AN: Yo! This chapter will be some exposition/setting the scene and hopefully laying a bit of ground work for Perlia. I haven't really made any progress with their relationship (It's next to non-existent at this point) and it's time for me to change that so I apologize if it comes off as a little rushed.

I think the timeline for it will likely be working toward everything and they get closer and closer, but right as they're about to admit it to each other and get Artemis' blessing, BOOM! Hera comes in and "requests" (read: steals) Percy for the plan. While Pery travels with the Hunt and you're all thinking "WTF They unite the camps and if he doesn't go to CHB why is he the one?!" Well, excellent points. I'm torn between writing it with Annabeth being taken, and I can give Percy like a side quest in Japan or something, OR Hera can be a cunt and wipe his memories, but they get restored by Susano'o because he was pissed. Or he can bypass the memory wipe since he knows of the Romans and just show up and run shit, or help Annabeth adjust.

The point is there are options and variants from the canon and I want to know what you all would like to read. I'm good any which way and I'll enjoy writing any which way for you all. Without further ado… A FILLER!

Chapter 19: Message Received

3rd Person POV

A week and a half after Percy sent then notice, the same deer that he tied it to emerged from the forest near Lake Tahoe into a clearing where a lone girl sat. She had her eyes closed and her fiery red hair that resembled the finest of silks was tied up and out of the way in a tight bun.

She was wearing similar shoes and combat pants to Percy, but with an olive green blouse underneath a black and white windbreaker. The windbreaker was odd; it wasn't because on the back of it was a rising red sun like the Japanese flag, but rather because it was a simple, thin windbreaker with some of the coldest months of the year approaching.

The deer tentatively walked forward toward the girl and her eyes opened to reveal the blue gems that had any geologist and jeweler jealous. She smiled a soft, lazy smile to the deer as it finally got to her and lowered itself so she could grab the note. While petting the deer, she read.

"To whomever you are,

I doubt you're here for pleasantries as I know few in the Shinto Pantheon (outside my Father and his wife) like and/or tolerate me. I wish you are here to simply capture me and bring me back to the homeland, but, again, I highly doubt that. Which means you're here to kill me. It will only be a matter of time until our paths cross; when they do, I ask that you leave my sisters out of it should they be with me. They will know that the fight is mine alone and I will invoke an oth if necessary. I have my suspicions about your parent, but if you would be so cordial as to write back your name and/or parentage.

Until we meet,

Perseus Jackson, Adopted Son of Artemis, True Son of Susano'o, and (regrettably) Son of Poeseidon.

The girl read the note a second time to ensure that she didn't miss anything and let a small smile across her face. She had heard about Perseus - nearly everyone in the Shinto Pantheon had - but she was pleasantly surprised with how blunt, yet formal he was in his letter. She weighed the pros and cons of writing back and decided it wouldn't hurt to do so.

"Perseus Jackson,

You are correct that I have been sent here by my parent to kill you. I will not disclose that information, as I am to be your opponent and only a fool would reveal it. However, I find your letter respectful enough to tell you my name. When I find you, I will leave the Hunters of Artemis alone so long as they extend the same courtesy on to me.

Until we meet,

Nichibotsu Himawari

Himawari carefully tied her message back on the deer's antlers and rubbed its snout one more time before it took off into the forest again and disappeared. It was time that she got moving for the day; training, tracking, and traveling awaited after all.

Thalia POV

It had been three weeks since Percy sent the message out with hope to contact the other Shinto demigoddess and his training was… intense. Way more intense than before.

He'd wake up before everyone else (not that I secretly watched him or anything… okay a couple times) and meditate for only an hour. I never knew what he was meditating for or what he was truly doing, but it left him dripping in sweat by the time he was done [AN: the meditating is essence blending and chakra control. He's treating chakra as a muscle and working it out; it gets negligibly bigger, but the main focus is control and refinement].

After that, he would do rather mundane (at least compared to the other stuff he could do) physical training with as many push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups he could do solely with his physical abilities before he collapsed.

