” Hades had said and he had looked up at Lumiere who had never stopped watching him worried and though tired he wasn’t going to fall asleep when Hades was shaking like a leaf in his lap. 

“It might help that there’s a bident wielding God King that would handedly kick their sorry hides back out of his kingdom if they even tried.” Lumiere says smiling and Hades gives a crooked smile back his features relaxing greatly as he carefully sets the flame in a bowl he grabbed from the kitchen which he places on the desk across the room and he lays down and pulled Lumiere close. They had slept that night with a few jolts from Hades but he calmed down quickly seeing Lumiere there each time. A small reminder the Titians were long gone.

Back in the present Hades carefully adjusts the chain his ember hangs on around Lumiere’s neck. He gently tucks it under the collar of the tailor’s button up then fiddles with the cravat at his throat smirking as he knows the Frenchman was quite talented with his hands.

“You know... I can’t imagine you in a wig.” Hades says hands shifting to playing with the tied back blond hair and Lumiere chuckles. His smile lights up his worn features and brings out the youthful scoundrel's demeanor Lumiere was still well known to have even in his twilight years.

“I can’t imagine you lit up in fire yet apparently you used to do that frequently. Hot head.” He teased affectionately. Hades chuckles and lightly bumps their foreheads together.

“Alright Candelabra, we’re gonna be late if we don’t go soon.” He says and they slide their hands together matching rings easily resting beside one another that Hades had gotten them when he had decided to show he was dedicating however much time he had with Lumiere to the mortal.

[buoyantsaturn]

Bring On The Monsters (3/?)

chapter title: Nico is Given a Quest

word count: 3,617

read on ao3

After their claiming, Bianca and Nico were shunned by the rest of camp - ignored, for the most part, though some chose to give them dirty looks and whisper just loud enough behind their backs that they could hear the insults. The already over-crowded Hermes cabin was even worse when some campers decided that they would prefer to lay practically on top of each other just to avoid sitting too close to either child of Hades.

They had been told that as soon as they were claimed, they would be able to move out of the Hermes cabin and into a slightly less crowded space - hopefully one with two open beds so that they wouldn’t have to sleep on the floor anymore. Now, though, being children of one of the non-Olympian gods, they were still stuck in cabin eleven, and felt even more out of place than before. Their cabin mates refused to sleep near them, eat near them, train with them, or participate in any other camp activity with either Bianca or Nico. They couldn’t even talk to anyone but each other.

After about a week of this treatment, Bianca went to Chiron and begged for another place to sleep. Even if they still had to sit at the Hermes table during mealtimes and participate in activities with the rest of the campers, they could at least have peace while they slept. She pointed out the many empty cabins - Zeus and Poseidon were their uncles and Hera their aunt, couldn’t they sleep in one of those cabins instead? - but at the mention of their names, Chiron flinched and thunder rumbled across the sky. Nico thought he only agreed to stop Bianca from saying the names of the most powerful gods.

He gave them a bedroom in the Big House on the main floor, just down the hall from the entrance to the infirmary. They were invited to eat at the head table with Chiron and Mr. D during meals, and Chiron offered to make them a new activities schedule. They would still have to tag along with other cabins, but he would try to put them with different cabins each day so that they weren’t stuck with the same group of campers, all day every day.

Hearing that, Nico was suddenly struck with the hope that he could see Will again, but that hope was immediately squashed by the memory of Will’s fearful expression at Nico’s claiming. He probably thought Nico was a monster, and wouldn’t want anything to do with him.

Their first activity away from the Hermes cabin was Arts and Crafts with the Hephaestus cabin. It was the first time either child of Hades had stepped into the camp forge, and Bianca wouldn’t let Nico out of arm’s reach. There were too many campers there that didn’t like them, and too many dangerous tools and weapons that could be used against them.

They both shied away when the cabin’s counsellor approached them. He seemed to notice their apprehension, and kept his distance, showing his hands to let them know he was unarmed. “Bianca and Nico, right?” he asked. “I’m Beckendorf, head counsellor of the Hephaestus cabin. I know you’re both probably pretty wary of everybody right now, but you should know that to me, you two are just a couple of campers. I mean, you only just learned who your dad is, right? So it’s not like you had anything to do with what happened on Olympus during the solstice. You’re cool by me, so if any of my siblings give you any problems, just let me know, okay?”

Bianca nodded, though she didn’t loosen her grip on Nico’s arm. Nico wasn’t so quick to agree with everything he said. “What happened on the solstice?”

Beckendorf’s eyes widened, like he’d let slip some huge secret. “Uh, Chiron didn’t tell you? I thought he would’ve, considering, you know, what your dad did and everything…”

Nico’s head tilted in confusion. “What did he do?”

“You know, if Chiron didn’t tell you, then I probably shouldn’t either,” Beckendorf hurried to say, waving the topic off entirely. “So, anyway, a couple of powerful demigods like you two are gonna become, you’re going to need some equally powerful weapons. What do you say, want me to help you forge something?”

Any apprehension Nico felt faded away in favor of excitement. “Yeah!” he exclaimed, practically bouncing in place already.

Beckendorf grinned at him, then turned to Bianca. “What about you?”

She hesitated before responding, “Maybe another time. I’ll help with Nico’s for now.”

Beckendorf shrugged. “Suit yourself. Follow me over here, kiddo.”

Nico started spending whatever free time he had with Beckendorf to make a three-foot-long Celestial bronze sword that Bianca was certain would be impossible for Nico to wield. Beckendorf really must have been a master blacksmith, though, because Nico was easily able to lift the almost-finished weapon, despite the fact that it was nearly as long as he was tall.

Bianca was finally starting to let her guard down around the Hephaestus cabin, too. Most of the cabin had warmed up to the two children of Hades, and Beckendorf had proven himself trustworthy in her eyes by treating Nico so well. He’d almost won her over completely, but decided to teach Nico how to sharpen the blade of his new sword, which resulted in the near loss of one of Nico’s fingers. To anyone else, it would have clearly been an accident, with no one really to blame, but Bianca was still jumpy, and immediately started pointing fingers as she rushed Nico to the infirmary.

The Apollo cabin hadn’t won over her trust, either, but Chiron had assured her once before that they took their job as healers very seriously, and never showed favor to one cabin over another - they prioritized according to the severity of the injury, and nothing else.

Still, Bianca kept a close eye on Lee as he healed Nico’s hand, and stayed close as Will wrapped a bandage around the tiny remaining scratch across Nico’s palm.

“How’d you get hurt?” Will asked, looking like he was concentrating a little too hard on a simple bandage.

Nico huffed. “Are you just asking because you’re in doctor training?”

Will looked up at him and pouted in confusion. “No, I’m asking because you’re my friend.”

Nico’s head shot up in surprise. “We’re still friends?”

“I thought so. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, it’s okay,” Nico said, glancing across the room as his cheeks colored from embarrassment. “I just thought… When I got claimed, you looked…scared, like everybody else. I thought you were afraid of me.”

“No way, I think you’re even cooler now. And!” Will held up Nico’s now overly-bandaged hand. “Now you have you first battle scar! Super cool! So, how’d it happen?”

“Well, Beckendorf is helping me make a sword, and—“

“Woah, really? That’s so cool! Charlie is the coolest person ever! He helped me make a dagger when I first came to camp, and sometimes, even before I got claimed, he lets me try to heal him whenever he gets hurt! I mean, it was usually just, like, giving him ambrosia and bandaging his hands like I just did for you, but still!”

Nico’s head tilted. “You call him Charlie? Is that his name?”

“Oh!” Nico watched as Will’s cheeks grew pink, and his gaze dropped to the roll of bandages in his hands, his fingers picking at one fraying edge. “Um. Well, his name is Charles, but he told me that I could call him Charlie, but I think that’s probably supposed to be when it’s just me and him. Um. Don’t tell him I told you that, okay?”

Nico nodded. “Yeah, okay. Can I see the dagger you made?”

Will grinned at him. “Only if I can see your sword!”

Nico had been having trouble sleeping in the Big House. He’d gotten used to falling asleep to the sounds of snoring in the Hermes cabin, and Bianca was a silent sleeper. He could hear every creak of the house as it settled during the night, and each sound startled him out of whatever semi-asleep state he had been in.

He’d managed to convince himself one night that the house wasn’t simply settling, but that someone was wandering around where they shouldn’t be, and took his new sword with him to investigate. That was the point of his training, wasn’t it? So that he could fight off monsters and intruders before they could hurt him or his sister?

Nico took a lap around the main floor of the house, but there wasn’t a single light on inside, nor any person or creature that he could see. He went up to the second floor, and still found nothing, and again on the third floor. Still, he thought he heard something shifting above him, despite the fact that he couldn’t find another staircase leading up. Finally, at the end of a hallway, Nico noticed a rope hanging from the ceiling, and tugged on it. He pulled open a trap door in the ceiling, and a ladder descended.

He looked around the dark hallway to make sure no one had seen him before he climbed the ladder. At first, he couldn’t see much of anything in the attic, but after a quick glance around the room, he noticed a faint green glow peeking out from around shelves upon shelves of different knick knacks. Nico picked his way around the room, careful not to make too much noise and alert anyone else in the house to what he was doing, until he found the source of the glow.

