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apollosgiftofprophecy · 7 months

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LSJDFLSJDFKJKDSFLDJF

I LOVE IT IIT'S MY CHILD

i can't believe you actually made a fic about them

THANATOS IS SO WHIPPED AND AWKWARD AND IT'S EXACTLY HOW I IMAGINED IT

my view of what happened when thanatos finds out (and if hades finds out)

Hades: YOU LET A SOUL ROAM THE WORLD! WHY Thanatos: Um- Hades: AND THE SAME SOUL BECAME A FUCKING GOD Thanatos: ... Hades: AND TRIED TO KILL APOLLO! WAS IT WORTH IT Thanatos thinking about the kiss on the cheek and the hug: yeah... i mean no-

ehehehehehehehehahaahahahaa

They were so fun <3

Hades:

Hades: ...oh my gods.

Thanatos, sweating: Wut?

Hades: you.... *points finger* you have a crush on my favorite nephew.

Thanatos, slightly high-pitched: nO I DON'T!

Hades: YOU DO

Hades: OH MY GODS

Hades, shouting across the hall: PERSEPHONE THANATOS HAS A CRUSH ON APOLLO

Thanatos: I DON'T HAVE A CRUSH ON APOLLO

Persephone, kicking the doors open: OH?!? Well it's about time he's had a crush!

Hades: DON'T LIE THANATOS

Persephone: When did this crush come on?

Thanatos: no comment

Hades: ALL THE WAY BACK IN ROME

Hades: AT THE LATEST

Persephone: *gasp* Thanatos! Why didn't you tell us???

Persephone: I would've wing-women'd you!

Thanatos: Thank you, Lady Persephone, but it's not needed. It's just a phase.

Hades: A ONE-THOUSAND EIGHT-HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN YEAR LONG PHASE?!

Thanatos: ....yes?

Hades:

Persephone:

Thanatos:

Hades:

Persephone:

Thanatos: ....okay maybe not

Hades: I FUCKING KNEW IT

Persephone: THANATOS I AM YOUR WING-WOMAN NOW I AM CONTACTING ERATO WE ARE GONNA GET YOU A MAN

Thanatos: PERSEPHONE, NO

Persephone & Hades: PERSEPHONE, YES

#deathsong #my incorrect quotes #the oracle speaks #txny dragon #death's embrace #ask and replies #asked and answered #thanatos x apollo #pjo thanatos #thanatos #apollo #pjo apollo #hades #pjo hades #persephone #pjo persephone #the trials of apollo

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aristia-pjoheadcanons · 7 months

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YOOO WHATS UP??? HOW ARE YOU??? I was wonderinggg if you could do Thanatos dating hcs?? (If you can could you do daughter of hades? It’s totally good if you don’t too!!)

LOVE YOU<33 TAKE CAREEE<333

God Thanatos x Dating Daughter of Hades.

Dating death itself comes with its perks, for one; he´s hot asf. But also, let’s not forget death does not have a proper gender, so it can be whatever you want. (Ill be using he pronouns for this mainly)

Thanatos is willing to change his appearance to make you happy and to fit your preferences, he’s not directly a God but he is an immortal being and he can tell what type of things you like.

Every single thing he does it goddamm attractive, – I wouldn’t be surprised if you fainted.

He is not experiences with love completely, but he understands it because, “Death and love are similar in a lot of ways.”

Let’s say you are a daughter of Hades, this would be a plus! Going Underground with him to check things out, “romantic” (more like scary) boat rides across each river (he’s willing to give a tour). He might even let you slip into Paradise and see what it’s like there.

He likes saying things telepathically to you and he enjoys making you jump in surprise when he comes out of nowhere.

Whispering in your ear makes you feel funny and flustered.

If you flirt, he will give you the most dashing smile ever that lights up the darkest room.

He has no shame in saying things as it is and can tell what you are feeling.

Unfortunately, he can also see into your past – you know when life flashes before your eyes, – Thanatos controls that and can see it.

Another downside is that he is super busy. Luckily enough, he can split himself into many copies. So technically he’s there, but also not there.

He knows your dirties secrets and will smile and pretends he doesn’t.

Loves being seen as a mystery.

He does dress up for dates, wearing a nice suit to go with his whatever atmosphere or vibe he wants.

Hades knows about the relationship, not only because Thanatos is one of his workers but also being a daughter of Hades would mean that he would force skeleton soldiers to watch the two of you at all times.

Shadow-travelling can have its perks, you can follow him anywhere. But you feel weak and exhausted after circling the whole entire globe, and Thanatos will tease you and say that “your time isn’t here yet”.

In public, mortals would stare at him a lot, but if it bothers you, he will snap his fingers and turn himself invisible.

Let’s not forget he has wings and is willing to carry you and let you touch the feathers.

His love for you is very passionate and deep. Cupid really did his job here – but you most likely fell for Thanatos on your own, so Cupid didn’t do anything.

He would help his lover understand the way of the world, showing you secrets. He would keep you safe and almost hold your hand – guiding you throw the dark.

He wouldn’t let his lover die, completely. If you wish to be reborn, he will meet you in another life. If you went the fields of punishment, he would make your sins less painful. If you went somewhere safe, he would visit. If you wish for it, he might even be able to find a way to make you immortal.

His demeanor is somewhat distant and almost cold – but being obsessed with work does that. He guides people down to the afterlife.

His love would be eternal, but in Greek Mythology we know most immortal beings never stay true –

Having a crush on the daughter of hades, would make things interesting. Popping up out of nowhere after watching you, giving you red flowers and say something cheesy and outdates. He clearly hasn’t kept up during these centuries. But he is charming.

A sense of understanding and closeness would be a given since both are associated with the Underworld.

Both of you would be aware that life doesn’t last forever, valuing the present is important.

If you’re scared of death, he would comfort you and explain that it is peaceful. He would make sure your death is the most peaceful – since he is the son of Nyx and Hypnos.

Both being powerful forces, would make the underworld shape in fear if either got angry.

Boatrides across rivers and oceans, like that scene in Tangled.

He would associate you with either life or light.

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toasecretsanta · 4 months

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[2/3] From NatureGuardian for @txny-dragon using the prompt thanatos and apollo talking about the tria;s (cough cough burning maze) after toa

Apollo was silent. They were sitting in their garden from the plants Meg had given them. Thanatos couldn’t help but be nervous. He was here for one reason- to talk about the recent pandemic. As the one in charge of escorting those who died, and Apollo being the one who controlled plagues, they had to converse to get things straight. However, Thanatos felt that this wasn’t going to be easy.

He crept near Apollo, whose saddened blue eyes immediately went up to Thanatos. Ah, right. Today is the anniversary of Jason Grace’s untimely death. Apollo stood up.

“Hello, Thanatos. How can I help you today?” Apollo asked quietly. Their thoughts were practically open to be read.

Why are you here? You didn’t help Jason when he was dying, why should I help you?

Apollo knew why Thanatos was here, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be petty about it. They know it wasn’t truly Thanatos’ fault, but they can’t exactly take out their feelings on Hades. Thanatos just sighed.

“Look, Apollo. I’m here to just talk about the pandemic.. but I’m sorry. I couldn’t st-“

Apollo hushed him with their hand. They know. They didn’t want to hear about it, though.

“I know, Thanatos. But I can’t help but be bitter about it.”

Silence. Apollo sighed, and turned to face Thanatos fully.

“Alright. Now what do you want me to help you with about the pandemic?”

#toasecretsanta #trials of apollo #toa #trials of apollo fanfiction #riordanverse #riordanverse fanfic #natureguardian #txny-dragon #pjo apollo #pjo thanatos

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tsarisfanfiction · 9 months

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Eclipse: Chapter 31

Fandom: Trials of Apollo Rating: Teen Genre: Family/Adventure Characters: Apollo, Hades We really are in the final stages now - only one chapter to go after this one! A few things still need tying up or addressing, as I know some of you have noticed - here's the bow to wrap around Asclepius' plot thread! I have a discord server for all my fics, including this one! If you wanna chat with me or with other readers about stuff I write (or just be social in general), hop on over and say hi! <<Chapter 30

APOLLO XXXI

Punishment assigned The fate of Asclepius Let the healer heal

Apollo could not believe that he’d walked away from Zeus’ temper without facing any consequences. Having Hades – and, surprisingly, Poseidon – as active buffers between him and his father had helped, but that itself was new and, if he was honest, rather daunting.

