Hello, dear readers! I, Kshadow, need your help deciding pairings. So, please leave a review telling me who you want me to pair Thalia, Percy, Nico, and Bianca with, that way I can get that figured out before I get to that point in my writing. Currently, I am planning on a Luke/Thalia relationship, and maybe a Percy/Medusa/Furies/Minotaur pairing. Just kidding, on the Percy/Medusa/Furies/Minotaur, not on the Luke/Thalia.
It was amazing how quickly things could change. 12 years ago, the Olympians couldn't even be in the same room for extended periods of time without arguments breaking out, and wouldn't even consider allowing demigods to live on Olympus. Now relationships between the gods were better than they had ever been in the past, and four very special demigods, Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, jokingly called Princess of Olympus by her godly half brother, Apollo, Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, nicknamed Kelp Head by his cousins, and Nico and Bianca di Angelo, the children of Hades, who had been deaged to the same age as Thalia and Percy, who were both currently 12, Thalia being two months older, due to the fact their childhood had been spent locked in a casino. Despite initial protests from some of the gods, they had warmed up to the children of the Big Three, (for the most part, Dionysus still thought they were brats, even if he usually did enjoy their presence on Olympus,) even agreeing to train them in various activities as they grew older; Hera had refused to let the children in her care be taught how to fight until they were at least seven, although that didn't always stop the gods from teaching the halfbloods.
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The four children ran through the streets of Olympus, all searching for a place to hide from Apollo and Artemis, who were currently teaching them how to hide from their enemies, and blend in with their surroundings. Well, that was what Artemis was doing, Apollo was just interested in playing Hide-n-seek. The four split up, Nico heading towards the crowd listening to the muses' concert, Bianca making her way towards one of Demeter and Persephone's many gardens, while Percy was following his nose to a snack bar, leaving Thalia sprinting down the main street, unsure of where she was going, until she barreled into her stepmother.
"Thalia! Is it necessary to run at full speed through Olympus?" Thalia grinned sheepishly at Hera.
"We're playing hide-n-seek," Thalia paused. "I mean, Apollo and Artemis are teaching us to hide from our enemies, and blend in with our surroundings."
Hera laughed. "I think hide-n-seek is the more likely option, if Apollo is involved. But shouldn't you be getting ready for the Winter Solstice meeting?"
"But Hera, that's hours from now!" Thalia whined, staring at the goddess.
"Yes, dear, it is. But the campers from Camp Half-Blood will be arriving earlier, so that they can be shown around Olympus. Something you and your cousins will be assisting in. Your father wants to speak with the four of you before they arrive. Now, let us find the others."
Thalia followed Hera through the streets, many of the inhabitants of Olympus stopping to wave at the Queen, in search of her cousins. "I think Percy was heading toward a snack bar, and I know I saw Nico in the crowd at the muses' concert, and Bianca was going to one of Aunt Demeter and Aunt Persephone's gardens."
"Little Sis! You're supposed to be hiding, not hanging out with Hera!" Apollo ran up to them. "I found you, by the way."
Thalia rolled her eyes. "I noticed. Hera says we have to get ready for the meeting, since the four of us are supposed to help show the campers around."
Apollo groaned. "Really, Hera? We're having so much fun playing, uh, I mean, we're having so much fun learning." Apollo sensing Hera's impatience with his antics, changed topics. "I'll just help you find the others."
"Bianca is in one of the gardens, you should go find her," Thalia suggested, knowing that if Apollo was to find Percy or Nico at a snack bar or concert he wouldn't return anytime soon."
"No need, I already found them all." Artemis grinned at her family, accompanied by the other three demigods, Percy clutching several slices of pizzas.
"Arty, it's been like fifteen minutes. How did you already find all of them?" Thalia asked her sister.
"You four are way too predictable." The huntress smirked.
"You can discuss this later. You four, go wash up, now. The campers should be arriving in about an hour and a half, and Zeus needs to talk to you beforehand."
"Why do we have to be tour guides?" Percy glared at his pizza like it was the source of all that was wrong in the world.
"Because that is what we have decided. It'd be good for you to make demigod friends your own age." Hera said in her best I-am-the-mother-of-this-family-you-should-listen-to-me tone.
"Aunt Demeter was the last person who said something like that, only it was that eating more cereal would be good for us, and it really wasn't. All I got was a massive headache." Nico pointed out, his tone light. Apollo and Artemis both grinned, remembering all the complaining the demigods had done.
Hera rolled her eyes. "Just do it. No arguing, or you're all grounded."
The four demigods exchanged glances, mutually agreeing that being a tour guide for a few hours was better than being grounded for a few days.
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Percy exited his bathroom, to find his female cousins laying on his overly large bed, Thalia with a towel wrapped around her head, Bianca's wet hair clinging to her face as she glared at her damp towel.
Bianca glanced up. "Percy! Come use your water powers and dry my hair!" Thalia nudged Hades's daughter. "Any dry Thalia's hair, too!"
Percy rolled his eyes. "Didn't Aphy provide you with top-of-the-line hair dryers that do the exact same thing?"
Bianca nodded. "She's Aphrodite, of course she did, but it takes longer. All you have to do is touch our hair, and it's dry."
