Okay, today I'm giving the final shout out in this series. Guys, if you haven't already, do check out MisguidedPenguin's "Flipping the Hourglass". I promise you, you won't regret it.
Anyways, here we are, in the second-last chapter of this fic. Damn, we're so close to the end.
Note: I do NOT own PJO or HOO. Otherwise, I wouldn't be uploading this here.
Chapter XLVIII
Percy rested his head against the soft pillow, staring at the roof of his bedroom. Common sense dictated that he attempt to fall asleep as quickly as possible, but for some reason, the realm of Morpheus kept eluding him no matter how hard he tried.
He tossed around, still feeling too warm and constricted. He had already lost his shirt, and thrown away the blanket, but it did absolutely nothing to resolve the issue. All it did was confirm his already concrete notion that he wouldn't be able to sleep at all that night.
He closed his eyes, but within moments, he could picture himself transported back to Tartarus, seeing Tanya's limp body before him. He watched helplessly as the light left her eyes, the sword impaled through her midsection.
He shot upwards, gasping for air. He supported his body with his arms, leaning back slightly as he continued to take in large, ragged breaths. The images constantly haunted him, but he knew he had to deal with it soon, otherwise he would be hounded by them for the rest of his immortal existence.
He rolled out of bed, glancing outside his window. Absently, he noted that it was still dark outside, but he could feel that dawn wasn't too far away. Even though he hadn't slept, his thoughts had occupied his night, a plethora of images and scenarios flashing through his mind every passing moment.
He walked down the stairs, pausing at the bottom to ascertain that no one else was present in his home. For some reason, he could almost feel the presence of another deity, but he was aware that it could be due to his own paranoia following his battle with Tartarus.
He glanced around once more, before finally concluding that no one was present. He let out a soft sigh, allowing himself to sit down at a nearby table. He really had to get his paranoia under control. He had always been a cautious god, having learnt his lesson from his demigod days, but his current mind-set was almost as bad as Zeus'. He grabbed a nearby glass, raising it to his lips in order to quench his thirst.
It was only when he had begun to take a drink when he realized that he had never got up to fill the glass, nor had he used his powers to will the water into it. He felt confusion well within him, closely followed by another bout of battle instincts. Someone's here.
He knew he had to act as if everything was normal, so he slowly drank the water, not sensing anything off about the liquid. Meanwhile, he kept his ear open for any noises that could alert him about an intruder.
"And why are you still up, young man?" came a voice from right behind him.
Percy choked on the water as he instantly recognised the voice, spilling half the contents of the glass in his haste to spin around. A fit of coughing overcame him, a few tears blurring his eyes.
"He... hey mom," he coughed out, his eyes barely making out Hestia's figure.
His mother simply stared at him unamused. "You didn't answer my question, Percy. Why haven't you slept at all tonight?"
He grinned weakly, finally being able to utilize his powers and overcome the cough. "Who said I didn't sleep? I could have woken up early."
His joke didn't go over as planned, with Hestia suddenly looking more severe. "Don't lie to me, Perseus Jackson. I know when you haven't slept, don't try hiding it from me."
Percy winced at the mention of his full name, knowing that it was better to come clean as quickly as possible. "Yeah mom, you're right. I'm sorry about that. It's just that every time I try to close my eyes, I see her body before me, dead due to my inability."
A few tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, his voice becoming thick with emotion. "It's the same story every damn time! I'm never strong enough or quick enough to save those I care about. Every single time, I have to see those I love die before me, always helpless to stop it. First Zoë, the Beckendorf, then Silena and everyone in the Titan War, and..."
Hestia cut him off, wrapping him in a tight hug. "Shhh, it's not your fault son. You always tried your best no matter what. You didn't fail them, because you never stopped trying to save them no matter how bleak it seemed. Your enemies were the ones who killed them, not you. Don't blame yourself for what they did."
Percy drew in deep breaths, his head sagging onto Hestia's shoulder. "It's just so difficult, mom. No matter how much I try to think like that, I can't accept it. My mind keeps telling me that I'm responsible for their deaths, no matter what anyone else says."
Hestia frowned slightly, still rubbing his back comfortingly. "Is it really your mind supplying such ideas, or is it the Demon King doing so?"
"I don't know, mom," he replied. "But I don't think it's him. He's been silent ever since I've spoken to Chaos. It's almost like sensing the creator's power caused him to hide as deeply as he could within my subconscious."
Hestia nodded lightly, before pulling Percy even closer. ""Well then, let me tell you once more: it is not your fault Percy. I don't care what your subconscious tells you, it truly isn't. Let go of such thoughts, my son. Rest for now."
"I... don't think it'll be that easy, mom..." he murmured, his voice already soft. Hestia knew that him drifting off wasn't a result of him finally accepting the words she said, but rather a result of being subjected to continuous pressure for far too long. She slowly laid him down onto a nearby sofa as he slipped further into sleep, the first proper rest he had received in almost three days. She knew that he hadn't healed from his memories; he had barely begun, but he had begun all the same. And that was what mattered to her, since it meant that he was bound to recover. It may take months, years or even decades, but he would recover one day.
