Next chapter is out!
Chapter 4 will be the last chapter before the reading starts.
Chapter 5 will begin the awaited reading of 'When The Moon Fades' by imaginexwriter9.
Chapter 4 - Family Bonding
The demigods spent the night in the temple at the top of Mount Olympus.
Lady Hestia led them down the hall from the dining room, and a doof mysteriously appeared.
When they entered, there was a large common room with three couches in the middle facing each other. To the right, there was a small fireplace with bookshelves surrounding it, a couple of large reading chairs, and a chess table. While on the left side, there was a pool table, old arcade games, a cabinet with board games, and a dining table with a deck of playing and UNO cards... The back of the room held a minibar with an aquarium as its feature wall.
"There are drinks and snacks in the mini bar," Hestia said, before gesturing to the door located on the right side, next to the bookshelf, "the girl's room is to the right and the boy's room is to the left. Each room has a barrier so no one would wander into the wrong room by mistake, and each room also has an en-suite. One of us will retrieve you all in the morning."
With that said, the goddess of the hearth smiled and bid them all goodnight.
The next morning, everyone gathered around the common room. Thalia, Annabeth, Percy, and Nico were sharing the couch in the middle. Will, Travis, Connor, and Katie were on the right, and Thea, Ashlynn, Cassie, and Alessa were on the left. Clarisse had just come in and joined the group. Armani was drinking some coffee while hovering near the children of the Big Three, and Seth was at the minibar making his own cup of coffee.
Travis and Connor weren't even awake anymore, they were passed out again while leaning on each other at one end of the right couch.
"Where's the short blonde and the rocker chick?" Clarisse grunted, still groggy and half-asleep as she walked over to join the group conversation.
Armani turned to the four cousins on the left couch.
"Angelica and Dove are still asleep," Ashlynn yawned.
Annabeth lifted her head off Percy's shoulder and looked around, stopping to glance at a clock behind the minibar.
"It's almost 8:30."
Nico looked past Percy and over to the blonde with half-lidded eyes, a weak attempt of glare on his face.
"You make it sound like 8:30 is a late time to wake up."
"Breakfast at camp starts at 8," Annabeth pointed out. Nico rolled his eyes.
"It was never a requirement to show up on time, or at all," Nico muttered, resting his head against a cushion.
Will smirked at his boyfriend, knowing full well Nico was only acting cranky right now because he forcibly dragged him out of bed.
Nico turned his head slightly to the right and noticed the smirk on Will's face, with narrowed eyes and slightly sluggish movements Nico got up from his spot next to Percy to sit next to Will.
Besides Nico, the girls from timeline 4 also struggled to stay awake. Thea adjusted her position so her head was resting comfortably on Cassie's lap, while she shamelessly placed her feet over Alessa's lap. Alessa shot the shorter dark-haired girl a half-hearted glare as Cassie smiled and started to absent-mindedly play with the younger girl's hair.
"Dove should be up soon." Thea sighed as she closed her eyes with a smile. It was always relaxing when someone played with her hair. "Who knows when Luna will wake up."
Heads immediately snapped to Theresa, everyone's facial expressions varied but the most noticeable were Thalia, Armani, Annabeth, and Will. Nico was too tired to react and Clarisse just didn't care.
"Luna?" Armani questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Seth snorted slightly into his cup of coffee.
"How original."
Thalia and Annabeth shared a look before glancing at Armani and Seth. Thalia then turned to the four girls, three of which seemed slightly tense.
"Angelica's name is Luna?" Thalia questioned.
Theresa's eyes snapped open and she turned her head to Cassie, a scared look on her face. Cassie pats the top of her head and sent a slightly strained reassuring smile back.
Annabeth sent skeptical looks towards Seth and Armani.
'Those are some interesting reactions.'
The two boys noticed the gleam in Annabeth's eyes and shared a look. Seth shrugged and Armani sighed before turning to Annabeth.
"It will make sense during the introductions tomorrow."
Across the room, Cassie sent a pleading look to Alessa who sighed in slight annoyance.
'Why do I always need to do damage control? Sure I'm the oldest, but still.'
Clearing her throat, Alessa raised her voice slightly so everyone would pay attention.
"Hey guys, what order are we going to introduce ourselves tomorrow?"
