#the prince's ascension

[boggleirha]

Harvey Picrew for Lastland, Iris, Princeton: Lastland

[dandelion-blues]

I was Never the Gods’ Hero

Intro:

Percy Jackson just wanted a break. He didn't ask to be favored by ancient beings. He didn't want to be a hero, he needed to, but here he is expected to be a hero again! And in another universe already filled with heroes to boot!

Percy Jackson x DC crossover fanfic

Chapter 1

Gasping, clawing, trembling for air. He can't breathe! His hands are on his throat gasping desperately for oxygen. The all-encompassing pressure surrounds him from every inch of his body, suffocating and consuming him. It's a thick and oppressive void of blackness where there is no color, no light, and no hope. It's a parasyte waiting to consume, where it's solid in the freezing, crushing pressure that cracks his bones and liquid as it oozes into his skin and feasts itself in his blood and lungs and brain. It lets him feel everything all at once, all of his nerves alight with agony as they are targeted too slowly and individually, yet numbing his body in less than a second.

It is still too slow! It felt as neverending and unrelenting cycle of continual pain and torture. More torment than even Styx could give to her river.

Then, as the pressure finally grinds his bones and organs to sand, and freezes and suffocates him molecule by molecule, there is the blinding light, electrifying and raging. It renews his once frozen and distorted body instantly to energize him with a thousand suns, making his body a inferno of heat and agony. His numbness shocked back into awareness with a potency much greater than lightning that sears though his being. Only, for his eyes to see light before they burn away to husks of ashes along with his skin, blood, and bones.

Over and over again, this cycle of crushing darkness and searing light, all at once and yet separate at the same time. He feels as if he is dying and given life all at once. He is pulled apart then put back together again and again. His very atoms pulled apart and then back together.

If he were given even a second to breathe he might even notice how when he was torn apart and put back together he wasn’t put back the same… how he no longer bled red, and how his very senses and being enhanced; to be more than human. However, all he felt was the agony, shocking and suffocating and burning. Percy Jackson just wanted it to end!

Ichor

Red blood of mortality,

Tastes sweet with immortality.

Colors were in shades of gray,

Enhanced through his decay.

Gold was for the riches,

Now in his blood so much it itches.

A mother's son forever since,

Crowned a God's prince.

…………………………………………….

Percy woke up, tremors racking his body. A silent scream tore at his throat, his heart pounding in his chest.

What was that?!

He looked widely around the dark room, his body high on alert, but still he wasn't prepared for the being awaiting him the darkness behind him.

The being cradled Percy and forced him back to sleep, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“It's too soon,” the being whispered.

The ‘dream’ all but forgotten the next day as Percy awoke in the morning in his home in Manhattan, New York.

Still Percy’s nightmares weren't just in his dreams. They have been a part of his life ever since he was introduced, since he was born, as a half-blood.

……………………………………………

Percy Jackson was done with the Greco-Roman pantheon. He fought and won their wars, and watched so many people, kids - Hades he was still a kid - die around him and he almost died too many times to count while the Gods did the bare minimum to just save themselves, for him to deal with any of their shit again. Yet, here he was, packing up traveling bags to see his father in Atlantis. Oh, he might have forgotten to mention that his father is Poseidon the Earthshaker, Stormbringer, and Father of Horses (yeah, all horses are Percy’s thousand time removed nephews and nieces, but best not to think about that) and don’t forget the God of the Sea.

Percy was just celebrating his seventeenth birthday with his Mom and Paul in their apartment when his Dad just showed up! He’s pulled this before on Percy’s fifteenth birthday, but Percy thought that was a once in a life-time thing. Gods don’t just show up for their kids! Then, his Dad pulls him into his room and proceeds to invite Percy to Atlantis in a week in order to get to know his godly side of the family better and relax without having to deal with the stress of being a leader for both camps.