He almost jumped when he saw the figure sitting on her tripod stool, her tie-dyed dress moving in psychedelic waves of colors as luminescent fog moved around her. Nico couldn’t make out any distinct features on the figure in the dark, though she never seemed to move - only the fog around her did that, seeming to reach out for him, wrapping around him, nearly choking him.

Her voice seemed to come from all directions.

“You shall go west and face the god who has turned,

You shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned,

You will be betrayed by one who calls you friend,

Your journey shall be for naught in the end.”

As soon as her words stopped echoing in his head, the fog and glow dissipated, and Nico fell to his knees coughing. He didn’t hear the trapdoor opening again behind him, only barely noticed the yellow light coming up from the hallway below. Nico scrambled to hide as someone climbed the ladder into the attic, but as soon as he heard the familiar sound of one particular god clearing his throat, Nico came out of hiding.

Mr. D, somehow managing to look even more unhappy than usual, was glaring at Nico with his arms crossed. “I was trying to stay out of Zeus’s business, kid, but you just had to screw me over on that one, huh?”

“I’m sorry!” Nico said immediately. “I didn’t mean to sneak around, but I heard a noise and—“

“What did you hear?” Mr. D asked with more patience than Nico had ever heard from him.

Nico couldn’t remember. “Just…just noises, like—“

“No, not in the house. What did you hear from her?” he tried again, nodding toward the figure on the stool.

Nico turned, and barely held back a shout at the sight of the figure. Now illuminated, Nico could see a corpse on that stool, dried out like some kind of mummy. “She’s dead!” Nico exclaimed. “How can she talk if she’s dead?”

“You tell me, Underworld spawn. Try to repeat her exact phrasing; it’s important how things are phrased.”

Nico tried his best to repeat the poem word for word, stumbling once or twice, though he was surprised at how well he was actually able to remember it.

Mr. D allowed himself a moment to absorb Nico’s words, then he nodded. “Yep, that’s a prophecy alright.”

“A prophecy?” Nico repeated. “Like, the future?”

“Loosely, yes.” Mr. D turned on his heel and started back toward the trapdoor. “C’mon, kid, you’ll need to tell Chiron everything.”

Nico hesitated. “Am I in trouble?”

“No.” Mr. D descended the ladder, then, after a second, his head popped back up through the trapdoor. “Well, not in any sense of the word that you’re familiar with. Hurry up, I don’t have all century.”

Nico didn’t think he’d ever understand what was happening. As soon as Nico told Chiron what had happened, Chiron called an emergency meeting of the head counsellors, which led to a gathering of some of the oldest demigods at camp - plus Annabeth Chase, the eleven-year-old counsellor of the Athena cabin - along with Nico and Bianca, all in their pajamas. They all sat around a ping pong table in the rec room, looking like the grumpiest slumber party on the Long Island Sound.

Many of the campers were grumbling to each other as they waited for the final arrivals, and Chiron finally started the meeting with a few clops of his hoof. When the noise died down, he announced, “A quest has been issued.”

Annabeth slammed her palms down on the table and spluttered, “What? To who?”

“The Oracle spoke to Nico di Angelo and spoke a new prophecy. I know you have wanted to partake in a quest, Annabeth, and while it wouldn’t be your own, this may be your only opportunity. That is, if Nico chooses you as one of his companions,” Chiron explained.

“I’m going,” Bianca said suddenly. “I…don’t really know what’s going on, but Nico won’t be going anywhere without me.”

“A quest with two kids of the Big Three?” Annabeth scoffed. “Sounds like a death sentence to me, no thanks.”

Luke elbowed Annabeth, muttering something that sounded like a reminder to be nice, and Annabeth mumbled an apology as she slouched back in her seat with her arms crossed.

Chiron cleared his throat. “This quest will be very dangerous, yes, just as all quests are. Before we discuss who will be the third on this quest, I believe we should try to decipher the prophecy and determine the best course of action for the di Angelos to take. Nico, if you could please recite the prophecy once more.”

Nico did, his voice shaky from nerves, though he tried not to focus on having so many eyes on him as he spoke.

“Go west and face the god who has turned,” Clarisse repeated. “Obviously that’s talking about Hades.” A few demigods shot her a look like, don’t bad-mouth their dad in front of them! “What? The entrance to the Underworld is way out west, right? That’s why demigods aren’t supposed to go too far west. And I think we all know he turned against Zeus. Who else could it be?”

“They’ll find the bolt, which Hades stole, and return it to Zeus,” Annabeth said, nodding along. “Sounds right to me.”

Nico and Bianca shared a confused look, then turned to Chiron, as if hoping for an explanation, though he didn’t seem to notice them.

Beckendorf cleared his throat. “Uh, I think we all need to be a little less vague. Bianca and Nico have no idea what happened during the solstice.”

Chiron sighed. “Of course.” He turned to Nico and Bianca and started to explain. “On the solstices each year, once in summer and once in winter, the twelve gods gather on Olympus. Only during the winter solstice is Hades allowed to join them. This past winter, the gods allowed some of the year-round campers to take a sort of…field trip to Olympus to witness their council. Sometime, during the night, Zeus’s master lightning bolt went missing, and has yet to turn up. He has taken to blaming his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, as he tends to do, but seeing as Hades has recently claimed you two as his children, Zeus may take your claiming as another admission of guilt.”

Bianca frowned. “What do you mean, another?”

“The Big Three made a pact,” Lee piped in. “After World War Two, they agreed to never have children again, because their kids are too powerful. Zeus and Poseidon have already broken it once, but now Hades is admitting to have broken it twice.”

“On top of that,” Katie Gardner said, “he’s probably trying to use you two as some kind of scapegoat.”

“Or to try to prove his innocence,” Silena Beauregard cut in. The demigods slowly devolved into arguments over Hades’s guilt or innocence.

Chiron cleared his throat. “To get back on topic,” he called, and waited for the room to quiet around him. He turned back to Nico and Bianca. “Do you understand, now? I believe that the focus of this quest will be to return Zeus’s master bolt to Olympus, and if we are to trust our interpretation of the prophecy, you will both need to travel to the Underworld and face your father in order to do so.”

“But what about the last two lines?” Bianca asked. “We’ll be betrayed by a friend, and the journey will be for nothing?”

Chiron looked uneasy. “Prophecies can mean…many things. It’s nearly impossible to determine what a prophecy truly means until after the quest is complete. It’s best not to worry about these things too much.”

Bianca didn’t seem convinced.

“Unless anyone has anything else they’d like to bring up, then I think we can bring this meeting to an end,” Chiron continued. “If the di Angelos are able to find a third member of their party, then we shall send them off after breakfast in the morning.”

Nico scanned the faces of each of the counsellors, but they all seemed to be avoiding his gaze - much like they had right after he’d been claimed.

After a moment, everyone stood from their seats and made to leave. Nico jumped up and blocked Beckendorf before he could make it out the door. “Beckendorf, will you come with us? Please?”

It looked like it pained him to say no. “I have to stay here to watch over my siblings, kiddo. If I wasn’t the head of my cabin, I’d go with you in a heartbeat. Tell you what, though, I’ll make sure your sword is finished before you leave in the morning, and I’ll make sure it’s sharp enough for you to cut any monster in half in a single swing.” He grinned and patted Nico on the shoulder, like a sharp sword was somehow better than an experienced demigod chaperone. He left the room, and soon, Nico and Bianca were the only two remaining.

Bianca wrapped her arms around Nico, and felt like she was being sent off to her death.

Nico didn’t feel like he could really enjoy breakfast the next morning - it felt like a prisoner’s last meal on death row. He still hadn’t found a third member for the quest, and Bianca wasn’t being any help. She was acting like the entire camp had already given up on them. Everyone seemed to be avoiding their eyes at the pavilion, as well.

When Nico went to turn his plate in, Will stopped in front of him. He held a backpack out to Nico and said, “Lee asked me to give this to you. It’s got a first aid kit, and some nectar and ambrosia, and a few snacks, and a little bit of demigod money and mortal money, just in case.”

Nico took the backpack from him and slung the straps over his shoulders. “Thanks, Will.”

“And, um. Good luck on your quest,” Will continued. “It’ll be weird being at camp without you after so long, but Chiron says you should be back by the solstice, so I guess that’s not too long.”

Nico’s head tilted. “Why does he think we’ll be back by then?”

Will frowned. “Because…it’s the solstice. Zeus and Poseidon are both gonna be back on Olympus at the same time, and if Zeus is still in a bad mood, then he’ll either try to start a war against Poseidon or Hades, which will both be bad. It’s best to just get the bolt back to Zeus before the solstice to avoid all that.”

Nico didn’t know if he wanted to scream or cry. Why did everybody know more about his quest than he did? Why wouldn’t they tell him anything? It was like they wanted him to fail!

“Woah, what’s wrong?” Will asked, his eyes widening in something like a mix of surprise and fear. “What is something I said? I’m sorry, please don’t cry!”

Nico furiously wiped at his eyes and felt wetness on his cheeks. “Why doesn’t anybody tell me anything?” Nico exclaimed. “You know more about my quest than I do! Why doesn’t somebody else go on this quest instead of me? I’m just gonna mess everything up!”

Will still looked a little panicked. “I’ll go with you!”

Nico froze. “You…will?”

“Yeah!” Will tried for a grin, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It’ll be fun! You still need a third, right? I’ll be a great third! I…know stuff, and I’m a healer…kind of. And besides, we’re friends, right? It’ll all work out just fine!”

