Okay, today I'm giving a shout out to the author 'little red cardigan'. An older author, but their stories are just... wow.

Anyways, onto the chapter!

Note: I do NOT own PJO and HOO. Otherwise, I wouldn't be uploading this here.

Chapter XLVII

He was propped up against the pillows of his bed, still feeling the ghostly traces of the excruciating pain that had torn through his body mere days ago. He still didn't know how he had survived the experience, but all that mattered was that he did.

Percy let out a long-suffering sigh. He still felt so abysmally weak. It rankled his being to be so helpless, but there was nothing he could do about it. Escaping the iron grasp the essence of Styx held over him had definitely not been an easy task.

He was tossing around, vaguely feeling the soft blankets beneath him. Wh-Where am I? he briefly wondered, before another wave of agony distracted him once more. The Essence of Styx was fighting back with a vengeance, loathe to give up its control over his body.

He felt a slight stirring within the depths of his mind. Let me out. I will free you from its clutches. He didn't even need to ask to know who it was. He knew there was no chance he would ever relinquish control to the Demon King ever again. The being had served its purpose, and now he had to ensue that it always remained under lock and key.

However, the decision didn't help him in his current predicament. He could feel his muscles failing him as he thrashed on the bed, the Essence slowly beginning to creep its way towards his heart once more. He knew that if it reached the organ, he had no chance.

He grit his teeth, desperately fighting against it, pushing against its continuous path, putting every ounce of energy he had into halting its relentless march. He felt it falter, before attacking with renewed vigour. It wasn't done with him, not by a long shot.

Chaos didn't lie. I don't know if I can do this, he thought, a small amount of dark humour colouring his inner voice. He could feel his strength waning, the Essence slowly managing to turn the tide around.

He was on his last legs when he felt a power well up within him. However, it wasn't one he associated with what he had now come to recognize as the Demon King's not-so-subtle influence on his psyche. He felt his loyalty to those he cared about burst forth, not ready to give up on them when he had another chance to return. He owed it to all of them: Apollo, Hermes, Hephaestus, Hestia, Poseidon, Artemis.

No, he couldn't give up. Not now.

With a pained grunt, he gave a furious shove, trying to escape the cold clutches of the Essence of Styx. To his surprise, the substance gave way under his onslaught, suddenly being driven out of his body. Instantly, he felt as if a massive weight had been lifted off his body, allowing him to breathe properly once more. He sighed in relief as the final traces of it left his being.

He heard a commotion around him, but his ears were filled with a buzz far too loud to make out any of the words those around him were saying. He could only catch the barest snippets of their dialogue.

Clean it up... one said, sounding suspiciously like Apollo. Moments later, he felt a wet cloth against his chest, wiping up a sticky substance that, even in his near-comatose state, he could sense due to the waves of malevolence it emitted.

He was slipping further into the realm of Morpheus when he heard someone whisper, he's safe... at last... He wanted to pay attention, but the following words descended into incoherent babble.

He shook his head, clearing it of the memory. He knew he would have a few nights where he would be awoken due to the horrific images his subconscious would conjure of his failure to defeat the Essence, but that was something he would deal with in due time.

The rest of his time had been spent recovering from the injuries he had received battling Tartarus. It had taken both Apollo and Asclepius, along with added energy from Poseidon, two whole days to reverse the damage that had been done by the lord of the pit, and Percy knew that there was still some that would have to heal by itself. He would be back to top form in a couple of months, but he didn't know it his mental state would ever return to what it had once been.

Being the focus of three wars had taken its toll, and each one corresponded to one massive loss after another. However, Tanya's death had been the one to hit him the hardest, and coming right at the back of Bob's demise, it was an invitation for self hatred to set in. He couldn't help but blame himself for being unable to save her, despite being so outclassed in terms of power. It would be a long while before he came to terms with it.

He jerked up as he heard the door open, his senses on high alert. He readied himself, but calmed down when he realized that it was his father stepping through the threshold. A small smile played across his face, albeit a bit strained after everything he had been through.

"Hey, dad," he said, his voice soft.

"How are you, my son?" Poseidon asked, his sea green eyes filled with worry. "Are you comfortable? Your injuries do not pain you, do they?"

"No, dad, I'm fine, just feeling slightly sore. But I want to walk around the city for once. I need to get some fresh air. Apollo, on the other hand, doesn't feel comfortable letting me out until he's certain I have no further problems. He would happily lock me in here for another month if he could," Percy quipped, his smile losing a touch of its previous tightness.

