Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus. I don't own anything written by Rick Riordan.
Author's Note: Hey guys! So I'm a day late, and this chapter is unbetaed - totally my fault. I just finished writing the last 1500 words this morning. Anyways, as apology, this is 2500 words. The apology is both for the lateness and the following announcement.
I WILL NOT WRITE ANYTHING UNTIL MAY 15. MY PARENTS ARE MAKING ME BUCKLE DOWN WITH MY TWO OTHER COLLEGE TESTS (I'M NOT IN COLLEGE YET, SO THEY'RE SUPER DIFFICULT AND I JUST ACED ONE YESTERDAY). THEY'VE PRACTICALLY FORBIDDEN ME FROM DOING ANYTHING THAT ISN'T STUDYING. I WILL TRY TO WRITE AT LEAST ONE UPDATE IN THE MIDDLE, BUT NO GUARANTEES. I WILL NOT FORGET THIS STORY, THOUGH, OR DISCONTINUE IT. THANKS SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH ME THROUGH ALL OF THESE BUMPS, GUYS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PM ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
Also, missawesome-demigodish submitted the 100th review and I will be writing a one-shot to her specifications! Wow, this is difficult.
I said the 250th reviewer would get this, but I'm changing it because I'm having so much difficulty with the last one - and because I'm not writing till May 15th. The 500th reviewer will also get a one-shot of their liking as long as they are not a guest and they don't request an M rated story.
Hans50: Thanks, and I hope this is long enough for you! :) And yes, I have a huge dramatic plan that will, unfortunately, take a while to implement.
fearlessshadowhunter and Doggieluvr18:Hopefully. It's still undecided.
Cherry98blossom: She will - eventually.
LucyAlerion: Thanks for understanding!
Jasmine112: Hopefully! Thanks!
Helmetgirl896: I never, ever get tired of reviews - I love them! So thank you for reviewing so much. You'll find out about Amphitrite and Triton this chapter. The Tuesday schedule is supposed to be for Golden Droplets. This one is supposed to be on Fridays. But, as you can see, schedules mean absolutely nothing now. *frowns disappointedly* *grumbles about horrible college tests*
Pink lady of love: No problem!
WhenTheSunriseSets: Thanks for the jolt that has got me writing and finishing this!
Chapter VIII: Family
Seph was feeling completely overwhelmed. The Seven had believed her. They hadn't thought, for a moment, that she had killed those six demigods - despite the fact that several of those demigods were their siblings.
Despite the relief she felt, new worries began to race through her mind. What about the other demigods? Chiron? Triton and Amphitrite? Had they believed she was a traitor?
And what about her mother? Would Sally be willing to forgive her for disappearing for a decade with nary a word?
The turmoil made Seph long for simpler times - like when she had first realized her feelings for Iapetus.
Seph ran into Damasen's hut. "Is he okay?" she asked urgently, holding out a resilient herb that somehow managed to grow in Tartarus.
"I don't know..." The Giant's brow was furrowed in worry. "Is that all you found?" He motioned to the small, withered plant.
Seph nodded, collapsing onto a stool to tend to her own fresh wounds. "I had to fight my way through a mixed pack of hellhounds and dracanae just for that."
"We'll have to make do," decided Damasen and moved towards the curtain that separated his brother from the rest of the hut. "I hope it's enough to heal Iapetus."
"I can head back out - try to find more," offered Seph, already pulling her gloves and boots back on.
Damasen inspected her. "No," he stated decisively. "You're already badly injured. If you go out again without back up, you might not return. We cannot risk it."
"We have to!" exclaimed Seph frustratedly. She turned to Damasen. "I can't lose him, Sen," she whispered. "I can't."
Damasen sighed gently and stepped forward to envelop Seph in a quick hug. "I know you can't... Tell you what? Why don't you go and keep the drakon busy. This is around the time it attacks and I need to be with Iapetus."
Seph gave him a small, trembling smile, but nodded. "Okay."
Damasen had just left to collect fire from the Phlegethon for his brother, so Seph was keeping watch over Iapetus.
She fiddled with the Titan's fingers worriedly. Damasen had declared that Iapetus was no longer in danger on dying, but there was no telling when - if ever - he would awaken from his comatose state.
"Seph?" came a low moan.
"Iapetus?!" Seph looked up at the titan and froze for a moment in surprise and shock, before her instincts took over. She threw herself at him, lips attaching to his. "Don't you ever do that again!" she ordered, pulling away a moment later. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been? Do you-" She stopped as the full impact of her actions hit her.
She had just kissed Iapetus. And, oh gods, she was in love with him. And, Hades, what would he think of her? He probably didn't even like her that way, and-
Iapetus gently tugged her down for another kiss.
Admittedly, those few days with an injured, dying Iapetus hadn't been simple, but at least she hadn't been faced with the all-consuming turmoil of what her friend(s) thought of her for more than a minute; when it came down to it, she hadn't been worried about Iapetus turing his back on her for even a second, like she was about Chiron, the demigods and her family.
