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'They are gone.'
The heartbreak Dionysus feels is nothing compared to his rage.
'We had a taste of it, and now the children are gone.'
He will drive the mortals mad, because how DARE they sneak in here, knock out the Gods, the Gods themselves!!!, take all the children, and leave without a trace-
Even Jason, the baby, his baby brother is gone. Stolen from his crib by- by someone.
Dionysus can taste Apollo's blazing fury and Hades's wrath.
Someone believes themselves powerful enough to crawl into Olympus, take their children, and disappear on Brightest Star Day, a day known to be sacred-
Dionysus will drive them mad. Out of their mind until they know nothing but the pain that waits for them with Apollo's healing and Hades's torment.
Pan, too, shakes with rage.
“How did we not see anything?!” He cries out. “All we saw was smoke, and then-”
He rubs his head from where he must have been struck on the head or where he hit the ground.
Dionysus seethes again. They struck down the Gods too?! Oh, their madness would last for eternity, and he would leave them with just enough of their sanity so they would remember why the children were sacred, why they were being punished, why-
“Lord Dionysus!” A satyr squeaks.
“WHAT?!” He roars, leopard teeth bared in a wide bite.
The satyr squeaks again, face white with fear, eyes blood shot with signs of madness creeping up on their mind.
Dionysus glares, then sighs, and slowly holds back on his rage until both he and the satyr have calmed down.
(For now. Until he finds the person responsible for such a wound.)
“I am sorry, young one.” Dionysus tells the young satyr. “I did not mean to catch you in my anger.”
“No, my Lord, it was my mistake.” The satyr squeaks, still clearly afraid. “I should have known better to interrupt you in your anger. I beg your forgiveness.”
“It is given.” Dionysus says.
He could sense the urgency in the satyr's mind. “Speak, young one. What did you see?”
The satyr swallows. “I saw the son of Hades having dominion over the shadows, using them to hide himself, the daughter of Ares, and I believe two other people from view.”
“What?” Hades growls as he appears in the room. “These people have dominion over my son?!”
“I do not know, Lord Hades!” The satyr gasps out. “All I know is that he was last with her, and they both were hiding in the shadows near a pillar down the hall.”
“Show me.” Dionysus commands.
The satyr bows their head and leads them wordlessly to a pillar near an extra entrance to Olympus, the one that leads off of Mount Olympus, to the ground below.
“I saw the son of Hades here.” The satyr says. “He snarled at me when he saw me, but he looked scared of me as well.
It seemed like he and the daughter of Ares knew each other, because they were talking. I could not make out what they were saying, because I gasped as soon as I realized who it was.”
“Why did you not alert us sooner?” Dionysus questions.
The satyr bows their head. “I beg your forgiveness, Great Dionysus! I thought that they were new nymphs, and were only playing games. Then I saw Lord Hermes, or someone that looked like him, take away the daughter of Ares in a flash of light and I gasped.”
“You are beyond forgiven, young one.” Dionysus's mind is spinning with the information.
‘Someone who looks like my brother… could it be his son?’
“Tell me, what is your name?”
The satyr looks stunned. “I am Komos, my Lord.”
“Well, I personally thank you, young Komos. You may leave now while we discuss our options.”
The satyr bows and leaves the hall, which leaves Pan, Dionysus, and Hades to investigate the area.
They find nothing. No trace of their children or the man who traveled with them.
Dionysus knows his uncle is angry. He can see it in his eyes. The raw fury of a God as he attempts to not claw the shadows apart so he can see where and how his son disappeared.
There is a flash of golden light, the warmth of the sun dances on Dionysus's shoulders, and Apollo appears next to them in a flurry of feathers.
“Cousin Triton and his daughter are now in the infirmary. Uncle Poseidon and Sister Athena are investigating the area, apparently they sensed something that has their attention. Everyone else is on their way back to Olympus.” He reports casually.
He then surveys the group and frowns. “What have I missed?”
“Someone has taken Ares's daughter, Clarisse, and my son.” Hades whispers.
Apollo blinks. “What?!”
They quickly fill him in while he stares at the pillar the son of Hades was caught hiding behind, as if his light could break through the shadows the boy had used.
“Maybe we are missing something.” Apollo murmurs before his eyes widen. “The other children.” He breathes.
Dionysus's eyes meet his and he, Hades, and Pan understand.
