So you are either A) a person who is bored and found this when scrolling down the PJO archive or B) a person who read An Uncommon Situation and decided to check it out. But it doesn't matter. Welcome! :D
Hey guys. (: I doubt you were expecting a rewrite, because I didn't notify anybody, but my writing has been bothering me for a while now, so like I did with Coming Home, I will rewrite some parts of An Uncommon Situation. Well, I'm not rewriting some parts. I'm rewriting all of it. But I know, I know- I shouldn't really do this because it shows how much I progressed as a writer, but I honestly like to keep things up to date. I will probably only rewrite this story once and after that, I will not rewrite the same story anytime soon, but it makes me feel comfortable when I know that my writing in Chapter One is the same as the writing in the most current chapter. Does that make sense? It does in my head, but I'm not always good at explaining things…
As I said in the authors note, I'm walking down a slightly different road when writing this story. I'm going to try to add more character development along with character chemistry. This story would also follow a different format, and I would also be trying to make each chapter a lot longer. This chapter, when compared to the one before I rewritten it, has three-thousand more words. That makes me feel a tad bit happier. (:
If you are a new reader and you have not read An Uncommon Situation, please don't read it. It is still available to be read and it is on my profile, and although I am not finished with that story, this is still the rewritten version of it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus in any shape or form.
Chapter One
The Announcement
In the Throne Room, Olympus
The three brothers were murmuring in almost inaudible tones to one another while their beloved wives were listening quietly. A few paces away, their children were waiting patiently. One let out a groan of exasperation as her eyes narrowed. She was about five-eight, with scary electric blue eyes along with sleek jet-black hair that went past her shoulders by a couple of inches. She scanned her surroundings suspiciously.
"Why are we here anyway?"
Her thought remained unanswered as two people bolted into the room. Confused momentarily, the girl's eyes lit up in recognition as she realized it was her father's messenger, Hermes. Standing beside him was his son, Travis Stoll. Hermes was a middle-aged man with salt-and-peppered hair and blue eyes. He had a slim figure due to his job, and though he normally sported a mischievous smile, he looked exhausted. Hermes took a deep breath before he gave an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry my lord," the man panted. "We were unaware of the time," his son, who was unable to talk at the moment, nodded in agreement.
The King of Olympus along with the girl's father, Zeus, smiled wearily. "It's alright. Please take a seat." His wife, Susan Grace, gave Hermes a reassuring smile while she rubbed her husband's shoulders soothingly.
Travis walked up towards his friends with a sarcastic grin. He was tall like his father, and he had curly brown hair and deep blue eyes which were always gleaming because of his mischievous personality. He had upturned eyebrows, and his crooked smile broadened once he stepped closer to his companions. "Hey guys. Sorry I'm late,"
Nico di Angelo shrugged helplessly as he looked at Travis for a few seconds before turning away. Nico was the prince of the Underworld, and like the others, he was also really tall. He had black hair that was usually messy- it was as if he rolled out of a bed. He had an olive complexion and dark eyes. "It's okay. We don't even know why we're here anyway." Besides him, Thalia and Jason, the children of Zeus, looked at one another with genuine curiosity.
"Father won't tell me why no matter how many times I asked him. I even groveled!" Thalia complained. Jason, her younger brother, chuckled and rolled his eyes. He was six-foot-one, with icy blue eyes and sharp, Mediterranean features. Unlike his sister, he had blonde hair, which he inherited from his mother.
"I sometimes wonder why you're the older one," he laughed. Thalia merely stuck out her tongue, which he responded with yet another eye roll. Thalia was about to retort when there was the distant echoing sound of footsteps. Her mouth snapped shut as everyone's eyes were immediately casted towards the entrance of the throne room. A male figure, around six-feet tall with jet-black hair and sea green eyes, stormed in. He had a look of pure agitation, and before anyone was able to question about the situation, another figure walked right in. She had curly red hair and emerald eyes. Racking her brain for an answer, Thalia recalled her being the leader of his fan club. The club was actually quite popular, surprisingly, and Thalia also remembered the girl's name being Rachel. According to Percy, although having a club was actually quite flattering at first, it became a nuisance. That's what you get when you're the Prince of Atlantis. Being the prince does have it's moments.
