ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSARAH: Schrödinger's cat is overrated. If you wanna see something that's both dead and alive you can talk to me any time of the day.
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THE PROLOGUE
( nulla ) The Sword Of Damocles Is Swinging
zero ️ Sarah Survived The Salem Slaughter
( circa. june fourteenth of 2006 )
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ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤIF SHE WASN'T SUCH A SUCKER FOR STUPID PUPPY DOG EYES, SARAH WILLOUGHBY TELLS HERSELF AS SHE TRIES AND FAILS TO GET COMFORTABLE ON GROVER UNDERWOOD'S SHOULDER, SHE WOULD NOT BE ON THIS STUPID QUEST TO BEGIN WITH. It should've been the other half of the Jackson twins on this quest but the little girl had be terrified of leaving camp for a multitude of reasons all which were listed to by ⸺ Charybdis? Sarah thinks her name is, she heard Castor Boivin call her "Cher" at one point so who knows what the kid's name is, Sarah never bothered to learn it; she's still not quite sure what the boy's name is all she knows is that it starts with P and ends with Y. Anyway, the girl twin had listed them to Sarah in a frenzy after the boy twin said they'd be going on quest to save their mom, Sarah didn't pay attention to half of them but the girl was terrified, so scared she was visibly shaking, and she had the widest water-coloured eyes as she pleaded for Sarah to take her place instead.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"You're stronger," The girl twin had said, "You've gone on loads of quests! You can protect my brother and Grover!"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah didn't have the heart to tell the girl twin that hunts are vastly different from quests. And as begrudgingly as Sarah took on this quest, did the whole dramatics of normal teenager who stomps off to their room after a normal fight with their normal parents, she still took it because she knew that the twin girl would not make it. More so mentally rather than physically, the girl was a child of the Big Three so she was no doubt powerful but unlike the boy who the power came to almost naturally, the girl would need to grow into the power.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Weak," Sarah had spat at the girl and while it was all for show, Sarah could never get attached to another child of the Big Three so long as that stupid oath remained, it still came out a tad harsher than she meant to. And of course, the girl had flinched away, her eyes turning to sea glass and immediately Sarah had backtracked the statement with an apology.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThe girl twin had easily accepted it and threw her tiny arms around Sarah's waist and sobbed. It seemed that both Sarah and the girl had no backbone whatsoever. Sarah had hesitantly patted the girl's head, a little rougher than she intended simply because she wanted the girl to let go before Sarah got attached but it was too late, Sarah was already loyal and ready to protect the girl the second she had asked Sarah to take her place to protect the other three.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThe girl reminded her too much of Thalia only without that spark.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤAnd so, Sarah had marched all the way around camp looking for Luke who was totally avoiding her, not that Sarah could blame him, she had spent the past month at camp avoiding him all the same. It was too much to think about let alone see him and he clearly felt the same. Still, Luke was the most trusted option that Sarah had for keeping the girl safe and comfortable while they were on the quest. It had been an awkward conversation but as much as Luke had changed since that day, he still had the deeply rooted soft spot for children. No matter how jaded or sharp he had become, he still gave it his all to protect the other kids from the same fate.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah wished they could still be friends, they hadn't even been lovers ⸺ she'd never break the oath ⸺ but they had been something more than just friends and then it was ruined and Luke stopped. No more iris messages, no more anything. It was as if they were strangers and it was heartbreaking because Sarah thought they were friends at the very least.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤHe takes the girl twin under his wing and Sarah feels content to leave the girl alone at camp, Luke would take care of her because he was a good kid that was now three years older than Sarah. He had grown, changed, became sharper but Sarah could still see her Luke under it all. She could still see the same kid she had fought side by side to get to Camp Half-Blood. The same kid that gave Annabeth his food after she had finished all hers, the same kid that used his shirt to wrap up one of Thalia's wounds. He may have gotten harder but Sarah could see it was all for show, he was still soft deep down inside, she sees it as he ruffles the girl twin's hair and offers to teach her how to use a sword.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah grumbles to herself as her thoughts turn once again to Luke, she shifts around, burying herself into Grover's side. At this, the Satyr lets out a soft bleating like snore but otherwise stays asleep. Sarah huffs quietly to herself, it's hot and the hay is making her nose itchy and her eyes water, and she really wishes she had just not been a bitch and taken them to L.A with her car. Sarah then reminds herself what Jackson did to that bus and if he had done anything remotely like that to her precious Dieseljuice she would've killed the son of Poseidon herself.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤShe misses Dieseljuice dearly, perhaps a little to dearly for a person to miss a car of all things. The night before she had departed for this quest, Sarah, of course, couldn't sleep so she had wandered off to her car.