“My son warned me of this.” Hades whispers, his face pale. “He warned me that someone had found his friends and was holding them somewhere-”
He stares at his hands in sorrow. “If only I had listened to him. Then maybe, they still would be with us… instead of being taken from our home.”
“Do you think that it is the same person who imprisoned your son?” Pan asks worriedly. “Do you think that person snuck onto Olympus just to reclaim them?”
“Possibly.” Apollo muses. “Or-”
“Or?” Hades repeats.
“Or it is the son of Hermes attempting to look for everyone.” Dionysus cuts in, eyes widening. ‘Because it was him young Komos saw taking young Clarisse and son of Hades. It was him. What is he doing?’
“He did mention to Ares's boarlet that two other children he was watching over were taken by horses…” Apollo mutters.
‘Which is strange. Horses are Uncle Poseidon's sacred animals, so unless they saw something…’
Apollo looks up at the other three Gods. “Maybe we should start there. With looking for the son of Hermes.”
“Dionysus, you know the mind.” Hades says quietly. “Where should we look first?”
Dionysus closes his eyes in thought. He needed to make the right choice here, otherwise, their children would suffer the consequences.
“...Contact Sister Athena and Aunt Demeter.” Dionysus says finally. “Tell them to scour the earth in search of the son of Hades, daughter of Ares, son of Zeus, and son of Hermes. Tell them that there might be more trapped somewhere, so that they'll leave no stone unturned and no cave empty.”
He clenches his fists, feeling the anger from earlier return. “Tell them that the children have been lied to over years about the Gods, and might attack out of fear. That is not their fault. They were manipulated and lied to for years, and our anger should never be directed at them for this.”
He looks at his uncle. “Uncle Hades, I ask that you scour the Underworld for any mortal mentioning the presence of demigods within the past few days. Maybe even weeks. It is clear that their existence is a recent development, and we need all the information we can get. Apollo, Pan, and I will also search for the son of Hermes specifically. We have met him before, and we fear that Father, Queen Hera, and especially Ares will wage an endless war on the mortals when he wakes up. We are running on borrowed time, and we need his daughter back to him before he wakes.”
Hades nods his head. “I agree wholeheartedly. Well done, nephew.”
Dionysus grins in relief. If his Uncle and the other Gods believed it was a good plan, then it had to work.
It has to work.
‘Please work.’ He begs silently. ‘Please work.’
“I will speak to Athena.” Hades vanishes into the shadows, and seconds later, Dionysus sees hundreds of owls take to the sky, their pure white forms blending in with the clouds.
“Do you think we will find them in time?” Pan asks.
Dionysus sags his shoulders. “I do not know, Nephew.” He admits. “We need some sort of sign to know where they are. It's why I asked Hades to speak with Athena and Aunt Demeter. They are out in the world right now, and they have to have seen or heard something.”
/That might be easier than you think./ His Aunt says suddenly.
Aunt Demeter materializes in the room in a flurry of wheat stalks and leaves. Her chiton is now leaf-green, a clear sign of the hope that has seized them all by force.
“How?” Dionysus asks.
“On my way back to Olympus, I suddenly felt Ares's presence at Mount Etna.” She says.
‘But Ares is here with us… WAIT!’
Apollo's eyes widen, having reached the same conclusion he did. “Ares's daughter might be there! Then we have to hurry!”
“I'll let Ares know.” Demeter vanishes in the same fashion she arrived in.
He nods at Dionysus and Pan. “You two, with me. We'll take my chariot.”
~~~
Ares's eyes are closed.
He is unconscious, drifting in a familiar realm that has no wielder.
Very faintly, he hears whispers: prayers from mortals and warriors and people who ask for his aid.
Then, a new voice speaks into the silence, loud and clear.
‘Dad.’ His boarlet's voice echoes, pleading, rushed, desperate. ‘I know you're out there. Somewhere. All I'm asking for is that you get us through this, please.
I'll... I'll do anything. Just please.
If you claim to be my Father, then.
Give me your blessing. Give me a sign.
Do something.
Help us.
Help me.’
He opens his mouth to respond, to grant her prayer for help, before another prayer crosses his mind.
‘Lord Ares, I don't know if you can hear me.’ A young male voice whispers, quiet, uncertain, but determined.
‘I ask for your blessing. I ask for your anger, so I can use it to save the people I care about. To save the girl I care about. All I want is to bring my family home. So please, Lord Ares.
I ask for your blessing. I ask for a sign.
I ask for something.
I beg of you, Lord Ares.
