He didn't know why he even tried. Percy knew that he really couldn't get anything past Ariadne. (Or Annabeth but she was busy with the royal stylist in an attempt to find her perfect dress.) He wasn't surprised when after training, she followed him to Gleeson's Grove and dove into the cave pearl with him.
Their legs shifted into their tails and it was still so weird to feel them. It was weird that it felt so right.
"What's going with you," she demanded. Her hair splayed out around her. He wondered how she would react if he pointed out the features she shared with their mother as few as it may be. Uncaring probably. Nothing seemed to bother her these days except for the safety of their loved ones.
Still, he kept stubbornly silent as he floated through the water. Ariadne narrowed her eyes before she was suddenly trying to rip his arm out its socket as she swam them towards the ocean. She pushed at him, stuck her tongue out teasingly, yelling, "You're it!" before she shot off towards the coast of south america.
Well he couldn't take that lying down.
He chased after her, feeling his mood lightened with every twist and turn they made. Watching as she teasingly danced around the submarines in the water. He subtly helped those boats that were close to getting stuck in the middle of the ocean. Laughing to themselves as they sabotaged various fisherman's catches. The two of them collected the empty sea shells alongside the ocean floor.
Though their race never ended until he managed to catch her in his arms. Her laugh sounded like twinklingly bells as they swam down to the hidden alcove they claimed for themselves. She pulled out a bottle of kelpsea alongside the wine glasses they tended to use.
"We have about three hours to kill before Apollon is through with Drew and Leo's lessons," she stated as she filled the glasses to the brim. "Talk."
Percy rolled his eyes before taking the glass. He looked out into the sea in front of him watching as a school of piranhas swam by. "Do you…do you ever regret being demigods?"
Ariadne raised a brow, "No. Do I like being fate's chew toy? No. But being a demigod was the only thing that made sense to me. Why?" He shrugged as he drank his drink. "I never wanted to be one."
He looked at her, "I've said it before. I never wanted to be a demigod. And some days I wonder what would have happened if I ended it all before it got to this point." She froze. He turned away once more, "I never wanted this life, and I've been tired of it since the beginning. And now we have to watch it all again."
She swam over to crawl into his lap and hug him tightly. He could hear her sniffle, "Why?" She cleared her throat as her arms tightened around him, "Why have you never said anything before? I would've—I could've–"
He hugged her back, feeling her shudder; "That's the thing Ariadne. I didn't want you to feel the weight of problems. I still don't because I know that you will drop everything if it means for me to be happy. You would sacrifice yourself, and honestly; that makes me sad too. Watching you wither away for my sake just like watching all our friends die because I was the one they believed had to reach sixteen so that Olympus could thrive."
"I'm your sister," she argued as she pulled back. "Your twin sister! When you're sad, I'm sad. When you're happy, then I'm happy!"
"You're still your own person," he sharply responded. "I did not watch you break just for you to fall back into the same patterns."
"I don't care about that," her eyes darkened as she snarled. "I'm at my strongest when I know my family is happy. It's been me and you since the beginning and we may have more people to depend on, but it's you first and foremost for me."
She was getting angry; he could almost sense the long rant she was building up to. But then, she just sighed deeply; shoulders dropping as she looked at him, "Ahh, you're right. Sorry. Forgive me, por favor."
His lips quirked despite himself. He wondered if she realized that she randomly said small phrases in spanish or japanese. Learning extra languages for the sake of her kids had been challenging but soothing for her even though she sometimes messed up verb tenses and honorifics and definitely said the wrong words many times.
(At least with the gods in their lives… they never lost that part of their heritage.)
"You're right," she said again. "You don't have to tell me what's bothering you even if I would like to know, but at least promise to talk to someone. Mom is a good choice and Benny is good at listening to. And Kym lets you destroy things while you vent." She cradled his face in her hands, and he had the uncomfortable feeling of feeling like one of the kids. "Just remember that I'm here if you need me."
