All rights belong to Rick Riordan

Chapter 69

Answers

(Diana)

As we walked amongst the myriad of tents I would usually have considered it odd that none of the hunters were out and about either training or just socializing in general. Instead silence seemed to reign throughout the camp. Were it not for the fact I could tell they were all remaining inside their tents I could have thought someone had kidnapped them all. But after this morning's 'incident' I could tell why, they were wary of me.

'Trouble 12 O'clock.' Percy whispered as causing me to turn from the direction of Phoebe and Atlanta's tent back towards my own. Sure enough leaning against a support post was the one Hunter who I expected to want to confront me now. Curiously I noticed that she seemed to have removed the circlet from her head and was idly playing with it between her fingers before she suddenly noticed the pair of us approaching. Curiously she didn't reposition it though which didn't bode well.

'We need to talk.' She stated more as a matter of fact than a request before glancing at the Scythe wielding Titan who had the blade tipped over his shoulder. 'Alone.' She added firmly.

'Fine see you later Thals, Lady Diana.' Percy muttered before practically stomping off in the direction of his tent.

'After you Milady.' She said stepping out of the way of the tent door as I walked past her inside the sparsely decorated tent. Unlike in winter when it was filled with animal furs and hunting trophies during the warmer months I preferred to merely keep it simplistic with only a few major ones after all additional insulation would only make it oppressively hot. Besides it was not as if I ever spent the night here anymore.

Regardless as I summoned a pair of chairs facing each other a few feet apart and sat in one I could tell where this 'discussion' was gonna end up. It was more a case of damage reduction I thought to myself as Thalia sat down the circlet lying on her lap.

'With respect milady I want you to be honest with me, have I not done enough to earn that right. So what the hell was that all about? The mere sight of you was enough to scare Phoebe shitless and she refuses to talk about it, so what am I missing?' She demanded with far more profanity than usual which was generally a good measure of exactly how annoyed she was.

'Your right I should have told you but there are things even an Olympian is ashamed to admit to and that is one of mine. Regardless let me start from the beginning. You are aware that father gave Pandora the pithos full of sins right. After she inadvertently released them I attempted to hunt them down as foolish as it sounds. Eventually my hunt led me to a northern Greek town that had become completely possessed by their own vices. Considering it doing them a favor so to speak I slew the entire town to the last man, woman and child. And in doing so created the first Eidolons out of their disembodied spirits now hungry for revenge.'

'I fail to see what this has to do with you trying to kill me a simple Eidolon cannot affect a goddess.' She said her eyes narrowing and crossing her arms.

'No it cannot but several hundred can cause… Problems.' I said after a brief pause as I considered how to phrase it.

'Eventually I was able to banish them from myself but in doing so they became permanently bound within my bow's true form that which you saw earlier. Ever since then I have very rarely used it for fear of the consequences as in times of weakness I can briefly lose control.' I admitted.

'But today wasn't the first time was it, after all Phoebe has seen this and she has only been in the hunt for a few centuries this happened millennia ago. So why else would you let it happen?'

'You don't know Phoebe's history though do you, after all we would all rather not talk about our pasts. Be honest do you even know her surname or what country she was from?' I asked her with a sigh. I hated bringing up bad memories even if they had resulted in a fine hunter.

'Err no actually Europe I guess.' She said confused.

'She was born Phoebe d'Arc in Domrémy, France in 1414. Younger sister to the famed Joan. Both were daughters of Nike both wanted to see their country be free. For a time it worked the pair was able to rally their war torn country against enemies domestic and abroad. Until they were betrayed by their king. Joan was captured and Phoebe wounded and left for dead where I found her. We were however too late to save her sister who was executed for the simple crime of men's wearing trousers. The sight of maiden burned to death for what she believed in drove me into anger and things went down from there. The one hundred year ended not many years later after the English suffered some catastrophic defeats.' I explained sadly and extremely simplified.

'So her sister is one of the most famed female leaders of all time and she tells no one? How is she never mentioned then ever? I have even studied her.' Thalia asked in shock.

'Because she doesn't want to be remembered after all it was her boyfriend that betrayed them. Some things are best left hidden. Most of the hunters have had a darker side to their history. Morgana has tried to destroy a kingdom not that she remembers all the details due to her own curse. You came here to avoid the temptation that you could have ended the age of gods and the fact you should be dead after all.'

(Thalia)

As I looked into the goddess's silver eyes it began to raise new questions about not just her but my fellow hunters. I was supposed to be the Lieutenant yet the truth was I knew nothing about my own hunters. Sure I knew what they were physically capable of in a contest or a fight but as for their histories I knew nothing.. I had just assumed we were all here because of the draw of immortality or because of being betrayed by men.

Phoebe should have been one of the famed female demigods instead she was happy to spend her life as a now senior hunter.