Help us. Help me save the people I love, and I will slaughter our enemies in your name.’
Clearly, this person knows of his power. Clearly, this person knows of his might.
Clearly, this person knows who he is and how to get his attention, because he turns his head and sees a young boy dressed in strange red and brown clothing stabbing a spear into the ground.
The spear…
For some reason, he senses… himself, tightly woven in the very spear’s existence.
He never made such a thing.
But it is his.
…or his daughter's.
Quickly, the pieces come together. This must have been a gift from him- or an impostor pretending to be him- to her. It is something she must hold dear. And for this boy to have it and wield it so effortlessly means that he knows her. He must have come to help her.
A noble effort.
Something he must acknowledge as Clarisse's-
“FATHER!!!” Clarisse screams.
Ares moves without even thinking.
He places his left hand on Clarisse's shoulder, his right hand on the boy's shoulder and snaps: “Now!”
The boy is temporarily filled with his fury and leaps off of the cliff.
Cliff? What cliff?
He can sense the boy, he can sense his daughter, he can sense them together, but where… where are they?
The area is shrouded in fog and mist and blinds his vision the second he tries to take a step closer to her-
And he is shaken awake by Demeter, the Goddess's eyes shining bright.
“Breathe.” The Goddess of Harvest says, an attempt to calm the panic and rage that threatens to spew from his mouth. “Breathe. We found all of them. Apollo, Dio, and Pan are making their way to save them now.”
“Good.” He breathes a sigh of relief and rests his head back on the floor. He needs to catch his breath after being yanked out of the wild realm of Sleep.
Then Demeter’s words catch up with him.
“Wait.
What do you mean, them? There's more than three?”
Demeter looks down at the floor.
Ares swallows. “Aunt Demeter, how many?
How many are there?”
~~~
They ride the chariot to the mountain that Demeter had noticed. The three Gods stay quiet as Apollo struggles to understand just what was going on.
Everyone is talking at once, trading information now that Zeus, Hera, Demeter, Hestia, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Ares, and Hades are back together on Olympus. Ares is awake, though not as frantic as he should be for someone who just lost their daughter.
There is something… off about this whole thing.
And it is not just the situation.
It is the mist that surrounds the mountain, practically bathing it in fog.
It makes Apollo's eyes water from how thick it is, he can not even see through it.
Suddenly, as if someone is removing a veil from his eyes, he can. He can see the mist surrounding the mountain of dirt and bushes and small trees, how it forms over the mountain like a bubble needing to pop.
As the chariot gets closer, Apollo catches sight of one of Athena's owls, perched in a nearby tree. Its gaze is solely focused on- he has to squint his eyes to see this- a group of people gathered near a slain monster, its ancestry undefinable due to its broken, almost shattered skull. A mighty, almost impossible blow killed this beast.
Ares could have done it.
But he was not here.
…is this why he is so calm? Because he knew about this attack or gave someone the power to do it?
He will have to ask his brother later.
Apollo whistles for his horses to slow down so he can get a closer look at the group.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer-
‘WAIT.’
As multiple faces appear out of the mist, he gasps in disbelief.
It is the children.
They are alive.
Dionysus gasps behind him and his brother leans over his shoulder.
“There is more…?” He breathes.
Apollo feels like his heart might explode. ‘There is. So. Many.’
The children, still blissfully unaware of their presence, carry on talking about something they can not quite hear yet, but it is clear that it is bothering them. Antagonizing some, by the looks of it, as the son of Hermes visibly shakes with vibrant anger that rings in the air like a loud bell.
“Do you recognize any of them?” He asks quickly.
Dionysus nods. “The son of Hades, the daughter of Ares, and the son of Zeus.” He points at the dark-haired boy and the red-brown haired girl. It takes Apollo a second, but the wind blows at an angle that he sees baby Jason clinging tightly to a black-haired girl. “I also recognize the son of Hermes.”
He points at the angry boy holding Hermes's caduceus.
“But the rest…” he trails off, eyes wide with wonder. “There's eleven total.”
Eleven. Eleven children of the Gods, all varying appearances, all clearly alive and breathing.
There are two more figures there too, one holding a strange spear and the other whose face is hidden, their body bent over.
Apollo registers both. They might be the people responsible for taking their children, but…
He does not think it likely. For one, the children are close to them, and there would have been signs of struggle or something, but they're clearly so close to each other that there are signs of trust between them.
Good.
They know each other.
He can work with this.