"But we're perfect for each other! I even came up with a cute nickname! It's Perachel! Cute, doncha' think?"
Perachel? Oh gods, this is comedy gold. Thalia bit her lip, trying to restrain herself from laughing. Percy slightly turned around, before giving the girl a fake smile. It was all a façade, though the redhead couldn't tell. Even if she didn't know her well, Thalia felt a pang of sympathy for her.
"Oh. Uhh. Rachel right? Though it was pleasant talking to you, I'm actually quite needed right now. Is it okay if you could… um… leave?" Despite Percy's question, Rachel only tilted her head sideways in confusion, and suddenly coming into a realization, she shook her head furiously.
"I actually really need to talk to you about something really important. You see, I have this party next week, and-"
She was interrupted when two guards grabbed a hold of her and started to drag her out. She attempted to get them to release her but to no avail. Her cries of protest started to grow distant as Percy turned around in satisfaction.
"Sorry."
His mother and Queen of Atlantis, Sally Jackson, laughed softly. "She's quite a handful, don't you think?"
Poseidon grinned. "He's got the looks love. I've heard there's a fanclub dedicated to him!"
Percy grumbled while Thalia couldn't hold it in anymore. She burst into a fit of laughter, whereas Nico chuckled. Jason and Travis smirked while the adults smiled upon the sight of their children.
Anxious to change the subject, Percy glanced at Zeus curiously. "Why are we here?"
"That's what we want to know," Thalia and Jason mumbled irritably. Zeus smiled at the two before pursing his lips and furrowing his eyebrows. Looking at Poseidon and Hades in support, the two merely nodded as he heaved a sigh and glanced back at the prince.
"I am sure all of you have indeed notice this, but you guys are growing up. And-"
"Oh lord, are you guys going to give us the talk again?" Travis wondered wide-eyed. There was some laughing throughout as Zeus pursed his lips.
"No. Like I said before, you guys are growing up. Because of that, the inevitable will happen, and-"
"You are giving us the talk!" Travis gasped. Thalia groaned as she whacked him in the head. Sally smiled as she gave Susan a look. Her daughter was amusing.
Maria di Angelo, Queen of the Underworld and wife of Hades, looked at Hermes with amusement in her eyes. "What are we going to do with your son?" she mused while Hermes simply laughed.
"You are making this a lot harder for me," Zeus grumbled. "Again, why must I tell them this?" Hades and Poseidon snickered.
"We are in your kingdom. We are simply visitors here," Poseidon smiled.
"You guys are still royalty!"
Fed up with everything, Susan rolled her eyes. "Zeus, just get to it already. The point is-" her eyes looked at all the teenagers carefully, as if she was scrutinizing them. "All of you are getting married,"
There was a moment of silence. Susan blinked. Then chaos erupted.
"You can't be serious," Percy groaned.
"But I recently just turned seventeen!" Jason protested.
"Say what now?" the messenger's son asked, with his mouth agape.
"Oh Travis. I think you need to get your ears checked," a loud voice commented thoughtfully. Seeing their parents smiling in recognition, the teenagers turned around to see their loyal friend, Leo Valdez. He had curly brown hair and warm brown eyes which twinkled with amusement. He was short in stature- about five-foot-six- and it was clearly evident when he stood with his father beside him. He had an impish smile planted on his face along with slightly pointed ears, and he looked like a little Latino elf. Hephaestus, Leo's father, merely rolled his eyes at his son's behavior. "She said that you guys were getting married," he repeated, before walking up to Jason and exchanging a fist bump.
Maria laughed slightly. "You know you're not off the hook. You're getting married as well," Leo's eyes dilated in size as his jaw fell agape- almost matching Travis's.
"What- but…- wait what?" his spluttering caused Jason to laugh, and he slapped Leo on the back. Leo merely huffed.
"Don't worry Valdez, you're not alone," he cheered enthusiastically for good measure, causing the Latino boy to glare at him.