The group all shared a look and shrugged. They haven't really thought about that.
"It would probably be best if Luna, Armani, and I go last," Seth said, shifting slightly in his bar seat
"Please keep calling her Angelica for now," Ashlynn requested, "but I agree- Cassie and Alessa should also go towards the end. Maybe Thea, Percy, Thalia, and Nico as well."
The children of the Big Three all made sounds of agreement. Annabeth sighed before putting her head back on Percy's shoulder.
"I'm curious about everyone else's reasons but I suppose we'll find out tomorrow. How about a little icebreaker so we get to know each other better?" Annabeth suggested, "I know there are certain things we can't ask yet, but maybe little things like your age and favorites...?"
"I guess that could work," Will said, glancing around. "Anyone wanna go first?"
No one volunteered. A couple shifted around uneasily and kept their gazes down.
"We can go by cabin number," Seth suggested.
"I think cabin number would give away things that shouldn't be mentioned," Armani replied a little too quickly.
"Alphabetical order?" Katie asked, "Or we can just go around in a circle?"
"We'll go around in a circle," Annabeth decided. "I'll start. I'm 17. I don't really have any favorites, but I like to draw and study architecture in my free time."
"I'm also 17, my favorite color is blue and I like blue chocolate chip cookies." Percy grinned.
Nico was still fighting sleep, so Will called from where he was sitting.
"Nico's 15, I'm 16" Will informed the group. "Nico likes rock music, and I'm a pretty big Star Wars fan."
The group looked next to Will, and found Travis and Connor were still asleep, so Clarisse answered in their stead.
"I think Travis and l are 18. Connor is 16, or was it 17?" Clarisse wondered.
"16," Percy corrected.
"I'm 17," Katie started. "I'm not a vegetarian or vegan, but I do tend to eat more of a vegetarian diet."
"Eternally 15," Thalia called from her spot next to Annabeth. "I like cheeseburgers and my favorite band is Green Day."
Armani sighed as he sat down in the open seat next to Percy, apparently the group was no longer going in order.
"Eternally 16." He started, and seeing a look appear on both Thalia and Annabeth's faces quickly added. "Please don't ask, I'm sure it will be explained sooner or later."
The two girls nodded, although both seemed reluctant.
"My music taste is...complicated...I like classical, rock, metal, and show tunes. I guess you could say my favorite food would be game meat."
Armani suddenly got a slight far away look in his eyes.
'Or rather anything I hunt and kill myself' He corrected internally.
"16," Seth called before getting up to join the group. "Food-wise, I like sweets and I can't say no to whip cream. I enjoy the classics, and I'm also a fan of Green Day." He noticed Thalia's stare when he finished, the daughter of Zeus giving a nod of approval at finding another person with similar (and superior) tastes.
"16," Theresa said next, raising her hand. "I'm vegetarian, and I spent a lot of my free time gardening. I also love baking with my dad, especially my dad's strawberry shortcake. Those are my favorite," she said wistfully.
Katie seemed to look at the dark-haired girl in interest.
'Maybe I can talk to her about gardening?'
"17," Ashlynn sighed. "I play a variety of instruments: piano, guitar, drums, and flute. I'm a quarter Japanese, so is Angelica. I took after my dad and my maternal grandmother but my brother took after my maternal grandfather. My favorite food is anything my older sister makes."
"Who does your sister take after?" Percy asked innocently.
The question caused Ashlynn to freeze, a dark look appearing on her face.
Cassie, noticing Ashlynn's unease, answered for her, "We are told not to reveal too much of our family background, " she said to Percy sternly, getting defensive. "I'm sure that was what was required of you too."
Armani and Annabeth had both noticed a strange look seemed to appear in Cassie's eyes. There was a protective gleam, but Annabeth couldn't quite place the rest.
Armani, however, was reminded of a cornered and wounded animal.
"Cassie, it's alright," Alessa said, placing a placating hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Yea, Cass, it's my fault for getting too personal." Ashlynn said, before turning to Percy with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry."
Ashlynn seemed to pause slightly and a dull look appeared in her eyes.
"I would like to answer, but..."
'She's lying,' Armani realized immediately.
"It's fine," Percy accepted. "I shouldn't have pried too much. Besides, we'll know each other's secrets by tomorrow anyway, right?"