He refocuses on the eleven children. Their current, and only, priority until they find the truth about who were they and how were they hidden and why the Gods had no knowledge of their existence before.
“Eleven.” Dionysus repeats, shock and awe filling his voice. “That's… that's more, brother. More than we ever thought imaginable.”
“I know, brother.” Apollo watches the group longingly.
It does not appear that the three gods have been noticed yet.
‘Good.’ He thinks.
He nods at Pan, who readies his flute in case the worst happens and the children run again.
But for now, it is clear that he and Dionysus need to correct a few lies.
He whistles for his horses to get closer, but not enough to burn the mountain or scare the children.
As they draw closer, he prays to Athena, that she will give him the words to say in this situation. His poetic nature would not be enough to persuade them.
She answers it with a smile, and the words flow into his mind far easier than normal, stringing together like one of Poseidon's pearl necklaces.
He can do this.
They can do this.
For their children.
The group suddenly tenses, with one boy gripping a spear as they all look around wildly and with concern.
Athena's owl- ‘No’ Apollo realizes with a start ‘That is Athena herself, speaking through her owl’- lets out a warning screech, loud enough for the Gods to hear-
/Their disappearance has been noticed! We need to reach them now!/
“Faster!” Apollo urges his horses, voice shaking out of desperation. “Please! They are right there!”
A blond haired boy who shone like the sun and a black haired boy the size of a small child suddenly look up in their direction.
“Luke!!!” He hears the blond boy shout.
For some reason, his voice is filled with fear and terror.
It angers Apollo.
Enough for him to tighten his grip on his horses’ reins.
The son of Hermes, whose name is Luke, according to the blond boy, snaps his head up. His face pales and his eyes grow wide.
Apollo notes the feathers and scales on the boy's face flare up, spreading quickly over his cheeks, neck, and head, and his mouth opens in a yell.
He will not let him finish.
He nods to Pan, who raises his flute and launches into a calming melody the children won't pick up on, and Apollo and Dionysus leap from the chariot and land in front of the group, facing them.
They're only a few feet away.
Only a few feet away, Apollo could close the distance right now and take them all-
The children shriek in various tones and voices and quickly back away from them, their faces flooded with fear and terror.
Luke immediately holds the caduceus in front of him, like a weapon, as the other man- Arepo, his name is, Apollo finally recognizes him as the man from Olympus who journeyed with Luke (and two others, according to that argument between him and Ares's boarlet)- gasps in shock.
“Lords Apollo and Dionysus.” He whispers in clear awe and reverence.
Then he drops to one knee and impales his spear in the dirt.
Apollo quickly raises his hands, palms out, so the children could see that he did not mean them any harm.
“Peace, children. You will not be harmed here.” He keeps his hands raised to where they could see them.
He watches them closely as they watch him back with fear filled eyes. Now that they are here in front of him, he actually had a moment to think
‘Just what has happened to these young ones that they tremble at our mere presence? They know they have nothing to fear from us, right?’
Except.
He swallows.
“We saw what you did to that town, and where your sister gets her food from!”
Ares's boarlet's words ring in his ears, and it is enough to soften the ichor’s call to burn, to consume, to devour all who opposed them-
He did that.
He scared them.
Scared them away from their true family when they were lost and confused and had been lied to for years…
He swallows his pride.
‘I may have made that mistake once before, but I will not make that mistake again. I will bring you all home this time. We all will. I just need to convince you to choose us. For once. In spite of our mistakes and our failures.
Choose us, please.’
“We will not harm you.” He promises. “You have our word.”
The calming melody is clearly taking effect as he watches the tension drain from their body.
It is replaced by exhaustion, weariness.
Hurt.
Next to him, Dionysus's eyes flash with anger. /Hurt?!/
Apollo looks over the group again, this time seeing small scratches, bruises. Red blood and golden ichor stain their strange clothing, while some look like they are fighting back their exhaustion.
His eyes flicker to the boy in the red shirt with a strange pack on his back, who looks perfectly fine. He has a bloodied spear in his hand that sings of Ares and is pointed directly at Lord Apollo, but he knows the God of War did not create that spear. Besides, the boy is clearly confused, to raise such a spear against the God of Healing means that the boy was also lied to, possibly along with the others of the group.
He wants to get closer, to look them over and heal all their wounds until there is no sign the wounds ever existed.
But he knows that Luke will not let them yet.
