The Poet Of History, Sophia belongs to moonlightinferno on quotev Sophia comes from the amazing fic: SOLDIER, POET, KING on quotev which y'all should definitely check out after reading this chapter! Sophia will be making a few appearances in this fic because Sophia is the like basically, in a way, the goddess of history and Sarah is basically rewriting history so I thought it'd be funny for Sophia to make a few cameos in this fic!
Also the character Dante briefly mentioned near the end of this chapters belongs to PEDR0PASCAL on quotev and he comes from the amazing fic called YOUNG GODS on quotev which y'all should check out after reading this chapter!
CHAPTER ONE ⸺ SALLY JACKSON DOES NOT DO SHADOW TRAVELLING
SARAH KNEW THAT EVERYTHING WOULD GO NEARLY ACCORDING TO PLAN WITH THE MOIRAI ON HER SIDE BUT SHE STILL FELT NERVOUS. The Poet Of History, Sophia ⸺ a demigod turned Goddess that most demigods often overlooked, even Sarah herself. It was a startling thing to see considering that Sarah was here to rewrite. Lady Sophia could not be pleased about this, but as Sarah regards her, she doesn't look all that miffed.
The Moirai along with the Poet of History, defend the decision to change what is to come, going on to explain how it will not cause any paradoxes but rather create its' own universe. Even though this is not the first time that Sarah has heard this explanation, it still gives her a minor headache. She glances around the room, the one that Sarah doesn't know the name of but it's just off to the side of the throne room. The Olympians, plus her father who has yet to become a proper Olympian, look as though they may have their own headaches budding as the explanation continues.
Sarah slips back into the throne room, trying to go unnoticed, she still had to stop Luke from committing the first unhinged decision he made. The Poet catches her eye, she says nothing as Sarah slips into the shadows of the throne room.
As Sarah enters the throne room, her knees buckle and a thin trickle of hot air rushes up her spine. Her present self has gone, Lady Atropos had explained that something like this would happen once they were in the same room but Sarah hadn't expected it to feel so much like death. Although Sarah knows that it makes sense as to why it does.
Her eyes burn and she sure that any moment she will crash and burn, finally succumb to the reality. For the past two days Sarah had been relentlessly searching for away to fix everything, not letting herself dwell on the fact they fell into Tartarus and there was nothing she could do to stop it, too far away. She had watched as Annabeth fell first, Percy, refusing to leave her side, fell next with his hand in hers, and then finally Luke. He had just barely had a grasp on Percy's shirt, refusing to let them go through something like this alone. He had been desperate to redeem himself, make up for all the pain he had caused not only them but everyone. So when Annabeth started to fall and Percy right by her side, Luke didn't even hesitate.
Sarah exhales, clenching her fists as she struggles not to think of it. They'd make it out alive but at a high cost, she had a deep rooted feeling that they'd make it out alive but the first few hours, Sarah had been frantic that they wouldn't and she had to fix it. And once she had found away, she realized just how much she could change, so many lives she could save. And so, even believing they would make it out alive, Sarah went through with it.
The Moirai assured her that she would not disappear from that universe by creating this one. They told her that her attempt would simply fail, splitting her soul ever so slightly as one half of her stayed in that future, and the other half would go back in time and create a divergence. Sarah would become whole again when she met up with her past self whereas her future self would remain half ⸺ always fragile but still the Sarah that everyone in that future knew.
No matter what things would be fine, she was doing the right thing or else the Moirai and the Poet would disagree.
Sarah spots Luke standing, frozen in front of Zeus' throne. He had yet to convince himself to steal the bolt.
"What do you think you're doing, thief," Sarah calls out, barely refraining from calling him the nickname she had given him in the future.
He freezes at the sound of her voice, he must recognize her voice even if her accent had mellowed out after five-ish years. Granted her accent had never been that thick but it still often stuck out like a sore thumb depending on how frantic she was.
She couldn't wait for him to turn around, he'd be so confused. She had gotten older, although not by much, she had still changed a lot considering one moment she looked like the Sarah everyone knew in the past and the next she was Sarah, five years in the future and almost three years older.
