#athena with her voice so defeated

[hyeriyearner]

ody and athenas last interaction actually made me sob by the way

[localfandomenjoyer]

The Death of Pallas (Kronide AU Oneshot)

A great wrath had befallen the mountain of the gods. It poisoned the air and loomed heavily over streets, bearing down with the weight of endless, insurmountable aeon that gave even the immortals a sense of finality. Perseleia made no effort to rein in her aura—the goddess was unaware that she had loosed it. Her thoughts remained fixed on the tragedy that had occurred under her watch.

The plan should have worked. She remained beside Zeus the entire day, her hand upon Aegis, yet it never strayed from its position by his side even when Athena began to falter. Just as Perseleia was beginning to feel bad for assuming the worst of him yet again, a cry of alarm sounded off from the arena. Pallas – brave, sweet Pallas – had misplaced a foot and Athena, unwilling to suffer defeat before her father, swiftly took advantage. She drove a spear to the heart of her opponent without thinking about why the nymph had faltered. By the time Wisdom saw through her folly, it was too late.

Pallas was dead.

Perseleia now stood before the Temple of Poseidon, staring at a frozen marble face by the entrance – the same face for which Triton was now weeping. The goddess wished to be with him in this hour of grief, but that face had belonged to her as well, and she would not torture her nephew with its image before the body was even cold. Perseleia was instead left to fester in wrathful grief, unable to decide who she hated more in that moment: Athena or herself. 

A rush of wind signalled the arrival of another to the desolate street. No one else had approached the goddess yet, for although she was beloved by nymphs and godlings alike, the eldest among them still held memories of golden eyes and a biting scythe. The Titan King may have passed from the world, but some of his infamous temper clearly lived on in his favourite daughter.

“I thought I might find you here,” Zeus took a place beside her. He seemed to wrestle with his words for a moment, uncertain of what he could possibly say at a time like this. “Athena is... inconsolable.”

“She should be!” Perseleia snapped back harsher than intended, but she couldn’t bring herself to take back her words. Not when her grandniece hadn’t even been laid to rest yet.

Few would believe that Zeus was capable of fear. Paranoia, sure, or even unease, but never outright fear. They hadn’t seen his hands tremble as he poured the drink that freed their siblings – that was something only she had been privy to. Perhaps this was why Zeus shared concerns with her that even Rhea – especially Rhea – knew nothing of?

“It was an accident,” his shoulder slumped, “Perse, you know it was an accident, but our brother won’t see it that way. They – the Atlanteans – will demand blood. I can protect Athena from a great many things, but so many of her temples and worshippers are within the sea’s grasp.”

Perseleia turned from him, trying to ignore the grey-eyed children that haunted her memory. Didn’t she deserve to be angry for once? “What would you have me do – tell Poseidon that she should be spared of all consequences? Her recklessness killed his granddaughter.”

“And she will spend the rest of eternity wishing to undo it,” Zeus reminded, his voice slipping ever so slightly. “Please, I... I know you cared for Pallas, but you care for Athena too. Don’t let Poseidon destroy her. Direct his wrath at me if you must, I can endure it.”

It was rare indeed for Zeus to beg for anything – to lower himself from nigh-invincible King of the Gods and admit weakness, even one so simple as caring for his daughter. Perseleia, who was most privy to such matters, knew that he feared such things being used against him. There were certainly many who would try.

She took a long, shuddering breath and allowed the first of her tears to fall. “These are dark times indeed if you must dissuade me from taking harsh action.”

“What can I say, save for that I learned from the best?”

A strangled sound, caught somewhere between a laugh and a sob, came from the goddess. Perseleia wiped her tears away and composed herself. “I... I will tell Poseidon that you raised Aegis during the contest, distracting Pallas at the critical moment. He trusts my counsel and knows she was enamoured by that shield.”

Zeus released the breath he had been holding, relaxing his shoulders for the first time since the contest. “You would lie to him for me?”

“For you and Athena,” she corrected. “It won’t spare her from all retribution, nor will she ever be allowed in Atlantis again, but believing that someone else shared responsibility for the accident might at least alleviate her pain. Pallas was practically a sister to her, and I know she wouldn’t want Athena torturing herself like this.” 

“Perse, I don’t know what to say. Thank you,” Zeus spoke with sincerity.

He extended a hand towards her, but she leaned out of his reach. “It would be best if we avoided each other for the next year or so. Poseidon knows me well; if I appear to hold no grudge, he might suspect our deception.”

“Oh. That’s… yes, I suppose that’s fair,” Zeus sighed. He nodded to her, stepping back reluctantly. “I’ll see you at the next council meeting.”

She did not avert her gaze as he disappeared in a flash of lightning. Now alone, Perseleia turned her mind to planning, wisps of golden light playing through her idle fingers as they had for her father so long ago. Zeus said that Athena would spend the rest of eternity wishing to undo what had transpired. Such a feat was beyond Wisdom, but would the past yield to the heir of Kronos? It was certainly worth investigating.

Not today, though. Today was a day for mourning, and Perse had many tears still to shed.

AN: Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed the oneshot. I wanted to play around with character portrayals of Zeus and Perse in the Kronide AU. This also touches on some themes I'd like to explore, such as Perse struggling to connect with her mortal origins and trying not to become like the other Olympians, even though the role she has forces her to make difficult decisions.

I’m also not going to confirm or deny if Perse watching her made Athena especially determined to win, only that Perse doesn’t really understand how much Athena longs for her attention.

[xoxochb]

daughter of athena reader x leo valdez ?

— one track mind, one track heart

warnings: friends to lovers, a bunch of architectural shit I can’t explain, ending is rushed pairing: leo valdez x daughter of athena a/n: I wasn’t sure if you wanted a fic or hcs but I thought of this fic idea so I wanted to execute it

“if we move the dressers to the right side the campers on the end won’t get one”

you point your finger to the blueprint where the bed sits against the wall. leo frowns and erases the sketch. “we could move them to the left?”

“yes, but then how would they open the drawers if it’s right beside the wall?”

“I’m… not sure”

you tap your nails against the table in thought. “I’m out of ideas. we should really just ask annabeth-”

“no!” leo cuts you off, then releasing the tone of his voice his cheeks flush pink “sorry. we can’t ask annabeth I told her I could do this”

“and I know you can. but don’t you think it would be helpful to have a third point of view on this?”

“not if that person is annabeth”

you roll your eyes and cross your arms, leaning your lower back against the table. in deep though, leo taps his fingers against the table similarly to how you had been, yet this was in code. a while back you had asked him to teach you, and happily he did so. you spent many long nights studying with him (you would be ‘pop-quizzed’ as leo called it, which basically consisted of him asking you stupid questions in code) until you mastered the wonderful arts of morse code. what he tapped know you chose to ignore, perhaps a mistake? or habit? you weren’t sure but the silence was eating you alive so you speak your next idea,

“what if we just leave the cabins as is? I know it defeats the whole purpose of remodeling but do we really need to remodel?”

leo stops his tapping. “no,” the tips of his curls ignite in tiny sparks. “but I think it would be cool to have something that we made. together”

you frown at his words. “oh leo. we have other things together! like when you taught me morse code? or in the winter when you let me sleep with you because it’s cold in my cabin? or even when we tried baking a cake for piper’s birthday but we forgot about it and it burnt”

you recall the last vividly. It was two years ago and you had been assigned to bake it, leo however, wanted to help out and who were you to say no? the beginning was fine, you successfully got all the ingredients together but when the mixing part came that was when disaster struck. leo accidental took the mixer out of the batter while it was still running and it flew all over the room including all over the both of you. after that fiasco you got the cake into the oven (finally), but after the cleaning you and leo were out cold on the kitchen floor, not found until an hour later when your sister entered to a smoke filled room with two idiots peacefully sleeping in each others arms. mr. d banned you both from going anywhere in the vicinity of the kitchen after this

“we could’ve made it onto the great british bake off with that masterpiece”

you don’t even attempt to suppress the growing smile on your lips. “right? but what I’m trying to say is that we have things, and they are far more exciting than remodeling cabins. besides,” you take his warm, tapping hand into yours, but surprised to find he averts his tapping to the back of your hand now. you suck in a breath and continue, “I’ll still love you all the same even if you can’t do this anymore”

that makes his hand stop tapping and he looks at you with wide eyes, realizing you had decoded his message. he stutters trying to form a coherent sentence, even his hands begin to spark making you yelp and pull your hand back

“oh gods! I’m sorry, I’m sorry”

leo scrambles to take your hands back into his as a silent apology. “don’t apologize, leo, it’s fine”

he pouts and inspects your hands. “are you sure? did I hurt you?”

“I’m fine, really” you confirm, but leo continues nonetheless

“if you’re hurt then I can take you to the infirmary. I’ll give you ice! does ice help with burns? it should…”

you speak his name but he doesn’t listen

“I won’t give you ice what if it makes it worse? maybe you should let will see this, he’s a great healer!”

“leo”

“do your hands hurt? they don’t look hurt but you never know…”

“leo”

“I’m really sorry, did I say that already? well I am-”

speaking doesn’t seem to be helping your case, so you close your eyes and slot your lips with his, ultimately shutting him up. when you pull away you see his hair and begun sparking again and that now he isn’t able to form a complete word. you begin to worry you read the signs wrong

“oh gods, I’m sorry. I should’ve asked, that was stupid of me I’m-”

“do it again”

your brows furrow. “what?”

“please”

In the midsts of your confusion, leo kisses you again, this time longer. but who said it ended with just two?”

[cassandra-silver]

Is it just me, or should we maybe talk about Poseidon's final line to Odysseus, "After everything you've done, how will you sleep at night?" some more?

Thank you to my lovely mutual @glisten-inthedark for making me think even more about the Vengeance saga ending than I already was because there is SO much there to unpack.

