happier than ever ✴︎ - percy jackson

zero. the brightest star.

prologue
❛ the brightest star ❜

━━━━━ IT IS SAID stars are to burn out and die over the course of thousands of years. Depending on how big a star is, how fast it is to burn out. To take sight of the second biggest star in the sky as a goddess watched it quickly burn out.

  She looked up at the burning star, finding every love in her body grow for the star. She wouldn't let it die. A god could do whatever meets their satisfactory overall, she knew she could do this easily.

  Grabbing the star was what brought the attention of the gods that took ahold of the twelve thrones on the top of Olympus. It shined bright in the goddess hands, blinding everyone who looked directly at it.

  They all knew the bright star was destined to die once hitting the ground of earth, so they turned to the only possible decision; turning it into a human.

Turning the brightest star into human was something the goddess of love was willing to do to save the star she cared oh so deeply about.

"We call Eileithyia. She'll do the transformation, then, the child is your problem." Zeus ordered, directing it towards the goddess as the star shined brightly in her hands, nodding her head lightly as she looked at the star.

Eileithyia, goddess of labor and protection of newborns. It was a wonder why they chose her to transform the star into a child, but nevertheless, was able to turn the little bright star into a child that the goddess of love found every love in her body to give to her.

Starring down at the child in her arms, golden skin and light brown hairs sticking out, the biggest caramel brown eyes looking back up at her own ocean blue eyes. She fell in love instantly when eyes met eyes.

"What shall we call you, my darling?" Aphrodite spoke softly, coos echoing through the room. The goddess thought, the baby was after all the brightest star before untimely on the verge of death.

"Ayla Grace." The goddess hummed out, the baby cooing out, making Aphrodite smile widely. "Ayla Grace is it." she spoke softly, kissing her forehead lightly.

  She knew she couldn't keep her for herself, she knew it would be unfair to her other children, and besides, she couldn't possibly raise the child up on Olympus.

  The only option she had was to take her down to the demigod sanctuary they had created. She truly didn't want to, but that's all she could do.

  "Chiron." The goddess called out, transporting immediately into Camp Half-Blood. Her robe dress she wore that hung loosely dragging on the floor as her sleeves wrapped around the baby in her arms.

  The centaur flinched, quickly turning around and seeing the goddess of love, bowing quickly before looking at her.

  "Oh, hey Aphro! Hey, could you do me a huge favor and go to the fridge for me?" The annoying and loud voice of Dionysus was heard, the goddess rolling her eyes.

  "Dionysus, start drinking tea, you'll loose the belly fat you've gain for your coke." Aphrodite spoke, not even looking at the wine god as he groaned.

  "You gods are no fun!" he shouted in frustration before going back to what he was doing, as if she wasn't there anymore.

  "What is it, Aphrodite?" Chiron asked, glancing down at the infant in her arms.

  "A favor." The goddess spoke, looking directly at Chiron with a serious expression. "I cannot take care of this child, knowing my father. So, I must leave her here in your care."

  "I know she'll be the safest here. After all, demigods depend on sanctuary here." Aphrodite spoke, a baby cot appearing as she placed the infant inside it with a soft kiss to her forehead, the coos filling the cabin.

  "But there's one thing. A prophecy destined for her. Eileithyia told me a cursed was placed upon her. She was transformed from the brightest star, but was burning out. The curse and prophecy was once she found her true love, she would die. We don't know if there's a way to stop it. We stalled the burn out, but soon, like every star, she'll begin to burn out."

  Chiron and Dionysus starred at the infant that laid inside the cot, playing with a star charm Aphrodite had conjured up. The goddess looked out the window, seeing the lake of Camp Half-Blood, demigods training by the shore, others taking a swim. She smiled fondly at the unsatisfied minds of the children of gods.

"I only ask one thing from the both of you." Aphrodite spoke, the two heads of camp humming in acknowledgment. "Protect her, at all cost. Do not deprive her of love, but keep her away from any kind of love."

"Very well." Chiron agreed, nodding his head. They both knew the child meant something to the goddess of love. If she didn't, she wouldn't have minded her falling in love, after all, she was the goddess of love.

"Very well. My time here is done. I entrust the both of you with her." Aphrodite nodded, a single tear falling her bright blue eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. You can trust her with us. We'd make great parents!" Dionysus said enthusiastically, trying the lighten up the mood. Chiron only gave him a look, which dimmed his smile, "Or, atleast Chiron would make a great parent!"

"I must go. Goodbye my darling." Aphrodite spoke softly, kissing the infants forehead softly. "Till next time, Chiron. Dionysus." Aphrodite then turned, nodding towards them.

"Till next time." They both said in unison, the goddess of love disappearing in a light pink of smoke.

"Ayla Grace Rose." Dionysus read out, the infants name on the cot in pink cursive. "Well, Ayla Grace Rose. Don't worry, we'll take great care of you. As soon as you walk, I'll teach you how to walk to the fridge and get me some wine-"

"Mr. D." Chiron warned.

"Okay, sorry." Dionysus rolled his eyes, leaning back in his seat.

Little did they know, the infant that was once the brightest star in the galaxy was soon going to burn out, but they knew that when she did, she would be Happier Than Ever.

✴︎ - this is going to probably be one of the shortest
chapters in this book.

alas, we meet ayla grace rose, unironically named after
me in a way.