She had become a Hunter halfway through her growth spurt and within the first year of leaving the Hunt, she had changed quite a lot, mostly growing taller and voice growing deeper. The Aphrodite cabin insisted she had changed a lot, Drew said she really blossomed, Sarah disagreed. And when she fought with Luke during the battle of Manhattan, he still recognized her easily but he had been off put by the fact she had actually left the Hunters.
She had also recently chopped a foot off of her hair, which was probably the most noticeable thing that changed about her, in her opinion. And, of course, the scars from fighting Kampe but she doesn't like to think about that so she often forgot it had scarred.
Luke turns around and blanches, face twisting in shock and confusion. Perhaps he thinks this is a dream, he doesn't reply to her question, just stares.
She laughs at him softly as she whispers "Don't worry, I know what you're doing."
He pales, looking like a deer caught in headlights as he stammers out "You ⸺ you do?"
He sounds so young, she remembers that he is the age that she is now. He is longer twenty four, almost twenty five, he is just nineteen. Just as she is now. Still practically a teenager. Her face twists painfully as she wills herself not to cry.
"I know a lot of things, Luke . . . I am from the future after all," Sarah says, which is not how she had planned to say it but it was better to get it off her tongue before the waterworks started.
He almost laughs, Sarah doesn't blame him for that, but he doesn't quite disbelieve it, all that comes from his mouth is a squeak. He definitely thinks that this is dream, Sarah is not great at explaining things, it seems, which was why the Moirai came with the Poet to speak with the Gods.
"I am from the future," Sarah says again and she gives him a small smile, "I know it sounds ridiculous, trust me, I'm still kind of getting over the fact that I actually succeed in creating make-shift time travel, but, hey . . . It seems there's nothing I wouldn't do for those bloody Jackson twins."
"The fates wouldn't ⸺" Luke tries to argue.
Sarah cuts him off, this is not how she actually planned for this to go but this is how it was turning out so she decides not to give him time to process it, he'd have plenty of time for that once they started reading the book of her cousin's thoughts that The Moirai, with Lady Hecate's help, had procured.
"Allow this? They helped this Luke . . . A little help from them, Lady Hecate as well as Lord Apollo, and some of," She cuts herself off as she shudders dramatically, "Kronos' ashes, and viola, we got Greek time travel!"
He tries to say something but Sarah ignores him as she continues on with a very bad explanation of the original future events.
"Luke, you were going to steal the Master Bolt and my dad's Helm and bring it to Kronos and you do do that in my time. Well, you get stopped by Lord Ares who nearly kills you but ultimately decides that stealing them would create war between the Olympians and he wants a little fun."
"I don't ⸺" Luke tries to deny it, possibly, but Sarah will have not of that.
"You nearly take out Olympus before realizing, after killing several of the Demigods that you looked after for months to years, that it was a bullshit idea and betray Kronos at the last minute and then die. Very anticlimactic ⸺ not even a good redemption arc by the way ⸺ so I use necromancy because it turns out I can do that to bring you back so you can see that your actions have consequences, that doesn't go very well but I don't want to talk about that, but you live. So starting an uprising with Kronos, it's not your finest decision and I'm here to stop that."
Luke blinks, jaw dropping as he takes it all in, he looks away from Sarah to look at where her past self had been, tucked into her sleeping bag. Sarah looks over as well, unsurprising to her, the sleeping bag is empty now.
"Yeah, that Sarah ⸺ she's gone! Two of us can't exist at the same time, the Fates said that just me coming back here as branched off into an entirely new universe, yeah, turns out the Multiverse is real. Which is why I'm the only one from my time period who came back, the Fates said it would be for the best if it was only me."
"It's real," Luke croaks out weakly, turning back to look at her.
Sarah nods her head "It's real, Luke, I'm from five years in the future."
"My Gods," He breathes out, stepping away from the Master Bolt. Sarah lets out a quiet sigh of relief.