He did not remember the last time anyone stood up for him against Zeus – or against anyone, really – while he was a god. Meg and his children, to say nothing of the rest of the demigods, had supported him far more than he had deserved during his mortal tenure, but to receive such support from fellow gods? Not even Artemis had ever placed herself as a true buffer before.

Then there was the Fates’ interference. Apollo did not find himself overly surprised, in hindsight, that it was supposed to have been him and Hades that claimed the prophecy (not that that negated the fact that they had chosen to claim it, the Fates and free will worked in tandem despite their near-ultimate authority). While there were no doubt many different ways the prophecy could have unfolded, had they rejected it or the demigods claimed it first, there was one particular part that, with the knowledge of how it had come to pass, stuck out at Apollo.

Demigods did not bleed gold.

Gold passes through the shadow of death could have meant many things, but Apollo did not think it insignificant – or so easily altered – that the referenced gold had been ichor. Whose ichor it would have been, had Will and Nico taken the prophecy upon their own shoulders with a claim, Apollo would likely never know, but he suspected that it would still have been ichor.

He was, however, glad that the Fates had decreed that Bob would fight for Olympus – not that he was looking forwards to another war, or however it would come about, but because it meant that Bob would not fight against Olympus. It was a justification – they had been right to rescue to the titan, and not even Zeus could argue otherwise now that it had been so foretold. Apollo knew nothing about the implied war – there were snatches, of Bob bathed in ichor, and some of the gods besides, but nothing that he could see enough of to glean any information.

No indication of what the threat was, who they were defending Olympus from. Apollo wondered if the Fates were concealing it from him deliberately, or if his foresight simply hadn’t latched onto anything relevant. Given that at least Bob’s involvement stemmed from his own actions, however, he suspected the Fates were at play. They didn’t usually let him see his own future.

If they did, he would certainly have tried harder to avoid being turned mortal three times, no matter how educational the third had ended up being.

The Underworld was becoming something almost welcoming. Apollo had never thought he’d find the darkness, away from the sun, comforting, but after Tartarus – and with the knowledge that somehow Hades didn’t hate him – it felt more like a safe haven. Maybe it was because that was what it had been for Will, even for Asclepius for the time being. Maybe it was because it was outside of Zeus’ jurisdiction and Hades had proven he bore him no ill will.

In the distance, the other side of Hades’ palace but nearer than the cries of the punished souls of the damned, Elysium glowed and Apollo found himself thinking back on the precious gift of goodbyes his uncle had bestowed upon him. The chance to see so many of his dead children one last time, to talk with them and tell them in no uncertain terms that he did love them, because in Elysium they were safe from anything that might otherwise try to target Apollo’s loved ones – it was a boon Apollo could never repay. Though only shades, their touches had been warm, firm hugs where they’d been offered and gratefully received – and they’d been happy.

Was there anything better than safe, happy children?

Speaking of safe children, Apollo was well aware that he owed Will and Nico an apology. He did not regret his actions in stopping them from going to Tartarus, but he knew that he had hurt them nonetheless. Will’s desperate, confused call for him when he had awoken, while Apollo had been nothing but a helpless and distant observer, stayed strong in his memory, alongside Nico’s gaunt, tired countenance from being left alone with no company but his comatose boyfriend.

Still, Apollo remained a firm believer that comatose was better than dead, especially when it was a coma he knew would not unduly tax the sleeper. He hoped Nico at least agreed with that.

The dark shadows surrounding Nico’s bedroom door peeled away at a gesture from Hades, and the door swung open soundlessly. There was no hesitation this time, no caution that one side of the door might offer a threat to the other (Asclepius might disagree, and Apollo was still worried about whatever punishment Hades intended on bestowing upon his immortal son, but for the demigods, at least, it held true).

Nico and Will were sat on the bed together, curled up in each other’s embrace with their backs against the headboard. Neither was sleeping; the posture looked more defensive than relaxed, more comforting-

Oh.

It was Nico doing most of the comforting, Will mostly ensconced within the son of Hades’ embrace despite one arm slung around his boyfriend’s shoulders almost as an afterthought, and while they were far more intimately tangled now, Apollo’s mind instantly jumped to two demigods dealing with a desperate, mortal god.

We were worried, Nico had told him then. Will especially.

Will was a healer, and also a worrier when he couldn’t heal. He’d been near frantic when Austin and Kayla had disappeared, for all that he’d followed his duty over his heart, and so terrified by Apollo’s mortal state that when he wasn’t hiding it behind smiles and laughter at the absurdity of it all, he was reliant on Nico to communicate for him.

This looked a little bit like that, again, except this time when Will caught sight of him there was no hesitation, no uncertainty.

“Dad!” he cried, pulling out of Nico’s grip clumsily as the other demigod let him go without complaint, and then Apollo found himself with an arm full of teenage boy as Will threw himself at him in a full-body tackle. It was only because he was a god that Apollo was able to absorb the impact without staggering a step backwards – the mortal Lester would never have stood a chance. “You’re back!” Delight warred with relief, and Apollo noticed that his son had started to glow faintly, either out of conscious delight or a subconscious reaction. Whichever it was, Apollo would treasure it forever.

Tell Will he’s not allowed to come here until his hair’s white with age, Lee had mentioned, almost offhanded except Michael had nodded with fierce agreement in his eyes. Apollo had no intentions of telling his son that he had been to Elysium, much less that he had spoken with his deceased siblings, but the sentiments were ones he could pass along one day regardless.

“I am,” he said, pushing down the words of the dead for the moment. There would be better times to say it, when they weren’t all coming down from the emotional high of, well, everything to do with Tartarus and Olympus.

Nico seemed less appeased, his dark eyes raking over both of them and then the empty space behind them before locking onto Apollo like a heat-seeking missile (horrible things, normally, when driving the sun chariot which was by definition the hottest thing in existence, but from these demigods, Apollo found he didn’t mind at all). “Where’s Bob?” he asked, an undercurrent tone that told Apollo there would be trouble if Nico was ever given cause to believe the titan had ended up on the wrong side of Zeus’ temper and found himself the unlucky recipient of a one-way ticket back into Tartarus. “What happened?”

“Bob is fine,” Hades assured his son, stepping into the middle of the room but going no further. “My brother was not impressed with his rescue, but he is suffering Bob’s continued presence with grace, albeit bad grace.”

“Bob has gone to reconnect with Percy and Annabeth,” Apollo interceded, sensing the potential for the conversation to alarm Nico. “He will remain in the Overworld, where my father can see him at all times.”

“I bet he wasn’t happy,” Will mumbled against Apollo’s chest, and he gently stoked blond locks.

“My brother has forgotten how to be happy,” Hades commented. “Only how to be paranoid. Regardless, this situation is resolved as far as Olympus is concerned, and Bob is permitted to roam freely, so long as he does not try to hide his movements from the gods.”

“From my uncle, you mean,” Nico muttered. No-one disputed his words.

“You and William are free to go, now,” Hades continued, “should you so wish.”

“We are?” Nico seemed surprised at the sudden change, although Apollo suspected there was a note of bitterness in there, too. “Two months of house arrest and now we’re just… free to go?”

“The situation is resolved,” Hades repeated. “There is no need for you to remain here unless you wish to.” His uncle, Apollo knew, would rather Nico stayed, but they all knew he wouldn’t. Not as long as he had Will.

“Is it safe?” the Italian demigod pressed, but before Hades or Apollo could conjure an answer – what was the correct answer, when the prophecy was fulfilled and the quest was over but demigods were always inherently in danger simply due to their parentage – Asclepius shifted.

His godly son had been remaining on the periphery as much as possible, perhaps seeking to lessen Hades’ punishment or even be forgotten about entirely, although given his willingness to respect how wronged Hades felt by his actions, Apollo doubted those were the reasons. More likely, he had simply had nothing of note to say until then.

“Will needs sunlight,” he observed. “I have done what I can to sustain him down here, but I can only conjure a bastardisation of our father’s light.”