Ashlynn nodded, "Yes, thank you."
Deciding to try and keep things moving or as a way to calm down, Cassie decided to continue the previous conversation.
"Dove and Angelica are 18. I am too, I just turned 18 two weeks ago." Cassie smiled. "Although, Angel might turn 19 while we're here. It depends how long it will take us to read these stories. I enjoy cooking and studying East Asian -or more specifically South Korean history. I also study genealogy in my spare time."
Annabeth and Katie seemed intrigued with what Cassie said.
"What do you like to cook?" Katie asked, seeing a possible conversation starter.
"Any and everything." Cassie said with a giggle. "If you want, we can talk more later?"
Katie nodded enthusiastically with a small 'Alright', while Annabeth decided to ask her own question.
"Why do you study South Korean history and genealogy?"
Cassie considered her question carefully. She was silent for so long that Annabeth was about to ask Cassie to forget it, but then the brunette spoke before she could.
"My father is half Korean and half Greek, I found interest from there. If it's alright with you, I'd rather not say anything more."
The answer only seemed to make Annabeth more interested, but she nodded in understanding and dropped the subject.
Alessa threw her head back with a sigh and hit the top of the pillow behind her. When she looked back at the rest of the group she had a small smile on her face and was chuckling slightly.
"I guess I'm the oldest, I just turned 20 last month."
Ashlynn snorted from next to Alessa, while Cassie and Thea shared a look before they both started giggling. The rest of the group just looked confused or annoyed.
"Care to share what's so funny?" Seth asked, taking a seat on the armrest next to Will, who shared his sentiments.
"Let's just say I have some similarities with my mom," Alessa said, before brushing it off. "Anyway, if anyone's interested I also like to cook. In fact, both me and Cassie are going to culinary school. I also know how to play piano and the cello, and I also paint and create pottery in my spare time."
Clarisse sighed slightly in disappointment.
"I'm sure you all really enjoy your hobbies, and I don't mean for this to be taken the wrong way...but does anyone do anything a bit more….thrilling…?"
Everyone stared at the daughter of Ares in either confusion or amusement.
"Like what,Clarisse?" Percy questioned.
"A lot of people can get a thrill from different things." Annabeth pointed out, still cuddled against Percy.
Thalia looked at the couple in slight annoyance.
"Do you two need to be cuddling constantly?"
"We won't be able to when we're around the gods, I'd prefer to spend as much time cuddling with my boyfriend as much as I can." Annabeth answered with an apologetic look. "Sorry Thals."
"Same here." Percy didn't even look at Thalia as he said it, he was just looking at the top of Annabeth's head with a goofy grin on his face.
The Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis just rolled her eyes with a grimace on her face.
"Back to what Clarisse was saying." Seth started, wanting to move away from this topic. "What would you consider thrilling?"
"I don't know….something that gets the adrenaline going."
"You mean like getting attacked by monsters on a weekly to daily basis?" Thalia asked sarcastically. "Because I think that happens to all of us."
"I can drive a motorcycle." Armani offered. "Is that along the lines of what you're looking for?"
"Yes!" Clarisse agreed with a snap of her fingers. "Does anyone do something like that?"
Annabeth and Thalia looked at Clarisse in exasperation, while Will sighed, and Katie rolled her eyes.
Alessa shared a look with Ashlynn. Cassie was too busy playing with Thea's hair, as the younger girl was discreetly looking at Will and Nico with a small smile on her face.
Seth thought about it, before he replied, "I'm not sure if this fits what you're asking, but I've driven motorcycles before. I wouldn't call it a hobby of mine. More of a...'spur of the moment', if you will."
Percy and Thalia looked each other in the eyes.
'Spur of the moment?' Percy mouthed questioningly.
Thalia just shrugged in response. How would she know what he meant? She just met the dude.
"I know Dove does a lot of fencing in her spare time. She also does a lot of water sports with her boyfriend, like jet skiing and kayaking." Ashlynn mused.
Percy looked at the healer from timeline four in interest.
"Water sports?"
"Yeah, I think you and Annabeth from our time go with them sometimes." Ashlynn shrugged.
Percy looked at Annabeth with a raised eyebrow. But before the two of them could start discussing this new information, Alessa spoke up again.