Poseidon returned the grin, before his face fell into a more sombre expression. "I wish I could let you wander about the city with me by your side if you needed, but Zeus has called a meeting since he knew that Apollo was ready to clear you. I don't think you would enjoy this particular instance of getting out."

Percy grimaced. "Do I really have to attend? I just escaped a near death experience," he grumbled, but he already had a look of resignation on his face. He knew that what Zeus wanted, Zeus got, and he was already treading on thin ice for now with his newly discovered transformation.

He slowly got off the bed, wincing as his feet contacted the floor. He could feel the pain flaring in his weakened muscles after being still for so long. His father immediately rushed to his side, holding him up as they made their way towards the infirmary's exit. With a wave of his hand, Poseidon summoned the clothes his son preferred to wear, wrapping them around Percy's frame. The younger god sighed in relief as he felt the necklace resting against his neck, along with his two rings and wristbands. He couldn't help but feel naked and vulnerable without their presence.

They slowly made their way out of the building, walking towards the imposing Throne Room. Each step was slow and easy, ensuring that Percy didn't cramp up due to a sudden burst in activity following over a week of complete rest. The repeated monotony of their steps allowed him to sink into his mind once more.

Apollo was hovering over him, Asclepius right beside the sun god. The two gods were ensuring that there was no permanent damage left after the encounter with Tartarus, and so far, it looked promising. There seemed to be nothing holding him back from returning to his prime within the next couple months.

Percy glanced to the side, seeing his mom hovering in the background. Hestia's eyes were filled with concern, never leaving his body as Apollo continued to wave his hands above it, making sure that he hadn't missed anything.

Finally, the sun god drew back, releasing a sigh of relief. "I don't know how he did it, Aunt Hestia, but he's come through it basically unscathed. Any injury you see will be healed before you know it."

Apollo wiped his forehead, before slowly walking out of the room, Asclepius following his lead. Both of them knew that Hestia would want to talk to her son after he was knocked out for nearly two days following his miraculous recovery, and they were fairly sure she would appreciate some privacy.

The moment the door swung closed, the hearth goddess slammed into Percy in a bear hug, holding him tight as he melted into her embrace, allowing her calming aura to soothe his shattered nerves. A solitary tear leaked out of his eye. It had been too much for him to handle, no matter what others may think. One person simply couldn't take all of that and not be affected in some way.

Hestia drew back, sitting next to Percy. Her hands ran through his hair, calming him down some more. She looked at his drawn features once more, before softly asking, "How do you feel?"

"Truthfully? Not so good, mom," he replied. "I thought that I'd almost died back there, and now I know that I'd held on by the barest of margins. It was terrifying, maybe even more so than having to face... him ."

Hestia didn't push, knowing that Percy wouldn't want to hear Tartarus' name. The memories were still too fresh, as he was bound to associate them with the deaths of both Iapetus, or as her son called him, Bob, and Tanya. The emotional scars would take a long time to heal, but she would support him as much as she could.

He released a small sigh, before meeting her eyes. "You know, when I slipped into a near-death state, I met, or at least I think I met, Chaos."

The name itself seemed to carry weight, causing the air in the room to suddenly feel heavier. Hestia stiffened slightly, but didn't break Percy's gaze. She knew that he wouldn't joke about something so important, not when she had just seen him almost die before her, unable to help.

"You did?" she asked softly, squeezing his hand lightly to show that she believed him. "What did it feel like?"

"At first? Humbling," he replied, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Chaos' mere presence was enough to cause me to almost stop breathing. The aura Chaos exuded was... I don't think I could explain it. It felt so massive, yet at the same time as it was barely a drop in the ocean. I'm quite sure Chaos could have taken out both Gaea and... him ... without even trying. Maybe that's why Chaos never came to earth. I don't think the planet would have survived it."

"And what did Chaos tell you?" Hestia asked, her eyes shining a little brighter. It pained her to know that her son had to go through such an experience. If the creator hadn't taken a liking to Percy, she was sure that he wouldn't have been before her.

He shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed. "I guess what you've always told me: that I'm different from others. I'm frankly surprised that Chaos didn't do anything while I was there. It seemed the only reason Chaos talked to me was because I was 'intriguing'."

