50 years later

Fifty? Fifty year I've been here. Fifty long years of training and rehabilitation. Fifty years since I came to the Great North.

I gazed at the scenery before me…

The large sprawling mountains. The sunlight streaming between them, reflecting of the shimmering lake. A slight mist covering certain parts of the forest. The quick, yet calming, calls of nature.

I smiled at the person next to me…

Her head resting on my shoulder as we both sat. He auburn hair spread out. A youthful innocence on her face as she stared at a pair of swans.

Fifty? The number rang in my head.

I survived that long without them…

"Same old barnacle brain," Hestia said, without turning, "Always daydreaming about something or another."

"How could I not?" I said, leaning back on the ground and spreading out my tired limbs. Damn Theseus and his training. Fifty years and it still manages to get harder, "This is so boring."

"At least it's better than what your brother suggested." She said, earning a scoff out of me.

"He actually thought," I chided, close to sleeping now, "I'd spend my break catching up on the various myths surrounding various myths?"

"He's Theseus for you," Hestia said as she rested her head on my chest, "I'm surprised that he's your brother."

"You and I both." I smiled.

We stayed like that for a while. Content with just the peace.

"You know," Hestia said as she lay fully on my body, her chin rested on her crossed palms, "I'm still surprised Orion managed to get you good at archery."

"I'm not," I said, "After all, I am Percy Jackson."

She stared at me for a while, "It took you twenty five years."

"I never said I was perfect," I said, "And besides, I mastered projectile throwing in only ten."

She looked at me silently, one eyebrow arched. I looked at her in equal silence.

"Fine," I broke the silence, "It took me twelve."

She still looked at me with an arched eyebrow.

"Fine!" I relented, "Fifteen!"

"That's better."

"But you've got to admit," I said, smirking, "I've improved like Hades with fire."

"Thanks to me, of course," She said.

"Beckendorf deserv-" She hit my shoulder, "An equal amount of credit."

Hestia just eyed me before resting her head on my chest.

A few days later

"Percy…" Hestia interrupted my small speech on Theseus' current training methods, "I've got some news. From Olympus."

"Okay." I said, unsure of where it was going.

"And its bad." She was playing with the hem of her dress, hesitant to look me in the eye.

"And I should care because?" I asked.

"Because we need a hero." She said, her voice a little soothing, "And I think it should be you."

"Hestia," I said, "You know I will never go back to that place."

I saw her struggle to form the right words. She was always looking out for me. Making sure that I did what was right for me.

"But Percy," Hestia said, "We need you. The world needs you."

"Then why did they throw me out in the first place!" I yelled, "Why did they k-"

I was interrupted by a kiss. I stood there, with Hestia's lips on mine, all thoughts about Olympians disappearing. She pulled back after a while and looked into my eyes.

"Please Percy," She begged, "They are my family. As well as yours."

I thought it over. I was siding towards leaving them to their demise. They were the ones who called me a failure.

"We need a hero, Percy," Hestia begged, "We need you."

I wanted them to die. I wanted them to perish. But Hestia. I couldn't let her die. I couldn't let all my friends die for their parents' mistakes.

"Fine," I said, "I'll help out." I got a kiss for that.

"Thank you, my hero," Hestia said with a heartwarming smile, "I knew I could count on you."

I pulled her closer to me, and kissed her softly, "You can always count on me, fire princess." She giggled. "Now, what's the threat?"

"Well," Hestia mumbled as she pulled me to one of our sitting logs, "It's Gaea and she's back."

"But ho-"

"We don't know, Percy, we don't know," Hestia lamented, "But however it was, she's here now. She's still asleep and we don't think she's going to wake up anytime soon, but she's woken up her children."

"Al-"

"Yes, all of them," Hestia said in a grim tone, "The Titans. The Giants."

"But surely they won't be working together, not after last time?" I asked, recalling our war. We got them to fight each other. Convinced a few turn on their brethren.

"I don't know, Percy," Hestia said, laying her head on my chest, "They may be a little smarter now."

"Yeah," I admitted, putting my arm around her and rubbing her shoulder.

"But you'll do it, hero," Hestia encouraged, "You're the best hero there ever was."