"It's a lot to take in, I know but . . . It's real but I'm going to fix it, I'm going to save everyone's lives with the help of my cousin's outrageous narration skills."
"Cousin," Luke echoes, "Zeus breaks the oath again?"
It takes everything in Sarah not to laugh at Luke's first guess being Zeus, she barely holds back her laughter as she answers him.
"Nah, Poseidon did ⸺ twins. The most annoying twins you'll ever encounter, twins that ended up as your scapegoat, by the way! I ended up as your scapegoat too!"
Luke frowns "I'm sorry, I didn't think ⸺"
"Clearly," Sarah snaps.
Her anger leaves just as quickly as it comes, the horror on Luke's face as he jumps after Percy and Annabeth, flashes before Sarah's eyes. She pinches the bridge of her nose as she struggles to hold back tears.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be this hard on you, not this version of you! You're being manipulated after all, you have good intentions but . . . I just, I haven't had a lot of time to process everything. Look, we're going to read a book . . . It's taken right from my one cousin's memories, Hecate turned it into a book to get the story across best. The Olympians should be finishing their discussion very soon. I am going to go rescue my siblings from the Lotus Hotel and round up my cousins. They deserve to be here since I'm absolutely scrapping the original source material!"
Luke goes to say something but Sarah doesn't let him get it out.
"Please don't turn around and steal the bolt or the helm and don't do anything like fall into Tartarus," Sarah tells him teasingly but she nearly sobs as she thinks of the screams they let out as they fell.
She lightly nudges his shoulder as she struggles to give him a small smile "You might as well start waking up the kids, especially Annabeth, you know how she can be sometimes."
Once again, she doesn't give him a chance to reply as she calls on the shadows and disappears to the Lotus Hotel.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
BRING ON THE MONSTERS, BRING ON THE REAL WORLD
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
SARAH TRIES TO REMEMBER IF HER DAD HAD HER SIBLINGS MEMORIES WIPED BEFORE OR AFTER THE HOTEL, SHE HOPES IT'S AFTER BECAUSE IF THEY REMEMBERED HER THEN THIS WOULD MAKE THINGS SO MUCH SIMPLER. However, things were never that easy for the likes of Sarah Willoughby but she had a feeling, a hope more like, that the siblings had been christened in the Lethe after the Hotel but before the School.
After dealing with the Doorman, getting keys to a room she would never bother to check out and an unlimited card, Sarah strolls into the game room. It was hard not to get sucked in but as she thought of Bianca and Nico possibly waiting for some familiar face to come and speak with them, take them home, it gets easier to ignore.
She remembers that Bianca mentioned a dancing game she had played in the Lotus Hotel. Dance Dance Revolution or something like that, she had been exceptionally good at it. Cher had taken her to the mall with Sarah in tow, and the stopped at an arcade because Bianca recognized the game. The three of them had a blast, none more than Cher who found it absolutely hilarious that Bianca absolutely killed at the game.
She missed Charybdis 'Cher' Jackson, as far as she knew, the daughter of Poseidon was safe with the son of Hephaestus, Leo ⸺ oh my Gods! Leo! Sarah pales as she remembers the kid, she thinks he's currently living on the streets. Or perhaps he was in a shitty foster home. She doesn't really know Leo's past well but she does know that she can't just leave him, she has to bring him along as well.
The Moirai might not be pleased with it but Leo doesn't have a good living situation and bringing him to camp early will be good for him. At that's what it's always been about for her, giving other kids like her a better childhood.
He was living on the street with no family or stuck in a foster family that either didn't care about him or would eventually give him up, pegging him as a troublemaker. If she brought him along, she concludes, she wouldn't completely uprooting his life.
And then Daphne, Sarah recalls, thinking of more people who should be allowed to be involved with this. She's aware of everything, kept in the loop by her Godly Parent ⸺ Helios, who as far as most thought was faded, he spent most of his time travelling with Daphne and her father, Jeffrey.