Morgana apparently had some dark history even though she had only been in the hunt a year. But then again it had been Hecate herself who had requested she be allowed to join.

The only ones I knew about were those I had been there when they were recruited either from camp or when we went and retrieved them from a orphanage or foster home. Even Reyna who I was closest friends with still kept things from me, then again I knew she still had feelings for my brother as much as she would deny it. Besides even she was technically a lot older than me. Then again it had taken her until recently to reveal her whole name to me.

Even the one person I thought I knew most because he wore his heart on his sleeve had deceived me by hiding the fact he had become a Titan Lord for 6 weeks. But then again he was another issue altogether wasn't he.

'Are there any other surprises you have that can endanger my wellbeing or that of the hunters that you have not told me?' I asked her seriously.

'No and you do not have to worry about this reoccurring, with my bow destroyed the Eidolons were either killed or relocated and have since been neutralised.' She explained though it left me curious about the way she worded it.

'What do you mean relocated?' I asked raising an eyebrow.

'Err- some of them possessed Perseus instead and caused him to attack me, while we were gone. That's why his sword is stuck as a scythe.' She said after some unnatural hesitation on her part.

'So you're telling me that not only have you had the capacity to go on a murderous rampage whenever you let your emotions get the better of you, now the one person around here who has the power to stop is also liable to do the same?' I asked accusingly. I did not even want to think about the possibility of an out of control Percy. He had defeated a Roman army of demigods when he was only angry and considerably less powerful.

'As I said they are gone now, I stopped Percy. Besides you know nothing of my emotions!' She snapped back a little too quick.

'How can I? You're never here anymore and you don't tell us anything. We all know your power is reduced because of the lack of hunters and yet you don't exactly seem to be going out of your way to recruit new ones. We went to camp and you never asked one girl. After the titan war we recruited two dozen hunters since the last one we have barely managed a quarter of that and even then most of them were practically forced on you by their parent or someone else!' I told her almost shouting, she looked ready to respond but I was on a roll now. 'Besides for someone who didn't want to have any help in the hunt you seem to have become really friendly with him really quickly. You are both constantly disappearing together with little to no explanation. And then there is the fact that as of lately he seems to be doing less and less of the whole guardian thing. I have been checking lately at night, he is not around. Sure Nemea is stalking around the camp but there is no sign of him or you. Yet every morning you both turn up at the exact same time as if by coincidence. And stop with the whole Perseus thing, you are forcing yourself to say it. Like just now you forgot to correct yourself. You're not the only one he is just as bad, you can tell by the way he looks at you that he has feelings for you and yet you do nothing about them. If anything you act like a gods damned little girl with her first crush. I won't see him hurt again, not again I owe him that much.' I told her ending my rant before finally breathing properly. The goddess meanwhile was staring at me with a wide eyed expression as the words seem to hit her before she did something rather unexpected.

She began to laugh.

'What in hades is so funny about all this?' I demanded causing the goddess to stop her fit of hysterics and focus her silver eyes back on me.

'Do you not think I know all that, I spend half my time worrying now a day. As I said you have no idea the problems I have to deal with at the moment. I have to worry about if in six months there will even be a hunt at all. Hell it will be lucky if there isn't a war when this is all said and done.' She said dejectedly and I could have sworn she seemed to slump into her chair before closing her eyes for a few seconds as if thinking.

'Do you want the truth?' She asked calmly still not looking at me.

'Yes Milady I do.'

'In that case swear that what I am about to tell you does not leave this tent. Not upon the Styx though for reasons I will explain once you do.' She told me and I noticed that she had reopened her eyes though the usual bright silver had seemingly faded to an almost pale grey as if having lost its luster.

'I swear not to tell anyone outside of this tent what we are going to discuss.'

'Very well but know this once we are done, whatever choice you wish to make is entirely up to you.' She told me mysteriously causing me to simply nod.

'As I am sure you noticed since the fall of Gaia everything around here has gone to hades. In some cases sadly literally. And yes it has resulted in me being but a fraction of my former power and it is only getting worse. I have no symbol of power anymore other than a few pieces and I have a further problem draining me of strength but that is skipping ahead. You are right about one of my sources of distraction however... Percy and I have been 'dating' since the battle at Camp Half-Blood.'

'What?' True it was actually fairly easy to see that he had feelings for the goddess. He practically wore his heart on his sleeve it was one of the things that made him and Annabeth so obvious for ages before they finally got together. But for all of her knowledge she was also equally dense in not recognizing it herself for just as long. But this was impossible right? This was Artemis or at least an aspect of her. As far as I was aware she didn't even know how to love a man.

'Technically we had feelings for each other before that though neither of us would admit it to each other. Well that and my other half refused to accept them.'