Because, like, if you think about that line for more than 2 seconds ... what the hell even is that? Only a complete 180 turn from his "You are far too nice; mercy has a price" attitude.

First and foremost, it feels like such a human thing to say, not least because of his tone. I don't think it is mockery or anything of the sort; it took me a while to notice, not least because he is speaking in a chopped voice due to his injuries, but he actually has the same genuine tone of voice as in his "I can't," one song earlier.

In short, it feels like something someone would say after being shown a glimpse of mortal vulnerabilities and pains, the way that I am convinced he was (for more on that, check out my full torture scene essay; I believe it's one of my best ones.)

Like, my man, are you genuinely asking the guy you specifically tried to make more ruthless how he's going to live with this newfound ruthlessness? What are you so concerned for? That it's too much? Why would you think that? Maybe ... because you've been there yourself? Is that it?

The funniest part to me here is that Odysseus is not nearly as "monstrous" as Poseidon would view him as. Poseidon only sees the "monstrous" actions, which he knows ... but Odysseus, at that point, is so much more than ruthlessness (more on that also in my essay.)

And yet here he is, essentially asking Odysseus, "How will you live in my shoes?" because that's the image that he now has of Odysseus; when he saw Odysseus wield the trident, he saw him in his own shoes, and due to personal limitations, Poseidon cannot comprehend that Odysseus isn't actually committing to a life with his philosophy because he probably doesn't understand that there is a middle way.

Honestly, the more I think about the effects such an exposure to vulnerability would have on Poseidon, the more I worry for him.

Some people point out that this defeat may have ultimately been pointless because the moment Poseidon recovers, he could just immediately come after Odysseus and drown his island or whatever he wants ... He won't do that. I can't tell you why I know this, but I am like 100% sure that he won't.

Physically, he will recover. But emotionally/mentally? My man is f*cked ... and that's putting it lightly. He will feel the effects of this exposure excruciatingly for a long, long time ... Because, in order to fully recover from this, I wager he would have to actually process what happened there and reflect on his own actions in the way that Athena did ... which we all know he won't do.

Athena managed to use Odysseus' confronting her with her own flaw/fear to reflect and grow, which is why she had that beautiful character arc and learned to open her heart. Poseidon? I mean, maybe in a couple centuries, I don't know ...

... If I had a nickel for every time that Odysseus out-topped humbled a god to the point of being forced to confront their own vulnerability, I would have two nickels, which isn't a lot, but it's weird AWESOME that it happened twice. Keep slaying, king; they need it.

[howlingday]

(demi-arkos au) Pyrrha Nikos is the daughter of Athena, Athena the goddess.

she's a demi-god and has never met an equal in all her time as champion of minstral, not even the more experienced huntsmen can match her.

which is why she's so shocked when there happens to be another demi-god at Beacon. a son of aphrodite! She thought only her mother had been brought to remnant through magic, but there's another?

a story in which jaune doesn't know about being a demi-god of love and beauty and Pyrrha is going to be, like, so normal about that.

(Pyrrha gets natural skill at strategy and weapon use. jaune's power is being beautiful, and later on, learning to harness the literal power of love to do what his semblance does. both of them are super durable, super strong, super nimble and have combat ADHD (think Percy Jackson rules) plus their aura)

I

To say Pyrrha wasn't like other girls isn't intentionally conceited. She was a child born of two women, one of whom was a god from another world! Or, at least, that's how it was explained to her. Someway, somehow, the goddess of wisdom and tactical military combat, Athena, had her influence drift into the realm of Remnant. Herein, she began to spread this influence to great inventors of their world, mostly residing in Atlas and growing it into the booming superpower it is today.

Though Atlas was where Athena's influence was strongest, it wasn't exactly home to her. No, her home was closer to the sea, in a quaint little city south of the Solitas mainland. It was here, in the city of Argus, that she fell in love with the brilliant mind of Carnelia Nikos. She'd met many a mind in her travels of this new world, but it was only the beautiful intellect of Carnelia who caught her attention. They'd met the way many mortals did, with Carnelia selling wares and making a good argument for making a purchase, which Athena did. On one condition.

Following this one condition, Athena and Carnelia went on many dates. To the library, to the museum, and eventually to the truth of the matter; that Athena was a god not among this world. Carnelia was surprised to learn this, and as hard as it was to believe, she accepted it as the truth. She'd heard tales of the Brother Gods abandoning Remnant, among other gods who drifted in and out in the centuries past. Athena then asked if Carnelia wanted anything in return for learning this earth-shattering knowledge, perhaps to ease her fears or to cement the goddess' words as fact with no room for doubt.

"There is one thing..." Carnelia said, her eyes wandering across the street to the park. A park filled with happy families of mothers, fathers, and, of course, children. Athena smiled, as this was in her power.

--------------------------------------------------

Pyrrha Nikos grew up as a child without equal. She ran miles longer than adults without semblances. She bested any combatant who challenged here, even veteran huntsmen and huntresses. But the most surprising trait of all was that Pyrrha Nikos was humble.

"Oh, no, I'm nobody special." Pyrrha said in an interview. "I'm sure anyone could best me if they kept training and then gave it their all in the fight."

Some would call this a humble brag while others would call it a challenge to everyone she has and ever will fight. To Pyrrha, though, it was more of a hope that she couldn't help but voice. The only other people who could hear it from her were her mothers. Athena would later warn and scold Pyrrha that doubt was an insidious thing that would only bring her downfall, as she had seen it so many times before.

Pyrrha, though try as she might, could not shake the doubt away. She couldn't remove the hope she held in her heart for a defeat any more than her mother could remove her own divinity. So, with shaky breath, she would continue to fight in her tournaments and keep winning. And winning. And winning.

Until...

--------------------------------------------------

"Ugh... I hate flying..." Jaune groaned as he stepped off the bullhead. He then carefully vomited the remainder of his brunch meal from before taking flight in the abominable flying machine. Apparently, he had more to spew outside as well as in. Looking out to Beacon, though, his discomfort became only memories. "Wow..."

A towering... tower in the middle of the floating island. He watched as students passed carrying weapons on different shapes and sizes. It was like something you'd read in a fairy tale. Or, at the very least, a high-end young adult urban fantasy series. He lowered his glasses to get a better look...

"Oh my gosh, look at him~!" Jaune shoved his sunglasses up into his face, making himself wince in pain, before tugging his hoodie down further than it was already set on his head. "Yang, he's got a flame katana~!"

Jaune let out a sigh but kept his guard up. The last thing he wanted was to have another incident like back home. He was already tired from the 'harem wars' the neighborhood girls waged when he'd lose his disguise. Thankfully his sisters could beat back anyone and everyone who tried to get too close to him, but they weren't here now. Jaune was all alone, and the sound of a girl shrieking was enough to put him on edge.

See, Jaune has something his mother referred to as a 'glamour'. To make an accurate analogy, he drew people in like a flame draws in a moth. The only inaccuracy in this statement was that the moths would die out quickly. People didn't. People got hurt and they suffered and they'd bring ruin to each other just to get a glimpse at him.

BOOM!

Kind of like that, yeah. Jaune ran to where the explosion happened, finding two girls running away, one with snow white hair and the other with a black bow atop her head. Meanwhile, in the crater below, there was a girl covered in soot and wearing a black and red outfit. Not one to leave somebody in danger, he reached a hand out to help her.

"Uh, hey... I'm Jaune."

[superscrub323]

If the birth of the War Gods we know were to be tied to certain events.

Alright I should probably come upfront and say that even within any classic mythological world or headcanon I come up with these stories these will be treated as myths within myths (if that makes any sense). Basically there's no way I'll verify if they're true in-universe and the only ones who possibly can know or verify if they're true in-universe swore upon the river Styx to never confirm if they are. Besides, a little mystery is fun~...

But having said that, it is interesting that the Gods of War could possibly be tied to the birth of so many divine conflicts. Which is why I'm going to introduce my head canon on which Titan and/or God of War was born during which event.

Pallas the Titan, The Prime Mover of Violence and Titan of War, The Titan Rebellion: Pallas the Titan (not to be confused with Pallas the Giant or Pallas, Daughter of Triton) would be born right as Kronos castrated his father Oranous. From that very day he would be the Prime Mover of Violence among the Titans and Kronos's Victory would also mark the birth of Pallas's and Styx's children Nike, Bia, Kratos (not that one), and Zelus. Unfortunately for Kronos, if one rebellion of the spawn can succeed why can't another? And even more unfortunately...he didn't chew his food after the first one...

Athena, Goddess of Divine Warfare and Wisdom, The Titanomachy: After Zeus ate Metis to prevent his next children from rising against him, he would lead his siblings and sympathetic Titans to he cause and defeat his father Kronos with the Wisdom he gained from eating Metis and unborn Athena. Her birth, inside of Zeus's head, would forever mark the birth of conflict among Gods and the Wisdom of Warfare. Fortunately for humans, they would be spared this fate, unfortunately for them, Zeus really wanted the meat of sacrifices, really unfortunately for them, Zeus caught Prometheus dealing fire and wanted to punish mortal kind and are Hera and Nyx with children?

Ares and Eris, God of Mortal Warfare and Goddess of Strife, The Opening of Pandora's Jar: The whisper among mortalkind is that when Pandora first opened the jar there was the scream like 1000 men dying in pain and chaos but it was actually Ares and Eris taking their first breaths for the first time. Eris would forever be known as a representation of the horrors and evils of Pandora's Jar and be the Winged Goddess of Strife Incarnate, while Ares would be the God who's cries and presence would cause men to fight, to kill, and to die to each other for good or for ill. Ironically enough Ares would go on to befriend Eris and have her limit her influence so wars didn't turn into genocide and both would also still have the unintentional gift of hope inside of them.