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤShe'd been gifted a car by her father back in the early 80s after she became obsessed with the Volkswagen Beetle, she had no need to have an actual car as the Hunters almost always travelled by foot but Hades' showed his love through material things and this was the first material thing he noticed Sarah show interest in, in decades so of course he had to give her one.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤShe got separated from the Hunters in the winter of '82 and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't find her way back to them, this happens an embarrassingly amount of times so she figured that heading back to Camp Half-Blood was her safest option. She or Chiron would send an iris message to Artemis and once the hunt they were currently one was completed they would come pick her up. This happened so often it was almost a routine. When she had got to the Camp, a young girl by the name of Andromeda told her that a car had showed up for her. This was the last thing Sarah had ever expected to hear but when she went down to the workshop area, sure enough there was an orange Volkswagen Beetle with a black bow and a tag with her name on it. A clear gift from Hades, not a very well thought out one because Sarah would hardly ever use it for its' intended purpose but she appreciated the gesture. She'd named the car Dieseljuice a couple years later.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThe car, as far as Sarah's aware is just a totally mundane car, she's sure that if her dad had done something to it he would have told her, he tells her lots of things that most other godly parents don't tell their spawn. Even though it's mundane and Sarah doesn't really find time to use it for it's intended purpose, Dieseljuice is still one of her most prized possessions and it had become her safe space for whenever she had to do her walk of shame to Camp Half-Blood after getting monumentally lost from the Hunters.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤAs she had sat in Dieseljuice that night, listening to a burned CD of depressingly punk rock hits to calm down, Luke had appeared. Sarah almost didn't let him in, she looks at him and all she can see is that broken-hearted boy in the strawberry fields, but she had reminded herself that she did still want to be friends with him. Sarah may not have loved him romantically ⸺ or at least not enough to leave Artemis and the hunt for him like he had asked her too but Luke Castellan was something to her. A piece of her, they just fell right into the other's mind the moment they met. She got him and he got her; he was half of her soul and she was half of his until that day. The bond they share, the two of them couldn't ever be strangers again ⸺ Sarah couldn't be a stranger to him.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSo, Sarah had let him in. It had been years since that day, he was older and more mature than he once was and Sarah, while still relatively the same as the immortality from the Artemis' oath, had changed in her own right if only slightly. Luke was practically a young man now and Sarah was still nearly as she was when they met but Luke still looked at her with those heartbroken puppy dog eyes.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤShe clenched her eyes shut and looked away from Luke, she didn't know what to say but she wouldn't apologize for rejecting his romances. She doesn't have to and she'd hoped that by now Luke understood that.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤBut to her surprise, Luke hadn't brought up that day. Perhaps, he just can't help but look at her the way that he does ⸺ Sarah could accept that. That stupid Blink-182 song had played softly, hardly heard over the sound of the engine but Sarah had heard it and she knows Luke had to. Sarah clenched the steering wheel, feeling Luke's bright eyes burning into the side of her face, even through a curtain of her red hair.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"You don't have to do this," He had told her, finally breaking the excruciating silence.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Go on this quest," Sarah had replied, "Yes, I know, but maybe I keep him safe like I should've done with Thalia. I can keep them all safe. . . Maybe."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"I'm not just talking about this quest . . . I mean anything they ask you. You don't have to do any of it."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤHis voice his hard, Sarah had gripped the steering wheels as memories of that day in the strawberry fields, comes back to her at an alarming and overwhelming speed.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThis is not her Luke, not the Luke that she remembered, that she almost truly loved. He had changed, he had moved on ⸺ or did he really? Sarah had shaken her head at him, trying to shake off the memories.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"I do have to do it . . . I'm not doing it for the Gods. I'm doing it for the kids. They're just kids, Luke."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"So are we, Sarah!"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah had flinched at Luke's harsh tone. He had muttered an apology and started going angry rant about the Gods, which wasn't his wisest idea but Luke had always been reckless. Besides, he'd make up for it at dinner the next night. Really, dinner was the only time that the kids were allowed to speak against the Gods because of the food offerings given. Any other time it was like playing Russian Roulette, would they smite you for your words or would they let it slide, you never knew until it was far too late. And Luke didn't seem to care as he went on and on, Sarah could hardly pay attention, all she could see was Thalia on the ground ⸺ dying. Dying because Sarah couldn't protect them all.