“I’m fine,” Will muttered into Apollo’s chest, but Apollo shook his head, stilling one hand atop blond waves.

“Asclepius is correct,” he said slowly. “Sunlight is important for all mortals-” he sent Nico a pointed look “-but especially my own children.” Will was both powerful enough to mitigate the need with his own innate light, and so powerful he needed it in a way that most of Apollo’s other children could get away without. It was no coincidence that Will had a subconscious habit of searching out the nearest patch of sunlight whenever he could, and being deprived of it for two months, it appeared, was doing his son no favours.

The coma, and the godly-conjured mortal foods supplemented with perhaps more ambrosia and nectar than was ordinarily advisable had not helped, either. Will was still healthy, yes, but Apollo could sense a slow fatigue settling in, likely so gradual that even Will’s own vitakinesis was failing to flag it as a concern. His son needed to return to the Overworld, and the sooner, the better.

From the expression on his face, Nico needed no further convincing, but Will was continuing his impersonation of a limpet with no signs of letting go, and Apollo sighed fondly.

“Will,” he began, stopping when the arms around him squeezed tighter. It was hardly a hinderance to a god, for all that Apollo’s memories of a mortal body and easily broken ribs were starting to flag up points of concern, but it was deliberate.

“Dad, are you safe?” Will asked his chest, the words coming out muffled. “You’re not… going to be punished?” Even muffled, the painful fear in his voice was unmistakable, and Apollo’s heart ached.

“You don’t need to worry about me,” he tried to assure his son, but the tension in the teenager’s frame wasn’t easing at all. Part of Apollo began to regret how much he – and later, Asclepius – had impressed upon the demigods the reality of danger they had been in from Zeus. It was clear that Will had not only taken it seriously, but had also extrapolated it to the next, logical step.

In hindsight, it was the obvious mental step for his son to make – had Apollo not just spent the past six months mortal, at the merciless behest of his father, the same god he and Hades had again defied? Will had lived with half a year of not knowing where Apollo was, or what state he was in, and then another six months fretting over a mortal and very susceptible to the threat of death Apollo. He knew, now, in a way Apollo sincerely wished he’d never had the chance to realise, that Zeus was dangerous.

The worst thing was that Apollo couldn’t, completely honestly, say that Zeus would not turn around once recovered from being corrected by the Fates and decide to punish him for going on the quest regardless.

“Your father will not be punished,” Hades said, a confidence in his words that Apollo just could not feel. “It transpired that Bob’s release from Tartarus was the will of the Fates themselves. Not even my brother can argue with that.”

Zeus could. Apollo was certain of that, but Hades’ words did what his own had failed to do and drained the tension from Will’s rigid frame until it was Apollo’s embrace keeping his son on his feet, rather than a righteous anger embroiled with fear.

Adjusting his grip accordingly, Apollo looked for Nico. The other demigod was stood barely an arm’s length away, watching Will’s reactions with frustration – not with Will, not in the slightest, but at the combination of factors that had led to Will’s current situation – and worry. Apollo was reminded of the distraught demigod he’d presented the comatose body of Will to, and the gaunt, greasy-haired appearance he’d gained before Asclepius had woken his boyfriend, and the guilt bubbled up.

“I’m sorry,” he said, mostly to the son of Hades, but also to Will. Both demigods startled, Nico staring at him while Will’s head tilted up against his chest in confusion. Apollo squeezed his son tighter, a brief action so as not to crush him, but enforcing his regret. “I do not regret taking your place for one moment, and would do it again in a heartbeat,” he began, “but the manner in which I did so hurt you – both of you – and that was never my intention.”

Will shook his head, burying his face back in Apollo’s chest once more. “I know you were protecting us,” he mumbled. “It would have been nice to know what you were going to do, and maybe if you’d planned it better, but it’s okay, Dad.”

It was Apollo’s turn to shake his head, until a glare from Nico stopped him. “It hurt,” the son of Hades said bluntly, never one to soften the blow, “but it kept Will alive. I can’t blame you for how you did it when it worked. Just don’t do it again.”

His words were firm, but there was no anger in his voice, just raw honesty. Apollo’s shake of the head became a nod instead, accepting Nico’s proclamation.

“I can do that,” he agreed gently. “Now, go. Take Will back to the Overworld.”

“I don’t want to leave you,” his son mumbled, a performative squeeze driving his point home, but as much as Apollo was grateful for the chance to embrace his son, he was well aware that his son needed to leave, sooner rather than later.

If it was not for Asclepius, Apollo would have taken him personally, but he was conscious that Hades was keeping one eye on the younger god and that his much-stretched patience regarding the creation and use of the Physician’s Cure was wearing thin. Perhaps he, too, just wanted to place the events of the quest behind them now.

“I will come and find you,” he promised. “There are some affairs I need to get in order, first, but I will not be long.”

Will still didn’t seem convinced, but Nico stepped forwards and put his hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Come on, Will,” he coaxed. “Let’s get back to Camp; they’ll be wondering where we are.”

There were unshed tears in Will’s eyes as he eventually let himself be detached from Apollo, and Apollo couldn’t help but give him another quick embrace. “I will see you again very soon,” he promised.

“I’ll hold you to that,” Will replied, a spark of his stubbornness showing. “Today.” His tone brooked no arguments, and Apollo had none to give – nor did he want to. They still had things to talk about, but he knew Hades would not wait much longer to sentence Asclepius.

He watched as Will sank back into Nico’s hold, the son of Hades wrapping an arm around him fully, before they melted into the shadows and disappeared.

Hades wasted no time in turning around and walking out of his son’s room. There was no command, or other gesture, but it was clear that Apollo and Asclepius were expected to follow. Considering Nico was no longer present, it made sense to leave his room in peace, and Apollo trailed behind his uncle willingly, glancing sideways as Asclepius fell into step beside him.

His son seemed completely calm, despite the fact that Hades was leading them towards the throne room, where he would no doubt pass his judgement and inflict Asclepius’ new punishment. Apollo wished he could be even half as calm as Asclepius, but despite the fact he and Hades had a far deeper, less antagonistic relationship than he’d thought possible, he also knew that Hades was still furious and offended by the repeated use of the Physician’s Cure. The only concession Apollo had managed to wrangle was that Asclepius would not be returned to Tartarus, and in the face of Hades’ anger, that didn’t seem like anywhere near enough of a concession to keep his son safe.

“I broke my oath,” Asclepius reminded him suddenly, his voice low although not so low that Hades would not hear it clearly. The older god kept walking, however, seemingly willing to allow them conversation for the time being. “The consequences are mine to bear, Father. Not yours,” he insisted, “nor do I believe Lord Hades would inflict them upon you regardless.”

“With my nephew, punishing the child also punishes the father,” Hades said, not looking back as they entered the throne room and the god of the dead swept to the dais of his throne, gaining stature until he was once again a twenty foot god on a throne to match. “Which leaves me with a quandary, as Asclepius is not being punished for your actions, Apollo, but I have no doubt you will blame yourself regardless.”

He sounded irritated at that fact, as though Apollo taking the rightful blame for giving Asclepius the ability to break his oath was foolish.

“That being said,” Hades continued, tall and proud on his throne. Usually, Apollo would be of a height to match, but Asclepius had remained human-sized, and it was his son’s side that Apollo needed to be, leaving them both looking up at the Lord of the Underworld. Hades still had the Helm of Darkness on his head, still wore the battle armour from Tartarus, much like Apollo did, and it made him look even more foreboding than usual – a stark contrast to the god that had been by Apollo’s side in the last throne room. “The punishment should fit the crime.”

Apollo’s heart leapt up – the crime was reviving the dead, poetic justice would have some form of reversal in place, and what if Zeus wasn’t the only god who knew how to strip another’s immortality? Hades was certainly powerful enough, if he so chose.

It also didn’t escape him that Asclepius’ Tartarus punishment had not fit the crime at all, despite being dispensed by the god of justice and order himself, and after Hades’ near flippant responses to Zeus on Olympus, that seemed pointed.

His uncle’s next words dismissed the fear of mortality, but replaced it with a different dread, a tired dread, because Apollo had feared it all along. “If you wish to heal the dead, then you shall do so,” Hades proclaimed, the dark flames of his eyes focused solely on Asclepius. “The Fields of Punishment are full of souls that need constant repair. You shall reside there for as long as I deem it necessary, keeping any soul that needs it from complete destruction.”