She smiled lightly cupping his cheek in a motherly fashion. "And that is the truth. You are different, and you are special, Percy. And don't think about why Chaos would talk to you for such a seemingly simple matter. We cannot comprehend why the creator does something, and we certainly don't have the authority to question his choices."

Percy smiled in return, prompting Hestia to kiss his forehead. "Get some rest," she said, slowly getting up from his bed. "After everything, you need it."

He shook himself out of his memories, the words still prevalent in his mind. His attention returned to where they were headed, for once noticing the looks they were getting.

Multiple minor gods and nature spirits were also making their way towards the Throne Room, but stopped to ogle the two passing Olympians. Many of them paid special attention to Percy, but he ignored them. He knew that some of them were fascinated to know that the Hero of Olympus was also the fourteenth Olympian, while others were disturbed about his hidden transformation, but he personally didn't care. All that mattered to him was getting the meeting over with so he could rest some more. He may have recovered from his wounds, but his energy reserves were still extremely low.

The massive doors loomed over them, but they were opened without either father or son having to lay a hand on them. They slowly walked forwards, heading towards the central room, knowing that the others would already have been assembled.

They finally arrived at the U-shaped arrangement of thrones, taking a moment to observe the other gods in all their battle regalia towering over them. Zeus was watching them with an air of extreme impatience, gesturing them to take their place as quickly at they could.

Poseidon glared right back, helping Percy to his throne before slowly trudging towards his own, growing in stature as he did. He intentionally took his own sweet time, knowing that it would get on his brother's already frayed nerves. He finally sat down, before summoning his own battle armour, knowing that as much as he enjoyed tormenting his younger brother, there were certain traditions that had to be observed.

Percy slumped against his own throne, wincing at the pain that continued to lance up his leg, especially flaring at his midsection. His back also felt sore, especially where he could vaguely recall having sprouted wings. He didn't know where they had gone, and was content to forget it. They were extremely cumbersome if his muddy memory served true.

Sighing softly to himself, he tugged the chain around his neck, feeling his armour once again cover his body, but with one major difference. This time around, it left his face visible, something he had specifically ensured would occur. They knew who he was, so there was no point of hiding anymore. He was who he was, the good and the bad included.

Zeus cleared his throat, glancing around. Percy followed his eyes, seeing the gathered audience present behind the thrones. At the forefront were the other gods of Olympus, their eyes never leaving the fourteen seated deities. Some of them sent baleful glances in his direction, and he could tell that there was a certain amount of jealousy simmering within them. They must have found it blasphemous that a mere demigod received the honour of becoming an Olympian before they did.

Behind them, the demigods were scattered around, some of them letting their eyes wander about the massive room, awe clearly present in their features. Percy noted that while a sizeable number were present, it wasn't the entire population, decimated as it was following the war. The Olympians must have decided that, spacious as it was, the Throne room couldn't handle four hundred demigods flooding its floor.

He glanced around once more before finally sighting his companion, Lady Leila. His brow furrowed when he realized that she was the only monster present. It was extremely conspicuous when they only had one monster representative but dozens of demigod ones. Bastards, my troops were just as essential in the victory. Without them, we would have been forced to exhaust ourselves on the very first day.

Percy let out a deep breath, resigning himself to the still prevalent prejudice. He would handle that later. For now, he would be happy to simply see through the meeting.

"Olympians," Zeus boomed, his face settling into his regular expression while delivering speeches. "We are gathered here today in order to..."

Percy turned him out, already knowing the gist of what he was bound to say. It varied so little over time that he was surprised the sky god even bothered to say it. He allowed it to wash over him as time slowly dragged on, not giving him any respite.

He could hear the assembled audience occasionally grace the King of the Gods' words with a half-hearted cheer or a short round of applause, but it seemed to be enough to spur Zeus on to complete his speech. On the other hand, he simply allowed the sounds to wash over him, not taking anything in; that it, until the attention abruptly shifted towards him.

"... and now, we must decide our course of action regarding Perseus Jackson," Zeus said, causing said god to suddenly lift his head from the palm he was resting it on, blinking the slight sleepiness out of his eyes.

"Excuse me, what about me?" Percy asked, his eyes quickly sharpening at the words.

"We can't risk the danger you represent," Zeus replied. "How can we be sure that your infernal transformation wouldn't suddenly overtake you? I cannot gamble with the lives of my subjects in such a reckless manner."