"I don't know, princess,"

"Oh hush," She said, looking me right in the eye, "You know you're the best. You say it all the time. And this time, I plan on fighting by your side."

"But… You don't have to do that," I said, worried that Hestia would get hurt, "You need not fight one bit. I'll protect you."

"Now Perseus," She argued, "I've m-"

"Now you hush," I said, capturing her lips in a kiss.

She smiled into it.

A few minutes later at Elysium

I walked in the forge, expecting to see Charles hunched over his work table. True, I did find him hunched over it, but he wasn't working on a piece of metal. He was working on Silena…

He was about to.

Knowing that it would be terribly awkward for them, as well as me, if I interrupted them, and that it would be even more terrible if I stood and watched, I backed out slowly. However, on my way out, something happened.

I tripped over a metal tin.

CRASH!

I closed my eyes tightly, hoping that they were too preoccupied to notice. I heard a cough. I turned my head towards the entrance and put a hand over my eyes.

"I didn't see anything," I begged, "I did not see anything." I yelled as I ran out.

I ran through the woods, sensing the trees by the water in them in order to avoid them. I ran towards the square where I had found Orion and Theseus the first time I was here, or so I thought. I brushed past the branches of trees till I felt cool open air.

I removed my hands and came face to face with… Charlie and Silena.

I had run in a complete circle.

"Hello, Perseus," Charles said with forced calm, "Can I help you with anything?"

"Heh," I said nervously, "I think it ca-"

"Oh leave him be," Silena said, smacking Charles playfully on the arm, "I'm sure he didn't mean to walk in on us ha-"

"Silena!" I yelled, not wanting to know what they would have done if I hadn't interrupted them, "I really don't want to know."

"Come of it," She countered with a smirk, "It's not like you and Hestia haven't do-"

"Silena!" I yelled/whined, my face and ears turning a bright red, "That's private."

"So you have done it?" Charles joined his girlfriend, getting his revenge on me, "You ha-"

"I'm not going to answer that," I said, clasping my hands to my ears, "Not going to. Not one word. Not one word."

I closed my eyes and kept on yelling. I felt Silena's soft hands on my arms, pulling my hands from my ears. I heard roaring laughter. I opened my eyes and saw Charles literally rolling on the floor in laughter. I heard a light chuckling as well. I looked around, finally noticing Orion perched on a tree, and Theseus leaning against it.

"I take it Percy and Hestia di-" Theseus started to say, his eyes closed and a smirk on his face.

"Oh for the love of Hades!" I yelled, "Why do you all want to know about my… night time activities?"

"I think we've tortured him enough, haven't we?" Silena asked the others, a smile on her face.

"Yes," I begged, "You have. Please. Stop."

"Fine fine." Charles said, his hands held in the air, "We'll stop talking about you ba-"

"Oh Becky!" Silena said, smacking him on the arm, "That's such a derogatory term."

"It's not. It's perfect-"

"Now before you two get a thesaurus and find the remaining terms for coitus," Theseus said, "I'm sure Percy here wants to tell us something."

"Yes. Thank you." I said firmly, "I was actually here to talk about something not perverse," A few chuckles, "I have to return back to Olympus."

A silence soon followed.

"Giants or Titans?" Theseus asked.

"Both," I answered, knowing that he knew it was another war.

"She kissed you, didn't she?" Orion asked with a sly smirk.

"Well, I have to save the world, don't I?" I answered shyly.

"Didn't she?" Orion pestered.

"Fine," I relented, "She did. Happy?"

"You tell me," He countered, "You were the one wh-"

"Enough Hunter," Theseus said, "I take it you're going to need some equipment, aren't you?"

"Not to mention a few threads," Silena chipped in, eager to tailor another masterpiece.

"You guys don't really have to," I said, "You've all helped a great deal these last couple of years. I'm pretty sure I ow-"

"Finish that sentence and we'll send you to Olympus naked." Theseus threatened with a smile.

"Wouldn't Hestia get jealous?" Orion asked, "The rest of the goddesses seeing Percy in all his g-"

I threw my sword at him. It sailed through his chest, passing through him like he was made out of vapor. But it shut him up.

"That reminds me," Theseus said with a snap of his fingers, "We'll need to get you some throwing knives."