Phobos and Deimos, Fear and Terror Incarnate, The Aftermath of the Flood of Deucalion: When Zeus was disappointed in something he asked to have happen on people who had nothing to do with it, he flooded the world leaving humanity to start over, incidentally the God of War would eventually grow up and meet the Goddess of Passion and they would have two children born right as humanity first step foot on the flooded land, Phobos and Deimos, when humanity first walked upon the earth and realized how small and weak they were in the face of true divine wrath, they felt fear and dread for the first time, and that would be when Fear and Terror would breath their first breaths.

Enyo, Goddess of Destruction, The Creation of Typhon: When Gaia created Typhon to first wage war on the Olympians for...several reasons, up to and including the Titans imprisonment, Hera would give birth to another Goddess to give voice to the destruction of the Olympians...Enyo. Born during the Typhon War, when she would grow up she would revel in the bloodshed and hold impartiality between the sides just to see the war go on longer and when Zeus wanted to punish her, Ares stepped in and defended her and made her work with him so that they may revel in the destruction of war and bloodshed.

Enyalius, God of International Warfare, The Dionysis War: When war started to reach beyond the borders of the Olympian's Domain and into other countries like India where Dionysus waged his war, Enyo would give birth to a child of Ares born from Enyo's amorous fever during the deaths of 49 men. His birth would forever mark the day War became something bigger beyond the borders of men and women who paid tribute to the Olympians but also his domain paradoxically he wouldn't be seen much.

Alright I know Aphrodite Areia is missing but considering we know how she was born and what she represents I'd figure it would go without saying.

[xanvasofxords]

Since the last chapter came out, I’ve seen a bunch of people complaining about the fact that Natsu snapped at Lucy. I understand where it’s coming from, because Natsu never once raised his voice with Lucy.

I’m completely ignoring the bullshit that was added in the dragon egg episode in anime, but I agree with them that if Natsu were to snap at Lucy, that’s how it’d look. Which actually never, I repeat never happened in the entirety of Fairy Tail.

Natsu has always been very gentle and consoling towards Lucy despite having a rough nature. A part of it’s because he knows she’s very emotional and feels it’s his responsibility to not only protect her physically, but also mentally. She has lost so many people and each time it affected her greatly that he naturally always pays more attention to anything that may or may not involve her. He knows to act accordingly when the situation concerns her, whether it comes to consoling her or protecting her. Even in the middle of battles, he’s aware of her and her surroundings. He prioritises her over anything and understands her more than anyone. And he has always been very careful about her emotions. He knows how easy it’s for her to befriend anyone and risk everything for them. She can be too serious and stubborn about her love for her friends. Athena was no exception. They just met a few chapters ago and Lucy was ready to quit fighting Viernes for her sake.

But it just wasn’t possible to take time and make her understand that she’s needed in this fight and they can’t defeat Viernes unless she helps. Natsu did what he could do at that time and it was an urgent plea to shake Lucy out of her zone. That shout was full of desperation and it was hundred percent needed.

Also I heavily disagree with those who said Lucy was too dramatic for behaving like this. No she wasn’t. Don’t forget that she interacted the most with Athena and made her realise that she can also have emotions like humans. She befriended her first and it was quite natural for someone like Lucy to react that way because she has only been losing people since the beginning. Her mother, father, Aquarius, Eclair and even Natsu left her alone for a year and the guild disbanded. And now Athena.

[iwasonceabookworm]

The Road to Recovery

my contribution to the EPIC Secret Santa. some moments of Athena’s recovery after God Games, for the lovely @willoillo. Athena’s my favourite character, too, so I hope I did her justice. Happy holidays!

The first thing she registered was a throbbing headache. “You’re okay,” a relieved voice said from in front of her. Behind her?

She attempted to sit up, only to be met with more throbbing pain, this time in her back. She gasped and collapsed back onto the bed.

The bed? She frowned, finally observing her surroundings. This wasn’t her room. Where-

“Athena!” This time, she recognized the voice as her brother, Apollo’s. “Are you alright?”

“I’m always alright,” she huffed, attempting to turn away from him but only being met, once more, with debilitating pain. Against her will, she found herself letting out a whimper.

Apollo didn’t respond, but she could practically hear him rolling his eyes. 

“Okay, Athena, what hurts?” He asked gently.

“My head,” she murmured after a moment. “I have a throbbing headache.”

“I suppose you could say, a thundering headache!” Apollo said cheerfully. 

Despite her injuries, she managed to fix him with her trademark glare.

~~~

Athena found that the least humiliating way to deal with this was to pretend to be asleep. Constantly. Especially since Apollo had said he wasn’t sure how long she would be there.

However, being as intelligent as she was, Athena knew that this “disguise” (if you could call it that) wouldn’t be the most effective (especially surrounded by her fellow gods, who could probably spot a needle in a haystack).

Nonetheless, it seemed to work. While she got a few visitors, most left her alone (perhaps more out of sympathy than conviction, which once upon a time she would have hated, but now, oddly, she appreciated it).

That was, until her father came to visit. For the longest time, he didn’t say anything - just stood there (but she could tell he was there - you could always tell when he was there. It was his power, his aura).

For the longest time, he just stood there. Though she had shifted her position so that her back was facing him, she couldn’t help practically see Apollo avoiding his eyes.

Finally, Zeus spoke. “Is she awake?) Athena knew with near certainty that he, indeed, knew that she was awake. Apollo uttered a response incomprehensible to her, a slight quiver in his voice. 

Zeus stepped towards her, and Athena could feel her heart rate accelerating (dammit, she didn’t even know that could happen to Gods).

She took a deep breath, and her heartbeat went back to normal. Just in time, too, for Zeus had made his way to her bedside. She forced her heart to continue at a normal rate, which was something she knew for a fact Gods could do.

Zeus kneeled down next to her, and Athena knew, right then and there, that he knew she was awake. She held her breath, but he said nothing. He let out a sigh, brushing his hands gently across the scarring on her arm. Athena wondered if this was his version of an apology.

Athena briefly considered hiding the chills that went down her spine as he brushed her arm, continue the illusion of sleep, but she decided it was no use. He knew she was awake. Still, she refused to meet his eyes. Perhaps she was too prideful, or maybe too afraid. Even to Athena, it was hard to tell.

Zeus sighed, seeming to recognize his defeat, but he continued tracing the thunder-shaped scars along her arm.

To her own shock, Athena found herself drifting to sleep. Maybe Zeus (or Apollo) had put a spell on her. Perhaps it was natural. Or maybe, a small part of her mind told her, this is comforting. Zeus is your father, and, well…

Athena was thankful that she fell asleep before she finished that thought.

~~~

“Athena, darling!” while she had been sticking to her fake-being-asleep routine (which so far only Zeus had seen through) this particular voice was hard to ignore.

“Hermes,” she greeted, a mix of annoyance and affection in her voice. That was, until she remembered he had likely come bearing news. She realized her face had lit up. “Is-“

“Yes, darling, your little mortal’s free,” Hermes said, plopping down onto her bed with his usual dramatic flare. 

Athena couldn’t help but laugh, a relatively unusual sound for her to make. Whether it was from joy, relief, or something else entirely was beyond her, but she was laughing, and she liked it. 

The joyous moment was soon interrupted by the door being burst open, everyone’s eyes darting right over.

“Poseidon?!” Apollo cried. Athena jerked right up into a sitting position, which she immediately regretted, but stayed in to avoid looking weak in front of her least favourite relative. 

To everyone’s shock and amazement, it was Athena who first uttered the words, "are you okay?”

He did, indeed, not look okay. He was covered in stab wounds. The interesting part was that they came in threes. It didn’t take a genius (which Athena decidedly was) to figure out that Poseidon

Poseidon’s attention swerved towards her, and he strode right over, a fire (maybe not the best way to describe the God of the sea) in his eyes.

“Athena,” he hissed. “You should keep your little mortal on a leash.”

Athena hadn’t noticed Hermes snickering beside her, and it seemed, now he was holding back full-blown laughter.

Athena paused, thought for a moment, then, for the second time in the past five minutes, found herself laughing.

After managing to control her giggles, she looked Poseidon dead in the eye, an asked: “are you telling me Odysseus did this?”

A bright red spattered across Poseidon’s face, and he looked as if he might attack her then and there, before Apollo’s voice cut through the silence: “Uncle, could you come over, and describe what happened, please?”

Once he was a safe distance away, Hermes and Athena continued their laughter, until Hermes said, in a faux-serious voice: “careful, big sis. He looked like he might’ve attacked you, then and there.”

“Please, I could take him.” Athena said with a grin.

