𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥 𝕎𝕒𝕣||HoO

𝐗𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈

WHEN MAISIE opened her eyes again. Every vestige of winter was gone from the valley. No signs of battle, either. The monster had been vaporized. The ruins had been restored to what they were before - still ruins, but with no evidence that they'd been overrun by a horde of wolves, storm spirits, and six-armed ogres. Even the Hunters had been revived, and were slowly sitting up and looking around the clearing.

"Jason!" Piper cried. She ran to the side of the fallen boy. He was laying unconscious a few feet away. His body was steaming, and his eyes were rolled back in his head.

Thalia joined Piper, kneeling down next to Piper and her brother and holding a hand to his forehead.

"It's no use, child," Hera stood over them in her simple black robes and shawl.

Thalia glared up at the goddess, "This is your fault. Do something!"

"Do not address me that way, girl. I am the queen-"

"Fix him!" Thalia demanded.

Hera's eyes flickered with power, "I did warn him. I would never intentionally hurt the boy. He was to be my champion. I told them to close their eyes before I revealed my true form."

"Um..." Leo frowned. "True form is bad, right? So why did you do it?"

"I unleashed my power to help you, fool!" Hera cried. "I became pure energy so I could disintegrate the monsters, restore this place, and even save these miserable Hunters from the ice."

"But mortals can't look upon you in that form!" Thalia shouted. "You've killed him!"

Maisie realized something, "That's what our prophecy meant. Death unleash, through Hera's rage."

"Come on, lady," Leo said. "You're a goddess. Do some voodoo magic on him! Bring him back."

"He's breathing!" Piper announced.

Maisie walked over to them. It didn't seem possible.

"Impossible," Hera said. "I wish it were true, child, but no mortal has ever-"

"Jason," Piper called, tears filling her eyes. "Listen to me. You can do this. Come back. You're going to be fine."

Nothing happened.

Maisie's heart ached for Piper. She did know what she would do if it was Lina laying there instead of Jason. She couldn't even think about what she would do.

She knelt down next to Piper and wrapped an arm around her.

"Piper, he's gone," she said quietly. "I'm so, so, sorry."

"Healing is not a power of Aphrodite," Hera said regretfully. "Even I cannot fix this, girl. His mortal spirit-"

"Jason," Piper said again. "Wake up."

He gasped, and his eyes flew open. Maisie was so startled she jumped to her feet in surprise.

"What-what happened?" he asked.

"Impossible!" Hera said.

Piper wrapped him in a hug until he groaned, "Crushing me."

"Sorry," she said, laughing with relief and wiping the tears from her eyes.

Thalia gripped her brother's hand, "How do you feel?"

"Hot," he muttered. "Moth is dry. And I saw something...really terrible."

"That was Hera," Thalia grumbled. "Her Majesty, the Loose Cannon."

"That's it, Thalia Grace," said the goddess. "I will turn you into an aardvark, so help me-"