But since Helios was a God, perhaps the Moirai had informed him already and he would be attending with his daughter. She hopes so, it would be good for Luke to see his little cousin he hasn't seen since he ran away.
Jeffrey would be possibly be there too since he was a Clear-Sighted Mortal and the Moirai had said to bring Sally Jackson as she was also a Clear-Sighted Mortal. Clear-Sighted Mortals were allowed to tread their world so long as they were given permission to.
Sarah recollects herself, plans out what she must do ⸺ gather Bianca and Nico, go to the Huston Bridge where Leo might likely be and gather him, then finally get to the Jackson apartment and gather the Jacksons. The Jacksons would be the easiest pick up, Sally would be quick to believe her due to being Clear-Sighted, and the twins would trust their mother.
In front of her, she sees the Dance Dance Revolution machine, and thankfully Bianca is there, absolutely killing it at the game. Nico off to the side, looking bored and tired but when he sees Sarah, his dark eyes light up.
Thank the Gods, Sarah thinks, they had yet to be Lethe-itized.
"Sarah! Bia! It's Sarah," Nico cries out, running through the crowd to get to Sarah. He was tiny thing but when he threw himself at her for a hug, she nearly falls over. She hugs him back tightly, wishing that she had not suffered the head injury she had a left them all alone for all those years even if they did not realize so much time had gone by.
Nico sobs, heartbroken cries as he latches onto her. He is mourning his mother, who as far as he thinks, died only days, maybe weeks, ago.
"Sarah, I want to go home, I want papa! Why must we stay here? I want papa and mama 'Sephone," He rambles through choked sobs, "Where did they go? Did they ⸺ are they like mama?"
Sarah looks up, blinking back tears, unsure of what to say. Bianca is still caught up in the game, under the daze the hotel creates. She would get Bianca in a moment.
"No, Neeks, no . . . It's a very long story and I will tell it to you eventually when we have time, I swear it. But, right now, we need to get you and Bia out of here."
"We can go home now, is it safe? If it's safe where is papa and mama 'Sephone? Why are they not coming to get us?"
"I can only give you the short story for now, if you can withhold your questions until we have time, I will tell you everything over hot coco and the best cookies you will ever have. Okay, how does that sounds?"
Nico hesitantly nods "'Sounds nice, I s'pose."
"I know it's not ideal but if we had more time, I would tell you everything right here, right now and answer all your questions but I can't, okay . . . I'm not taking you home, I will be taking you to papa and your mother. We can stay together once this is all done, you don't have to come back here again. And I'll be doing this in a very new way to you and your sister and it'll be a little scary but it's totally normal for us. You know how your mama would tell you that papa and mother 'Sephone were special?"
It felt weird calling Lady Persephone something so domestic but that's what Bianca and Nico called her before the Lethe and Sarah had to keep this as familiar as possible.
Nico nods his head.
"Well, they are very special, they're Greek Gods, yes, like the ones in Mythomagic. Nico, please, I know you want to know everything but not right now, okay, soon. Okay? Okay, thank you, Neeks. You're a Demigod ⸺ a Son of Hades, and a chosen son of Persephone. Your sister is the same. I am your half sister, a daughter of Hades. You were put into this hotel to keep you safe for Zeus but things have come to a standstill and I have come to bring you and your sister into the world again. We have to go right now and unfortunately we cannot bring your things but I'm sure da ⸺ papa has most of your most valuable possessions. Yes, you have to leave your Mythomagic game. I know, it sucks, but I promise I'll replace it and even more, okay?"
Nico looks torn between wanting to argue and wanting to get out of the hotel, he studies Sarah for a moment, she is trying her best not to appear desperate but he must know because he nods his head.
"You better replace it," Nico grumbles.
"I will, I swear the second I get the chance to, I will get you every Mythomagic card and figurine imaginable."
With that, Nico is appeased as he could get and Sarah turns her attention to Bianca, who takes a bit longer to snap out of the daze than Nico but once she comes to she handles the truth much better than the future version of herself does. Pre-Lethe Bianca was well aware that something was different about her and her paternal side of the family so she accepted the similar explanation that Sarah gave to Nico with ease. And with that they were able to slip out of the hotel without much fuss.