His words were structured to paint him in the best possible light, but Percy was able to see through them with ease. He sees me as a threat to his rule. After I just won a war for him, he wants to dispose of me, he thought, anger flashing through his system. He felt the familiar rage well up within him, but it seemed oddly muted, almost as if it were watered down from what he remembered. The part of his mind that was aligned with the Demon King was also suddenly silent, not making its usual remarks. He set the thought aside, choosing to reflect on it later.

Zeus, however, focused on the one change he saw, the small flash of yellow in Percy's eyes. "See, even now the beast lingers within him. We cannot afford to..."

His words were cut off by a trident placed against his throat, a furious Poseidon on the other end. Zeus went to say so say something about the audacity of the sea god but, seeing the unbridled rage present on his brother's face, wisely kept his mouth shut.

Percy simply stared at Zeus, the yellow still present in his eyes, but no other signs of him suddenly slipping into the Demon King. "As you may recall, Lord Zeus," he hissed, "I've always had this trait ever since I became God of Monsters. It has no correlation with me being the prophesised 'Demon King'. The colour is a mere coincidence." Saying so, he once again leaned back, knowing what was to come.

Poseidon held his trident against Zeus' throat for a long moment, before finally releasing his brother from the awkward position. He glowered at Zeus before returning to his throne. "Tread carefully, brother," he growled. "You're playing a dangerous game."

Zeus cleared his throat, shaking himself lightly. He continued his speech, albeit a bit more reluctantly than before. "I hence propose a vote for the banishment of Perseus Jackson, and the stripping of his title of fourteenth Olympian along with his domains."

Instantly, the room was in uproar. Poseidon had once again levelled his trident towards his brother, his previous anger paling in comparison to the raw hatred on his face. Hestia had also stood up, fire swirling around her fingers as she for once lost her usual calm demeanour, trapping Zeus with a steely glare. Hermes, Hephaestus, and Apollo had all leapt up, ready to fight for Percy.

Percy had just turned to see what Artemis was doing when his attention was distracted by a sudden clap of thunder. His attention was drawn back to the front of the Throne Room, where Zeus had somehow escaped Poseidon's trident, although he was still warily eyeing the sea god.

"Enough!" the King of the Gods yelled. "Let us put it to vote. As it is regarding his own banishment, Perseus cannot partake in it."

Percy grit his teeth, but he knew he couldn't do anything about it. He watched as the other thirteen prepared to decide his fate, just as it had been all those decades ago.

"Those who vote for banishment," Zeus proclaimed, immediately thrusting his hand into the air. Hera quickly followed her husband, never having overcome her hatred for him that had been present since his demigod days. Right after her was Aphrodite. Percy could tell that she was still steaming after his role in causing Hephaestus to dissolve his marriage with her. He knew that if the vote had come after a month or two, she probably would have voted in his favour simply to try and get into his pants. It was why he rarely took her seriously.

Athena was the final one to raise her hand. Percy knew she did it because of how he had cut down both her and her daughter the day before he fell into the pit. She may have had a solid reasoning for why she chose to do so, but the primary factor influencing her decision had been her pride.

He turned to Ares, prepared to see the war god raise his hand. To his shock, it stayed down, although he could see the conflict on Ares' face. It seemed that the god still hated him for the humiliation Percy handed him when he was merely twelve years old, along with everything else he had done, but he still respected Percy's abilities as a warrior, which was something the war god didn't take lightly.

He turned back to the three who had raised their hands, already knowing his opinion regarding them. Aphrodite was one whose opinions swayed like leaves in the wind, just as capricious as the emotion she controlled. Hera, on the other hand, would always hate him, no matter what, while Zeus was simply paranoid to the extreme. It would take a lot for the King of Olympus to once again be neutral in Percy's book, and he doubted whether it would ever go higher than that. Athena, meanwhile, was someone who would always hold animosity towards him, and he in turn would remain distrustful of her for an exceedingly long time. For a goddess who claimed to always think logically, there were multiple instances where she let her pride win.

Zeus grit his teeth, already knowing the result of the vote. "Those in favour of acquittal," he ground out, lowering his hand. He watched as a sea of hands flew into the air, one after the other, until there were nine in all.

Ares had been the most hesitant, but his hand was still raised along with the others. Demeter had been the other one who took a little time, but her conviction was present. It seemed that everything Percy had done was enough to sway her opinion of him at long last.

