Okay, so with the poll, at this stage while I'm not fully decided on the exact details of how it'll work, Sally will be a legacy of Hera and possible a daughter of Venus at the same time to keep everyone happy! Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, you've all been waiting for it after all!
Reviews
Undeath9087: I'm glad you're enjoying, and yeah, Leo's definitely stepping up in a big way in this- I felt so sorry for canon Jason, like, he had no memories at all and everyone was like 'Whoop, here you go, have a quest where you have to be responsible for two total newbies' at least in this Leo knows what's up and he's an experienced demigod, so he can actually sit there and think 'I don't have to be the responsible one'
Guest: No there won't be any PiperxDrew, I don't do siblings dating I'm afraid.
JjlovesPJO: I like Piper, she's not a bad character, and I do feel super sorry for her, she goes through a lot with Jason and her dad- but hey, she's got a friend in Leo and a supportive asshole big sister in Drew.
The Official Clarisse: Drew is just there like 'Wait, what the fuck I see myself in this loser! Oh gods I guess I'm gonna have to do a Percy and basically adopt her'.
Weirdhead: Yeah, I wasn't ever gonna just play into stupid stereotypes which you gotta admit, Rick did do a lot. Drew's more than just a bitch. I mean she is a bitch but she's more than just a bitch- and you get to see our favorite lightning children's reuinion!
Warmonger: I appreciate the vote but I'm basically decided for now.
Guest: You flatter me. Thank you so much, you've made me smile and I hope you keep enjoying.
Lunar-212: It will not be called that, but there will be one following the quest to Alaska to free Thanatos yes, I've nearly finished writing it in fact, though I will be honest and say I'm not as happy about it as I am this one.
Guest: I will be doing something along those lines to make everyone happy.
The walk to the Big House was not a fun one- Jason was stressed and tense, and Annabeth kept shooting Leo questioning looks- and Leo... well, he couldn't stop thinking about his theory about Jason's parentage. It would definitely make sense in some ways but it was just confusing in others.
Still, it didn't take them long to reach the big house- and Leo couldn't help but notice how Jason tensed up more and more with every step, he looked like he was walking to his death- and the look on his face when Chiron rounded the corner- he looked tired to Leo's eyes, though he smiled when he spotted Leo- "Ah, young Leo thank the gods you're home, it seems Annabeth's mission turned out well-" he froze when his eyes landed on Jason and the color drained from his face even as Leo cheerfully waved.
"Yep, and we found two newbies, one's with Silena and Jason here has no memories-"
"You." Chiron cut Leo off- though he didn't seem to realise he'd done it he was so focused on Jason, "You should be dead-"
"What?" Annabeth's eyes narrowed, "Chiron-"
"I mean, after the chaos today he probably should have been but that seems harsh."
Chiron shook himself, "I- of course." he let out an almost nervous little cough, "No memory you say?"
"None." Jason admitted, stepping forward, though he looked like he wanted to be doing anything but that, "I don't know who I am- I only know my name because Piper said it when I woke up this morning."
"I see." Chiron looked disturbed, "You say your name is Jason- and you have no idea who you are-"
"I uh-" Leo stepped forward, "I might know who his dad is."
"You might?" Chiron raised an eyebrow as Leo shifted nervously, feeling Annabeth and Jasons eyes on him as well as Chirons. "Please do enlighten us?" and Leo swallowed hard.
"The eagle is Zeus' sacred animal and Jason got struck by lightning and got right back up again today."
"What?" that didn't come from Chiron, Annabeth or Jason- it came from Thalia, who was stood in the doorway of the Big House, she must have been inside and come out wondering what was up with Chiron. "What did you just say?"
"Thalia." Chiron shifted slightly, "This-"
"You just-" Thalia looked pale, as if she'd been punched in the gut as she moved slowly, as if she couldn't get her limbs to cooperate,
"You." she pointed at Jason, "Your name is Jason?"
"Uh- yeah." Jason looked like a deer in the headlights- Leo honestly felt kind of sorry for him, "I think so anyway-"
"And you got hit by lightning and just- just got straight back up?"
"Yeah?" And Thalia suddenly lurched forward, vaulting over the rail of the Big House and then she was in front of Jason, gripping his chin tightly.
"Thalia!" Annabeth's voice was shocked, "What-"
"You- that scar-"
"What is going on?" Jason smacked Thalia's hand away, stepping back a nervous look on his face, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh gods-" and then Thalia seemed to shatter, her hand flying to cover her mouth as she let out a sob, "Oh gods Jason-"
"What-" and she was throwing her arms around him and squeezing him tightly.