Sarah checks her watch quickly, it took her an hour to collect them. Meaning only ten or fifteen minutes had passed on Olympus. The Moirai had asked for Cronus' ( the God of time, not the titan because apparently they were two separate beings ) help when it came to Sarah gathering the guests. Time would not stop as stopping time could have dire consequences but they would slow down time to help Sarah make these trips as quickly as possible.
She explains shadow travelling to Bianca and Nico, who look a little unsure about it, she reassures them that it would be safe, she was skilled at it and Lord Hermes had blessed them with safe travels. It was the least he could do after she literally died for his eldest son, she leaves out the last part though.
Shadow travelling with two other people goes a lot smoother than she expected, she reckons she had Lord Hermes to thank for that. But, something tells Sarah that Bianca and Nico subconsciously shadow travelled with her own their own, easing the power she needed for it. Sarah couldn't rule that out, these kids were a lot stronger than her even at their young again.
Leo, thankfully but sadly is huddled under the Huston bridge like he had mentioned to Cher before, something Sarah had only really heard in passing. It made things easier for Sarah but Leo was freezing even huddled up in sleeping bag and winter coat.
The eleven year old startles at the sight of them but he thankfully doesn't seem to be under the impression that they had come out of nowhere, but rather they had snuck up on them. Leo clutches onto his sleeping bag, shaking as he asks what they want. He tries to make his voice sound deeper than it actually is, Sarah feels terrible for making him feel this way.
"Nothing, we're not here to steal from you, promise," Sarah says softly.
Leo looks at her, disbelief clear on his sharp, elven-ish features. If Sarah had met him before he was claimed, she would've begged him as a Hermes kid. He holds on tighter to the sleeping bag.
Nico asks Sarah why they're here and Bianca hushes him, Nico lets out a low whine and huff.
"We don't want to take anything from you, but I do need your help."
Leo's eyes narrow "With what?"
"Saving the world, in a way . . . You're special, Leo, I'm sure your mom told you so."
Leo shakes his head, eyes going wide "No, I'm not special, no . . . I'm not! I'm a di ⸺ devil child and nobody wants me so leave me alone!"
"Uh, no, I'm not letting you get hypothermia. And you're not a devil's child, you have a gift a very rare gift that you've inherited from your dad. It's very rare but not a terrible thing no matter what anyone says. Kids like us, we have special abilities that sometimes frightens people who aren't like us and can't understand it. Whoever told you what they did, they did so because they were terrible, scared, and couldn't understand and they wouldn't even try to understand."
There's a pause, they stare at each other. Leo glares at her with mistrust and Sarah stares back with a passive expression, a small smile playing at her lips.
"I know your dad," Sarah tells him.
He frowns at her "Well, I don't."
She nods understandingly "No, most kids like us, they don't often know their Godly parent. Your father doesn't often interact with his kids because he's . . . he's ashamed of himself and he's really not good with people. However, you, although you probably don't feel so this way, are not unloved by him. Your gift with the fire, I'm not sure what it's called, I'm sorry for that, Leo, can be something special. I know you don't see it that way and I'm sorry that no one was there to help with it earlier but I have come now to bring you somewhere that can help you grow."
"I'm not going to another foster home! If my dad, whoever he is, wants you to take me to one, well tell him ⸺ tell him that he can ⸺ he can come and put me in one himself," Leo snaps.
"It's not another foster home, if I can help it, you'll never have to go to another foster home ever again unless we can find you one that will take good care of you. Please, Leo, I know it's really weird but I really do need your help and I think you would like my help even if you don't think you need help. I'd also like to throw out that I will be taking you whether or not you say yes. After all the things I've done a little kidnapping is nothing. However, I'd very much like for you to come with me willingly."
Leo's eyes widen, backing himself further into the wall of the bridge.