At first, Percy just wanted to tell him no and tell him to leave, because where was his Father when he needed him, but the little self preservation that Percy had told him that would be a terrible idea to anger one of the Gods that was on his side. Plus, Chiron sent him home to take a break and heal; that there was enough help at the camps to rebuild and he could tell Percy was not okay and needed a break from being a leader. Then, Percy also thought of Tyson, his little cyclops brother, and Percy caved. Thus, Percy told Poseidon that he’d love to come. Poseidon got a wide smile on his face, and hugged Percy and told him how excited he was for Percy to come. Then, Poseidon just transported away.

Percy remembered his Dad’s genuine excitement and warm hug, and that made him smile that maybe it would be worth it to go to Atlantis and be with his Dad. Percy was also excited to really see Atlantis, after all it’s been a while (a year) since the end of their war with Oceanus, and surely more would be rebuilt now. Restored to some of its former glory.

Some part of him, though, was incredibly worried about his step-mother Amphritrite’s, and his brother Triton's judgment even though they became closer after the second Titan war when he came to Atlantis on the weekends - it was only for three months a blink in the time of immortals. Not to mention Kym, she just tried to kill him! Then, Percy was angry, because what right did the Gods have to judge him and treat him like scum just because he was born and that he had to work extra hard just for them to treat him indifferently! However, Percy was raised by Sally Jackson and he would do his best to be nice and polite until they crossed a line, respect was earned after all.

(Also, Percy thought secretly, hopefully, that maybe he could have a big brother to look up to and train with, and a step-mother to confide in.)

Then, came the part of explaining the trip to Atlantis to his mother. Yeah, that was fun to explain to his mom, especially when this was the first time Percy has been able to see her in almost a year thanks to a certain Cow Queen (aka the Queen of Olympus, Hera). Luckily, Sally Jackson is a queen amongst women and understood that Percy needed a break, and that maybe this would turn out really good for him.

…………………………………………….

Sally saw how her baby came back littered with more scars, haunted eyes, and worn down from life that no one, especially a teenager, should feel. Gods, when Sally first saw her son at that door, she held onto him for dear life and they both ended up crying and falling asleep in each other's arms on the couch because they couldn’t let go of each other, at least until Paul came home and joined the hug pile. Sally quietly wiped a tear from her eye at letting Percy out of her sight so soon, but she knew a demigod’s life was never without chaos, and he deserved to get to know his father. Maybe he would confide in his father what was haunting him, that maybe Poseidon would understand and help. Sally heard Percy’s screams when he woke up in the middle of the night, and his flinches from sudden touches - flinches that were going away as reminders from that monster of ex-husband, Gabe Ugliano.

Gods, Sally Jackson wished she never married him. She thought that she protected her son by having Gabe’s horrendous smell protect Percy from monsters, then sending Percy away to boarding schools to be away from Gabe and his terrible influence, but no the real monster lived with them all along. Sally Jackson had to work two jobs just to make ends meet, and would often end up having to leave Percy alone in the house when Percy was home, and Gabe used that opportunity to abuse her son! She never saw the signs, she thought it was bullies or having to change schools every year, but no it was her ex-husband. She was too focused on protecting him from the divine world, that she wasn't able to protect him from Gabe! She could remember all clear as day when Percy, just having turned thirteen, and finished his first quest, flinched and curled in on himself when a loud drunk man walked by them when going home. She proceeded to question him when they got home, remembering all too well her own tells, and he told her how Gabe beat him, berated him, and humiliated him.

The next thing Percy says, Sally remembers word for word when she asks why he didn’t tell her, “I thought I was p-protecting you mom,” he sea-green eyes shined with tears, “G-gabe said that if I said anything to a-anyone he would b-beat y-you t-too,” he gasps and his breath hitches from crying and closes his eyes. Then, he looks up to Sally, and gives her a look that breaks her heart, “B-but I failed y-you, I saw you f-flinch, M-mom. I-I couldn’t protect you!” It was then that Sally knew that she failed as a mother, and proceeded to tell him that it was her job to protect him, and that she failed, that she loved him and there was nothing that he could do that could change that.