Wasn’t that the Phlegethon’s job? Apollo could not see the fiery river being pleased at being passed over for Asclepius. He could, however, see how it was a punishment to fit the crime, and knew that Hades would suffer no further protests from him.

He looked at his son, and was surprised to find him smiling. It was a small thing, but there was a light to his eyes that seemed completely illogical for someone sentenced to the Fields of Punishment. Then Asclepius bowed, not waiting for Apollo’s reaction.

“Thank you for your mercy, Lord Hades,” he said. The god waved an imperious hand in his direction, dismissive.

“Talk to your father,” he said. “Thanatos shall retrieve you shortly. I have duties to attend to.” Shadows crawled up the throne, and then he was gone.

Immediately, Apollo turned to Asclepius. “I’m sorry,” he said, feeling tears start to well in his eyes. “I couldn’t do more-”

“Father,” Asclepius interrupted him, raising his hand. Stymied, Apollo’s mouth shut with a clack. His son was still smiling, brighter even than before. “This is hardly a punishment.”

“You are being sent to the Fields of Punishment,” Apollo reminded him. “It is there in the name, Asclepius.”

His son conceded the point with a nod of his head, but did not lower his hand. “I am a physician, Father,” he said. “But despite my ascension as a god of medicine at the behest of Grandfather, all too often I have sat helpless, unable to heal. We are forbidden from interfering with mortal lives, and the prayers for my aid have vastly reduced as time has marched onwards. You, the mortals remember, and name things for as it pleases them. But I… It has been a long, long time since I have felt free, Father. What use is a god of medicine who is forbidden to heal?”

Disbelief began to well as Apollo started to realise what his son was getting at.

“Hades’ punishment allows you to be needed again,” he said, and suddenly the light in his son’s eyes made sense.

“The souls of the damned are no longer mortal,” Asclepius agreed. “It is a punishment, yes, in that it is not my choice when or where or whom I heal, and that I am locked away from the mortals – and from your light, Father – but it is a greater mercy than I could have ever looked for.”

It was a kindness, in its own twisted way, Apollo realised. Asclepius was finally free of Zeus’ influence, as much as he ever could be, was protected from Zeus by the Underworld – and his father’s own ignorance at the change of his fate – and could heal without restraints. No wonder Asclepius saw it as a mercy.

Apollo reached out, resting a hand on his son’s shoulder. “I’m still sorry you have to be punished at all,” he said. Asclepius gave him a small, lopsided smile, and despite the four thousand years between them, Apollo could see hints of Will in the expression, as though he needed a reminder that they were both his children, both kind hearted healers who thrived on helping people.

“I broke my oath,” Asclepius reminded him, not for the first time. “There will always be consequences.”

Dark glittering eyes crossed Apollo’s mind, the rage of the Styx as he made and broke oaths in rashness not easily forgotten, for all that she seemed to have finally considered herself satisfied that his lesson was fully learned at last.

His shoulders slumped. “I know,” he breathed. “I am still sorry I put you in a position where you could break your oath.”

“It was necessary,” Asclepius told him firmly. “I did not inherit your prophetic domains, nor any degree of foresight, but I do not believe the Fates would have permitted it were it not necessary.”

The Fates. Apollo had no more knowledge than any other about what the three ladies intended, or about the threads they wove. They rarely moved in blatant ways, preferring to spin their yarns in silence as mortals and immortals alike followed along, sometimes blindly and sometimes willingly. The future was fluid, changing with every decision that was made, but sometimes, there were points that would come to pass no matter how much they were fought against. Apollo had seen some occur before, hindsight clearing the haze of hidden knowledge, and had no doubt that there were more still to come, for all that he did not know what they were, or when they would come about.

“The designs of the Fates are unknown even to me,” he said, a little ruefully, and Asclepius let out a short bark of laughter. It was a sound Apollo had not heard in four millennia, since his son was still a mortal learning the ways of the world, and hearing it brought tears to his eyes.

“Not even you know everything, Father,” his son said. “Sometimes you have to join the rest of us in blissful ignorance of what’s coming next. Like this.”

Apollo had hardly a moment to wonder what Asclepius meant before he found himself in a tight embrace, his son’s chosen form just a little bit taller than his and Asclepius’ face pressed into his hair.

“Thank you, Father,” was whispered into his hair, as he wound his arms around his son in turn. “For raising me, teaching me, and caring about me. I was truly a blessed demigod, and now a god. Even though we have barely seen each other in four millennia, I have never once doubted that you love me, and now we are reunited I am even more certain than ever of your love.”

“Of course I love you,” Apollo replied, the words instant and needing no thought at all. The welling tears overflowed, soaking into the shoulder of Asclepius’ long, white doctor’s coat. “How could I not?”

A voice cleared their throat, interrupting before he could say any more, or Asclepius could reply. Apollo raised his head to see Thanatos standing behind them, his dark wings folded neatly behind him. Gone was the pale, afraid god that had pulled them out of Tartarus; the god of death looked self-assured again, confident within his own realm.

“Asclepius,” the god said, glancing down at the sleek black iPad in one hand. His scythe was nowhere to be seen. “It is time.”

Apollo didn’t want to let his son go, not again after finally reuniting with him once more. There was so much more to be said, a flow of conversation still completely untouched, buried beneath the awkwardness of reuniting with a child who had matured four millennia since last they talked. Four millennia, at least, of conversation, and the future besides.

But Asclepius nodded, and slipped out of Apollo’s hold.

“Goodbye, Father,” he said. “I love you; may it not be four millennia more before we see each other next.”

Apollo whole-heartedly agreed with the sentiment, and Thanatos sighed. “Lord Hades did not say anything about banning Lord Apollo from visiting, if he can withstand the pain of the Fields of Punishment long enough.” The words were flat and dry, but strange – if Hades did not say something, it was usually an unspoken expectation. He hadn’t said that Apollo could visit, which was as good as saying that he couldn’t.

Except for the way Thanatos had worded it, his tone dry but his words sarcastic in a way that sounded a lot like his uncle.

Confused, Apollo watched as Thanatos put a hand on his son’s back, and steered him away. Behind him, the familiar dark streaked with lights and greys of his uncle’s essence coalesced.

“Not today,” Hades said as the other two gods left the throne room. “But I will, on occasion, permit you to visit. This is not your punishment, and I am not my brother.” His uncle was mortal-sized again, still a touch taller than Apollo, but making no attempt to loom above him. The Helm of Darkness had gone, set aside wherever his uncle kept it when it was not on his head, and the battle armour had been shed, leaving Hades once more in his usual attire of the robes of the tormented dead.

Apollo wiped away the tears, aware that he could simply will them away, but preferring the mortality of the action. “Thank you, uncle,” he said, heartfelt. It wasn’t just for Asclepius, it was for Tartarus, and Will, and everything – almost everything, he had not forgotten their initial argument over Asclepius – that had happened since Hades had proclaimed that he would accompany Apollo in Nico’s stead.

Apollo was well aware that he would never have succeeded in saving the demigods alone.

