Disclaimer: I don't own the Percy Jackson series.
The huntresses had been traveling all night, tracking and conversing with the wood nymphs of the forest to find the beast they hunted.
Artemis was absent; the winter solstice was drawing nearer, and the Gods typically liked to have their realms in top order before the meeting. The quicker they could all stop arguing about everything, the better.
There were currently only fifteen huntresses. Five were nymphs of many sorts, three were mortals, and seven were demigods.
Thalia, lieutenant of Artemis, had been on the hunt for close to four thousand years. None of the current huntresses were nearly as old as her; all of the huntresses Thalia had joined with either perished in battle or gave in to the appeal of men.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, appealed to Thalia anymore. They had been hunting the Nemean lion for a day, and she knew it would soon be over.
"Hercules killed the lion by sheer force. Lieutenant Nightshade shot it in the mouth with an arrow. Since then, it has only been seen a couple of times, and no one knows if anyone else has killed it and it's already returned or if it's just been laying low. What is our plan of attack, sister?" said one of the older recruits, from about a thousand years previous.
Thalia glanced over at her, barely thinking.
"I don't suppose we have any ice cream sandwiches available?" said Thalia, smiling very slightly.
The recruit, Anna, looked at her weirdly. "N-no. Should we?"
The humor was lost. Even the oldest recruit had no memory of ice cream sandwiches.
"We definitely should, Anna. Unfortunately, they have been extinct for many millennia."
Anna looked briefly troubled. "That is an odd name for a creature."
Thalia shook her head with amusement, not even bothering to correct her sister.
The rest of the huntresses were already sleeping in the tents. Thalia and Anna were on guard duty, although Thalia doubted anything was near them.
They were currently in the very north of what used to be Alaska, and anything that came at them could be killed easily.
Thalia looked up upon the stars, easily picking up every constellation. The sisters had many talks over the years, and the stars always seemed to be a main topic. After all, their patron was the moon goddess, so it was closely related.
"I think my new favorite shall be Orion," said Anna, gazing dreamily at the stars.
The stars were pretty much the only constant in the ever-changing world. Olympus had changed four times since Thalia became a huntress; It moved to China, then Saudi Arabia, back to the United States, and was currently in Brazil.
The names of the countries changed a couple times, but Thalia still referred to them as their original names. She needed something to root her back to her younger years. The continents, much to Poseidon's annoyance, had also drifted closer together over the millennia. Although they weren't extremely close, it was by a couple hundred miles, and it made for quite a bit of fuss as to new territories for those in his realm.
"Don't let Lady Artemis hear you say that," Thalia whispered.
Anna glanced at her sister. "That was so long ago, I fail to see how she would still care about what happened with him."
But Thalia knew she did. After all, he had been the closest Artemis had ever come to loving a man.
Sometimes, whenever the huntresses were asleep and Artemis was busy, Thalia herself would think about her own near run in with love.
Luke barely made her blink anymore when she thought about him. She now had an objective view of what had happened in the second Titan War. She could analyze the rights and wrongs, and the people and feel almost no attachment. It was what she had to do to go on with her life.
But some nights, she wanted to remember what it felt like to be mortal. Feelings changed greatly with immortality. Betrayal barely made her flinch anymore. After all, she'd literally seen it a million times and knew that if things didn't work out, or if they did, things would still carry on.
Luke made her think about a future she never had. Back when she was twelve, had she not died, Luke and her would have made it to Camp Half Blood. They would have trained there. Thalia could have stopped him before he started his betrayal. There would have been no war (or at least not so soon), and she would have grown up and married. Had children.
She would have died.
Instead, she was still around, four millennia later. Sometimes, she would sit there and think about her life, and realize she was almost older than the Gods had been when she'd first met them.
Now she knew why they never paid much attention to their children.
After all, the children's lives were like one day in the lives of the Olympians. When you know you aren't going to die, having an attachment to someone who is, especially when it's your own kin, is very hard to do.
You get to know them well enough to say "Hello" and then "Goodbye". At least that's what it seemed like to Thalia.
Anna and Thalia were silent for the rest of the night.
The next morning the huntresses killed the Nemean Lion at dawn. One of the newer girls, Kinzey, took its fur as the spoils.
Kinzey put the coat of fur around her shoulders. She would wear it until Artemis showed up, and then give it to the goddess as an offering.
Lady Artemis, I need a word when you visit.
Thalia spoke the words in her mind softly, almost hesitantly. She knew Artemis would realize she was nervous about something and worry.