Looking at the Queen of the Underworld in confusion, Leo's eyebrows furrowed together. "This makes no sense! I'm not even a prince! I don't need to be involved in any of these political businesses or anything of that sort! Why must I take part in this?" Maria glanced at Hades before turning back towards the boy with a pleasant smile.
"That may be true Leo Valdez, but you are still indeed a dear friend. Besides, Hephaestus agreed," Maria smiled widely in innocence while Hades laughed. Leo's head whipped towards his father. It was a surprise that he didn't even get a whiplash.
"Thanks Dad. I knew I should've gotten him a better Father's Day gift," Leo grumbled. Hephaestus smiled sheepishly as he merely shrugged his shoulders.
"That reminds me," Maria's eyes lit up. "Nico dear, you're a special case,"
Nico blinked. He was stunned momentarily before the corner of his lips curled into a grin. "Meaning I don't have to get married?" His mother decided to crush his hopes with a simple and subtle shake of her head. He looked down, slightly dejected.
"Then why am I a special case?"
"She's your mother. It's their job to tell their kid that they're special," Percy murmured. Nico glared at him while the son of Poseidon stuck out her tongue.
"You, unlike the others, know your fiancée. You are getting married to Thalia sweetie!"
The entire group fell into a choking fit.
"Wait. Lucky?"
"Watch it di Angelo!"
"No. I absolutely refuse to allow it!"
"You're her brother Grace, of course you would say that!"
"Can we just-"
"You guys are boyfriend and girlfriend, are you not?" all three queens asked.
"But-"
"We're not done yet," Sally interrupted with her calm yet firm voice. Her startling blue eyes looked at everyone carefully, causing everyone to fall into a silence. She smiled gently before nodding. "Good,"
"We should have let our wives handle all of this huh?" Zeus mumbled to Poseidon. Poseidon chuckled lowly.
"Travis, you are in the same situation as Leo. Your father also agreed with the plan,"
Travis's eyes widened as he looked at his father. "Gods. All the things we've done together, and this is how you pay me?" Hermes laughed.
"Oh suck it up."
"Guys, this is all for the greater good," Susan reassured. "You guys are going to have to settle down and rule your respective kingdoms while you're gone,"
"And you won't let us pick who we want to 'live our lives with' ourselves?" Thalia interjected.
"You know how complicated the human mind works. They could marry you just for the money," Zeus protested. Being the father of two teenagers, the man had to learn how to be protective. It was the qualifications of being a great father apparently. He read it off of a book he found at the royal library. It he remembered correctly, the book was titled Good Parenting 101.
"Your fiancées and with Thalia- fiancé- has already been decided. Percy, my dear, any thoughts?" Sally asked curiously.
Percy blinked, stunned by her question. He looked down at the marble ground thoughtfully.
"Wait… so I'm getting married with someone I don't know?"
"That's right," Sally confirmed. "And she's the Princess of Athens. Oh, she's a smart one!" She let out a content sigh as Poseidon rolled his eyes.
"Her mother is annoying. Trust me, if you meet her, I swear-" he was abruptly interrupted when he met his wife's glare.
"If that's the case," Percy continued slowly. "That means Rachel won't bother me anymore!" He cheered as his chest puffed up in pride. He also raised his arm in the air, feeling victorious, while everyone face palmed at his ignorance.
"Perce, focus! We're getting married with people we don't know!" Nico barked. "You know how confusing females are!"
Thalia raised her eyebrows.
"Excuse me?"
Sally sighed as she placed two of her fingers upon the left side of her ear. "The point is," she insisted. "There is no way to back out of this. Now, next week, we will all be flying out to an island that your fiancées reside in during their free time. You will get to spend some time with them, and at the end of this summer, there will be a ball. Then you all will get married, and when those will happen is still not confirmed. Now off you go!" she shooed all the teenagers out, despite their protests, and sealed the doors shut, leaving the adults to discuss more about the plan.
o()O()o
Corridors of the Castle, Olympus
They were all silent, walking alongside each other down the hallway towards the exit. They turned left as Percy let out a deep sigh. He glanced towards the others.
"So what are we going to do now?"
Jason shrugged. "I don't know. Pack?"
"Works for me," Percy mumbled weakly.