From then on, Percy and Sally began to confide in each other their traumas of Gabe, but Sally could still tell he was holding back, trying to protect her. He still barely told her anything of his quests, and Sally just wished that he didn’t inherit her stubbornness and selflessness, but Gods Percy made her so proud and heartbroken at the same time because he is so strong and so so good, and that is Sally's Jackson's son, dammit!

However, he is also Poseidon's son, and with that unfortunately comes monsters and tragedy that Sally can only understand the bare minimum of either through her own research or of Percy's own recounts, heck even when Sally sees the monsters they just ignore her.

'Hopefully, Poseidon can protect her baby. Afterall, hasn't he done more than enough, he deserves a break and to be with his father. I just hope this trip to Atlantis will be good for him,' thinks Sally as she watches Percy pack his things.

…………………………………………….

Percy finishes putting the last items in his bag and looks up to his mother. She has a few more gray hairs and wrinkles around her eyes and forehead, but she looks so full of life especially when Percy came back. He feels terrible for leaving her again even if she said that it was more than alright. Percy is just so tired of the divine world, but he still loves his father even when he's mad at him - he's just so tired of being scared and alone and wants to feel safe again! Safe like he felt in his father's cabin before Hera kidnapped him. Safe in his mother's arms from when he was young and she protected him from monsters and bullies.

Percy takes a breath, and says tentatively "Mom?" Sally's deep blue eyes look into Percy's and soften, "Yes, seastar?" Just with Percy's nickname he smiles, and states, "Mom, how… how do I learn to not be afraid?"

Sally blue eyes water, “Oh my baby!” Sally grasps Percy's hands, his eyes looking down at the floor.

“Sometimes that fear will always be with you,” Sally remembered Gabe's beer-filled breathe as he leered over her, but then she thought of her family, her son and smiled, “but then I remembered all the things, the people, that make me happy, and I know that they be there for me. That I am loved.” Sally gently squeezes her son’s hands, and he looks up at her, “And baby I love you, and I’ll be here for you no matter what. So will Paul, your friends, and your father. We are here for you Percy.”

Percy’s green eyes swim with tears and he runs into his mom’s gasp as she opens her arms. He hugs her, a few tears escaping his eyes, but he feels all so loved.

“Thanks mom,” Percy says wetly and smiles after it feels as if they hugged for hours.

“Of course seastar,” Sally smiles back, "I love you so much, and I'll be right here when you get back."

Just then, a knock on the front door is heard. ‘What timing?’ both think and smile once again to one another.

Sally goes to open the door, and Percy follows shortly behind with his bag strapped around his back, and Poseidon greets them both at the door.

“Hello my dear Sally, beautiful as ever I see,” Poseidon winks playfully at Sally. Percy is to say the least, mortified.

“Ah son I see you’re all packed and ready, then let's make haste, I have a celebration planned in Atlantis!” Poseidon exclaims.

“Celebration?!” Percy exclaims.

“Of course my son, the Prince, is visiting after so long, a celebration is due of course.” Poseidon states.

“Prince?!” Percy yells, what is happening right now?!

Luckily Sally intervenes before anything can escalate, “Now boys, I know you're excited,” she says pointedly to Poseidon, “but Percy would have appreciated being notified about what he is doing instead of just forcing him into the spotlight like that.”

“Also, what’s this about Percy being a prince?”

Poseidon looks sheepish, “I’m sorry my dear, well I was just really excited that Percy agreed to visit and well one thing led to another, and after all Percy’s done for us, we agreed Percy should officially be crowned a Prince of Atlantis.”

Percy looks faint, luckily Poseidon notices and says, “It’s just an official ceremony and announcing it to the kingdom officially, but afterwards we can keep the party small to just family and close friends.” Poseidon, despite seeming oblivious, did notice that his son was never comfortable with the crowds for Olympus’s parties.

Percy smiles relieved at his dad, “Alright, I think I can manage that.”

Poseidon claps, “Alright, it’s really time we should go.”

Percy nods and gives his mom one last hug, melting into her embrace reassured in her love, but for some reason he felt like this would be their last hug for a very long time. Percy shrugs this off, surely he’ll be fine in the heart of his father’s domain, especially with no war or anything worrying going on.