The girls played multiple games and celebrated the rest of the day. They danced with music and swam with the Nereids of the rivers, who very graciously warmed the water a bit so they wouldn't freeze. Anna caught a reindeer, and being one of Artemis's animals, convinced it to ride her through the forests.
For the next two days, this playfulness went on, considering they had no means of hunting another beast until Lady Artemis informed them of one.
The night before the winter solstice she came to visit them.
She appeared with a flash of light and the sound of hooves. Her golden reindeer slid to a stop in front of the tents, and everyone bowed as the auburn haired girl got out of the moon chariot.
"My sisters, you have done well. The beast is gone."
"My Lady, what will we hunt next?" asked Kinzey, who was knelt at Artemis's feet.
Kinzey laid the Nemean Lion pelt in front of their patron and Artemis smiled.
It disappeared.
"Thank you, dear Kinzey."
Artemis paused, looking them all over one at a time. Her silvery eyes shown bright in the dark.
"There has been an uproar, of recent, regarding the Titan Krios. He has returned, and is slowly building his strength. He has already captured Lady Athena."
There were many gasps. For once, Thalia was surprised also. She could not imagine a circumstance where Athena would allow herself to be captured, let alone stay captured long enough for anyone to realize she was gone.
"Why, my Lady?" the huntress Melanie asked, her voice horrified.
Artemis's eyes grew concerned. Thalia knew the look was as close to fear as Artemis would ever show.
"Because Lady Athena is a goddess of war. She is the wisest of us. Without her, Lord Zeus has no strategist. My brother Ares is worthless at planning a war. He can only provide pure strength. Krios knows this, and is bargaining his time well."
The Titans had not stirred since Thalia first joined the hunt. She could feel this was serious.
"What are we to do, my Lady?" Anna asked.
Artemis stood straighter. "You will track Lady Athena's last whereabouts. Tell us anything you can find about where she is and what has happened."
This was the most important hunt in many centuries, possibly since Lady Artemis had been captured herself in the last war. The huntresses started whispering amongst themselves and started packing, trusting that Artemis would lead the way.
Thalia stayed kneeling as Artemis walked up to her.
"My dear sister. I sense you are distressed. You wish to speak with me?" Artemis murmured, placing her hand on Thalia's shoulder.
"In private, please," replied Thalia.
Within a moment, they were a mile away, sitting in the chariot.
Artemis looked at Thalia in worry. She found it was hard to meet her patron's eyes for the first time in a very long time.
"I know what you will ask me, Thalia Grace," Artemis said forlornly.
Thalia felt a tear fall down her cheek, and could not fathom why. She had already decided. Why would she be upset now, of all times?
"Lady Artemis, you have given me life. You have given me purpose. You gave me an escape to a fate I was afraid of. You have been my sister, my best friend."
Artemis flickered, and Thalia knew she was reading her mind.
"I wish to end my hunt," Thalia whispered.
There was silence for a very long time.
Artemis turned and morphed into an old woman.
Thalia looked at her, feeling tingles of fear go up her spine. She had never, ever seen Artemis as anything but a twelve-year-old child, let alone a decrepit woman.
Her hair was bright white, just as bright as her silver eyes. Her face was wrinkled, and all of her veins, although filled with golden ichor, visible.
"If I truly looked as old as I am, I would look a hundred times worse than this. I imagine I would look like the Fates themselves. Any of us would, I suppose," Artemis commented.
Even though Thalia usually knew what Artemis was thinking, after spending so many years close together, she had no idea what was running through the goddess's mind now.
"It is selfish of me," Thalia continued to whisper, "but I am done with this life. I have lived longer than I should have. I've seen too many things. I'm not like you, my Lady. I don't have special powers or insight. I am a demigod; my life was supposed to end when I was twelve. All these years I have cheated death, and now I am ready for it."
Artemis glanced at the stars.
"You wish to rest?" She repeated the words Zoe Nightshade had spoken so long ago.
Thalia knew wholeheartedly what the other lieutenant had meant.
"Yes, my Lady. I am tired."
Artemis was silent once more, for what seemed like a very long time.
"You have been my longest companion, dear Thalia. You have served me more fiercely and brought more fire into being a huntress than any other. You made an oath to me, four thousand years ago, and have never once broken it. Until today."
Thalia felt tears dripping down her face. She hadn't intended to insult Artemis. Thalia had thought she would understand.
"I am a coward, my Lady. I always was. Running from the prophecy, and now I'm running from myself. I have grown tired of this world and its people."