She backed away from him, wiping away at her face before dramatically turning away. Waving her hand at him dismissively, she set about fixing herself another glass. She waved her dagger around unbothered. "Besides I've already sent good vibes your way. There's nothing you can do to stop them."
He knew an out when he saw one, so he rolled his eyes playfully as he stretched alongside his seat, "This is the most threatening way I've been told to cheer up. Please stop. Think of the baby."
His sister turned to him with a faux-scowl on her face, "I swear to the gods if you say–" He smiled teasingly at her, "It's me. I'm the baby."
She groaned as she down her drink, "By the sea." Percy laughed, "I mean I am younger than you."
"We're twins," she protested. Percy smirked at her, "The Great Prophecy doesn't seem to think so." Her face droops at that; no doubt remembering the pressure that was on him and now is seemingly on Jackjack's shoulders. "Ari?"
She shifted a little, "If… if you felt like that, then how do the younger kids feel? Miranda Gardiner has gone missing. Little Katie doesn't even trust her mother. Jackjack is still recovering from whatever curse that little asshole placed on him. Angel and Bianca haven't awakened. We have Silena and Drew, but what about Valencia or Michael or that little flute player that she was talking about? What about Jason?"
Percy pursed his lips, "We'll deal with it as it goes. I'll talk to Jackjack soon." He ran a hand through his hair, "Actually, I think we'll need to tell him and Annabeth the truth." She stared at him in shock, biting her lip anxiously before she nodded. "Yeah. Yeah. We should."
She shook her head before looking at him seriously once more, "Hey, Percy." He looked at her. "I know some people think that we have a weird codependency thing going on, but I don't really care. I love you and if you ever need me, I'm here."
He swam to her side, pulling her into a hug, and kissing the side of her head, "Same for you, adelfí. I love you too."
Their sweet moment was interrupted by an Iris Messaging appearing in front of them. "Mana! Mana," Leo yelped from the rainbow. Screaming could be heard in the background. The twins shot out from their seats; eyes wide as Leo could be seen running through the castle. "MONSTERS!" Something with wings aimed for the boy shrieking as he burst into flames before sliding under the skeleton guards and rushing towards the portal room.
They did not spare a second look as they took off swimming for the kingdom. Ariadne prayed silently to Apollon and Hermes and Hephaistos that Leo got there safe and that someone had an eye on Drew and the others. She didn't realize the two of them had been down there for so long even though she knows that time runs differently in the sea.
They emerged to see two different sphinxs attacking the mainland. It looked like a family of cyclops were tearing through Nakamura Town and someone let the hydra pups out near Valdez Village.
Ariadne looked at him, her newest sword, Lavagirl, in her hands.
(It was the biggest project that Leo had finished without help. He crafted it in one of his father's favored volcano forges and finished it in one of the cyclops' forges underwater. Because of his small stature and long curly hair, the cyclops at sea thought he was afab and nicknamed him Lavagirl since he was only one brave enough to dip his hands into the boiling hot lava. Ariadne had laughed herself sick before gently correcting them on Leo's preferred pronouns.)
"Plan," his sister asked as her eyes tracked the monsters. Percy shrugged, "Divide and conquer?" No sooner had he said that did one of Katie's vines thicken and pierce one of the sphinx's like a kebab. She stepped out of her bakery; with a whisk in one hand and a burnt cake in the other. Ariadne winced, "Oh,she's pissed. Connor's birthday is coming up. She and Travis were planning to go all out. We'll be eating sphinx for weeks."
The other sphinx squawk in outrage and Katie threw the sharpened end of her whisk into its eye. Percy was the one to wince this time, "I deal with the cyclops and you get the hydrapups?" Ariadne nodded quickly before they sprinted away.
Prince Perseus and Princess Consort Annabeth's Pre-Wedding Rules
1. PLEASE DO NOT ASK ABOUT THE WEDDING
[We're trying to prepare for a wedding and a war. Do not stress them out.]