"Hey, guys?" Seph hesitantly interrupted Lavinia'a stories of hilarious occurrences in the forges. "Can we continue this later? I kind of want to... find Triton and Amphitrite, and, you know..."
Hazel nodded, smiling. "Just IM us whenever you're free and we'll pop by. Okay?"
Seph nodded. "Thank you." She waved goodbye to to the Six - as they had apparently been titled during her absence... her banishment - as they flashed away and stepped towards Iapetus. "You'll need to hold your breath for a second when we flash to Atlantis so I can make an oxygen bubble for you."
Iapetus nodded and grabbed her hand. "Whenever you're ready," he promised, seeing the hesitation on her face.
Seph took a deep breath. She could do this. The rest of the Seven had trusted her. There was no reason to believe Amphitrite and Triton hadn't.
Except there was.
When it came down to it, they were first and foremost Poseidon's family. They had known and trusted him for millennia on end. Her relationship with them had only lasted three years before she was thrown into Tartarus. Chances were, they had taken Poseidon at his word when he claimed she had betrayed them.
"Oh gods," she whispered, hand covering her mouth. "I can't do this."
Iapetus grabbed her face and cradled her cheeks, forehead resting against hers. "Yes, you can, Seph. I'll be right there with you. If you need a quick getaway, I'll flash us straight to your palace. I promise." He pressed their lips together and held her body to his for a moment before releasing her, hands making their way down to hers.
"Okay," Seph breathed. She closed her eyes and imagined Atlantis's throne room. "Let's do this."
They disappeared in a flash of light.
Iapetus held his breath when they flashed away until Seph squeezed his hand to tell him it was safe to breathe. He took a deep breath and then looked around. The throne room of Atlantis was truly beautiful. It reflected the sea's nature in the wild gold lines that danced across the walls and floor. The gems studding the walls only added to the beauty. Simple, but elegant thrones lined the room. At the far end, stood three thrones - all of them occupied.
Poseidon immediately stood and rushed towards Seph, arms outstretched.
She deftly sidestepped him and snarled. "Do not try that again."
Poseidon bit his lip, sadness filling his face, but Iapetus found it difficult to feel pity for him - not after everything he had done to Seph.
"I have come to speak to Triton and Amphitrite," stated the goddess. "In private."
Poseidon nodded and flashed away with no protest. He clearly understood that he had no hopes of getting in his daughter's good graces at the moment.
Iapetus strode towards his girlfriend. "Would you like me to stay?" he asked quietly.
Seph glanced up at him, uncertainty flashing across her face. "I... If you want to?"
Iapetus grabbed her hand and squeezed gently, recognizing her insecurity. "I'll stay."
Seph let out a small breath of relief and then led him towards the Triton and Amphitrite's thrones.
"Seph!" exclaimed Triton. He walked towards his sister, but came to a stop a couple of feet away.
Poseidon must have told them about the fact the Seph had changed her name, realized Iapetus.
Amphitrite smiled, standing from her throne.
The Olympian nodded regally at both of them. "Did you, or did you not believe that I had betrayed you?" she asked, cutting to the chase.
Triton flinched a little at her abruptness. "Yes," he said, "I did."
Seph, disappointed and angry, turned towards Amphitrite, only for Triton to grab her arm.
"I'm not done, yet," he said firmly. "I believed that for all of a day. After that, I really thought about what Father had said about you, and realized that you could never betray us like that. So yes, I believed you betrayed us, but I changed my mind quickly. And I'm sorry - so sorry - for my betrayal, however short and temporary it was."
Seph cocked her head in consideration.
Iapetus resisted the urge to tell her to forgive the sea prince, knowing that any decisions she made needed to be her own. This was about how she felt about the fact that her brother had thought the worst of her for a day, not about how a single day compared to the decade others hadn't believed in her for.
Finally, the woman let a smile spread across her face and she turned to Triton. "I forgive you," she said quietly, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug that was quickly reciprocated. After a moment she pulled back and turned to her step-mother. "And you?" she asked.
Amphitrite shook her head, regret and guilt in her eyes. "I thoroughly betrayed you. I believed every word my husband told me about you for a decade. But I am sorry!"
Seph sneered. "Your apologies mean nothing to me."
Seph and Iapetus appeared outside of Sally's apartment an hour later. Seph bit her lip in hesitation, before slowly raising a fist to knock on the door. She turned to Iapetus. "Can you wait here for a bit? I want to talk to mom myself, first."
Iapetus smiled. "Of course. Just call when you're ready for me." He stepped out of sight and into the shadows.
The door opened a moment later. "Hello," said a brunette woman with white striping her hair and tired wrinkles lining her face. "What can I- Percy?!"
"Hey, Mom," said Seph, lips twitching into a smile and tears blurring her eyes at finally seeing her this woman - this special, amazing woman that had raised her and dealt with all her delinquencies - after ten years of not being able to. "It's good to see you."
Sally's eyes hardened and her lips pursed. "Come in," she said. "I'd rather not make a scene out here or have to explain why you still look like a teenager to my neighbors."
Seph winced at her cold tone, but reminded herself she shouldn't have expected anything less.
