"Percy! Percy! Annabeth!" Sally pounds her fists against the invisible border of Camp Half Blood, while Festus keeps his attention on her, although he doesn't seem very concerned. "Someone! Percy!"
"Why aren't you eating the mortal?"
Sally turns to see Dionysus frowning at Festus, but the dragon doesn't seem perturbed. "Not hungry? Lazy? Some guard dragon you are." He shakes his head and gives Sally a sidelong glance.
"Hey!" Sally moves forward towards the god, who turns towards her with a frown. "Where is Percy?"
Dionysus frowns at her. "And just who are you?"
"His mother!"
"Mmm. I see." He drawls, crossing his arms and rocking back and forth on his feet. "Well Percy's Mother, I'm afraid mortals aren't allowed in the camp. So go on, leave, before Festus here decides to start doing his job." He glances at Festus as though to say 'That's your cue!', but the guardian yawns and closes its eyes. "Useless. Why did we even pay for you?"
"Please." Sally says, causing Dionysus to turn back towards her. "I know he went up to Olympus to fight Kronos. He was supposed to have one of the gods light up the Empire State Building blue so I know he won. What's happened? Did he win? Is he okay? Please!"
Dionysus scoffs and disappears back down the hill, and Sally can hear him mutter, "That old horse just has to be in the middle of class, leaving me to deal with the border when the dragon won't. 'It'll automate security!' He said. 'We won't have to have border guards anymore!'. Pfft." Sally glances at the sleeping dragon, then looks back over the valley as she anxiously clenches and unclenches her hands.
A few minutes later, just as she's about to start yelling again since it's the only thing she could do, Dionysus returns with Annabeth walking beside him, her head tilted to the ground with a forlorn look on her face. "Don't let her into camp, and don't try to run off." He says, giving her a disapproving look before trudging back down towards the big house.
"Annabeth..." Sally can tell immediately that something is wrong, and a knot forms in her chest as Annabeth raises her head.
"Ms. Jackson, about Percy..."
Though Annabeth is able to keep her composure as she tells Sally what's happened, she can't stop the immense feeling of guilt that wells up inside her. For the past two weeks, she's been so upset at everyone for abandoning Percy that she hadn't even thought about who would tell his mother what had happened. Tears fall from Sally's face, but she doesn't react at all. "Don't worry." Annabeth tries to muster a confidence to her voice. "As soon as summer ends, I'm going home and I'm going to go get him back."
"You can't!" She grips the younger girl by the shoulders, a distraught look on her face. "If the gods won't go, then you can't either! What would you tell your father?"
The mention of her father makes Annabeth wince, but she shakes out of Sally's grip. "We can't leave him there! He's your son!"
"And I gave him my blessing to go to war. I knew what was going to happen." She says, her voice shuddering as she tries not to cry. "Annabeth, I lost my parents when I was young, I know how hard it is to let go of the people you love. But you have to, because if you get trapped by despair, you're just going to throw your life away." She wipes her eyes and takes a deep breath, hating herself for saying this. "Percy wouldn't want us to live like this. He wouldn't want you to go after him." She collapses to the ground, tears falling freely once more. "I should've seen the signs when he didn't call, when no one came. My son is gone..."
Annabeth kneels down and draws the older woman into a hug, trying to stop her own tears from falling once more. As distraught as she was, she knew it was probably nothing compared to what Sally was feeling; after putting up with her abusive ex-husband for years, only for Percy to leap into danger time and time again, years worth of fear and anxiety surrounding his fate had finally beat out the hope inside her that everything would work out.
They stayed there for a long time, until Sally had calmed down and Annabeth helped her to her feet. The younger girl glanced around, seeing the car parked on the side of the road at the base of the hill and asked, "Is Paul here?"
Sally shook her head. "He's still at home. He got hit by a monster pretty hard and he's recovering. Don't worry, it's nothing serious, just a few bruised ribs. He has to take it easy but he'll be okay... I should get back to him, and let him know..."
"Ms. Jackson." Annabeth hesitated, wanting to say more, but wasn't sure what else to say and so she let go and backed across the invisible barrier. "You and Paul were really cool."
"Thanks, Annabeth." Sally sniffled again, and turned away as she brushed away the tears forming again. "Take care, okay?"
"I will. Goodbye." The sound of it was so final she couldn't help the wince that formed before she turned and headed back into camp, but it was most likely the truth. Without her son, Sally would have less and less contact with the world of demigods as time went on, and without Percy around, the two wouldn't be in contact as often. Especially during the school year, when she was on the other side of the country, it was very likely that within three years they would stop talking completely. "It's sad, but it's true."
"Ah, Annabeth."
Chiron's approach pulled her out of her thoughts and caused her head to snap up. "I'm told Percy's mother was here?" Annabeth nodded and looked away, and Chiron grimaced. "I see. I had... I had a letter written that I planned on sending her, but admittedly I was having trouble explaining everything concisely." Annabeth crossed her arms, and Chiron cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So, Dionysus went back to Olympus regarding some lingering issues with the war. I could use your help in taking over some classes so I could take over his duties a little easier."
It was one of the few times since the war had ended that someone had asked something simple of her, hadn't talked down to her, or otherwise pitied or angered her, and it was such a simple, honest plea for help that she shrugged and said, "Sure. Let me get changed. We're about to have ancient Greek, aren't we?"
"Yes, that's right." Thankfully, Chiron contained his joy at seeing Annabeth agreeing to be up and about once more. He was always calm and collected, but right now he felt like throwing his arms in the air and cheering. Instead, he headed to the big house and let Annabeth go on her own way.