2. THIS WILL BE A SEMI FORMAL EVENT PLEASE DRESS ACCORDINGLY
[Gods and Goddesses of Beauty. I know it may be hard but do not upstage the groom and bride. Ariadne will spill wine on your clothing and laugh about it.]
3. DO NOT ASK IF YOU'RE INVITED
[Also, do not get mad if you're not invited. We don't need the Trojan War 2.0. Annabeth will fight and she will win.]
4. THERE WILL BE AN OPEN BAR… IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE YOUR LIQUOR OR CAUSE A RUCKUS YOU WILL BE REMOVED PROMPTLY.
[No, seriously. Percy will end you.]
5. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE OR SUPPORT THE BRIDE AND GROOM, DO NOT ATTEND.
6. THIS IS A DAY TO CELEBRATE PERCY AND ANNABETH AND THEIR UNION. WE ONLY WANT PEOPLE WHO, CELEBRATE, SUPPORT, AND UPLIFT THEM.
[Katie has a thorn whip she wants to try out on anyone that ruins this.]
7. THE DJ WILL NOT BE TAKING REQUESTS.
[Bother Apollon or any of the muses and Ariadne will stick her trident up your— Travis, the kids will see this too. ]
8. DO NOT QUESTION THEIR PARENTS REGARDING THE WEDDING.
[Please. It'll just be another argument about how Athena has the right to come to the sea when she wants, which eventually diverts to how Poseidon was cheated out of Athens…]
Percy was going to gut that damn mummy if it was the last thing he did.
After rounding up the cyclops (and he was very surprised to find Tyson amongst them, he had taken one look at his brother and wrapped him in a hug. The boy was very confused but open to affection), he went to find his sister. His sister who had one hydrapup in a chokehold because she wouldn't spit out the log she had eaten. A Monster Donut building had magically gone through half of its construction not too far away. The other hydrapups were sitting to the side looking like scolded children as Schmidtz stood guard over them.
Everything was fine when Benny came to collect them and take them back to their respective schools at sea. (Though Tyson stayed longer as the twins wanted to spoil him.)
Ariadne was talking with Hephaestus about better defenses to add the kingdom. Apollon had Leo in his arms and Drew sitting beside him, the girl played in his hair and the boy built a flying car out of his broken arrow shafts.
Everyone else was focused on rebuilding. He chanced a glance at his fiancée (he'd never tire of saying that) watching her eyes light up as she talked about improvements. Katie and Hermes were sitting together as they skinned the sphinx and Percy knew that they actually were going to be eating it for a while.
Everything was fine.
And then they get a call from Luey at camp half blood about the oracle making noise in the attic once again…
Ariadne hadn't wanted to go, but Percy still managed to drag her over just by the virtue that she wasn't over the conversation that they had earlier.
Seeing the oracle was still just as creepy and he swore he saw Ariadne eating an ambropop when the mummy smiled at her.
Unlike before or when they were children… this mummy was creepier as it opened its mouth. He covered Leo's eyes when the rotten teeth showed. The campers crowded around them as the familiar smoke waft across the earth, weaving itself around the younger version of Clarisse like an eel.
The girl stared in fear as the zombie turned to her, "You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone." Nico's sword chilled the air around them eerily. Horrified gazes fell onto them like anvils as others stared at the child in pity.
"You shall find what you seek and make it your own." Ariadne moved closer to the girl. She didn't touch her, but stood near enough to offer some support.
Clarisse froze in place as the oracle stated the next line , "But despair for your life entombed within stone." Hopefully, she would remember that Medusa was vaporized. But then again, Hekate was still out there alongside her children. No one knew if they had the ability to stone anyone.
Ariadne's eyes slipped closed, and he caught the minute flinch she gave. She did after all join back up with the group after Percy sent Clarisse ahead. She didn't know that her friend had survived. She had been angrier and grieving. Percy had never been more shocked to see her emerging from the water bank and quite literally glowing. "And fail without friends, to fly home alone." The way she had clung to the other girl when they made it back to camp had been very telling.
It was quiet for a moment before the word exploded into sound around them.