The third line of the prophecy rang through Nico’s head at Will’s words: You will be betrayed by one who calls you friend.

He tried to ignore it. Chiron was right, worrying about it wouldn’t do anybody any good. Instead, Nico threw himself forward and wrapped his arms around Will. “Thank you, Will.”

thanks for reading!

buy me a coffee

[intelligentdumbass]

Just Another Day

“Ah, Persephone!-” Demeter sighed.

“She’ll be fine.” The voice was Hera’s, who approached holding two cups of ambrosia.

“Well yes, but she could’ve at least told me where she was going to run off to.”

Olympus was loud and crowded, slurred laughter echoing across the halls; tables adorned with ambrosia and all sorts of earthly delicacies. The muses danced on gilded floors; their voices accompanied by Apollo’s own and the strings of his golden lyre.

The goddess watched as her daughter walked through the crowd, returning every hello with a greeting of her own, until Hermes swiftly glided into Persephone’s view.

“Looks like somebody’s a little late.”

She stopped, meeting his gaze and smiled. It’s been about two weeks since she’s been able to properly hang out with anyone. “Spring’s a busy season. I didn’t miss anything, did I?”

“Nothing important-” “Oh, but before anything else…” Hermes’ voice dropped into a whisper.

“Oh?” The goddess feigned surprise. “Don’t tell me you did that?”

“Do you want me to?” He raised an eyebrow and laughed, grinning with a certain glint in his eyes. “Your mom told you?”

“Not who it was; said I should find out when they come forward and tell me themselves.” She sighed. “I assume you won’t tell me either.”

“They’re not not not not an Olympian, I’ll give you that.”

“Huh.” Now she was curious, but she didn’t let her sudden interest show. “Anyway, would you at least tell me where the others are?”

“Of course! Right this way my dear asphodel.”

“Wait, there aren’t any mud tracks, right?”

“Yep, no dirt trail in sight!”

The queen curiously eyed her sister as she handed her a drink. “What’s with that smile, Dia Thea?”

“…They grow up rather quickly, don’t they?”

----

Listening to both Phoebus’ and the Muses’ melodies was like watching them paint with all sorts of colors, brushes and techniques that perfectly harmonized into one of the most beautiful murals you’ve ever seen. There was something else that had caught the goddess’ attention however; as she picked up a plate of one of the dishes she wanted to eat.

“Whatcha thinking about, Ares?” Persephone asked.

The god of war blinked. “Just bored. Nothing that interesting has happened yet.”

“Well, I just saw Hermes talking with Eris a few minutes ago but they disappeared before I could get any closer.”

Then someone else sighed, it was Athena.

“Hopefully they’re not planning anything too chaotic.”

Ares scoffed. “The more insane, the better. Every year this celebration’s just father bragging with our uncles and that blonde showing off.” He motions to Apollo who had smuggest look on his face when he nailed that high note.

Persephone took a bite out of her meal. “To be fair, if you had that range you’d show off too.”

He eyed her dish. “What even is that, anyway?”

“Secret.” She grinned. “I’ll tell you this though; some of the seeds in here could easily be very toxic if not handled properly.”

Athena raised an eyebrow. “That’s a little… ominous.”

The earth goddess quickly cleared her plate and placed it back on the table.

“Hey Athena, can I borrow that?” She points at the helmet on top of the war goddess’ head. “Actually, maybe a sword and a spear too.”

“And… why, exactly??”

“I’m bored, and Ares said he’s bored so...” She points the spear Athena summoned for her at her brother’s face. “Come on, first one to get stabbed loses!”

Ares laughed. “Don’t you think that’s a bit much?”

“Fine, first one to trip and fall loses… coward!”

“Look, I don’t want to get skinned alive by your mom! Also, no cheating so no plant powers.”

Athena sighed, again. “At least do this outside.”

----

Hermes leaned against one of the marble columns. “Who do you bet’s gonna mess up first, Pal?”

“Oh Persephone, a hundred percent.”

That answer caught Artemis off guard. “Athena? Siding with Ares??”

“Well no, but he’s still a god of war. Persephone is obviously powerful in her own right, but this is far from her skill-set.”

“What about you goldie?” He managed to place his arm on Apollo’s head as if it was an arm rest while the musician was sitting down on one of the steps.

“Don’t you think that would be cheating if I of all people said something?” The blonde glanced at his brother, his voice dripping with annoyance.

His twin, on the other handed, was confused. “I thought your prophecy powers were extremely unpredictable and usually about really important life-changing stuff?”

“Well…” He muttered. “Sometimes you don’t have to have supernatural foresight to know what’s about to happen.” And she could’ve sworn she even saw him wink.

Her suspicions were further exemplified by that fact that Hermes was somehow… gone. She glanced around, but all she saw were the other half-siblings that had come to watch; not a single Hermes in sight.

Then before she could say anything else, Ares swore and acted like an invisible insect just bit his foot. Persephone used the opportunity swing at his leg with the blunt side of the spear as hard as she could.

Athena wheezed, quickly covering her mouth to try and suppress the laugh. Artemis jumped and a few of the other deities started chuckling too, if not because of Ares, because of Athena’s sudden outburst.

Persephone was just as surprised as everyone else that she actually won, and looked rather smug about it. Meanwhile, Ares got up and glared at the goddess of wisdom. “YOU DID SOMETHING!”

“I can’t believe you actually loss to Persephone… but no, I did not have anything to do with that. I just gave her two weapons and a helmet.”

“Pal isn’t lying, actually.” Apollo smiled innocently. “And neither am I when I say that I was also not the god who did that.”

“So you admit that someone did it?!”

Apollo just shrugs, while Hermes sat beside him with a shit eating grin. Artemis blinked, wondering where he had been, when it suddenly hit her. Ares must’ve came to a similar conclusion too as he soon started glaring at Hermes instead.

Before he could go up and strangle him, Persephone placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Okay wait how about this, since you lost, I just want you to answer this one question and you better answer it honestly.”

She whispered something into his ear.

There was a short moment of silence.

“…Yes.”

Her eyes perked up. “Who-”

“Sorry Perse, you only said I should answer one question. Now if you excuse me-”

And with that Ares ran off, chasing after the brother that immediately started sprinting for his life. Now she was the one that cursed.

“What was the whispering about?” Artemis asked, as Persephone walked back onto the palace’s golden floor.

“Nothing important.”

----

They were back near one of the tables; the goddess of spring holding a cup of nectar. “Where’re the other muses?”

“My sisters?” Calliope glanced around. “We’ve spread out-”

“Hey, guess who’s back!” Hermes popped out of nowhere, now standing in front of them.

Apollo raised an eyebrow. “Where is Ares?”

“Who knows? Not me, and hopefully it stays that way. Also-” “Say Perse… You wouldn’t happen to know who left that trail of mud over there now, would you?” He motioned over to the tiny brown patches on the floor behind her.

She definitely remembered checking to make sure her sandals were dirt free when she stepped back inside. She also couldn’t help but notice a small speck of dirt on the tip his nose. “Nope, I think not.”

“Well…” Apollo raised an eyebrow, flicking off said dirt on his brother’s nose. “Evidence seems to suggest-” “WHAT IN THE NAME OF ZEUS?!”

Hermes suddenly bit his finger, to which the musician promptly retracted his hand and smacked his brother’s face so hard he fell, back-first, onto the ground. Despite the small “O-” “Ow”, the younger god was just laughing his ass off and the two goddesses snickered.

“You okay there buddy?” Persephone outstretched her hand, helping him up, while Calliope wrapped an arm around Apollo’s shoulder, giving him a few pats in case he was thinking about committing homiecide.

Now Hermes was the one that made a face. “Ew, pda.”

In response, the muse chose to wrap an arm around the blonde’s waist and pulled him in even closer.

Persephone smiled; just another day in Olympus.

She missed this.

[flightfoot]

Memories of Godly Selfishness Ch.4

So I meant to get this out by April Fool’s Day. Clearly I missed that deadline. Still, maybe it’s for the best. I ended up having more to say than I thought, and it’s more angsty than funny. 

“Why did I agree to watch this again?”

“Because it’s a marvelous educational film directed by and starring moi.”

Meg stared at me. I relented. “...and because you lost a bet.”

We’d arrived at Camp Half-Blood a few days ago to recuperate and sort out our next move. I’d been delighted to see my children again. If they tell you I blubbered like a baby and couldn’t string three coherent words together though, they’re lying.

The Demeter Cabin welcomed Meg with open arms. She hadn’t had much chance to get to know her siblings due to... ah... circumstances, but from the tears in the corners of her eyes, I could tell she was happy to see her family too.

We’d each sat and ate at our respective tables and got to talking. I’d mentioned to my kids how proud I was of the orientation film I’d made, and how Meg had deprived herself of it. They had some weird screwed-up expressions on their face after I said that, which I still haven’t figured out what they meant. Austin came up with a brilliant idea to get Meg to watch it; have a small capture the flag competition between just the Demeter and Apollo Cabins. If we won, anyone who hadn’t already seen the Orientation film would have to watch it (both cabins insisted on that condition. Apparently both had seen it recently and didn’t want to rewatch it for some reason) while if they won, the Apollo cabin would have to muck out the Pegasus stables.