This caused them to burst into hysterical giggles once more, and Athena briefly wondered exactly what sort of medicine Apollo had given her…

~~~

Fortunately for her reputation, that was Athena’s only delirious episode (though she assumed her reputation probably wasn’t doing so well for other reasons).

It wasn’t until later that Athena realized the implication of her rather… unsavory encounter with Poseidon: Odysseus was alive, and (probably) well, and most importantly, free! Why, he was probably on his way home right now! Or maybe he had already arrived? The thought made her ecstatic.

It wasn’t until later yet that she realized the second implication, which not so long ago would have been far more important to her: her efforts weren’t in vain, and her reputation may recover after all.

It seems as though the Goddess of Wisdom may have learned something or another about her world view…

[THE END]

[perseabeth]

< What If >

this is a one shot written about @anotheroceanid amazing fic titled When the Horizon Bloom, read it on AO3 you will enjoy it very much and cry very much too - i do not own the idea of the fic and i certainly do not own any character. this is a version of “What if” things happened differently in the fic. enjoy ✨ and i’d love to thank the author again for the amazing fic that i’m becoming obsessed with

****

Percy paced back and forth in her cabin, a growing sense of unease gnawing at her. She felt lost, unsure of whom to turn to, and the lack of dreams last night only heightened her fear. Sleep eluded her; every time she closed her eyes, she was jolted awake by terrifying nightmares.

She had faced Kronos, defeated titans, and held the weight of the world on her shoulders in Atlas’ place. She had endured experiences far worse than any nightmare could conjure, living through horrors that would break most. So why was she so afraid now?

A soft knock on the door pulled Percy from her spiraling thoughts. A blonde-haired girl peeked in. "Seaweed brain?"

Percy lifted her gaze to meet her friend's. Annabeth's gray eyes were filled with concern, as if sensing something was wrong. "You missed breakfast... is everything okay?"

Percy tried to muster a small smile. No, nothing was okay. Morning sickness was wreaking havoc on her, and the nightmares of gods punishing her were relentless. "Yes, I'm okay. I just woke up late," she managed to say, though it was far from the truth.

Annabeth looked at her silently for a minute, her eyes seeming to penetrate Percy’s thoughts. Percy was always amazed at how Annabeth’s eyes mirrored Athena’s, reading a person like an open book. she gulped, hoping Annabeth would believe her words. After a moment, her friend nodded slowly. "Your training starts in 15 minutes. The class is almost ready."

Percy gave a slight smile and nodded. "I'll be there." Yet Annabeth lingered at the door, as if waiting for Percy to confide in her. Realizing she wouldn't get any more information, Annabeth gave a final nod and closed the door behind her.

Percy hated lying to her friends and hiding anything from them. Since the war, they had all promised to be open with each other, to support one another through the healing process. But what could she say? That she was pregnant? Carrying a god’s child? No, not even one—three. Three small lives growing inside her, and she had no idea who to turn to.

She did have an idea. She wanted to turn to everyone around her, but her dreams held her back. Demigod dreams weren’t mere dreams; they were messages, visions, and warnings. And here she was, sleep-deprived because she dreamt of her children being killed while their father watched, emotionless.

The day passed rather quickly, as if Kronos had cursed time to hasten her doom. Everything was normal; life at camp went on as usual. Campers were enjoying themselves, chatting, sneaking drinks, and partying as if there were no worries for tomorrow.

It was ironic how carefree they all seemed. They had won a war and were free, savoring the remnants of their mortal lives. Yet, Percy was once again carrying the weight of the world. It was only a matter of time before someone noticed something strange about her. Then the news would spread like Greek fire, reaching the gods, who would learn of the prophecy. Percy and her children would be doomed.

Unconsciously, she wrapped a hand around her belly, as if trying to shield them from the inevitable. Just then, Percy noticed a pair of lingering gray eyes. "Still not feeling well?" Annabeth's voice pulled her from the ocean of her thoughts. Percy quickly removed her hand from her belly, afraid the gesture might reveal too much. "Yes, don't worry. I think I had too many cookies," Percy muttered, attempting a smile to reassure Annabeth. But she knew her friend wouldn’t buy it. Annabeth nodded silently.

The thing about a daughter of Athena was that she knew when something was wrong. But she waited for you to confide in her before uncovering the truth herself. That’s what Annabeth was offering Percy—time to reveal what was going on before she forced it out of her.

—————

The Olympus council raged with energy—too much energy for Percy’s mortal form to bear. She had been here multiple times before, she reminded herself, but nothing had prepared her for this moment.

She tried to catch her father’s eyes, but he immediately looked away, as if unable to bear the sight of her, ashamed. Her heart sank, and her soul felt like it was shattering. She needed someone to hold onto, but there were too many eyes on her, filled with anger and power. Desperately, she searched for other eyes, gentler eyes that had once looked at her with all the love in the world. Eyes that had held her tight, swearing to protect her from everything.

Percy sought his eyes—sky blue, like a beacon of light amidst the darkness. Her heart yearned for him, remembering how he had looked sitting leisurely on his golden throne, just like the first time she had seen him there. Yet, she couldn’t find those sky-blue eyes. Instead, she was met with golden eyes, burning with rage and a promise of pain.

"Well?" Her uncle's voice thundered through the room, the echo making Percy shrink. She had never been afraid of gods, never. She would have kicked the door of Olympus open and marched in like the hero she was. But today wasn’t about her. It wasn’t about harming her. It was about harming those precious to her—her children, hidden within her belly, shielded from the room's volatile energy.

"Apollo, what do you say about this, since you are, after all, the father?" Zeus’ voice was like thunder, each word more terrifying than the last. His tone dripped with sneer, as if the whole situation was beneath him.

Percy’s eyes remained on her lover, whose gaze had become a foreign land. Apollo did not speak; he just stared at her, as if silently threatening her, blaming her for their predicament. Then, with a cold, emotionless voice, he sealed her doom. "I will have none of this," he stated, turning his gaze back to his father. "They might be mine, but I will not claim them, and they will face the wrath of the gods like anyone else who dares to overstep their position."

Fog and mist clouded Percy’s vision. Tears welled up, blurring her sight. Perhaps her tears were merciful, blocking his face from her so she wouldn’t remember him like this—so emotionless, so heartless, promising punishment. This was the true Apollo, the one she had read about in books, the one who punished Cassandra and skinned a satyr alive. This wasn’t her Apollo. This wasn’t the gentle touch of the sun that had held her warmly. This voice wasn’t the sweet, melodic one that had whispered love to her. These eyes weren’t the beautiful ones she had always admired.

Zeus’ voice cut through the room again, sharp and authoritative. "Then the children should be punished and thrown into Tartarus, and they will take with them anyone who stands in the way." Zeus looked at her, a silent warning in his eyes—'You will go with them if you object.' He continued, "All in favor?"

Percy looked around in horror, her gaze landing on her father, pleading silently for mercy. But all she got in return was, "I agree."

All hands were raised, not one sparing her or her children. Cold, merciless eyes looked upon her, not with pity but with disgust, as if she had committed an unforgivable sin.

Percy’s tears could no longer be held back. She fell to her knees, perhaps because her legs could no longer support her, or perhaps because she wanted to beg. She didn't know. All she knew was that she was crying, her sobs echoing throughout the room, her trembling voice barely holding together.

"Please don’t. Please, please. I’m begging you. Please don’t harm them. Please. I’ll take them away. I’ll raise them far from here, but please don’t harm them."

She wasn’t sure if she was making any sense, wasn’t sure what she was even begging for. All she knew was that her heart was shattering, her soul was dying. She felt an immense, unbearable pain, and she was screaming.

——

Percy jolted awake, the room cloaked in darkness, but the light of the fountain was enough for her to recognize her surroundings. She was in her cabin. Safe and sound. She was safe, and her children were safe.

Tears filled her sea-green eyes once more, her heart shattering anew. For the first time, her cabin, her mini-heaven, felt suffocating. The events of her dream rushed back to her, and Percy could no longer hold back her tears. She needed to get out, needed to breathe. Air was scarce in the cabin, and she needed more.

With shaky legs, she stood and rushed to the door, trying to find air, trying to calm her sobs, but she couldn’t. She burst through the door and into the night. She didn’t remember where she walked or where her legs carried her. All she knew was that she found herself in the middle of a path lined with trees, the only light guiding her being the moon’s gentle glow.

She tried to control her sobs, tried to take deep breaths to calm herself. She was safe. They were safe, she reminded herself.

A sudden movement behind her froze the blood in her veins. She sensed him—felt his presence. His energy was always so warm, so peaceful, that she could always feel him. But this time, this peaceful energy brought her only fear. She didn’t dare look behind her, didn’t dare see if those eyes had turned golden again. She didn’t dare to hear that cold, merciless voice. So Percy stood there, wrapping her arms around herself, protecting herself, protecting them from the coldness she had just begun to feel.

"My love?" His gentle voice was like a sweet whisper, so lovely and filled with emotion. It carried love and concern, just as she was used to, before her nightmares.

"Percy, my love, why are you here?" he asked again, his voice almost a whisper, as if afraid of startling her. That’s when she broke down again. Hearing his voice like that only reminded her of her nightmare, her visions, and what his voice might sound like when all was exposed.

Percy didn't remember how it happened, but she found herself enveloped in warm arms. She remembered his gentle voice whispering sweet nothings in her ear as he held her, shielding her from the coldness of the night. It was ironic how the person she feared was the one giving her peace and comfort now, the only one capable of calming her tears. She sensed the fear and worry in his voice as he held her, felt his concern through the gentle touch of his hand soothing her hair.

If only he knew what he would become in the future...

She stayed there for what felt like minutes, maybe hours. She didn't even realize when he had picked her up and led her to a rock, where he sat with her wrapped in his arms, still caressing her hair and calming her down. She didn’t dare speak or look at him, afraid her eyes and voice would betray her