The rest had been completely confident while voting. Hades had looked mockingly at Zeus, already knowing that the vote was not going to go the way his brother wanted. Hephaestus, Apollo and Hermes had raised their hands in unison, not a single trace of humour present on the faces of the latter two. They were stoic, showing solidarity for their friend. Percy could feel his heart squeeze a little at their action.

Poseidon and Hestia were also lightning-quick to raise their hands, glaring at Zeus in an act of open defiance, daring him to make a single move against their son. Percy could feel the love they had for him driving their actions, a sentiment he returned with equal fervour.

However, his eyes were drawn to the goddess who had raised her hands first among everyone else. Twin pools of silver met his green orbs as he looked at Artemis, her hand raised with conviction. Unbidden, a memory came from one of his days in the infirmary.

He was propped up on his bed, the first time Apollo had allowed him to be so. Hephaestus and Hermes had just been around to see him before departing, having to handle their own duties. He was about to lie back down when he heard the door opening. He glanced towards the entrance, only to freeze when he saw the auburn-haired goddess walk in.

He forced himself to get his breathing under control once more before speaking. "Artemis," he greeted, trying his level best to keep his voice neutral. The entire while, he couldn't help but think about all the possibilities of what she could say. Would she hate me for what I can become? Would she want nothing to do with me?

He was about to lose himself to such thoughts when Artemis responded. "Percy, are you doing well?"

Her voice was calm, but he could easily pick up on the underlying tone of concern present. That, more than anything else, allayed his fears for the time being. He allowed himself to breathe normally once more, a small, strained smile stretching across his face.

"I'm alright. Still sore, but Apollo said that it'll pass in due time," he said, his voice regaining most of its lost calm. He felt a sense of ease settle around the two of them, although it was tinged with a slight hint of trepidation. Both of them were aware of the elephant in the room, one neither of them wished to address.

Artemis finally broached the topic, a hint of pain flashing across her face. "Percy, I'm sorry about what happened. She didn't deserve to die like that."

He didn't need to ask to know who she was talking about.

Tanya's death stills ate at him, and he knew himself well enough to admit that it would continue to do so for a long while. It was simply far too difficult for him to get over it quickly, but those who knew him were aware that he always took the deaths of those close to him extremely hard.

A part of him wanted to scream at Artemis, to hurl obscenities for bringing up the event, but Percy knew that it was the irrational part of him, the one swamped by grief following Tanya's death. It took quite a bit of effort, but he was able to squash the impulse before he did something stupid. Still, his voice was heavily strained as he replied.

"She didn't. I failed to keep her safe." He hung his head, not wanting to meet her eyes.

"Hey, it wasn't your fault," she retorted. Once again, she grabbed his chin, jerking his face up. Her eyes bore into his as she continued. "It was his fault, Percy. His and his alone. Don't blame yourself for that."

He smiled sadly, knowing that it would take a long time for him to accept that line of thinking, but he was thankful, nonetheless. "Thank you, Artemis. Thank you."

He didn't need to say anything else. She got what he was trying to convey. He sighed slightly before continuing.

"Percy, I don't care if you have that being inside of you. I know now that you've always battled your inner demons, and you've always emerged victorious. I once made the mistake of not trusting you, and it led to you suffering heavily due to my decision. I won't make the same mistake twice, I promise you," she said, conviction lacing every single word.

They knew that they both were ignoring one very important point, but neither of them wished to bring it up at the moment. It would come in due time, but for now, it was enough.

As he looked at her blazing silver eyes, he could easily pick out the confidence he had seen in the infirmary, and he knew that she hadn't uttered a single lie. She believed in him, and somehow, just somehow, it gave him hope that all was not lost between the two of them.

Thalia could only watch as Percy stood from his throne, a slight grimace flashing across his face. The other senior hunters congregated around her were not faring much better, all of them struck dumb as he moved to the centre of the thrones. Their eyes were riveted on Artemis, who was the last person to put her hand down. They may have known that their mistress had a change of heart, but they could never have guessed that it would have been so blatant, especially after the stunt Percy had pulled just before jumping into Tartarus.

Her eyes were drawn back to Percy as he cleared his throat, glancing around at the other Olympians.

"Thank you, Lord Zeus, for gambling with my life due to your fear that I may depose you," he quipped, but it wasn't with the easy joking that Thalia used to associate with her cousin. There was a hard edge to it now, a definite threat under the words. She could tell that if pushed past a point, he wouldn't hesitate to rebel against her father, and after seeing the support he received from the council, she knew it wouldn't end well for Zeus.