"You're my brother-"
"Why do I feel like there's more to this?" Leo stage whispered to Annabeth, who looked just as confused as he did. Even Chiron looked taken aback.
"I'm your brother?" Jason's voice was muffled from where his head was pressed into Thalia's shoulder. "Because my dad is Ju- Zeus?"
"No." Thalia pulled back slightly, "Not that just." she cupped his cheeks in the palms of her hands, tears pouring down her cheeks and a wide smile on her lips. "We're full siblings Jason-"
"What?" Annabeth yelped the word, "You never told me you had a brother-"
"I thought he died." Thalia admitted, "Jason- gods look at you I don't-"
"What happened?" Jason's voice was lost, "Why did you think I was dead?"
"Because- gods Jase- our mom wasn't a good person okay? And she- when you were two she- I turned my back for a few minutes to get the picnic basket from the car and then you were gone and she said- and I did look for you I swear I looked for you until she dragged me away but-"
"You-" Jason looked stunned, "You're really my sister-"
"Yeah. I'd recognise that little scar anywhere." Thalia blinked back more tears, poking Jason's lip gently. "I was there when you got it- mom was drunk so I was the one who had to calm you down. You tried to eat a stapler." And Leo had to resist the urge to snicker at that.
"I think-" Chiron's voice pulled everyone's attention back to him- and he'd settled back into his wheelchair form, "That we should continue this inside-"
"Of course." Thalia wrapped an arm around Jason, pulling him into her side, and Jason could see from the way she was just barely stopping herself from shaking that she was barely holding herself together-Jason would be lucky to get away from her any time soon.
"I-" Annabeth let out a little cough, a hurt look on her face, "I think I should go and tell Rachel what happened- maybe find Luke-"
"Annabeth-" Thalia faltered- but Annabeth was already moving, rushing away, and Thalia winced, "Fuck-"
"I don't-" Jason glanced between them, "What was that?"
"Annabeth's probably upset I never mentioned you to her." Thalia grimaced, "She's basically my little sister- I met her when she was seven but I'll explain all that later I promise. She's struggling a lot at the moment with everything."
"Yes." Chiron looked around, a worried look on his face, "As I said let's take this inside- All three of you- yes you too Leo-" Chiron gave Leo a knowing look- and okay so maybe Leo had sort of considered getting out of there to avoid what was probably going to be a very awkward conversation.
Still, they all headed inside to the living room, which looked different than Leo remembered, not that he went in there often- most of the meetings were in the rec room they rarely needed to go to the living room- which looked like it had been swallowed by a rain forest. Grapevines curved up the walls and across the ceiling, they were leafy green and bursting with bunches of red grapes.
Leather couches faced a stone fireplace with a crackling fire. Wedged in one corner, an old-style Pac-Man arcade game beeped and blinked. Mounted on the walls was an assortment of masks—smiley/frowny Greek theatre types, feathered Mardi Gras masks, Venetian Carnevale masks with big beaklike noses, carved wooden masks from Africa. Grapevines grew through their mouths so they seemed to have leafy tongues. Some had red grapes bulging through their eyeholes.
Leo resisted the urge to snort- after all it was all very Mr D- as was the stuffed Leopards head above the fireplace- which he'd heard about but hadn't seen before.
He did laugh when it snarled though, and Jason jumped in surprise.
"Now, Seymour," Chiron chided. "Jason is a friend. Behave yourself. "
"That thing is alive!" Jason said.
Chiron rummaged through the side pocket of his wheelchair and brought out a package of Snausages. He threw one to the leopard, who snapped it up and licked his lips.
"You must excuse the décor," Chiron said. "All this was a parting gift from our old director before he was recalled to Mount Olympus. He thought it would help us to remember him. Mr. D has a strange sense of humor. "
"Mr. D," Jason said. "Dionysus?"
"Mmm hmm. " Chiron poured lemonade, though his hands were trembling a little. "As for Seymour, well, Mr. D liberated him from a Long Island garage sale. The leopard is Mr. D's sacred animal, you see, and Mr. D was appalled that someone would stuff such a noble creature. He decided to grant it life, on the assumption that life as a mounted head was better than no life at all. I must say it's a kinder fate than Seymour's previous owner got. "
Seymour bared his fangs and sniffed the air, as if hunting for more Snausages.