Neither will the daughter of Ares and the son of Hades, both who screamed at the sight of their fathers and were told blatant lies about what their parents were like.
Apollo wants to burn the liar alive.
Hear his flesh scream with the fear of these children as it melts into puddles of skin and ash.
Then he blinks. ‘Why were these children on the mountain?’
Dionysus figures it out. /The son of Hades said that his friends were trapped./ He realizes. /They were held prisoner in the mountain./
Apollo hisses angrily. /How dare they?! Who dares keep the children of the Gods under the earth, out of our sight?!/
/That depends on how long they were there, brother. But for now, we need them to trust us./
/At least start to trust us. We can earn their trust once we get them to safety./
To safety.
Apollo looks at the figure who is clearly the oldest.
Luke, who has lowered his father's caduceus under the effect of the melody.
“I get it now.” He says softly. “You were just trying to save them.”
Luke is white as a sheet of cloth, but he nods.
“You could have told us…” Dionysus says gently. “We could have helped look for you all.”
“But I did tell you.” Nico's voice shakes. “I told you my friends were captured.”
Apollo winces at the sharpness and truth in his voice. “And we should have listened.” He agrees. “I am sorry we didn't.”
Nico's face morphs to weariness and confusion.
Apollo tries to keep the anger from showing on his face. ‘Has no one ever apologized to these children for their own wrongdoings?’
“Oh Gods, we bring you a gift.” The daughter of Ares's voice shakes.
The fear is still evident in her voice, and it makes Apollo pause.
Then he blinks. ‘What gift? What could they possibly offer us?’
“We have found your brother, Hermes, the God of Messengers.”
Apollo, Dionysus, and Pan freeze in clear horror as the bloodied figure in between the two boys raises their head.
And it is Hermes.
Golden ichor drips from wounds all over his body and his chiton practically hangs off of him. His right arm is snapped, fingers a mangled mess and his jaw hangs loosely at a strange angle.
And that is just the start.
Dionysus and Pan snarl in anger and the two boys holding Hermes flinch.
“He, like us, was held prisoner in the mountain.” The daughter of Ares says. Apollo barely hears her over the ichor rising in his ears. “We found him like this, and wanted to help him.”
His brother, missing for a year, is barely alive, barely keeping himself together. He is so close to fading from this world-
And yet their children, whom no one saw or remembers, rescued him.
From Thanatos's grasp.
(He knows the God of Death chose isolation himself. They do not resent him, for Grandfather's curse took his own twin as well. But Thanatos stays with his mother Nyx and does not show- has not shown his face in ages.)
Clearly, they owe their children much more than the world.
‘But why are they so afraid?!’
As Apollo takes a step toward his brother, Luke suddenly shifts, raising Hermes's caduceus in front of him like a weapon.
Apollo pauses mid-step.
He raises his hand in the air again. “I do not mean any of you any harm.” He repeats.
Luke does not lower his weapon. Until the man called Arepo places a hand on his shoulder.
“Let's let the God of Healing look at his brother.” He suggests.
Apollo likes this man.
When they bring the children to Olympus, for good this time, they should reward this man for his valiant efforts in protecting their children.
Luke's gaze shifts to Arepo, then to the children he has clearly been guarding.
Then he looks back at Apollo.
“Alright.” He says quietly.
He nods to the twin boys, both holding Hermes up as he leans on their backs and shoulders. They stare back, exchange a worried look, then slowly step forward to the front of the group. Apollo also steps forward, keeping his hands up.
As soon as the twins and Apollo meet in between the two groups, he takes a second to look them over.
‘They are young. Blond twins. Wine-purple eyes. No obvious injuries, no favoring a leg or arm. Eyes are clear, face is pale from fear but not pale enough to show effects of an injury or illness.
For now, they are exhausted. They need rest.
Wine-purple eyes… Are you Dionysus's sons he spoke of? Have you been born again in bodies that better suit you?’
Behind him, Dionysus inhales sharply.
‘There is my confirmation. They are his. Hello, my nephews. I am beyond honored to meet you at last.’
Apollo lowers his hands and reaches them down to Hermes's body.
The twins, who stay silent- ‘from fear.’ Apollo reminds himself. ‘We will fix that.’ -slowly and carefully hand Hermes over to Apollo. As soon as the god is in his arms, however, they quickly back away, back toward the other children.
Apollo kneels on the ground and lays Hermes flat on his back to fully look him over.
Hermes barely looks aware of what is going on. His body is shredded, covered with ichor and wounds, and his mouth hangs open at a strange angle.