He turned back towards the assembled audience, his back facing a glowering sky god. "Many of you may have doubt regarding my ability to control the power you saw burst forth a few days ago," he began. "I do not blame you for your concern, but I will assure you that it will not happen again. That power was meant for only one purpose, and now that it has been served, I doubt it would ever resurface again. Furthermore, it took a massive blow to my soul to bring it forth, and I'm certain that it will never reoccur."

Thalia could hear the unspoken words, even if they were only supplied by her own imagination. Don't try to push me; you will not survive if you do.

His glowing eyes, two swirling pools of red and green, scanned the crowd, before he allowed a small smile to tug at his lips. "However, we will leave that in the past. I must say that I'm proud of how you handled the threat all of you faced. You never crumbled before the odds, even when they tried to upset your focus by forcibly revealing my identity. It may have shaken the structure, but the foundations never wavered. I am honoured to be the God of Heroes and Monsters."

She flinched, and instinctively knew that every single person who had been present during Percy's demigod days did so as well. She could almost feel his eyes on her for a split second before they just as quickly moved on. She could tell from the heat she felt that he may have forgiven them, but he hadn't forgotten, not in the slightest.

Percy looked at the crowd as a whole, heedless of her discomfort. "Now, I know Zeus would wish to organize a massive celebration for our victory, but I would like to make a small alteration to that plan."

On hearing that, Zeus went to stand from his throne, but one gesture from Poseidon was enough to get the King of the Gods to not vacate his seat. The sea god glared at his brother, slowly lowering his trident once more.

Percy continued, unfazed. "Whoever wishes to stay for the party may do so, but I know that a lot of you lost those you were close to, and do not wish to indulge in such revelry. It may feel like you're disrespecting their memories. I understand how you feel; I've been there myself. Therefore, I give all of you a chance to leave now if you wish to do so. None of us will hold it against you, this I swear on the River Styx."

A clap of thunder was heard, letting them know that his oath was true. However, it only served as a reminder of Thalia's failure. She had asked Artemis about what exactly the Vapour of Lethe entailed, and the answer she received had shaken her to the core. How she had hoped that Brandon was lying, but her mistress' words had just confirmed it. She had doubted her cousin, and it had led to her ostracising him for a mistake he never committed. And to learn that once it was set, even an oath on the Styx wouldn't have helped, since the Vapour was derived from yet another river in the Underworld, hurt her even worse. Percy had been trapped, with no way to prove himself, and she had allowed him to fall into that trap.

She was pulled out of her self-pity when she saw a mini-exodus, as many demigods quietly left the Throne Room. From the sheer numbers, it was obvious that they were truly thankful to Percy. Several her hunters left as well, with a few remaining simply to make sure that they were represented at the party.

Overall, almost half of the assembled congregation had left, leaving a much more sparsely populated Throne Room in their wake. Thalia could see that Zeus looked a little put out at the lack of fanfare for what he had probably hoped was to be a massive party to wash away all the sadness of the war, but it didn't work like that.

Thalia herself was ready to leave, seeing that her second-in-command was present to take control of proceedings for the moment, but then realized that it was the best opportunity she had to talk to Percy. She turned around, trying to spot the rest of the Seven and Nico, hoping that they could lend her some support. However, her hopes came crashing down when she saw them huddled together, as far away from Percy as they could. The guilt present on their faces was almost painful, and she knew they weren't going to be ready for such a conversation.

Thalia took a deep breath, knowing that she would have to do it on her own. She would have to wait for some time, though. Both of their nerves were too frayed for them to have such a conversation at the moment.

The party was in full swing, a throng of people crowding the dance floor. The Olympians had pushed their thrones back, some extremely grudgingly, to make space. The Muses were all present, their magical notes permeating the air.

Percy was leaning against a pillar, hearing a soft, sad tune. To him, it symbolized all the hardships he had been through, but also hinted at the possibility of brightness to come. He sighed, letting his gaze wander about the crowd.

Apollo and Hermes oversaw the smooth progress of the party, but, since Apollo had stopped wearing his facade, it was far more subdued than usual. It didn't mean that it wasn't on a grand scale, simply that it wasn't overly extravagant, nor did it have unwelcome surprises like he remembered from countless other occasions. He couldn't wait to see the council's reaction when Apollo finally stopped acting during the midst of a meeting.