The mood in Camp Half-Blood was sombre, with none of the cheer which had been so prevalent in the Olympian party present. Most of the inhabitants trudged along, refusing to meet each other's eyes. The toll they had paid was too great, something that the party had simply delayed for those who attended. Now, they felt just as bad as those who hadn't partaken in the festivities.
The counsellors were the worst off among the occupants of the camp, with none of them having been able to attend the party due to the constant shame they experienced whenever they saw Perseus. They had leapt at his offer to leave, yet at the same time felt horrible to know that even after everything, Perseus was still looking out for them, even if it was because they were with others who had never done anything to them.
It had been extremely mortifying for them to come face to face with Chiron after the reveal. With all of them remembering how the centaur had introduced the God of Heroes as an 'old friend', it wasn't surprising to know that he had known that it was Percy all along. They could still remember the conversation they had with him.
"How could you have concealed it from us, Chiron? You should have told us," Malcolm protested, his tone thick with emotion.
Nobody could blame him for his vulnerability; after all, he had not only found out that the god he had travelled with for over a month was actually the person he had cast out all those years ago, but then instantly found out that he had been innocent the entire time. Adding to that was witnessing the brutal murder of another member of the quest, and in the end it was actually remarkable that he was still relatively collected.
The trainer of heroes sighed, his eyes for once showing the weight of the countless eons he'd witnessed. "Because I knew how you would react. All of you, tell me how you felt when you initially found out that Monaxiá was truly Perseus. And I don't want your current mental states to influence your answers; I need to hear what you felt before the effects of the Vapour of Lethe were lifted."
Malcolm opened his mouth to retort, but the words never left. His jaws kept moving, but no sound emerged. After a moment, he allowed his head to fall into his hands in despair. Chiron didn't need to ask why he did so.
"I didn't mean to hurt you," the centaur soothed. "I just meant to highlight the fact that unless the Vapour had been lifted, you wouldn't have believed any evidence that countered your preconceptions, even an oath on the Styx."
The others hung their heads as well, not able to meet their mentor's eyes. They shuffled in their spots, unable to articulate a response.
Chiron, however, wasn't finished. "Even so, I'm disappointed in your conduct back then. I was unable to say anything before this, but I can now. After everything he did for you, why did you all turn your backs on him so quickly?"
The question hung heavy in the air, the counsellors shifting guiltily before him. No one responded for a while, until Clarisse finally spoke in a low whisper.
"We thought he was beginning to align himself with the enemy. We were terrified that he would decide to oppose Olympus and destroy our home."
Chiron shook his head as the other counsellors simply hung their heads even lower. He knew that it was bound to be something similar, but it still disheartened him to hear it. He knew that it was one of the consequences of being regarded as the strongest demigod of their generation, and possibly in history. There was always the nagging suspicion about how much destruction he could cause if he turned.
"How were you not affected, Chiron?" Katie asked, her voice quivering slightly. "You were here at the same time as we were, and even the other members of the Seven were affected by the Vapour, even after they attained godhood. How did you escape its effects?"
Chiron sighed lightly, knowing that the question would have come at some point. "While that may be true, you must keep in mind that at that point of time, all of you were but fledglings in immortal terms, while I had been around for over four millennia. If you had been given enough time to acclimatize to your status, you would have been better able to withstand the effects, unless you were truly weak of will. Instead, all you had was your inner belief in Perseus, which wasn't enough to combat the threat."
The last sentence struck a sore spot in each and every one of the counsellors, causing them to shift slightly, not daring to meet their mentor's eyes.
The centaur slowly stood, his eyes still sombre but also holding pity. "I won't antagonize you for your choices, since I know that you are already wallowing in enough guilt. I'll only say that you learn from your mistakes, and if you need to talk, I'm always there."
He patted the shoulder of the person closest to him, Connor, before trotting away, noticing that those at the archery range were beginning to lose focus.
Ever since that conversation, the counsellors usually spent most of their time within the confines of their cabins, reflecting on everything that had led up to Percy being banished from the camp.
Malcolm slowly picked his way through the woods, making his way to Zeus' fist. He reached the landmark, remembering how Tanya and he had talked at the very same spot before the war. He flinched at the stark reminder of who he had lost. The deaths of the other demigods hurt him as well, but having spent two whole months in such close proximity to the late daughter of Aphrodite made it all the more painful.
He sighed softly, remembering the news regarding the upcoming mass funeral to be held in New Olympus. He felt his hands tremble slightly, but held firm. He would attend it no matter what, if only to pay his final respects to the friends he had lost.
Reyna surveyed the constant activity taking place all over Camp Jupiter. While it would certainly take a long time for the scars of the most recent war to fade, the residents were already returning to their usual activities, falling back into their regular patterns.