Chapter 32>>

#trials of apollo #trials of apollo fanfiction #riordanverse #riordanverse fanfic #pjo apollo #pjo hades #will solace #nico di angelo #solangelo #pjo asclepius #pjo thanatos #tsari writes fanfiction #eclipse

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txny-dragon · 11 months

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honestly, i just think about the made-up friendship of thanatos and apollo

i don't remember how i got here but it's like. idk SYMBOLISM

i cannot be coherent about these two anyways, read my fics about them

#like actually how the fuck did this become my niche #the sad thing being that no one writes content because they have literally never interacted #pjo thanatos #pjo apollo #txny talks

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noxspost · 6 months

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ergo, dum me amas, sic ad astra feres haec verba manet

This is the end of the war the Gaia Giant War which was painful it caused some almost the majority of Greek and Roman pantheon deities diffuse into 11 of the victims had been areas in Mars that was an unwanted change Ares had worked hard to get where his body had been before he was forced to basically as he saw it make a mockery of Mars's body and character.Now both Thanatos and Ares were staying at each other Ares drained tired and exhausted he looked like it was even to collapse from exhaustion right then and there he just looked done his hair once this reddish brown color slowly reverting into this gray peach and white color hair his scars on his face were now covered in bandages and he pleaded "how do you love me must have been an accident that you fell in love with me maybe when it eros arrows hit you, didn't it?"he sounded so tired slowed so deprived of rest he stumbled slightly as he reached out his hands which Thanatos caught in his own as he floated over to areas to hold him properly upright it hurt Thanatos to hear those words in his lover he had not been hit with one of those arrows not even close he went to embrace his lover's face in his right hand when he reassured lovingly "loving you was no accident no arrow being hit in my heart I love you for you Ares."with those simple words... Ares just cried he sobbed he lurched forward as his shoulders went higher than his own head as he just cried now embraced by the god of death both of them were covered in blood and quite dirty governing dirt sweat and tears and blood yet they embrace each other and Ares felt a kiss on his forehead "my warrior has returned home and that is the best." whispered Thanatos into his ear as he just embraced Ares.Ares felt his legs give out and when Thanatos looked panicked as he was beginning to hold Ares bridal style in his arms and then he heard the shouts of people signaling that there were two other people within the rubble of the war he saw and heard the familiar voices of Percy Annabeth Jason and Frank and he heard the sounds of bearded vultures screaming same with Turkey vultures mars was near help was here as he felt liquid staining his hands where he was holding Ares.medical help was on the way. he then whisperers are promised Ares who was unconscious "ergo, dum me amas, sic ad astra feres haec verba manet."

#pjo series #ares #my au #pjo thanatos

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ma1dita · 1 month

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Luke x Thanatos!daughter reader? like maybe she was wings and Luke finally sees them. (headcanons, fluff, or smut. your choice.)

🐥🐥🐥🐥🐥

luke castellan x thanatos!reader

i think this is such a cool concept! luke is not the type of guy to shy away from darkness so let’s dive into it: some about you, some about the relationship yall would have

about you

you’re not scared of death at all, since it would mean being with your father—you’re very headstrong and daring

i think people would think the worst of demigods associated with death, but in reality there’s a softer side to you, one that holds a dying squirrel until it passes safely, or sings an injured camper to sleep on the battlefield so that your dad can carry them to the afterlife; i feel like you’d be able to take away their pain as well

you’d probably be able to have the same transportation powers your dad has, flickering into a shadow to travel or something cool like that

maybe on an actual scarier level, you’d have control over someone’s lifeforce through shadows like in peter pan

you’re a bit of a lurker, but not in a creepy sense—you have a calming presence to you that helps people feel at ease no matter the situation

you can sense when someone’s about to die like it’s a bad taste in your mouth or goosebumps on your skin

if you were trying to hide your wings to try not to stand out (because teens are teens and its easier to try to fit in) i wonder if wings would feel like growing pains, or like they’re trying to escape from under your skin; i would hope they’re more comfortable to have out though! gorgeous and huge like that of an angel

you and luke:

yall are literally ride or dies. literally where one goes the other follows because death is not the end for the two of you

i think he’d think your wings are sick (and sexy but hey…) you flying around with him trying to follow you in his shoes he got from his dad could create some crazy situations if you know what i mean

you two would race across the sky at camp and meet at the top of half-blood hill <3

you can tame luke’s anger well since you’re a true chaotic neutral, by just holding his hand his rage is contained

he always encourages you to be your truest self and spread your wings (literally) who cares if someone tries to pick on you for how big they are or how scary you look they should be more scared of him because he’ll start a fight for it (luke is your scary dog privilege)

luke has very fidgety hands as a son of hermes so i think you’d always catch him stroking the feathers of your wings absentmindedly

everything is attainable when you two are together, you make him understand the balance of life and death as your father did to you—this may or may not sway his decision to become a human vessel, but you’d be with him through it all

#jo's 23rd birthday bash ⋆｡°✩#luke castellan x reader #cabin 27 pjo #child of thanatos #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo x reader #pjo imagine

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raphael-angele · 2 months

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If Hades raised Nico and Bianca Part 7 (feat Thanatos)

Nico: GIVE IT BACK!

Zagreus: C'mon, Nico, jump!

Nico, jumping, clawing up Zag's clothes to try and reach his hand: ZAGGY, GIVE IT BACK!!

Zagreus: C'mon, Nico, you can do it!

Nico, struggling: *starts to cry*

Zagreus: *gets smacked at the back of his head* OW! Thanatos!

Thanatos: Give it back to him, you imbecile.

Zagreus: Jeez, it was just a joke. *kneels down and puts his fist on Nico's face* There.

Nico: *feels his face*

Thanatos: What do you say, Zagreus?

Zagreus: *sigh* I'm sorry I took your nose.

Thanatos: Mhm ( -_-). *picks up Nico* Come, Nico, let's go see what your sister and Megaera are up to

Nico: *still feeling his face* Is my nose really there?

Thanatos: Yes, it's back on your tiny adorable face. And it is still very adorable.

Nico: I think Zaggy put it back on wrong.

Thanatos: Hmm...nope! Still adorable *nose kiss*

Nico: *giggles*

Zagreus: What? No nose kiss for me?

Thanatos: *glares at Zagreus*

Zagreus: Little Rat

Thanatos: What was that?

Zagreus: Nothing

#pjo #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson #hades #zagreus #thanatos #thanzag #nico di angelo #bianca di angelo

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yonemurishiroku · 3 months

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On my way to make Nico some sort of entity anyway after Nico dies, he is divided into three parts. Cupid has his heart. Thanatos has his soul. And Hades has his memories.

And he forever sleeps away in Nyx’s embrace.

#nico di angelo #cupid (pjo)#hades (pjo)#nico and hades #nico and cupid #thanatos (pjo)#nico and thanatos #if nico dies #yone headcanon #nico headcanon #nyx (pjo)#nico and nyx

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apollosgiftofprophecy · 9 months

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for the duo thing, Apollo and Thanatos?

(I have a problem)

Hi Txny!!!

Specifically, one-sided pinning from Thanatos😔

#the oracle speaks #ask game #txny-dragon #ask and replies #asked and answered #thanatos x apollo #apollo #thanatos #the trials of apollo #pjo apollo #pjo thanatos #trials of apollo

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amiti-art · 11 months

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I'm not sure what month @tsarinatorment 's "Eclipse" take place but I think it would be funny if Persephone came back home at some point and stepped right into all of this chaos

alternatively:

Anyway go read "Eclipse" if you haven't yet, 10/10, peak fanfiction

#apollo #trials of apollo #Hades #Asclepius #thanatos #persephone #hermes #fanfic #nico di angelo #will solace #riordanverse #rrverse #pjo hoo toa #percy jackon and the olympians

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toasecretsanta · 1 year

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A gift for @txny-dragon written and drawn by @plumblossom37 based on the prompt “Meg meets death (or Death)”

The first time she met death, she was with Nero.

The bright yellow tape surrounded the area where her real father lay with huge slash marks across his gut. They were a deep red colour, matching with the rose that her mother gave to them.

She looked at the body full of horror, disbelief, and guilt. She turned away and sobbed into the purple suit of her father’s murderer; its toxic scent filled her nose. A dark feather flickered in and out of sight on the steps of the New York Public Library.

A change of the light, and it was gone. Swift like the wind.

The second time she met death, she didn’t remember it.

Nero’s imperial household was a palace of toxic. They were forced to train, to kill anyone and anything that their stepfather wanted them to.

It was inevitable.

The third time she met death, it was at the hands of Nero's colleague – Caligula. Only a while before were they all sitting together, eating fish tacos, chilling out on the Santa Barbara shore.

Jason Grace was stabbed twice in the back. She’ll kill him, she’ll kill him-

And her dummy former god nearly faced death, too, because he had the stupid idea of his to stab himself with the talking tree arrow. And all she could do in that cyclone of wind was watch in horror and disbelief.

She faced death countless times in Camp Jupiter. That stinking dead-but-not-really purple skeleton king. Everyone who died in the battle.

And almost that dummy big brother-of-hers-but-not-really, again.

She faced death a lot in those six months. For a daughter of Demeter, who was the goddess of growing plants and stuff, she sure did face a lot of death instead.