Naturally we won, because my children are brilliant and wonderful. The Demeter cabin put up a fair fight though. It took me half-an-hour to pick all the burrs out of my hair.

For some reason, the Campers acted like Meg was about to die. They all said that they’d work on making a shroud for her. I still can’t understand why. Sometimes I think I understand demigods, and then they do something like that. Perhaps it’s an inside joke?

In any case, the demigods had helped us set up the viewing equipment and then hastily left before the film could start, leaving just me and Meg.

The movie started with darkness, as all good movies do. A spotlight turned on, illuminating my divine self.

I nearly cried. My long, golden, flowing hair! My cheekbones! My flawless skin! My eight-pack abs! Oh, the cruelty of Zeus knew no bounds! He couldn’t have let me keep my hair at least? The medium-length hair I was now sporting was no good for flipping dramatically, or waving majestically in the breeze! Ah, and that chiton I was wearing. I could never pull it off in my current form, but it showed off my muscular godly thighs so well!

On the screen, I held out a book. I cleared my throat, “A poem by Apollo, recited dramatically by... Apollo:

O Immortal Chiron, Centaur wise and true, Trainer of our heroes, Just remember who taught you. “

Speaking of heroes....

I glanced at Meg, gauging her reaction to seeing my divine self. Her eyes were wide with shock, her mouth slightly agape. “That’s YOU?!” she exclaimed, looking back-and-forth between my appearance on-screen, and now.

“Yes,” I said wistfully. “That’s what I normally look like... mostly. I change things a bit, sometimes appearing older, sometimes younger, changing eye colors and hairstyles too, but that’s a pretty typical look for me.”

She studied me some more, looking less shocked and more inquisitive now. “You look nothing like that now.”

I groaned. “I KNOW.”

She looked back at the screen with some trepidation, as I gave narration. “You’re not gonna bend over, are you? I don’t wanna see your butt.”

I huffed. “I’ll have you know, my butt is perfect.”

“Don’t care, don’t wanna see it.”

I grumbled a little, but secretly I agreed. I’d seen enough of my butt when the gigantic statue of me - with Nero’s face plastered on it - rampaged around Camp Half-Blood.

The next segment started up a few minutes later. This time I was dressed in a glittery suit and my hair was slicked back. An a cappella choir of demigods stood behind me, all dressed in suits. I pointed to the boys and then the girls side, directing them to start singing the background tune I needed. In the present day, I appreciated their ability to harmonize. Clearly none of Hermes’ children were in this segment. I still remembered Cecil’s complete inability to follow rhythm when we needed to appeal the Mama Myrmekes.

After they were properly warmed up, I announced:

“Ladies and Gentlemen... the Lyre Choir!”

As the choir sang a soft, slow background melody, I began singing.

“Marble may be marble-lous,

And wood might be good.

Stone’s a sturdy choice,

for this half-blood neighborhood.

But for my children’s cabin,

I demand something more divine.

so give me precious metal,

and make it GOLD every time!”

I hummed along to the melody. I’d forgotten I’d put in musical segments, but I was glad I did. Nothing could make an educational film entertaining like music!

[Everyone sings]: Gold, gold, gold, gold - there’s nothing quite so bright!

Gold, gold, gold, gold - it reflects Apollo’s might!

I stared at my hands for a moment at that one. I certainly didn’t feel mighty now. And not just because I’d lost my power. I hadn’t been able to protect my children. They’d been kidnapped because of me. Jason had died because of me. The Emperors were still out there, still intent on subjugating all the demigods, like how Nero kidnapped Meg. And Python, my old nemesis, still waited for me, plotting my destruction.

But even if I’d still been a god, what would have changed?

I would have gone after Python, scared as I was of him. I would have defeated him or died trying.

But not much more than that.

Maybe I would have intervened when my own children went missing - if they went missing. That had at least partly been to bait me. I could see leaving a hint to their location, assuming I knew where they were.

I wouldn’t have intervened prior to that. Demigods go missing? Who cares! They go missing or die all the time.

The battle at the Waystation? The struggle against Caligula on the boats? Maybe I would’ve watched. But I wouldn’t have intervened. For all my supposed might, for all the difference in power between my godly self and my mortal self, My mortal self had done more good, made more of a difference than my godly self would have. Just because I was more powerful as a god, didn’t make me mightier.

It reminded me of a story my old friend Aesop told me, about a miser and his gold.

A miser had acquired some gold and buried it in the ground. He visited it for years, digging it up to stare at it and then re-burying it. One day it was stolen. Grief-stricken, the miser cried and wailed, making such a fuss that a traveler stopped by and asked him what was wrong. The miser confessed that someone had stolen the gold he’d hidden. The traveler had asked why he put it in such an inaccessible place, where he’d have difficulty getting it out when he wanted to spend some. The miser, affronted, replied that he’d never even think of spending his gold. At that, the traveler had tossed a stone into the hole, and told him to cover it up, that it had just as much worth to him as the gold he’d lost.

I had not appreciated the moral when I first heard the story. After all, the gold was lustrous and valuable. The stone was not. Even just possessing that gold made the miser feel powerful and rich.

Now I had another view on it. My divinity was like the gold, hidden away, jealously guarded, to be obsessed over, not used. Even as a god, an Olympian, I had done little good for my children, or the people I now counted as my friends. I had power, but I’d hardly used it to help, even when the problems plaguing the demigods were divine in nature, not mortal.

Now... now it was like the gold was stolen, and replaced with a handful of drachma. Not nearly as valuable as the gold, but every piece was actually being used to better the world, instead of being merely stared at.

I was mightier now, as a mortal, than I had ever been as a god, because I was willing to try my hardest to help - something I would either not do as a god, or not do much of.

[Divine!Apollo cuts off the choir, restarting his solo]

Silver suits my sister,

But unattended, it can tarnish.

Roofs of thatch are fine, I guess,

But why not add some varnish?

Vines of wine are creepy,

Meg snorted and rolled her eyes at that one, giving a look as if to say ‘Really? you said that’? Out loud, she said, “Wine isn’t a vine. And grapevines aren’t creepy.”

And abalone smells like fish,

As my divine self continued singing, I replied, “I needed a rhyme. And they are creepy. Why, I remember this one time with Dionysus...”

She shushed me. On the one hand, I was annoyed that she didn’t want to hear my story. On the other hand, it meant that she wanted to hear my singing.

Hah! She could claim she didn’t like my singing as much as she wanted, but I knew the truth.

Red’s too strong a color,

And gray is boring-ish.

That’s why my children’s cabin,

Is made of something more divine.

I’m worth that precious metal -

So make it GOLD every time!

[All] Gold, gold, gold, gold...

I saw Meg mouthing along to the last line. I tactfully did not mention it.

Another segment started up. This time, I wore a white T-shirt, jeans, a leather jacket, and some awesome-looking sunglasses. I lounged on a throne beneath a neon sign proclaiming “Fortunately Apollo’s Here!”

I frowned. What was this segment about?

On-screen, my godly self shouted, “Next!”

A female camper entered and asked, “O, Great Apollo, god of prophecy, tell me, will I ever find love?”

“Find love? I didn’t know it was missing?”

Beside me, I heard Meg groan as she buried her face in her hands.

Meanwhile, I winced at the reminder of my being the god of prophecy... or rather NOT being the god of prophecy.

Back on the film, I cried out, “Next!”

A male camper entered this time.

“O, Great Apollo, god of prophecy, tell me, will I ever be rich?”

“What’s your name, child?”

“Albert, Great Apollo.”

“Well, Albert Greatapollo, I foresee only one way for you to be rich...”

“What is it?”

“Change your name to Richard.”

At that, Meg let out an even LOUDER groan. “You make such dad jokes.”

I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but I had the feeling I’d just been insulted.

A second male camper entered and asked, “O, Great Apollo, god of prophecy, will I ever discover who my godly parent is?”

“Dear child, the answer is right in front of you.”

“Really? Where?”

My divine self stood up and spread his arms, “Right in front of you.”

“I don’t get it. Am I missing a clue?”

“You’re missing a clue alright. One might even call you clueless!”

Meg frowned slightly as the segment ended. “You hadn’t claimed him before that?”

I frowned, hoping I could remember the child. Luckily, my memory felt like cooperating. “I’d claimed him years before that. This was all scripted, he just pretended not to know I was his father.”

Meg nodded, the frown disappearing from her face in favor of a thoughtful expression.

In another segment I jogged backwards across the beach, shooting arrows from my favorite golden bow, campers in full battle gear jogging behind me in military formation. I flashed a blinding smile at the camera as my golden hair flowed behind me. In the present, I bit back a sob.

My godly self began a rousing military chant, the campers repeating each line:

“I don't know but I've been told!”

“We don't know but we've been told!”

“The sun god's got a bow of gold!”

“The sun god's got a bow of gold!”

“He's the best shot in the land!”

“ He's the best shot in the land!”

Suddenly, my godly self tripped and landed on his butt. Meg erupted into giggles. I couldn’t help joining her. At the time it was kinda embarrassing, but with what I’d been dealing with the last few months, I was kinda used to that now. And it WAS pretty funny.

“ Augh!  I've fallen in the sand!”

No longer being able to follow my godly self, the campers improvised, jogging n circles around me instead.

“ Augh! He's fallen in the sand!”

“ I meant to do that, so don't laugh!”

I snorted. Like anyone had actually believed that.

“He meant to do that, so don't laugh!”