After what seemed like forever, she finally dared to look at him, to meet his gaze. He allowed her to lift her head, and she saw his eyes—beautiful, clear sky-blue even under the moonlight. His eyes were filled with love and gentleness, just as she remembered, now mingled with concern. Percy’s sea-green eyes locked with his, afraid that if she looked away, his eyes would turn to gold again. Her lover didn’t speak, only looked at her, always considerate, always patient, waiting for her to find peace before finding her voice.

“What’s wrong, love?” he muttered, his voice carrying the gentleness of the world. He brushed away the hair blocking her face, soothing her racing heart. He waited for an answer, but she shook her head, still unable to find her voice.

She felt terrible lying to him; she couldn’t look into his eyes and deceive him, so she averted her gaze, studying her surroundings. Only now did she notice they were in the middle of the forest. Suddenly, a warm hand gently held her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes again. “Percy… what’s wrong?”

She knew this tone—the tone of demanding answers, answers he would get no matter how long he has to keep her wrapped in his arms. A voice inside her head, a tiny voice, told her she could trust him, find peace in him, that he would protect her as he promised. But that voice was immediately drowned by the ocean of nightmares that filled her nights.

Percy shook her head again, trying to find her voice, now raspy from screaming and crying. “J-just a nightmare,” she muttered, still unable to look away as he gently fixed her chin with his warm fingers, holding her gaze.

Apollo studied her for a few minutes before gently stroking her hair again with his other hand. “A nightmare that made you run to the woods in the middle of the night?” he asked, still gentle and patient.

Percy simply nodded and muttered, “A bad nightmare.”

His gaze never left hers, studying her while his hands continued to soothe her. “What was it about?”

Percy gulped. She knew he would ask. He was always curious about every detail of her life, always there listening to her nightmares. He wouldn’t let this one go.

She looked at him, still holding his gaze, as if trying to show him she was being honest. “About the war.”

Apollo simply nodded before Percy felt the gentle touch of his lips on her forehead, kissing away her worries. His warmth spread throughout her body, comforting her, enveloping her in peace. For a fleeting moment, Percy wanted to believe that all was perfect in the world.

He whispered, his lips still on her forehead, "My love, have I ever told you how terrible of a liar you are?"

Percy's heart sank as nightmares rushed back to her—the memory of his cold voice, his golden angry eyes, and his indifferent gaze. She could feel her heartbeat in her hands, only for him to look at her again, his beautiful blue eyes meeting hers, guiding her through the darkness.

His eyes held nothing but pure gentleness, a hint of teasing, and a lot of love. His fingers started brushing her cheeks gently as he spoke again, his voice as gentle as a feather, "You are a terrible liar, and I love that you try to lie to the god of truth." He kissed her nose affectionately.

Speechless and unsure of what to say or how to react, Percy was overwhelmed. her silence didn’t seem to bother him as he continued to brush her cheeks and pepper her face with sweet, gentle kisses. "Now tell me, what’s wrong?" he asked softly, his voice filled with concern and love.

Percy couldn’t do anything but shake her head as she attempted to free herself from his embrace, only to find him holding her tighter. He remained silent, patient, silently facing their battle as she struggled against him.

She heard him sigh, and for a split second, fear gripped her—fear of him running out of patience, fear of meeting those golden eyes again. But the more she protested, the gentler his hold became. She looked into his eyes again, his lips curving into a small smile. “You aren’t going anywhere, my love, until you tell me,” he stated, his voice filled with warmth.

She shook her head as silent tears started rolling down her cheeks. “I-I can’t,” she whispered.

He shook his head, as if her answer wasn’t what he was seeking, before kissing her tears away, wiping them away with his lips. “Yes, you can, and you will, Percy,” he sighed before continuing. “I know you well enough to know that nothing, absolutely nothing, could make you run into the middle of the night like that unless it was something terrifying.” He kissed her forehead again, as if aware of the calming effect his gentle kisses had on her. And he wasn’t wrong. The more he did it, the more she felt at peace in his arms, despite all the nightmares.

He gently continued, still holding her gaze. “You looked at our dear grandfather eye-to-eye and stood your ground. I know my Percy. Nothing can scare her. So tell me, my love.”

She wanted to, oh how she wanted to tell him everything, to spill everything and hold him close. But she knew she couldn’t. She knew how he would react, and she knew what they would face.

Percy shook her head again, tears streaming down her face as she forcefully freed herself from his grasp. She couldn’t bear to look at his hurt expression, the pain in his eyes as she distanced herself from him, as if she were afraid of him. And who could she lie to? She was afraid of him.

She kept shaking her head, trying to make him understand. She didn’t want to hurt him, but he had to understand. She struggled to find her voice again. "I can’t, I can’t, I can’t!" she repeated, tears flowing freely. The night’s coldness enveloped her once more, while her body begged her to return to the warmth of his arms. Percy tried to look at him, hoping he would spare her from explaining anything, but she was once again met with his beautiful blue eyes, tinged with pain and uncertainty. His voice broke her, destroying all the self-will she had been trying to gather, as he whispered, "Don’t you trust me?"

She does! She wanted to scream at him that she does, that he was foolish to even doubt it. But does she? Percy questioned herself as she looked at him again. does she trust him? If she did, she wouldn’t feel afraid of him. If she did, she wouldn’t believe he would harm her or their children.

The longer she took to answer, the more pain showed in his eyes as his gaze locked onto hers. Then he spoke again, almost in a whisper, his voice showing hints of pain. "What did I do?"

Silence enveloped them, the night alive with the symphony of the forest. The rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze, the distant hoot of an owl, and the occasional chirping of crickets provided a backdrop to their conversation, amplifying the tension between them.

She kept looking at him, observing how he tried his best to understand what he had done wrong. Knowing him, he was probably going through a mental list of things he thought he might have done.

But how could she tell him?

“You didn’t do anything,” she finally said, her voice quivering.

“Then why?” he pressed.

“Why what?”

“Why are you looking at me like you aren’t sure whether you are safe with me or not?” he asked, his eyes still fixed on her, waiting for any reaction.

Percy couldn’t handle this anymore. She couldn’t tell him anything, yet she couldn’t not tell him anything. He stood there, hurt, thinking she didn’t trust him, yet he was so far from the truth.

Apollo slowly stood and stepped a little closer to her. Blame it on her nightmare or her lack of sleep, but she couldn’t help but take a step backward, earning her a quizzical look from him.

“St-stay away,” she muttered, hoping to stop him. She realized too late that her words had indeed stopped him, but not in the way she wished, as he stood frozen, looking at her with pained eyes. For the first time in her life, Percy witnessed fear in Apollo’s eyes.

She had hurt him, deeply. But who could blame her? If anyone with a healthy mind saw these visions every day, they would react the same way.

She tried to speak again, hoping to remove that pained look from his face. “I-I didn’t mean it that—“ But before she could finish, he spoke again.

“You are scared of me… What did I do?”

That’s when Percy broke down again. Maybe it was hormones, maybe it was nightmares, maybe it was a terrible mix of both, but she couldn’t bear to see that look on his face. She started sobbing, holding her face in her palms. She felt him hesitate, unsure whether to step closer or stay where he was, knowing she was scared.

Percy kept sobbing as she muttered, "It’s not you... You will harm us... In the future, you will harm us... I can’t let that happen... They don’t deserve this!"

Apollo’s voice cut through her sobbing state as he simply questioned, “Us? They?”

Here’s a few things about Percy: sometimes words don’t go through her brain before speaking them out, which has gotten her into trouble with gods, titans, and monsters alike. When she is in distress, this tendency becomes even worse, and following order becomes harder for her. And in that special moment, Percy was in her most vulnerable state as she couldn’t control her sobs. Gaea had warned her to be careful with every word she says, but it’s not Percy’s fault that Gaea trusted her with such a mission. And it was too late when Percy realized what she had done as she looked at her confused lover. It was too late to withdraw her words; her tears still blurred her vision as he stood in front of her. “I-I mean us, me and you,” she stammered.

Apollo shook his head, didn’t he just tell her how terrible of a liar she is? “You just said ‘they’? Who are they, Percy?”

She wanted to run, to escape now, never look back because she just realized that she had messed up everything. Her tears were uncontrollable at this point, but she couldn’t let herself drown in them. She needed to stay awake to face him, but with what? What could she say?

In a blink of an eye, she felt warm palms cupping her cheeks, caressing them softly as his eyes poured into hers. “Who are you talking about?” he whispered gently, as if he was aware that whatever topic they were approaching was something destroying her.

Was it worth lying at this moment? Percy questioned herself. Maybe Gaea had promised to save her from all, but was it a real solution? Was she able to run from the twelve Olympian gods forever? Was she really able to postpone whatever destiny her children might face? She is a child of prophecy, and she knows how hard it is to escape prophecies. Was any of it really worth it?

She could feel a voice in her head telling her to confide in him, and another screaming and shouting at her, telling her that these nightmares would come true, and she was only making them come quicker. She could feel invisible hands holding her throat, preventing her from talking, a pressure almost preventing her from breathing. But one thing, one small thing, was holding her like an archer holding a ship amidst a dark storm: his eyes. Those gentle eyes that looked at her with all the love and concern possible. Eyes promising her that he would protect her no matter what. And in that second, she trusted those eyes, for they had never broken a promise.

“Our children,” she whispered, maybe even afraid that he would hear. But she knew that he heard, because the frozen state he was in proved that he did, in fact, hear.

His frozen state only fed her fears more; his eyes never left hers, but he was oddly silent, and that didn’t help her at all in this situation. She regretted blurting it out; she regretted not controlling herself, and she was about to regret confiding in his eyes when the silence was broken with his voice.

“You are—” he began, but couldn’t finish. He waited for her to finish, waited for her to spill the words so she could confirm them.