She glanced towards the east, knowing that they would soon be called to New Olympus in order to attend the mass funeral which was bound to take place to honour the heroes who had fallen during the battle. There were so many lives lost, all due to the madness of one primordial. She shook her head at the needless waste of life, but knew that her opinion couldn't influence the past.
Yet, she could feel the unease settling in the pit of her stomach. The ceremony would be the time when she would have to say goodbye to both Dakota and Tanya, something she had been dreading for a long while. Even more troubling was the fact that she would have to be in close proximity to Perseus, as he demanded that they refer to him as.
She knew that whatever camaraderie had been built between them all those years ago was nothing but dust in the wind, and while a small part of her hoped that some part of it may have been revitalised during their travels in Canada and Alaska, the majority reminded her that such wounds weren't so easily overcome, and furthermore, even while he was disguised as Monaxiá he was far more comfortable while he interacted with Tanya.
She winced at the reminder, wondering exactly what her former co-praetor's current mental state was. Before she could delve too deeply into that particular train of thought, she shook her head lightly, dispelling it. While she may have been immortal, she couldn't comprehend the inner workings of the mind of an actual god. It would be pointless to even try.
She headed back towards her quarters, intent on catching up on the sleep she had missed out on in the past few weeks. Even after the end of the war, it had taken far too much work to reorganize her troops, especially after the chaos caused by Perseus' sudden reveal. It had been incredibly taxing on her, but she knew that she herself was partly responsible for the mess.
Her eyes trailed the hills surrounding the camp, noticing a few shadowy figures that were skirting across the peaks. At other times, she would have been worried, but she knew that it was simply Lupa and her pack.
It had been a slightly tense moment when she had confronted the wolf goddess about concealing Percy's identity from the rest of the legion, since Lupa hadn't looked the least bit surprised when Reyna had relayed the events that had transpired. However, even though the goddess was temperamental, Reyna could never have predicted the ferocity of the retort she had received.
Reyna had just strode into her office, slumping into her chair with a sigh of relief. Her current co-praetor was handling the re-integration of the legion to Camp Jupiter for the moment, allowing her a brief respite.
She was about to get herself a drink of water when she felt a sudden weight in the air, coupled with an aura that lightly pressed in on her. Before, it may have caused her breath to hitch, but after experiencing the sheer magnitude of Tartarus' aura, she doubted it would ever do so again.
She didn't need to even look in order to know who it was. The number of times the exact same aura had appeared in her office were too many to count. Instead, she simply sat back down before looking towards the door, where a massive wolf stood.
"Hello, Lady Lupa," she said, bowing her head in deference to the deity before her.
The wolf goddess prowled forward, her paws silent against the wood floor. She reached the desk Reyna was seated at before lying down on the floor, her gleaming eyes never leaving the praetor.
"How went the war, Reyna," the wolf goddess growled, her ears flicking forward as she awaited a response.
Reyna considered where she ought to begin, but something spurred her to choose one specific topic. "Did you know that Monaxiá was actually Perseus?"
Lupa didn't reply for a long while, before slowly getting up, her glowing eyes still locked onto Reyna's own. The massive she-wolf stood stock still, waiting for the praetor to make the first move.
She wasn't mistaken in her assumption, when Reyna suddenly exploded. "How could you not say anything? You knew who he was, yet you kept silent! I should have been informed about it, yet you chose to leave me in the dark..."
The rest of her words were cut off as Lupa growled deeply, the room almost shaking at the intensity of the deep, aggressive rumble. Reyna had actually backed away slightly, feeling a small thrill of fear run up her spine.
"Yes, I saw fit to not inform you of such happenings, but don't think that I didn't have a reason for such a choice," Lupa said, her voice not losing even a touch of its aggressiveness. "You know as well as I do that you would have reacted violently while under the influence of the Vapour of Lethe, and saying anything else is plain stupidity. I wasn't going to risk the position of a child of Rome, even one who had equal amounts of Greek blood in his veins. He was one of the best students I had, and he would have been the one to finally unify both camps into one, if it hadn't been for the actions of you and your fellow demigods!"
Reyna was stunned at the outburst. While she knew that one was better off not angering the wolf goddess, she had never heard of an instance where Lupa had delivered such a potent tongue lashing to anyone. It seemed that Lupa had hidden a well of resentment for a long time.
"B... but how are you unaffected," Reyna stammered, feeling thrown off-centre by Lupa's words.
"Remember who you are speaking to, child," the she-wolf snarled. "I am not some simple immortal, but a goddess. Unlike you and those others present in the other camp, I wasn't a mere babe in the eyes of other gods, but rather a fully matured deity. The Vapour couldn't have affected me even if it had tried."
The praetor tried to compose herself, feeling that her focus had been badly shaken. She tried to say something, but her mouth refused to cooperate, merely opening and closing repeatedly without any sound escaping.