…………………………………………….

A chuckle escapes an ancient being, their laugh reverberating throughout the lives held so tightly by the Fates.

“My young dear always had a knack for his future, didn't he? So powerful, so pure.” Their laugh echoing through the stars and galaxies, all mortal’s hearts beating in tandem.

“He’ll forever be Destiny’s chosen, after all.” Another being wrys, her smile so much like a serpent, so wide it could eat the world whole, “Perseus, my destroyer of my fates. You never could be confined by their roles, and it’s almost time for you to break free, to grasp your destiny!” Her light fills the darkness, lighting her descendants precious tapestry golden.

“Indeed, it’s Time,” The other being states, their word ineffable as the universe, as the past, present, and future are all ruled by the passage of Time.

[redrandomposts]

Gifts to the Crown Prince

After being fed up with their son pursuing cultivation, the XIanle Emperor and Empress had arranged a marriage with a respected omega. The omega now has to win favor in a loveless marriage.

(crown prince!xie lian x hua cheng (kind of))

A wedding with a celebration of three nights descended among the Xianle Kingdom, lanterns lit even in the outskirts of the city. The crown prince had a wife, and it was the most joyous news of the century in the kingdom.

Hua Cheng would say the same - he had spent years building a name for himself, ever since he was saved by his highness - if his highness didn't seem to hold animosity toward him.

He had only seen his highness twice since they were married. It's been an entire week since the wedding! On their wedding night, Xie Lian had given him a mating mark and they laid stiffly next to each other. When Hua Cheng awoke on dawn, his highness had left with not a bit of warmth on his spot of the bed. The last was a coincidence, barely a glimpse, at his highness training.

(Did his highness really hate Hua Cheng so much?)

Hua Cheng would take what he could get though. He's married his highness, so there surely has to be something he could do.

===

Xie Lian didn't hate his...spouse, as much as anyone would suggest. He just hated the idea of having a spouse, of one day breaking his cultivation clause. And it may bleed a bit onto his impression of his spouse, so he'd taken to avoiding him.

It had been a week since their marriage, and he'd successfully avoided his problems. Even Mu Qing had commented about it. So, for the day, he was also avoiding his attendants, swinging his sword in an empty, unused courtyard.

"Your Highness." A beta servant stood at the doorway, holding a scroll. Xie Lian supposed this was his spouse's servant, because he wore red with simple, silver embroidery. No other servant in the palace wore such a color.

"What does he want?" Xie Lian asked, knowing that the other would know he's talking about his spouse. It was quite a bit since their marriage, so he'd expected to be summoned by his spouse once.

The servant was drawn in on himself. "No, no, he doesn't want anything... He has simply wished to gift your highness a painting. This one was unsure of where this should go."

Xie Lian hardly glanced at the painting, gesturing to a stone bench. "Place it there. I will bring it to my rooms after I'm done training."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Xie Lian didn't watch as the servant left it there and scurried away, focused on going back to his training.

That night, he unraveled the scroll to see a lovely mountain range, reflecting into a winding river. He might be more interested in swords, but the art must be praised. He wondered who the painter was as he hung the scroll.

===

Hua Cheng refused to be disheartened by his husband. The fact he took the scroll meant he had a chance at befriending him at the least.

He wiped off his makeup as he shapeshifted into his true form, throwing the simple robes into a corner.

Perhaps Xie Lian would accept another one of his paintings, or if he would get bored of it quickly. Remembering Xie Lian's earlier dismissal, Hua Cheng should do something different.

He knew one thing his husband loved; swords. He could paint a thousand paintings, yet it would not be worth the weight of a single sword to his highness.

As an omega, he wasn't even allowed to do such heavy work, but his ability to shapeshift into an unassuming beta lets him into the forgery easily. He's a quick learner, perhaps, with how fast he learned to forge a sword. Forging one worthy of his highness, however...

That week, he sent yet another painting while he forged sword after sword until he perfects it.

