Right now I'm listening to Jason Derulo's new song Colors and that's not relevant, but I think you guys should listen to it if you haven't already.
Disclaimer: I only eat blue food, I'm not sure if uncle Rick does though.
When Percy wakes up, the first thing he notices is that his head is in a girls lap. The second thing he notices is that girl is Artemis.
His eyes widen and he scrambles to get up, but she holds him still.
"Calm down, hero. I know, I know. But believe me, if I didn't want you in this position, you would be a antelope already." He nods and slightly relaxes, but not fully.
They sit there in silence while she feeds him tiny bits of ambrosia and some nectar. Percy finds himself drifting off to sleep, enveloped in her smell. Campfire wood and wildlife. Like flowers, a beehive, and a summer's breeze.
But his peace is interrupted by a rude huntress storming into the tent.
"M'LADY! We should not house this male. And you definitely should not have him rub his disgusting body on you, tainting your godly aura!" Percy sits up, ignoring his nasty headache and Artemis' protest.
Zoë sees who it is and glares.
"YOU!" he rolls his eyes and flops back on the goddess lap.
"Ugh, you. The fates do hate me. αυτό είναι χάλια."
Zoë brings out her bow and aims it at Percy. "This is who has been taking your attention away from the huntresses? He deserves to be turned into a bear and hunted by our most skilled archers!"
Percy sits up and fixes the enraged girl with a blank stare, "Look, if I'm not welcome here I can just ash crash-" he is interrupted by Artemis.
"You will not. I am the leader here and you are staying here. Zoë spread the word. None of you will harm Percy." Zoë looks like she is about to argue, but Artemis glares at her, and the hunter leaves in a huff.
Artemis forces Percy to lay back down again. He doesn't really see the point of it because he can't get anymore godly food and she's just running her hands through his hair. Plus there's a bed like three feet away.
"M'lady?"
"Artemis. Call me Artemis. No one calls me by my name and it would be nice if you would." even though it's an odd request, Percy agrees.
"Artemis, why… why did you say I'm staying here? I have to get back to my mother." her hands freeze in my head briefly before resuming.
"How do I put this? Well, Percy. After your little fit that wiped Manhattan off the map, then it suddenly reappears, Zeus had to find out what was going on with your father. Poseidon told him he had an argument with his wife about his demigod children, but Amphitrite spoke up out of fear and told him what happened and who she suspected you lived with.
"In a rage, Zeus flashed her up to Olympus and demanded her to explain why she hid you all these years. He pulled every single moment of you from her and shared it with the Olympians. She had one last request before she was stripped of her power and sent down the earth as a mortal. She had asked Hestia to claim you as a child of Hecate when you got to camp. And she sent a silent message to me asking me to find you and let you join my hunt."
Percy is broken up about his mother. She didn't deserve the fate he had brought upon her. Then he realized more bad news.
"Wait. Every memory of me?" Percy knew Hecate had his memories, but he trusted her with them, not a bunch of random gods.
When she looks away, he knew. He knew that everyone knew about what he had been through. He sits up and scoots away hiding his face in his arms, his forehead against his knees.
He feels her sit besides him, her legs and shoulder bumping his. "Percy. Percy, look at me." hoping his eyes weren't red, he looks up. And surprisingly, she looked younger. Before she looked like she was 14 maybe 15 and now she looks 12. His age.
"I don't know how you did it. Or how you do it. Those images haunt me, Percy. I haven't slept since I've found you. Everytime I close my eyes… I feel like i lose a piece of my soul to Tartarus! I- i just…." She stops when she feels something warm on her hand.
"Well, first step is have someone to talk to about it. It helps, believe me, I should know. Step two is surround yourself with those you love. You have that covered with your hunters I believe. And the most important one, never give up on life. Although i don't think you have to worry about that last one."
Artemis winches, the memories of Hecate catching him attempting to take his own life was one of the main reason she stayed up, just, watching him.
She intertwines their hands just to make sure he is real. Real and alive. He looked some pale and lifeless when he collapsed in the clearing. His hand is warm as it ecleapeds her own, and Artemis laid her head on his shoulder.
It was peaceful, until the goddess suddenly burst out laughing.
Her giggle fit has both of them shaking with the force of them.
"What's so funny?" Artemis glances at him through tear filled eyes and says in a teasing voice, "But, mom! they're so weird and… preppy! I do not want to give them a "D" or a "A" or a "T" or a "E!"
Percy's face turns red and fire licks at his ears as Artemis' face turns gold as she struggles to breath in between laughs.
"Oh my gods! Zoë had a fit after she came back to camp! Ha! She was cursing you anyway she could! My particular favorite was, "εσύ κακό κομμάτι κοπριάς μινώταυρος! Ελπίζω ότι οι μύθοι θα τραβήξουν το άσχημο πρόσωπο σας μέσα από ένα πεδίο αγαλμάτων με μέδουσες! UGH! Τελείωσα!" you wicked piece of minotaur manure! I hope the Furies will pull your ugly face through a field of Medusa's statues! UGH! I am done!
Percy suddenly burst out laughing so hard he rolls back hoping to lessen the pain I his stomach. Oops! He forgot he was still holding Artemis' hand. She lurches forward, than she falls on top of Percy. Their lips accidentally connect.
And one fuming huntress chose that moment to storm into the tent.
"AS HADES NO! WHAT ARE THEE DOING TO M'LADY?!" Zoë repeatedly shoots arrows at him, which he barely dodges. Thinking fast, he creates a shield out of shadows, which quickly drained him. Shockingly, since he had amazing stanza when coming to his powers. Although, it might have something to do with the fact that he had passed out for three days.
Knowing there wasn't much time left, Percy did something incredibly stupid. He shadow traveled. Really, it was just like ash crashing, but way more draining. So as soon as he made it outside the tent, he once more collapsed.
Whooooo! I did it!