"Sorry buddy, I don't mean to sound so scary but I am on a little bit of a time crunch. I promise I won't hurt you . . . In a sense I'm bringing you to my home, you can bring your sleeping bag and anything else you have with you over there."
"How come he gets to keep his stuff?" Nico cuts in grumbling.
Sarah smiles "'Cause, Neeks, your stuff was in some room number I don't know but all his things are on him."
Nico huffs out about things being unfair, Bianca quietly scolds him.
Sarah holds out her hand "Leo, I would very much like for you to come willingly, I don't feel right leaving you out here all alone. I won't hold you captive, just come with me for a couple hours. I'll get you some food, a proper meal and warmer clothes. Okay, there is nothing I expect from you except to accompany me."
Leo softens at the mention of food and fresh clothes, he eyes her up in down. Finally taking into account that she is hardly an adult.
"Is this like volunteer hours for you or something," Leo asks warily, sitting up slightly, he looks between Nico and Bianca. They were roughly his age.
"In a way . . . Think of us as a family of do-good-ers. We do have a pit stop to make beforehand, my . . . my mom's house, she'll have cookies! They're the best cookies you'll ever have!"
"I don't have to stay?"
"No, though I would like for you too, but I will not make you."
Leo thinks for a moment, muttering to himself about how it's better than the police or going back to the Hutchinsons'. He stands up and rolls up his trusty sleeping bag.
"Okay," He says after a moment, "I'll bite."
Sarah beams at him "Thanks, kid."
"Are we going now," Bianca asks quietly, clutching onto Sarah's sleeve, Nico had a grasp of Sarah's hand just below where his sister held on.
Sarah nods, "We are."
Unfortunately for Leo, Sarah decides not to try and explain shadow travelling to Leo who had no clue about Greek Mythology and what it entails. It would take too long but he'd get over it especially one he got his hands on one of Sally Jackson's cookies.
Leo takes ahold of the hand Sarah is holding out, thinking they were shaking on what they had just discussed, within seconds the shadows have engulfed the four of them. The just as quickly as they had been surrounded the shadows leave them, now standing in front of Sally Jackson's old apartment building.
Leo, completely off put by the shadow travel, pulls away from Sarah and stares at her aghast as he lets out a strained and gasping scream. Well, Sarah, it's much better than him throwing up.
"What was that," Leo says slowly, with mortified expression paired with an equally mortified tone that was almost comical.
"It's a thing that I can do, in a way it is similar to your gift with the fire. Sorry I didn't give you more of a forewarning but it's difficult to explain. Now, if you'd please be patient, I need to speak with my mom before we go to my . . . house."
Leo gives her an uncertain look, turning to survey the empty hallway behind them and the very obvious exit stairwell, then he turns back to shrug his shoulders. Sarah gives him a smile then knocks on Sally's door.
After a few minutes, Sally hesitantly opens the door. She takes in the sight of four children, in her eyes, at her door and relaxes especially so when she takes in Sarah's Camp Half-Blood T-Shirt have hidden by her jacket.
"Oh, hello . . . Yes, he told me you would be coming," Sally says sounding slightly distraught, "Although I didn't realize there would be so many of you."
"Someone ⸺ it was my uncle ⸺ Poseidon, he told you," Sarah says, only slightly surprised.
Sally nods her head.
It's not all that surprising as Poseidon is still very fond of Sally in the future and he is very protective of his children.
"Wait," Leo whispers behind her, "Is she talking about the myth people? Like the ones from Greece?"
"The Greek Gods," Nico corrects excitedly, "Yes, she is!"
"Huh," Leo says, "Okay, I'll bite."
"What's that mean," Nico asks.
Bianca hushes them before Leo can reply.
"Well, that makes my job easier. Uh, are you alright with this," Sarah finds herself asking even though she knows leaving the Jackson twins now is out of the question since everyone knows about them. They're the only ones that Sarah had to involve.
"I don't think I have much of a choice but he said I could come with them and that they would not be harmed so I shall go," Sally replies.
