Chapter Text
*~Percy~*
It had been two years since the war against Gaea ended. Two years since the quest across Greece and Rome with the seven. Two years since Tartarus.
I liked to think I’d been recovering well. Focusing more on my relationship with Annabeth, spending more time with my mom and Paul, checking in on camp every so often.
I’d even started travelling again, although I never went more than a day’s drive away from Manhattan since Annabeth couldn’t come with me. She needed to stay near the Empire State Building so she could focus on her job as Olympus’ head architect. In short, things had been going okay.
So naturally something had to go wrong.
I was still plagued by nightmares of things I'd seen over the past eight or so years but I had enough things in my waking life to keep me occupied so I didn’t dwell on them. One of those things was planning my proposal.
I sent Annabeth an Iris Message last night telling her I’d swing by this afternoon to pick her up for a date, when in reality, I’d been on Olympus all morning visiting a few gods who were helping with some of the details for my plan. I was just now leaving Hephaestus’ palace, who had made the ring for me, exactly to my design. An ornate coral band with a silver owl set into the top. The owl’s eyes were two diamonds and just to be extra cheesy, the band had an engraving inside that read ‘WG + SB forever.’
I’d also enlisted Aphrodite for her help with clothes, Persephone (who was staying at her mother’s palace for her six months on the surface) for her help with flowers, and Hestia for a much needed pep talk to calm my nerves.
I ran through what I wanted to say when I popped the question as I slowly drew closer to Annabeth’s Olympus residence. When I made it to the door, I let myself in, still trying to flatten my messy hair. I was just about to call out and let her know I’d arrived when I heard frantic movement and fabric rustling from just around the corner where I knew the sitting room was.
As I rounded the doorway, I found two figures sitting half-naked on my girlfriend’s sofa, scrambling to cover themselves with blankets. My heart dropped straight into Tartarus. Annabeth’s stormy-grey eyes went wide as the colour rapidly drained from her face. My ears rang. My vision tunneled. My whole world collapsed.
Annabeth’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly for a moment before she stammered. “Percy—wait, this isn’t—I swear it’s not—”
I dropped the flowers on the coffee table. The ring box followed a moment later, lid cracking under the force of my hand as I slammed it down. I took malicious pride in the way she cringed and paled further as she pieced together what was in the box.
“Okay,” I said quietly. My voice sounded calm. Cold. Like someone else’s. “Choice made.”
“Wait—Percy, please listen—I didn’t—”
I was already walking out the door.
***
I spent the next hour walking around in a daze, barely noticing the ground rumbling with my every step or the clouds darkening overhead. My mind was torturing me with flashes of memory, reminding me of all the things Annabeth and I had been through.
When I came to a stop in a small garden near the edge of the city, I was hit with a memory of the sight when I walked into her house. Their flushed faces, wide eyes, still semi-tangled limbs. My breathing turned ragged as the shaking in the ground increased—building, growing—until the quake hit something like a 10.0 magnitude. It was accompanied by a loud clap of rolling thunder above my head.
I forced myself to calm. I didn’t want anyone else to face the consequences of my rage and grief. Thankfully everything on Olympus was made of sturdy stuff. I needed to breathe. I needed to calm down. I needed… I needed a hug.
Turning away from the peaceful garden, I made my way to Hestia’s palace.
Well, calling it a ‘palace’ is generous. It’s really more of a cozy log cabin since Hestia didn’t really do ‘austere.’
It was about the size of a 4 bedroom house with a cute little kitchen, big fireplace and plush furniture. She decorated it mostly with gifts she’d received from her family, as well as a few things she had been given as offerings from demigods. Her home was one of my favourite places on the mountain. With its welcoming atmosphere, kind goddess and warm hearth, it was exactly what I needed right then.
The door opened only a few seconds after I knocked. Hestia swung the door open, bustled me inside and soon had me nestled in a blanket in front of the hearth with a cup of tea in hand and her arms around me. I stared blankly into the flames as she carded her fingers through my hair.
“Do you want to tell me what happened, dear one? I was expecting you to come back later tonight or tomorrow with good news but I fear everyone on the mountain felt your rage.”
I sluggishly dragged my eyes up to meet hers, feeling tears well up behind them. I couldn’t bring myself to say it. If I said it, it became real. But I knew I had to.