Lupa snorted in derision, he eyes still glowing with suppressed anger. "You should be thankful that he didn't decide the smite you all from existence the moment he became an Olympian. He is a good man at heart, more than you are. At least he managed to still bring about unity between the Camps by building New Olympus. He did it even after he had been hurt so badly by all of you, which is why he deserved the position as an Olympian more than those other candidates for the title."
Reyna was struck dumb after Lupa's words. While the wolf goddess had occasionally shown that she was pleased by the actions of a member of the legion, she had never outright praised the actions of another in such a manner.
Said goddess snarled once more, her eyes glowing harshly. "Now, tell me about the battle, and I want no interruptions."
Reyna shook herself, exiting the memory. She found herself standing before the door to her rooms, somehow having been absorbed by her thoughts throughout the duration of the journey. She reached for the doorknob, still feeling the trepidation at the thought of having to be face to face with Perseus once more. She sighed deeply, opting to worry about it at a later date. At the moment, she needed to sleep.
He was leaning against the wall of Hephaestus' forge, watching his friend constantly hammer metal to shape it in the way he desired. Percy had to say that, for all the skills he acquired over the years, he still found that the delicacy and precision Hephaestus constantly used in his work astounded him. His friend may be rough to look at, but his hands could weave a design that was almost magical.
"How's it coming along, Heph?" he inquired, trying to get a glance at the piece his friend was working on, but it was obscured by the surrounding material along with Hephaestus' own bulk.
"Not too bad, Percy," the blacksmith god replied. "I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get this done by the end of today if I keep working."
Percy frowned slightly, knowing that his friend would almost certainly ignore everything else while engrossed in his work. "Don't push yourself man," he implored. "You don't have to finish it today. Take some time off and come back to it tomorrow. Who knows, maybe you'll think of something you previously didn't."
"But I think I really should..." began Hephaestus, only for Percy to quickly shush him.
"No, Heph, you're not wriggling out of this one. You're taking a break and that's final."
The forge god looked slightly put out, before a low chuckle escaped his mouth. "I should've known that you wouldn't have allowed me to keep working, Perce," he said, amusement lacing his words. "Alright, I'll leave, just let me finish this part. And no, I can't leave it for later," he added, seeing Percy open his mouth. "I need to finish it now, otherwise the metal would solidify too much for me to properly do it later. Reheating would ruin the shape."
Percy shrugged, leaning back against the wall as Hephaestus continued his work, the hammer falling again, but this time around in far lighter strikes.
The forge god finished his work within a couple of minutes, safely storing the half finished work. He moved over to a nearby barrel of water, washing his soot-covered hands. He could have just as easily cleaned them with a blast of godly energy, but he enjoyed the feeling of cool water against his skin after a long, arduous session in the forge.
As he wiped himself off, Hephaestus' mind wandered towards a topic that he had been thinking about recently: Percy. While their current interaction may have been normal, he knew that Percy still harboured a lot of hurt following both Iapetus' and Tanya's deaths. From what he could gather, Hestia had talked to her son in order to alleviate his guilt, but it was a slow process. Hephaestus wouldn't be surprised if it took years to help Percy recover from the experience, but he would be with his friend throughout the entire journey.
Finally finished, he moved towards the exit, Percy right behind him. They were almost to the exit when they heard someone knock at the counter that usually opened out to the road of Olympus, the one he used to attend to his usual customers.
"Who in Zeus' name is there at this time? Can't they see that it's closed?" Hephaestus felt a small amount of irritation well up within him, since it was quite well known in the city of gods that he didn't appreciate it when someone tried to request for some work when he had closed his forge.
Percy frowned, looking at the closed counter as well. Hephaestus still felt that it was slightly weird to constantly see his friend's face in view after such a long time of it being visible for only short periods. However, he was knocked out of his musings as the rapping against the metal drawn down over the counter returned, even more insistent than before.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Hephaestus grunted, his frustration mounting. Who has so little regard for another god? I may not be as respected as some others, but I'm still an Olympian. The only one I know of who's this damn callous is...
His thought was interrupted when he drew the metal blind away, revealing the figure standing on the other side.
" Aphrodite," Percy hissed, his eyes flashing in the dim light of the forge.
The goddess of love flipped her hair, currently caramel coloured, over her shoulder, a look of bemusement flashing across her face. "Oh, Percy, you're here as well? I'll get to you in a minute, alright? I need to take care of something."
She turned back towards Hephaestus, ignorant of Percy glaring holes into her side. "I need a couple of new necklaces," she said. "I need them to be made out of either Olympian silver or a mixture of it and mortal gold. Rubies and sapphires are a must, and if you can add some opals, it would be a nice touch."
Hephaestus felt his annoyance flare to previously unprecedented amounts. He was in part astounded by her nerve, but mostly furious that she assumed that she would be able to order him around.