"You'll see them again, they always come home for the school year, except Cher but that was one time, and everything is fine as they can get for the likes of us," Sarah assures Sally the best that she can.
"They are still alive," Sally asks, clearly well aware of the whole time travel shebang.
"And kicking," Sarah replies with a grin, "Kicking my ass specifically, I do not get a break with these two. But, yes they're both very much alive, and doing, er . . . Well, they could be doing better, I'm not going to lie, but they'll be coming home to you soon, in my old future, that is."
Sally grins, looking relieved, "That's good to hear, thank you for looking out for them."
"Thank you for looking out for me," Sarah counters.
Sally beams at her, looking slightly confused but she says "Of course, dear, any time!"
"Well, now it may be a little earlier in this timeline! But, good news, we can dump that smelly Gabe guy . . . Although I would still love for him to get got by Medusa."
"What?!"
"Er, long story, it'll be explained! I promise! Do you happen to have any blue cookies we can take with us."
Sally is not pleased with the subject change but like the saint that she is, she lets it slide and she nods.
Sarah beams "Great! Are the twins ready and set to go?"
"Yes, they're all set to go."
"Ah, great."
"Kids," Sally calls into the apartment, "It's time to go, get into the car."
"We can just shadow travel," Sarah supplies.
Sally gives her an uncertain look and shakes her head "No, thank you."
"I am good at it," Sarah says urgently. She has to get Sally to like her just as much as she liked her in Sarah's old future.
Sally forces a smile, even forced it does not look unkind "I'm sure you're wonderful at it but my kids have no idea of this world. I would like to go by car and keep this as normal as possible for as long as I can."
Oh, Sarah thinks, that does make sense. She checks her clock, it's been two hours now, so if Cronos is still doing as the Moirai have asked of him, then only half an hour at the most has passed ⸺ knowing the Gods, they're probably still arguing amongst themselves and the Moirai.
"We're only twenty minute drive from the Empire State Building, right?" Sarah asks, uncertainly.
Sally nods and Sarah sighs, she would've liked to just shadow travel there but Sally Jackson looked apprehensive and Sarah did not want to worry the woman anymore than she already was. Lord Hermes had blessed their travels, twenty minutes would be five at the most for time on Olympus currently.
"Okay, car it is."
Sally gives her a grateful smile.
The Jackson twins have come to the door and oh my Gods were they always this small?! Sarah can't help but coo, she had truly gotten softer since meeting her siblings in the old future.
Yeah, Nico had been small and so had Bianca but their growth spurts in the old future had been more apparent, Sarah still remembered how small they had once been. And thanks to Cher, who is a pro at online research, she had very old photos of Bianca and Nico when they were very small. Sarah did not have the same when it came to the Jackson twins.
Both looked confused, Percy more so than Cher, as they looked over Sarah's group.
"Hello Charybdis and Perseus Jackson, I'm Sarah Willoughby, I'm your cousin from your father's side and these are my half-siblings, Nico and Bianca Di Angelo. And this kid behind me is Leo Valdez who is a family friend of mine."
"I don't know you, Lady," Leo says from behind Sarah but his voice got quieter with each word leaving Sarah to assume that Bianca was giving him a look.
"Our dad? You knew our dad?"
"She knew our dad?"
Cher, ever the mama's girl, was clutching onto Sally's sleeve as she asked the question, where as Percy looked at Sarah in disbelief.
"How come, we've never met you before?"
"I was busy and I travel a lot, my sibling's mother has, uh, recently passed away so they've been preoccupied with that. And Leo, here, he's kind of new to this whole thing just like you are."
"Why now," Percy questions and Sarah wonders if Percy normally asked this many questions, she doesn't recall him doing that often on the Lightning Thief quest.
Perhaps he was still reeling from the shock and too determined to get his mother back. And, of course, he's with his mother so he probably feels more comfortable to question things.
"I want to make things right, so if you, your mom, and your sister will come with me, we're going to make things right."
"Are we meeting dad's side of the family," Cher asks, the question is directed at Sally who nods her head and smooths down Cher's wavy hair.