Then he'd bathe (I definitely didn't go and watch him do that; I feared Lady Artemis too much) and return to join us for breakfast. He never sat still at breakfast, instead he chose to practice his hand signs over and over slowly increasing the speed until they became indistinct blurs.

After breakfast, he would go to the archery range for an hour and practice only his kunai throwing. I wondered why he only used his bow on hunts, but I figured that it would be next to useless in the upcoming fight when the two of them could throw kunai and shuriken at similar speeds and accuracy.

He'd train his taijutsu, as he told me it was called, with Lady Artemis herself for hours before lunch, then spar with his katana basically up until dinner.

I still hadn't talked to him about… whatever it was that I was feeling toward him since Lady Artemis addressed me simply because I didn't know how.

I had never known stability in my life; even by demigod standards, my life sucked. My father (in the definition of the term alone) knocked up my mother and vanished. He gave her empty promises and false platitudes that she bought hook, line, and sinker and then left us.

When my mom finally realized he was a deadbeat, she turned to alcohol. Alcohol turned to shouting and berating, which then turned to more alcohol. Then came the beatings.

They didn't happen often, but the point was that they happened. I hated it - hated her -, but I held on for Jason. My sweet baby brother was all I had left and I had to protect him.

Then he died too. He left too. Maybe not of his own accord, but he still disappeared and that hurt. That was the straw that broke the camel's back, so I left.

Living on the streets in the U.S. for years, scraping by with thrown out food, pickpocketing, and shoplifting. Zeus "helped" by guiding me to Luke and gifting me Aegis and a spear, but that was all he did. And it was nice for a time with Luke and then Annabeth. We certainly didn't live in luxury, but we were together; we were a family, and that was what mattered.

I never regretted my sacrifice so those two could live. I made my peace that night on Half-Blood Hill, even if Zeus turned me into a pine tree. Then Steven and Annabeth resurrected me (unintentionally, but still) and I found out that Luke changed and Annabeth was about the same age as me. I didn't fit in at camp, but then I met Percy [AN: I just realized that Percy would have been with the Hunt when they met Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth the first time, but since I forgot, let's chalk it up to Artemis was paranoid and didn't want anyone to discover him at the time and she kept him in her tent.].

It wasn't love at first sight or anything that horribly cliche - Hades, I still don't think I love him and I don't even know if I like him like that -, but I saw how protective and tender he was with the Hunt. I saw how he treated all of them as family as soon as they joined up, even Bianca.

I was drawn to him; his strength, his compassion, and his love for his family.

I joined the Hunt myself because truthfully, I was scared of the Great Prophecy - I still am scared of it, but now it's for Percy rather than myself. I love it in the Hunt and I love that I can interact with Percy and my sisters everyday.

I don't know if I will love him, or him love me, but I think maybe we could. Maybe for how short and unpredictable demigod lives are (Percy's even more than most) that I can find that odd sense of stability with Percy. Maybe we'd fall in love and leave the Hunt, or maybe Lady Artemis would make an exception for her son and let us stay.

I was so deep in my own thoughts, that I failed to notice Lady Artemis and Phoebe walk up next to me and silently observe Percy training his chakra techniques. "He's really getting into it, isn't he?" Phoebe said softly as Percy charged another Chidori.

I hummed in agreement as we watched him train. "Have you two talked yet?" Phoebe asked and I shook my head in the negative, being careful to formulate a response with my Lady and his mother next to me.

"I… I think for as fucked up demigod lives are… that maybe Percy and I could find some… semblance of stability with each other. I just don't know how to… approach the subject. I don't know what I feel, but I'm… drawn to him," I said and I felt them both nod in agreement and understanding.

As I finished saying that, Percy sat down hard on the forest floor and took several panting breaths that transitioned into deep breathing before he flopped onto his back and stared up at the stars. "She looks beautiful tonight, doesn't she?" he said aloud for us to hear as we approached him.

