Consort to the Primordials

Chapter 29: Epilogue

Percy rushed down the hallway and into the living room, where Tom was sitting with his siblings.

Percy slammed into him with a hug and spun, laughing. After getting over his confusion, Tom hugged him back. Percy set him down and looked over the room, seeing all the eyes of his children looking at him.

Ray and Morgan were playing Halo, Helena sat on a chair while Clementine played in her lap, sleeping. Sarah sat on the couch with Jack bouncing up and down on her knee. Seth sat next to her and was smiling sheepishly, sneakily trying to fit a fiftieth feather in his hair.

They waved or smiled at him and then returned to what they had been doing.

Percy turned to Tom. "Do you know where -"

"They're probably at a meeting," Tom said with a knowing smile.

Percy nodded and hugged him a second time before leaving the house, closing the door behind him. He took a deep breath of air before walking.

The city-Olympus 2.0- took inspiration from New Rome in its design. Houses lined the dirt street before entering a much larger circle of buildings, of which the important stuff happened. Trade with the other Golden Cities, immortal meetings, and marriages, to name a few.

Percy began to walk down the road towards the main circle. Light shone overhead, produced and controlled from the powers of the sun gods, while sand would occasionally swirl through the air. While one would normally think that a city built within a desert would force you to wear eye and mouth protection, thanks to the powers of the thousands of beings that inhabited the Sands, that was not the case.

While the city was constructed within a desert, it was not one itself. The ground was dirt, and the large walls around the city kept the sand from flooding it. The only sand you would find within the city would be the sparse particles that flew through the air.

Everyone liked it better that way.

As Percy walked down the road, he waved at the people passing him, overjoyed to see them again.

The first was Pan, who was playing his pipes. Then Tyson, digging into a jar of peanut butter with a spoon, then Rachel, laughing as her snakes slid along her arms and spoke to her. He spotted Lemon above him, flying above the city.

As he entered the main circle, usually referred to as the Common Circle (Percy couldn't tell you why), he stopped at his favorite shop, Jackson Comics. The door pinged open as Percy walked in and up to the counter. The owner stood with his back turned to the counter.

"It'll just be a second," he called out. "But feel free to browse."

Percy tapped the bell on the counter, and the owner whirled around, eye widening. "Oh, Percy! You're back!"

"That I am. Where's your wife?" Percy asked.

Clark sighed and turned back around, sorting comics. "I never understood why you referred to her like that. She's your sister."

"Yeah, but it's funny," Percy said.

Clark shook his head. "Estelle's in a meeting right now."

"Why?"

The door pinged open as a familiar blond haired resident walked in.

"Hey, dad!" Clark said after turning to look at the door.

Percy turned and came face to face with Jason Grace, who raised a fist. Percy bumped it with a smile.

"I'll leave you two to your father-son stuff," Percy said, walking past Jason. "Have fun."

The door dinged as Percy exited the establishment. He stepped back out onto the road and continued walking. Along the way, he passed by Butch, who had a small kid on his shoulders. He waved hello.

He reached the meeting building and walked in. A long, mahogany hallway was lit with soft yellow orbs, all of which pushed against the ceiling like a balloon. He walked down the hallway and pushed open the double doors, entering the meeting room.

The room was made of mahogany as well and was based on the Olympian throne room. Sixteen thrones lined the back wall, all belonging to the Olympians. (Also Persephone and Amphitrite.) Fourteen were occupied. Above the Olympian's thrones, ten thrones floated, one for each of the original primordials. (That still existed. Gaea and Ourea didn't get thrones.) Only Pontus and Thalassa sat in their thrones. The other primordial thrones were empty.

Above the primordials, there were three floating thrones. Two of them were occupied, sat in by Estelle and Paul. And, of course, above all the thrones sat one, which was occupied by Sally/Chaos.

"Where are my spouses?" Percy asked.

"They said something about a picnic," Zeus said.

"Apollo was gushing over it," Thalassa said with a knowing smile.

"Oooooooh," Estelle said. "Someone has a crush on my brother?"

Percy shrugged. "Who knows. I mean, I've been married to him for a while, but maybe he has been lying this whole time."

"Shoo, honey," Sally said. "Go find your lovers. We have a meeting to finish."

"Gladly," Percy said. He turned and walked out of the building, walking back onto the road. He began to think about where his lovers might be, letting his feet guide them on his own. As he passed by Meg's coffee shop, he stopped.

He turned and began to walk back the way he came. He passed by the meeting building and traveled all the way to the other side of the Common Circle, passing by many other establishments and eventually exiting in a grassy area. As he continued to walk, the vegetation began to pick up until the ground was completely covered in grass and flowers.

He passed Grover and waved before stopping and looking up. He had walked into the city's park, which was tended by many nature beings. But that's not what he was focused on tonight now. No, what he was focused on was the small grassy hill in front of him. He could see his lovers at the top, all sitting on a massive picnic blanket.

Tears began to fill his eyes as he began to run up the hill. Apollo spotted the movement and pointed him out, slurring the others into action. They all stood up and began running toward him as well. Tears of happiness cascaded down Percy's face as they finally reached him, jumping into him. They all hit the ground in a pile of tears and kisses, holding Percy in the middle while he clutched them tightly.
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Some say that heroes don't get happy endings.

Those people would be wrong.

Perseus Jackson was named after the Greek hero Perseus, as a desperate ploy from his mother, who hoped to increase his chances of a happy ending.

And she succeeded.

Because as Percy clutched onto his lovers and cried tears of joy, he gained his happy ending.

He was happy. He was free. He was loved.

Through thick and thin, emotional and mental turmoil, and some of the greatest challenges someone could face, he persevered.

And in his book? It was worth it, many times over.