"So about our introductions for tomorrow- We could go by cabin number, alphabetical order, or age order. With Percy, Thalia, Nico, Armani, Seth, Angel, Cassie, Thea, and I towards the end of course."
Cassie seemed to suddenly get a pained look on her face. Seth noticed that her eyes seemed to glaze over slightly with tears.
"I should go last," she mumbled, suddenly going quiet.
"Why?" Thalia and Annabeth both asked in unison.
Both were thinking perhaps Thalia, as the daughter of the King of the gods, should go last. After all, there was no way that the Queen would react well to another demigod child of her husband.
Armani, noticing the sudden change in character, immediately turned to look at the brunette.
"Are you alright?"
The girl in question screwed her eyes shut and started shaking her head in the negative. Thea, noticing this, sat back up and wrapped her arms around the older girl in a tight hug. Both Alessa and Ashlynn immediately became alert and started to get up.
The demigods not from the same timeline as Cassie became confused. Several were becoming annoyed when they realized this was becoming the norm with the group of girls.
Cassie reached up and grabbed Theresa's shoulder. After whispering something in her ear, the black-haired girl let go of Cassie who immediately pushed her away and ran for the door leading to the hall of the temple.
"I don't think-!" Annabeth started urgently.
"Let her go," Seth said, cutting her off. "We weren't told that we had to stay in here the entire time."
"Lady Hestia said someone would be coming to get us," Percy reminded. "Doesn't that mean we need to stay here?"
"If they are so worried about keeping us all accounted for, then they should have arrived sooner," Seth said narrowly. "Besides, I'm sure that whatever the problem is, Cassie has her friends to depend on and they'll bail her out if the gods do make a fuss."
Despite those assurances, Seth still gave a brief glance at the door, his silver eyes flashing a hint of worry before he looked away, deciding it was best he didn't interfere with whatever those girls did.
At the same time, Armani and Will also debated over whether to get involved. Will was wondering if his medical expertise could be needed, while Armani was wondering if he should try and talk to her, but both decided to refrain after what Seth pointed out - Cassie wasn't alone; it would be better to have people she trusted and knew to take care of her.
"Panic attack?" Will said aloud, explaining what just happened. Nico only shifted slightly against his side and suppressed a yawn.
"But what caused it?" Annabeth mused.
Ashlynn turned to Alessa and Thea, a frighteningly serious look on her face.
"Follow her, Alessa," she ordered. "After Luna and Dove, you're the closest to her. Make sure she doesn't do anything she'll regret. Do whatever you can to keep her grounded - it'll help prevent any flashbacks, and be prepared to deal with an episode."
Alessa nodded before running out of the room after Cassie. Ashlynn then turned to Thea without skipping a beat.
"Wake up Luna, she's the one with the most experience when it comes to this."
Theresa paled slightly but nodded before turning to the girl's room and rushing past Dove who was stumbling out into the common room.
"Hey!" Dove barked angrily. "Ralentissez la baise!"
"Sorry!" Thea called back.
Dove turned her gaze to the rest of the gathered demigods. She had a nasty glare on her face that seemed out of character for the girl they met yesterday. Instead of saying anything, the short girl stomped over to the minibar to get some coffee.
"PTSD?" Will asked.
Ashlynn didn't respond. Instead, she sighed in annoyance while pinching the bridge of her nose. She took in a deep breath before turning to the daughter of Demeter.
"Katie? Could you please wake up the Stolls?"
Ash didn't wait for a confirmation before turning to the rest of the group.
"I understand what just happened may have confused you all, I'm going to try and explain it as much as I can. But for multiple reasons, several questions may be left unanswered."
The gods had gathered in the throne room at seven in the morning for an early council meeting regarding the demigods that had appeared the day before.
Unusually there was no bickering or fights of any kind, which pleased Hera greatly, however, she was uncertain if the level of seriousness on the faces of each of the gods and goddesses was a blessing or not.
"If these books concern us in the future, then it may be beneficial for us to read them," Athena said.
"The note from the future said that these books concerned me especially. I will not deny that I am now curious." Artemis added, before turning to Apollo with a glare. "Although, I am quite certain that the reason for this was due to someone's boredom."
The sun god merely shrugged in response.
"Who knows for certain."