However, what truly set him off was when she said, "You know, it's irritating to have to wait so long for you to finally answer the counter. Why did you lock me out of the damn forge, huh? You could at least have the common courtesy of keeping the counter open."
He tried his best to keep his temper in check, knowing that Percy was doing the very same at his side. At that point, it was basically a question of which one among the two of them would explode first.
"I thought it was clearly written outside on the board that if the counter is closed, it meant that I wasn't accepting orders," Hephaestus said, barely holding his growl back.
"Oh, no need to get prissy with me. You can't open the counter for the person you were married to for millennia?"
That did it. Hephaestus snapped, unable to keep his cool after hearing the audacity behind the comment. He felt the instinct to yell at her well up within him, threatening to break fee, but he held it back for a moment, choosing to do something else first.
"Alright, you want a couple of necklaces to your specifications, correct?" At her nod, he opened the book he used to note down his orders. "Okay, the earliest I can get started on it is within a week, unless another more urgent order comes in. I expect it wouldn't take more than two days to complete, but I can't say for sure. Considering the materials you want, it would cost approximately a thousand drachmas, but according to our earlier arrangement, it would be triple for your wouldn't it? So it comes out to three thousand drachmas in total. I'll need a thousand in advance before beginning my work, and a written agreement that you'll pay up once I'm done."
He felt a savage satisfaction at the shock that was present on Aphrodite's face. Beside him, Percy had stopped clenching his fists, instead looking at the love goddess with a smirk that would have probably scared Hephaestus if he himself didn't feel vindictive.
"But... but... that's..." Aphrodite stammered, her eyes wide. For once, stinging words together seemed difficult for the usually garrulous goddess.
Hephaestus shrugged. "If you find the arrangement disagreeable, you can search for another jeweller on Olympus. We don't exactly have a shortage of them."
He closed the door in her stunned face, turning back to where Percy was standing. His fellow god looked at him with an expression of pride, patting his shoulder before heading towards the exit once more, this time ignoring the constant knocking at the closed counter. They stepped out onto the streets of Olympus, noticing that it was quieter than usual. It seemed like even the other gods didn't feel like resuming their usual frivolities until the funeral was concluded.
They were beginning to walk down the street when they heard someone come running towards them from behind. Both of them sighed, knowing full well who it was. Without even turning around, Percy waved his hand, causing a sudden burst of fire to appear in between them and Aphrodite. The goddess of beauty shrieked at the appearance of the flames, but was ignored by the two gods who continued walking down the street.
Percy glanced at the sky, before looking back towards Hephaestus. "Hey Heph, it's Friday, isn't it?"
The forge god glanced back, intrigued by where his friend was going. "Yes, and...?"
Percy smiled lightly. "I think I recall all of us agreeing that if we live through the war, we would all get a drink. Do you think you could find Hermes and Apollo, then book our usual room in the tavern?"
A similar smile crept across Hephaestus' face. It certainly had been far too long since they had gotten together like that. "Of course, but where are you going?"
Percy glanced towards the right, not actually looking at what was there. "There's someone I need to talk to. I've put it off for too long as it is."
Hephaestus didn't need to ask in order to know who his friend was referring to. He simply patted his friend's shoulder, telling him that he had support no matter what. "Go ahead, Percy. Do what you need to do. I'll take care of the rest. But don't be late, alright? This was your idea, after all."
Percy nodded before walking away, Hephaestus watching his progress with a knowing smile.
A knock sounded on the door of her palace, stirring her out of her thoughts. Artemis got up from her position on the couch, slowly making her way towards the door.
Another knock sounded, slightly more insistent this time around, which caused her to increase her pace. She finally reached the door, unlocking it and swinging it open. She was about to say something to the person who had interrupted her thoughts when she saw who was standing on the other side.
"Oh, Percy. What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone conveying her surprise.
He smiled softly, although she could easily see the tension present in his eyes. "Hey, Artemis. Could we talk?"
She frowned slightly, able to identify the hesitation in his voice. However, she didn't mention it, instead stepping to the side, allowing him entry into her palace.
He walked past the threshold, before stopping for a moment, his eyes wandering about the interior. An expression of wonder passed over his face, causing Artemis to realize that he had never actually seen the inside of her palace before. A light dusting of colour appeared oh her cheeks, causing her to look away for a moment to regain her composure.
"It's beautiful," Percy said, and she could tell that he meant it. The entry hallway to her palace looked like an actual jungle path at night, the bright light of the moon filtering through the leaves of the trees. The room she was previously in, along with the rest of the rooms, had vistas of the wilderness carved into the silver walls, with some parts coloured in like a massive mosaic. She had to admit that whoever had constructed her palace had outdone themselves.
"I know," she replied, moving back towards the room she was previously in, Percy following her steps. She slipped into her previous couch, with Percy opting to sit in another chair. He didn't talk instantly, instead choosing to admire the craftsmanship that went into creating the walls of the room. Artemis didn't interrupt, knowing that it would not be easy for him to speak.
