Hello! Welcome to the new chapter! Thank you for all your lovely reviews from last chapter. I always love hearing your thoughts and really appreciate your feedback.

Just a heads up, I will be going back and editing the earlier chapters periodically, so on the off chance you get update notifications, that's what those will be. Those chapters desperately need to be corrected for flow and wording. But that's my problem haha.

Anyway, on with the story. As always, please read, enjoy, and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson. All rights go to Rick Riordan.

Interlude

"Again," Artemis ordered.

Percy groaned and nocked another arrow, preparing to let it fly and praying to any god willing to listen that he would hit the target. At all. Honestly, he'd be happy if he got the outer rim. At least then the Hunters would stop jeering at him from the sidelines, he hoped.

"You suck, Jackson!" Phoebe yelled.

Percy sighed. Perhaps that was too wishful a thought. Thalia looked at him sympathetically and shot him an encouraging smile. Percy managed to pull a weak grimace back. He wondered when Thalia had become an encouraging figure in his life.

Focusing back on the target across the range, Percy prepared to shoot again, but Artemis grabbed the bow to stop him. Glancing now to Artemis, Percy jerked an eyebrow up questioningly. "Relax," she told him stoically, but she lightly nudged his foot in a discreet show of support.

Percy struggled to keep a grin from spreading across his face. Knowing that Artemis was on his side made him feel a trillion times better. He forced himself to loosen the muscles in his back and neck as he took aim for the third time. He stared intently down the shaft of his arrow, checking that the tip pointed slightly above the bullseye. Taking a deep breath, he released the arrow.

And somehow, the accursed projectile lodged itself - for the tenth time in a row - into a nearby tree. The Hunters laughed mockingly, and Percy groaned in frustration, "Come on…"

"That's enough for today," Artemis gently removed his bow from his hands. She noted the familiarity of the weapon, and her heart warmed when she realized it was the same bow she had gifted to Perseus before he left. Percy grimaced, and the fondness that had overcome her was quickly replaced by amusement as she struggled to hide a smile, "I think it hit a slightly closer tree this time, if nothing else. Plus, it is technically your first day."

"I'm such a prodigy," Percy snorted. He looked over at the Hunters to see them heading back to camp, chatting amongst themselves.

"I'm sorry," Artemis said, staring at her Hunters' retreating backs, "I will speak to them about their conduct tonight. It was really unacceptable by any standards. I fear their hatred for men has only increased in the last few years."

Percy smiled sadly, "Thank you, but don't worry about it. Percy Jackson has done nothing to earn their trust yet. It's only natural that they dislike me. I wouldn't be surprised if many of them actually blame me for Zoe's death. I suppose I must consider myself lucky to be alive if that were the case. However, I will say it is strange having them treat me like a stranger again."

Artemis sighed, "I really wish we could tell them who you really are."

"I believe we need to tell Thalia," Percy said, deep in thought, "She's your lieutenant after all, and I think she already suspects Percy Jackson isn't who he used to be."

Artemis raised an eyebrow, "Does she now?"

Percy nodded, "I saw it during the council meeting after the battle."

"Smart girl," Artemis smiled proudly.

"She is," Percy grinned, "Though she has one heck of a temper and a smart mouth too."

"I'll be sure to watch out in the future," Artemis laughed, "Well, given your reasoning, I believe we should tell Thalia. She would be an immensely valuable ally. Perhaps we should tell Phoebe as well. She more than deserves to know, and she might be able to help you befriend the other Hunters more easily."

Percy thought it over before nodding in agreement, "Very well. We will tell them tomorrow. Now I think it's about time I returned to Camp."

The rapidly darkening sky had led Artemis to the same conclusion. With a glance around the clearing to make sure they were truly alone, Artemis pulled Percy into a quick kiss, before she teleported him away.