Apollo cradles his brother close, moves Hermes’ head to lean against his shoulder, and looks up at the group of children.
He opens his mouth to say “thank you”, but he again notices how weary they are. How unsure of their words, of their actions.
It is clear that they do not wish to anger them.
“Thank you.” Apollo says finally.
The children, the younger ones, look at each other as if they do not know the meaning of gratitude.
Apollo wants nothing more than to take them all in his arms and never let go.
As he burns all of their enemies in the fires of Olympus's pure wrath.
For now, he needs to heal Hermes, enough to stabilize him so he could fully recover at Mount Olympus.
Hermes stares blankly up at him as Dionysus approaches.
The God of Wine kneels down next to him.
“You heal his body.” Dionysus says. “I will heal his mind.”
Apollo nods and looks down at his brother.
“This will be only a moment.” He promises.
Dionysus presses his fingertips to Hermes’ head while Apollo places his hands on his chest.
He lets the light of the sun flow through him, directs it to find and heal all the major wounds, the ones that would severely threaten a God's life.
He finds them in his arms, his neck. His chest, close to the lungs and the heart. He even finds such a wound in Hermes's mouth, of all places.
He feels them all as if they were his own.
All of a sudden, the feeling in Apollo's tongue is ripped away, as if someone had reached inside his brother's mouth and torn out his tongue.
…torn out his tongue-
Apollo sees red.
His anger burns out of his back, like flares of the sun lashing out at anything that moves. Dionysus growls next to him, and he can already taste the flavor of wine past his lips, feel the vines anchor him to the earth, to Demeter, who picks up on his anger and asks him who set him off this time.
The children start shrieking again, snapping Dionysus and Apollo out of their conjoined anger, the two Gods looking up to see that tall vines are already growing around the children, intent on shielding them from their fathers’ wraths.
Pan quickly doubles down on the calming melody, also adding in reassurance.
Apollo forces himself to take a breath, to push his anger down so that these children would not see it. Dionysus joins him.
As they all calm down, the children quiet back down to whispers between them.
When he looks down at Hermes, he sees tears in his brother's alert eyes.
Hermes grabs Apollo's hand.
Attempts to squeeze it once.
/-p…pollo?/
He lets out a shaky laugh.
“Hi, Hermes.” He whispers. “There you are.”
Hermes tries to smile, but his face is covered in ichor.
Apollo's gaze shifts from his brother to the blond boy resting on the shoulder of Hades's son.
The one that, now that he is thinking about it, looks like him.
“We tried our best to help him, but-” The boy cuts himself off as Apollo gently places Hermes on the ground, trusting Dionysus to hold him for just a moment longer, and takes a step forward.
The group visibly tenses, no doubt remembering the way he decimated Acriri just a few days ago.
‘Believe me, children. That was for the mortals. When I find the people responsible for hiding you all from me, there will be no carnage for you all to see.
There will simply be ashes on the wind.’
He keeps his face open, lets the worry and concern for them show, and slowly, Luke nods at the son of Hades, who has his teeth bared in a snarl.
It is adorable. Reminds Apollo of the boy's father. ‘How proud will Hades be when he sees the wonder his son is?’
The son of Hades's snarl fades into a whine and a glare as Apollo steps closer. The other boy refuses to move, though. His eyes are locked on Apollo's face.
He kneels down in front of the two boys, raises his hands, which causes them both to jolt, looking scared.
His young lookalike lets out a soft whimper, trembling as Apollo's hands hover near his face.
“Trust me.” He promises. “I will not hurt you.”
The two boys stay still, allowing Apollo to gently touch his hands to the young lookalike's cheeks.
The warmth that floods through him is like the sun. It warms and coaxes and encourages and it is beautiful.
“I knew it.” He breathes, a smile spreading over his face as he pulls his hands away from his son's face.
“You are mine.”
He has a son.
He has a son, and he is beautiful.
Apollo looks at Dionysus, beaming. “I have a son!!”
Dionysus's face fills with joy. Pan's melody does not change, but he knows the satyr can pick up on his joy.
He looks back at his son (his SON!!!) and then to Hermes.
Maybe… maybe he can show his son a thing or two while Hermes heals.
Apollo looks at Hermes, then at his son. “What's your name, little one?” He asks his son.
“Uhhhhh…” His eyes flicker to Luke.
He must have nodded, because his son swallows, nods, and looks at Apollo.