Then, she was free.

Nero could cause no more harm. And Apollo rid the world of that big snake, again. So suddenly, she was in charge of her step siblings, and she was back in Aeithales. And Lester was, too. He came by quite often, even when he was all goddy again. She had a feeling that he didn’t really like it up there.

The first time she met Death, it was only an accident. Deciding to leave Aeithales for a small while to get away from her step siblings and cool down was a mistake, apparently.

Skipping all the details, she was now faced with this emo-looking guy with large, black, feathery wings. And a tablet. In the middle of Actual Nowhere.

“McCaffrey?” Mr. Emo Bird Guy asked. Warily, she nodded once.

“Hmm.” he tapped some things on that tablet. “Well-”

“Meg!” She heard Apollo's faint voice in the far distance of… nothing.

All of a sudden, she felt her body mending back together, shifting back into place, and then the nothing was replaced with something. She suddenly felt the dry ground underneath her, and squinted open her eyes to see Apollo, with his extremely goddy getup. Ah. That's where the light was coming from.

She lifted her hand to shield her eyes.

“Ugh. too bright.” Meg heard some apologies, then the light faded away. She opened her eyes again, and Lester was there looming over her like a tree in the forest.

“As I was saying,” continued Mr. Emo Bird Guy from the other side, simultaneously giving her whiplash, “it appears that you aren’t on the list.” He looked at Lester. “She’ll be fine this time.”

Lester thanked Mr. Emo Bird Guy, who nodded in response and then disappeared as Lester turned his head back to face her, fussing over her and giving her ambrosia and stuff. Typical dummy Lester.

The second time she met Death, Lester brought him over for both his friends to meet under better, lighter circumstances, or something.

“So!” Lester said. “Thanatos, Meg McCaffrey.” He gestured to Meg. “Meg, Thanatos.” He gestured to Mr. Emo Bird Guy, whose name was apparently Thanatos. They stared at each other for a few moments.

“You’re that Emo Bird Guy from last time?” she asked, crossing her arms. Lester wheezed at the comment (“Emo Bird Guy– Meg, no–”) as Thanatos blinked.

“I… suppose I am,” he said, as Lester laughed even harder in the background. If he continued doubling over any further, she figured he would turn into those koru plants.

“Are you this dummy’s friend?” She jerked a thumb at Lester, who was still busy trying to quell his laughter. (“Give me a second–”)

“Of sorts, yes. We tolerate each other. That idiot stressed the Hades out of me on his trials, however. If I wasn't immortal, he would have taken off a third of my lifespan,” he muttered with exasperation (but Meg could hear fondness in there, too.) She snickered in response.

Oh yeah, she thinks this’ll work out.

#toasecretsanta #plumblossom37 #txny-dragon #meg mccaffrey #pjo apollo #pjo thanatos #trials of apollo #toa #riordanverse #trials of apollo fanfic #trials of apollo fanart #toa fanfic #toa fanart #riordanverse fanfic #riordanverse fanart

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tsarisfanfiction · 10 months

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Eclipse: Chapter 27

Fandom: Trials of Apollo Rating: Teen Genre: Family/Adventure Characters: Apollo, Hades Unsurprisingly, the ichor warning continues for this chapter... I have a discord server for all my fics, including this one! If you wanna chat with me or with other readers about stuff I write (or just be social in general), hop on over and say hi! <<Chapter 26

APOLLO XXVII

Mother of monsters And her horrific husband We can’t win this fight

Apollo was terrified. It was taking everything he had to stay upright, to not fall over in an ungainly lump of ichor and leaking essence as his form desperately tried to heal, but without a miracle, he couldn’t see how they were going to escape the monstrous couple.

It wasn’t even his looming erasure from existence that terrified him the most; he’d faced that before, with Python on the very edge of Chaos, and it was hardly a comfortable feeling but it paled in comparison to dark glittering eyes and the knowledge that the moment he fell, Will would be Styx’s.

Perhaps Koios was right, and he’d been trying too hard to fulfil the prophecy after all.

Typhon responded in a language long dead before Apollo had been born, the rumbling noise of an off-key orchestra as clashing sounds pierced through his essence, words unintelligible. The elongated, bloated fingers tipped with serpentine heads – what was it with monsters and snakes – were easier to understand as they lashed out at Hades.

His uncle slashed back desperately, cutting off the snake heads of the first to reach him, but he was off balance and barely holding himself together. Apollo had no weapons, no time to even try and summon a fresh bow from the distant Overworld – and never had the Overworld felt so far away as it did at that moment – but he couldn’t just stand by as his uncle was torn to shreds.

Koios got there first, massive sword blocking the initial onslaught. “We will make it to the surface,” he grit out, his countenance devoid of amusement for the first time since he’d caught up with them and made things complicated and threatening in ways Apollo really didn’t want to deal with.

There was something about his insistence that had been bothering Apollo. The future wasn’t solid, nothing more than a trail of potentials unless events fell in the exact manner to draw one into existence, and Koios should know that at least as well as Apollo did – better, arguably.

And yet.

Koios was convinced that he would make it to the surface, had mentioned his sister but not his mother, and Nico and Will had been talking about Artemis, so it made sense. Apollo was certain that his grandfather had seen it, not just as a possibility but as a very, very rare certainty that Apollo in four and a half millennia had never experienced himself. Even now, the Fates had shown him nothing of the sort, but it wouldn’t be the first time they hadn’t shown him something important. For all that he did see, he didn’t see far more, and he could believe that Koios saw different things.

The only thing that was missing was how.

How they were going to get out of Tartarus – how they were going to get away from Typhon and Echidna long enough to even try.

Bob had joined the fray, spinning his broken spear aggressively to keep Typhon back, but it only seemed to be extending the inevitable. Apollo threw himself closer, letting out a shout because his voice was the only weapon he had left, but Typhon was so loud he didn’t seem to even notice. A tail swept past him, catching him in the stomach and smashing him into Hades, which in turn sent them like skittles into the titans.

They landed in an ichor-covered mess at one of Typhon’s feet.

Being so thoroughly beaten had become a second nature to Apollo as a mortal, when Lester could barely fight in the first place, but as Apollo, as a god, it was alien.

Not even Python had been this powerful, but Typhon had always been known as the strongest of Gaia’s children, had sent them scattering to Egypt the first time they saw him for a reason. Adding Echidna into the mix hadn’t even been necessary.

“The way out?” Koios hissed, detangling himself from his position at the bottom of the heap. Apollo found himself flung to the ground and clawed his way upright slowly, feeling more than seeing his uncle’s dark essence trying to pull itself together again. He reached out his own, battered essence to support Hades – if he couldn’t fight, he could at least heal – and felt the streak of light within his uncle respond sluggishly.

“A way out?” Echidna repeated, laughing lightly behind her fangs. “There isn’t one, titan. You will cease to exist here and now.”

There was a crack, too sharp and crisp to be natural, or Tartarus tearing up beneath them. The resulting force shoved the monsters back a pace, but Apollo wasn’t looking at them anymore, not when two massive doors had appeared right in front of him.

For the briefest moment, Apollo’s startled mind thought that somehow the doors to Olympus had reached Tartarus, before he realised that the colours were all wrong – black and silver in place of white and gold – and that the disembodied frames were the pitch darkness of Stygian Iron.

Then they opened.

“Lord Hades!” Thanatos called, as pale as Apollo had ever seen him – the exact shade of pale he’d been in his vision – but gripping his scythe in a way that was clearly meant for battle. “Lord Apollo!”

“Th-” Hades began, but Apollo wasn’t hesitating and wasn’t going to let his uncle hesitate either. His vision in the prison hadn’t been the present, it had been the future and that future was now, Thanatos had felt Tartarus rising, realised that they would never escape without help, and for reasons Apollo couldn’t even begin to fathom, come to get them.

There was no time for any other thoughts, for everything else Apollo had seen in the vision and their implications. He grabbed his uncle and ran. Hades didn’t fight him, missing the context Apollo had but clearly realising what Thanatos’ presence meant: a way out. It was hardly graceful or elegant; neither of them were much more than spilling essence barely contained within an ichor-coated, fragile form.