Travis shrugged. "I tend to do that kind of stuff last minute. Besides," he smiled widely. "I need to meet up with somebody,"
"Any fountains that you guys know about?" Leo asked.
"This is stupid," Thalia grumbled. "I'm going to go to my room." The girl stormed off as Nico sighed.
"I better go off after her before she gets into any trouble," Nico started to run after before he turned back after a couple of paces. "Talk to you guys later,"
The group parted ways, everyone all feeling both helpless and confused.
o()O()o
Guest Room, Olympus
With a sigh of aggravation, Percy zipped up the bag before tossing it to the other side of the room. The bag slammed against the wall before landing on a cabinet. It held a glass vase, and there was a sickening crash as Percy's eyes widened. Oh Gods.
The Son of Poseidon was currently in one of the guest rooms in the castle. His parents had both been secretive for a while now, and when Poseidon finally told Percy that they were going to visit the Olympus Kingdom, Percy was beyond psyched. He didn't see Thalia or Jason for a while now, and although he was anxious to see the two again, he knew something was up. It was a great surprise though when he had a run-in with his good friend, Nico di Angelo. It turned out that Nico and his family were also on their way to Olympus, minus Nico's older sister, Bianca. Bianca was attending a trip to another country with some club that she participated in… something called Artemis's Huntresses? The club was apparently a club in honor of the Greek Goddess, Artemis, and if Percy recalled, there was also a famous archer named after the deity.
Percy's guest room was simple yet luxurious. The wall was a light shade of olive, with crème drapes that allowed little access of sunlight into the room. Both the top and bottom of each wall had a complicated design that bordered along the surface, and the ceiling, unlike the walls, was painted white. There was a gold chandelier smacked dead center in the middle, and it was donned with studs and studs of crystal and silver. A king-sized bed was directly below it. The headboard was a simple silver color, though the design of it was intricate. It was Cavendish-shaped, and along the edges, it was embellished with strips of gold. On top of the headboard was the kingdom's crest- a large Omega (Ω) symbol. The footboard was much simpler than its opposite- it was gold geometric grills accented by round metal top rails. There were two bed posts alongside of it, and they were gold with a simple sphere over a bowl decoration on top of it- almost resembling a small little fountain. The bed mattress was covered with a silk olive bed sheet, and the blankets were white, while the pillow covers were olive striped. Gods, even the bed alone costed probably thousands and thousands of dollars.
There was a small little dresser alongside the bed. It was made out of cherry wood- with strips of gold that embellished the border. It had three shelves with a lamp atop of it and a small digital clock.
On one side of the room there was a large closet, with sliding doors. It had a Cremona design, and the closet inside was spacious. The floorboards were white oak, and a small little couch was on the opposite side of the closets. It was olive colored and took up most of the empty space of the room- it was sectional with some crème colored pillows. There was a cabinet next to the sofa, and the glass vase that got destroyed because of Percy's bag was completely crushed- its crystal shards both on the dresser and on the floor. Percy bit his lip as he grabbed the bag that he involuntarily threw across the room. He took it off the cupboard before putting it on the sofa. There were other suitcases and other kinds of luggage already there, and the bag was another one of them.
A week. Percy's going to have only one week left before he is going to have to board that stupid plane to meet that stupid girl he's going to have to marry.
Honesty? Percy didn't know what to think. Percy felt slightly grateful towards these plans, because maybe girls will back off if he's engaged. But he knew the reporters will follow them anymore once they found out about the news. It's juicy information apparently, and they won't get enough of it. And he didn't even know this girl, and he's going to have to marry her? Percy loved his mother dearly, and if she's satisfied with this, then he should too. But no matter how hard he tries, he just can't. And his father… Percy always admired him, but he always made the decisions. This girl better be worth it.
Percy wanted to make his own decision for once in his life.
o()O()o
Jason's Room, Olympus
With a sigh, Jason zipped up his suitcase and rolled it next to his closet. There. He was done.