Percy materialized back in his cabin, smiling widely as his heart pounded nearly out of his chest. While the archery part of the training session had been far from perfect, Percy had seriously missed just being with Artemis. Despite not having seen each other for such a long time, their dynamic seemed not to have changed at all. Except he now cherished their relationship even more; he had nearly forgotten how it felt to have his greatest friend and confidant - someone he trusted with his very being - with him.

With a spring in his step, Percy headed down to the Mess Hall. On the way there, he ran into Annabeth by the Athena cabin. "Hey Wise Girl!" he grinned, eyes lighting up when he spotted his friend, "Great to see you finally out of the infirmary."

Turning around to face him, Annabeth smiled, "Thanks, Seaweed Brain. I'm so glad. I was about to go crazy in there."

The expression of pure boredom on Annabeth's face when he had gone to visit her the day before surfaced in his mind. Percy snorted, "I know. Honestly, I was starting to fear for Will's safety. You looked life you were ready to butcher him."

"Shut up," Annabeth rolled her eyes as an embarrassed blush spread over her cheeks, "How did Hunter training go?"

"Terribly," Percy groaned, "I wouldn't be able to hit a target if the thing walked up and impaled itself on the arrow."

Annabeth couldn't think of anything to say to that. She had seen Percy shoot before. It wasn't a pretty sight. And honestly, his description wasn't too extreme of an exaggeration. She resorted to just nudging his arm sympathetically. Deciding a change in subject was due, Annabeth asked, "How's Thalia?"

Percy noted the slight dimming of Annabeth's eyes as she mentioned her old friend. A pang of sympathy and guilt hit him when he realized Annabeth had just lost both of her oldest and closest friends in one day. That is, assuming Luke was actually dead, which Percy seriously doubted was true. He kept that thought to himself. "She misses you," he said instead, "She obviously wouldn't say it out loud, but I can see it."

Annabeth sighed, and Percy realized for the first time just how young she was. In Percy's mind's eye, he could still picture the seven-year-old Annabeth Chase he had met years ago. Looking at his friend now, he noted that, while she had grown considerably, 13-year-old Annabeth was still very much the little girl he had rescued by Lake Michigan. It was easy to forget when she was easily wiser than anybody her age.

"Do you wish you had joined the Hunt?" Percy asked, unable to contain his curiosity, "You can tell me the truth."

Annabeth's eyes widened, "I… I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it before. When Lady Artemis made the offer, accepting it would have been like jumping in without any preparation. I guess it wouldn't be that bad, but then it would mean being away from… uh… Camp." A dark blush spread across Annabeth's face as she trailed off awkwardly, and Percy realized with a start just why. Had he still been just Percy Jackson, he would have been entirely oblivious to it all, but over three millennia of existence had taught him to read between the lines. And what he saw was something he had to put a stop to immediately.

"Hmm, that makes sense. Well, I think it's great Lady Artemis kept the offer open for you," he said thoughtfully, "And after meeting the Hunt, I think you would fit in very well there too."

An expression of surprise and mild hurt flashed across Annabeth's face. Percy struggled to contain an apologetic wince. He hadn't wanted to hurt Annabeth - far from it - but he didn't want her to develop a deeper crush for him, just to be hurt even more in the end.

Plastering on a cheery grin, Percy bumped shoulders with the daughter of Athena and feigned obliviousness. "Hey, cheer up. I bet Thalia will be back to visit in no time. Now, let's go grab some food before I have to leave again to train with Dad. Race you to the Mess Hall!" With a bark of laughter, Percy took off at a sprint, an exasperated Annabeth hot on his heels.

That afternoon was Percy's first training session with Poseidon as well. To get a preliminary assessment of Percy's control over his "demigod" powers, Poseidon asked him to do a series of tasks, starting with general water manipulation. The first exercise was the simple movement of water into a slow whirlpool-like motion.

Gathering his power, Percy focused on the water all around him and willed it to move in the desired pattern. The effect was immediate. The water began to swirl around them, trailing small bubbles as the speed picked up. However, it was here that the problem arose.