“No!” Echidna roared, echoed innumerable times by Typhon’s deep growl. She lunged for them, but Thanatos was there, his scythe blocking the massive body and covering them as Apollo and Hades all but fell through the Doors of Death, a bright streak of golden ichor in their wake.

Bob tumbled through after them, and then, to Apollo’s resigned horror, Koios barged his way in just as Thanatos retreated after them, scythe whirling and slashing in a way the god of peaceful death rarely used – but not never, and it was clear Thanatos knew how to be violent and vicious as he opened up a gash along Echidna’s flank, hacked off reaching snake-headed fingers as Typhon reached for him, then took the split second opening of their clear surprise at a god not known for his combat causing them injury to turn tail and fly through the doors.

They slammed shut the instant the last iridescent black feather of his wings passed through, and everything shifted.

“Who is pressing the button?” Koios demanded. “What is stopping them from following?” His sword was still at the ready as he warily watched the closed doors.

Thanatos ignored him, crouching down by Hades and Apollo as they slowly pulled themselves together. “I trust your business is concluded, Lord Hades,” he said, with a glance at Bob.

“It had better be,” Hades replied, his voice slightly husky – not that Apollo could comment when he was in at least as much of a state. “I am not returning there.”

That was a sentiment Apollo whole-heartedly agreed with.

Koios, on the other hand, didn’t appear to take being ignored kindly as he bashed his sword into the floor hard enough that the ichor pooling around them splashed up.

“Have you trapped us here?” he demanded. Even Bob looked disquieted, and Thanatos finally turned to face the titans, looking extremely unimpressed.

“These are my Doors,” he said firmly. “Unlike titans who steal them and then bastardise their use, I do not need outside influence to use them. We will shortly arrive in the Overworld.”

“You are no match for Tartarus, Typhon or Echidna,” Koios retorted. “They will pry these open and follow.”

“They won’t,” Thanatos replied, with a certainty that even paused the aggressive titan. “There are no chains.”

“The Doors are no longer in the Pit, are they?” Bob realised. “They moved.”

“The Doors of Death do not belong in Tartarus,” Hades said, straightening up fully. His form had fully coalesced again, although Apollo could tell it was still fragile, more a mask than a reflection of his true state. Apollo stood next to him, and was only somewhat startled when his uncle clasped his arm and his essence extended towards him, not mingling but the intent there.

Before this experience, Apollo would never have considered being able to mutually heal with his uncle, let alone actually doing it. If Hades was willing to do it in front of Thanatos – in front of the titans, although he suspected Koios had seen it already, if he’d been following them as long as he claimed – then Apollo wouldn’t refuse.

Besides, they still had Koios to deal with. He was dangerous – not that Bob wasn’t, but they had an accord with him and a mutual interest. With Koios, there was none of that, and that worried Apollo. Was Koios truly just looking to escape Tartarus, or did he have more intentions? Was his vision of being out with Apollo and Artemis truly enough for him to throw himself into the worst Tartarus had to offer?

Apollo feared it wasn’t.

He clasped Hades’ arm in turn, and let the light of Elysium, of the Isle of the Blessed and rebirth mingle with his own light of healing. Thanatos glanced back at them in surprise, but didn’t comment.

“I was not expecting you, titan of the north,” the god of death said instead, focusing his attention on Koios. “Iapetus – Bob? – I was aware would be there, but there was no mention of you.”

Koios scoffed. “I would not be so sure about that,” he said. “Tell me, grandson, what was the exact wording of that prophecy you’ve been attempting to subvert?”

Apollo bristled. “I have not been attempting to subvert it!” he insisted; the titan was wrong, he’d claimed it as his own, and with two – no, three, he realised, the golden ichor running across the floor of the Doors catching his attention – lines now coming to pass, he was confident that the Fates had accepted his and Hades’ claim.

“Are you not supposed to be the god of truth?” Koios laughed. “But if you want to lie to yourself, that is of no concern to me – the prophecy, Phoebus.”

“We are no longer in the Pit,” Bob added. “You said you would reveal it once we were out.”

Apollo sighed, but felt the words build in his throat regardless.

Sunshine and darkness go deeper than earth Topaz and silver search for rebirth Gold passes through the shadow of death A fading light to take one final breath

“One more line to go,” Koios observed, and Apollo disliked that he’d unravelled the meanings of the first three lines so easily, but Apollo’s own prophetic domains had been inherited from the titan side of his lineage – not just his maternal grandmother but his grandfather as well. If there was anyone else in existence who could tell when prophetic lines had come to pass, it was his maternal titan ancestors.

“One more line to go,” he agreed reluctantly, gesturing at the golden ichor they’d dragged through the Doors of Death when Hades and Thanatos looked at him in askance. No-one needed explanation for the first two. As for the single one still to go, it was, as the final lines of prophecies tended to be, the direst one.

Thanatos walked over to the closed doors and pushed them open. “We’ve arrived.”

Koios was the first to barge past, almost knocking Thanatos aside in his determination to get out. The god of death looked at him disparagingly before fixing Apollo and Hades with a stare. “I could not stop him from entering, but did he have to be with you?” he asked in clear disapproval.

“It seems as though he did,” Hades grumbled. Interestingly, Bob didn’t protest at their complaints at his brother’s escape; perhaps the titan realised how much of an issue Koios might be, loose in the Overworld.

Realising that they had to do something about him before the other gods – his father – realised that not one, but two titans had escaped Tartarus, Apollo reluctantly separated from Hades, putting a stop to their mutual healing as he followed his grandfather out into the Overworld.

They emerged in the large, dark hall of the Necromanteion, a temple Apollo hadn’t spent much time in but recognised nonetheless, even if he hadn’t already known that it was the location of the mortal, unmoving, side of the Doors of Death. They were underground, but compared to the depths of the Pit they’d just – miraculously – escaped from, it felt like he was on top of the world. Strength swelled as he ran after the titan, before remembering what being out of Tartarus meant and simply dematerialising, appearing outside the temple, under the fresh air and the sun as it passed to the west.

It felt like Sol was the one covering that shift, and Apollo spared a moment to watch it on its downwards arc – dusk was approaching, soon Artemis would take to the skies in her chariot for the night. Despite the lateness of the day, the warmth of the sun revitalised him further, and with a thought, a new bow materialised in his hand, his quiver filled to the brim with arrows.

Everything that Tartarus had tried to take from him was back, or near enough. He was still wearied, weakened from the ichor loss he hadn’t fully replenished, but bathed in the rays of his own celestial domain, he felt stronger.

“Phoebus,” Koios greeted. The titan had stopped just outside the temple, likewise looking up at the sky. “Join me.” He gestured for Apollo to approach, seemingly unconcerned that he was fully armed again. Then again, he, too, was standing stronger, wounds closing with his hand draped over the hilt of his sword. “Your sister is coming.”

Artemis was. Apollo could feel her clearly, the moon to his sun on a collision course.

He could also feel that she was not happy.

Koios gestured again, and warily Apollo stepped closer, staying out of immediate sword range. “It’s a shame Leto and Phoebe aren’t here,” he commented, almost idly. “It would have been nice to have the whole family.” He shrugged. “I will have to find them.”

“What do you want, Koios?” Apollo asked, aware of Hades and Bob behind them, not intervening but present. Thanatos was nowhere to be felt, but Apollo had not expected him to stay.

Knowing his uncle was there, that if Koios attacked, he wouldn’t be alone, was a strange yet comforting feeling.

“Freedom,” the titan said, “much the same as you, grandson.”

“I have freedom,” Apollo dismissed, ignoring the small voice in the back of his head that pointed out he wanted to be able to do more than the Ancient Laws allowed.

Koios laughed, full of humour but also derision. “The freedom to be stripped mortal whenever you displease your father?” he challenged. “The freedom to cower behind as many masks as you can conjure rather than risk making the wrong enemy? You have a strange way of saying the truth, Phoebus.”

Apollo was saved from finding an answer to the titan who knew far too much for his liking – titan of knowledge, he couldn’t not remember, Koios was somehow worse than Athena – by a bolt of silver light exploding into existence in front of him.

Artemis had never been a fool, and a single glance around the scene had her pinning Apollo with a heavily disapproving look. “Phoebus Apollo, what have you done?”