"In a sense, yes . . . Your dad has two brothers and three sisters, the rest are in a sense, er, family friends," Sarah replies.
"There's gonna be a lot of people," Cher assumes, her tone nervous as she fiddles with her blue cardigan.
"Yes, there is! And you look lovely, most of the kids are in their pyjamas already, so you'll be the best dressed there," Sarah reassures her, smiling brightly at the young girl.
"I'll be overdressed," Cher says worriedly.
"It's okay, Cher, there's no right or wrong way to dress for this. Besides, Lady Aphrodite will love your outfit and your earrings, she'll give you so many compliments that you won't worry about what you're wearing."
Cher looks slightly reassured, Percy looks more confused.
"Aphrodite, like the Greek Gods?"
"Yes, try not to use their names, names have power. If you're gonna use their names then put Lord or Lady in front of it. Although they may let it slide as it is the Winter Solstice and their kids are there and they're much softer when the kids come visit Olympus. But still, try to remember the whole lady/lord thing, for my sake. I do not need you two giving me heart attacks this early on."
Percy and Cher both look bewildered and unnerved as they turn to their mom who gives them a comforting smile.
"I know it sounds weird, my dears, but I assure you it will all make sense soon."
Percy and Cher relax at their mother's assurance and decide to go along with it.
"Will you get them into the car, it's a ⸺"
"Camaro, er, by the way where is the rat baaas ⸺ uh, where is this Gabe guy?"
She remembers a group of Demigods tugging in some scrap metal back during that summer, she had been cleaning out her car, she affectionately called Dieseljuice, when she had heard some kid named Dante mourning over the loss of a Camaro as he picked through the scrap metal. Sarah quickly learned who the car had belonged to and what had happened to it and for some reason still remembers the car all those years later.
Sally frowns at Sarah for almost cursing but doesn't say anything on that matter and her frown quickly turns into a mischievous smile "He's asleep, he had a bit of a cold so I gave him some NyQuil."
She definitely gave him something stronger than NyQuil, a smile tugs on Sarah's lips as she nods.
"Well, you get the kids settled in the car and I'll get the cookies ⸺ how many kids are there?"
"Twenty, including all of us here."
Sally beams "Oh, good! I have more than enough to go around!"
Sarah smiles softly, we do not deserve Sally Jackson.
With that Sally turns back into the kitchen to get the cookies together and the Jackson twins follow Sarah and her group without any argument seeing as their mom trusted her down to Gabe's Camaro.
Sarah finds it quite easy to wrangle the kids into the back seat, Leo is the only one who fusses slightly but he doesn't say anything. He looks uneasy about being in a car, in an unfamiliar city, with strangers but his instincts must be telling him that everything will be okay because he isn't as antsy as he could be.
Sarah sits in the passenger seat, with a relieved sigh as she sinks down into the surprisingly comfortable seat, so long as you ignore the faint disgusting smell, it's quite nice. There's something very lovely about sitting in a perfectly normal car with the kids she considers family.
Just twenty or so minutes and we'll be Olympus, Sarah thinks with a smile, this was so easy!
Then she jolts because oh fuck, did she just just jinx it?
THE AUTHOR'S COMMENTARY
we have one more chapter before we get into the reading/reacting to the lightning thief part of this book! next chapter is introductions for the poor kids who are out of the loop plus some much needed Sarah and Sally bonding time because i love their mother/daughter dynamic! i am living for writing this story even though it's lowkey a crack fic almost as much as i am enjoying writing my actual serious pjo fics!
reminder that sarah willoughby is my OC from my pjo fanfiction called THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES IS SWINGING which you don't have to read to understand this considering the lightning thief happens before sarah's story starts and also this is a fun lil AU! so events that you don't recognize from canon or certain characters mentioned to be alive that should be dead are because it's from tsodis which is not canon compliant!
anyway thanks for reading hope you're looking forward to reading this cliche mess as much as i'm having fun writing it, please leave a comment and let me know what you thought of it!