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤShe could feel the warm blood on her hands, she had tried to put pressure on Thalia's open wounds but all it did was cause Thalia's bones to shift under Sarah's touch and for Thalia to scream in pain. Thalia knew she was dying but she wasn't scared, Thalia was truly and completely brave. Sarah had sobbed and rambled out apologies this was all her fault. This was her dad's doing, if he hadn't of sent those monsters after Thalia then they wouldn't have had to take shelter in what had turned out to be a Cyclops' lair.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Is Annie safe?" Thalia had struggled to ask and Sarah had nodded her head, she struggled to get the words out too.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah had carried little Annabeth Chase all the way to the Big House with the help of Luke and Grover. Luke had several injuries that made it hard for him to walk and Grover was a protector, not a fighter. Thalia had stayed behind to distract the monsters, Sarah had wanted to stay behind and help, but Sarah was the fastest out of all of them and the best bet to get Annabeth to safety. Sarah had been reluctant to leave Thalia but Thalia, brave and strong and selfless, Thalia had insisted and left little room for any arguments.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤBoth Luke and Grover wanted to come back with Sarah but Luke was too weak to fight and Grover was not the most skilled in battle. Sarah had told them to stay put, something Luke would've never done if it weren't for Grover holding him back. Sarah had rushed all the way back but by then it was too late.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah inhales so sharply at the sight of Thalia's broken body in her mind that she startles herself out of her thoughts or perhaps it had been a nightmare. Sarah did feel groggy, and Grover's arm was around her shoulder which was not how it was moments ago. Although it's hot in the Kindness International: Humane Zoo Transport truck and Grover's arm felt like an ironing brand against her own arm, she made no move to push him away. Besides, knowing her luck as of late, he would wake up.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah glanced around the truck, Annabeth was asleep next to Percy, Percy appeared to also be sleeping. Everything seemed fine, so Sarah closed her eyes once more, she was met with the scarred and remorseful face of Luke and the feeling of being trapped, and the worst of it all ⸺ that voice that had haunted her for centuries was back; her dreams would only get worse from there.
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ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤAFTER THAT STRANGE DREAM, PERCY JACKSON COULD NOT SLEEP, IT HAD TAKEN HIM FOREVER TO FALL ASLEEP TO BEGIN WITH AND THEN IN HIS DREAMS HE WAS MET WITH THAT WEIRD VOICE, A VOICE THAT SEEMED TO KNOW EVERYTHING. Percy woke with a start, beside him, Annabeth was sleeping peacefully, and across from him there sat Grover who was surprisingly awake with his arm slung around Sarah's shoulder, Sarah was surprisingly asleep.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤHe recalled early, their encounter with Ares and how he had implied that Sarah's godly parent was Hades but that made no sense to Percy who had been informed that he was the only living child of the Big Three. And Sarah had introduced herself as a Hunter of Artemis so Percy had assumed she wasn't a Demigod.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤPercy only vaguely recalled what the Hunters of Artemis were, he knew they were like some sort of girl group but not like the kind that Cher adores. They hunted things hence being called the Hunters but he doesn't think that they any of them would be Demigods or perhaps he was wrong and they're only all Demigods. All he really knows is that he's the only living child of the Big Three or at least that's what everyone's told him.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Hey, Grover," Percy whispers, "I thought I was the only child of the Big Three."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤGrover looks at him then glances at Sarah who stays completely still. There's a beat and Grover looks back up and shakes his head at Percy.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"So, I'm not the only kid," Percy says, feeling relieved.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"No, technically, you are . . . Sarah," Grover pauses as though he was unsure of how to explain it, "She doesn't really count, she is Hades' daughter but she was born long before the oath . . . Like, long before the oath."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤPercy's eyebrows furrow together because he's pretty sure the oath happened a long time ago but Sarah is only Grover's age, maybe just a year or two older. He's confused, not an unusual thing to happen these days but perhaps he's wrong a perhaps the oath happened more recently than he thought.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"How long exactly," Percy finds himself asking although part of him thinks he doesn't want to know because it might just confuse him even further.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Well, I think," Grover pauses again and he seems to be thinking hard, "About three hundred years, give or take some years."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Three hundred years," Percy says blankly, okay he must have heard that wrong, "Give or take some years ⸺ how many years are we talking here?"