I don't own PJO or HoO!
Flashback (Continues) Third Person's POV
"Uhh!" Zoe groaned. Every single bit of her body hurt. She slowly opened her eyes to see that she was lying on sands. Memories of came back to her rather fast. She checked her hands only to see them healed perfectly.
"Welcome back." A voice startled her. She immediately turned back. Poseidon was sitting on a chair a few feet behind her. Unlike his voice, there was no mirth in his face. She scrambled to her feet.
"Lord Poseidon! I'm sor-" She began but he cut her off.
"ENOUGH!" He was on his feet with his trident in his hand in a startling speed. She cowered in fear.
"I warned you. I told you that this ritual is not a stable one. I specifically told you to stop when I say so." Poseidon growled.
She couldn't help herself. Tears fell from her eyes as she fell on her knees. "I am sorry my lord. I just couldn't stop. It was the only thing that I have left from my mother. I couldn't bear to waste a bit of it. Please forgive me." She pleaded. Despite himself, Poseidon softened upon seeing the misery of the young girl before him. He sighed and summoned a hairpin.
"If that's the case, then I will give you something that was once belonged to your mother. She made this hairpin a few decades ago for a nymph daughter of mine." Poseidon's eyes grew sad.
"My daughter disappeared three years ago in an attack to my castle. This was the only thing left." He closed his eyes while tightly holding it. He then extended it in his hand to her.
She shakily took the beautiful hairpin from him.
"It is beautiful."
"Hold it tightly." Poseidon commanded. She did as he said, then hairpin turned into a beautiful three ft celestial bronze sword. There was a letter at its side. Anaklusmos. It was gleaming faintly.
"It became a rather powerful weapon after all you gave."
"What about me my lord? I saw red blood in my hands. How can it take my immortality?" She asked.
"I told you that this ritual is not stable. Power of River Lethe is dangerous. It slowly took your power but you were more than willing to give it. It absorbed your power until there was nothing more to give. I suspect with your will, it broke a part of your immortality and infused the sword with that." He explained deep in thought.
"What does it mean?"
"I can't be sure. I already told you, I am just a century old. But I know that there is one important rule. You are an immortal or not, there is no state between the two. You lost a part of your essence. That makes you something like a demigod, I suppose." He explained. He touched the bottom of hilt with his little finger and it turned back into the hairpin.
"Winter solstice is tomorrow. You must go back to Othrys." Poseidon said bluntly.
"What? With all respect my lord, if am lucky they will kill me when they realise that I am a mortal now. I can't go back." She nearly shrieked.
"And you can't spend the rest of your mortal life escaping from titans. You must go back. I've cast a spell on you. It will disguise your mortal side. But you must avoid attracting my father's attention. He may be an evil deity but he is extremely powerful. If his gaze lingers on you more than necessary, he will notice my spell, then things will become rather… umm, unpleasant for you." Zoe listened to him patiently. His words did make sense. She couldn't run from them forever. Poseidon's plan was her best chance.
"Thank you my lord for everything you have done for me. You could just dump me somewhere without memories but you didn't. I will be forever grateful for your help."
Poseidon just waved her of.
"Why are you doing this my lord? Taking all this risk to help me?"
Poseidon smiled before waving his hand. Everything, except Poseidon, dissolved into blur of darkness.
"Why not?" He asked again, and then he too dissolved.
The blur of darkness took the form of a garden at the base of a mountain. It was Othrys. Poseidon sent her back. She shook her head and started to walk up to the mountain.
Time Skip (Five Years After The First Titan War )
Poseidon's plan worked perfectly. Zoe had been a hesperide for nearly fifteen years. Until that back stabbing idiot of a hero stepped into their garden. The supposed hero of the war broke her heart badly. He used her help, took her beloved sword, then left without even glancing back once. She was cast out of the garden by her trapped father and she had no doubt that she was a mortal once more.
She has been walking for two days now. Cold air was cutting her skin. Her empty stomach was grumbling in annoyance.
"Good night." A voice startled her. She turned to the source with her dagger in her hand. Not that she would stand a chance against a fighter but still her dagger gave her a feeling of safety.
The man in front of her was none other than God of Seas, Poseidon.
"My lord, it's really good to see you here." She said in relief. She felt dizzy for a moment. Poseidon immediately grabbed her elbow to support her.
"Hmm, you're hungry. You will be well fed in a few hours anyway." He mumbled. He then looked back at her.
"What happened, Zoe? I feel you are a mortal again, why?" He asked curiously. She recited her tale. By the time she was done, tears were falling from her eyes.
"What am I going to do my lord? I can't ask any more help from you after all you have done for me." She sobbed.
"Yes, you didn't ask, but I already helped you." He said with a wink. Just then girls in silver parkas burst out of the forest from everywhere and it was then she noticed that they were somewhere else. They had bows in their hands. A thirteen year old girl was walking a few feet ahead of them. She had yellowish silver eyes that were shining with power.
Zoe turned back to Poseidon but he was nowhere to be seen.