"Hey, doesn't anyone care about me?" Orion asked, shell-shocked, "I just had a sword get thrown at me." He was ignored.

"And a bow." Theseus continued, writing a list of things on the notepad he carried with him at all times, "A spear. A cross bow. Some bolts."

"Hello? Anyone?" Orion asked, "Percy threw a freaking sword at me."

"Nobody cares, Orion," Theseus continued, "A knife. Maybe a Swiss Army Knife."

"Woah," I said, "That's a lot."

"Now Silena," He went on, "I think a suit designed like this would be most suitable, agreed?" He showed her a drawing on his notepad.

"Hmm," She pondered, "How about…" And she and Theseus went on and on with the designs, while Charles, Orion and I stood in silence.

"Should we?" Orion asked.

"Lets," Charles and I answered in unison.

The three of us slowly backed out, trying not to make a sound. We turned around slowly and were about to make a run for it, when Theseus spoke up.

"Charles, Hunter!" He ordered, "I think I'll need you two to go, select or make the weapons on this list."

"I'll help you guys ou-"

"No, Percy," Theseus said, smiling with joy, "I want you to have some fun before going to that god forsaken place. Go, talk to Achilles."

I smiled, understanding what he was trying to say without words. He wanted me to be free before entering my past. Before entering that world. I nodded my head in understanding and disappeared.

At the River Styx

"Hello, Perseus," Achilles said from his spot on the rock, "And how are we doing this fine day?"

I laughed, "Very nice, and you?"

From that, he and I talked for well over an hour. We talked about Grecian history. About our past lives. Our futures, well, mostly mine, but he was still happy to talk about it. We talked about ever idea known to man.

At the end of it all, I was sad to leave him, but I knew I'd come back to visit him.

"Good luck, Percy," He said, standing up and placing a hand on my shoulder, "Go bash some heads."

"Thank you, my friend," I said, "I best be on my way."

He nodded his head and went back to his spot on the rocks as I faded away.

At Elysium

I walked towards the forge, my mind pondering over what would happen at Olympus. In a sort of trance, I didn't realize the scene before me. I stumbled into the clearing and noticed that a picnic was set. There was Charles and Silena. Orion, Theseus and Achilles.

And Hestia.

"Surprise!" They all yelled.

I laughed, and joined in their happiness. I didn't think about anything. I didn't wonder about how Achilles could visit. Or how Hestia could, for that matter. And I didn't care.

I was handed my gifts. From Silena, I got a wicked suit. A long cloak with a hood big enough to cover my face. A sheath at the back, which I found useless as Riptide always remained in pen form. Another sheath, this one a little smaller.

From Thesesus, I was handed a pocket guide of all the tactics and information I'd need to fight the Giants and Titans. I got a long bow from Orion, which, with Silena's instructions, I strapped to the small sheath on my back. A perfect fit. Achilles handed me spear which retracted into an old television antenna.

And from Charles, I got an entire arsenal. I got another sword, this one made from Stygian Iron. He had engraved the name "Soul Ripper" on it, a name which I found fitting. I now realized what the sheath on my back was for. He handed me a crossbow which I snapped on to a belt he handed me. Attached to the belt were also a few throwing knives.

He told me that the cloak would dispense arrow heads and crossbow bolt heads to my hand directly. Hestia added that seeing as wood is a natural food substance for a few animals, I'd be able to summon arrow shafts directly onto the arrows and bolts. He also instructed that I should put in the spent ammunition in to the small sheath, as the cloak would use it for the next arrow.

After explaining that I had a hidden blade up my right sleeve, and a secret pocket of smoke pellets in the other, both of which could be activated with a flick of the wrist, he pointed out the most embarrassing feature of all.

The zipper.

Hestia joined in their laughter, till I explained to her what they were really talking about. It's safe to say Charles will never be able to look at fire the same way ever again.

We ate. We drank. We parited.

Those last few hours I spent here I'd always remember.

They flashed through my mind as Hestia and I said our final goodbyes.

We promised to return as soon as we could.

A hug. A kiss on the cheek. A few pats on the back.

And we were off, flashing our way to Olympus, hand in hand.