I do not own PJO

PERCY

Fangs lashed out at him as he raised Riptide, the magical blade reassuring him. The edge bounced harmlessly off the impenetrable skin of the Fleeth, and he cursed his luck—he just had to get this monster out of all the rest.

It's eyes glowed with red, and he made the mistake of looking into them. They pierced into his soul, scanning him for his faults. Your fault, little voices whispered in the back of his mind. Voices he knew, he realized. Voices of his friends—now long deceased.

How could you have let me die? Zoë accused, her voice piercing and laced with fury. If you hadn't interfered, I'd be alive! He shook his head, fighting away the thoughts. The haze disappeared from his eyes just as the beast lunged, snapping jaws closing just over his head.

Zoë doesn't blame me, he reassured himself. She said so. The thought energized him, and he slashed upwards, severing a tooth from the Fleeth's mouth. It roared with rage, snarling.

Thud. An arrow embedded itself in the soft part of the paw, but to his dismay, it wasn't enough to subdue the creature. It shook it's mane out, tossed the arrow aside, and advanced, it's pack following as all three abandoned him and charged for the Moon Goddess.

Artemis' auburn hair flashed like a torch as she fired arrows, but most shattered under its invulnerable skin. The monster was smart enough to keep its mouth shut, and even its eyes were lidded into slits, narrowed in order to protect the soft flesh.

Silver gleamed as arrows flew by him, but it simply shook its mane and advanced again, slashing at the goddess, who cleaved upwards with her hunting knife. The blade caught the beast under its jaw, but it slipped out and lunged again. His eyes glowed, and before Percy could call a warning, the goddess looked up.

Immediately, her silvery eyes widened and glazed over, tapered fingers clenching on her bow. The beast roared, sensing victory. "Not my fault," She hissed through gritted teeth, her arrow straying until it was so far off course if she shot it, the point wouldn't be anywhere near the creature.

Still, she was a goddess, and some part of her took over, and just as the Fleeth opened it's jaws, her knife slashed off another jagged tooth. Her aim was still off, though, her eyes still slightly glazed.

The beast lunged again, and almost in a trance, she dropped the knife.

Percy panicked. If this monster could stun even a goddess, he was sure he stood no chance. He lowered his sword for the smallest of seconds, before he tightened his grip; he was doing this. For everyone.

As the monster charged again, he did the stupidest thing possible—he raised his blade and lunged, the edge clanging uselessly off the pelt. It roared and bit at him, forgetting about the goddess. She raised her bow again, shakily aiming it at the monster.

Percy's energy was draining as he struggled to distract it, but Artemis' arrow wavered. It steadied itself, but the tip dipped low—dangerously low—for a second, before it shot up again. She tightened her grip on the arrow, so tight her knuckles turned white.

He turned—the monster followed. She drew back her arm as if to shoot, and suddenly the beast was turning back towards her, it's eyes gleaming crimson, and her eyes glazed again. The grip she had on her arrow loosened, and the silver plopped from the string and landed on the soil, only a couple feet away.

"No," She murmured, so quietly he had to strain to hear it. Silver eyes flashed with—was that regret? She lunged, but it was almost deranged, as if throttling an animal that failed to exist. The beast howled, extending it's claws, and just as it brought them down Percy moved.

He made his decision so quickly he surprised even himself, tackling the moon goddess and sending them both rolling from the impact. How could you? You killed me! A voice so familiar yet so distant filled his ears, but he was sure he had never watched the death of this person.

Artemis pushed him off her, her eyes still dazed. The bow was still in her hand, aimed at anything and everything that moved.

She stepped forwards, her hand clenching again. The monster snarled, tensing to pounce again, but she didn't notice, squeezing her eyes shut as if to ward off invisible beings. Her bow dipped before it clattered to the ground, and the Fleeth leaped.

"Lady Artemis!" The goddess didn't move, trapped in her own mind. "Snap out of it!" In a final attempt, he doused her face with water, and as she spluttered the fog seemed to clear from her. Artemis stumbled backwards, drying herself off instinctively, and glared at him before she hefted her bow again.