'Why him and why now though? Hades you have been around for Millennia and suddenly within a few weeks you are dating my best friend as hard as that is to believe.' I asked rubbing my forehead with my thumb and forefinger, gods this was giving me a migraine just thinking about it.

'Well sure he is a little touched in the head at times but he is the one and only case I have ever found of a decent male that I actually approved of. Sure he sparked my interest when he rescued me from Atlas, then again during the Titan and Giant wars and the aftermath of dealing with 'him'. Then he once again proved his selflessness by volunteering to come help us. His only real flaw is the fact he would practically kill himself to save another without a seconds thought as you know too well.' She explained and I remembered the 'Blackjack Incident' sure all's well that ends well but he did nearly die after all.

'What about your oath, surely that should stop you. Also didn't he have one of his own when he joined?'

'What oath? I never actually swore one sure I said I would forego the company of men but the truth is I was never forced into it and there is nothing forcing me to uphold it other than people's perception. The only thing that has ever held me to it was the domain of Virginity. As for Percy's he swore to not get involved with my hunters and I am not one of my hunters. Besides both hardly matter anymore… not after what the bitch did.' She said with a sigh before adding the last bit with a tone of added venom. However I began to think that things were about to get a lot worse than a simple dating relationship.

'Wait who did what? Oh wait of course Aphrodite' I corrected after a brief pause after all there was very few beings Artemis (or her other aspect) openly hated, actually I only knew of two main ones Aphrodite and Atlas, with Hera coming as a close runner-up.

'She drugged the pair of us.' She explained simply and I didn't think it was possible for her to slouch any further into her chair and I interpreted the rest from there.

'Oh fuck.' What it was the only thing that truly summed up the situation if what I was thinking was on the right track.

'It's worse than that actually.' She muttered.

'How exactly can it get any worse?' Yep definitely a migraine now.

'We're pregnant.'

(Diana)

Well if she took the news we were dating badly I was a bit unsure how she was going to react to that bombshell.

'What?' She said her eyes blinking several times.

'Both myself and Artemis are pregnant, boy and a girl respectively. I guess you could consider them twins.' I explained considering the prospect of the two. Then again my side of the family had a rather unsettling tradition of twins. This would make it three generations in a row. Even if this was technically had two different mothers so to speak.

'When did this happen?' She asked with her voice betraying no emotion.

'August Percy's birthday.'

'It's October and you still haven't told us yet. How much longer are you going to lie to us?'

'It is not as if I… no We wanted this to happen. We were more than happy with things going as they were. But of course the unloved goddess of Love has to screw everyone else over and we all pay the price. Besides if the truth gets out well then everything is going to go to hell anyway. Father is not exactly going to take this well, he holds my promise practically as set in stone. When he finds out I broke it with a son of Poseidon and a Titan to boot. Well World War Three will be the least of my worries. Now do you understand why I have been distant and worried. This is why I have not tried recruiting new members into the hunt. I don't want to lie to them too.' I admitted sadly it was one of the few things I hadn't told Percy after all hades I barely liked considering it myself.

(Thalia)

'I… I need time to think about this.' I admitted as I struggled to comprehend not only this revelation but the truth of everything. For once in my life I cursed my own curiosity. As much as I didn't want to admit this was something that was far above me in terms of importance and I felt a mixture of sadness and anger at those involved.

Right now the sight in front of me was not one of an all powerful goddess but instead that of a very scared young woman who had no idea how to handle the situation. However I understood that I was not the person she needed to be with at the moment.

'I understand Thalia… just please don't tell anyone. This morning's incident tell them what you like, that they deserve to know at least.'

However there was one thing I had to do before I left as I stood from my chair. I left my circlet upon it. The goddess seemed to notice the action and looked between the object and me questionably.

'Thalia yo…' She began before I raised a hand cutting her off.

'With respect Milady this has nothing to do with you but instead with me. It has become clear to me that as much as I would like to think I did. I know nothing about my fellow hunters and in what right do I have to lead them? I was thrust into my position upon Zoe's death and I took it for granted. Sure I knew how to treat them in a time of war but in peace I have no idea. If I want to wear that again I believe I must earn the right to do so.' I told her sadly before turning my head and walking towards the exit.

'Thalia I am sorry… for everything.' She said causing me to pause for a second before I walked out and back into the fading sunlight.

'How did it go?' A familiar voice called from my left and I turned towards the daughter of Bellona who was sitting on a tree stump rubbing a oiled rag on the front of her shield.

'Badly.' I admitted tilting my head so she could see the absence of accessories upon it.

'Wanna talk about it?'

'Not really. Lots of answers and even more questions and far more problems. None of them good. I almost wish I was physically old enough to be allowed to go out and get drunk and pretend this all never happened.'

'Welcome to the curse of partial immortality though I guess at least I look older than you.'

