𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧

chapter ninety-seven. ☄︎. *. ⋆

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

I STILL HADN'T HAD TIME TO PROCESS EVERYTHING: My siblings' deaths, Ethan's sacrifice, Percy's mom being mega-hot behind the trigger of a shotgun, Luke playing the hero once more, the fall of Olympus. And now I was looking at my dad and trying not to burst into tears over it all.

     I can't remember the last time I saw him. Whenever it was, I had been much shorter than him. But now we were eye-to-eye, our faces level. He seemed much less scary now that I was older. Less all-knowing. He even looked.. younger than me, what with how he presented himself as a sixteen-year-old. He'd been so cool the last time I saw him. Did his all-knowingness really sizzle away, or had I just wisened up in the past few years?

"Dad," I said, giving him a tight nod of nobility.

"Theodosia." When I looked up, he was smiling; but it wasn't his typical cool-dude surfer smile. It was a genuine god-like smile. "You've fought bravely for someone who has been cursed for the past week."

"We're talking about that later," Percy muttered, next to me. I looked to over to him, unable to formulate a sarcastic reply. There wasn't much I could say, really. For the first time in my life, I was speechless.

Percy looked horrible. He was all bloodied and bruised from his fight with Kronos. Although I doubted I looked much better.

The Three Fates themselves took Luke's body away.

I hadn't seen the old ladies before. They looked just about as creepy as you'd expect them to—three ghoulish grandmothers with bags of knitting needles and yarn.

It is done, one of them said.

The Fate held up a snippet of blue yarn—Luke's lifeline. It had already been cut in two.

     They gathered up Luke's body, now wrapped in a white-and-green shroud, and began carrying it out of the throne room.

    "Wait," Hermes said. The god unwrapped Luke's face and pressed a kiss to his forehead. He murmured some words in Ancient Greek—a final blessing.

    "Farewell," he whispered. Then he nodded and allowed the Fates to carry away his son's body.

    As they left, I thought about the Great Prophecy. The lines now made sense to me. A hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap. The hero was Luke. The cursed blade was my own dagger—cursed because of Ethan's hold on me. A single choice shall end his days. Percy's choice, to give him the knife, and to believe, as Annabeth had, that he was still capable of setting things right. Olympus to preserve or raze. By sacrificing himself, he had saved Olympus.

     Thinking about this, my body somehow seemed to remember all of a sudden that I'd just been through hell and back—literally. My pain and exhaustion caught up to me. A small moan escaped my lips and I felt my knees buckle.

     Percy reached out to grab me. Stupid idiot grabbed my poisoned arm.

     When I cried out, he let go. "Oh, gods. I'm sorry. Are you oka—?"

     "I'm fine," I said, waving him off. But I positioned myself just right so that when I passed out, it was into his arms.

     I dreamt peacefully, for once in my life. It was a bit odd, I guess, but it wasn't a forewarning or anything—just about some random kids at a boarding school. But I got the shivery feeling it meant something more.

     When I woke up again, Olympus had become a full-blown celebration. Poseidon's Cyclopes army, all gods—major and minor alike—fluttered around, the few nature spirits that made it through the war, shaken-up demigods sprinkled here and there. Everyone had just barely made it through, but here they were, dancing and partying in a celebration of life.

     By the time I made it to Percy's side, the Olympians had taken their thrones, ready to convene. About what, I had no idea. Probably whether or not to kill us.

     "Miss much?" I asked Percy, my muscles aching in protest as I slipped my hand into his.

     "Nobody's planning to kill us yet," he replied, "so not really."

     "First time today."

     He cracked up. Grover had to nudge his shoulder because Hera was glaring at us from her throne.

     "...as for my brothers," Zeus was announcing, "we are thankful"—he cleared his throat like the words were hard to get out— "erm, thankful for the aid of Hades."

    The lord of the dead inclined his head. He had a smug look on his face, but I figure he'd earned the right. He patted his son Nico on the shoulders, and Nico looked happier than I'd never seen him. That made me happy.

    "And, of course," Zeus continued, though he looked like his pants were smoldering, "we must... um.. thank Poseidon."

    "I'm sorry, brother," Poseidon said. "What was that?"

    "We must thank Poseidon," Zeus growled. "Without whom... it would've been difficult—"

    "Difficult?" Poseidon asked innocently.

    "Impossible," Zeus said. "Impossible to defeat Typhon."

    The gods murmured agreement and pounded their weapons in approval.

     "Which leaves us," Zeus said, "only the matter of thanking our young demigod heroes, who defended Olympus so well—even if there are a few dents in my throne."

    He called Thalia forward first, since she was his daughter, and promised her help in filling the Hunters' ranks.

    Artemis smiled. "You have done well, my lieutenant. You have made me proud, and all those Hunters who perished in my service will never be forgotten. They will achieve Elysium, I am sure."

    She glared pointedly at Hades.

    He shrugged. "Probably."

    Artemis glared at him some more.

    "Okay," Hades grumbled. "I'll streamline their application process."

    Thalia beamed with pride. "Thank you, my lady." She bowed to the gods, even Hades, and then limped over to stand by Artemis's side.

    "Tyson, son of Poseidon!" Zeus called. Tyson looked nervous, but he went to stand in the middle of the Council, and Zeus grunted.

    "Doesn't miss many meals, does he?" Zeus muttered. "Tyson, for your bravery in the war, and for leading the Cyclopes, you are appointed a general in the armies of Olympus. You shall henceforth lead your brethren into war whenever required by the gods. And you shall have a new... um... what kind of weapon would you like? A sword? An axe?"

     "Stick!" Tyson said, showing his broken club.

    "Very well," Zeus said. "We will grant you a new, er, stick. The best stick that may be found."

    "Hooray!" Tyson cried, and all the Cyclopes cheered and pounded him on the back as he rejoined them. I couldn't help but smile. Big guy deserved it.

    "Grover Underwood of the satyrs!" Dionysus called.

    Grover came forward nervously.

    "Oh, stop chewing your shirt," Dionysus chided. "Honestly, I'm not going to blast you. For your bravery and sacrifice, blah, blah, blah, and since we have an unfortunate vacancy, the gods have seen fit to name you a member of the Council of Cloven Elders."

    Grover collapsed on the spot.

    "Oh, wonderful," Dionysus sighed, as several naiads came forward to help Grover. "Well, when he wakes up, someone tell him that he will no longer be an outcast, and that all satyrs, naiads, and other spirits of nature will henceforth treat him as a lord of the Wild, with all rights, privileges, and honors, blah, blah, blah. Now please, drag him off before he wakes up and starts groveling."

    As the nature spirits carried him away, I figured he'd be okay. He would wake up as a lord of the Wild with a bunch of beautiful naiads taking care of him. Life could be worse.

    Athena called, "Annabeth Chase, my own daughter."

     Annabeth gave me and Percy a nervous smile, then walked forward and knelt at her mother's feet.

    Athena smiled. "You, my daughter, have exceeded all expectations. You have used your wits, your strength, and your courage to defend this city, and our seat of power. It has come to our attention that Olympus is... well, trashed. The Titan lord did much damage that will have to be repaired. We could rebuild it by magic, of course, and make it just as it was. But the gods feel that the city could be improved. We will take this as an opportunity. And you, my daughter, will design these improvements."

    Annabeth looked up, stunned. "My... my lady?"

     Athena smiled wryly. "You are an architect, are you not?"

     "Camp Half-Blood's very best," I added, unable to stop myself.

     Despite the fact that she doesn't like me very much, Athena bit back a smile. "Yes. Well. Who better to redesign Olympus and make it a monument that will last for another eon?"

    "You mean... I can design whatever I want?"

    "As your heart desires," the goddess said. "Make us a city for the ages. Rise, my daughter, official architect of Olympus."

    Annabeth rose in a trance and walked back toward us.

    "Way to go," I told her, grinning.

    For once she was at a loss for words. "I'll... I'll have to start planning... Drafting paper, and, um, pencils—"

     "Theodosia Scott," announced my father, and I snapped my head back to face him. I blinked and took a few steps forward, unsure if what I'd accomplished warranted a reward.

     "You have shown immense determination and put forth a great effort to defend Olympus, even while falling susceptible to the curse of the enemy." My father pursed his lips. In a weird way, he'd never really liked it when harm came to me—unless he was the one inflicting it (i.e., literally killing me). "Your undying bravery is appreciated by me and all my Olympian brethren. For all that you've done—not just in the past week, but even long before—I grant you a weapon I believe will never curse, betray, or leave you."

     I glanced over my shoulder to Percy, and he seemed as confused as I was; but when I looked back to my father, he was holding something out to me. I took a step closer, unsure if what I was seeing was real or not. But it was.

     "Father..." I whispered, trying my hardest to stop my face from lighting up. "Is this—?"

      "My very own Golden Bow." Apollo nodded, extending his arms fully. "Go on. It's for you. I can very well commission Hephaestus to mend me up another one, if needed. But this one—my very first bow—is for you. And I think it's high time you earn a promotion from assistant counselor of Cabin Seven."

     I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Apollo was gifting me his own Golden Bow, a weapon he'd used for eons, ever since Hephaestus welded it for him as a little boy. He was giving it to me. And promoting me to head counselor? I was surely still dreaming.

     Slowly, I reached out, worried that if I touched the bow my dream would fall apart and dissolve. But, to my surprise, it didn't. The longbow was forged of shimmery gold, catching the light every way I turned it. It was cold in my fingers.

     "Apollo," came the apprehensively judgmental voice of Hephaestus. He was sitting up straighter in his seat, brow furrowed as he stared down at us. "I forged that bow for godly hands only. If she tries to use it, and she isn't strong enough, it could.. eh, result poorly, on her end."

I felt a rush of shame. Hephaestus had been the one who told me I was much more powerful than a regular demigod last year in the Labyrinth. If he didn't believe I was strong enough, who—

     "Well, it's a good thing my daughter is undoubtedly powerful enough." Apollo sent me a wink, smiling to himself. He clapped his hands. "But if she doesn't think so, then I suppose there is no reason for me to—"

     "Please," I managed weakly, offering him a smile. "I'm your daughter, aren't I? You might not have passed down your platinum blond hair, but you might have given me your entire ego."

     Apollo laughed, and I was pretty sure it was the first time he ever laughed at anything I said. "Right you are, Theodosia."

     When I bowed my head in what was supposed to be a farewell, my father leaned in as well, lowering his voice to say: "But don't think I missed yours and Perseus's little stunt on my throne earlier."

     I'm pretty sure my entire face was beet red when I walked back over to Percy and Annabeth.

    "Percy Jackson!" Poseidon announced. His name echoed loudly around the chamber.

    The nymphs' chatter died down. The room was silent except for the crackle of the hearth fire. Everyone's eyes were on Percy— all the gods, the demigods, the Cyclopes, the spirits. He walked into the middle of the throne room. Hestia smiled at him reassuringly. She was in the form of a girl now, and she seemed happy and content to be sitting by her fire again.

    Percy stood uneasily in front of his father. My fingers flexed, and I got the sudden urge to slide my hand into his. He shouldn't have to face them all alone.

    "A great hero must be rewarded," Poseidon said. "Is there anyone here who would deny that my son is deserving?"

    I waited for someone to pipe up. The gods never agreed on anything, and many of them still didn't like any of us, but not a single one protested.

    "The Council agrees," Zeus said. "Percy Jackson, you will have one gift from the gods."

    Percy hesitated. "Any gift?"

    Zeus nodded grimly. "I know what you will ask. The greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on a mortal hero in many centuries, but, Perseus Jackson—if you wish it—you shall be made a god. Immortal. Undying. You shall serve as your father's lieutenant for all time."

     My entire body chilled. No way Percy would accept, right? He would have to leave me, Grover, Annabeth, camp.. he wouldn't do it.

     Percy stared at him, stunned. "Um... a god?"

     Zeus rolled his eyes. "A dimwitted god, apparently. But yes. With the consensus of the entire Council, I can make you immortal. Then I will have to put up with you forever."

    "Hmm," Ares mused. "That means I can smash him to a pulp as often as I want, and he'll just keep coming back for more. I like this idea."

     "Hey, you're the boss," Apollo said, but his eyes flickered to me.

    Percy glanced back. I tried not to meet his eyes. All I could do was trust he wouldn't leave. Not after all we'd been through together.

     Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I met his eyes. His gaze softened when we made contact. I could only imagine how pathetic I probably looked, but I wasn't worried about that. My throat was growing tight and I clenched my fists.

     He wet his lips, then dropped his eyes and looked back to the gods.

     "No."

     My stomach did a judo-flip. I would have keeled forward if Annabeth hadn't reached out and grabbed my arm.

     The Council was silent. The gods frowned at each other like they must have misheard.

    "No?" Zeus said. "You are... turning down our generous gift?"

    There was a dangerous edge to his voice, like a thunderstorm about to erupt.

    "I'm honored and everything," Percy said. "Don't get me wrong. It's just... I've got a lot of life left to live. I'd hate to peak in high school."

    The gods were glaring at him, but he didn't seem to care. He looked back at me. I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

    "I do want a gift, though," Percy said. "Do you promise to grant my wish?"

    Zeus thought about this. "If it is within our power."

    "It is," Percy said. "And it's not even difficult. But I need your promise on the River Styx."

    "Very well!" Zeus growled. "In the name of the Council, we swear by the River Styx to grant your reasonable request as long as it is within our power."

    The other gods muttered assent. Thunder boomed, shaking the throne room. The deal was made.

    "From now on, I want to you properly recognize the children of the gods," Perch said. "All the children... of all the gods."

    The Olympians shifted uncomfortably. I could tell not all of them were exactly fond of the idea. Percy continued trying to convince the gods. I wasn't sure what was holding them back from agreeing right away; Percy had just saved all of their asses, hadn't he? They'd be stupid to ever deny him a request again.

Finally, Zeus caved, and the rest was like a domino effect; he waited for all in favor, and every single Olympian on the council lifted their weapons into the air. Percy's wish was granted.

I was unbelievably proud of him. As we turned to go, Poseidon's voice stopped us in our tracks:

"Honor guard!"

Immediately the Cyclopes came forward and made two lines from the thrones to the door—an aisle for us to walk through. They came to attention.

"All hail," Tyson announced. "The heroes of Olympus... and my best friends!"

quick sidebar to tell you guys that i literally published
the last chapter on accident / b4 it had been edited...
sorry if you caught a lot of mistakes 😭😭😭
i know they r there, u don't gotta point em out to me man </3
anyways, on another note —
if you haven't seen any of my past announcements,
here is your official confirmation that i am
continuing this fic into heroes of olympus!!! yayyyy
<3 have a good day/afternoon/night everyone