Tears rolled from Percy’s eyes again. That was it, that was the moment she had dreaded. But when was she a coward running away? Never, and she never would. Percy nodded, still holding his gaze, as she finished his own sentence. “—pregnant.”

And again, frozen, he was back again to that state where his eyes widened, looking at her, searching her eyes for any hint of a lie. She had to break this silence; she had to speak. She led armies, so she could lead a conversation, even with tears rolling down her eyes.

“triplet.. But there’s a prophecy… Dangerous… Gods will be angry… You will be angry… A lot of danger… Tartarus… I need to prote—” But before she managed to finish her incoherent speech, which she was sure made no sense, she felt warm lips on hers.

It was a gentle kiss, soft and tender, like a feather brushing against her lips. It was a kiss filled with happiness, reassurance and love, a silent promise. In that moment, all her fears melted away, replaced by a sense of peace and warmth. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment, letting herself be enveloped by his love.

Maybe she wished to believe that it was a normal pregnancy announcement; maybe his kiss did make her feel like that. And for moments, she wanted to believe that. He broke the kiss only to replace it with another tender kiss, and another, and another.

She tried to whisper between kisses, reminding him of their situation: “Prophecy.” But it only gained her an inaudible mumble as he kissed her one last time. Maybe he didn’t hear her incoherent speech; maybe he was also wishing to live in his own world for a few minutes.

He looked at her again, and if she thought that she already found his most beautiful gaze, she was wrong. Because at this moment, there she found the most beautiful gaze. He looked at her with eyes full of love, happiness, pure happiness he barely showed, besides when she confessed her love for the first time. But now, it was a new type of happiness, a new type of hope. His hands never left her cheeks as he kept caressing them with even more tenderness. He whispered, “I love you... so much,” before kissing her again softly and mumbling, “Thank you.”

She hated to break that moment for them; she hated to ruin this happiness. But she had to. She had to tell him the full truth since he already knew the worst part of it. “Prophecy,” she mumbled again. That’s when she caught his attention, and he spoke, “What prophecy are you talking about my love ? I heard of nothing.”

She took a deep breath before she spilled everything to him, from the moment she discovered her pregnancy to the prophecy, to the nightmares, and even Gaea's secret mission in 'helping her'. She could feel Gaea’s rage; don’t ask her how, but she could feel it.

Only after saying everything did she finally dare to look at Apollo, who was now holding her waist with his brows knotted in confusion. He was silent for a few minutes, her anxiety at its peak as she waited for any word from him, anything.

Maybe after telling him everything, he would agree with her plan with Gaea? Maybe he would agree with how dangerous her children are? Maybe he would say that the prophecy could be wrong? She didn’t know. But she did know one thing: his face showed pure curiosity and not anger.

After what seemed like hours, he finally spoke softly, "No." She looked at him in confusion.

"No..." he repeated again, Percy still not understanding what he was trying to say, when he cupped her cheeks and forced her to look at him. "I don’t care what this prophecy says. I’ll have a talk with Rachel for hiding this. But I don’t care what it means."

Percy whispered, afraid of raising her voice, "You are the god of prophecy, you can't say that."

He shook his head, his blue eyes still filled with determination. "If me being the god of prophecy means I’ll let harm come to my children, then I’ll let Delphi crumble to pieces."

"No harm will come to them. I will not allow any harm to come to them, and I don’t care if the price to pay was Olympus itself," Percy tried to shake her head, as if she was warning him that he was saying nonsense, but he fixed her face and made her look at him. "Nothing, and absolutely nothing, will harm you or our children, love," he stated. "I swear it on the River Styx." A sudden thunder broke the silence of the forest.

An oath... he just made an oath while holding her as if he didn’t just make the most sacred oath. Percy tried to reason with him, "But Gaea—"

Apollo shook his head again. "I’ll not let anyone take care of you. I don’t trust anyone with you, and especially not a primordial goddess that was supposed to be sleeping."

"But Olympus—"

"I’ll deal with them. Leave them to me."

"But—" She tried to protest when his lips found hers again in a gentle kiss, silencing her. "Stop with buts. Nothing will happen, and you have the word of a god. I will never allow anything to happen to you... all of you." That’s when his eyes were suddenly filled with happiness and gentleness again. He suddenly grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug, burying his nose in the crook of her neck.

As he mumbled in her neck, in a soft, gentle tone, "Gods, Percy..." and "Thank you," she didn’t understand what he was thankful for, but she was sure of one thing: for the first time in weeks, she felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders, just like when Atlas took the weight of the Earth from her again. Yet this time, she felt utter peace. Complete peace.

For the first time in weeks, she felt her heart filled with happiness. She was in his arms, the arms of the one who made a sacred oath to protect her and her children. Not just her, but also them. And maybe, just maybe, it was worth it.

It was worth having this nightmare so she could find him here tonight. Maybe the Fates really took pity on her... just maybe, there is hope.

[firinnie]

Simp for Metis at this stage

I think a bit too much about Hesiod's Theogony.

According to this, Zeus had 7 wives: Metis, Themis, Eurynome, Demeter, Mnemosyne, Leto and Hera

Metis is the only wife Zeus was forced to get rid of because she was supposed to give birth to a son who would defeat him. Plus "Zeus placed her down into his belly, so the goddess might advise him on good and evil." kind of changes it a bit, like she was some kind of voice in his head? Interesting.

Themis was basically… a good replacement for Metis. She advised him in the same way and was justice. Then we have Eurynome, who is like Metis but in appearance, a beautiful nymph.

Demeter, who opposed him but was powerful. Recognizing her as a wife is interesting, but it kind of shows us the great sense from Hestia taking a vow of virginity was. Then Mnemosyne was the personification of memories… do I need to add anything when he still couldn't get his first wife out of his head?

The case of Leto and Hera is very interesting because we all know that one was supposed to pursue the other. Hera was jealous of her husband, so it means that Leto got pregnant after the divorce or was replaced when her pregnancy was not yet known.

And now I see one thing (unless I missed something) but if we assume that Leto was actually divorced, maybe because she couldn't / not wanted to get pregnant, which turned out to be only when Hera was already ruling… it turns out that Hera is the only one who gave Zeus a son from a legitimate bed. Each of the other ladies here gave birth to only daughters, and Apollo was born out of wedlock because Hera was jealous of her husband then. Does this mean that Zeus wanted a son and he was only bargaining chip to continue the marriage?

This is already an obsession, but everything revolves around Metis for me. Zeus tried to replace her mind, her looks, her strength and finally that she would give him a son but this time a safe one. Right after that Athena is born so Zeus no longer has a part of Metis to follow in love life, he has it in his daughter.

[flower1622]

From what i saw people commenting about PJO, i made some different opinions from Rick and the fandom:

. "Percy is the most powerful"

Percy is still a mortal, he gets tired and also could be defeated by the gods (especially his father), Typhon (if I'm not mistaken), the cabins of Hypnos, Hecate, Zeus and Hades or maybe Dionysus too. Who knows? I think that any character/cabin with a good strategy could win from Percy.

. "Annabeth is the most intelligent"

Even though she is daughter of Athena, from what people commented, there are other characters that are or can be smarter than her many times.

. "Percabeth is the best ship"

I already made posts about this ship and I find the couple a little toxic sometimes with red flags. I like to watch the version from the series because they seem more mature and I love the way Percy cares about Annabeth. However, Annabeth can have some questionable actions towards Percy.

. "He could be saved"

I don't remember many things about Luke, but from what some people commented, I guess that Luke would have joined Kronos by the same way. He kinda seems arrogant and a little pyscho. Maybe if Thalia had survived when they were kids....I don't know.

. "Perachel, Pernico and many other ships with Percy (that are not Percabeth) are horrible"

I don't agree because everyone can ship Percy with any other character. If the fandom doesn't like when people outside it judge the fandom because they only ship Percabeth, the best way is to give voice to multishipper fans. Respect always! If someone doesn't like Pernico because of age, that's also okay. Others should respect your decision. But, Solangelo wouldn't be very different either from Pernico. Rachel is a good option for Percy. She seems to really care about him even though they don't know each other very well. I think the hate on her is totally desnecessary. In my opinion, there are better ships than Percabeth.

. "Jason is boring"

I don't know the character because I didn't read HOO, but from what people commented...he doesn't seem so bad. He seems a nice person that cares about others and tries to do what is right. So, I don't understand the hate on him either.

. "Leo and Calypso are toxic because of age"

I don't think an age difference would result in a couple being toxic. Again, I didn't read HOO. So, I don't know the characters, but if the problem is about age, I guess people wouldn't like Solangelo or a vampire romance.

. "Rick likes to kill blonde guys"

It's funny to see Rick using a blonde boy as the protagonist (who isn't blonde) in his series.

. "Solangelo and Percabeth had the best chemistry"

Although I like Solangelo a little better than Percabeth, I don't think the two ships had a great development. Sorry! Percy and Nico also had more chemistry with other characters than with their own partners.

. "Percabeth had the best enemies to lovers story"

Romeo and Juliet - We don't exist

Percy and Thalia - We don't exist

Percy and Clarisse - We don't exist

Percy and Jason - We don't exist

Percy and Luke - We don't exist

Percy and Nico - We don't exist

. " It's so cute when Percy tries to get well with Athena because of Annabeth"

Am I the only one that find this relationship boring between these two? I think Percy would have a more interesting relationship with other gods like Hades, Ares or even Zeus...

."Annabeth was only rude to Rachel because she was jealous"

Alright. So, if we ever feel jealous, it's okay to be rude to other people, even if they are being nice to us and we don't even know them.