"How are your hunters," he asked, still not looking at her.
"They're good," she replied. "I decided that it would be better for me to meet up with them once again after the funeral, give them some time to relax after the war."
Even as she was speaking, she regretted bringing up the funeral and war, noticing the myriad of emotions that flashed across Percy's face when she mentioned them. However, he didn't say anything, so she chose to remain silent as well, not wishing to further compound his hurt.
"Good, that's good," he said, before sighing lightly. He looked around the room once more, before his eyes returned to Artemis, meeting her own silver ones. She could tell that he was about to broach the true reason he had come to her palace.
"Artemis, I needed to ask. After what I did before jumping into... the pit, has our relationship changed somewhat?"
Artemis could almost feel the vulnerability emanating from his figure after he asked the question. She knew that her next words would play a massive role in how he was going to respond to the pressure of all the deaths the war had caused. Thankfully, she knew that her words would help.
"Percy, I won't lie and say there isn't a change, but it's not necessarily a bad one," she said, causing him to look up in surprise. She continued, "I merely mean to say that it'll take time for the two of us to be sure of where we stand with respect to one another, but we won't go back to how it was before the quest, never again. That I can be sure of."
She could see a glint of hope in his eyes, along with a previously unseen sense of ease about him. He looked more comfortable in his chair, able to stop fidgeting around so often.
"That I can easily understand," he said. "Take as long as you need, I'm in no rush."
She smiled lightly, knowing that his words were sincere. "Thank you, Percy."
He leaned back, gazing at the ceiling. Even as he kept gazing at the intricate design of the night sky present, she knew she had another question to ask.
"But truly, Percy, what drove you to do it, and that too in front of everyone?"
She saw him stiffen for a moment, before allowing his body to relax once more. He slowly lowered his head once more, meeting her eyes once again.
"I did it because I was scared, Artemis. Not scared of jumping into... his domain, but scared that I would die without having told you how I truly felt. I know what I did was sudden and reckless, but it's how I've been for a long time. I just had to let you know before I jumped in there, in case I never came back."
Once again, he averted his eyes. "And I almost didn't, thanks to the Demon King."
Artemis shivered at the name, unable to forget the black aura that had emanated from the being who had overtaken Percy's body. It had been one of the most terrifying experiences she could remember in her long life, trumping a plethora of other harrowing moments.
She finally composed herself, before asking, "How did you manage to overcome it, Percy? If it isn't too much, could you tell me?"
He looked away once more, before slowly responding. "Well, what actually helped me stop it was... was you."
"Me?" she asked, feeling shock radiate throughout her being.
"Yes, Artemis, you," he said, his voice barely audible. "I was unable to even get a toehold against it, but then it attacked you, and that set something off within me. I don't know what it was, but it allowed me to fight against it long enough for Hephaestus to throw that net over me, giving me an advantage against it."
Artemis didn't respond for a long while, before finally breaking the silence. "Percy, I... I don't know what to say."
"You don't need to," he responded, a soft smile playing at his lips. "I don't expect anything right now. I know that it's coming as a massive surprise, and I understand it takes time to process. Take your time, and when you're ready, tell me."
She nodded lightly, watching as he slowly headed towards the exit.
"I'll see you later, Artemis," he said. "I would have stayed a bit longer, but it's clear that you need space at the moment, and I has promised to be somewhere quite soon."
"See you, Percy," she replied, unable to say anything more. She simply watched as he left, her mind still reeling due to his words. Well, that's a surprise, a small part of her said, and she couldn't do much more than nod in agreement. She had a lot to think about, thanks to that brief conversation.
He appeared in a dark alley before heading out, not a single person glancing at him as he made his way down the slightly run-down street. Percy headed a little past the outskirts of the city, where the building was located. The nearby woods gave it a much calmer atmosphere than if it were present within the confines of the town.
He pushed the door open, heading towards the counter. The barman glanced up, before going back to serving the customers present before him. He didn't show any signs of recognition, probably due to him never having seen Percy with his hood off.
Percy stood there for a moment, before tapping his hand against the counter. The barman glanced up, a slight look of annoyance in his eyes. "May I help you," he asked, a small amount of grouchiness present in his tone.
"I just wanted to ask if my friends came here already, and if they did, which room they booked," Percy said briskly, yet not impolitely.
The barman looked slightly confused at the request. "Now look here, mister. I've never seen you before in this establishment, so I don't know who you're talking about."
"I think you know well enough," Percy said. He recognized the current barman as a demigod he'd seen in Camp Half-Blood a couple decades ago. He must have been unaware of the news circulating throughout the mythological world about who Monaxiá actually was. Instead, Percy just placed his hands on the table, allowing both his rings to reflect the dingy light that filtered into the bar.
Instantly, he could see the colour drain out of the batman's face, before he instantly looked into a nearby book. "Th... they went into the first room on the left, my..."