My divine self attempted to get back up. Key word being ‘attempted’. He fell back down on his butt.

“Ow! I hurt my godly calf!”

At this point, both Meg and I were guffawing so hard our sides hurt. I couldn’t BELIEVE I left this in, but I was glad I did. I needed a good laugh, even if it was at my own expense.

“Ow! He hurt his godly calf!”

My godly self glowered at the campers and started to glow. The laughter died in my throat. “If you want to live another day ...”

“ If we want to live another day ...”

My godly self glowed brighter. I sat back heavily, mirth forgotten. Meg had also quieted down, choosing to glare at my past self. I joined her. REALLY? There just HAD to be an appearance of stupid murderous Apollo. I highly doubt I would actually have hurt those campers, but THEY didn’t know that, and I wasn’t COMPLETELY sure I wouldn’t have. Gods I was a jerk.

“STOP REPEATING WHAT I SAY!” my divine(ly stupid) self shouted.

“STOP - um... “

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least they knew better than to purposely antagonize my godly self. I really, REALLY wished I could reach through time and smack myself. A lot.

Meg was quiet.

I looked over at her, worried.

"I shouldn't have said those things."

Meg looked back at me. "Yeah. You shouldn't have. It was stupid."

"I won't do it again," I promised.

Meg's face softened slightly. "I know."

New segment, this time with myself as a game show host. I stared longingly at the open shirt, bright gold lamé jacket I wore. Oh how I wished I could wear some of my old attire! Alas, glittery golden lamé anything had fallen out of fashion for some inconceivable reason. I’d tried to convert Meg to the lamé side, but she kept misunderstanding and thinking I was saying “lame”. ...Or she was teasing me. I honestly wasn’t sure at this point.

I (by which I mean my godly self) opened up the segment:

“Welcome to our first annual Camp Half-Blood quiz show! Please give a warm welcome to our contestants. From Athena cabin... Bea Wise! From Ares cabin... Arnold Beefcake! And representing our cloven-hoofed friends... Ferdinand Underwood the satyr!”

Wait, what?

Underwood? Like GROVER Underwood? 

I perked up, listening intently. 

Meg leaned towards and whispered, “Is he related to..?”

I whispered back, “Probably. Shh.”

I was still talking on-screen. “Contestants, you know the rules. I ask a question. If you know the answer, ding your bell. Are you ready?”

Wise tapped her temple. “I think, therefore I am.”

Beefcake flexed. “Do your worst!”

Ferdinand, meanwhile...

“Um, I ate my bell.”

Meg giggled. I smiled. Ah, satyrs and their insatiable appetite. That’s one thing Grover had in common with his maybe-relative!

On-screen, my godly self cried, “Excellent! Then let’s begin. First question. Name the serpent I slayed.”

I sat back and scowled. Really? Did I HAVE to remind myself of Python? It’s not like he occupied my nightmares enough already. Nope. He HAD to crop up during the day too. That serpent, always popping up when he wasn’t wanted. For a moment I fantasized about asking Hephaestus to make some sort of serpent-killing machine. Alas, there was no way it would be that easy.

*Ding ding*

Bea hit her bell. Of course she did. Athena’s kids were usually the most knowledgeable of all the demigods. She had this in the bag... right?

I frowned. That didn’t seem right... I couldn’t think of what happened though. I stopped trying to remember and just watched. It’s not like I’d have to wait long for answers.

“Wise?” my divine self called on her.

 “That’s not a question.”

I snorted. That also wasn’t an answer.

My past self agreed. “Sorry, ‘That’s not a question.” is incorrect.”

“No, wait, I meant-”

*Ding, ding*

“The serpent was Python!” Beefcake declared. 

“Correct!”

Beefcake flashed two thumbs up. “Ayyyyy!”

“Next question-”

Ferdinand chimed in. “So should I just say ding-ding if I know the answer or-”

My godly self ignored him. “Who falsely accused me of flaying him alive after a music contest?” 

Really? WHY would I bring that up? Especially since it was my fault I was ‘falsely accused’ of that anyway. I spread that rumor in the first place! I hadn’t wanted people to think I was ‘soft’. Nowadays I regretted it and had been trying to quash it. 

Ferdinand’s eyes went wide. He withdrew slightly, looking freaked out. Scared.

I felt terrible. I should’ve known that would freak him out. Why did I include that question, KNOWING that I would invite a satyr?

Of course I knew the answer to that. I hadn’t cared. A satyr was scared. So what? Why should I care about his feelings? 

Heck, even AFTER I’d turned mortal, I didn’t care much for a while. I’d freaked out Woodrow. I hadn’t meant to, but me being in his class, playing music, caused him to beg me to not flay him. I’d reassured him at the time that I wouldn’t, but I hadn’t really absorbed WHY he’d been so freaked out. Now I did. I was the satyr’s boogeyman. I didn’t want to be. Not anymore.

What could I do to change that?

Maybe I should ask Grover. I was planning on apologizing to him for that Celedon business anyway. Now I had two more things to add to the list. Ask about Ferdinand so I could apologize to him, and come up with a way to put the satyrs fear of me to rest.

Ferdinand blanched, “Blaa-blaa!”

My godly self ignored Ferdinand’s freak-out. Of course he did. “I’m sorry, ‘Blaa-blaa’ is incorrect. Also, you didn’t ring in. The correct answer is Marsyas the satyr.”

Wise was indignant. “Hang on! I knew that! You didn’t give me a chance to answer!”

“He thought he was so great on those stupid twin pipes, but I sure showed him.”

I glared at my past self, wishing I could shoot lasers from my eyes into the past. Sadly, nothing happened.

Beefcake cheered, “Yeah, you did!”

Wise was annoyed, “I thought you were falsely accused.”

Ferdinand continued freaking out, “Blaa-blaa!”

I felt a pang of guilt. I REALLY hoped this part wasn’t dragged out much longer.

Mercifully, my past self gave me a break. “Final question: Do you know what time it is?”

*Ding-ding*

Wise looked at the sun’s location, clearly using it to tell time. “Two twen-”

“It’s dancing time!”

My godly self ripped off his jacket and shirt and started Hula-hooping.

“Hit it boys!”

Satyrs danced in, flailing ribbon sticks, playing reed pipes, and cavorting around my divine self.

Meg stared at the scene. “This is SO stupid.”

I just grinned. 

Beefcake was thrilled “Oh yeah!” He ripped off his shirt, twirling it in the air. “Now it’s a party!”

Wise rubbed her temples, thoroughly exasperated. I’d seen that same look on Athena’s face several times, along with her descendant’s faces. I had long been convinced that it was as much an Athena trait as overly detailed plans were. “I can’t believe I studied for this.”

“Ding-ding?” Ferdinand chimed in as the segment ended.

“That was awful.”

“Well the style was a little... dated, I admit, and maybe it COULD have been more informative, but...”

“Nope. Don’t try to save it. That was horrible.”

Okay, yeah, I could see where she was coming from. Looking back on it now, it wasn’t really the BEST way to present the info. I winced. Especially since most of it came off as an ego trip for me.

It wasn’t just the style of the video that was outdated anyways. Between Thalia’s tree, the Golden Fleece, all the additional cabins and the new rules regarding gods claiming their kids (I winced slightly, thinking of that one. It REALLY shouldn’t have taken a young demigod FORCING us gods to claim all our children and to give recognition of non-Olympian demigods), the Athena Parthenos, and the Grove of Dodona, there had been a LOT of changes. Not to mention the existence of the Roman camp.

Hmm... if it needs an update...

“Well... when this quest is over, if I survive, why don’t we make a NEW orientation film?”

Meg looked over at me cautiously, though her eyes glinted slightly. “This won’t be an excuse to stroke your ego this time, right?”

“Why, I never!” I cried dramatically, clutching one hand to my chest. “I am the pinnacle of modesty, I would never dream of it!”

Meg giggled. I grinned.

Still smiling, she warned, “I’m not sticking around if you rip off your shirt.”

“But I pull it off so well!”

She stared at me.

“Fiiiiine,” I crossed my arms and pouted. Secretly I was happy we could relax and banter like this. The past few weeks had been stressful. We needed to decompress.

“Maybe we should get everyone’s help with the new video?” Meg suggested.

“I was planning on it,” I replied, slightly more seriously. “Being mortal has shown me that there are some things you don’t realize are important unless you’ve been in that situation. The demigods will probably have a better idea what sorts of things other demigods need to know, the sorts of things they WISH they knew when they started camp.”

Meg nodded.

I grinned, adding, “We’re keeping the Hokey Pokey border song, though.”

She groaned, “It was TERRIBLE, no!”

“Oh, come on! I saw the way you smiled while I and the demigods were singing it. ‘It lets the demigods in! It shuts the monsters out! It keeps the half-bloods safe, but turns mortals all about! It’s Misty, and it’s magic, and it makes me want to shout: the border is all about!”

Meg covered her ears, steadfastly ignoring my existence as we exited the Big House.

A few hours later, I stood near the Woods, watching Grover chat with some dryads. Meg had offered to come with me for this, but I’d turned her down. I wanted to have a private chat with Grover. Besides, I didn’t want to eat into her time with her siblings. She hadn’t gotten to know them very well last time, and I didn’t know how much longer we’d be here this time.

Whatever chat Grover was having with the dryads appeared to be winding down. I approached him.