Artemis sent a glare at her twin.
"Are we forgetting that one of the demigods looks exactly like our Artemis?" Aphrodite pointed out in glee. There was a glint in her eyes that set the Huntresson edge.
'So much for things being civil between us,' Artemis thought ruefully.
"There was?" Hephaestus asked. "I can't say I was paying attention."
"Could that be why they're here?" Poseidon asked.
"I'm sure my future self may have wanted to give us time to prepare for what happens in these books. It's possible that certain events could have been avoided if we were allowed time to prepare." Apollo answered.
The king of the gods sent a stern look towards Apollo.
"Fate cannot be avoided. As the god of prophecy, you should be aware of this."
"Of course, father," Apollo responded.
"Perhap," Hera began, "since there are three books, this may be a choice for us to choose which future we would prefer."
"These three books could also show a less than ideal future," Athena countered.
"I just don't want them to be boring." Ares grumbled.
"What about the demigods? Can't we just send them back to their times?" Demeter asked.
"There is no guarantee that they would be sent to the correct times." Apollo answered. "If we send any of them to the wrong time, it could have potentially disastrous results. What if there is already a version of them in a different time?"
"I agree." Athena continued. "There are only three series of books and demigods from four different timelines. One timeline must be unavoidable or used as a foundation for the others."
"We also don't know who the brats belong to," Dionysus grunted.
Hermes and Apollo both looked at the wine god in astonishment.
"You're paying attention for once?" Apollo asked with a raised eyebrow.
Dionysus gave a lazy look in response. "Only so I know who I risk offending if I transfigure one of them."
Poseidon turned to the lord of the sky. "Dionysus raises a good point. We don't know who these demigods belong to, nor what to do with them."
Hestia spoke up from beside the hearth, exasperated."Since the demigods are also considered family, perhaps they want you all to try bonding with your children? Let them stay with you in your temples?"
Zeus looked outraged at the thought, while Athena, Apollo, Hermes, Demeter, and Aphrodite looked like they were considering the idea. Ares, Hephaestus, and Dionysus seemed less than thrilled with the suggestion.
Hera, Poseidon, and Artemis didn't feel the need to participate in this discussion as they didn't have any demigod offspring to worry about.
"Sister, we are gods!" Zeus thundered, angered by what Hestia suggested. "Our temples are sacred, symbols of our divine authority! To allow anyone less than a god to enter is...!"
Hera interrupted her husband with a glare. "First off, they are still their children. And second, you mean why should they be allowed in their parent's temples, correct?" She asked with her eyes narrowing even more.
The king of the gods' eyes widened suddenly and he seemed a little uncomfortable. He would have shifted in his seat had he not been surrounded by the entire Olympian council, Hades, Persephone, and Hestia.
"Yes, of course, dear."
Queen Hera stared at him a moment longer before nodding and looking off to the side.
Hestia sighed. "As parents, it is our responsibility to care for our children, who we brought into this world," Hestia said, agreeing with Hera, "Children do not pick their parents, brother."
The second generation of Olympians suddenly seemed uncomfortable. Hera was glaring at her husband again, Artemis and Apollo both shifted uncomfortably, Hermes continued to check his emails for the day, keeping his gaze down and appearing occupied. Dionysus had the same thought when he suddenly summoned a magazine and started reading. Hephaestus started tinkering with something in his hands, and Persephone only looked away from her mother, her face too blank to be considered innocent.. Only Athena and Ares didn't seem too bothered as both deities' thoughts were occupied - the former trying to piece together these new revelations, and the latter mindlessly cleaning out his dagger since the start of the meeting.
"They should be grateful that they were born! They're half-god!" Zeus said stubbornly.
"These demigods should be grateful that they are born and then ignored, for sometimes their entire existence? When I visit Camp Half-Blood, I see demigods that haven't even been claimed. There are demigods that have left Camp Half-Blood and started their own families and they still haven't been claimed." Hestia's voice was unnervingly calm, but her glowing eyes belied her tone.
The entire room was silent for a few minutes as the gods and goddesses dwelled on the words spoken by the goddess of family.