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Well, she may be between the ages of fifteen to seventeen so . . . she's roughly 330-ish years old," Grover says sounding a bit more confident as if Sarah's true age is often a topic of debate, "She's pretty old, a lot of the hunters with Artemis are . . . She's not as old as Artemis' lieutenant but she's still kind of old. She's about my age, the last birthday she recalls celebrating was her sixteenth birthday before she was accused . . . She was held for awhile before Artemis saved her so she could be seventeen, but Louisa said that some sources claimed that she was born in ⸺"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Accused," Percy says with interest, "Accused of what?"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤDespite being a Hunter of Artemis, Sarah was a very kind person ⸺ even if she tried to act like a mean person ⸺ Percy could see right through her act. He'd seen be plenty nice to Cher even though she thought no one had noticed. In his dazed state, he recalled someone that just had to be Sarah, sitting in between his bed and Cher's, humming a vaguely familiar tune as she stroked Cher's hair.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah had turned to him, she had looked funny in his dazed state, she seemed to be glowing silver. She had smiled softly, well more like a smirk and said "Hello, Cousin" and then he was out like a light.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤIt hadn't occurred to him until just now that Sarah seemed to know that he was a son of Poseidon before anyone else. He wondered how, from what he's gathered the Gods don't interact with their children let alone the others. Grover still hadn't responded so Percy stews on how Sarah could've know a little longer and then it hits him ⸺ Cher's shower!
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤHis twin had this thing about getting dirty, she couldn't stand it, and he remembered that she had been dragged through the mud trying to stop the Minotaur from going after their mom. It hadn't worked as nothing seemed to go right with Cher; Percy thought his luck was terrible but Cher's was even worse. She'd been banged up from being dragged over broken branches and sharp rocks but she'd told him that she had refused to do anything without having a shower first. They'd tried giving her Ambrosia and Nectar but she refused, all but spitting at them, screaming and kicking for a shower. She'd needed to be clean, feel clean, before she could focus on anything else.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah had been the one to cave to her wishes, well Cher had described it as more snapping and breaking into so many little pieces under Cher's demand for a shower, in between her wails for her mother and Percy. Sarah had stayed with Cher for the shower, hanging outside the shower stall to make sure that Cher didn't collapse from either her injuries or shock. The water must've healed her and obviously Sarah must've pieced it all together but why hadn't she told anyone before they were claimed?
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤPercy blinks realizing he was thinking too hard again, losing focus on what he was really curious about. However, either he hadn't been that lost in his thoughts or Grover really didn't know what to say.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤGrover's still blanching, looking nervous once more, he glances down at Sarah and Percy follows suit. Percy couldn't see her doing anything to wind up in jail. This conversation was a whirlwind, what else would he learn about the redhead that his best friend so clearly had a crush on.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Being a witch, Jackson," Sarah pipes up, an amused smile on her face as she keeps her dark eyes closed. Both Grover and Percy jump and she chuckles quietly. Sarah lifts her head off Grover's shoulder "I was accused of being a witch ⸺ the devil's daughter. In a way they were right but it still hurt y'know. My own mother and the man that was supposedly my father, thought I was a no good witch."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Like the Salem ⸺"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Yes, Jackson, like that. Exactly like the Salem Witch Trials," Sarah says softly, "I was accused in what I believe was sixteen-ninety-two, it was during the cold season then and it was colder than usual, I was held the longest before my execution . . . Artemis came to me disguised as another accused, she saved me."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤPercy stares at her with wide eyes, this was not what he expected to hear "You . . . You don't have to tell me," he says but a tiny part of him hopes that she continues.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤShe smiles, her dark eyes glimmering in the minimum lighting they had, she was clearly upset by having to tell him this and he feels bad, he wishes his words had sounded more genuine.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"I don't mind, Jackson, this story does have a happy ending, I mean, I am still here, aren't I," Sarah says teasingly, "Apparently my father suggested that Artemis rescue me, he's very good to me. They made a deal of it or something like that, I'd never bothered to ask . . . I was supposed to go to my father's abode after Artemis saved me but I immediately pledged myself to her. She did save me from one of the worst ways to die after all."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"So you were almost burned at the stake?" Percy questions, eyes going wide and Sarah does the last thing Percy expects her too, she laughs.