"She does," Artemis said softly as the three of us joined him on the ground. Before any of us could say more, a deer entered the clearing with a note tied to its antlers. It approached Lady Artemis first and nuzzled into her hand affectionately before doing the same to Percy as he untied the note.

The deer nuzzled into Phoebe and I before doing it again to Lady Artemis and finally scampered away into the forest. Percy read the note a couple times before crumpling it up and chuckling. It wasn't a joyous chuckle, but it wasn't hollow and bitter either.

Percy POV

"What did it say?" Mom asked me softly as I stared at the crumpled up paper in my hand. I slowly looked up at her, Pheebs, and Thalia. My eyes must have been glowing with apprehension and determination if the slight widening of their eyes was anything to go by.

"I know who's after me and my theories were correct," I told them, looking at each of them in turn. "Nichibotsu Himawari. Daughter of Amaterasu-sama," I told them and Mom paled. "She told you her parentage?" she asked carefully and I shook my head; my mind already racing with thoughts of how much training I need to undergo.

"Nichibotsu Himawari translates to 'Sunset Sunflower'. She didn't tell me directly and it could be a false name, but I doubt it. She wants me to know that this is a feud between our parents; nothing personal," I told them and Thalia scowled.

"Nothing personal? She doesn't even know you! She's going to try and kill you just because her… Mom? Hates your dad?!" Thalia shouted and I quickly took her hand before thinking about what I was doing. I didn't notice her blush nor the looks the other two were giving us.

"Japanese culture - Shinto culture - holds respect for one's elders, especially family hierarchy, in one of the highest, if not the highest regard. She can't disobey an order from her Mother, just like I can't disobey an order from my Father," I told her softly as I continued to rub circles on the back of her hand with my thumb.

"If the roles were reversed and Father asked me to kill one of his rivals or his rival's kid, I would do it without question," I explained to her and she scowled harder. "That's not the point! It's-," she started to argue, but I cut her off quickly with a stern voice as I retracted my hand, missing her disappointment entirely.

"Thalia. They are deities that have lived for millenia and are set in their ways. More importantly, it's their culture; it's my culture. There's no getting around this," I said and she begrudgingly shut up. "What now then? How much time do you have?" Mom asked and I sighed deeply.

"Now, I need to up my training. Amaterasu-sama is the Goddess of the Sun, which means that Nichibotsu-san will likely have fire and lightning chakra natures and no limits on her chakra network. She's my natural opposite; water-style will hold her at bay, but ice-style will be next to useless," I told them and they gave me a grim nod.

"Luckily, she has agreed that so long as the Hunt doesn't interfere, she won't attack you all. She's here for me and me alone and as such I will fight her alone," I added and Thalia was about to explode again.

Thankfully, Mom caught this and stood up with Phoebe. "Come, Phoebe. Let's make sure the Hunt isn't slacking off," she said and gave Thalia a pointed look before they went back to camp, leaving me alone with Thalia.

I wasn't sure how I felt about Thalia. I was drawn to her in a way. She was powerful, stubborn beyond belief, and short tempered. After only hearing that her mother was an alcoholic (I didn't dare pry more), I knew her life was just about as ugly as my own. Probably uglier.

Yet despite that, she found a family with Luke and Annabeth (which fell apart at the seams unfortunately) and then later with the Hunt. She's been through so much hardship, but didn't have a support system like I did with Mother, Father, Phoebe, and Zoe; even Kushina-sama later on. But she kept on fighting, and I knew that she was more insecure and afraid than she let on, but the fact that she kept on fighting illustrated her strength and desire for something more.

'It is always the strong ones, Father,' I mused before I got up to make sure she didn't zap the forest to splinters.

"What's the matter?" I asked and immediately regretted it as she turned on me and stomped up to my face with electricity arcing off of her.

"WHAT'S THE MATTER?! ARE YOU DENSE?! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO-," she started screaming at me but I cut her off and pulled her into a hug, grimacing slightly at the not-so-pleasant shocking. Luckily for me, she calmed down quickly with my arms wrapped around her.