Percy rolled his eyes, obliging with Bianca's request as he lied down beside the girls. "Where's Nico?" Both girls shrugged. "Alright, then. What do you think Uncle Zeus wants to talk to us about?"
"Dad probably came up with a bunch of stupid rules for us to follow when the campers are here."
"Persephone said something different. She didn't say what, but I think it has something to do with us being the children of the Big Three, and living on Olympus.
Apparently the campers and Chiron don't know we exist." Nico entered the room, his ever present Stygian Iron sword strangely absent from his side. Thalia and Percy had an ongoing theory that he even slept with it. "Amphitrite is here, by the way, if you want to go say hi to her. Triton's not with her, I think he's with your dad, so
you should be safe. Or you could wait a few minutes, she said she'll be there when we talk to Zeus."
Percy had met his dad's wife when he was six. After an initially rocky start, the two finally started getting along, and Amphitrite was like a third mother to the four, the other two being Hera and Persephone. Triton, however, hated Percy, and no amount of coaxing from either of his parents could convince him to be civil towards his demigod half brother. According to Amphitrite, he was jealous of all the attention Percy got from the Olympians.
"I'll wait. Knowing my luck, Triton will show up when I'm talking to her."
"You four, the campers will be arriving soon, and Lord Zeus has requested that you come to the throne room now, so he can explain his rules." A small smile graced Athena's usually stern face. "'Nico, I do hope you are planning on wearing a shirt."
Nico glanced down at his bare chest as his cousins laughed. "Percy, hand me a shirt, preferably a black one. And a clean one."
Percy stood, grabbing a black shirt out of his closet, which he threw at Nico's face, before following the goddess to the throne room.
"Percy!" Amphitrite grinned at her stepson as he entered the throne room, followed by his three cousins. Percy grinned back, hugging the sea goddess, while Triton glared at the two. "How have you been, young one? Have you been staying out of trouble?"
"I've been good, 'Trite. Yes, I've been staying out of trouble, no matter what Aunt Hera or Aunt Demeter says." Percy said, making his two aunts glare playfully at him.
Bianca snorted. "He's lying, Aunt 'Trite. He's Percy, he couldn't stay out of trouble to save his life." The sea goddess, wearing a silky sea green dress and a strand of pearls around her neck, laughed.
"Yes, yes, we could go on for hours about Percy's inability to stay out of trouble, but we have more important matters to discuss." Zeus interrupted. "We believe that the Great Prophecy is has begun. Hades has reported that Kronos is stirring in Tartarus, more often and more alert than he ever has been before. As such, we have decided that you will be going to Camp Halfblood after the Winter Solstice meeting has concluded." All four demigods gaped at the God of the Sky. "Furthermore, you will not tell anyone that you were raised upon Olympus, or that you are children of the Big Three."
"Won't they wonder why we are here, then, since we didn't aren't at camp?" Nico asked.
Athena smiled. "You were attacked by the Minotaur, which you fought, and killed, before falling unconscious. We, the gods, sensed that you needed help, so we brought you here, to Olympus, so that you could be taken to camp after the meeting. It's a mixture of truth and lie, and the truth is misleading."
The demigods nodded. A year ago, they had snuck down into the mortal world, where they had been attacked by the Minotaur, which they had killed, taking one of it's horns as a spoil of war.
"However, to convince Chiron that the Great Prophecy is indeed coming to pass, we have to claim one of you. It can only be one of you, as even two of you would arouse suspicion, let alone four of you." Poseidon said. "You must decide amongst yourselves who it will be."
Thalia immediately spoke up. "It has to be Percy. He is the most natural leader amongst us, and a child of the Big Three would almost automatically be a leader at camp."
Bianca and Nico nodded in agreement, while Percy looked at his cousins in amazement. "You guys would be okay with me being claimed, while you had to pretend you had no clue who your parents were?"
Bianca rolled her eyes. "Of course we would, Kelp Head."
"You'll have to do something big and amazingly warlike before you're claimed, punk. They play capture the flag a lot at camp, and there's a creek that runs through the woods. You can figure out the rest." Ares grinned at his demigod cousin.
"Wow, Ares, that was surprisingly smart, to come out of your mouth." Dionysus said, smirking at his half brother.
Ares opened his mouth to retort. "Peace, boys," Hestia smiled gently. "The campers are almost here. Thalia, Percy, Bianca, Nico, do you understand what you need to do?" The four nodded. "Good. Now, since you will be helping in showing the campers around, you will say you have been here for two weeks, recovering, which is enough time for you to know you way around Olympus. Also, when you arrive at camp, I expect you to come and greet me." The eldest child of Kronos and Rhea glared playfully at her brothers' children, who promised that they would.
The Muse Urania, the muse of astronomy, entered the Throne Room, quickly bowing. "My Lords, My Ladies, the campers have arrived. Shall I have them brought here? They are currently waiting in the streets."
Athena shook her head. "No, we will meet them out there." She looked at the demigods. "I suggest staying together, that way there is less of a chance of getting your story wrong. Now come, let us meet our guests."
Feeling awfully like they were walking towards an army of monsters without their weapons, the four halfbloods followed the goddess of wisdom.
Chapter 4 is done! What did you think?
~Kshadow