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Oh no, I was," Sarah laughs in a flat tone, "They tried to burn me but they couldn't. They lit me on fire and everything, it was horrifying, but I didn't feel anything. Artemis and her goddess-ly ways stopped the fire from burning my skin but didn't really give me a heads up that I would be safe from the flames."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤPercy stares at her, Grover stares at her too but as he had clearly heard this story before, his expression is more of an exasperated one rather than a shocked one.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"I literally poofed out sight, it made the history books and everything, I'm a mystery, Jackson, I've been in so many documentaries," Sarah says, "I haven't personally seen any of them but Silena says that the drawings of me do not do my nose justice — apparently I have a nice nose, everyone in the Aphrodite cabin says so."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"If . . . If you're three hundred years old . . . How are you still alive?"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"I'm immortal, it comes in a packaged deal when you join the Hunters of Artemis," Sarah explains as she stifles a yawn, "Why are you two awake and why are you talking about me of all people?"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Can't sleep," Percy replies and Sarah nods, this is understandable. She too had faced Zeus' wrath once, she couldn't imagine facing her father's wrath and to have both of them on you at once ⸺ yikes! Sarah truly, almost truly, felt sorry for Jackson.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Hit a bump and it woke me up," Grover grumbles, he had been the first of them all to fall asleep as he always fell asleep so easily.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Fair enough," Sarah says, "These losers, whoever they are, suck at driving."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"What sucks is the fact that your license got toasted on that bus." Grover grumbles again.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Also fair," Sarah chuckles humorlessly, "It's gonna cost a lot to replace it."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThen she casts a look at the floor of the truck and says in the strangest and nicest tone Percy's ever heard Sarah talk in: "Unless, of course, somebody replaces it for me because I'm his favourite daughter."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤGrover chuckles, more with nervousness than with humour. Percy realizes that she's talking to Hades, her dad, and he doubts that he would help Sarah when she's on this quest with him but Percy couldn't help but be a little hopeful.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThe bus they got on was supposed to take them to Maryland where they would stop by Lousia Danvers' mortal father's house. The plan was to borrow his car and Sarah would drive the rest of the way to Los Angeles but the bus got blown up and they didn't even make it through New Jersey.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤEven if Hades did pull through and somehow get Sarah's license back, Percy doesn't think it would do much good unless, of course, Sarah could hot-wire a car.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThere's a beat and then Sarah, with a hopeful smirk, checks her jacket pocket but the smirk fades as there's nothing there.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah sighs "Yeah, okay, that's fair . . . It's what I get for helping Shrimp Breath."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤPercy gives her an affronted look "I didn't ask for you to come on this quest! You volunteered, my sister should be here!"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah waves him off with a disgruntled look but she must know he's right because she doesn't make another snide remark about being here.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"So, why were you talkin' about little ole me? 'Cause as far as I remember I haven't done anything wrong, thank you very much. Mr. Satyr Man!"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤGrover laughs at this, his cheeks darkening as he blushes at the nickname "Well, we weren't taking about you necessarily. Percy was confused about the oath and the prophecy ⸺ you know the prophecy."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah rolls her dark eyes but her posture goes rigid "Ugh, not that."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤGrover laughs nervously and Percy looks even more confused.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"What?"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Sarah's the only one here that knows what the Great Prophecy is . . . The one that made the Big Three make the oath," Grover tells Percy.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"My uncles and several other Gods believed it to be me that the Great Prophecy spoke of. They believed me to be fifteen, my true age is unknown because of how badly things were documented back then so I could be anywhere from fifteen to seventeen. But I'm nearly certain I am sixteen and when I heard the prophecy I felt nothing so I doubt it's about me. But the Gods against me . . ." Sarah trails off with a low whistle.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤShe pulls away from Grover and draws her knees up to her chest "They almost made my days on trial seem like a bed of roses."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"What is the prophecy," Percy tries, no one will tell him.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"I can't tell you," Sarah snaps, closing her eyes and shaking her head rigorously "And it doesn't matter . . . You're too young to be worried about it now. And it said the eldest Gods, not just the Big Three."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Are they not the eldest Gods?"