"Thank you, that's enough," Percy interrupted, before any sensitive information slipped out. "Good day, Kyle."
He walked up the stairs at an easy pace, leaving Kyle behind, gaping like a fish while simultaneously trembling in fright.
He finally reached the room mentioned, knocking on the door. It was barely a couple seconds before it opened, allowing him in. He saw his friends lounging about the room, a couple bottles of Dionysius' best champagne present on the central table. Thankfully, they weren't opened just yet.
He smiled, feeling a sense of joy suffuse throughout his being. The last time they had been in a room like this, the mood had been sombre, with signs that they were close to giving up, made worse by the fact that Hermes hadn't even been able to appear. This time around, all of them were present, with the air holding almost unbridled hope for the future. There were definite traces of the sadness that accompanied the loss of so many lives in the war, but it was balanced by the bittersweet memories of the good times that accompanied those lost souls.
Percy slipped into a nearby chair, the smile becoming slightly mischievous. "So, I see Apollo hasn't finished everything before I even arrived."
Apollo winced, although a similar smile was playing across his face. "And you didn't enter the room looking like some assassin for hire."
Hermes chuckled, while Hephaestus' lips quirked upwards. "Well, you have to admit his look was far better than the one you usually had, wasn't it?" the messenger god shot back, poking Apollo in the ribs.
The sun god waved him off, instead reaching towards one of the bottles on offer. "Okay, we've waited long enough. Let's enjoy this drink now!"
Percy laughed at his friend's enthusiasm, reaching forward to stop Apollo's hand. "I know you're excited, man, but I think it would be better if all of us say something before we open this bottle."
Apollo groaned lightly, but Percy could tell that it was merely playful banter. He looked around, waiting to see if anyone was going to step forward or if he was to speak first. Thankfully, Hermes stepped up, allowing Percy to lean back and listen to his friend talk.
"When we first started this tradition of ours, it was because we were a group who had either been trodden on, beaten down, or were simply exhausted by what we had to do," Hermes said. "Some of us had a combination of those three at times as well. Now, I would say that I had the least amount of shit on my plate, but after seeing just how much I have to go through on a daily basis just to ensure that the mail on Olympus runs smoothly, or even simply keep abreast with the orders I receive, I don't think that's necessarily a good thing.
"However, after all that happened in the last two months, which seems like a lifetime ago even for me, I can say that we're all in a much better place. We haven't erased what's happened to us – we can never do that – nor have we fixed everything, but we are well on our way to recovery. I'm happy to see that all of you are finally beginning to move past what held you down, and just know that I'll be with you every step of the way."
Hermes sat down, with Apollo clapping madly at the conclusion of his friend's speech. In return, the sun god received a book thrown right at his face, which he barely managed to dodge. He mock-glared at Hermes, but then stood up himself.
"After that rousing speech by my half brother," Apollo said, causing Hermes to shoot an annoyed look at the older god, "I think I should reflect on my own experiences.
"You all know what I had dealt with. The relationship I had with my sister was near non-existent. Furthermore, I was forced to conceal my true nature from the council, all due to a stupid decision I'd made in my younger years. Add to that the visions I constantly received, and my life wasn't something a person in their right mind would choose.
"Truthfully, you three were part of the reason I'm still here. You gave me the courage to keep going, since even though you also had difficulties in your own lives, you kept pushing forward, never stopping. And truthfully, I'm glad I kept going, since I'm at a position I never thought I would reach. My relationship with my sister is beginning to return to what it used to be on Delos, and I no longer feel the need to maintain the secrecy I used to regarding my true nature. And I have all of you to thank for it.
"I know I'm usually not the most serious person around, but I think this moment deserves it. Thank you, truly, because I don't know where I would be without you."
Apollo sat down, causing the others to look at him for a moment before Hermes leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. Percy smiled once more, a hint of sadness but also a glimpse of joy present. His friend had led a tough life, and he deserved the changes in it.
Hephaestus was next, slowly getting up from his seat. The blacksmith god grinned lightly, his beard obscuring most of his lips, but the other three had learnt to read his eyes. They could see the happiness present in them, as clear as day.
"I know I can't speak as well as you two," he said gruffly, "but I'll try my best. The last time we met, I was trapped in a marriage with a woman who never loved me, while I was under the delusion that I was still in love with her. I had thought that there would be some way for me to save my union, that there was something I could do.
"It seems so sudden, but I guess my change of heart had been building up for a long while now. And I have Percy here to thank for it." At the mention of his name, Percy simply inclined his head, knowing that saying anything would interrupt the flow of the usually soft-spoken god.
"That conversation made me really think about where I was headed, and how Aphrodite played into the picture. It took a long time for me to come to a conclusion, but I guess I had more than enough time while working in the forges.