He saw Zeus glaring at him from across the room, but he ignored the sky god. Zeus could get as mad as he wished, but if he attacked, Poseidon would go to war with the King of the Gods in an instant, and Zeus knew that such a scenario wouldn't end well.

He could see Artemis off to his right, weaving through the crowd of minor gods and nature spirits. Her smile was frozen on her face, with hints of strain present near the corner of her eyes. Percy could sympathise, still able to remember how he had been swamped after the award ceremony of the Second Giant War. While it wasn't at the same scale, he knew that it must have been exhausting to constantly fend off drunken immortals.

He shook himself, thinking that he should go talk to her, but decided that it would be better to leave it for later. After seeing the annoyance barely masked in her eyes, he could tell that she wouldn't be in the right state of mind for a conversation.

He let out a deep breath, silently vanishing from the spot. He debated whether or not to directly teleport to his palace, but he decided that it would do him good to walk around Olympus without any disturbances. Thinking so, he reappeared just outside the walls of the Throne Room.

He was just about to set off on his impromptu walk when he heard someone come running towards him. He tensed for a moment, his senses still on high alert, before realizing that whoever was coming didn't mean him harm. He allowed his stance to soften a bit, before turning around.

He first saw the silver uniform, already setting off alarms in his head. While his relationship with Artemis may have begun to mend, her hunters were a completely different story, one he didn't want to deal with. He was about to simply teleport away once again when he glimpsed the tiara resting atop the hunter's head, causing him to freeze.

Thalia finally reached him, panting slightly after her exertion. She glanced up, only to be met with a pair of eyes harder than granite. She felt a small tingle of fear run down her back, before quelling it with the force of her will. She had come to talk to Percy, and she wasn't going to back away so quickly.

"Percy, can we talk?" she asked in a soft tone, her eyes holding the smallest glimmers of hope. He looked at her, debating whether he ought to grant her request. Part of him was dead set against the notion, but the majority knew that it was bound to happen at some point, and it would be better to get it over with as quickly as he could.

"Yes, we can," he ground out, before turning around and walking down the street. He didn't need to say anything for Thalia to figure out that he wanted her to walk beside him.

She fell into step, sometimes having to speed up her pace to match his longer stride. A small amount of trepidation was present on her face after hearing the slight venom that coated Percy's words, causing her to think that it hadn't been the best idea to talk to him.

"Percy, are you..." she began, but was brutally cut off.

"Don't call me Percy, Lieutenant Grace. Only my friends and family can call me that. To you, I'm either Perseus or Lord Perseus. I don't demand the honorific, but I do demand that you refrain from using that nickname."

Thalia reeled back in shock, the words hitting her like steel barbs. "Percy, what are you..."

"Did you hear what I just said?" he hissed, once again cutting her off. "You don't have the right to call me that."

The Lieutenant of Artemis shivered at the menacing tone, but seeing the yellow beginning to gather in Percy's eyes, decided to comply with his request. "Pe-Perseus, why are you doing this? I thought you'd forgiven us."

His lips squirmed, but not in the fashion of a smile. He quickly brought his expression under control, but Thalia could see the anger still present under the mask.

"I forgave, but I didn't forget," he snapped. "What I meant was that I will not try to intentionally harm you for whatever reason, and I will not let those past experiences colour my decisions in regard to you. However, I still remember what you did, and I cannot look past it completely no matter what. I will treat you cordially, as my position demands, but you, and everyone else, are at best neutral in my book. It will take a lot to get back into my good graces; maybe you may never do so. Your actions have consequences, it's time you realized that."

"But.. but it wasn't our..." Thalia stammered, shocked at the sudden explosion, even though his tone was never raised. The only sign of his anger was a slight inflection in his words, but it was enough to shock her to the core.

"Wasn't what? Your fault?" he supplied, noticing that she had stopped talking. He looked ready to blow once again, but he stopped, taking a deep breath. He didn't move for a long moment, before finally opening his eyes. Thalia could see that the yellow had left his orbs, but there was still a hint of steel present.

"That excuse won't work, Lieutenant," he said, far calmer than before. Even so, him using such formality to address her stung. "You know as well as I do that you needed to have doubt for the Vapour to work, and that it would only do so if you made the choice under your free will. The duration may not have been your fault, but the instigation certainly was."