'Lucky you. Anyway I will talk to you later I need to go have a chat with someone.' I told her sarcastically before walking towards the outskirts of the hunt's camp.

As much as I wanted to beat him into a pulp right about now, I had to feel a little sorry for him too after all he was just as much a victim in this as Artemis herself. Though I was under no illusions about who would take the blame from our father.

' . . .Back!' Well it sounded like he was having fun at least. Though the sound of his voice indicated he was on the other side of his tent as I walked around it, only to find Percy wailing with the back of his scythe on a rock that looked to have seen better days.

I was about to call out to him when his head suddenly span around and focused on me. That always annoyed me for the fact it was now seemingly impossible to sneak up on him unless he was distracted.

'How much do you know?' He asked as I got closer.

I simply slapped him. Though far less hard than I could have done so.

'Everything then.' He said with a sigh.

'Yeah I do and you're lucky I am not sticking your head on a pike because for once I can see that not everything is your fault Seaweed Brain. Though this is definitely your biggest mistake since releasing Typhon. Just know this if you hurt her, it is not out father you will have to look out for.' I threatened.

'Believe me I know, he would just blast me into atoms. Maybe you can do a little combo thing with Apollo. You hurt he heals, rinse and repeat.'

'Maybe I will do, but you have somewhere else you need to be right now I think.' I told him tilting my head towards the camp.

'Thanks Thals.' He said looking at me before suddenly swinging the scythe down into the rock embedding the full length of the blade and letting it go. Before beginning to walk back towards the camp

Well that's one way of sheathing it I suppose I thought to myself

'Oh and Percy one more thing before you go.' I told him causing him to turn.

'Congratulation I suppose both of you.'

'Thanks I guess only question is whether I will live long enough to see it play out.' He said with a grin before disappearing around the tent leaving me alone with nothing but my thoughts and an embedded super weapon.

However my thought all seemed to be in consensus… I needed to find some aspirin.

(Percy)

After a strangely unnerving walk back to her tent notable for the complete lack of hunters in sight, yet it still felt like I was being watched the whole way there.

However it was nowhere near as unnerving as the sight I found inside the tent. It was as if someone had set of a Diana sized bomb in there and closed the door. Everything was in ruins from the furniture which had been reduced to little more than kindling to the various hunting trophies that she had upon the wall that were either knocked off or hanging precariously.

Strangely the only thing that wasn't disturbed was a single chair in the centre of the room which I noticed had a silver circlet resting on it, one that I should have noticed was not on a hunter's head. I guess she forgot to mention that to me then.

Turning from the scenes of devastation I turned to the real reason I was here after all. The goddess who was lying face down on her bed.

As much as I wanted to jump to it and comfort her I also knew when to be wary of her mood swings this could just as easily go wrong and result in a new collection of bruises. Instead I merely settled on sitting on the side of her bed besides her waiting for her to respond.

'She quit as my Lieutenant.' She mumbled making it hard for me to hear her through the pillow.

'I kind of noticed, was this before or after you wrecked the place?' I said with a chuckle.

'Before.' She answered before rolling over and I noticed the tell tale sign that she had been crying on the pillows, though she seemed to have stopped for now at least.

'So how did she take it? She wasn't exactly very chatty with me.' I asked her brushing some auburn strands to the side of her face.

'As expected betrayal, anger, sadness, questioning and a small amount of acceptance.'

'It cannot be that small she wished us congratulations at least. I was more expecting thunderstorms and lightning bolt to my ass instead I got off with a slap so I am considering this not as bad as it could be.' I told her jokingly causing her to at least smile a little.

'Still I think I can officially chalk today up as the worst day I have ever had.' She said with a sigh.

'I don't know it had some ok bits.'

'Like what exact—' She began before I interrupted her by leaning down and putting my lips to hers before curling my hand around her head and holding us together seemingly distracting her at least for the moment. However a need to breath eventually overcame desire as I regretfully pulled away.

'Your right though today was pretty bad. We both got possessed, you got shot, we both killed someone, you got knocked out twice, I got put in a coma again, I broke your bow, them things mode locked my damned sword, your brother found out and tried to kill me, you had to tell Thalia who quit as Lieutenant. But look at the bright side.' I said optimistically.

'What bright side?' She asked skeptically.

'It can't get any worse can it?'

'I hope not.'

AN. Shorter chapter this time but a lot of reveals of information. To those that are bound to complain about Thalia's lack of beating the crap out of Percy, she does have some empathy. Even she can see that this is a situation that neither of them want or are ready for. besides she is no longer forced to appear responsible in front of the other hunters. Will she become Lieutenant again or will she prefer things without the chains of leadership who knows?

Oh and one more thing finally I have overtaken Everlasting Promises, well until he puts out another 40k chapter. But until then I can grin to myself and feel happy hopefully knowing this story makes you happy.

So as always please read and review