"Hestia has a point," Athena began, "It may not be such a bad idea if, just for the sake of entertaining our future selves' instructions, we interact and 'bond' with these demigods."When her father turned to look at her questionably, Athena continued, "After all, there's a possibility that we cannot return them to their own timelines until after we finish reading these books. The note also requested us to spend two days for 'family bonding'."
"That's true." Hephaestus said. "However, the note did not specify it is between us and those demigods."
"Exactly, wasn't eating dinner with them enough?" Zeus asked.
Suddenly, a light flashed before Hera, when the light disappeared, there was a note on her lap. The Olympians all looked at each other in bewilderment.
"What does it say?" Hermes asked, breaking the silence.
"It's addressed to me," the queen replied before she read the contents aloud:
Queen Hera
Mount Olympus
600th Floor
Empire State Building
New York
Year 1980
The demigods are to take part in any family bonding that takes place. No killing, maiming, or transfiguration is allowed. The demigods are not allowed to tell you their godly parent, and the gods are required to figure out the identity of each parent. Not all gods have a child present, while some have multiple children present. The demigods are all unable to return to their own time until you read these books. Once a demigod's parentage is revealed please allow the demigods the choice to stay in their parent's temple.
You are now also required to interact with these demigods (especially your children) until they are returned to their correct time periods.
Several demigods have been through trauma, and as a result have been left with emotional and psychological scars. Please try to be patient and understanding.
It is true the original reason these demigods were sent back was to cure the boredom of Apollo and Hermes, however, the rest of us believe some events could be prevented by reading these stories and thus, benefit the future.
Sincerely, Queen Hera from the year 2017.
P.S. Those of us from each future are watching all of you and the demigods. Don't tell the children. We would also like you all to have the demigods introduce themselves tonight, and start the reading as well. Another note will be sent before dinner in regards to the introductions.
When the queen finished reading, everyone in the throne room was staring at her. The most noticeable reactions were Zeus grumbling angrily as he did not like these new requirements, and Poseidon staring at her like a fish out of water (was it really Hera's future self that asked to include the demigods?). Everyone else was either indifferent or in disbelief.
"Great." Dionysus grumbled. "Not only are we stuck with brats, but we're also stuck with the broken ones."
"Your future self wrote all that?" Apollo exclaimed in disbelief.
"It appears so," Hera answered looking disturbed. Why did her future self seem to care about what happens to the demigods?
"This note came from further into the future than the last." Athena noticed. "Eight years to be precise."
"But why?" Artemis asked, "I know the demigods are not from the same future, but…"
"What could have happened to cause that?" Demeter asked.
Hermes suddenly perked up, a look of worry on his face.
"Wait, we're being watched?"
"Apparently." Artemis sighed in disdain.
"I think that is enough discussion for one meeting," Zeus said with clenched teeth. "Council adjourned."
Multiple flashes of light filled the room as one by one the gods and goddesses flashed out of the room to take care of their domains. In the end, only Hera, Demeter, and Hestia were left.
"I think it's about time someone goes to retrieve the demigods." Lady Hestia smiled. "It's nearly nine."
Hera sighed tiredly.
"Did that really take almost two hours?" The goddess brought a hand up and rubbed her face. "I need to clear my head. I'm going for a walk around the gardens."
Both of her sisters nodded in understanding as the queen looked back at the piece of parchment in her hand.
"I'll get started on breakfast for our new guests," Demeter decided, before excusing herself and heading to the kitchen.
"I'll retrieve the demigods," Hestia said to Hera, "Go ahead and leave for your walk, I'll notify you if needed. I'm assuming you'll wind up by the pond sooner or later?"
With a tired smile and nod, the queen of the gods left the throne room.
What a mess.
She slightly raised her hand that held the note, staring at it in contempt.
Why did her future self care about these demigods? Did she care about them? Or did she merely write it in hopes that the others would listen to her?
The handwriting certainly did belong to her, there was no question about that.
But why?
Hera was about halfway to the door when she heard a shout at the other end of the hall.
"Cassie! Wait! Hold up!"
The goddess of marriage had just started to turn to identify the cause of the commotion when she saw a streak of hazel-brown hair rush past her at full speed.
The bewilderment and vexation she was feeling soon turned into anger and irritation.
"Demigod!" She called in a harsh tone.
For some strange reason when the girl bolted past, the queen felt a strange feeling bubble in her chest, but she ignored the feeling and the confusion that surfaced with it.