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah shakes her head, smirking almost fondly at Percy. She had asked the same question when she learned of the prophecy and the Gods came bearing down on with nothing more to protect her but her father's love, Artemis' loyalty, and Persephone's love of Hades. Which was more than most Demigods get but still not enough to stop the ones suspicious of her.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"They are the most powerful, but Lord Zeus is actually the youngest. The prophecy says the eldest Gods specifically which is all that I can tell you and by saying 'I can tell you' I probably shouldn't have said it but it technically it reveals nothing much. And if it's the 'eldest Gods then that means that the child could come from any of the original Olympians which leaves two more possible Gods."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤPercy couldn't remember at the top of his head who the original Olympians were but it was more than just the Big Three meaning that there was less of a chance that whatever this prophecy is about was about him. But, there was something in Sarah's voice ⸺ desperation or fear that tells Percy that she's only saying this to comfort herself. A feeble attempt at trying to convince herself that it's unlikely she could be at the centre of this prophecy.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤPercy couldn't help but think that he liked the way she viewed the prophecy, this way meant that it could be any one from a those five Gods whoever they may be. But like Sarah knows but won't say, Percy knows that it must mean the Big Three otherwise there would've been more Gods that made the very same oath that his father had with Zeus and Hades.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"So this prophecy whatever it says, it could be about you or how many other kids then," Percy asks Sarah.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤFrom the corner of his eye, he saw Grover shake his head, clearly he thought this prophecy was most certainly about the Big Three.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah looked up "Oh, it's definitely not about me. Not so long as I'm a Hunter. Which coincidently is the only reason Zeus didn't strike me down."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSuddenly Grover made a weird sound that Percy had never heard him make before, he looked dumbfounded, crestfallen, and like he had an epiphany all at the same time.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah pauses to give Grover a weird look, raising an eyebrow as if to ask him what was with that weird noise. In response he just shrugged and mumbled something about his leg being asleep. Sarah seems to believe it but Percy does not, he has to hold back a snort at the sight of Grover's blushing face.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Hunters don't age so I don't count as a living breathing child which leaves just you or your sister, Cherry ⸺ ( "Cher!" ) ⸺ whatever, as the only applicable children. However if I'm right and the prophecy meant all of the eldest Gods then we could be looking at children from Demeter or any children Hestia might have created. However, I don't think Hestia ever created any children because dad told me she wasn't particularly fond of romantic relationships but she loves children so who knows . .. Demeter has a lot of kids on her own anyhow so we'd be safe if the prophecy included all of the eldest Gods."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤIt was a good theory and Percy would have loved to believe that version of the prophecy but Sarah didn't look entirely convinced by it and he didn't want to get his hopes up.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Except this prophecy it was talking about the three big Gods."
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Most likely," Sarah says glumly.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤPercy didn't understand why she was so upset about this prophecy, it didn't apply to her. She was safe.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"Why are you so worried about it, you said you don't count," Percy blurts out, Annabeth stirs but doesn't wake at this, she was surprisingly a heavy sleeper.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah fixes him with a long stare "Unless I'm fifteen," she mumbles then looks away.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤPercy doesn't understand what she means by that or why it matters how old she is, he looks to Grover for any sign of recognition or understanding but Grover looks just as lost as he does.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah leans herself against the cage of the Zebra away, drawing her knees tighter to her chest as she pulls away from Grover. Percy goes to question Sarah for more information but the grief-stricken look on her face, that he can barely see in the dimly-lit trailer, has him second guessing his idea to push for more answers.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