“I uh- after I picked up the ring from Hephaestus, I went to her place. I let her know last night what time I was coming by to pick her up for our date. I was a couple minutes early but I figured it wasn’t a big deal. When I walked in, I heard something from the sitting room just inside the door. S-she had… company…” I relayed in a shaky voice.
“Company? She knew you were coming though?”
“Uh yeah… the half-naked, sweaty kind of company. She was cheating on me.” Hestia sucked in a sharp breath as I trailed off. We sat in silence for a few moments as I let my aunt process what I’d said.
“Auntie…” I quietly called after a minute, earning a gentle hum in response. “The girl I’ve had a crush on since I was 14. The girl I turned down godhood for, who I fell into Tartarus for. She cheated on me. Auntie, why would she do that? What did I do wrong?”
I was crying my eyes out at this point, a pleading expression on my face as I desperately begged her for any kind of answer. “Auntie, why does everything I work toward hurt me so much in the end?”
For the next couple hours, Hestia comforted me, covering me in her calming aura as she held me and whispered reassurances that I’d done nothing wrong and it wasn’t my fault. By the end, I was still shaking slightly and letting out the occasional sob when we were interrupted by a gentle knock at the door. I looked up at Hestia in time to see her eyes flash, checking to see who it was.
“It’s your father, sweetheart, would you like me to invite him in? Or shall I send him away? Your choice.”
I considered for a moment before telling her to let him in. I figured he was coming to find the source of the sudden earthquake and storm. As my dad stepped into the room, the calming warmth of Hestia’s hearth mixed with the cool comfort of my dad’s sea breeze, easing my mind a little more. He took one look at me before materialising next to me and engulfing me in his crushing embrace. I could tell by his and Hestia’s rapidly changing expressions that she was telepathically filling him in on what had happened. I curled into my father’s hug as I felt him tense in anger.
“Dad, I know what you’re thinking. No matter how angry you are, I don’t want you doing anything to her.” My father froze, looking down at me with a conflicted expression as I lifted my head and sternly met his gaze. “You do nothing. Understand? I may be angry and hurt and I may not love her anymore. But that doesn’t mean I hate her. I certainly don’t wish your wrath upon her.”
He studied me for a moment, searching my gaze for something I didn’t have the mental capacity to figure out, before slumping his shoulders and nodding. I breathed a sigh of relief, shooting him a hesitant smile. I extricated myself from his hug before moving to stand.
“I think I’m gonna go home and spend some time with my mom. Thank you guys for being there for me. Although can I ask for a favour please?”
“Of course,” they both said at once.
“I know you have a council meeting tomorrow and people are gonna ask about the earthquake and stuff, do you mind covering for me? If everyone finds out it was me they’re gonna ask a bunch of questions I’m not ready to handle yet.”
My father smiled at me. “Sure, son, I’ll claim it was my own. Although, a 10.0, huh? That’s gotta be a new record for you.”
I smiled sheepishly, ducking my head, causing the two of them to chuckle. “Go see your mother, take some time to process, dear one,” Hestia urged. I waved to the two of them, leaving my aunt’s home and heading towards the elevator down to the mortal world.
*~Two months later~*
It had been a couple months since I walked in on Annabeth and her new boy toy. I ended up making a request to Iris the next day asking her to block any incoming calls from her which was thankfully accepted. That, or she just hadn’t bothered to contact me.
The weeks since then were spent not doing much of anything. With the exception of a couple forays out to go monster hunting so I could blow off some steam, I mostly just sat at my mom’s place, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
I could tell my mom and Paul were getting worried about me. I’d given them a brief recounting of what had happened that day but couldn’t bring myself to go into much detail.
Anyways, I was spending my day like most other days recently, wasting away in my bed, when I was shaken out of my reminiscing by a knock at the front door. I heard my stepdad answer it and begin chatting with whoever was there before inviting them in and – judging by their approaching voices – leading them down the hall towards my room.
When Paul knocked on my door and opened it, I was met with the sight of three goddesses. That’s not a weird way of saying there were three beautiful women. I mean actual goddesses. Standing in my room. Wanting to talk to me. Why? I had no idea.
“Er- Hello?” I said uncertainly, standing up and gesturing for them to sit down while fetching my desk chair for me.