Instead of maintaining a tame, steady speed like Percy had wanted, the water around them churned faster and faster, until Percy and Poseidon were standing in the middle of a full-strength whirlpool. The vortex just kept getting stronger until Poseidon was forced to step in and nullify it. As the water stilled, and the sand settled once more, both gods noted the ripped-up sea grasses and pebbles strewn around the training area. Percy looked around in confusion and despair, "Poseidon, that's not at all what I meant to have happen. I had no control. It's just like with my regular powers."

Poseidon laid a reassuring hand on Percy's shoulder and hummed thoughtfully, "I have seen the same thing from you these past few years, before you regained your memory. We didn't completely seal any of your natural powers, only dampened them. It seems like they are leaking into the powers you received from me and putting their own signature on them. That would explain why you are extraordinarily adept at controlling storms and earthquakes, but have a hard time with simple water manipulation."

Percy frowned, worry and fear gnawed at his stomach. He could barely control his normal powers. How was he supposed to use Poseidon's when his own were influencing those too? Not to mention, if he couldn't learn to use the most basic powers of a son of Poseidon, the gods would get suspicious, and his cover would be blown. "What do we do then?" Percy asked, his fists clenching by his side, "The gods must already be suspicious of me. It took Zoe only a few days to figure out who I am."

Poseidon squeezed Percy's shoulder firmly, "That's true, but she is very smart, and she also knows you very well. I can't say this for certain, but she must have been on the lookout for you too. The gods are not. After your disappearance all those years ago, we all assumed you had faded."

Percy lifted an eyebrow. This was news to him. "You assumed I had faded?"

Poseidon nodded, "Well, yes. No god alive could detect your presence. The idea that you had somehow learned to completely mask your godly aura never occurred to us. It's not a skill that any of us has ever had to learn before, you know."

Percy shrugged, "Okay then, I guess that makes my job easier."

Poseidon laughed, "I'll say."

"So what do we tell people if they become suspicious of my powers - or lack thereof?"

Poseidon thought for a moment, "Perhaps we can get away with saying you might be a distant legacy of, well, yourself. The gods will be confused and alarmed, but since you're the child of prophecy, they can't do anything to you."

"Fair point," Percy said, "That might just work."

"Yeah, but we can't rely on that," Poseidon looked at Percy seriously, "You'll have to train your powers in the meantime."

"Obviously," Percy rolled his eyes good-naturedly, "That's why I'm here, right?"

"Well, yes, but I mean your natural powers too," Poseidon said.

Percy gaped, "Are you serious? Do you want me to destroy Camp and everyone in it?"

"Of course not!" Poseidon sighed, "But you have to confront your powers and learn to control them eventually. I think you've avoided them long enough, don't you?"

"I've avoided it for a reason, you know."

"And I'm telling you to stop it for a reason too."

"Oh, pray tell," Percy snarked, a familiar panic he rising in his chest.

Poseidon crossed his arms, "Like I said, I dampened your powers; I didn't seal them completely. They are about as strong as they would be in a demigod of your descent. Since your powers are limited right now, it's the perfect time to learn to use them from the ground up. You have to begin from the basics, but you'll have an easier time getting a grasp on your powers like this."

Percy opened his mouth to argue, but he hesitated. Poseidon made a very sound argument. As long as he found a secluded place to practice, nothing could really go wrong. "Say I agree to this," Percy said evasively, his stubbornness not letting him give up his argument just yet, "Will you help me practice?"

Poseidon looked uncertain, "Zeus only allotted me a set amount of time each day to work with you. Judging by your current abilities, we'll need to use most of the allotted time on your water powers. But I will help you as best I can. In fact…" The sea god snapped his fingers, and a necklace with a small seashell on it appeared in his hand. "Wear this when you go train at Camp. It will mask your power signature, so the gods won't be able to tell you're not practicing the abilities I gave you."

With a resigned sigh, Percy slipped the necklace over his head and nodded his thanks to Poseidon, "Very well. Thank you, Poseidon."

