Ariadne's nerves were shot.
Hermes' touch had washed away her anxiety of being back there. And when Apollon ventured down to their side... it did nothing more than cement the new memories.
Apollon had checked on Drew for her before the two had to leave once more. Her daughter stood at the mast, eyes locked onto the island. Not that she was any better... she had been otherwise occupied when this was going on.
She had still heard things though, so hopefully no one got stuck in a cave again.
Percy could not believe that someone got stuck in a cave again.
At least this time, there was no clinging to sheep bellies. Percy didn't think he would fit this time around.
(And Krokus had sniffed disdainfully when he brought it up. He was a prince.)
He stopped as he looked inside of the cave. "Grover... you're not supposed to be here?"
The satyr blushed as he avoided their eyes. "Um..."
"No," Percy stated, confused and a little disapproving. "I am pretty sure that Sea of Monsters was forbidden to all satyrs."
Grover bleated nervously, "I–I couldn't help it. I just knew something strong was here. I had to find it. It could have been Pan!"
Percy thought back to how Pan had originally been found in an underground cave and how satyrs did not like going underground. If that wasn't the best hiding spot, he didn't know what was. "Have you ever considered he didn't want to be found?"
Grover looked so offended that Percy had to remember this was the same satyr that grew to be the one that made Hyperion a maple tree. He shook his head instead: "This is why it was forbidden to satyrs. Dad is not one to harm his children so a compromise was made to not allow any satyrs here."
It was something that he could lose his license for and Percy knew he was going to have to raise Tartarus for him to keep it.
Polyphemus came stomping into the room; pouting childishly. It was a much different look than it had been when he first came here. Not that he could blame him... Krokus channeling their stepmother's stern voice of disappointment had him dropping his head in shame.
("The sea has many faces, Percy," Krokus chided before turning back to the elder brother. "And you, Polyphemus, have you thought about how this makes the House of Poseidon look? Honestly, you are a prince. You know better than to act so unruly. Have you even tried to bathe? Is that food stuck in your teeth? Go! Wash up in the stream. I do not want to see a speck of dirt in your hair when you come back. Do you understand me?")
"I should be able to keep the satyr then," the cyclops pouted. "He came to me. He's a fleece stealer."
Krokus looked at him, "No. You'll just eat him. And you stole the fleece first."
Polyphemus scoffed, "So? Satyrs good eating!"
Krokus sniffed once more, turning and winking at Percy, "It's talk like this that makes it obvious that you aren't Father's favorite. Hm. You know what. Seeing as I am father's favorite child means that I should have full access to this island," Krokus declared. Percy spluttered in mock offense, "Excuse me. Ari and I are dad's favorites. We're a two for one special!"
Jackjack raised his hand as best as he could from where he was tied up, "Actually, I'm the favorite. The youngest is always the favorite." Percy turned his nose up in offense, "Ariadne is his youngest female daughter and again, we are two for one special as she's the older twin."
"I am Father's favorite child," Polyphemus roared. "Father hurt Nobody for me!"
And that was his cue... he sent a mental apology to his dad and summoned his inner stereotypical-child of Aphrodite, "Please. That's like millennia old news. And besides, I fought Nobody too and he was nothing special. He didn't blind me."
Krokus nodded from where he was casually stirring the stew pot, "Yes. Nobody did come back like what two years ago? Father even shook his hand."
The others looked at them as if they were crazy and if Ariadne was here, she'd kick their asses but— Polyphemus was turning red, "NOBODY IS STILL ALIVE?"
Jackjack shrugged as Trav cut him loose, "Told you that you weren't the favorite."
Polyphemus roared.
Ariadne was brushing Drew's hair, and she felt as if she was fourteen again doing the same thing during the winter breaks. She had always been fond of these acts of service. Alongside quality time and words of affirmation and physical touch...
(She still couldn't wrap her head around how people put Aphrodite and her children down as to being shallow. None of them have ever sat and had a full substantial conversation with them. She learned more about herself than anything while being there. Not that she used any of said information; there was a war going on... nothing mattered than living to see it to the end.
Afterwards though, she had been focused on using the knowledge as she and Apollo built their relationship. )
She was in the middle of placing little plaits into her and styling it like a true child of the sea when the island in front of them seemingly shook. She stared.
Considering Percy's track record by himself and adding Jackjack into the equation, she's not even surprised that a simple in and out mission would lead to a battle. Drew turned to her, fingers trailing over the bow and arrows that she bought from Circe's store. "Should we go help?"
Ariadne thought about all of those who were currently on the island and the fact that she technically was not supposed to be here because she was non-combatant... she shook her head as she picked up another brush for her own hair, "No. They'll be fine."
Percy was not fine.
Why was this time worse than what the memories showed them?
At least in the first life, they had Tyson who scared off the flesh eating sheep. They didn't have that luxury.
He didn't even understand why he was so mad. Everyone knew that Dad's real favorite was Benny. She gave him absolutely no problems. A full blown daddy's girl. She wasn't married or dating any being from the sky or a descendant of one. She didn't throw storm bringing tantrums and she didn't mess up messages on purpose just because he beat out her high score in the game room.
She was chill and arguably his favorite sibling.
"I WILL KILL NOBODY AND BE DADDY'S FAVORITE!"
"Please, for the love of gods," he heard his namesake mutter. "Never call him 'Daddy' again." Lady Beth smacked him gently on the head as they ran back towards the ship. Her cheeks were flush an embarrassing red and Percy pushed all thoughts out of his mind in regards to that.
"Look out, Prissy!" Hands pushed him out of the way and he went rolling. He looked up just in time to see a large boulder miss Travis by hair breath. The ground rumbled under his feet and he had only a second to realize that it was his own doing.