===

Two months into their marriage, Xie Lian sees no hint of his spouse since the first week. However, his spouse had sent painting after painting each week, and Xie Lian was running out of room on the walls to hang the scrolls. Each painting was a beauty that deserved to be displayed. His parents had even liked the paintings, and had lowered the intensity of nagging after seeing them. (Perhaps, they could smell his spouse from each painting. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps, they were elated he was seemingly getting along with his arranged lover.)

Still, they were beauties. Perhaps that was why he felt less-than pleased when the servant didn't appear on the day he'd normally appear with a scroll in hand.

This disappointment had swiftly faded the next day, when the servant had shown up with a sword in hand, presenting it to him. It looked as if it was only a ceremonial sword, yet Xie Lian could tell - this sword was just as functional and sharp as it was beautiful.

He displayed it as the centerpiece in his room after training with it once. In the future, he'd polish it again and again so it'd forever stay beautiful.

===

The sword had been an overwhelming success. Hua Cheng had seen it; the way his highness' eyes had lit up at the sight of it. However, forging it had been too time-consuming. He'd be able to get a sword a month at the rate he forged it. His highness deserved more than that.

So forging had become a thing he did in the background; he was left with trying to find something new to gift his highness.

It had come a day when he - in his servant disguise, strolling through the market - encountered a solution. Folding paper to make shapes.

At first, it was simple - a sword, a flower, small decoration pieces that he paired with the paintings. Soon, he wrote illegible things on it that would allow folded birds to fly and folded flowers to bloom when embued with spiritual power. But he has to go further, further, further; his highness deserved only the best.

So what if he had to spend sleepless nights painting and folding to make a puppet-esque play with the origami figures? His highness deserved no less.

===

Xie Lian didn't understand. He had seen his spouse only once, when he left his mark on their wedding night. Why did his spouse continue to send him paintings each week, beautiful flowers from paper that could bloom, and swords bimonthly? It's been six months, and it seemed that the gifts had only grown in quality.

Even Mu Qing and Feng Xin were puzzled. The only person he could get an answer from, presently, was his spouse or his spouse's servant.

...Speaking of which, had not appeared yet today. A feeling inside him bubbled up. He was worried.

He put the sword he'd been training with away, then wandered to the hall his spouse lived in. It was a bit far from the main palace, but it was not lacking. His parents had put the utmost effort into his spouse; the gardens, the architecture, even the talismans placed on it were of top quality.

He opened the door. An overbearing yet pleasant smell had filled the hall.

...It seemed his spouse was in heat.

=============

okay so omegaverse only so i have a reason that they can get married

plotholes? who? no, idk how hua cheng was able to become xie lian's husband. no, idk how he can shapeshift just accept it

i have a...feeling crown prince xl is really stubborn and oblivious. no, he doesn't want a husband, so he'll ignore the problem. no, he doesn't know who the strange servant is. no, he doesn't know it was his husband who painted each painting. no, he doesn't know his husband had forged the swords. he might be able to accept his husband can do origami.

Do they fuck? i mean, it's open-ended, but... in my head, they don't. hc might be too young to go through sexual heats. xl simply helps his husband through heat by cooking him food (counter productive? not for hua cheng!) and fetching him things. they nest together and scent together and form a close bond during the week.

you can think of the central idea like this: after three to seven years from the festival, they get married. so. it's ancient china, and i don't want to extend a plot so long. it might even follow canon, albeit delayed.

how was my writing? im seeking to improve it.

[archersaturn]

team huddle in the middle of cataclysm (this is a normal spot to discuss a plan)

[bestworstcase]

once was not enough they had to strand the old man blind in a desert twice.