Lady Artemis changed back into her common form of a young girl.
She retreated into a silence that lasted so long that Thalia became even more frightened than she already was.
Finally, when the night was nearly over, Lady Artemis turned to her.
"I cannot deny you your request. But I wish to ask you one last favor, my friend."
She reached out and clasped Thalia's hand in hers.
"Our time as Gods might be reaching its end. I have never seen a situation so bad that Lady Athena cannot outwit it. We are supposed to be never changing, but perhaps we are. Perhaps we are fading from lack of belief. This may be the first sign of it."
Although Thalia had spent thousands of years as a huntress, it didn't mean that she agreed with the Olympian strategies much more than she had when she'd been mortal. She still only fought for them because they were family, not because they were right. Luke's vision of starting it all over would still tempt her today.
Despite this, she still felt sadness and terror go through her. Some of the Olympians had become her friends, along with being her family. She had built up a nice tolerance to Apollo and Hermes over the years. Not to mention her sister, Artemis.
Lady Artemis must have been reading her thoughts, because she let go of Thalia's hand and her form flickered.
"I ask that you stay with me for one last hunt, lieutenant. Together we will find Lady Athena."
Thalia felt tempted. She really did. This particular hunt would be more dangerous and exciting than the majority of the hunts she'd previously been on.
As selfish as it sounded, there were only so many times Thalia felt she could play hero before enough was enough. She had seen so many huntresses die, so many demigods.
Thalia thought about her brother, Jason. They had never known each other as much as either would have liked, but she still missed him. And she envied him. He was a hero until the day he died. He fought and fought until one day he couldn't anymore, and then his time was up and he left this world for a better place where monsters didn't exist.
But Thalia's very long life had only consisted of fighting monsters. It used to make her feel like she was helping, like she was doing the right thing. But now, it just didn't feel like anything. It felt like all she was doing was living in circles and there would be no end.
Artemis looked over at her, her eyes bright silver and familiar.
Could Thalia leave, knowing that Lady Artemis might fade? Could she leave knowing that a good amount of the huntresses would die?
Thalia started to cry. There were two choices; either do what Thalia wanted to do, which was move on, or stay and fight and do what was right because that's what she was supposed to do.
Thalia was seconds away from vowing to help find Lady Athena when Artemis abruptly stood and grabbed her reins. She looked at Artemis's back in silence, wondering why she was ready to take off when it wasn't time for sunrise yet.
"I am being selfish, Thalia. I am sorry. After so many years of service from you without question, it is time that I do a service for you. I will grant you your request."
With a flash, they went off into the sky.
Thalia felt like her heart was rising into her throat. What was Artemis going to do?
Thalia had never personally seen a huntress get un-immortalized. It was a private matter.
Thalia glanced around at what constellations she could see. Would this be her last night to look at them? After so many years . . . her last night? The fear was only there for a second before Thalia let it settle and peace came about her.
Finally, she would be moving on.
Thalia recognized Olympus from miles away. Annabeth's architecture, even after thousands of years, still stood strong and beautiful.
When they landed, on an empty grassy field, Thalia expected Artemis to turn around and say goodbye. Instead, she placed her hand on Thalia's shoulder and within seconds they were in the throne room.
Zeus was the sole occupant.
Thalia felt her hands shaking in fear. She knelt before him.
"Father," she whispered.
Zeus didn't reply.
Thalia raised her head to look at him. His eyes still burned with energy. Instead of anger, as she'd expected, he had a look of acceptance on his face.
"Speak now, Lady Artemis," he spoke, turning towards his other daughter.
Artemis was becoming as visibly upset as she had been when Zoe passed.
She knelt in front of Thalia and looked her straight in the eyes.
"You have served me well, daughter of Zeus. I wish you all the peace in the world, my sister. I will miss you."
Thalia held Artemis's eyes for the last time. The Lady's eyes were troubled, and Thalia felt guilty, but it comforted her to know that she had done her duty and Artemis was pleased.
With a touch to Thalia's forehead, Artemis stood and retreated into the background.
Although Thalia had never seen a huntress lose their immortality, she knew without question that Artemis was the one to take it away.
But Zeus stood and walked toward her.
"My daughter. You have done me proud. You have been everything we have asked, and more. For that reason, I wish to grant you one last gift."
Zeus motioned for Thalia to stand. He shrank to her size and placed a hand on her heart.
Thalia froze. She lost feeling in her toes, and then her feet, and then up her legs.