"And what did you mean by 'only friends and family'? Am I not your cousin, Perseus," Thalia asked, a small hint of wetness in her eyes.

Percy looked at her, his expression never changing. "By family, I didn't mean by blood, Lieutenant. I mean those who have strong ties with me; those who know who I am and accept me even though they know all of my faults. You once held that title, but you lost it due to your own actions. I trust you understand that," he finished, his eyes never leaving hers.

Thalia nodded slowly, before her head dropped. "Yes, I do," she whispered, before turning around to walk away.

"Oh, and one more thing, Lieutenant," Percy said. She turned around, her eyes downcast.

"Please convey what I told you to the rest of the Seven and Lord di Angelo. It would both be more efficient and kinder to tell them together than having each one of them try to contact me personally only to hear the exact same words."

Thalia nodded once more, before walking back towards the Throne Room, her footsteps rapid as she tried to pit as much distance as she could between herself and Percy. She could hear his words constantly replay in her mind, but try as she might, she couldn't dispute them. It truly was her fault in the end, whether she wished to acknowledge it or not.

Percy watched her leave, a brief flicker of remorse flashing across his face. A small part of him, the one that always told him to let bygones be bygones, was screaming at him to call her back and apologize for being so harsh. However, he knew he had to ignore it, no matter how appealing it was. The small part of him would be perfect for a perfect world, but the one they lived in definitely wasn't one. He had to stay firm, otherwise others would always walk over him, no matter what.

He turned around, gazing down the deserted street. He remembered the time over two months ago when he had traversed a similar road, but the stark differences were apparent. Back then, he had so many thoughts running through his mind that he didn't even know how many there were; now, his mind was finally calm. Before, he didn't know where his life was headed; now, he had hope for what the future held.

Artemis watched as Thalia returned to the Throne Room before making a beeline for the remaining members of the Seven and Nico. She saw them huddle in a corner while her lieutenant seemed to be amidst explaining something, which from their expressions she could tell they didn't wish to hear. She had an inkling as to exactly what they were talking about.

She remembered talking to Percy about how he was going to interact with those from his past during his time in her brother's infirmary. When he had told her what he intended to do, she had initially been against such a harsh rebuke, but his reply managed to drive the point home: if he didn't stand up for himself, no one would respect him.

She sighed softly, knowing that it would take a long time for Thalia to begin to reconnect with Percy, if it ever even happened. She felt a small pang of sadness at the thought of what was once such a close relationship crumbling before the inexorable march of time, aided by the whims of fate. But she had no control over it, and knew she could only hope, even if it was for a lost cause.

Apollo drew close to her, his head also tilted in the direction of the seven demigod-turned-gods and one huntress. A solemn expression adorned his usually bright features.

"I know what you're thinking, sister, but even I can't say what will occur. There are far too many variables for me to get a clear image. All we can do is see how it plays out."

Artemis nodded in agreement, a soft sigh escaping her lips. She needed to leave the party soon. The atmosphere, despite Zeus' hopes, was still subdued due to the aftershocks of the war.

Apollo understood what his sister was thinking without needing to hear a single word. "If it's this bad right now, I don't want to think about how it will be when we get to the funerals," he said sombrely.

Artemis held up her hand in a sharp gesture. "Please, Apollo, I don't need to hear that right now," she snapped, feeling the tension wound up within her begging to be released.

Her brother held up his hands in a placating manner. "Sorry, Artemis, I didn't mean it in that manner," he said. He went to add something else, but seeing the state his sister was in, amended his words.

"You should get out of here; get some rest. Chaos knows you've been through enough recently. I'll cover for you."

Artemis shot him a grateful smile, the first one she'd given him in a long time, before quickly heading towards the exit. For once, no one moved to stop her, probably because they had become far too intoxicated to notice. It seemed that Dionysus' idea of petty revenge for being kicked off the council was to make the drinks so strong that all the other gods made fools of themselves. She would never understand that drunkard no matter how much she tried.

She finally stepped put of the Throne Room, the cool air feeling like a balm against her skin. She decided to walk to her palace, unknowingly following the path Percy had traversed not too long ago. Like him, her mind was calm after far too long, and she could feel one emotion softly resonate in her mind regarding the future: hope.

My gods, we're so close to the end. Next week we have the penultimate chapter, everyone.

Please review!

Okay, no questions to answer this week (which I won't fuck up), so see y'all in a week's time. Peace!