He turned around. “Apollo? What is it?”

I sucked in a breath and slowly exhaled. No need to be nervous. I was just apologizing to a friend.

“Grover? Can we talk in private? Please?”

He looked confused and a little worried. “Um... okay. Where do you want to go?”

“My kids are all out right now, so we can use the Me cabin... if you’re okay with that.”

Silently he mouthed ‘the me cabin’, looking confused. Realization slowly dawned on his face. “OH. Oh right! That makes sense. Yeah, that’s fine.”

We walked over to the cabins. I fidgeted slightly. Come on, I apologized to Percy, and he’s MUCH more intimidating! This shouldn’t be so hard!

That had been more natural, though. I didn’t have to go out of my way to make it happen.

I closed the door behind us and turned to face Grover. 

“So Apollo, what’s going on?” he asked.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted out. Yeah, that seemed like a good way to start.

He looked confused. “Um, for what?”

I rubbed the back of my head. “You know how I sometimes had flashbacks, re-experiencing the past?”

“Yeaaaah...?”

“Well lately, Meg and I have gotten sucked into flashbacks together, sometimes with others. First time it happened, we were sucked into my memories, and I saw how I acted as a god from an outside perspective. One of the things I saw was that quest I sent you and Percy on. You know, when you got back my Celedon for me?”

“Oh. Oh yeah, I remember that. Heh. It’s only been two years, but so much has happened...”

“Yeah...” they’d been through so much... “so I... just wanted to apologize for... you know... forcing you to go on a quest on your birthday.... and forgetting it was your birthday... and forgetting your name... and threatening to kill you if you damaged my lyre.”

Awkward. This was SO awkward.

He grimaced. “I was scared at the time. I really thought you might incinerate me. That was the WORST birthday I’ve ever had.”

I avoided his eyes, a lump forming in my throat.

“Still,” he continued. “It wasn’t that bad, as far as quests go. At least you made sure to choose people who could definitely do it without dying. And it’s nowhere NEAR the worst thing that a god’s thrown at us.”

“I’m... I’m not going to do that again. It wasn’t right to make you endanger yourselves when I could have done it just as easily. She was my responsibility, not yours. I’m going to try to stop other gods from doing that too. Endangering mortals unnecessarily, I mean. If I can’t stop them, I’ll try to help as much as I can. I... I’m sick of people dying needlessly.”

Grover blinked and studied my face, as if seeing me for the first time.

He exhaled, smiling slightly. “I am too. Thanks.”

I suddenly remembered the other revelations I came to while watching the orientation video. “Do you know where Ferdinand Underwood is? I rewatched the orientation video I made recently. I really freaked him out when I talked about Marsyas, and I wanted to apologize to him too.”

“Oh, uh... he’s not around anymore. Percy, Annabeth, and I stumbled across him years ago. Apparently he’d stumbled into Medusa’s lair and been turned into a statue.”

“My condolences.”

An long pause followed. How do you continue on from that?

Eventually I decided to just plow on through with what I was saying.

“I didn’t flay Marsyas. I just made that up to sound scary. You know that, right?”

“I wondered. After traveling with you for a week, I couldn’t imagine you doing that.”

“I want to put that myth to rest. Stop satyrs from thinking that I’ll skin them if they offend me. And REALLY put it to rest, not the mixed signal thing I was doing before. Will you help me?”

He thought for a minute. “...Okay. I think I know how to do that. We can start now, if you like.”

Now?

“How do you propose I do that?”

He smiled. “Being a Lord of the Wild has privileges. The satyr school is having classes right now. We can talk to the teacher about allowing you to be a guest speaker. I’ll warn you, though. A lot of the kids will probably be scared of you. The Marsyas story is used to warn us about the consequences of getting on the wrong side of a god, starting from an early age. Some of them might freak out a little.”

My chest tightened. For a minute it felt like I was being squeezed by Python. I was used as a warning to kids, to tell them that they had to be good, or else the big, scary god would kill them slowly and painfully. I really WAS the boogeyman. I didn’t like it.

“I don’t... I don’t want to freak them out. I’ve caused them enough distress. Any advice?”

“Be gentle. Don’t get angry or upset. They’ll calm down when they realize that you won’t hurt them. Nowadays, you’re nothing like what we were warned of. They’ll realize that too.”

I breathed out, relaxing slightly. This was fixable. And I could start fixing it NOW, on my own. I could make things better even BEFORE I regained my godhood.

“Thanks.”

As we exited the Me cabin, Grover looked back at me. “I know I didn’t say this before, but... Apollo, you’re a good friend.”

A warmth filled my chest as Grover walked towards the Satyr school. 

‘You’re a good friend.’ 

I never thought those words would matter to me so much.

I’d change things with what little power I had.

I’d do my best.

But I didn’t have to do it alone.

I had friends to help me.

[pocket-luv101]

The Forest of Ash || Chapter 16

Fandom: Servamp Characters: Mahiru, Kuro, Licht, Hyde Pairings: KuroMahi (main), LawLicht (side)

Summary: To stop the never ending winter the gods created, Mahiru entered the Forest of Ash to steal fire and gift it to the humans. When he was caught, he thought that he would be put to death. But Kuro was far from the God of the Dead that he heard stories about. He decided to stay in the Forest of Ash with him. {KuroMahi//Greek Mythology AU}

FFNet || AO3

Ch.1 || Ch.2 || Ch.3 || Ch.4 || Ch.5 || Ch.6 || Ch.7 || Ch.8 || Ch.9 || Ch.10 || Ch.11 || Ch.12 || Ch.13 || Ch.14 || Ch.15 || (Ch.16) || Ch.17 || Ch.18 || Ch.19 || Ch.20

Mahiru's ears were ringing when he woke up. His mind was still fuzzy and he didn't recognize the room he was in. The cobblestone walls didn't help keep the damp room warm and Mahiru shivered. Aside from the pile of hay he was sitting on, the room was sparse. There was a single, small window in the room and he had to stretch to see through it. He was hoping to see where he was but the blinding snowstorm made it near impossible to identify his location. He could hear the sea so he knew he was near the coast.

In the dim light, his ring gleamed and caught his attention. The moment Mahiru saw it, memories of the previous night came back to him. He remembered Tsubaki attacking them and Kuro sending him away. Mahiru's mind immediately began to race. Where were Kuro and Black Cat? Were they safe? A cold chill ran through him at the thought of Kuro being hurt in his fight with Tsubaki. He needed to find them.

He tried to run to the door and leave the room but his foot became caught on an invisible string. Mahiru fell forward and crashed into the ground. He groaned and sat up. He found a string wrapped around his ankle and the other end was bolted to the wall. The string was so thin that it was nearly invisible yet it was incredibly resilient as well. Despite having the strength of a god, Mahiru couldn’t break the string.

He vaguely recalled hearing the siren’s song before he lost consciousness and bit his lip. She was working with Tsubaki so she likely took him to one of his temples or towers. But what worried Mahiru was his foggy memory of the incident. He couldn’t remember what happened after Black Cat took him away from the fight no matter how much he tried. He hoped that Kuro was safe.

Mahiru’s focus was only pulled away from Kuro when the door opened. He saw Tsubaki enter and the room became frigid. He moved away from him to place a safe distance between them. Tsubaki was an Olympian so he had to be wary of his powers. He tried to keep his fear from making his voice shake when he spoke, “Where’s Kuro? I swear, if you hurt him last night, I will never forgive you!”

“You remember the previous night? I thought I sealed that memory away. Manipulating the memories of a god is no easy task but I didn't think you would remember so quickly.” Tsubaki seemed to be mumbling to himself and Mahiru’s brows furrowed together. Why would Tsubaki manipulate his memories? “How boring. Now Sakuya’s gonna be—”

“What did you do to my friend? He has nothing to do with your war or the other Olympians so let him go.” Mahiru snapped. The night was still a blur to him and he hated to think that his human friend was in danger because of him. There was a long pause after Mahiru's outburst and he couldn’t read Tsubaki’s expression. “Whatever you think Kuro did wrong, I can assure you that he didn’t do it. Please, take me to Kuro so the three of us can talk. I’m sure there must be some confusion here.”

“Who are you to demand anything of me?” Tsubaki unsheathed his sword and Mahiru stiffened. He didn't strike him but the silent threat was clear in his action. “You're my prisoner now. If you want to see your husband again, you will take me into the Forest of Ash. Sleepy Ash placed a barrier around his forest to keep me from entering. But you must know a way pass his barrier.”

“I didn't know that Kuro has a barrier around the forest so I can't tell you how to bypass it. Even if I did know how to, I wouldn't tell you! Your siren attacked Black Cat and almost made it destroy the forest. I won't let that happen again. The Forest of Ash is my home.” Mahiru said firmly. “There's nothing you can do to make me turn against Kuro either.”

“How can you stand beside him so faithfully when you don't know a single thing about him? Then again, no one can say they understand what goes on in that head of his. I never expected him to give his fire to such a minor god. But I can see it in your eyes. It irritates me to see that.” He spoke in a low and steady tone but Mahiru could hear the restrained anger in his voice. “He killed a dear friend over fire but he gives it to you like it's nothing.”