Was she going to die? Thalia was positive that the other huntresses who'd lost their immortality had gone back to being normal teenagers until they eventually grew older and died. Lived a normal life.
What was Zeus doing?
But Thalia couldn't open her mouth to speak. He was draining her. She wouldn't even get to speak any last words, and she wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a punishment.
Thalia never got to know the gift Zeus gave her. She watched as a silver wisp of air flew out of her mouth, and in the next second, her body was weightless and she was floating.
After what seemed like a very long time, Thalia was standing at the gates of Elysium.
She felt herself tearing up. This was really happening.
Who would be there to greet her? Luke? Annabeth? Percy? Jason?
Thalia walked through the gates. People smiled at her, but no one approached her. Some she vaguely recognized. But she mostly focused on the view.
It was more beautiful than Olympus itself. There was no tension in this air; no fighting, no monsters, no storms, no hate, or jealously, or lies. There was only happiness; a happiness Thalia had never felt before in her life.
She walked around, feeling overwhelmed, until she noticed two people sparring in the distance. They stabbed and rolled and wrestled.
Her hope of peace fell, and she wondered why anyone would want to fight in this place meant for eternal resting.
But as she walked closer, she noticed they were laughing. She spotted blonde curls, and messy black hair.
Thalia started to run.
Their faces, which had become blurry in her mind from years of not seeing them, were suddenly bright and clear in her eyes.
Annabeth screamed, and with tears running down her face, raced to meet Thalia in the middle, with Percy on her heels.
They hugged, and Thalia's body shook as they both released her.
Percy, his eyes a startling green, looked at her with joy.
"You finally died?"
Thalia laughed despite herself. "Voluntarily. Zeus took away my immortality."
It was clear from Percy's face that he had more questions, but Annabeth placed a hand on his arm to silence him.
"I thought that when huntresses left the hunt, they turned back to their previous age and lived the rest of their lives out. How are you here?" She asked.
Thalia shrugged. It felt wrong to be bitter in this place, but she was close to it when she thought about how Zeus hadn't even explained her gift.
"Zeus told me he would give me one last gift because I served for so long. But he sent me here before he explained it. Unless this was my gift."
Annabeth shook her head, her grey eyes puzzled. "No. This wouldn't have been his gift, because you would have come here anyway one day. Besides, Hades is usually the only one in charge of the afterlife."
Thalia figured Annabeth would be able to analyze the situation and figure it out one day, but for now all that mattered was that Thalia was there.
"I don't know. The last thing I remember is seeing a silver wisp coming out of my mouth."
Annabeth looked to the sky, which was one of the strangest and most wonderful things Thalia had ever seen. Although it was sunny and cloudless, all of the constellations still shone bright in the blue sky.
"I know that's what Lady Artemis did when Zoe died, but there's no new constellation that I can see."
Percy, who could tell that Annabeth wouldn't let it go until she figured it out, reached out his sword, Riptide, and lightly nudged Thalia's bracelet.
"Let's see if a couple thousand years made you a better fighter. I always could beat you."
Thalia felt that old feeling of love and annoyance build up in her, that feeling that only Percy could cause.
Tapping her wrist, her shield sprung forward.
"You're on."
Annabeth, with a slight laugh and a shake of her head, raised her knife and smiled.
"Let's do this."
Miles and miles above them, Zeus and Artemis were still standing in the throne room in Olympus.
While Thalia had already gone to Elysium and greeted her friends, Zeus was still uttering her gift aloud as her body fell to the ground, lifeless.
"You will move on to Elysium."
He caught the silver wisp and spoke into it.
At a camp, a distance away, a small boy ran for his life. Hellhounds chased him, spitting and snarling.
A few others stood on a hill, guarded heavily with swords and armor.
"When they get to the tree, charge. Stop them before they get any closer. Otherwise, the wards will never be able to keep them all out," said a centaur.
As the first hellhound passed the tree, it whined and flew back ten feet.
The small boy ran past the line of warriors and collapsed, terrified and winded.
All of the hellhounds stood a good fifty feet away, scratching and snarling at an invisible border.
The centaur, with a look of wonder of his face, approached the tree and lightly touched it with his fingers.
The tree pulsed. As he closed his eyes, he saw a picture flash before his eyes - that of a girl, with spiky black hair and a bow and arrow.
With a bittersweet smile, the centaur backed away from the tree and motioned the children back to the main camp.
The hellhounds had gone.
As he made to follow the children, he turned around once, and spoke.
"Welcome home, Thalia."