Another blur of brown hair, this time caramel, hurried past at a slightly slower pace. The offender turned their head slightly to the side regarding the goddess of marriage with orange-brown eyes.
"Sorry! I know you don't like running, but it's an emergency!"
With narrowed eyes, Hera stared after the two demigods.
'Those two have a lot of nerve doing as they please in my halls.'
With a huff and a shake of her head, the queen continued on her way.
About five minutes after Cassie and Alessa had run out of the room, Angelica had followed in nothing more than a pair of black sleep shorts and a silver tank top. She was attempting to put on one of the two zip-up hoodies she was holding when she nearly bumped into Lady Hestia.
"Forgive me, milady!" She said hurriedly, dropping into a bow while still fidgeting with her hoodie. "There seems to be a small situation within my group, may I please be excused so I may solve it?"
The goddess of the hearth blinked slowly at the overly formal tone and the distressed girl in front of her.
"Of course," Hestia replied with concern, "but are you properly dressed? It is quite cold this morning."
The girl grimaced.
"I am afraid that the matter is time-sensitive. I don't have time to go back and change."
With a small nod, the goddess stepped to the side just enough for Angelica to run past with a loud and rushed, "Thank you!"
When Hestia turned to look at the rest of the demigods, she noticed the mood was quite somber. Looking around the room, she noticed that besides Angelica, two demigods were missing. Cassandra and Alessa.
Did the situation revolve around them? The two seemed to get along quite well the night before.
Deciding that it was best to not dwell on a situation that was being handled, Hestia turned to the remaining demigods.
"Is anyone hungry? Breakfast has been prepared in the dining room."
Travis and Connor both jumped to their feet and Nico became slightly more alert at the prospect of food. Thalia, Ashlynn, and Percy gave enthusiastic cries of excitement while Annabeth and Thea rolled their eyes and smiled at their antics.
"Breakfast sounds good," Katie said, feeling quite hungry. Clarisse and Will both nodded in agreement
"Might as well. Right?" Armani asked Seth, who stood beside him with hands in his pockets. The older teen just shrugged nonchalantly.
"There's coffee, right?" Dove begged.
Hestia nodded, while Ashlynn looked at her in indignation.
"Didn't you just have a cup?"
"I need at least three for normal daily functioning."
"And that's why you're short." Ashlynn replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
Dove glared at her and raised her arm, before remembering they weren't alone. Instead of what she originally planned to do, she slammed her hand on the top of the minibar and used it to push herself up, a tense smile on her face. Ashlynn smiled knowingly.
"You know what?" Dove said, struggling to remain civil with Ashlynn, "I. Am. Starving. Let's go eat!"
Everyone left the room as a group but on the way to the dining room, Connor and Annabeth both walked up next to Ashlynn.
"Is something the matter with Dove? That seemed...out of character for her?" Annabeth asked.
Ashlynn merely giggled softly.
"She hates it when someone brings up her height. She'll only ignore it if said person can beat her in a fight."
"Doesn't seem that hard," Connor shrugged.
"Oh trust me, you would be surprised. Last I checked, Dove and Annabeth were tied in the number of fights they've won against each other."
Connor let out a low whistle and after finding the answer he was looking for went back to talking with Travis.
When the group arrived at the dining room only a few gods were present. Hades and Persephone were sitting in their seats from the previous night with Poseidon talking to his brother, Aphrodite was sitting next to Ares who was talking to Apollo across the table, and Athena was quietly reading a book while occasionally eating some fruit that was on her plate.
What captured the demigods attention, however, was the food already laid out on the demigod's half of the table. Waffles, pancakes, different styles of cooked eggs, bacon, turkey bacon, nearly every breakfast item was waiting for them.
"Whoa," Travis drooled. "This is awesome."
"Better than camp," Connor whispered, wide-eyed.
Nico nodded mutely, mouth wide open.
Percy, however, sighed in disappointment, "I don't see any blue pancakes." Next to him, Thalia gave a snort.
"Of course, kelp head. Of course, the gods, who have never met you before by the way, would know of your obsession with blue food."
"It's not an obsession," Percy protested. "I can eat normal food. It just tastes better when it's blue."