Closing his eyes and touching his temple gently, the teenager went outside towards his balcony. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was a beautiful hue. Shades of red, orange, and yellow along with some streaks of pink stretched out for miles, and Jason stood outside, wanting to savor that moment forever. Down below, the prince was able to see the kingdom his father ruled. He was the heir to the throne right after his sister- but if they were going to have to marry other people, who were they going to rule now?
Jason watched silently as a man stopped his fruit cart to sell some bushels of apples to customers. He saw knights as they flanked by the gates of, the castle, and he watched a river flow gently through the kingdom, trickling fresh and pristine water carefully and slowly.
It may have been modern day, but there were still many kingdoms in the world. The Kingdom of Olympus was one of them. It was ruled by his father, while Poseidon and Hades ruled the Kingdom of Atlantis and the Kingdom of the Underworld respectively. The three kingdoms were the most populated and the most important empires in the world, and they dominated most of the land. Atlantis specialized in the sea- it was a kingdom on an island- actually chains and chains of islands, but despite that, many people lived on it. The people on Atlantis practically lived in the water, and their methods with the sea make many other countries fight over one another trying to make alliances with the kingdom.
The Underworld was a kingdom near chains and chains of mountains, and it was home to jewels upon jewels. The Underworld was abundant in those, and it was good for trading. Despite that though, the Underworld was mysterious place, and it was said that a war happened centuries ago around the same spot, and many people died on the mountains and caverns.
And Olympus was the largest empire. It stretched for miles and miles, and it was home to many important officials and ministers. The country also had a very strong military and a very high population, and with highly ranked officers and generals, it was practically suicide going against them.
The three kingdoms were governed by Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, and all three of them were really close. Zeus and Poseidon were actually brothers, while Hades was just simply a friend. Their wives were also very compassionate and wise, and when arguments broke out from time to time, things never get out of hand.
Jason broke out of his thoughts when he felt a strange presence behind him. It was almost like a sixth-sense, and when he turned around, there was Leo, holding a water balloon. The boy's eyes dilated as he cursed.
"Seriously Jason?"
"Sorry if you're too predictable," Jason laughed, rolling his eyes.
Leo grumbled as he dropped the water balloon. It splattered against the balcony as Leo just walked up to stand next to Jason. He propped his head on his elbows before overlooked the entire kingdom with his friend.
"So this is it huh?"
Jason swallowed thickly. "Yeah."
"Well, hopefully the girls are hot."
Jason rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Hopefully."
o()O()o
Thalia's Room, Olympus
Thalia slapped Nico on the head. "You don't understand!"
"How about thinking rationally?" Nico retorted.
"It's not like I'm going to run away and live my life as a criminal!"
Nico huffed and rolled his eyes. "Look, I know you're upset, and don't think I dislike their idea too, but-"
"What was Dad thinking? I know he has stupid ideas once in a while, but-"
"Thalia!"
The girl took a deep breath before letting out a sigh. "Sorry."
Nico closed his eyes in exasperation before he sat down on the bed right next to his girlfriend. "Bianca is a lucky chick."
Thalia hummed in agreement. "What are we going to do about all this?"
"Huh?"
"Nico, we may be in a relationship, but this is a big step."
Nico was silent for a couple of minutes.
"Compared to the others, we're luckier."
Now it was Thalia's turn to be confused. Laughing slightly, Nico gave her a small smile.
"Unlike the others, we have a history."
Thalia let out a small "oh." "That's true. But things aren't going to change right?"
Nico looked at her, and Thalia elaborated. "We're not going to act awkward around another just because we're getting married right?"
Nico laughed. "Not even the slightest."
o()O()o
The Streets of Olympus, Olympus
Pulling up the hoodie to conceal his face, Travis ran down the street, dodging pedestrians and cars, almost stumbling into some food carts in the process. He glanced around quickly before his eyes fell upon a figure that he recognized almost instantly. Involuntarily breaking into a grin, Travis ran up to his friend.
"Hey Beckondorf," he greeted enthusiastically, giving his friend a side-hug that guys normally do. His friend nodded.
"Sup," Beckondorf, or Charles Beckondorf, was really tall and buff with huge muscles, calloused hands, and dark-skinned. He had warm chocolate-colored eyes and normally had a small smile on his face.
