(A/N)HI guys just want to say that this story is going to be prologue, to my Son of Neptune AU fic that I'm going to make; I'm not going to make to make a Lost hero fic mainly because I haven't read the book so just imagine the book without Annabeth and a sad Artemis instead.
Disclaimer: me: "Percy tells them the disclaimer."
Percy: "Why should I?"
Me: "I'll make Artemis hunt you down"
Percy*Scared face*: "S-s-sorry 1523 does not own PJO or don't make Artemis hunt me"
Me:*Sigh* "Fine you live…for now"*evil laugh*
(ARTEMIS POV) from where Thalia breaks down
I was looking at the reunion of the two cousins who were like brother and sister to each other with a smile but mentally did a happy dance because we've found him. It's is the pride of the hunters that we never failed a mission until the search for Percy we've never ever failed. It was like we were searching for an enigma, something that never existed. We started at the obvious point. Camp but more specifically Percy's cabin, from there we tracked him to the Amphitheatre were it looked like he talked with someone and it looked like some grass was charred which led us to the Question of, what the Hades happened there? And from then on we tracked him to Thalia's Tree where he promptly disappeared. And we still searched, and the more we searched, the more I missed not knowing where he was and the sadder I got and no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that I wasn't the more I realized I was in love with the son of Poseidon.
I would have searched for eternity or until I found him. But here he was, comforting my lieutenant who was crying in joy and personally I felt like doing it too but I refrained myself, but if I looked at the both of them any longer I would begin to cry in joy myself so I looked away and started to inspect Percy's camp site. It looked like he had been living here for quite some time, there was a pool of water at one end where I assumed he bathed and a river that went through the pool that he probably used to wash his clothes, there was a rope around 2 trees where a couple of damp clothes were hanging, a tent that looked big enough for two as well as a comfortable campfire, there was also a small clearing that I suspected he used for training and keeping fit and it looked like it worked too. The strangest attributes to the camp site were the various university grade books that lay in neat stacks around the campsite as well as writing utensils and paper on what looked to be an improvised school seat under a canopy that catches the rain.
All in all it looked very neat and surprisingly efficient even though I did wonder about the books. Did he continue on with his education? Then why does he live in the woods? Why does he not rent an apartment or live in a high school dorm room? And how the hades do I keep underestimating him? Is he that unpredictable? Normally I have men figured out in 2 seconds but here comes this man who is the total exception to what I think men are.
He makes me feel feelings that I haven't felt since Orion and even those feeling were miniature in comparison. I know I love him, but the question is does he love me?
When Thalia finally finished crying and stood up everyone could see probably the biggest smile on Thalia that we ever saw and it cheered everybody up to see Thalia happy and it made everyone smile, because to see Thalia smile was a rare appearance.
"Please don't leave me too?" Thalia asked to Percy voice cracking. Percy smiled and said, "Nobody ever left Thals Annabeth; me, Luke, we didn't leave. We were always in your heart and memories and I'll be here as long as I humanly can." Thalia smiled, "You're coming home right?" Percy's face grew darker and I ushered her over to me and told her to stay with the others.
The hunters nodded, they trusted my judgement and even if he was a male they knew Percy was like no other simply because he gained my respect and the respect of Zoe who didn't hand out respect on a platter and that wasn't even talking about males for witch Percy was the first to gain hers.
"Perseus could I talk to you for a moment...In private?" I asked. "Sure, just follow me." And as we made our way deeper into the woods we kept hearing Thalia's frantic cries, "Right? You are coming with us? Right? Right Percy?"
Even though his face was calm, his eyes were sad and those of a battle weary commanding soldier who had seen too many of his troops lose their lives and I suppose that is exactly what he was.
We walked in companionable silence for a few minutes until he said, "I'm not going with you." I sighed and asked, "Why not?" "Because I can't stand to see more people I know, die under my command. I'm not strong enough and everyone I get close to gets in danger or dies because of me."
"Oh yeah like who?" I asked getting angry because he always blamed himself for the faults of others and the fact stuff happen on accident. "Like my mother when she was kidnapped because everyone thought I was the lightning thief or when Anabeth was taken and later killed. I SHOULD have protected her better but no, I was too weak. I'm staying away because if I went back more people will die because of my inability to make the correct choices. He told me.
I was mad no, I was downright Furious. He kept blaming things and twisting things to himself on himself and nobody else and it was infuriating. "Okay get this into your thick WAS NOT YOUR FAULT! Those people CHOSE their fate or in the case of your mother you had no choice in what happened it was a MISUNDERSTANDING!" "If you say so but I'm still staying"
I was fed up. And his attitude wasn't helping; it was breaking my heart to see him live like this so lonely and away from everyone, this was the lifestyle chosen by the hero of Olympus. I was also fed up with this self-pitying routine.
"IF YOU WANT TO WALLOW IN YOUR SORROWS THEN THAT IS JUST FINE BUT DON'T EXPECT THAT YOU WON'T BE LETTING PEOPLE DOWN BY STAYING BECAUSE YOU WILL! Don't expect that you aren't missed because you are, do you know that Chiron didn't leave his study for three months since you left and is still hesitant about the people he is around, that Thalia cried herself to sleep every night since you left, that your father has sunk into a depression, that Nico hasn't been seen for months, that I haven't felt happy till I found you and then you go and screw my good mood up, do you know that I found out that I love you and haven't realized until recently and that I don't even know if you love me, do you know how that is tearing me up."
"Wha-wha-WHAT? What have I ever done to deserve you to love me?" "It's that you are loyal to death, respectful to everyone that deserves it and the total opposite to everything that I thought men stood for but if you want to stay here and wallow in your sorrows than that's just great but I'm not staying. Goodbye." I said and pecked him on his cheek
I left him there with his mouth agape and hand on his cheek. I suddenly became aware of other presences out in the woods. I sighed to myself, how am going to explain this to the hunters? I told my hunters who were silently spying on us to come out. As they came out of their hiding spots I studied each of their faces intently, what shocked me was that there was no malice in their eyes, no it was something else entirely. It was…
Acceptance and joy. "Aren't you angry at me? I've fallen for a man. You should be furious not gleeful what is going on here?" I asked confusedly and just a little bit worried for the sanity of my hunters.
They all chuckled, until one of my oldest hunters, Ana, who I met before the whole Orion debacle stepped up "I was there the day Apollo tricked you, I was there when you lost most of your hunters and surrogate daughters to you through the Giants, and I was there after you lost your last lieutenant and mourned her death-" I cringed at all of these memories they were rather unpleasant to think about "I know you great deal myself milady and here I am seeing the one goddess I respect and love like my own mother falling for maybe the most respectable man there is, we know he is the opposite of what we've come to expect from men but until he is ready milady you'll just have to wait and let him get his thoughts in order. For now milady we can only go back to camp to prepare for the last of the Titans efforts."
I knew she was right, we had to get back but I was still worried about Percy. "And what of Percy, do we simply leave him at the mercy of the remainder of the titans or do we take him with us by force."
"Neither the titans nor the gods know of his…residence. We are the only ones and we all won't tell anyone else until he is ready, he needs his space and we will respect that he is safe do not worry milady. And by how much he's…grown, I don't think any of us could take him." Jenny a 13 year old (at least physically) daughter of Nike said.
It was true that Percy did look formidable. I sighed in defeat. 'Please be alright Percy' were my thoughts before I told my hunters to move out.
(PERCY'S POV)From where Artemis tells her hunters to move out:
I was watching the last of the hunters leave and as the last one went through the shrubbery as silent as a mouse I was left wondering how the hades my life could get any more screwed up.
I thought back to when Artemis was ranting and couldn't help to notice that Artemis was at least to me the image of perfection. From her gorgeous silver eyes that radiated power and had crescents like the moon in them to her beautiful melodic voice, from her beautiful face filled with natural beauty to her soft personality that is usually hidden by her rough and cruel mask that I could easily see through.
It was then that I realised something .I was in love with maiden goddess. I WAS IN LOVE WITH ARTEMIS! And she loves me too I thought. I had to get to her before she's gone because I wouldn't know where they're going or if I might see them again. I would not go to camp to wait for them to show up, no, I would not go to camp without Artemis.
I raced through the woods on a massive sprint. I already lost one love through stupidity, not again. I kept on running, screaming her name desperate to hear her answer. I ran for ten miles yet didn't hear a sound.
I had lost another one. I knew she wouldn't come back, my stupid actions assured that. I went to sleep that night with a lot of nightmares that were too horrible to think about. It looks like even in my sleep I can't get a rest and with that thought I went into the routine I daily did a little early. It consisted of bathing in the pool which I made warm for a cold Canadian morning, Putting on new clothes and washing the old ones as well as taking the clean ones off the hanger, doing my usual fitness training of a 12 mile run, sit ups, push ups, and various other exercises than a I conjured up some breakfast and relaxed for a few minutes, then a few hours of home schooling witch I decided to do to help my grades even though they are great thanks to Athena. Then it's a 5 hour training session in both sword fighting and unarmed combat. After that I make a camp fire with my fire powers which are nearly as good as my Poseidon powers. And then I make dinner rest for the rest of the night and fall asleep in my tent
But thanks to demigod dreams I had, probably, the worst dream I ever had and that's saying something….
(A/N)I am seriously sorry for the late chapter but school just began and it's hectic you can expect the next chapter by Saturday thanks. And review I want to know what you think.2222 words. Longest chapter yet, Awesome!