Hestia, Hera and Amphitrite stepped gracefully into my room and sat next to each other on the edge of my bed.
Now, Hestia wasn’t exactly a rare presence in our apartment. She’d occasionally come over to have dinner or do some baking with my mom. Amphitrite was another one who had come by a couple times; she and I had grown closer since the end of the war to the point she considered me her own son, alongside Poseidon. But Hera… well.
I honestly thought she hated me, so seeing her here was quite the surprise.
“Um before you start with whatever you came here to talk about, I just wanted to say something,” I said, taking this opportunity to do something I’d been meaning to for years. The three of them looked at me curiously until my attention zeroed in on the Queen of the gods.
“Lady Hera… I owe you an apology for what I said after my labyrinth quest. I was young, naïve and impulsive and I didn’t have a very good understanding of how things worked in our world yet. I didn’t actually agree with most of the things Annabeth was saying but at the time, she was my friend, so I was trying to direct your anger towards me instead of her. But regardless, I went about it in a poor way and wanted to take this opportunity to apologise for my rudeness.”
I could see Hestia and Amphitrite looking at me with expressions of fondness and pride in my peripheral vision but I ignored them for the moment, focusing on the Queen and offering as much sincerity as I could.
Hera’s eyes widened as I spoke before she allowed a kind smile on her face. “Thank you, nephew. Although that’s not the reason I’m here, your apology is both appreciated and accepted. In truth, I could tell you were trying to protect her, something I respect, and I recognize that my own words that day were rather… unsavory, as well. Besides, it was never you I was angry at, it was the arrogant Athena-spawn who led the quest.”
I nodded, offering her a small smile but remaining quiet as Amphitrite spoke up. “Now, I imagine you’re wondering why we’re here, little one?”
“Kinda, definitely wasn’t expecting a triple divine visit today,” I joked, blushing slightly at the nickname. I was not little. Amphitrite smirked before turning serious.
“We’re here because you need to get your shit together.”
“W-what?” I asked, baffled as I watched the other two goddesses nod sagely.
“Percy, you’ve been wasting away in this room for weeks. I understand you’re hurt and need time to pick yourself back up, but this is not the way to go about healing. You had just barely made a start on healing and recovering from everything you went through during the two wars and then you had this relationship debacle piled on top.” My stepmother wore a kind, sympathetic smile on her face as she spoke.
I knew she was right. I knew I needed to get out there and do something, something that would give me a purpose again. I just didn’t know what that would be. My expression turned helpless.
“But… ever since the war ended, I haven’t known how to adjust back to normal life. I have nothing weighing me down anymore, no imminent battles, no quests, no prophecies. Fates, not even a relationship. I have so much newfound freedom now and have no idea what to use it for.”
“It’s simple really,” Hestia interjected with a cheerful grin. “Do what you do best.”
“Oh, yeah?” I replied morosely, disheartened slightly by the generic answer as my gaze fell to the floor. “What’s that—wrecking buildings? Summoning hurricanes? Letting people down?”
I was startled out of my spiralling thoughts as Hera leaned forward and scuffed me on the side of the head. “Enough of that! Honestly, child. Do you really think the entire Olympian council would hold you in such high regard if that was all you amounted to? Khaos, even Ares respects you.” She said with an exasperated eyeroll.
That brought me up short. “Wait, what? I thought they hated me, Ares especially.”
All three scoffed in amusement as Hera continued sarcastically. “Yeah, sure he does. That’s why Ares raves about you almost as much as he does for his daughter. You’re a strong warrior who doesn’t take grief from anyone and you look after the people in your ‘command.’ Those are all things Ares admires greatly. Actually, now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure Ares was looking for you the other day, something about wanting to remove a curse and have a spar.”
Amphitrite’s head snapped towards the Queen, smiling sweetly and speaking through tightly gritted teeth. “I’m sorry, what’s this about a curse?”
Realising her mistake, Hera studiously avoided her gaze until I (bravely) decided to explain. “Uh, yeah, it was after I beat him on the beach when I was 12. Something about ‘when I raise my sword in battle, whenever I hope for success, my blade will fail me.’ Fortunately, it only triggered twice. Unfortunately, both times were… pretty bad.”
All three goddesses were staring at me in shock. “You’re saying,” Hestia whispered. “You’ve fought through two whole wars, two great prophecies, with a curse hanging over your head that affected your ability to fight? And you just… never mentioned it? Any one of my siblings or I could have broken it years ago.”