End of the Flashback
"Wow. So this is her real story huh?" I mumbled. My hand closed around the pen in my pocket. Artemis gave it back to me, while we were walking towards the throne room. I took it out examined it for a moment. I could see the pieces of my faithful companion through the disguise. Then I remembered Zoe, carrying Riptide's hairpin form on her hair. I willed the pen in my hand to turn into that hairpin. I closed my fingers around it. I attached it onto the only white strand in my hair.
Father smiled sadly.
"It looks surprisingly good on you Perseus." He said.
"Thank you father. I am afraid I must go now. See you in the party." He nodded and I left.
Artemis' POV
I am not really fond of parties but the ones on Olympus are always good. In these parties, at least a few stupid males tries hit on my hunters but a knee in the crotch always solves the problem.
After we left the throne room we went into my temple and took some rest. And I had a vision.
The Vision
I was in a cave. Moirai were in front of me. They were tending threads of life as usual. But suddenly they stopped and looked up to me. Then I was on a cliff near woods. There was a camp fire in front of me and Hestia was scratching a massive hellhound's ears. She was speaking with two boys. I inched closer. They were Perseus and Nico, but they were younger. 'So this must past.' I thought. She opened her palm and flames shot thirty feet into the air and then died down.
"Not all powers are spectacular." She said looking at Perseus. Then her eyes flickered to my way for a second. I froze in place. How could she see me? I turned back but there was nothing behind me. I shook my head that must be my imagination. Then she continued. "Sometimes the hardest power to master is the power of yielding. Do you believe me?" She asked.
"Uh-huh," Perseus replied like a genius. I smiled at that. Hestia smiled too.
"You are a good hero, Percy Jackson. Not too proud. I like that. But you have much to learn." Hestia said her eyes flickering to me again and everything went black.
End of the Vision
Anyway, I left my hunters to have their fun and slipped away from the party. I couldn't stand seeing those disgusting drunk men. So I headed towards an edge of Olympus and just before I can reach it, someone materialized from the shadows. Perseus...
He went to the edge and started to watch the city below. I slowly approached him and stood next to him, watching city. I was in my twenty year old form and was able reach his shoulder. He greeted me by turning to me and bowing his head slightly.
"Lady Artemis! An honor as always..." He said smiling.
"Likewise Lord Perseus!" I said smiling back.
"What are you doing here alone Perseus?"
"Thinking. You know, there is a new moon tonight. The Moon is at its weakest. Yet it can still soothe me." I blushed at the last part; lucky for me, he closed his eyes before he said that. Then I saw a hairpin on his hair. It wasn't supposed look this good on a male but still it did.
"Perseus, why do you have a hairpin?" I asked curiously. He turned to me again.
"It's not just a hairpin." He said passing his hand over it and I caught a glimpse of his broken sword, Anaklusmos. I gasped in surprise.
"It's Zoe's hairpin. Why would you keep it in this form?" I asked a little suspiciously.
"A reminder of a few things…" He looked up to Zoe's constellation sadly.
"She was a good friend. And I want to remember and honor her. Besides I want to remember how treacherous people can be, how they can fail you like Heracles. And lastly it's a reminder of my past, where I came from, who I was before." I nodded.
"So why didn't you join the party?" He asked gazing at the night sky.
"I am not a party person you know." I shrugged. Corner of his mouth twitched.
"I guessed that much." he said. I glared him. He raised his hands but gave a lopsided grin. I couldn't help but blush slightly. I admit with time I felt more and more drawn to him. But it was still confusing. I had buried that kind of feelings long ago, when I first lost my faith in males. But still he managed to make feel them. Around him, I just feel happy for some reason. I feel shivers all the way down on my spine when he looked me in the eye. I can't help but smile when he smiled. All I want to do was just go to him and embrace him.
"I just don't like seeing all those disgusting pigs, while they try to hit on girls." I said.
"I can't argue with that." he agreed.
"I spoke with Hades a few hours ago. He said that Annabeth is in Elysium. She is happy." I said cautiously.
He closed his eyes for a few seconds. Then he took my hand in his. I was surprised at first but slowly relaxed. His hand felt so good and warm like it was meant to hold mine.
"Thank you Artemis. I am glad to hear this. She deserves this much at least." He said. Then he let go of my hand.
We sat there in silence for a few minutes. Then I took a deep breath.
"Perseus it was nice but I should return to my hunters now." I stated.
"Percy. Could you call me just Percy?" He asked a hint of hope in his magnificent eyes.
"Good night Percy." I said and he gave me a bright smile.
"Good night Artemis." I turned and walked away. A few steps later I looked back to him.
He was standing there at his full height, his back facing me. His hair and clothes were rippling with breeze. I sighed and left.
There is another chapter guys. Sorry for the late update. A lot has been going on my life and I couldn't find time for the story.
My special thanks to reviewers. Last few reviews have been with the name of "Guest". I think they are all same person. I want to assure him that I am not going to abandon this story. There might be lags between updates but I WILL go on so don't worry bro:)
Anyway, have a nice day guys. Until another time… Bye!