"You wouldn't believe what happened," Travis informed him. Beckondorf simply quirked a brow.
"Oh it couldn't be that bad," he laughed, though it was cut short upon Travis's expression. "What is it?"
Travis swallowed thickly. He was still not able to comprehend what happened earlier.
"So… I'm engaged."
As expected, there was first silence. Following shortly after, Beckondorf's eyes dilated and he let out a huge breath.
"Whaaat?"
Travis laughed weakly when he looked at Beckondorf's face.
"It's the truth!"
"Gods, I can't believe you got a girl," Beckondorf mused. Travis feigned a look of hurt. "Why haven't I met her yet?"
"That's the thing. I don't even know her,"
His friend blinked.
"You do know that when you marry someone, you're going to have to live with them for the rest of their life right?"
Travis rolled his blue eyes.
"I know. But it's all been arranged. Percy and the others are getting married as well. We're going to meet them in a week,"
"Huh," Beckondorf laughed. "Though I wish I could be there to see all this, we're going on a family trip to Paris. Sorry dude,"
Travis let out a groan as some people looked at him oddly as they walked past. He suddenly was hit with an idea.
"Hey Beckondorf?"
"Hm?"
"I need to ask you a favor..."
o()O()o
Somewhere in the Kingdom of Olympus
"What?"
It was silent momentarily as the girl listened to the person on the other end of the line speak. Letting out a groan of frustration, she nodded.
"Okay. Thanks," she slammed the phone shut, and letting out another roar, she threw the device across the room. It slammed against the wall before colliding with the ground, and there was small crunch.
The thought was casted aside almost immediately as the girl pawed her red hair furiously out of her line of vision. She absentmindedly looked at the wall just above her desk. There was a bulletin board just above it, and it was almost completely covered with magazine pictures of the prince of Atlantis. The spot that weren't covered in images was occupied by a large outline that she had been devised for things to be absolutely perfect. First, she discovered that he wasn't able to attend the party that she oh so happened to be hosting. Now he was getting engaged? Things weren't going the way she intended it to occur...
She needed a new plan. She needed to make her dad proud. Despite all the awards... despite all the accomplishments... it was never enough. All those revolting memories were stored up in a box in the attic, and in the box also contained the old girl she used to be. All of her memories were in there- shredded and torn up into pieces. She might've just walked into a blender herself.
"Who are you?" she muttered as she paced herself in her bedroom. Fed up with everything, she plopped down alongside her bed. The transparent drapes that hung by her windows granted light into the room, and she watched silently as the sun continued to go down. Sunsets have always been one of her favorite parts of the day...
Kicking the random thought aside, she stood up straight as something hit her. The corner of her lips curling into a grin, her arms stretched to get something out of her dresser. Grabbing her notepad along with a pencil, she started to jot down some ideas.
"I need a new plan..."
My writing is bad. My writing is bad. My writing is bad. Ew.
I'm sorry guys. This story is my longest by far, and most of what I've written is crap. I can't deal with it. I'm going to rewrite it all.
Don't worry, it won't take long. Unlike the other chapters, this is rewritten. I kind of have an outline that had already been formulated in my mind, so hopefully I can make my chapters better. This just really annoys me. Ugh. I shouldn't even read my writing in the first place, but gods, it's tempting.
Compared to the other chapter, this one is longer. I added more dialogue, and hopefully it's more descriptive than last time. What do you guys think?
THIS IS THE LONGEST CHAPTER I WROTE IN HISTORY. I MEAN- FIVE-THOUSAND WORDS. OMIGOSH. KELLY = SLIGHTLY PROUD -puffs out in pride-
Please review, alert, and/or favorite. Every action means so much. (: I just can't deal with all of this, and this is one of my most anticipated stories, so I'll do my best to make it worth it. I honestly want to delete this thing and never hear of it ever again, but for you guys, I'm going to continue.
I know I sound pathetic. I keep complaining on how crappy my writing is, but I'm sure most of you guys experience this. Your writing develops over time, and your writing a while back seems like trash. I have a clearer picture in my mind now, and I hope you guys are willing to support that.
So let me know what you think! (: