Who watched Rogue One?! *Raises hand* Let's see if you get my reference, my lovely readers!

Chapter Twenty: The Fight For Artemis

Point of View: Ebony

"Can we write this as a story one day and call this The Journey to Olympus?" Thale tries to lighten the dark mood of the group as we rush through the trees towards Olympus. 

"How about The Boring Journey?" Atalanta suggests, not really into it, but making an effort for the younger girls.

I block out the argument that ensues. 

"I am one with the Hearth, the Hearth is with me." I mutter to myself.

"Ebony?" I faintly hear.

"The Hearth is with me, I am one with the Hearth." I repeat it backwards.

"Uh, Ebony?" Phoebe.

I look over at her. "Yes?"

"What are you talking about?" She inquires.

"Nothing. Just thinking on how to reassure the girls." I lie a little, but not completely.

"How much farther? I know we were not camped far out from the city." Thalia grumbles.

"A good six miles." Aroen tells us after sniffing at the air.

"And we're sure this is going to work?" Atalanta chimes in.

"No, but it has to. It's all we've got." I reply.

It is silent for the next hour and a half before we emerge from the trees and switch to trying to blend in. We make it to the Empire State Building with little difficulty and Phoebe scares the Tartarus out of the clerk to get the key. We pile into the elevator after waiting for it to clear out and keep the doors closed.

"We have a slight problem, guys." Thalia sounds nervous.

"The blessing is dissipating." Aroen curses.

"No, it is being drawn to its original source, Artemis' power. In which now rests is Zeus' possession." Phoebe looks sick.

"Everybody but those who are going to the throne room out. Change of plans." I punch the door open button.

"Are you sure, son?" My father puts a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, we'll be fine. Just get them out of New York, Hestia will find you somehow. They'll definitely be expecting us now." I tell him and they wave as the doors close. 

"You don't have a sword." Thalia says. "Phoebe and I have spears. Thale is great at hand to hand and Atalanta is a true archer." 

"I can fight barehanded as well, it will have to do." I wave it off.

"Oh gods...Percy." Thalia covers her mouth, looking at me in what I take to be as fear.

"I'm Ebony now, for the millionth time, Lieutenant." I sigh.

"No, she means you look exactly like you used to." Atalanta shakes her head slowly.

"What?" I blink.

"The blessings were returned. Your blessing includes a new identity and that means a change in appearance. It's wearing off." Phoebe explains.

"I thought that part of it was permanent no matter what happened?" I scowl deeply.

"Apparently not." Atalanta clears her throat. "This isn't good."

The elevator dings and the doors open.

"No turning back now." I peer out and exit the elevator with the girls.

"I really hope Athena does not recognize me." Thale sounds irritated and looks different as well. Her white hair turned blonde, the silver eyes stormy gray, and her pale skin a tinge darker. 

"Holy Artemis!" I exclaim and they all jump.

"What?" Thale looks offended.

"You look like Annabeth's twin." I inform her.

"Great." Thale replies sarcastically. 

Thalia laughs nervously. "Everything is going downhill." 

"The odds are not in our favor, guys." Atalanta crosses her arms as we walk. "I am twitching to get my hand on my lucky bow, but we have to appear civilized."

"Forget civilized, it'll be thrown out the window as soon as they see me." I snort. 

"We know." All four say together.

"It could still play into our hands, though." I murmur and we share looks before stopping in front of the throne room doors.

I breathe deeply before throwing open the doors, the girls trailing behind me as I stride forward.

"Perseus Jackson!" Zeus booms.

Not scary.

"My name is Ebony." I raise my voice and he turns uncertain. "I am not the boy you seek. My place is at the Hunt's side and it is where I stay to track down the enemies of Olympus."

"You are one of my sister's wolves. I did not know they shifted." Athena comes down from her throne to study me, not even noticing Thale.

"Yes, we have the capability, rarely ever do we turn to our human forms." I reply. 

"Where is Perseus?" Athena demands. "Is what Artemis told us true?"

"Yes, it is. The Fates forbid her and the Hunt from revealing his location. I can, however, tell you that we last caught scent of him in a patch of forest near a dormant volcano that has not erupted in many years. I was the wolf that found him with my sister. He was gone, but Polybotes was there and I have some most disturbing news for Olympus." I inform her.

"Polybotes?!" Poseidon rises, worry in his expression.

"Gaea is raising her children in the form of actual humanoids. Their muscles are compressed, their intelligence has shot through the roof, and their regenerative capabilities are not of this universe. The moment a weapon went through his body, the wound was closed and earth began encrusting the offending object and holding onto it, prohibiting the wielder from drawing it out. Their smaller bodies obtain unimaginable speeds and strength, they are not big and slow anymore. Far more dangerous." I shake my head and my voice is packed full of emotion. "I may not be Perseus, but I am a child of the sea. Only by using the volcano to my advantage did I manage to escape with my sister. We were no match, even our simplest plans did not work."

"When was this?" Athena looks suspicious.

"Not all that long ago. He's gone by now. Gaea most likely got him out. I had to close the tunnel off I made to him or else the forest would have been ruined." I tell her. 

"Did he want anything from you?" She continues to interrogate me.

I let the blush spread across my face. "Yes, many things."

"Such as?" She prompts.

"Me personally. Something about locked abilities children of the sea possess from Poseidon. And that he was intently focused on me, acutely aware of me. His poisonous touch intensified, his basic contact crushed my lungs. When I had my sister shoot me, he became enraged. It was like he was protective of me. He healed the gash the arrow made. I distract him easily and he was going to take me with him. His aura is different from the times I have met him before. More...primal." I give her details. 

"What kind of abilities? Did he mention any?" Athena presses.

"Well, he hinted at them, but I am not comfortable with the main one, it is harmless to Olympus and just plain embarrassing." I shiver involuntarily as I force the blush to stay on my face. "But you have to listen, Lady Artemis was telling the truth. She has no place interfering with the Fates."

"Maybe so, but she's rumored to be harboring the traitor." Athena nods at my shocked expression. "Can you provide evidence she is not? She'll be pardoned of the other crimes, but unless you can clear her name on this one, she'll remain as is."

"Why would you rely on rumor alone?" I demand.

"Well, Perseus, because I know it is true." Athena says and I freeze. "I am not a fool. With the blessing gone, your aura is as it once was."

"Son, just tell us why you betrayed Olympus." Poseidon speaks softly.

I take a step back and Phoebe puts her hand in mine, causing me to clutch onto it like a lifeline. "Betrayal?" My voice breaks. "Me?" I am suffering all over again. "Personal Loyalty. Does that have no meaning to any of you?"

It turns silent as I look around.

"The very first friend I made at camp? I helped him commit suicide to save you. I gave up part of my soul to make Gaea slumber once more. Does that mean nothing? Were all those sacrifices worthless?" I try to break through to them.

"Then why does she awaken now and so soon?" Hera challenges.

"I don't know! I-" I begin to yell and then it hits me. "I broke as a demigod."

Phoebe moves closer and manages to keep me on my feet as wave after wave of pure torture hits me.

"What does that mean?" Poseidon is puzzled.

"I sealed them away, especially Gaea. As long as my loyalty never faded for you as a demigod, they would never rise again." I look at my free hand. "And I was betrayed, shattered. The seal must have lifted and the Fates sent me to Artemis as planned." 

"Liar." 

That voice.

"You betrayed Olympus, the camps, and me." 

"No, Annabeth!" Thalia yells. "I lied. I was so angered at Percy for avoiding me! I got so mad! It's my fault!" 

I lean heavily on Phoebe as a woman's cold laughter fills the air, the light of the throne room dimming. 

'Actually, that was my husband's doing. Influencing the emotions of a poor little huntress, who only wanted to help. Possession is more than just simple body transfer.'

Gaea.

"What is the meaning of all this?!" Zeus thunders.

A small orb of white light floats in the middle of the throne room, one that I recognize. It is mixed and dotted with black. 

I feel so weak all of a sudden.

'Poor thing. He is so vulnerable. With the Moon's blessing missing, he has no control. Here, Ebony, take it back and truly complete your trials in the Hunt. You'll find a little surprise in it.' Gaea cackles. 

"Ebony?" Phoebe whispers.

"I will not take it back." I speak. "It is the only thing keeping you at bay. That part of the soul is hellbent on suppressing you. It is untouched by the taint of betrayal."

'So true. But it'll die soon enough.' She responds.

"What?" I fret.

'Oh, yes. It may be separated from the betrayal, but it is a part of you as much as it currently is me. It knows what happened, it yearns to help you as your only whole part left. You know what this is, don't you?' She replies sweetly. 

"My resolve." I watch as it zooms closer to float right in front of me.

'Take it, dear. I am sure you will find it helpful and agonizing. Unless, you want a martyr.' She tells me. 

"A martyr?" Athena is confused at this point.

'Yes, his loyal soul the Fates so love. Look at it, it is dying.' Gaea says.

"But why?" Atalanta demands. 

'Because the man it belongs to was, in a way, murdered. An unforgivable sin committed against his soul. It knows that. The seal it powers is gone now, knowing I am unworthy of it with what transpired without it at his side. The resolve needed for a demigod to quell my power, the backbone of the mythical world.' She laughs again and I know it is true. 

I knew it on that battlefield.

I lost a lot.

And without that part of my soul, fighting and resisting became useless. 

My resolve was all I had after living through what I had.

I agreed to give it up, my last wall of protection, the protection the world needed.

I let it go because I thought everything was going to be okay.

"And it wasn't." I say darkly.

Athena stops her argumentative response and everyone looks at me. 

'Do not say such things.'

I conceal the surprise and look at my missing piece.

'You found the Hunt. They gave you what you were missing. You no longer needed me. It is why you were able to sacrifice part of yourself.'

I stare at it.

'Now you do need me or the world will fall apart. One more threat.'

It cannot be serious.

'Take up your sword, I am that vessel.'

I am caught between a rock and a hard place, Gaea's laughter in my head as it drowns me. 

'You have resolve, or else you would not be able to protect those that you love. It stems from them, they give you that strength. Now use it.'

Hearing my own voice chastising me, I reach for it. 

'I am old resolve. We beat Gaea before, we can do it again. Turn her gift against her. This time, we will end the world and save it once and for all.' 

I pause, just out of reach.

'You need not sacrifice anything, you need only replace.'

Then the throne room bursts with light. 

When I can see again, I notice everything about Gaea is gone from the room.

"Ebony?" Phoebe murmurs, squeezing my hand again.

My heart throbs painfully and I have no idea why.

"Are you alright?" She asks.

"More than alright." I smile. 

I turn to Athena. "Artemis is innocent, let her return."

"No, if you want her to return, you will wait and answer all of our questions." Zeus snarls.

I glance over at the hearth and Hestia smiles. "That's nice and all, but I think we're good."

"What?!" Zeus, if he were a dog, practically foams at the mouth.

My body feels unnaturally warm and I close my eyes as my skin burns me alive.

And that is where I am ending it for this one, my lovely readers.