"I finally realised that I was fooling myself with the improbable dream that she would ever love me in return. Before, I would have simply accepted it as another injustice that was heaped onto my sorry lot, but you three showed me that I deserved better. You all gave me the confidence to go ahead and break off my marriage so I could focus on what made me happy, and for that, I thank you."
Hephaestus sat down, Percy giving him an honest, approving smile. The forge god returned it, and Percy could tell that an invisible weight had been lifted off his friend's shoulders.
"Now, I think we only have one person left to speak, don't we?" Apollo said, a hint of amusement in his tone. Hermes went to hit his half-brother round the head, but each one of them could see the humour present on the messenger god's face.
"Alright, alright, no need to get snippy, Apollo," Percy quipped, himself feeling surprised at the light-heartedness present in his tone. Granted, it was nowhere close to what it used to be in his demigod days, but it was bound to dampen at one point in his life. He'd seen far too much to remain unaffected. Still, he felt glad that he could regain some of the cheerfulness he once possessed.
As he paused before he began to speak, the past two months flashed by before his eyes, beginning with the time he'd met Tanya. The gathering at New Olympus, discussing his own past, the prophecy, the quest, their time in Canada and Alaska, Dakota's sacrifice, the return, the preparation, the war, the deaths... Tanya's... the Demon King's reveal, the final battle, and his recovery. It was far too much to thoroughly go through, merely streaking by in his mind.
"I don't know how long I'll speak, so please bear with me," he began. On receiving a trio of approving nods, he continued.
"You all know how my story was before the war. A person hiding his identity from all but a select few, ostracised by those he used to hold dear. A man whose marriage was worse than broken, one who still loved the person he had been tied to despite everything that had transpired, even if she didn't love him back. A man on the verge of giving up.
"I will not say that everything has been righted. It would take far longer than two months for my life to lose all of the problems it has, no matter how much may have occurred in that span. But I can say with confidence that the person you knew – the person who was terrified of his identity being discovered, the one who couldn't bear to talk to his estranged wife without seizing up – is long gone.
"These two months have wrought such changes in me that I would never have believed it if you were to say so before the quest. I would have scoffed at you, yet here I am, having gone through all those changes. Like all of you, none of my problems have been solved, but they are well on their way to it. I will not be so presumptuous to suggest that Artemis and I will renew our vows or something similar; that is still far in the future, if it ever reaches that far, that is. But our relationship has mended, and we are friendly to one another.
"However, the biggest change I experienced is the fear I lost. I no longer feel the need to hide my identity behind a mask or hood. Instead, I have accepted what happened in the past and have moved on. I won't say that I will ever return to the same level of friendship I once held with those involved; that would be nigh impossible. But their actions don't hold sway over me anymore.
"And finally, I have begun to accept death better, especially regarding those close to me. I will not lie, Tanya's passing will weigh on me for a long time to come, but even I can admit that in the past, I would have most probably locked myself up for months on end, refusing to see anyone in that period. This quest and this war have matured me, and they have shown me that, despite being over a hundred years old, I still have a lot to learn. We all do. But it doesn't mean that I cannot also be happy in that time."
Percy reached over, grabbing the nearest bottle of champagne before popping the cork off, allowing the fizz to bubble out. He simply flicked his free hand, cleaning off any froth that accumulated on his fingers, before pouring the drink into four glasses. He set down the bottle, before raising his own glass in a toast.
"To a brighter future," he said, the others raising their glasses as well to tap against his, echoing his words. They threw their heads back, gulping down the champagne at an almost dizzying pace. All of them had to agree that it was one of Dionysus' best batches.
They were pouring out a second serving when Apollo suddenly cut in. "Well, we may have overcome a lot of our problems, but we can still get together, right?"
Percy almost laughed out loud at the comment, but instead merely chuckled. "Of course, Apollo. We aren't going to stop this tradition anytime soon."
And he meant it. The meetings, which had once been sombre and mostly served to keep their spirits afloat, had now shifted to a cheerful gathering of four friends who simply wanted to enjoy their time together. It was, he reflected, an apt metaphor for how his life itself had shifted.
As he was pouring another glass for himself, he recalled that the funeral was to be conducted in a week's time. The thought sobered him for a moment, but he shook off the dreary feeling. The ceremony wasn't meant to pull down their spirits, no matter how often it seemed to occur. Instead, it was supposed to be a reminder of what the ones who had passed on had done in their lives; all their accomplishments and feats. He wasn't going to forget it, that he promised himself. He knew he would be emotional, but he would also ensure that they were respected as they should be.
He raised his glass in recognition of all those who had fallen in service to Olympus. Once again, he muttered under his breath, "To a brighter future." And he meant every word. He would ensure that his future would never slip back into the rut the past century had been. He owed it, not only to those who had fallen, but to his friends, his parents, and to Artemis.
Wow. My longest chapter ever, and the second last one to boot! This was a real journey.
Please review.
Now, no questions this week (which I can reasonably answer). And before anyone asks about Pertemis fluff, please, wait for the final chappie.