Percy visited Thalia and talked to her about Artemis. Thalia told him that Artemis was scared of getting hurt again, and that she was lashing out because of it. Percy understood, but he still wanted to be there for Artemis when she was ready.
The next day, Percy went back to the clearing where he had seen Artemis bathing. He sat down on the edge of the pool and thought about her. He wondered if she would ever come back to him.
Suddenly, Percy heard a noise. He turned around and saw a figure standing in the trees. It was Thalia.
Thalia was wearing a simple white dress. Her hair was wet, and her skin was glowing. She looked beautiful, even more beautiful than he remembered.
"Percy," she said.
Percy stood up. "Thalia," he said.
Thalia didn't say anything. She just looked at him.
Percy took a step towards her. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to see you bathing."
Thalia's eyes widened. "You did?" she asked.
Percy nodded. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to intrude."
Thalia shook her head. "It's okay," she said. "I'm not ashamed of my body."
Percy didn't know what to say. He just stared at her.
Thalia smiled. "I know about Artemis," she said.
Percy's eyes widened. "You do?" he asked.
Thalia nodded. "I know everything," she said. "I know that you're in love with her."
Percy didn't say anything. He just looked at the ground.
Thalia put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm not going to tell anyone," she said. "I know how you feel, and I understand."
Percy looked up at her. "You do?" he asked.
Thalia nodded. "I've been there," she said. "I know what it's like to be in love with a goddess."
Percy smiled. "Thanks," he said. "I appreciate that."
Thalia smiled back. "Of course," she said. "I'm always here for you."
Percy hugged Thalia. "I'm glad I have you," he said.
Thalia hugged him back. "Me too," she said.
Percy and Thalia stood there for a moment, just holding each other. Then, they let go and smiled at each other.
"I should go," Percy said.
"Okay," Thalia said. "But you know you can always come to me, right?"
Percy nodded. "I know," he said. "Thanks."
Percy turned and walked away. He knew that he would never forget Thalia. She was his best friend, and he was lucky to have her in his life.
However, as Percy was walking away, he tripped over a root and fell into the pool. Thalia saw this and started to laugh. Percy got angry and started to yell at her. Thalia got angry too and started to yell back. The two of them argued for a while, and eventually they started to fight. They fought for a long time, and they both got injured. In the end, they were both too tired to fight anymore, and they just sat down on the edge of the pool, next to each other. They didn't say anything, but they knew that they had forgiven each other.
The next day, Percy went back to the clearing to talk to Thalia again. He found her sitting on the edge of the pool, looking out at the trees.
"Hey," he said.
Thalia turned to look at him. "Hey," she said.
"I wanted to talk to you about what you said yesterday," Percy said.
"What did I say?" Thalia asked.
"You said that you were in love with Artemis," Percy said.
Thalia nodded. "That's right," she said.
"I'm in love with her too," Percy said.
Thalia looked at him in surprise. "You are?" she asked.
Percy nodded. "I've been in love with her since I was a kid,, you know the cool one in the myths protecting her mothers dignity no matter the consequences." he said. "I've never-"
Percy sighed,"I've never told anyone before, but I thought you should know."
Thalia didn't say anything for a moment. She just looked at Percy.
"I'm sorry," she said finally. "I didn't know."
"It's okay," Percy said. "I didn't expect you to."
"I'm glad you told me," Thalia said. "It's good to know that I'm not the only one."
Percy smiled. "Yeah," he said. "It is."
The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Thalia asked.
"I don't know," Percy said. "I guess we just keep living our lives and see what happens."
Thalia nodded. "That sounds like a plan," she said.
Percy stood up and offered his hand to Thalia. She took it, and they stood there for a moment, looking at each other.
"Thank you for telling me," Thalia said.
"You're welcome," Percy said.
They smiled at each other, and then they started to walk back to camp.
As they walked, Percy thought about what Thalia had said. He knew that he was in love with Artemis, but he also knew that she would never love him back. He had to accept that, and he had to move on with his life.
He also knew that he was lucky to have Thalia as a friend. She was someone who understood what he was going through, and she was always there for him. He was glad that he had told her about his feelings, and he was glad that they could still be friends.
They walked for a while, and eventually they reached the edge of the forest. They could see the lights of camp in the distance.
"Well, this is where I leave you," Percy said.
"Thanks for walking me back," Thalia said.
"No problem," Percy said.
They hugged, and then Percy turned and walked away. He looked back once, and saw Thalia standing there, watching him. He smiled and waved, and she waved back.
Percy walked back to camp, and he thought about what had happened. He knew that he had made the right decision to tell Thalia about his feelings. It was a weight off his shoulders, and he knew that he could always count on her.
He went to his cabin and got ready for bed. He lay down in his bed and closed his eyes. He thought about Artemis, and he smiled. He closed his eyes and fell asleep, dreaming of a better future.