"Think nothing of it, son," Poseidon winked, "Now I think it's time for you to be getting home. I will see you tomorrow."

The rest of his winter break passed in a similar fashion. In the mornings, Percy would have archery practice with Artemis, and in the evenings, he'd have training with Poseidon. All Percy's remaining free time would be spent at Camp, either in swordfighting or in training his own powers. He had found a very distant clearing in the forest that fit his needs perfectly, but he would be lying if he said he had started training his real powers yet.

There was just something holding him back, something that made him feel sick to his stomach every time he even considered intentionally using his own powers again. Whenever he contemplated training, images of Delos, the Trojan War, his fight with Ares that led to his banishment, and Bianca's near-deadly plunge into the Potomac would rise to the forefront of his mind. He would immediately go to the strawberry farm and help the Demeter kids water the plants. Annabeth quickly caught on to his strange behavior, but when she confronted Percy about it, he'd explain that he was working on his water control by using his powers to water the plants. It wasn't a complete lie.

On the last day of break, Percy was exempted from his training. Instead, Artemis decided it would be a good time to reveal his identity to Thalia and Phoebe. Meeting Percy in her tent, Artemis asked Hestia to temporarily remove Percy's power dampeners and disguise. As his powers returned, Percy was surrounded by a deep purple glow. Thankfully, Hestia was prepared and masked his godly aura before it could alert the gods to his presence. Saying she'd be back when they were done, the goddess of the hearth disappeared in a flash of flames.

Meanwhile, the glow around Percy Jackson died down to a tranquil sea blue, before disappearing altogether to reveal Perseus, back in his preferred human form. Running a hand through his still-messy black hair, Perseus glanced at Artemis. "Wow, I'd forgotten what it felt like to be taller than you again, Milady," he smirked jokingly.

Artemis merely rolled her eyes and shifted to her adult form as well, "I don't know why you sound so surprised that a thirteen-year-old boy could be shorter than many girls his age, or that a grown man is taller than a twelve-year-old girl."

Perseus lifted his chin and puffed out his chest exaggeratedly, looking down his nose at Artemis with a ridiculous cocky grin, "Apparently, this grown man is taller than this grown woman too."

"A brilliant observation," Artemis snorted, "You truly missed your calling as a detective."

"Aye," Perseus nodded sagely, "I suppose I'll just have to be one for Halloween, so I can say I found my calling, if only for a day."

"Right," Artemis drawled. She was prevented from saying more by a muffled gasp at the entrance of her tent. Both she and Perseus whirled around to see Phoebe openly gawking and Thalia on high alert, reaching for her can of Mace.

"Lady Artemis, who is that?" the new Lieutenant of the Hunt asked suspiciously, apparently deeming Perseus as not a threat if he hadn't been turned into a jackalope yet, but still not entirely reassured.

"P-Perseus?" Phoebe stammered, shock written all over her face.

"Hey, Phoebe," the god in question chuckled sheepishly, "How have you been?" Phoebe's shock suddenly morphed into pure anger, causing Perseus to take a step back.

Phoebe laughed somewhat hysterically, "'Hey, Phoebe, how have you been?' That's all you've got to say after you disappeared for over a hundred fifty years?" She jabbed a finger violently at Perseus, "You have got to do better than that. You have no idea how worried we were! We searched for you for a century after they decided you had faded! And did you give us any clue that you were alive and well? No! Not a single sign. And now you're waltzing back, expecting everything will be alright? Is that it? Huh? Nice try, but no. Where were you when Lady Artemis was captured? When Zoe walked straight to her death on that damned quest? What could you have possibly been doing?"

Phoebe was now right in Perseus' face, livid with anger, grief, and what Perseus recognized as hurt. She had genuinely missed him and been upset by his disappearance. Perseus' apprehension drained away, and he smiled sadly, "I'm so sorry, Phoebe. I was wrong to just vanish like that without a word, but there was a reason. Your questions will be answered soon. Just be patient for a while, please. And… I missed you."