“My name is Will.”
“Will…” Apollo repeats, treasuring the name. “A wonderful name.”
He gently holds out a hand to Will. “Would you like to see how I heal, Will?”
“We've seen enough.” The son of Hades hisses, still holding Will close.
Apollo frowns, but does not push any further. This is, clearly, as far as he will be allowed to interact with young Will until his friends or Will himself allow him.
Yes, it angers him beyond belief, this is his son, why can he not hold his son?!
Apollo quickly looks both of the boys over.
‘The son of Hades looks tired. They both do actually. I do not know how Hades recovers, but now is the opportunity to find out. Will… is exhausted as well? He might just need exposure to sunlight to recover, but I need to be sure… wait, his body!’
His joy quickly changes to shock upon noticing the bruises on his forearms. “You are hurt?!”
“Exhausted, more like.” His son admits.
Then he blinks and frowns, as if he did not mean to say that.
…Maybe the calming melody is too effective. They want their children to stay after all.
/We need to take them to Olympus now!/
Dionysus nods. /I have an idea./
“You could come with us.” He suggests. “We could look after you for now.”
‘Forever.’ Apollo wants to correct. ‘We could look after you forever.’
The children look at each other and start talking quietly. Apollo does not let them know that they, as Gods, could hear what they were saying. Could hear them weighing their options, as if the Gods would dare let them travel a second longer in their state.
Apollo knows the value of patience, and he will not leave until all of the children leave with them.
So why are they talking about something being poison?! Was that another lie they were told?!
He needs to keep track of all the lies that were being told. Strange that none of them were bothering his Truth domain.
“Okay.” Luke sighs. “We'll come with you.”
He glares at the two gods. “I still do not trust any of you. If something happens to any of us-”
“We will protect you.” Apollo says solemnly.
The threat means nothing to the three Gods. Four, counting Athena, still silently watching from her owl on the tree.
They will have to ask her what she saw and heard.
Her silence in the bond between Gods worries him.
Luke pauses. Stares at him.
Sighs and says “Alright.”
Apollo keeps the relief and joy off his face. Their patience had won, and the children were finally theirs.
Now to get everyone in the chariot so they can finally go home.
Apollo makes the visual choice to step back, away from his son and the children, a choice that emotionally pains him for now.
But it's nothing compared to the eternity of a family reunited.
He returns to healing Hermes. The God of Messengers is almost stable, almost able to be moved, and there is so much Apollo wants to ask and say.
“I'm sorry.” For one.
Hermes already knows.
There are tears in his brother's eyes, glistening in the light of the sun.
Clearly, that conversation is for later.
Along with every other conversation to be had.
They all need to leave, preferably now. Athena's earlier warning rings in his head, making him aware that the monsters who had hidden their children were already searching the-
The-
The word dissolves into fog and mist and Apollo nearly snarls. ‘What is going on that I can not answer this solution? The answer is right in front of me, I know it! So why can I not solve this puzzle?’
He shakes his head. ‘I will solve it later. Right now, we need to leave.’
He stabilizes Hermes and signals for his chariot.
As it descends from the sky, Pan slows down on the melody and Will visibly seems to relax under its glow.
“You ok?” The son of Hades asks him.
Will nods. “I'm going to be.” He mutters. “I'm so tired.”
“I know.” The son of Hades whispers. “I know.”
The black haired boy with sea green eyes who spotted them earlier blinks at the chariot, frowns, and looks up at Apollo.
“Didn't you have a car?”
Apollo blinks. “A what?”
“Percy!!!” The black-haired girl with stormy eyes shrieks, clapping a hand over his mouth.
“It's nothing, Lord Apollo. It's something from where we live.”
Her face still shines with fear, and he slowly nods in fake understanding.
A c-ar? Must be something to ask the children about later.
But-
“Didn't you have a c-ar?” The boy had asked.
Intriguing.
The boy had sounded like he recognized Apollo.
…It must have been a story from the lies they were told, something that Apollo and his family vow to correct once they learn how to find these traitors to the Gods.
For now, they have the children.
And they are beautiful.
He lets the children climb onto his chariot along with Dionysus and Hermes, where Luke freezes at the sight of Pan.
“Wait…” he begins.
Pan does not bother playing his pipes with Luke staring right at him. Instead, he just stares back.
Luke shakes his head slowly and sighs. “Never mind.”