“Well, yeah. I mean, I kinda understood his anger when he cursed me. I pulled off a win that was pretty cheap. Plus, he was already going to be in trouble for being manipulated by the Titan lord, I didn’t want to make it worse by having Dad hound him for cursing me.”
It was quiet for a long while before Hera looked up from where she’d been studying the floor. Her expression was marred by guilt and shame for her son’s actions.
“Who was it?” She asked, elaborating when she saw my questioning expression. “Who were you fighting when it affected you?”
I grimaced. “Ah, well… the first time it was Atlas. When we went to save Artemis from under the sky. My sword arm just randomly got really heavy, to the point I could barely lift it until I dropped my sword. That’s when I decided I’d be no use to the fight. Rather than keep trying, I chose to take the sky from Artemis and let her fight.”
The goddesses all gasped. “And the other?” Amphitrite questioned weakly.
I swallowed thickly, looking down at my hands before uttering in a small voice. “Tartarus.” The three of them blanched. It appeared as though nobody, even the gods, liked thinking about the Pit.
“Which monster?”
“Not a monster, Amphy. Him. Tartarus. He appeared before us right after we made it to the doors. My sword just… fell to the ground, right out of my hand.”
I looked up into three pale, teary faces. They just sat there, watching me sadly for minutes on end, as though worried I’d disappear from right in front of them. I cleared my throat. “Anyway, we got a little off track. This was supposed to be an intervention, not trauma therapy. So what is it that I supposedly do best? Besides derailing conversations?”
Hestia laughed wetly, gingerly wiping her tears. “Oh, nephew. You make people happy. You act as a safe place for people to go to and rely on when they feel lost. You help and protect and guide those who need it, when they need it,” she praised, making me blush and duck my head shyly.
“I certainly try, yeah.”
“That’s why we’re here, nephew,” Hera explained. “We wish to give you the tools to help you continue doing so in a productive way. By helping demigods in need.”
Based on the way all three goddesses laughed, my expression must have been absolutely comical as I radiated confusion.
“Here,” Amphitrite offered with a kind smile, placing a hand on my knee. “I, Amphitrite, Queen of the seas, give Perseus Jackson my blessing.” My body glowed with a faint, sea green light.
Before I could react beyond gaping in shock, Hera reached forward and placed her hand where Amphitrites had been.
“I, Hera, Queen of the gods, give Perseus Jackson my blessing.” My eyebrows had definitely reached my hairline by now. The two queens turned to look at Hestia expectantly as the soft brown glow from Hera’s blessing faded, but the Hearth goddess was sitting silently, studying me with an unreadable expression.
“Hmm… I had planned on giving you a blessing as well, but now that I think about it, I’m not sure that’s the right move.” The other two exchanged a quizzical look as I just smiled at Hestia with an understanding nod. If she didn’t want to give me a blessing, that was okay, I already felt that the two I’d received were way more than needed. Before I could tell her that, however, she rose from her seat and continued, wrapping me up in a hug.
“So how about this instead. I, Hestia, goddess of the Hearth, home and family, name Perseus Jackson as my first ever Champion as well as the Divine Guide to the Lost.”
A soft, golden-red light flooded the room. It seemed to flow into me, sending a rush of heat coursing through my veins.
As she stepped away I saw the stunned expression that Amphitrite and Hera were wearing and I was sure it was mirrored on my own face. Hestia herself just watched me calmly with a satisfied and, dare I say, smug smile on her face.
“Sister, are you sure? You’ve never chosen a champion before,” Hera pointed out.
“Well, of course I’m sure! Can you think of anyone better? Anyone who aligns with my philosophies more than Percy, here? Ever since I met him, he’s always been the perfect gentleman, he’s kind, fair, respectful when it’s deserved, generous, forgiving, unfailingly loyal and the most incredible hero I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.” She was ranting by this point, a cross expression on her face. “Do you disagree?”
“Well… I suppose not. I’m just surprised, that's all.”
“Uhm- sorry,” I cut in, drawing their attention back to me and trying to ignore the intense blush that was surely gracing my cheeks at Hestia’s words. “Look, I’m beyond honoured and grateful for what you’ve done, it’s way more than I could ever ask for, but I’m a little confused. I don’t fully get what having your blessings or being your champion means. And what does ‘Divine Guide to the Lost’ mean?”