Phoebe still looked like she wanted to punch Perseus in the face, but she stepped back after a moment and looked at Perseus with an odd expression. Without warning, she wrapped Perseus in a swift hug. Perseus jumped in surprise, not expecting that from the tough Huntress. Before he could really react, Phoebe had pulled back and punched him lightly in the arm, "I missed you too. But don't think you're forgiven yet."

"Oh, never," Perseus shook his head in agreement, "Hold your grudge for as long as you'd like."

Phoebe snorted. Meanwhile, Thalia seemed to have regained her wits and demanded, "What on earth is going on?"

Perseus glanced over at her and smirked, "Hey, Pinecone Face." He watched as her expression went from surprise to irritation to confusion, and finally, to realization.

"Percy?" She gasped, "What… What! Who are you? What the hell is going on?"

Perseus took a step toward Thalia, who brandished her Mace can threateningly, "No! Not a move. Who are you really? What have you done with Percy?"

Perseus raised his hands placatingly, "It's okay. I'm not a threat. I am Perseus, the god of destruction and an old friend of Lady Artemis. I have been posing as Percy Jackson for the past several years to monitor Camp Half-Blood. It's nice to officially meet you."

"Wait, are you the same Lord Perseus who Lady Artemis was tasked to watch in the myths? The one who couldn't control his powers and destroyed half the forces of both Greece and Troy in the Trojan War?" Thalia asked faintly, seemingly unsure of what to do or say.

"The very same," Perseus admitted, somewhat surprised Thalia knew all that about him. He was definitely one of the more obscure gods in Greek mythology. His most famous myth was the story of his involvement in the Trojan War and his subsequent role as Artemis' traveling companion. There was really not much else known about him if he remembered correctly.

"You mean to say that the Percy I know never existed? That you've been playing pretend this whole time? How do you have Lord Poseidon's powers if you're the god of destruction?"

Perseus rubbed his face tiredly. "Your questions are more difficult to answer than you expect. I believe these are best answered by Lady Artemis and myself when we have more time to talk. For now, just know that something went wrong, and my memories of being a god were wiped until the battle against Atlas. The Percy Jackson you knew did in fact exist. I, well technically my memories, simply lay dormant in him. As for how I have Poseidon's powers, I was granted them to keep up my identity as his son."

Thalia blinked. Her mind had finally made the connection that Perseus was actually Percy. Now that she looked more closely at Perseus, she realized he looked exactly how she imagined Percy would look in twenty years. The only difference was that, instead of the sea green eyes of the children of Poseidon, Perseus' eyes were a bright ocean blue. She had never seen eyes of that particular shade on any person before. Then another thought occurred to her, "Wait, so Lord Poseidon is in on this too? Does Sally know? Oh my gods, did you hide this from Sally? She lives for her son. For her to not even know who he really is... I don't know how you could be so cruel!"

Artemis placed a hand on Thalia's shoulder reassuringly, "Thalia, calm down. Sally is aware of Percy's real identity. She was fully informed of what is going on, and she agreed to act as Percy's mother of her own free will."

"I see. I guess it's no coincidence that she named you Perseus," Thalia mused, "Also, weren't you banished years ago for treason, and didn't you fade? How are you here?" Thalia asked, confused.

"Ah, there is another of those unintentionally complicated questions," Perseus grinned, "Why don't we meet next weekend to discuss everything and clear up all your questions?" When both Thalia and Phoebe agreed, Perseus smiled and said, "Great! Well it was wonderful to see you again, Phoebe, and great to meet you, Thalia. Until next time then."

As he said that, Hestia returned to seal his powers and take him back to Camp. The Hunters watched in amazement as the goddess placed a hand on Perseus' head, and the god was engulfed in a sea green light which faded to reveal Percy Jackson once more. Thalia locked eyes with Percy just as he disappeared in a flash of flames. His eyes were sea green once more.

There we go! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know what you thought by leaving a review! ;) Until next time!