"If he's only a head," Jason said, "where does the food go when he eats?"
"Dude." Leo snickered, "Why would you even ask that? It's a terrible question- and probably a gross one too-"
"You're the gross one." Thalia rolled her eyes, "It's magic it probably just disappears or something-"
"You're no fun at all Thalia."
"Now you two-" Chiron spoke up, a fond gleam in his eyes as he watched them, "No bickering- Jason do feel free to sit- and we have lemonade.
And soon enough the three demigods were sat, Leo pulling a piece of wire from his tool belt and fiddling with it as Chiron spent a moment just watching them, especially Jason, before his gaze swung to Leo. "Leo." his voice was calm, "I need to know what happened. All of it."
"Hera kidnapped me, stole my phone, blocked my IM's and dumped me back at the Wilderness school every time I tried to run away, I met Piper at the school, I figure she was important, wasn't sure what was up really. And then we had a trip to the Grand Canyon." Leo said calmly, "I hadn't been sleeping well so I was napping during the journey, I woke up and Jason was sat next to Piper asleep. I realised pretty quick that something was wrong because Piper was acting like she knew him- our whole class didn't think there was anything weird, and under the circumstances I figured it had to be something to do with Hera. When he woke up he told us he had no memories at all and I called Gleeson over to tell him what was up. When we arrived I told Jason and Piper about the whole Demigod thing-"
"He set himself on fire." Jason spoke up, "As proof."
"Yep." Leo gave Jason a little finger gun, "Anyway, we were figuring out what to do- we got a message sent here asking for someone to pick us up-"
"Yes. Gleeson did send a message- by that time Annabeth and Kayla were already on their way due to Annabeth's dream."
"Right." Leo nodded, "And we went onto the skywalk and it kinda got crazy after that- we were attacked by a storm spirit who called his buddies- I got thrown off the skywalk so I didn't see everything, but I did see Jason get hit by lightning and I managed to open my wings and fly up in time to see the storm spirit trying to kidnap Pipes and Gleeson saved her, except she fell straight through the glass because it was already cracked so I had to catch her- it was totally like a superhero movie I was badass- but by the time I got back to Jason with her it was over and Gleeson was gone."
"I see." Chiron nodded slowly, his gaze flicking to Jason. "And you?"
"It's like Leo said. I- I fought them. The Ventii. I'm not sure how but it was like I've fought things like that before."
"Yes." Chiron's expression was tight, "Yes I imagine so. And you truly have no memories."
"Nothing- none of this feels new." Jason admitted, "Well, other than having a sister that feels really new." he glanced at Thalia, who grinned and squeezed his shoulder tightly, "But- the rest of it? I feel like I should know all this- it's not like I'm learning new things if that makes sense."
"Very little about this makes sense but it seems that Lady Hera has something planned- the fact that she kidnapped Leo is most disturbing but we know he's shown interest in you before." that was aimed at Leo, who pulled a face.
"Ugh, Tia Callida. Don't remind me."
"For now we must deal with what we have in front of us. Jason, I imagine you have questions for me."
"Only one," Jason admitted. "What did you mean when you said that I should be dead?"
Chiron studied him with concern, as if he expected Jason to burst into flames even as Thalia let out a growl.
"That is a good question Chiron."
"I did not mean what you think Thalia. Jason, you truly don't know what those marks on your arm mean? The color of your shirt? Do you remember anything at all."
Jason looked at the tattoo on his forearm: SPQR, the eagle, twelve straight lines.
"No," he said. "Nothing. "
"I fear I do." Chiron admitted, "But- I cannot say anything yet." his eyes flicked to Thalia, who looked worried, and then to Leo. "Whatever is happening I am very concerned-"
"It's the great prophecy- the second great prophecy isn't it?" Leo's voice was quiet. "Jason is one of the seven. Probably Piper too, and me... Seven Half-bloods shall answer the call. That's three of us."
"Leo-" and Leo stood up, a pained angry look on his face.
"This is why Hera was always interested in me isn't it? She knew something- well fine. Fine I'll be a part of the stupid prophecy but- why does it have to be me? Why? I'll do it but I want to know why." his voice cracked, "Gods the last great prophecy. Haven't I lost enough? I- I hate this."
And Chiron sighed heavily, a sad look on his face.
"I wish I could tell you Leo. Truly I do. But the fates are often cruel."