Chapter 5
Percy POV
The new clothes feel weird. I don't want to say anything in case it will make them mad. Because I really want my new, family, to like me. I test out the word. I've never had a family before, it's always been me and mom against the world. And now it's me against the world. But these people, Artemis, Apollo, Hades, Zoe, Phoebe...
They LIKE me, they say they, WANT me to be a part of their family. And I really just, don't know if I can trust them but, I can't say no. Doesn't mean i'm gonna make 'em mad on the first day though. I run my hands over the top, it's blue, like the sea, just like I asked, and it has black and silver so Artemis and Hades won't get mad at me!
Smiling to myself I head out of the tent to show Artemis and Apollo. The tent flap feels like the softest thing i'd ever felt, it was like touching a cloud! Not that i'd know what clouds feel like, but it's what I imagine they'd feel like... I shake myself, right, family, food, new life. I look up at Artemis who's looking at my clothes with a little smile on her face.
"Are you hungry Percy?" she asks. I nod my head yes and we walk through a maze of tents until I see a large wooden table with all sorts of food on it. My eyes bulge.
"We didn't know what you liked, sooo. We got a bit of everything." Apollo said, he was already sitting at the table with Hades and the Hunters. Artemis led me over to the table and helped me up onto the seat, giving me a plate, she asked me what I wanted. Before I could utter a word, Apollo spoke up.
"Arty-she glared- as his doctor make sure he doesn't gorge himself else he'll end up being sick, his stomach is used to being empty, too much at once and it'll be breakfast milkshake all over the ground." He smiled. I glared. I AM HUNGRY, and he tells her not to let me eat as much?! But she only nods like he's right,and turns back to me asking again what I want. Once more before can speak someone speaks first, this time it's Hades.
"Actually Percy, I have something for you, that I hope you'll like." With that he walked over and placed a plate of BLUE pancakes in front of me. I can't believe it, I look to him, he smiles, and nods, shakily I cut a piece off and eat it, I didn't even realize I was crying until he wiped my tears off my cheeks. He smiled at me and I whispered,
"How did you know?" He just smiled and shook his head, telling me it was a secret he'd tell me when I was older, when I asked how old, he laughed and said, "older than 4." Deciding it could wait, I turned back to my blue pancakes, me and mom always made blue food because Gabe said there was no such thing. It was our thing. I miss my mom...
Artemis POV
I think I should make him his own tent... Yes, it will be the perfect surprise for my- uh for him. Shaking my head I walk towards my tent finding what I needed inside I walk back outside. Dropping the tiny cube onto the ground, I silently thank hephaestus again for making me spares. The tiny cube unfolded into a tent, using my magic I added a tiny symbol next to the door, the symbol for hades. Walking inside I started decorating it for him to make it feel more homey. After 10 minutes I deemed it ready.
Percy POV
I don't get why Artemis insisted that I come RIGHT NOW, not that i'd argue with her. I am currently following her away from the training area where Zoe was teaching me about the bow and arrows as well as knives, even though she wouldn't let me touch them. She looks like one of those scary evil queens sometimes when she talks to Apollo, they remind me of this story my mom once told me, about two friends that fought and when they needed each other most, they would come through.
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a brother or sister... It's impossible now. I can feel my eyes water and I scrunch up my face to stop them from flowing. I will not cry I will not cry IwillnotcryIwillnotcry.
I feel my tears escape and I can't help a tiny sob escape, I cover my mouth with my hands, luckily Artemis didn't hear me, or she just doesn't care. Shaking my head I wipe away most of my tears. No more thinking about mama, or brothers and sisters, or blue food, or stories, or-or mama holding you while you cry , or mama helping you with your owies, or lying to mama on how you got them because Gabe- no, I won't say HIS name anymore...
I look up to see Artemis stopped and looking at me. I freeze, What did I do wrong? Is she mad? I can't tell, she usually looks like that, but what if she is mad? Should I say sorry? Gabe-I mean He usually hit less if you said sorry first.
"I'm Sorry!" I yell in fear, I scrunch my eyes closed waiting for the slap... Nothing? I slowly open my eyes, Artemis is crouched down next to me, she looks, worried? What for? I look back at her in confusion, Why didn't she hit me? Finally she moved, just a smidge, I flinched. I hear a soft sigh. When I look up again I see her reaching for me, I flinch again, Here it comes!