Mahiru bit his lip, not knowing if he should tell him the truth. He was certain that Tsubaki would only become angrier if he knew that he originally planned to steal fire and give it to humans. He tried to reason with him, “You cannot reverse death and this war of yours won’t help you move on properly. Kuro told me about your human friend and showed me his journals. He wouldn’t want you to fight with your siblings. Think of how he would feel if he knew that humans are dying in your snowstorm.”

“Don’t speak of him as if you knew him! Sleepy Ash didn’t only kill Sensei but he also damned his soul so that none of us may speak to him again. He never told us why he decided to send his soul to Tartarus. He had no reason to! Sensei was helping people with his experiments.” Tsubaki yelled and his voice became pained. “He allowed Sensei to continue his work for over a hundred years pass his death. I don't understand why he would suddenly…”

“I don’t know either but I’m certain that Kuro has his reasons.” While Mahiru was confused, he didn’t want to doubt Kuro. He recalled the sadness his red eyes held that day in the garden. “He isn’t a cruel god and you should know that as his brother. It’s just hard for him to talk about a friend’s death and he’ll explain his reason eventually.”

“I’ve waited over a thousand years already and I’m not going to wait any longer. I have a right to know.” Tsubaki said calmly. His disinterested tone worried Mahiru more than any crazed screams could. “If you can’t tell me how to enter the forest or where Sensei is, then I will ask Sleepy Ash. I’m certain that he will be more willing to talk to me for his husband’s sake. He should be here soon.”

“Do you think I'll sit here and be your bait? I won’t let you hurt Kuro.” Mahiru burned the string with his fire and sprinted to the open door. He threw embers at Tsubaki’s feet to stop him from blocking the door. The flames staggered him long enough for Mahiru to run out of the room. He slammed the door close and thrust the lock into place. He didn’t know how much it would slow Tsubaki so he had to escape quickly.

“Black Cat! Where are you? Make a sound if you can hear me.” Mahiru called out to the cat as he walked down the hall. No matter the danger, he couldn’t leave without Black Cat. He wanted to yell so Black Cat could hear him easier but he was also worried about one of Tsubaki’s followers finding him and capturing him again. There weren't many places he could hide if someone did come into the dungeon.

He didn’t know where they were keeping Black Cat so he had to look into every room. Each room he found empty made Mahiru's worry grow. He prayed that they hadn't hurt the creature and that it was in the tower. Mahiru reached the end of the hall and swore when he saw that someone was coming down the stairs. He couldn't hide or run back. Behind him, he heard Tsubaki laugh.

“Did you think you could escape so easily?” Tsubaki laughed. Mahiru turned to face him reluctantly. He knew that he couldn't defeat an Olympian and his followers by himself but he didn't want to simply give up either. “Return to your room peacefully and we won't hurt you.”

“Threatening me won't work. I don't care what you do to me. I'm going to try to escape again and again so it's simpler for you to let me go. Your extreme methods aren't the right way to get what you want.” He said. He doubted that Tsubaki would be swayed by his words though. Mahiru created a ring of fire around him and heated the hall so he couldn't attack him with his ice or snow.

Then he summoned a stream of fire and aimed it at Tsubaki. The Olympian barely regarded his attack and took out something from behind him. Mahiru stopped his attack when he saw that it was Black Cat. Tsubaki grinned at him and said, “How about I make you a new deal? Return to your room peacefully and I won't hurt your little friend.”

Mahiru bit his lip because he knew that he didn't have a choice in this situation. He glared at Tsubaki but he released his fire and let it dwindle. While Tsubaki grinned triumphantly, Mahiru was far from defeated. He kept his feet stubbornly in place and said, “Put down Black Cat and let him come to me. I want to make sure that this isn't a trick.”

Tsubaki shrugged and placed it on the ground. The cat immediately scurried into Mahiru's waiting arms and he hugged it tightly. He ran his hand over its head and he was glad that it didn't seem to be injured. He loosened his grip after a moment but held it securely in his arms. Mahiru looked around him and saw that several of Tsubaki's followers were behind him now. It would be difficult to escape and Black Cat was still weak so Mahiru hesitantly walked to Tsubaki.

“Swear to me that nothing will happen to Black Cat or Kuro if I cooperate.” He demanded and Tsubaki didn't answer him. Instead, he gestured for him to walk back to the dungeon. He sighed and dragged his feet down the hall. His only comfort was that he had Black Cat with him. Mahiru would have to wait until his next opportunity to escape.

“Let go of me, Lily! I need to go and save Mahiru. My wounds have healed enough for me to fight.” Kuro argued with his brother who was frantically trying to keep him from leaving the temple. One of Tsubaki's followers arrived with a message. He told him that they had captured Mahiru.

“You need to think things through before you face Tsubaki. This is obviously a trap.” Lily tried to dissuade him from leaving again. He understood Kuro’s worries but he was acutely aware of the danger. “His tower is on an island and crossing the sea in this snowstorm is difficult. Even if you had Black Cat with you and you could ride your chariot, it would still be dangerous.”

“I know but I'll take that risk if it means I can save Mahiru!” Kuro yelled. It was so rare to hear him shout that Lily was taken aback. When Kuro tried to leave last night, desperation and worry fuelled him. Now, there was only determination and love behind his actions. “I’m the reason Tsubaki started this war and I can’t let Mahiru get caught up in my fight. You can’t stop me from going.”

“… Okay.” Lily relented. “As the God of Love, I will support you two. But as your brother, I will help you. It’s dangerous for you to sail in the winter but I might be able to open a portal to take you directly to Mahiru. I need something you both cherish that connects you two. If it holds a special memory for you, it would make the portal stronger as well.”

Kuro instinctively looked down at his wedding ring on his finger. He brushed his thumb over the flower engraved in the gold. He remembered sitting beside the fountain and Mahiru giving him the flower ring. Did he love Mahiru then without even realizing it? No matter when he fell in love with him, he was determined to protect him. “Do you think our rings would be enough?”

“Let’s try. Place your hand against the wall and I’ll make an opening.” Lily instructed and Kuro nodded. When he put his palm against the wall, his brother placed his hand next to his. Kuro could feel his power flow through his ring and he waited impatiently for the portal to open. The wall began to crack and he became hopeful for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Kuro. I can’t make the portal any larger than this. The shield around Tsubaki's tower is too strong for me to break through. I was hoping that this would work.” Lily said apologetically.

“Don’t make that face, Lily. Thank you for trying to help me but it looks like I’ll have to play Tsubaki’s games if I want to get Mahiru back.” Kuro was about to take his hand off the wall but then he heard a voice travel through the crack in the wall.

“Kuro, is that you?” His heart leapt when he recognized Mahiru’s voice. “Where are you? I can hear you but I can’t see you."

“Mahiru! I’m in Iolcus but Lily opened a small portal for us.” Kuro rushed to explain. “Please tell me that Tsubaki hasn’t hurt you. Are you okay? Dear gods, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault that you were captured. I should’ve never sent you away like that. Now you’re in danger because of me. If I knew that his followers were waiting to ambush you, I would’ve stayed with you and protected you.”

“Kuro,” Mahiru said his name in a soft voice. Hearing the immense kindness and warmth in that one word was enough to calm Kuro. “It’s okay, you couldn’t have known. I’m just glad to hear your voice again and know that you’re safe. I was worrying myself to death thinking that you were hurt.”

“You’re the one trapped in a tower by my crazy brother yet you were worried about me? You really are something, Mahiru.” Kuro shook his head but he also had to smile wearily. That kind nature and quiet strength was so much like Mahiru. He kept his hand against the wall and leaned next to the crack. He was emotionally and physically exhausted but hearing his voice helped. “Is Black Cat there with you?”

“Yeah, but Black Cat is sleeping right now. The poor thing must be tired after everything that happened. I’m glad I have him with me right now.” Mahiru told him. "I tried to escape but Tsubaki threatened to hurt him when I did that. I told your brother I would cooperate if he promised not to hurt you two. But I doubt he’ll keep his end of the deal. I'll try again when Black Cat is better."

"Are you crazy, Mahiru? Don't put yourself in danger when you don't need to. I'm going to save you so just wait for me." He begged him. On the other side, Mahiru was silent. He wouldn't lie to him when they both knew that it wasn't in his nature to sit idly by when people he loved were in danger. "At least promise me you'll be careful and protect yourself. I'll find a way to cross the sea and reach you."

"Not if I escape and find you first." He laughed despite the situation they were in. Truthfully, Mahiru was scared but hearing Kuro's voice gave him courage. He truly believed that Kuro would come and rescue him but he also knew that Tsubaki likely had a trap for him. Mahiru traced his hand over the crack that had formed in the wall. If only he could break through the barrier and reach Kuro. While his voice comforted him, he would rather have Kuro in front of him so he could hold him.

"Kuro, can you stay and talk to me a little longer? I… I miss you, Kuro." Mahiru didn't want to worry him but he had to be honest with him. "You probably think I'm being silly. It hasn't even been a full day since I last saw you yet… I really want to see you again."

"I miss you too, Mahiru. I'm going to save you as quickly as I can." A part of Kuro wanted to leave immediately to save him but he could hear how lonely Mahiru was from his voice. If talking to him a little longer was what Mahiru wanted, he would stay as long as he needed him. He also knew that he continued to talk to him because he wanted to hear his voice too. Kuro didn't know he could miss someone as much as he missed Mahiru now.