His namesake hadn't been able to kill him. Polyphemus was their brother. But Percy wasn't like his namesake so he pulled himself to his feet slowly. The others looked at him in worry as he walked towards him instead of away. An uncomfortable pulling sensation ached around his stomach but he paid it no mind.
No one hurts his friends.
"Wait! Percy... No!"
Percy could hear nothing over the rush of blood in his ears. He could see nothing but a world tinted gold. He could feel nothing but the cracks within himself.
The world went out of focus—
["This is Annabeth. Uh, normally she doesn't judo-flip people."
"To storm or fire the world must fall."
"GAHHHH-SHRIMPZILLA!"
"Like your zodiac sign?' Percy asked. 'I'm a Leo.'
'No, stupid,' Leo said. 'I'm a Leo. You're a Percy."]
Percy blinked, coming back to himself. Apollo was leaning over him with a stethoscope. When did he get there? He looked around only now noticing they were back on the ship. Apollo smiled at him, helping him sit up before backing away as he turned to his siblings.
The breath was almost knocked out of him with the force that they collided with. Hands gripped the back of his t-shirt; his palm slipped and pressed under Travis' shirt, holding each other close, feeling the warmth of each other's skin. He could feel Travis' hands move upwards to cup his face, thumbs swiping away tears, leaning forward to connect their mouths messily, the world seeming to disappear around them. "I thought I lost you," Travis muttered against his lips.
Ariadne stared, eye twitching in disbelief. "You knew about this," she questioned her twin. She turned back to them, "I don't want to see a close door around the kingdom." She looked almost faint. His namesake snorted, "Just because you were all about monster hunting and honor in thy name at that age does not mean everyone else was."
Ariadne sighed before accepting the kiss that Apollo placed on her forehead.
Percy watched as Ariadne ranted and yelled at each of the children. It was amusing to watch the cower in front of her protective rage even Grover didn't know what to do when she turned and started scolding him.
With her hands on her hips, she started laying out every punishment she could think of. Yet he still was not prepared for her to turn around and face Polyphemus with the same stern look on her face.
"And you! How dare you bring such shame to the House of Poseidon! For thousands of years, Father has been content to ignore you but that won't work any longer. You clearly need a more hands on approach of how to behave. You're going to be fixing this island up! All by yourself! I want this place looking like a resort straight out of a magazine."
The cyclops bent his head in resignation as she continued to scold him. Percy steps away when she starts wagging her finger as she nags. Apollon was checking over Annabeth because even if the baby was nothing but an embryo at the moment... it would still not be good for her to be under any stress. Dealing with the ocean's offspring especially the monstrous ones was apparently stressful for them all.
Hermes had also appeared, scolding Trav lightly for running off also and checking him for injuries. Then he turned to Jackjack and gave him a thinly veiled shovel talk in the midst of his teasing. Finally, he turned to Krokus and there was nothing subtle about the shovel talk he gave the other.
He had once looked Hermes in the eye and witnessed the power of the Olympian. He had once looked at him and seen the same god that turned Chelone into a turtle. That was the same god standing before his brother and cheerfully detailing how he would flay him alive bit by bit like peeling an onion and continuously dipping him ghost pepper hot sauce if he even entertained the thought of hurting Connor in any shape or form that is not consensual.
Ariadne's voice finally trailed off as she walked over to the golden fleece that was now in Clarisse's arms. She used her dagger to cut a piece off to make a giant blind fold before stomping back over to Polyphemus and wrapping it around his head. "That should cure your blindness so that way I won't hear any excuses about you not being able to see. You're fixing this island."
The cyclops patted his face with trembling hands, And that's when Percy realized that she was right. Being around the golden fleece for however long he had it made him partially blind. With direct contact day in and day out, he should get his sight back soon. The cyclops plopped down onto the ground and cried happily.
Ariadne stared with wide eyes, "Uh..."
"Sister loves me."
She blinked, patting his leg (the closest part she could reach) gently, "There, there. I won't even tell dad that you tried to kill us, but you're going to fix that hole you put in my ship." Polyphemus cries grew louder. Ariadne grimaced as she turned back to them, eyes zeroing in on Clarisse. "Apollon, beloved, can you give Clarisse a lift back to camp? We should get that put up before we do anything else."
The god of sun gave his agreement before walking back over to his sister. He bent down, tilting her head up by the chin before giving her a deep kiss. Hermes broke off from threatening Krokus to roll his eyes at the divinity saturating the air around them. Drew scrunched her nose up at the sight; turning away abruptly.
Apollon pulled away from her slowly; her blue eyes fluttering with haziness. The god smiled smugly, pressing one more kiss to her lips before whistling. They all knew to turn away as the sun beamed brighter before a Bugatti Veyron 16.4 appeared in front of them. He opened the backseat for Clarisse before climbing into the front. He called something out to Hermes in the tongue of the ancients before speeding off.
Ariadne was still looking love struck when Polyphemus finally stopped crying. "Gift. Gift for sister!" Hermes slid to her side, teasing her lightly under his breath as he stopped at her side. Annabeth grabbed his hand and he turned to her. She was smiling at him, "No last minute battle with the party ponies, huh." He pressed a kiss to their clasped hands, "I think I like this ending a lot better." She laughed as she nodded.
Polyphemus walked back holding a giant egg in his arms. "Gift for sister," he repeated as he handed it over to Ariadne. Her eyes were wide as she took it in her arms. Krokus approached her, "That's a hydra egg."
Ariadne gasped before tears streamed down her face. She clutched the egg tightly even if her arms couldn't go completely around it, "Oh! My Ennea." It probably wasn't Ennea exactly, but Ariadne did raise the original from birth so who knows.
It was a pretty good mission if Percy said so himself. Now it was time to go home and deal with the after effects.