Warm arms wrap around me, A hug, I realize. But why? I can't hold them back anymore. I miss my moms hugs. I sob and hold onto her for dear life. She scoops me up into her arms, and carried me to a tent, one with a little sea blue symbol next to the door. I hardly notice everything. I can barely breathe, Artemis looks frightened.
She sets me on the bed? I think it's a bed. Suddenly Apollo's here, when did he get here? He looks scared too, he's telling me something, something about slowing down, or passing out? I am getting light headed, everything is spinning, I can't breathe, there are little black dots everywhere. I can't feel my fingers, i'm really dizzy, I can only see Apollo's face, he looks sad, he reaches for my forehead, I don't even have enough strength to flinch. And then, there was darkness.
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..
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Artemis POV
I think it is obvious to say that I was not expecting Percy to hyperventilate as soon as we got to his tent. His large green eyes full of tears, his tiny hand clamped over his mouth so as to not make a sound. I felt such a large wave of hurt when he flinched, and I didn't know what to do when he broke down into hysterics.
So as I brought him into his tent, I called for Apollo. He was there in an instant, trying to help me calm him down. When it was clear he was going to pass out from hyperventilating, Apollo reached forward and sent him into a slumber. It's been three hours now, and he has yet to wake, Apollo said he would likely be out the rest of the night, but... I just, have this need to be there for when he wakes up.
I can't explain it, I've never felt this way before. Like a mixture of my protectiveness over my hunters and, dare I even think it, endearment for my brother. I look around his tent, it has the standard silver walls, with a single cot and bag for his clothes. I got him sea blue blankets and a black pillow. I even got a sea blue rug for his floor. I got him his own bow and arrows which were hung on the wall, and some knives that i'll be keeping until he's a bit older.
I turn and look at the thin frame lying on the bed, bundled in sea blue blankets. His pale face is slightly flushed from all the crying and was still tear streaked. His hair was in a horrible state of bedhead. Even with that he still managed to look like an angel, I shake my head. Looking closer I notice his size. He's so skinny, it's likely he'll never be as tall as he was supposed to be. I hear a flash outside the tent door, then after a moment, a soft knock at the door.
"Come in." I say quietly. In walks not Apollo, but Hades. He looks different, instead of the creepy cloak, he's wearing a black shirt, with black jeans, combat boots and a black trench coat. He looked like a emo Brit. I suppressed a giggle at the sight of him, he was even wearing glasses! He looked at me with apprehension, then looked over at Percy. Instantly his features softened. I wonder why he's here? I look back at Percy.
"How long until he wakes?" He whispers, reaching out to gently brush the bangs away from his eyes, resting his hand in his hair when he relaxed.
"Apollo says probably not until morning." I whisper back, not even two days with us and already he had wormed his little boy ways into three Olympians hearts, and a group of man hating hunters'. I smile tenderly down at him, hopefully he'll come to see me as a mother figure. Wait- did I just seriously think that? A boy? Me a- a- mom? I blush, no way, glancing down at the angel on the bed, well, maybe.
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.. ~The next morning~
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I wake to the sound of labored breathing. Sitting up I look over and notice that both I and Hades fell asleep watching Percy sleep, Hades was still sleeping silently, he almost looked dead, it was a little unnerving. I turned my attention to the labored breaths, Percy, he was sweating, and panting, eyes scrunched tight and teeth grinding together.
Slightly shifting in his sleep, while clenching the blanket in his fists. At first I didn't understand what was happening, and then I realized, he's having a nightmare. Instantly I sprung into action, I scooped the overheated and frightened boy into my arms and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Stroking his hair I started to sing quietly, a song I sang to each of my hunters when they had nightmares.
"By the light,
Of the silvery moon,
I want to spoon,
To my honey i'll croon,
Loves tune,
Honey moon,
Keep'a shinin' in june,
Your silv'ry beams,
Will bring,
Love dreams,
We'll be cuddlin' soon,
By the sil-
-very,
Moon..."
By now Hades was awake and staring at me, as was Percy, who was looking at me with huge green eyes, both un-trusting and with the slightest bit of hope.
AN:
Whoop! chapter 5 done!
I have taken in all the reviews and i am going to be adding in some of the suggestions in the next few chapters so, be excited!
-WolfMistwood