It was Amphitrite who answered me first, speaking through a sheepish smile that was somewhat matched by the other two. “Too many demigods are dying before they reach safety, or they get stuck in terrible home situations with no escape.”
“So we devised a new role in our pantheon that is intended to change that. A role we hope that you can fill,” Hera added.
Hestia squeezed my shoulder. “You will find the lost, Percy—both items and people—and help them find their way home. Just as you’ve done since you were 12 and were sent to find the Master Bolt.”
I stared at them, unsure how to react. “So… I’m like a demigod search-and-rescue, now? Or a lost and found office?”
The goddesses chuckled. “Something like that. We agreed that you would be one of, if not the best person for the job, due to your kind, caring nature and your innate ability to make people feel safe.” Amphitrite explained. “You are someone that people look up to. Someone strong that can protect them and keep them safe.
“So,” Hera interjected. “In order to help you do this job even more effectively, we a) made it an official title, so it comes with a certain amount of authority, and b) decided to give you our blessings. Although, Hestia definitely upstaged us on that one.”
I felt my smile growing wider and wider as they spoke. I was overjoyed. I’d get to go around the country, helping out kids in shitty situations and bringing them to a safe place so they could start a new life. This was incredible, best news I’d had in months!
“Now,” Amphitrite continued, grinning in response to my obvious excitement. “The blessings. Mine is quite simple. I’ve strengthened the sea already inside you that you’ve done wonders at making your own and I’ve gifted you finer control of your element.” She gestured to Hera
“My blessing is a little different. As you may know, I’m not particularly strong or skilled when it comes to combat, but I am crafty. I understand much about the people around me. My blessing grants clarity. You will see the truth in people—their intentions, their loyalties and be more aware of the secrets or falsehoods they try to hide.”
This sounded awesome. Maybe a little overwhelming, too. I was getting kinda dizzy from information overload but did my best to focus on their words.
Hestia placed her hand on my shoulder. “Stay with us, dear one. I know this is a lot but we’re almost done, I promise.” I gave a weak nod and allowed her to continue the explanations.
“Since I made you my champion, I’ve strengthened your godly spark and the amount of ichor in your veins to almost twice their previous levels. You will carry the hearth with you wherever you go, providing the comforts of home and joys of familial connection to all those who are in need of it. The flame of Olympus now burns within you. A light in the dark for the lost and the broken, guiding their way home.”
She paused, her serious expression and tone giving way to a mischievous grin. “Also, it’s like I adopted you!”
Right. Cool. More than I can take in one day. I cracked, slumping in my chair as my shoulders began shaking. I could feel the goddesses’ worried gazes resting on me, no doubt assuming I was freaking out or crying. They definitely didn’t know how to react when I began cackling.
I’m talking full on, hysterical, borderline maniacal laughter. I stood from my chair and crushed each of them in a huge hug, one after the other. Much to the relief of Hestia, surprise and confusion of Hera and genuine amusement of Amphitrite.
As I sat back down, I almost lost it again at their wildly varying expressions but I just barely managed to collect myself. I was grinning like an idiot and had tears of happy, relieved tears burning behind my eyes. I snapped my fingers, intuitively conjuring a glass of water with my newly granted abilities from Hestia and drinking it to allow myself a moment to calm down fully. When I’d drained the glass, I looked at the three of them in turn.
“Thank you, all three of you. I was beginning to lose hope that I’d ever drag myself out of this hole I found myself in but this has to be the best gift I’ve ever received. I’m really looking forward to this role. Although, I hope you don’t mind if I keep calling you Auntie, even though you adopted me, Hestia. I think between my mom and Amphy, I’m sorted when it comes to mothers.”
Hestia smiled fondly at me. “You’re very welcome, darling. And I don’t mind. We’ll get out of your hair now, you get some rest and swing by my place tomorrow. The four of us can go over some of the finer details and have lunch together, okay?”
“Of course, Auntie. You three, take care and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
And with that, they flashed out of the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts that were much more cheerful than they’d been earlier that day. As I collapsed on my bed, I almost immediately fell into an early sleep, mentally exhausted by the absolute rollercoaster that was that conversation.