~Price to Pay~
Dionysus arrived at the entrance of the Empire State building, stretching his arms over his head as he walked inside. The security guard looked up and gave him a respectful nod, dipping his head slightly before returning to his book. As he approached the elevator, he waved his hand and convinced the mortals crowding it to stop and check their phones, all at once. He would never understand their recently developed obsession with the little devices, but thankfully it was the cover he needed to get into the elevator on his own. As part of his punishment, he hadn't been allowed to travel directly to and from Olympus; another little thing that was just out to annoy him. At least the he liked the elevator music over Chiron's collection of oldies.
Stepping out of the elevator and making his way through the streets to the throne room, he wasn't able to shake the ominous feeling he was getting on the way. There was a hum of anxiety in the air, and it must've been coming solely from the main council because the minor gods didn't seem worried at all as they went about repairing Olympus.
Stepping into the throne room, his brow raised in surprise as he saw the entire Olympian council, Hades included, gathered around Hestia's hearth, looking down at something. Zeus turned when the massive double doors closed. "Good, you're here." He rumbled. "This requires your touch, I should think."
Crossing the room, Dionysus couldn't stop himself from gaping as he recognized who was on the floor. "He's alive!?" He asked in complete disbelief.
"For the moment." Hades said with a hint of sadness. "Such a shame, I was getting close to taking Poseidon up on his offer."
"What offer?" Dionysus asked.
"It's nothing." Poseidon said. He was kneeling on the ground, holding Percy in his lap with his brow furrowed in concern.
"Asking Hades for an invitation to Tartarus and offering your realm should you fail to return is hardly 'nothing'." Athena said with disdain.
"Yes, upsetting the balance of power so drastically over a mortal..." Zeus muttered. "But you've been known for brashness before. This isn't even the most idiotic thing you've attempted."
"How did he come back?" The camp director asked.
Hades cleared his throat. "Apparently, Charon's mother rescued him from Tartarus' never ending pain." As he said the words, the Olympian's shifted anxiously. Dionysus wasn't familiar with Nyx, but he knew she was not a force to be trifled with, and if she rescued him from Tartarus... "So that's why you've called me. The boy has lost his marbles. And I suppose I'm just expected to put him back together?"
Gently lowering Percy to the ground before moving and standing toe to toe with the god of wine, Poseidon looked down on Dionysus. "He saved us all, proved all of you who doubted him wrong, and struck down a Titan who invaded our home. You. Will. Help. Him."
"Oh, come off it, barnacle brains." Dionysus said with a roll of his eyes. "All I want is a little please and thank you." He stepped past the god of the sea, and knelt down next to Percy.
He placed a hand on the mortals forehead, and closed his eyes as he focused.
Then, a dark energy erupted from Percy and sent Dionysus sprawling several feet backwards.
The gods shouted and ran to his aid, but it took him a moment to shake off the phantom pain images of teeth, claws, blood and gore, and the ringing sound of a primordial screaming and laughing in his ears. "I'm all right, I'm all right..." He slurred as he shakily stood to his feet with a little help.
"What was that?" Hades asked.
"A little more than I was expecting." Dionysus admitted. "But it's not beyond my strength to overcome. I'll need your help, Apollo."
"Got it!" The sun god said cheerfully, making Artemis roll her eyes as he stood behind Dionysus and lent him strength, focusing on empowering Dionysus' ability to mend the broken mind.
Several minutes passed before Dionysus stood up, looking completely drained. Apollo looked a little worn out too. "That's all I can do for today. Any more godly energy put into him and he'll explode." He turned to the other gods and rolled his shoulders. "Tartarus certainly wasn't kind to him. Being denied death and constantly tortured..." He shook his head and sighed. "Well, I for one am glad we agreed not to go down there. I think I'd rather get knocked out of the sky by Typhon again."
"You said it wasn't beyond healing. He'll... He'll be okay?" Poseidon asked cautiously.
"Probably." At Poseidon's glare Dionysus frowned. "It wasn't like he went insane because he was afraid of the dark, you know. His mind couldn't comprehend what happened to him in that place, by that things power. Two weeks trapped there, well- I can try to help him make sense of it, but if he doesn't wake up, he might be trapped in a never ending nightmare."
The gods glanced as Percy curled into a ball, his form shaking as he muttered something unintelligible.
"To think, that arrogant punk got reduced to this." Ares said before vanishing.
"I did tell him that a person can't be fixed once he'd been broken. Hope I'm wrong." Hephaestus said.
"An impressive male. Hopefully he comes back as a role model for the rest." Artemis said, vanishing as well.
Dionysus sighed. "I suppose we'll have to take him back to camp. No point in leaving him here to depress Hestia." The goddess frowned, but said nothing. "Such a shame. Annabeth wouldn't shut up about him, and here I was starting sense she was starting to move on. Now she'll be even more annoying, oh I can hear it now! 'Is he alright today Mr. D? What about today? When will he be alright?' Blegh."
"Do not speak of my daughter that way." Athena said with a steel edge to her tone. "She was distraught over losing him, despite the fact that I discourage both of them from coming together."
"Yes, and once they're reunited they'll be oh so grateful, I'm sure." He grumbled. "It shouldn't take more than a week or so. Once he's healed, I'll let you all know. I'm sure we'll have to discuss his heroism and make his head bigger than it already is."
"Very well, I leave it in your hands. And ah- Thank you for doing this." Poseidon said as he cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Hmph." Was all he got in response before he picked up Percy and the two vanished, before the other gods returned to their duties outside Olympus.
But the image of Percy's insanity sending Dionysus flying stayed in their minds, and a question was left with all of them; what would happen to Percy?