She stepped into the flat. It was much nicer than the last time she had seen it. The furniture was much nicer. Pictures of Sally and another man littered the walls and shelves. Her mother's writing utensils were haphazardly scattered across a new leather sofa. All in all, it finally looked like a home. It was nothing like it had been when Gabe was there or during the few years after he had left and Sally was still recovering.
"It's beautiful," remarked Seph.
"I know," said Sally. She turned to Seph. "What are you doing here, Percy?"
"I've come to explain the last ten years to you."
Sally snarled, an angry expression Seph wasn't accustomed to seeing set on her face. "Well, you better get started, seeing as I only have so much time to spare for you."
The goddess winced, blinking rapidly to keep the tears building in her eyes from falling. "I- I wanted to come. I wanted to come so much. You have to believe that. But… I couldn't."
Sally glared at her. "You're a goddess. You can do anything you want to! Don't you dare give me that excuse!"
"But," said Seph, trying to keep her composure, "it's true. The gods, they thought that I had killed some demigods - Thalia, Malcolm, Clarisse, Lacy, Nyssa and Travis."
Sally gasped, horrified. "Thalia's dead?!"
Seph nodded, biting her lip. "Yeah… But I could never have killed her!" she hurried to add. "I could never. She was my cousin and I loved her like a sister. And the others - they were my friends, or well, frienemy, I suppose, in Clarisse's case." She smiled nostalgically. "Point being, I couldn't have killed them."
"I know," said Sally softly. "I might be angry at you. You might have left me on my own for a decade with no acknowledgement, but I know you. I know that you could have never killed them."
"But," said Seph, face twitching self-deprecatingly, "that is the problem. You see, I did kill them."
Sally breathed in, horrified. "You what?!"
Seph closed her eyes. "An eidolon possessed me - a special one that had been blessed by Tartarus. It made me kill them. I didn't even know I was killing them! I just thought I was taking a nap in the Poseidon Cabin and then…"
Sally suddenly surged forward and pulled the trembling woman into her arms. "It wasn't your fault, sweetie. It wasn't. You've told me about eidolons before. We both know how impossible it is to control yourself when they have possessed you."
"I should have, though!" burst out Seph, tears spilling down her cheeks. "You were right - I'm a goddess, for Zeus's sake! I should have been strong enough!"
Sally grabbed her face. "No, Percy. Don't you dare blame yourself for their deaths. Do you hear me? You owe me this much. I won't have you ripping your life apart because of misplaced guilt."
Seph nodded slowly, burying her head in her mother's shoulder. "Yeah," she gasped out reluctantly. "Okay."
"But," said Sally, pushing Seph away from her and holding her at arm's length, "this still doesn't explain why you haven't visited me in ten years - or, at least, IMed me."
Seph looked away. "The gods, they didn't believe me when I told them I didn't kill those demigods. So... they sentenced me to Tartarus... for a hundred years."
Sally covered her mouth in shock. A soft sob escaped her. "They did what?! But you're here - just ten years later." Her hands were scrabbling over Seph's body as though checking that she was real. "They must have changed their minds at the last second. They-"
"Mom." Seph grabbed her trembling hands. "I was in Tartarus for the last ten years. And this is exactly why I didn't let anyone tell you. I didn't want you to worry about me for the rest of your life. I would rather you thought godhood had gone to my head than that. But then... Chaos came and told the gods of my innocence, warned them of an upcoming war with Tartarus, and the gods... they brought me back yesterday. They pulled me from the pit. And now I'm here. And I'm so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you, but I needed you to live your life - find love, maybe? - without worrying about me every second of the day." She was crying now.
"I'm so proud of you," whispered Sally, hugging her daughter. "So proud. And I love you - and there is nothing to forgive. You did what you thought was best for me - and maybe it really was. But, I need you to promise me something."
"Anything," whispered Seph, clutching at her mother.
"You will tell me if something like this ever happens again. You won't leave me in the dark, wondering where I went wrong, where-"
"I promise - I swear on the Styx," said Seph. "And you did nothing wrong - nothing."
I WILL NOT WRITE ANYTHING UNTIL MAY 15. MY PARENTS ARE MAKING ME BUCKLE DOWN WITH MY TWO COLLEGE TESTS (I'M NOT IN COLLEGE YET, SO THEY'RE SUPER DIFFICULT). THEY'VE PRACTICALLY FORBIDDEN ME FROM DOING ANYTHING THAT ISN'T STUDYING. I WILL TRY TO WRITE AT LEAST ONE UPDATE IN THE MIDDLE, BUT NO GUARANTEES. I WILL NOT FORGET THIS STORY, THOUGH, OR DISCONTINUE IT - EVER. THANKS SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH ME THROUGH ALL OF THESE BUMPS, GUYS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PM ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
A/N: Anyways, what did you guys think? Dramatic enough? Please tell me if you cried! (I don't think my writing is good enough for that, but if you did, I would love to know - I'm slightly sadistic when it comes to that aspect of writing, probably cause I'm masochistic when it comes to the same aspect of reading.)
Please review and keep me from fainting of boredom over the next month of solid studying!