We sat there in silence for a moment and I relished the feeling of her in my arms and the scent of pine and ozone in my nostrils.

"Why?" she asked so softly and vulnerably that I almost missed it. Almost.

"She's only coming after me, Thals. I can't have you all fight my battles for me; not when this is the only way to protect you," I said equally as soft. She let out a humorless chuckle as my answer, but didn't explode nor pull away.

"You haven't let anyone fight your battles since I joined and you hardly let us help you. Do you think we're not capable?" she asked and I frowned and pulled away so I could tilt her chin up to look at me. I admit, I almost got lost in the innocent look on her lightly freckled face and electric blue eyes.

"I know you're more than capable, but this is a Shinto matter. I'll admit that I don't ask for help as much as I should, but I need to handle this alone," I told her and she pouted which I found adorable.

I sighed and strong armed her a little bit. "I will invoke an oath on the Styx from all of you if I have to, but I don't want to, Thals. I promise I'll handle this and then we'll tag team Kronos' sorry ass," I told her with a small smile and got one in return.

She seemed to be debating something in her head, but I spoke up first before she could voice it. "I need to train even harder. How about you help me and I can show you what I know with lightning and wind?" I told/asked her and her eyes regained some of their light, making me smile.

"Deal, Kelp-Head," she said with a grin and I chuckled at the nickname before noticing that she looked uncertain again. I furrowed my brows in confusion, but she beat me to it.

"Just promise me that you won't die. I-I've lost too much and I'm happy in the Hunt now, but promise me that you won't die before Kronos is back in the Pit," she threatened me and her look was so intense that I gulped and nodded quickly, making her smirk in satisfaction. She looked uncertain again, but quickly wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me another tight hug. I pulled away as she did, but she surprised me further.

Her head darted in before I could react and she gave me a quick peck on the cheek, making my eyes widen comically and she ran away back to camp before I could say anything. I stood there dumbfounded for a moment as my hand absentmindedly touched my cheek where the sensation of her lips lingered.

A small smile crossed my face before the gravity of the situation settled back in. I slapped my cheeks simultaneously and headed back to sleep for the night.

3rd Person POV

Percy was so caught up that he didn't sense his mother looking down and eavesdropping on the entire exchange between her lieutenant and her son. She was conflicted and rightfully so. She was a maiden. She didn't do love or even friendships with the opposite sex outside of her son and her brother and occasionally her Father.

Part of her was... angry? No, disappointed in both her son and lieutenant. But another part of her was actually pleased with the two. They had the potential to be good for each other and she knew her son would never hurt her like other males being raised by herself and Sally Jackson.

With a heavy sigh, she turned her attention back to her duties. It was starting to feel like the calm before a massive storm the likes of her father and uncle combined.

And she just hoped her hunters and her son would make it out in one piece.

AN: Chapter 19! Like I said, mostly fluff and setting the ship up since I haven't had much time to do it. I'm trying to take it reasonably slow and let it run its course, but we'll see. Let me know your thoughts about the suggestions I typed in the AN before the chapter.

I'm also on the fence about Sharingan. I don't think I will do a full one as the traumatic event of his mother dying should have activated it from the age of 6, but Celtend raised a good point of a Sharingan-esque ability that would give him Susano'o in a single eye and I like it. If I do run with that, it would be from him almost dying in his fight with Nichibotsu-san and awakening it, but again I'm uncertain as his chakra network is limited and Susano'o is a chakra construct. Let me know in the reviews and we'll figure it out together.

Also, I want to apologize in the event that I stepped on any toes or was culturally insensitive with the OC name. I thought I was being clever with the translation and while I think Himawari is a bit cliche for an anime-style girl's name, I went with it because I know it is an anime-style girl's name. So please again I apologize if that was the case and if any of you readers are well versed in Japanese culture and have a much better suggestion, let me know and it'll be a quick fix. Until next time!