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ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤWHEN SARAH HAD FIRST HEARD THE GREAT PROPHECY, SHE KNEW IT COULDN'T BE HER, SHE ALSO KNEW IT WOULDN'T BE IMPOSSIBLE IF IT TURNED OUT TO BE HER, BUT SHE REMEMBERED THE VOICE THAT WHISPERED IN HER HEAD. It wasn't the voice that had been haunting her dreams for centuries, she thinks it was her mother's voice, whispering that she'd never be powerful enough to be the one that the prophecy foretells, and her mother was right, Sarah had never been as powerful as the other Hades kids that he had before the oath, or any of the other Big Three kids for that matter.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah was not weak, she knew this for a fact, she was strong but not as strong as she could be and most of that was due to being a Hunter with very little room to grow physically much less psychologically. She was certainly not as strong as Thalia had or could've been and she certainly isn't as powerful as Jackson is shaping up to be.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah closes her eyes, she can't look at the boy, she can't let herself get attached. After a few moments Sarah feels his eyes leave her frame. Good, she thinks, his stare was starting to grow heavy on her conscience. She was glad he thought better than to ask more questions not because she thought he didn't have the right to know but because if he kept asking she might've cracked.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤIf he is the one . . . Or if his sister is the one, there were still four more years until it came true. Four more years for bad things to befall them. Four more years before Sarah had to decide whether or not she loved these two little brats ⸺ these two children who were only connected to her by a celestial bond but still family nonetheless, enough to find out whether or not she could be the one the prophecy spoke of.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah swallows the lump in her throat as she thinks of what she would have to do when the time comes. There's a burning in her chest, she remembers her last conversation with Luke, in the car on the night before the quest.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ"You're really going to go," Luke had said nervously, he must had come to the realization that Sarah was stubbornly set in her decision.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤHe had looked so nervous, so fragile. Of course, he does! Sarah had thought, his own quest had gone terribly and now he must worry for anyone else that goes on one. Sarah remembered when she had found out about it from Annabeth, that Sarah thought she should've been there with him. Sarah should've went with Luke on that quest and maybe he wouldn't have gotten hurt as badly as he had.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah had nodded her head and Luke is supposed to give her a gift, a new weapon made by one of the Hephaestus but suddenly instead Luke grabs her ⸺
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤHe seizes her shoulders in one fluid motion, drawing her close "You can't go, Sar, he'll kill you!"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤSarah opens her mouth to question Luke as to who exactly he was talking about but the words are stuck in her throat.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤTears well in Luke's bright eyes "He will kill you! You can't go, Sarah, you are ⸺"
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤWhatever he is going to say is drowned out by the sound of a grandfather clock ticking, the chimes are so loud Sarah swears that her brain is vibrating her skull from it. Then suddenly she is free falling through pitch black darkness, Sarah lets out a sharp scream as she descends into a never-ending abyss.
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
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( nulla ) the sword of damocles is swinging
───── ❝ the author's commentary ❞
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ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
hey y'all the prologue is here! and it is actually so good in my opinion and yes i'm sure it could be better but i am very content with it! especially the end! normally i am terrible at ending chapters but this ending came to me in an epiphany and by some miracle i was able to execute it perfectly! please note this chapter takes place like a year and a half before the actual story starts!
also some things to note about the lore! i've made some lore up because i can baby! anyways i want to explain this one thing here because i don't think i'll be able to explain it in any of the chapters quite as perfectly as i can here! Also i don't really remember what rick said about how the gods are interrelated because it's been a hot minute since i've been thoroughly obsessed with pjo so i decided to make my own reasonings! The gods do not share DNA the same way humans do, kind of obvious i suppose but like hear me out: the gods are connected through a celestial bond and each bond is it's own makings! so like in the books no one from the same cabin can date because they share the same celestial bond as the godly parent.
this goes with the Big Three as well, they aren't brothers in the same way as humans are brothers thus technically speaking their kids can date each other because they don't share the same bond they are just seen as brothers through the myths and treat each other as such. However since they share such a close familial bond, they do frown upon their kids interdating each other. But almost always their kids end up seeing each other as cousins and more closely related to each other than the other Demigods. Also the kids from the Demeter cabin wouldn't date Sarah, Percy, or really an kid of the big three because Demeter is more closely related to the Big Three but they aren't related by DNA! None of the Demigods are related to each other unless they share the same Godly parent thus having the same celestial bond or if they have the same mortal parent! I hope that makes sense,, it makes sense in my head!
also Luke and Sarah keep growing on me and it's literally making me go FERAL! the angst I have planned for them! their storyline and their ending! god i love Lukarah so so much AND just wait until you find out which greek myth i've decided to connect them to,, you'll go just as feral as i have!
anyways thanks for reading! please let me know what you thought about it by leaving a comment!
ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ
WORD COUNT ⸺ 5, 645 words