"That's just in your head, seaweed brain," Annabeth interjected. "Probably a placebo effect." Her boyfriend gave a pout.
Thalia rolled her eyes and walked away from the couple, quickly finding a seat.
Even with the gods' involvement, the seating arrangements only slightly differed from the night before. Theresa sat next to Persephone, with Ashlynn on her other side. Seth decided to sit beside Will and Annabeth who were with the Big Three demigods of timeline one. Meanwhile, Dove and Armani sat further down the table with Katie, the Stolls, and Clarisse.
Hades had glanced at Nico briefly as he passed, a look of uncertainty on his face. After the information the lord of the underworld overheard last night, he was fairly certain that the Nico before him was Nico di Angelo, his son who was currently hidden at the Lotus Hotel and Casino in Vegas. But that Nico was still only a child, and this Nico was a teenager.
'So I had him taken out of the hotel, but why?'
The god had no current plans to retrieve his children, especially not since hearing the great prophecy.
Persephone had noticed who her husband was looking at and sighed. She knew how much her husband cared for his children, after all. She also knew that when the demigod's identity was revealed it wouldn't be taken well by his brothers.
There was also a hollow feeling in Persephone's chest. While they were immortal and this wasn't the first time she discovered her husband's demigod children, the pain and feeling of betrayal never went away.
Perhaps this was how Hera felt every time she interacted with her? Or whenever there was a council meeting? Almost half the Olympians were her husband's children born out of wedlock, after all.
Demeter walked into the room with a tray of drinks, smiling at the seated demigods. Katie perked up at the sight of her mother, while Nico shrunk low in his seat. Theresa shifted slightly in her chair, forcing a tense smile on her face.
"Good morning!" The goddess called in a chipper tone. "I hope you all are hungry, I may have gotten carried away in my cooking."
With a slight laugh, Demeter placed the tray down and looked up with a smile. She took the time to look at each demigod one by one, a confused look appearing on her face when she noticed some demigods were missing.
"That's strange. Weren't there more of you?"
Lady Hestia walked towards a chair on the gods' half of the table, calling towards her sister as she did so.
"Apparently something important came up. I'm sure the other three will be back eventually."
"I see." The younger of the two mused thoughtfully, looking over the demigods again.
Her gaze stopped at Nico, who was doing his best impression of melting into his chair. The goddess of agriculture smiled at him, which caused him to yelp.
Will looked at his boyfriend strangely, the younger boy was acting weird.
"Child," Demeter started, walking over to the goth, "you're all skin and bones. Have something to eat, will you dear? Sit up properly, you'll hurt your back if you sit like that."
Katie couldn't help but feel a bit envious seeing her mother give Nico her attention, but the concern she discerned from her voice made her feel hopeful.
Nico's eyes widened in a strange mixture of confusion and terror. He turned to Will and mouthed 'help' before turning and whispering to Percy.
"Why is she acting different?"
Percy whispered back. "Your parentage is still unknown, and you're the youngest here."
Nico quickly understood the implications of what Percy said, while Theresa, who heard their exchange clearly, had a look of trepidation.
Persephone noticed the look on Theresa's face and became confused. She had also noticed Nico's reaction to seeing her mother and felt some confusion over that, as well. To her knowledge, her mother had never met any of Hades' children. So why did the two demigods seem scared of her mother? And who's child was Theresa anyway?
"Ash, pass me the pancakes," Theresa said, "On second thought, pass the cereal too."
Ashlynn looked at the girl in amusement before complying.
The demigods were halfway through breakfast when the missing three girls from timeline four appeared.
Alessa seemed to have said something funny as Angelica burst out laughing. Cassie cracked a small smile, her eyes slightly red and puffy, but she looked fine otherwise.
Percy shot a worried look at the hazel-haired girl and when she caught his eye, he mouthed a 'you ok?'
Cassie sent a small nervous smile back in return with a nod of her head. Percy smiled at her before returning to his conversation with Annabeth and Thalia.
Cassie took the seat next to Katie and Luna took the seat next to Dove. Alessa glanced at the two goddesses all the way at the other end of the table before sighing dejectedly and sitting across from Theresa.
Thank you for reading!
I'm hoping to get the next chapter up soon.
I wish everyone a wonderful day!
Translation:
Ralentissez la baise - Slow the f**k down