The youngest two, the boy called Percy, and the girl who looks like Athena, both look pale and shocked. Both's eyes are narrowed in some sort of focus. However, the two quickly shake it off and climb onto the chariot, with the black-haired girl and baby Jason following them.
With Apollo at the front, the order is: Him, Hermes, Dionysus, Pan, Luke, Clarisse, and the boy with the spear (pointing directly at Luke's face) on the left, with Percy, the girl who looks like Athena, the black-haired girl with baby Jason, Dionysus's twin sons, the son of Hades, Will (his SON!), and Arepo on the right.
Apollo clicks the reins and his chariot ascends into the air, leaving the monster behind.
Athena's owl follows them, flying a good distance away from them so that the children would not get suspicious.
Even though they look at each other with varying expressions (that Apollo can not see but knows that they are there), they do not attack the Gods for making them come aboard the chariot.
‘Because they would have attacked us if we just grabbed them and left.’ He reasons. ‘Simple.’
/See, sister? I can be smart./
/With my help./ Athena retorts.
Behind him, he hears Percy chuckling.
“What's so funny?” The girl who looks like Athena asks him.
“Thalia.” Apollo jumps at the name, slightly turns his head to see Percy poking the black-haired girl he had been with.
The girl- Thalia- ‘Thalia?! She shares the name of Zeus's beloved daughter?!’ opens an eye. “What.”
Percy gestures to Apollo with his right hand.
“He's the sun god.”
The young boy's face dissolves into a wide grin that changes into open mouthed cackling as Thalia (?!) stares at him with her jaw dropped.
Then she smiles, fully smiles and crosses her hands over her arms, and audibly mutters loudly enough for everyone to hear “That's not what I meant.”
Percy cackles louder, practically collapsing into Thalia’s lap.
He gazes up at her with a gentle smile.
She looks down at him, concern flooding her face. “What…”
She hesitates and looks around at the Gods and the other children. The boy in the red shirt and Ares’s daughter immediately shake their head, a clear sign to wait.
“Never mind.” Her head drops against the back of the chariot.
“Flickers.” He suddenly whispers, quiet enough that Apollo has to tilt his head to hear. “Moments. One second, it’s fuzzy and the next it’s clear. One second, there’s blue in my eyes and darkness the next. One second, I’m 7 years old, and the next…”
He trails off. “Thalia, what happened to me? Why can’t I remember anything except for who I am, who Annabeth is, and who you all are?”
Apollo nearly drops his reins. ‘Amnesia. Memory loss. His name is Percy, hers is Thalia, which makes the blond girl with grey eyes Annabeth. Annabeth does not just look like Athena. She is Athena's daughter. Percy's and Annabeth's memories are gone. Thalia- and the others- know why. I can not heal memories or restore them. At least, I don't think I can. Dionysus… might, if he tries. Will he try? For these two? What can I do to help these two heal? They are clearly important if they are being whispered about and hidden from us.
…Could we use their memory loss to make the others stay?’
~~~
Dionysus stares at the two twin boys who had been holding Hermes. The ones who look like him.
They hold each other's hands, keeping their gaze locked on him.
His sons.
They are his sons.
And he has done nothing for them.
Pan nudges him. /Dio?/
He keeps his mouth shut.
/Dio? What is-/
/I heard them./ He hisses out painfully. /I heard them call out for me and I just brushed it off thinking it was memories./
He clenches his fists angrily. /If I had paid attention, I could have found them without any trouble…/
/That is not your fault./ Pan says fiercely. /If it were my child, I too would have waited out of grief. But it was them. Your sons, reborn./
/They are not reborn./ Dionysus confesses.
Pan stills. /What?/
His eyes widen. /Do you mean-?/
/They are mine./ Dionysus stares at Pan. /They are new souls altogether. At least… I think so. Hades can confirm it for me when we arrive.
But they are alive and I am afraid that they have been turned against me./
/They are not against you./ Pan argues. /They called out to you, remember?/
/I ignored their cries./ Dionysus growls. /What kind of father does that make me?/
/The kind who is willing to do anything to make it right./ Apollo says quietly from driving the chariot.
The three Gods fall into silence.
/After all this time, our children are finally within our grasp./ Pan leans back against the chariot. /Nothing can harm them now./
/May that be true, Pan./ Dionysus turns toward his sons. /May that be true./
~~~
“Atticus!” Apollo calls out with joy as they approach Olympus. “Summon the Olympians! Ring bells from the highest peaks of our home!
We have found our children!”