Apparently, I'm Dead

Chapter Eighteen

AHHHHHH! It's Inauguration Day. I don't know about you, but I'm excited. Anyways....

Disclaimer: AGIAGOWNAGNOTHINGAG

MAGNUS

Sounds of awe pour collectively from our mouths. Olympus is beautiful. Sweeping arches, towering columns. An open terrace holds a market full of people, or maybe they're gods, hawking their wares. "Ambrosia on a stick!" "Dried Hesperide apples drizzled with nectar!"

My eyes dart everywhere, from a temple that glows gold so brightly I have to squint to a girl dressed in a robe with a hoodie poking at a fire with her bare fingers.

"Who's that?" I whisper to Percy, poking him in the side. "Should I tell her not to play with fire?"

Percy looks where I'm pointing. His eyes soften. "That's Hestia. She's absolutely the best god or goddess you'll ever meet, and no one can ever tell me otherwise." Seeing my confused look, he continues, "She's the goddess of the hearth- which is like the fire at the center of the home. She's just really nice and she never sends me on crazy quests. Unlike some other people I could name." He pointedly says the last sentence up to the sky, glaring at the clouds. 

I roll my eyes, by now at least slightly used to Percy's strange tendency to piss off powerful beings who could kill him very easily. He leads us to a hot pink temple that smells like perfume. "You know, I don't actually know where we're going," he comments randomly, "I'm just guessing based on the aesthetics." Then his mouth opens, and I'm expecting another impertinent comment, but instead, it's a yawn.

As we get closer, I can see some bloodstains on the walls. "Um. Percy? Isn't Aphrodite the goddess of love? What's with these?" I ask, gesturing at the blood splashed in strange places on the walls.

"People go to war over love all the time. Aphrodite pretty much caused the Trojan war. She might a well be a war goddess."

Well. That's totally reassuring and exactly something I wanted to hear while walking into her temple. Not terrifying at all.

We turn a corner, and much like with Freya, there is a very pretty lady sitting on a throne. Her features change continuously, but I blush furiously as I see Alex's different colored eyes and green hair pop up more than a few times.

"Percy Jackson," she breathes. Her voice floats in the air, filled with soft power and charm. "I had heard you were dead."

"Aphrodite," Percy bows his head a bit, acting more respectful than usual. "Yes, I am dead. An einherjar, a Norse afterlifer." He avoids looking at the love goddess, and I realize that she must look like Annabeth to him. My heart aches a bit.

"And you are on a quest?" she asks.

"Yes. Freya, the Norse goddess of beauty, says you promised her some beauty cream. She ordered us to get some from you."

"Ugh." Aphrodite's nose wrinkles in an attractive way. "Norse gods are annoying. Freya asked for beauty cream, but I never said yes."

Percy seems reluctant. "The prophecy for the quest says that if we succeed, I can see Annabeth again."

Aphrodite squeals. "EEEEEEEE! You mean Percabeth will be together in Elysium?! Oh, I know why you're on this quest now. The same reason you were on a quest when I first met you. For passion! For love!" She sighs dreamily, then snaps her fingers, and a jar of cream falls onto the floor. "Take the beauty cream. Anything to get my favorite couple back together again!"

Percy looks shocked at the enthusiasm. "Th-thank you, Lady Aphrodite," he says, stammering out an honorific.

"Oh, it's no problem at all, I have an endless stash, after all," she trills. "Now, be on your way and let me relax in my Jacuzzi in peace."

Percy nods and leads us out of the pink temple, back through the market, and to the elevator. His eyes are still quite wide, but he's smiling faintly.

"What?" I demand, nudging him. "Why are you smiling?"

"That's exactly how I thought she'd react," laughs Percy. "Bring up Annabeth and my relationship, and you've got the goddess of love wrapped around your little finger. It's very convenient." He yawns.

I smirk at him. "Well, we got the beauty cream. Last time I had to get something for Freya, she just teleported it back, along with Blitz, so maybe just put in on the ground?"

Percy tosses it towards the ground, but just before it hits, it poofs away with the smell of perfume. In its place is a single strand of golden hair.

We all stare at it for a moment, not believing we spent half a day, all for that. "Well, now that that's over with," Percy finally says after a disgruntled silence, "Let's get on to that second ingredient."

"Which one is that again?" Mallory asks.

"A feather from one of Odin's ravens," I answer. "Huginn and Muninn."

Mallory glares at me. "I know who the ravens are. I've been dead longer than you have." Halfborn nods behind her. She whirls on him. "I don't need your help, eejit!" Conveniently, the elevator dings. She stalks out the door.

Halfborn huffs out a breath and follows after her. Everyone smiles, knowing that they will be kissing in the next couple of minutes.

We follow after them. "Sooo," Percy drawls. "Newbie here. Where is Odin?"

"Well, it really depends," says Sam, slipping into what I like to call her math tutor voice. "He could be anywhere he wants really, since he's king. But he's most likely on Asgard. And if he's not, we can get his attention more easily from there."

"Alright, let's go." He straightens up against the wall of a building he was leaning on. "Where's the closest entrance to Yggdrasil?"

"Percy," Sam interrupts his scheming, her voice soft. "Let's rest. We've gotten one of the ingredients, let's go back to the boat and sleep."

"NO!" Percy bursts out. "No, I can't stop, just get me to Yggdrasil and I'll do it on my own, please." His eyes are wide and panicked.

Sam's voice stays quiet, almost motherly. "We're all tired, Percy. You are too. I can see the bags under your eyes. How long has it been since you slept?"

Sam pointing out how tired Percy looks sharpens my perspective. His eyes are slightly red and the skin under his eyes is purple. He was yawning a lot earlier. He's slumping a little bit, and he's definitely exhausted.

"I-I've slept," stammers Percy. "I have! I don't need to rest."

"Percy," Sam's voice hardens, "we are going back to the ship, and you are going to sleep."

Percy backs away, his tired eyes darting around frantically. "No. I can't. I won't! I need- I need to get to the end!"

He bumps into me and whirls around. I grab him by the shoulders. I channel as much Frey healing magic as possible. "Percy. Sleep."

His eyes flutter closed for a moment. Then they pop back open, twice as panicked. He grips my arms. "Magnus, please don't-"

"Sleep."

His eyes close and he drops to the ground.

"Great." Alex's voice cuts through the solemn silence. "Now how are we going to get him back to the ship?"

PJ/HP crossover-4

or

PJ w/ different godly parent (tell me which one in the comments)-6

Thanks,

ATOTALMUSICALNERD