Three arrows pierced the monster's left eye, and as it howled in pain, Percy threw his sword like a Frisbee. It was a foolish thought that it would hit, but it managed to strike the monster's tongue.

The Fleeth turned in a circle, wailing as it dissolved into sulfurous red vapor, it's pelt shimmering before turning into a raccoon hat fedora, much like a helmet. He glanced at it for a second, before nudging it with his foot, not exactly thrilled to wear a fedora.

Artemis brushed the dust out of her hair, scowling at him. "How much did you hear?" She snapped, her bow leveled at his chest. It wasn't exactly the best motivation, but better than being shot.

Percy gulped. "Uh…the 'How could you! You killed me!' part?" Artemis glowered at him, still refusing to lower her bow. Her eyes glowed silver as she stared at him, and she nodded grudgingly, as if judging that he wasn't lying. He swallowed his fear. "My lady…was that Orion?"

Artemis' head snapped up, and she narrowed her eyes at him threateningly. "What is it to you, boy?" Her tone was cold and frosty, but he somehow knew he had hit a nerve. "What do you wish to know?"

He held his hands up—anything to avoid being turned into a reindeer. As if reading his thoughts, the goddess glared at him again. "Jackalope, boy, not reindeer." Neither option sounded particularily appealing at the moment, and he thought about his answer for once before replying.

"It sounded like him." She winced, her walls falling down for a moment, and he realized his guess, for once, had been correct—she had heard Orion, blaming her for his death. "Was he your boyfriend?" He regretted his words as soon as they were out, and Artemis' eyes flashed dangerously.

A stinging pain cut across his cheek, and he winced at the loud crack of her palm hitting his face. "No," She admitted, fury gone from her expression. "But he was a friend. The only male friend I ever had."

The forest was still, so still it was unnerving. Even the leaves didn't seem to move, and with his ADHD mind, Percy noticed a small mouse scuttling across the leaves, digging for food. It scampered across a tree root, tiny whiskers twitching. He shook the strange thought out of his mind, cursing himself. "What was that?"

"A Fleeth. What else?" Artemis looked at him strangely, her brow furrowing. He shook his head quickly, sheathing the sword he realized he was still holding in his hand.

"No. I meant, what does it do? How is it able to control the thoughts of immortals?" Artemis lowered her bow for the first time since the Fleeth dissolved, and it disappeared into silver dust.

"It has always been like that," She informed him. "I do not know when it started, but it has something to do with Hades' helm of Darkness." He could see it in her face that she disliked not knowing—it was in her blood to know things as the goddess of the hunt. "But you are very unlucky indeed—it has not been seen for the last millennia."

"Orion never blamed you for his death," Percy blurted. He cursed himself for bringing up the topic again, but her silver eyes only flashed with pain. He had visited his half-brother on a trip to Elysium—led by Nico, the resident son of Hades—and the archer held nothing but fond memories for his time with the goddess.

Artemis frowned, settling herself on a log at the edge of the clearing. Warily, he took a seat; ready to bolt up the instant she tried to blast him. He doubted it would help much, thought. Him against a goddess? Not likely.

"I was the one who shot him," She reminded him, her voice having lost all traces of the coldness it bore at the beginning of the conversation. "And I pay the price."

"Apollo tricked you," Percy argued. "And Orion understands that."

"I should not have been tricked!" Her voice rose, and anger flooded her cheeks with red. "Look, Perseus—" He only stopped to realize he had been called his name. "What is done is done." Her tone softened as she stared at the sky. "Tell Orion that I am sorry for being so gullible. Tell him that he was a wonderful hunter."

Her voice lowered for a second. "If you ever see him again, tell him that perhaps, with time, I might have come to love him."

The goddess stood and turned, before staring him down again. "This conversation never happened."

And she retreated into the forest.

Read and press the pretty review button! Thanks to the guest review, and to The Invisible Pretender: I will do Demeter next! Sorry for any OOCness-Artemis is a hard goddess to portray, and if Percy seems too mature, it's because he's almost twenty one now, so he can't be the same little kid with rash decisions anymore.

Anyone with suggestions can PM me or Review, and thanks for reading!

~Johanna