Annabeth can be arrogant and for these kind of people, they like to have control over everything. When something happens that wasn't in their plans, they get mad. Rachel happened to be one of those things she couldn't control. Percy wasn't even Annabeth's boyfriend at that time and she already was possessive of him, but that would explain her stalking him. This usually happens when someone gets obsessed with something (like in Annabeth's case). There are people who love this, but in real life they wouldn't like to have someone too possessive of them or they are this kind of obsessed people. I have these two possibilites on my mind since some of them see themselves in Annabeth's questionable actions towards her partner. So, I really wouldn't like to know how they really are in a relationship because real life tends to be ten times worse than the fictional world. Coming back to Annabeth with Rachel...she even calls the girl "just a human" in front of Percy (her future boyfriend) who has a human mother that he loves very much, thanks! But, I got curious. Isn't Annabeth human too?

I know she can be a demigod, but without powers, she is not that different from a human. In the world, there are very intelligent humans like Annabeth. So, I don't get Annabeth's words. I got this part about Rachel with a post here on Tumblr by a page that showed many moments with Annabeth and Percy from the books.

. "Annabeth is the queen and everyone should obey and bow to her"

There are some people who think like this and my reaction is just...

I think Annabeth could be one...in neverland. The lost boys don't study. They obey Peter Pan because he has the knowledge. Annabeth has knowledge and intelligence. She would do well there teaching the kids. She even could take Percy with her. He would love the place. Both would stay young forever. Unfortunately, they don't exist in real life, so it would be pretty hard to visit them and bow, along with Peter, Percy and the lost boys to the new queen of neverland. Sorry! I wish many characters were real, with some exceptions of course.

. " If Percy can't trust Annabeth, he can't trust anyone else"

He needs help.

. "Annabeth is Percy's weakness"

Does he have a family? A best friend? A brother? Friends? 🤔

[harmless-variety-of-garden-snake]

I just read your saleddie silver star girl fic and i am desperate for more of them so could I please request either 17 or 48 for them? Whichever strikes your fancy!

I AM SO HAPPY TO WRITE MORE OF SALEDDIE, SO YOU GET BOTH. One of these will be a Silver Star fic, one will be non-cracky SalEddie. To understand what the hell is going on in the Silver Star one, I'll direct your attention to this fic.

17. (...to distract)

Eddie is trying desperately to make it through parent-teacher conferences without incident, but then it turns out the science teacher is a dark creature in disguise that's intent on enslaving the children at his kid's school. He hasn't gotten to the 'why' of it, because he figures that beating up said creature is a little more important than interrogating it. Athena is going to give him hell about it later, but she's in Tahoe with Bobby, so he doesn't really care at the moment.

He's alone in his fight, because Buck, Hen, Ravi, and Tommy are all on shift. Karen is on her way, but she's caught in crosstown traffic.

When a Madonna lily cuts across his field of vision, he sighs.

"Hey, Princess," Sal says from the skylight in the gym. "Need a hand?"

Eddie hates to admit it, but he does. The battle goes a lot smoother with Sal there, because they fight well together.

"Do you have me bugged or something?" Eddie asks, dodging a beam of dark energy.

"No, but someone had the good sense to call his father," Sal says pointedly, sweeping his cape across the creature's face to make it miss its next shot.

Eddie's glad Chris feels comfortable calling Sal, but he wishes he'd warn him sometimes. It's sort of starting to feel like a Parent Trap situation if the twins were one 900-year-old kid.

They defeat the creature easily, and Eddie calls Karen to let her know everything is fine.

"Good, because I'm going back to work," she says. "Thank Sal for me. However you two do that."

Eddie hangs up on her, and he's about to run back to check on Christopher when he hears the chirp of a police radio. The creature's dissolved into nothing, but he knows it'll be suspicious as hell that they're skulking around a school if anything violent was reported. Especially if he's wearing a fucking sailor outfit with a miniskirt.

"Shit!" he hisses, transforming back into his civilian clothes. "Quick, change back."

Sal does as he's told, and he's in his goddamn uniform, which is all tight in the biceps.

"You left work?"

Sal shrugs. "Chris called. Said you needed me."

It's so incredibly flattering and sweet, it makes Eddie want to shove his face in a locker or make another kid with him. Or maybe just the first one and that's how they get Chris. Chris has always been intentionally evasive about that or he risks not being born, and Eddie lets him get away with it because he'd die again before he gave up his son.

The cops are getting closer, and Sal grabs Eddie by the wrist, yanking him toward the bleachers. When they huddle under them, Eddie lets out a sigh of relief until the doors burst in.

"Great," he mutters, and then he's being pushed up against the wall and kissed.

Sal, especially Sal in any uniform, is going to do it for Eddie. He has no problem admitting that, because he's only human (sort of) and Sal is sexy as hell. He always kisses Eddie like he needs him to live, and it's enough to make his head spin. He kisses back with a soft moan, trying to encourage Sal to press closer.

"Freeze!" a voice calls, and they spring apart. "Captain Deluca?"

"Hey, Sarge," Sal says, grinning. "Sorry, just reliving a little high school fantasy with my man here."

Eddie waves weakly at the three police officers, one of whom he's definitely seen at a few calls before. "Hey, guys."

They're asked if they've seen anything unusual at the school, because there's been reports of a crazed man attacking students and a tall, muscular woman with a weapon trying to fight him in the hallways.

"Nope, didn't see anything like that," Eddie says flatly as Sal snickers behind him. "I was busy being slobbered on by this guy. We're missing a meeting, let's go."

Out in the hallway, Eddie smacks Sal's bicep a few times in rapid succession.

"Hey, it worked!" Sal protests, pulling him close and kissing his cheek. "Let's go find Chris and get him some ice cream. Kid's had a long afternoon."

"He's not the only one," Eddie mutters, slinging his arm around Sal's back.

"I'll get you some ice cream, too, sweetheart."

"Shut up."

Sal nuzzles his neck and chuckles. "I know what you really mean by that, Princess."

Eddie shivers. "Stop trying to distract me, Salvatore."

"Ain't my fault you think I'm so compelling," Sal teases, briefly pressing him against a bank of lockers for a kiss before tugging him toward the English department where Chris is waiting for them.

48. (...out of habit)

They don't run into each other on calls too often, because Sal's station is in Culver City. When they do, Eddie tries to keep it professional. It's bad enough that he's with another firefighter, it's worse that it's a captain. They have to be extra careful with professionalism.

A series of freak accidents and crazy fires have brought their engines to the same scene. Eddie works tirelessly with patients and on trying to keep himself focused. It's a mass casualty event, and it's hard to keep going like nothing's touching him.

At the end of everything, he's sitting on the back bumper of the engine and turning his helmet over in his hands, feeling like there's a literal weight keeping him there.

"Hey," Sal says, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "You guys heading back soon?"

"Yeah," Eddie replies, looking up at him. "You?"

Sal nods, crossing his arms over his chest. He'd ditched his turnout jacket, and Eddie wants to make a public decency joke, but his heart isn't in it right now. As if sensing that, Sal holds out a hand.

"C'mon," he says. "Up and at 'em, soldier."

It gets a ghost of a smile out of Eddie, and he takes the hand, letting Sal haul him to his feet. When he's upright, he lets the momentum carry him into a kiss, the same way he does when they're at home. He freezes for a moment realizing where they are, but Sal's other hand curls around the back of his head and keeps him there as his boyfriend kisses him back.

"Fuck 'em, what're they gonna do? Fire me?" Sal jokes when he breaks the kiss a moment later. "I'll sue the bastards for discrimination."

Eddie smiles and spreads his free hand over Sal's belly, feeling him breathe against his palm and letting it reassure him. "Yeah, fuck 'em."

"That's the spirit," Sal says, grinning and pecking him on the lips again. "See you at home, dolcezza."

He nuzzles their noses together briefly, because it always makes Sal smile. "See you, Papi."

"There's kids around, Diaz," Sal teases, and Eddie pinches his stomach. "Ow!"

"You're the only kid here, asshole," he mutters, kissing him before gently pushing him away. "Stop harassing your inferiors."

Sal winks and backs off. "Report me, kid."

Eddie watches him go with a smile on his face, finally feeling like he can move again.

[olympians367]

Imagine Percy getting dared to go to Olympus and linger around a specific spot — doesn’t matter where — and act like he did something wrong but refuse to say exactly what he did for blue treats. And he has to do this for an entire day.

He looks worried, his hands are in his pockets, and he’s just pacing back and forth. If people watch him long enough, they’ll see him leave and come back to that spot and stare at it like it’s just given him a death sentence.

It doesn’t matter who comes up to him — Hermes, Ares, Hestia, his dad — Percy does. not. break.

And Apollo and Zeus, who I hear can tell who is and who isn’t lying, aren’t sure whether to believe him when he says he didn’t do anything because his voice is getting high-pitched like a child who’s afraid of the consequences of their actions and just keeps repeating, “Nothing!” He won’t make eye contact and is visibly moving away from them.

It doesn’t matter how many times Poseidon reassures his son he won’t get in trouble, he keeps repeating “I didn’t do anything!”

Now, the gods are all worried as to what he did because this is PERCY JACKSON, the boy who killed a Minotaur with zero training, defeated Ares, countless monsters and a Titan, and survived Tartarus, and they’re pretty sure he’s just done something that could be the end all, be all.

Athena brings in her daughter, Annabeth, to get whatever Percy did out of him. Of course, Annabeth knows about the dare and plays along.

Finally, they bring Sally in.

The gods huddle, watching, listening as she comforts her son and urges him to confess.

Percy whispers the dare in her ear, and Sally holds back a smile.

After an agonizingly long minute, she pulls back and the gods see that she’s distressed but won’t say anything.

Now, they’re really worried!

Rumors spread, and everyone is getting stressed. Even Ares is anxious, though he’ll never admit or show it.

Then, the next morning, they find out the real reason Percy was acting so sketchy.

[lovely-p-issues]

To be clear - this is not what I think Poseidon's motive was. It's just an idea (looking at the general level of how I wrote it - more of a sketch than anything)

And I'm very afraid that the beginning gives a strange vibe between Poseidon and Athena???? Which was not my intention??? So let's just get through it

___

Athena emerged above the water and brushed back her wet hair away from her face, struggling to catch her breath.

The cave was far from the splendour of the palace at the bottom of the sea. She looked around at the walls covered in paintings and the old, dilapidated monuments, covered in dirt and plants. An old temple, from a time when the world looked different.

She swam closer to the edge of rocks above the water and slowly climbed the slippery steps, covered in slime, revealing a body clad in light armour and a mass of bandages.