Mahiru stood on his toes and stretched to reach the small window again. Black Cat was balanced on his head and it whimpered unhappily at his plan. The gaps between the bars were too small for either of them to climb through. He gripped the bars and used his fire to heat them. Once the metal became hot enough, Mahiru bent the bars apart so a small cat could crawl through.

"Go, Black Cat." He urged it in a hushed voice. Mahiru was worried that the guards outside might overhear him and try to take the cat away from him. He reached up and petted Black Cat gently. "Transform into a crow and fly to Kuro. He'll be able to cross the sea easier if he uses his chariot. I'll be safe here on my own so don't worry."

The cat climbed onto the window ledge but it hesitated to leave him. Mahiru knew the worries and thoughts that were likely crossing its mind. He had those same thoughts when Kuro tried to make him leave the previous night. He understood that Kuro was only trying to protect him now, even as it hurt him. He tried to reassure it. "We're going to see each other again, Black Cat. Now go and help Kuro before Tsubaki or one of his followers comes in to check on us."

It nodded and transformed into a bird. With a heavy heart, he watched Black Cat leave until it disappeared among the falling snow. Mahiru used his fire to return the bars to how they were before so Tsubaki wouldn't become suspicious. Next, Mahiru created a small, black cloud in the shape of a cat. He needed to keep Tsubaki from discovering that Black Cat was gone.

He began to pace around the room and started to think of how to break out. Now that Black Cat was safe and he knew that Kuro was on his way, he was more determined to escape. Mahiru walked to the door and pressed his ear against it. He could hear people outside his room so he knew that he couldn't simply break through the door. Tsubaki's followers would immediately see him and overpower him. He doubted he could trick them into opening the door for him as well.

He walked back to the window to think of a plan. The door opened and Mahiru expected to see Tsubaki in the doorway. So, he was shocked to see that it was Sakuya instead. He crossed the room and threw his arms around his friend. "Sakuya, what are you doing here? Did Tsubaki's followers capture you last night too? I can't remember what happened clearly but I'm sorry you got involved in this. Don't worry, Kuro's coming to save us."

"Mahiru, you can't trust him." He was confused by his words. Furthermore, Sakuya closed the door so they were locked in the room.

"What are you doing, Sakuya?" Mahiru moved around him and tried to force the door open again. He could hear whispers on the other side but it was difficult to make out what they were saying. More questions rose in his mind as he turned to Sakuya. "We need to get out of this tower and find a way to tell Kuro that we escaped. His chariot should be big enough to carry everyone."

"I'm sorry," Sakuya whispered and the words sparked a memory in Mahiru. He heard him say the same thing before the siren appeared and… His brown eyes widened and he took a sharp step away from his friend. He shook his head and he wished he could deny the facts in front of him.

"You were there last night. I let down my guard because of you and she was able to use her lyre on me. Please tell that wasn't intentional, Sakuya." Mahiru begged but his answer was silence. The way Sakuya wouldn't meet his eyes told him the truth though. "You're one of his followers. You gave me that lantern and it summoned Tsubaki. Why would you help him?"

"Because he never lied to me the way you have! I didn't want to hurt you, Mahiru. You're my best friend. If you just used that lantern on Sleepy Ash like I told you to then everything would've went as planned. Tsubaki would've seen what Sleepy Ash did with Sensei's soul and he wouldn't have had to capture you like this. I didn't want this to happen."

"Are you angry that I lied about being a human when we first met? I thought you understood that I didn't want any of you to treat any differently." Mahiru argued. He always thought that Sakuya knew a lot of the god's secrets and he realized that Tsubaki must've told him. "Even if you are angry with me and you're Tsubaki's follower, you must see that this war is wrong."

"I'm not angry with that lie. Do you honestly think I believe your story that you feel in love with the God of the Dead? You're my best friend and I know you wouldn't fall in love with someone you barely know. That's not simple at all. Look me in the eyes and tell me you love Sleepy Ash." Sakuya demanded.

"I…" Mahiru closed his eyes and pictured Kuro in front of him. His heart swelled when he thought of him and the memories they shared. At the same time, his heart tightened painfully because he missed him so much. The feelings he felt contradicted each other but they were becoming clearer. He opened his eyes and met Sakuya's gaze. "You're right, I didn't fall in love with him when I first met him. I always thought he was a good person but, the more time I spent with him, my feelings changed. I love Kuro."

The words were easier to say than Mahiru thought they would be. "He's like the moon to me. I can see that he's lonely and he has his faults but I know he'll always there for me. Kuro's kind, considerate and I love him. Even though he's lazy beyond belief sometimes, when it really matters, he tries his best. I want to see him again so I can tell him how I feel. Please, Sakuya, help me?"

"I can't betray, Tsubaki. I'm sorry." Sakuya said in a small voice before he left the room.

Mahiru looked out the small window to the moon. It was late but he couldn't sleep. He wondered if Kuro was looking at the moon as well or if he was still trying to find a way to cross the sea safely. His conversation with Sakuya made him realize that he was in love with Kuro. He missed Kuro and he hoped that he was safe. Have Black Cat reached him yet?

"I miss you, Kuro." He whispered even though he knew that his voice couldn't reach Kuro. Mahiru sighed and folded his hands together to pray. He didn't have an offering to give so it was unlikely his prayer would reach him. "Please be safe tonight, Kuro. I wish you were here but don't come rushing into a trap. I lo— I have something important to tell you when we see each other again."

When he was finished, Mahiru sat on the hay. He doubted he would be able to sleep well with all the thoughts and worries weighing on his mind. He leaned against the wall and felt a small breeze on his cheek. Mahiru touched the crack that formed when Lily tried to open a portal from Iolcus to the temple. While he couldn’t break through Tsubaki’s barrier, the spell had damaged the wall. He could use the crack to escape.

Mahiru created a cloud in the crack and then expanded it to force the door open. The wall held strong but he refused to give up. He closed his eyes and let the fire flow from his soul to the stone wall. After he charred the wall, he used his cloud to force the gap to be larger. He repeated the process until he thought the wall was weak enough for him to break through. He punched the crack and the wall crumbled with little resistance.

On the other side of the wall was an empty room and the door was slightly ajar. Excitement and relief filled him but he knew he couldn’t stay long. The sound would draw the guards. He ran out to the hall and towards the stairway he saw earlier. He dashed up the stairs, taking the steps two at the time so he could reach the top quicker. He didn’t know what he would do when he reached the top though. He didn’t have a way to cross the sea to Kuro. Yet, Mahiru knew he needed to escape the tower so they couldn’t use him as bait for a trap.

He almost slipped on the steps when they became coated with ice. Mahiru caught himself on the handrail. He looked behind him. However, it didn't seem like Tsubaki was chasing him. Most likely, he knew that he escaped but didn't know where he was yet. He used his fire to melt the ice and continued up the stairs as quickly as he could.

He reached the room at the top of the tower yet the threat was still nipping on his heel. As long as he was in the tower, Tsubaki could easily capture him again. Mahiru climbed out the window and created a cloud to catch him when he jumped out. He raised the cloud until he was able to clamber onto the roof.

Mahiru let out the breath he was holding once he was on solid ground again. While he was exhausted, he knew that he couldn't relax yet. The sea tossed and turned because of the storm so it would be dangerous for even an Olympian to venture. He needed to find a way to tell Kuro that he escaped Tsubaki's tower as well. Mahiru looked up at the moon and an idea came to him.

He raised his hands to the sky and gathered his fire high above the tower. Mahiru shaped his flame into a sun and he made it grow steadily. Soon, his sun quelled the winter around them. He tried to keep his breathing even and he was careful not to use too much of his power. The chilly wind died and the sea became calm.

He didn't know how long he could hold the sun's shape so he hoped that Kuro would come soon. He watched the horizon and bit his lip. A white streak moved in the distance like moondust falling from the sky. As it came closer to him, he realized that it was Kuro riding his chariot. Mahiru was so happy to see Kuro that he forgot his fear of horses and chariots. He hurried to the edge of the tower to see him better. His body was beginning to falter but he made sure not to let his sun dwindle.

Mahiru guessed Tsubaki and his followers were occupied with searching for him so they didn't notice Kuro's arrival. They needed to leave quickly before Tsubaki realized that Kuro was on the island. Kuro stopped his chariot at the base of the tower directly under him. He looked up at him and called. "Stay right there, Mahiru. I'll get you."

"There's no time for that!" Mahiru called down. He gathered his courage and then jumped off the roof, trusting that Kuro would save him before he could be hurt. Kuro saw him fall and his heart stopped in fear. His body moved instinctively even as his mind was trying to process the sight. He stopped under Mahiru and caught him in his arms. He felt his soft warmth in his arms and hugged him against his chest. Mahiru wrapped his arms around his neck and held onto his desperately.

They stayed in each other's embrace, needing to reassure themselves that the other was safe. Mahiru didn't want to leave his arms and pressed his face into his neck. His breath brushed his skin as he whispered, "I have something I need to tell you, Kuro. I—"

"It's okay, Mahiru. You need your rest after creating that sun. I'll take you back to Iolcus where it's safe." Kuro kept him in his arms as he climbed onto the chariot. He set it into motion and the rocking of the chariot lulled Mahiru to sleep. He kissed his brown hair and said, "You can tell me when we get home. Sleep for now."

Mahiru fell asleep before he could tell him that he was already home in his arms.

12:15 am... I really wanted to post this on Valentines Day but oh well.