I couldn't believe it. The hunt, 700 years in the making, gone because of Zeus's paranoia. Cassie. My little sister. Tears slid down my face as Artemis sobbed into my shoulder, eventually crying herself to sleep. I carried her to her bedroom and laid her in the bed, tucking her in. I turned to leave and felt Artemis's hand catch my own, a plea to stay. I climbed in next to her and she curled into me. I inhaled her foresty scent, playing with her lush, auburn hair. Even sleeping, she looked like an angel. I pulled her closer and fell asleep with her in my arms.

The next morning, when I woke up, Artemis was asleep, apparently having a nightmare. I sat up and pulled her into my lap, wrapping the blanket around us. When she finally woke up, she started crying again. I kissed her on the forehead and she started to calm down. I snapped my fingers and we were sitting in the kitchen, wearing the same clothes we had worn to get Cassie all those years ago. We ate our breakfast in silence. I carried Artemis to the couch and she sat in my lap again, not crying anymore, but still mourning. I whispered soothing nothings into her ear and rubbed circles on her back.

"Hey! Percy!" I heard a voice yell-Apollo. "I can't find A-Oh." Apollo turned the corner and saw our position. "Well, now I know where she is. Why?"

I sighed and mind messaged him.

The hunt is gone.

What?

The hunt is dead.

How? There are like, a million of you!

Apparently, over 5,000 partially immortal fighters that could see through the mist, most with a lot of demigod powers, under the complete control of Artemis, was a threat to Olympus.

Huh?

Zeus went all 'you'll try and overthrow me, because that's what everyone with power does' mode and killed all the hunters...

Ah, shit. So, is Artemis gonna try and restart the hunters?

No way. Zeus said he would keep exterminating the hunt if it got too powerful.

Poor Arty. The hunt was her life.

I cut the mind message and Apollo hugged Artemis, telling her to remember what made her life worth living. With that, he flashed out. I stood up, still holding Artemis, and muttered into her ear, "C'mon, moonbeam, they wouldn't want you moping around forever, what d'you wanna do?"

Artemis stood up and rested her head in the crook of my neck, wrapping her arms around me in a hug, which I returned. "Thank you, Percy." She said. "You've always been there for me, no matter what." I smiled. Then I mentally cursed myself.

"Hey, Arty, y'know it's your birthday, right?" I asked, because I knew she was usually oblivious to these things. "July tenth, Happy Birthday, my moonbeam." I felt her smile, and pull out of the hug, still sitting in my lap. I definitely wasn't complaining. I hugged her again and pulled something wrapped in silver and blue striped wrapping paper. "Here's your present, moonbeam." I handed her the present.

She hugged me and said, "Thanks, Percy. I don't know what it is, but I know it'll be perfect." I smiled and she unwrapped it. When she opened the box she gasped. There was a silver necklace with a little bow on it. I held it up, "May I?" I asked for permission to put on the necklace. She lifted her hair and I connected the ends around her neck. I flashed us to my training room and told her about its powers. "You can think of whatever weapon you want, and it'll appear. If you summon something that needs ammo, it'll self reload. If you summon a bow, just pull back on the string and an arrow will appear. Just think about it, and it will go back into the pendant. It will always return to you, I hope you like it." She squealed and tackled me in a hug. I laughed and hugged her back.

We spent the rest of the day at the beach, Artemis launching water balloons at me with a modified grenade launcher. When we got back to Olympus, we collapsed in our respective beds in my palace. In truth, Artemis never actually used her palace. There was always at least one group of Hunters on Olympus, and they would stay in the palace.

The next morning, I woke up to someone shaking me. I opened my eyes to see Artemis's startlingly beautiful silver ones staring back at me. I got up and dressed, then made breakfast. When we were finished, Artemis said, "I'm feeling like a walk around Olympus. How about you?"

I shrugged and said, "That sounds fine to me." She grinned and practically dragged me to the door. I already knew where we were going. There was a secluded spot in a garden dedicated to me overlooking Manhattan. The view was amazing. When we got there, we sat on the soft grass and played 'I Spy' because, why not. When we left the spot, just walking around the garden, Eros stepped out and slapped power-cancelling celestial bronze bracelets on the both of us. We grabbed our weapons, but Eros just swatted Artemis's bow out of her hand and flashed to, presumably, his palace.

I swore loudly in Ancient Greek. I sprinted to Hephaestus's palace and he cut the bracelet. I flashed to Eros's palace and heard screaming. Artemis. I ran towards the scream, through 17 walls, and saw a sight that made my blood boil. Artemis was naked, chained to a bed, being groped by Eros while he sucked on her neck and positioned himself outside of her entrance. I charged Eros, decapitating him and sending him down to reform. I snapped my fingers and she was wearing clothes. I cut the chains and bracelet. I picked her up bridal style and flashed us to my room. I held her as she sobbed into my shoulder. I couldn't stand to see her like this. I knew I shouldn't, but I loved her. I knew she would never love me back, but she was a great friend.

After a couple of hours of that, she finally spoke, "Percy, I feel dirty. I'm gonna take a shower." I nodded and released her from my grasp, going to do the same in my shower. When I got out, I sat on the bed, waiting for Artemis. When she finished, I engulfed her in a hug. I picked her up and carried her to her room, then thought better of it. I carried her to my room and she snuggled into me. I pulled the covers over us and kissed her on the forehead as we drifted into the realm of Hypnos.