‘Ah, my niece. Fancy to see you here.’

A deep voice came from inside the cave, hidden in the darkness. Only a pair of bright eyes glowed in the depths, indicating to her where Poseidon was.

She approached, stepping carefully over the damp rocks. At last she could see his face, contorted in a shark-like grin. And his body. He was half lying on one of the rocks, carved into an imitation of an armchair, his torso covered with wounds in varying degrees of healing. Golden blood was still seeping from some of them.

Athena looked down and noticed that her sandals were also covered in this gold, mingling with the water.

‘Please don't stand there like this. I wouldn't want you to think I'm not happy with your visit.’

She raised her eyebrows, but knelt beside him, looking at Odysseus' creation with fascination. She raised her hand, but did not dare to touch the wounds. In silence, she studied the successive blows her former disciple had dealt him.

She felt his gaze on her, full of curiosity. She knew he was looking at her burns. At the scarlet pattern her Father's lightning had painted on her skin.

‘Let me point out, however, that of the two of us, I think I came out better for my encounter with this mortal anyway.’

She moved her hand away and clenched her fingers into a fist.

‘Why.’

Her voice sounded strange amidst the noise of the water and Poseidon's heavy breathing. The god just turned his head, looking at her with renewed interest.

‘Why did you let him go. You could have stopped him. It was your own damn trident. In the middle of the sea.’

‘I could have stopped him, but I couldn't kill him, could I? You made sure of that. I doubt Zeus would even let me keep him away from Ithaca. It seems the favourite child's magic really can work wonders."

She shook her head in disbelief.

‘You knew you had lost. Why all this. Why let him think he had defeated a god. You had to call off that storm anyway.’

‘I couldn't let him forget.’

‘What?’

'In those seven years Calypso almost made him her pet. When was the last time he had blood on his hands, hm? Let him go back to his wife, let him sleep beside her, but don't let him forget that with the same hands he uses to embrace her face, he killed people. Maybe he will be able to hold his grandson still. Let him not forget what happened to the last child he had in his arms. I didn't want him to forget what he had become.’

‘You wanted to… wake up the monster again?’

He smiled even wider.

‘Truly, you are known as the smartest of the immortals for a reason.’

She stood up, and her armour shimmered in the faint light that came in from an opening in the rocks above them. Helios was taking off on another flight.

'You won't let him have... One. Peaceful. Night.’

He shook his head.

‘No.’

‘And all because of your pride.’

He rose slightly, putting a hand to his chest. Blood oozed between his fingers.

‘Oh no, Athena, I feel judged by one of the few people who could understand me. After all... we're so alike.’

She took a step back, as if these words struck her. A moment later she straightened up.

‘We're not.’

‘Where, then, were you when his crew called on the gods for help? I don't think you're going to tell me you didn't hear that. Why was it Hermes who was with him on Kirke's island? Why did he have to go all the way down to the Underworld to ask for advice when you two had been so close for so many years? All those years with Calypso. Every death of his loved ones.’

‘All because… he told you no. When you wanted him to kill my son. You know something about pride, Athena, as does our whole family after all. You knew he needed to be punished when he started thinking of you as a partner. As if he could ever compare with you. Like a friend,’ he laughed, grimly.

The words burned her to the core, but it was not for nothing that she was one of the few to survive an encounter with the lightning of the King of the Gods.

‘I have changed.’

‘We are gods. We don't change,’ sounded like a father explaining something to a little girl. Athena had never been a little girl. She moved her fingers, willing her spear to be in them.

‘Try me.’

‘I don't need to. That boy… Telemachus? Certainly not as arrogant as his father, but still…. a man. All I have to do is wait to see what you do when he objects. I wonder if you will then consider the lovely embroidery Zues has done on your skin a worthy price for his happiness."

‘Then let's wait. The greatest advantage and disadvantage of our lives is that we rarely run out of time, don't we?’

She turned and moved towards the greenish water.

'Please give my regards to your new friend. He may need a lot of encouragement soon.’

She did not bother to look back.

‘And you to your son.’

[the-camp-half-blood-library]

Hi! I'd like to recommend some Percabeth fics I read recently because they're amazing. I really enjoyed them and they're pretty underrated!

1. Chinks in the Armor by @stiltsrosko https://archiveofourown.org/works/60169987

When Percy went to Westover Hall to answer Grover's distress call, he swore to himself that he would protect the di Angelo siblings at all costs.

What does that mean when he and Nico are captured by Thorn, and he is forced to make choices that threaten the fate of the world? How far is he willing to go to protect Nico, and what will he have to sacrifice?

Or: Percy is kidnapped at the beginning of Titan's Curse instead of Annabeth

this fic is canon divergent and it's so so good! it has lots of percy whump, and protective!percy over little nico who is also kidnapped:(

2. Air Bubbles by pandaluna https://archiveofourown.org/works/55055059

The door opened and Percy was pretty sure he’s never in his life been so happy to see those annoyed, stormy gray eyes looking at him.

“Wha—Percy?” Annabeth’s familiar voice reached his ears but his vision was completely black now, though he was fairly certain his eyes were still wide open.

“Hey, Wise Girl,” he managed to rasp out. His knees buckled and he could vaguely feel hands catching him before he could hit the floor. “I think I need some help.

And then he really did faint.

Or: Percy gets injured on a random day by a dracaena and, sadly, he doesn't have any ambrosia or nectar left.

Luckily, Annabeth's school is nearby. Unfortunately, it's kind of awkward.

They figure it out.

this is post-botl and pre-tlo, so pre-relationship percabeth. everyone assumes they're in a relationship and they don't even correct them, and they are so cute and awkward in this. hurt!percy again :( <3

3. Cut the skin, let me in by A_Monument_Of_Cloud https://archiveofourown.org/works/52738114

“Who would win? A hundred campers or fifty flying chickens?”

Or, Hubris and loyalty clash.

OR, Percy gets hurt during a Capture the Flag turned monster attack. Annabeth sulks. Also there’s an emotional speech. And worrying. And absolutely no one likes no one here, how absurd. There’s also geese. But not necessarily in that order.

post-botl and pre-tlo. it has the tag "annoyances to lovers" which describes it perfectly I think. brilliant characterisation. percy and annabeth argue but he loves her so so much. percy whump :)

4. vision blinded by sight by @delphicnovember

https://archiveofourown.org/works/63232810

“We were relieved he was fine, but-” Hazel stumbled, clearly upset, “Something was wrong. He said… He said the memories were coming too quickly, and he felt bad ‘cause of it. Sixteen years of memories hitting you all at once. And then- then he started saying nonsense to us. Or at least, we thought it was nonsense. After freeing Thanatos, defeating Alcyoneus, and fighting at the Feast of Fortuna, we realised that-” she looked at Frank, “some of the things he said had come true.”

“We think he’s mixing up the past, present and future. He can’t tell the difference. How potent were his prophetic powers before?” Reyna asked.

“Just my luck,” Annabeth’s voice was vicious, angry. She scrubbed harshly at her face, “Just my fucking luck. My boyfriend goes missing without a trace for months, and when I see him again, he’s-”

OR: After the SON quest, Percy's different. He mixes up past, present and future. This is the Mark of Athena and House of Hades quests, if Percy had been both more powerful, and slightly incapacitated.

I've only read up to chapter 4 but this fic has such a cool concept. percy has some prophetic powers and his memories get all mixed up as a result of drinking the gorgon's blood in SoN. he is not really all there, but he has some moments of clarity and it's devastating - but annabeth is there for him and the percabeth moments are really sweet. highly recommend <3

Oh wow! Thank you so much for all of these recommendations, we greatly appreciate them!

Clickable links below:

Chinks in the Armor

Air Bubbles

Cut the skin, let me in

vision blinded by sight

Thank you again and happy reading!

-Mod 2

[lordmartiya]

Hot take on modern retellings of the Trojan War: if they want to present Helen well, they should include what happened to her after Paris' death, as per the lost poems.

With Paris dead there was no reason to keep Helen, right? Nope, because the legitimate ruler of Sparta is HER, Menelaus is just the guy she chose as her consort to act as king, give her a few heirs and spares, and make sure they don't get themselves killed like idiots like her brothers Castor and Pollux had done, so, in theory, if they married her off to one of Priam's remaining sons they could claim one of the wealthiest kingdoms in Bronze Age Greece. Thus Deiphobus and the augur Helenus get in, Deiphobus wins, and Helenus goes out to Mount Ida to calm down. Thus Helen is pissed... And Helenus, who knows the prophecies about the impending fall of Troy, got himself captured by Odysseus.

A few days later, the Greeks are acting weird. Ships are going back home and returning, and the siege has slacked off, enough merchants and beggars can come in... And, while observing the beggars, Helen recognizes ODYSSEUS. She wastes no time to talk to him, finds out he's looking for the Palladium, the statue of Athena that makes the city invulnerable, to steal it later, and PROMPTLY TELLS HIM WHERE TO FIND IT, and leaves a secondary gate unlocked so that at night Odysseus can come back with Diomedes and steal the Palladium.

A few weeks pass. The Kheteioi (likely the Hittites), Troy's mightiest allies, have finally sent a relief force, and while the Greeks defeated them it was hard enough they actually left to raise reinforcements, leaving behind a lucky Wooden Horse to propitiate their navigation... Horse that the Trojans, after checking it with the help of Helen's voice imitation skills, have brought inside to sabotage the Greeks' voyage. They had to dismantle one of the gates because the Horse was BIG (clearly the Greeks didn't want it moved, and if the Trojans moved it THEY would get cursed in time for round 2), but they got the Horse, the Greek would face storms, and now the Trojans can get blackout drunk in celebration, because THEY WON! Sure, they'd have killer hangovers while they fixed the gate the next day, but that could wait. Even Deiphobus drank himself to sleep, and Cassandra with her prophecies of doom and that Aeneas guy who stayed sober are just ridiculous. Then Helen wakes up Deiphobus in the middle of the night, he opens his eyes and... Is that fucking MENELAUS in the room?! And why is Helen holding Deiphobus' sword and smirking? And why is the city burning? Wait, did Helen work with Odysseus to get the Wooden Horse full of warriors in and set Deiphobus up to get murdered by the man SHE chose as her husband all those years ago?

As you can see, Helen took charge of her own fate as soon as Aphrodite's spell lost effect, and that could be a nice thing to show. Sure, a bit cruent, but we're in the literal Late Bronze Age Collapse, she's the most badass woman in Greece of her age.