[mermaidsirennikita]

y'all... Gaelen Foley kinda goes off...... and I don't think the back copy of her books fully sell this lol

The Duke is like "the hero loved this lady, and now he wants to avenge her, which leads him to the courtesan heroine"

what it doesn't tell you... is that the hero loved this lady who was MARRIED to an ANCIENT OLD MAN and the ancient old man sees the hero, totally destroyed, at his wife's funeral, and the hero walks up and is like "just so you know, I didn't touch her" which is honestly a CRAZY thing to say to someone at his wife's funeral

and the old man (it's his POV because back in the day historicals often had the occasional POV from people who were not the leads and that was Good) is like "hmmmmmm I see a broken man who is frankly an embarrassing wreck and was obviously in love with my hot dead wife... and I see my annoying heir...... perhaps I shall imply that my annoying heir killed my hot dead wife... so that this shell of a duke KILLS HIM"

and it's WORKING

[raayllum]

so like. the AU where viren's plans for conquest don't immediately come together in S3 (maybe kasef hasn't gotten all the armies together yet when he shows up in katolis?) and Viren has to like, be king in terms of administration, and the dynamic he forms long term with Claudia being his high mage, please.

[millennial-crone-ao3]

The Dragon's Ascension

Project is in the pipeline. Stay tuned. Child is teething, job is approaching, but mind is running, gears are grinding.

King Rhaegar Targaryen, The Dragon in Exile & Queen Consort Ashara Dayne, The Evening Star.

[zumurruds]

Live footage of Hennike and the Regent when she told him she was there to top his brother and take the throne:

[boggleirha]

Lastland, FusionFall, Iris Long

Iris, Storm, Clover, Tempest, Gale

Princeton, Quincy, Maggie, Emma

[tabswrites]

The Prince’s Shadow: Masterpost

I will be adding links to character intros, world-building and any other related content here!

Characters:

Aleksander

Sir Kiran

Captain Kaiser

World-Building:

The Three Realms

The Deities

Related:

Siren Song (Capt. Kaiser back story)

TPS tag list: @outpost51 @writernopal @moondust-bard @sam-glade (please ask to be +/-)

[candescentkpop]

Dann

Kingdom: 승천 (Ascension)

Kingdom Part 73 / ?

[archersaturn]

Happy 11th anniversary to TowerFall!

(Yes, I’m a day late. Sorry!)

Thanks for bringing me these four lovely archers 💚💙🩷🧡

(and for consistently giving me ideas for what to draw for the past six or so years)

[interact-with-my-illagers]

So as you probably can already tell by my character list on here, I have quite a few Illager characters that will only continue to grow bigger. Since I want people to be interested in my AU and to get to know my characters better, I thought about doing some headcanons for them. Would you like it if I did this?

[disneyboot]

Disney Book Series

Disney parkgoers have to stop the villains from taking over

Disney Villains (and also the Beast) get tragic backstories

A bit like Marvel's What If?, right down to some of them being absurd

Disney Villains try to give you goosebumps

Disney Princesses but in real life sort of

A bit like Midnight Sun, but with Disney Princes

Moody YA series where the Disney Villains show up in a city

Appears to center on evil minions, more information needed

Disney Villain Babies, they make your nightmares come true

[richmond-rex]

It is worth considering what might have happened if Henry Tudor had fallen into Richard’s hands. He would no doubt have been executed, as a rebel who had proclaimed himself as king. It is difficult to imagine who might have emerged as an alternative candidate. Without one, and despite the difficulties that Richard’s lack of support in the south might cause, it seems very unlikely that a viable challenge to his rule would have arisen. The obscurity of Henry Tudor is often used as a stick with which to beat Richard. It is offered as proof that the king was so unpopular, his crimes so heinous, that almost anyone would have commanded support in his place. But Richard had shown that he could be a strong and just king. If the twin obstacles of his dubious legitimacy and the horror of his alleged murder of the princes began to recede into the past, it is perfectly possible that he would have been a success.

It was not misrule that threatened Richard. It was a challenge to his right to rule, and a credible challenger to make such a claim. Granted, Henry Tudor was made credible by the support he drew from disaffected Yorkists, by his promise to marry Edward IV’s eldest daughter – and, not least, by the fact that his extremely active mother occupied a position near to the heart of power at home. But if Henry had been removed, it is difficult to imagine that such a constellation of support, including the crucial continental backing, could have been confected for a newly promoted alternative.

— David Horspool, Richard III: A Ruler and His Reputation