Despite himself, Apollo couldn’t help giving her a genuine smile. “It’s good to see you, too, dear sister,” he said. Almost automatically, he took a step closer to her, further from Koios.

“Granddaughter,” the titan interrupted, and Artemis’ silver eyes snapped from assessing Apollo – and no doubt racking up an entire list of grievances to air at him in the process – to instead inspect the ice-blue titan. “Artemis, yes?”

They had the same eyes, Apollo realised, seeing his twin and their grandfather regard each other, clearly assessing. Artemis’ posture was rigid, the fact that she was in her favourite pre-pubescent form doing nothing to detract from the way she was as taut as a drawn bowstring.

“Koios,” she said after a moment, no doubt but plenty of suspicion in her voice. “You should be in the Pit.”

“And yet, here I am,” Koios replied, spreading his arms and bestowing a smile upon them. It was a self-satisfied look, not a kind smile. “Thanks to Phoebus here.”

“You forced your way out,” Apollo corrected hurriedly, sensing his twin’s increasing ire and feeling the need to set the story straight. “You were never the aim.”

“But Iapetus was,” Artemis said, looking far more terrifying than twelve year old girls had any right to – not even Meg could hold a candle to a four and a half millennia old goddess, even if they looked of an age. “Apollo. Are you trying to be punished again? Father is furious at your disappearance; once he realises exactly what you’ve done…” She trailed off, seemingly unable or unwilling to elaborate further. She didn’t need to.

“There is a way to prevent punishment,” Koios murmured, drawing both Apollo and Artemis’ attention back to him. The fading light of the sun reflected off of his cold, cold eyes, calculating at best and a promise of cruelty at worst. The smile he gave them was too full of teeth, too full of malice for Apollo to trust it for even a moment.

Artemis’s bow materialised in her hand, an open sign of her own mistrust. “And that is?” she demanded, with the air that she knew she wouldn’t approve of whatever their grandfather had in mind.

“He can’t punish Phoebus if he isn’t in any position to do so,” Koios said slowly. Behind him, Apollo felt Hades lurch forwards. “Or you, nephew.” The titan had also noticed. “You asked what I wanted,” he said, addressing Apollo directly. “What I want is that tyrant gone, for those upstart gods who mocked me to grovel at my feet, knowing that they will never rule again.” He glanced sideways, where Hades had halved the gap between the two of them and was standing a little way away from Apollo. “You are different, Hades. Your brother rewarded you for your help by shutting you away, too, did he not? Then you protected my brother, when you could and should have handed him over, and finally came to rescue him. I have no interest in the Underworld; so long as you do not oppose me, I would be perfectly content to leave you alone in turn.”

“You want to overthrow Olympus,” Artemis said bluntly. “Did you learn nothing from your previous attempt?”

“From my youngest brother’s attempt, you mean?” Koios corrected. “None of those plans were of my devising, but yes, I learned plenty. Your father has held that throne far too long; how can you call yourselves gods when you whimper and cower behind masks and shields, constantly in fear of your own father’s retribution? Sometimes,” he grinned, all sharp again, “fathers need to be disposed of. Isn’t that right, brother, Hades?”

“No,” Artemis said sharply, before either could respond. “Your father, and the Crooked One, but if you insist on extending that to my father, I will stop you here and now.”

“Even if it’s the only way to save Phoebus from his wrath?” Koios pressed.

“No,” Apollo agreed. He remembered previous attempts to talk Zeus down, even overthrow him, and they had never worked – and Artemis was right, Koios had not just spoken about Zeus. All the gods that had opposed him, save Hades so long as Hades did not fight back – Olympus.

Apollo could never stand aside and let Olympus fall.

He glanced up at the darkening sky, disconcerted at the lack of thunder or lightning. Koios was forcing them to talk about treason – surely Zeus would have noticed by now? Once, Apollo might have thought Zeus was waiting to see what their response would be, but in recent centuries, even a hint had been enough for the lightning to come down. The silence was disconcerting.

“No?” Koios repeated. “Phoebus, do you want to be punished? If I was not clear, I am offering for you, children of my beloved daughter, to join with me. You would be honoured, finally in the position beings as fine as you should always have been. Even if you are too afraid to stand against your father, all you have to do is stand aside.”

Instinctively, Apollo and Artemis stood closer together, close enough for the familiarity of his twin’s essence to wash over and through his, and despite their differences, despite Artemis’ disapproval at his various antics across the millennia, especially those their father had deemed rebellious, he could feel nothing but a thrum of agreement in this.

It was the same feeling they’d had when Tityos had tried to rape their mother, when Niobe had boasted of being a better mother than the titaness of motherhood herself. The moment of being fully in sync, two halves of one whole.

Koios could not be allowed to tear down Olympus.

As fast as thought, golden and silver arrows combined flew towards the titan, who growled as he ducked away, his massive sword coming up to act as a shield.

“Do not be foolish, Phoebus, Artemis!” he scolded. “The glory days of Olympus have passed; she will fall, and you will fall with her if you do not step away now.”

There was Koios’ certainty again, an absolute confidence in an unchangeable future, but this time, Apollo wasn’t so convinced that he was right. He’d seen Olympus crumble, stones cascading down and the mountain turning to the same broken shell Mouth Othrys had been for his entire existence, yes, but he’d also seen her thriving, glorious days that spanned millennia more. Apollo had seen possibilities, different paths that the future could still take, and even now, faced with Koios’ certainty, not all of those paths belonged to defeated potentials. Many, many still laid open, Olympus’ fate far from sealed.

“No,” he said, calm and measured. Certain in his own way. “One day, in the far future, the time of the Olympians will come to an end, but not now. Not from this.”

“We are Olympians,” Artemis added, as though she thought Koios needed reminding of that. “We are loyal to Olympus. If you insist on attacking, then you are our enemy. Sometimes, it is the grandfathers that must fall.”

Rage flashed through icy blue eyes, but Apollo and Artemis were ready for Koios’ attack and scattered, arrows flying in their wake. There was no delay between thought and materialisation now, no split second of weakness as Apollo was unguarded, unarmed.

“Iapetus!” the titan barked, stamping his foot and summoning a wave of ice that rushed to Apollo. He shimmered out of existence just before it struck, reappearing in mid-air with the setting sun at his back, and let loose another barrage.

Bob moved, stepping forwards, but his spear was still half-broken, and he seemed hesitant. “Brother-”

He was stopped by Hades, the god gripping his arm tightly. “Koios would see the demigods you promised to protect dead,” Apollo heard his uncle say. “It is not just Olympus he wants to destroy.” The underlying threat was there; if Bob stepped in, if Bob turned on them, then their alliance was moot and Hades, too, would join the fray.

“I am aware,” Bob said, his voice hard. “I will keep my word, Hades. I had plenty of time to think in that cell; I know that you showed me mercy, the day Nico brought me to you. More than that, you protected me, for reasons I still cannot fathom. We were mortal enemies from the moment you were born, and yet when you had the chance to destroy me, millennia later, you did not. And if a god can do that, then so can a titan.”

“You were always the most honourable,” Hades replied.

“Iapetus!” Koios shouted again, dodging a hail of golden arrows and ending up in the path of the silver projectiles instead.

“My name is Bob, Koios,” the titan called back, crossing his arms. “Why do you insist on doing this, brother? Our brothers are gone; the age of titans is passed. We should co-exist with the gods, not seek to destroy them.”

Koios roared, and Apollo took advantage of his split-second distraction to plant an arrow in the small of his back, knocking him forwards half a pace. Artemis drove several arrows towards his front; off-balance, Koios didn’t manage to block all of them, and received a silver shaft to his shoulder. “You’ve gone soft, Iapetus!” he snarled. “You were always the weak one but now you’re just pathetic! Co-exist with the gods? Did your memories come back diluted of the atrocities they did to us? Was millennia in Tartarus not enough to teach you that the gods will never be our allies? The time of the gods has run its course; it is time for the titans to return.”

“Kindness is not softness!” Bob replied. “How is it that for everything you see, brother, you have never seen that? I will be kind, now, as Hades, Phoebus and the demigods have shown me is possible, but I will not be soft. Stop this madness, brother, and I will stand by you, but not until then.”

Koios let out a howl of betrayal.

Chapter 28>>

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