School life.
In another reality Percy would have hated school, his dyslexia combined with hyperactivity would have made it difficult for him to pay attention to lessons, these elements combined with his abysmal luck would have made him create a history of expulsions worthy of records.
But not in this reality, in this life while Percy couldn't have been called a genius he was an exemplary student if a little too active for some teachers' taste.
Without obvious and serious interference in his school life, the boy never developed the hatred and reluctance for school life that would have characterized him in another life.
In this life Percy was a simple boy, however simple the life of a member of his family may be, it was natural that the madness that accompanied him in everyday life did not abandon him just because he crossed the walls of the school.
Take today for example: Percy was doing something normal and crazy at the same time. Taking a new friend on a tour of the school was a simple task that anyone could say they had done at least once in their life.
The madness stemmed from the fact that this new friend was a demigoddess who had just moved into her home and become her father's latest apprentice. Percy could only consider himself lucky that he only had to accompany one of Bellona's two daughters.
After a long and in some cases violent discussion in which Percy had neither participated nor witnessed it had been decided that only Reyna would attend school, while for the moment Hylla would be educated at home with most of Percy's sisters.
The eldest of the two sisters had been considered too unstable for the moment to be able to roam freely without supervision or protection, it was clear that the vicissitudes she had experienced had hit her hard.
Being the greater of the two Hyllas he had taken upon himself not only his own sufferings but also those of his sister, so that she would not have to suffer the same tribulations as him.
These had left the eldest of the two sisters on edge, ready to snap at the first sign of danger, making her wander the world in this state was too risky.
Reyna, on the other hand, despite having also faced unpleasant experiences, had on her side the ignorance and unawareness that her age and the protection of her sister had granted her, this allowed her to be able to go out into the world with only Percy's escort as company. .
A task that the boy was eager to accomplish with the utmost seriousness and commitment, Percy had seen the frightened face of his new friend in person and was not eager to see it again.
Percy's task was not only to defend Reyna from danger but was also to protect others from her, because still unknown to her, the world was not just black and white as she believed.
The truth was that the world had countless nuances and a mind blinded by preconceptions could only lead to unnecessary suffering for oneself and others and Percy's task today was to prevent this from happening.
"This is our class," said the boy, pointing to the classroom that was empty for the moment
"Are we in the same class then?" Reyna asked curiously
"Our family pulled some strings to make this happen," Percy explained, shrugging to indicate it was nothing special.
"Before entering I must warn you in our class there are special individuals" I began to explain Percy as he entered the classroom not realizing that the girl had stopped after hearing him speak.
"Are they like us?" Reyna asked curiously
"Not really, compared to them we can consider ourselves normal" Percy admitted due to the girl's disbelief.
In the few days she had lived with the Emiya family few things had been as clear to Reyna as the fact that there was nothing normal about the clan, from their eating habits to their training methods everything was eccentric.
Yet, a member of this crazy family dared to say that there was someone even more abnormal than him, Reyna couldn't believe it, her overactive mind already starting to weave the most bizarre theories and hypotheses about her new and mysterious classmates.
"…you have to be especially careful she can be particularly bossy and nosy" Percy's voice brought Reyna back to reality only to freeze again when she saw a black shadow looming behind the boy.
"Who would be the nosy one?" the shadow behind Percy asked in an all too sweet voice that sent shivers down the boy's spine.
Finally sensing danger Percy slowly turned around all too aware of what awaited him. She was a girl his age a little taller than him with vivid frizzy red hair, bright green eyes and a face full of freckles that gave her a cheerful look.
"Certainly not you Rachel" the boy stammered while breaking into a cold sweat
"You're a terrible liar," the redhead said far too bluntly
"Rachel this is Reyna our new classmate " Percy said trying to change the subject and thus escape the girl's wrath.
"Reyna, this is one of the extraordinary people I told you about," the boy lies shamelessly, trying to improve his situation by making it seem like until now he had only complimented the redhead.
His attempt was a complete failure as it was forced and only earned him the parting looks and disbelief of the two girls.
"Percy for your sake shut up" Rachel growl
"I agree, stay silent before you make yourself even more ridiculous" added Reyna, perfectly agreeing with her new acquaintance.
"I see that unlike this snap you are an intelligent person" the two girls said in unison, before starting to laugh seeing that they had said the same thing at the same time.
In their eyes you could see a glint that was a sign that they had both recognized the other as a kindred spirit, and seeing that Percy felt his fear increase even more his life was already full of intelligent and bossy women and the idyllic combination of two of them when one was the red nightmare didn't bode well for him.
"Like the idiot said, I'm Rachel," the redhead introduced herself first, offering her hand
"Reyna" the young demigoddess introduced herself, enthusiastically shaking the offered hand.
At the touch of Reyna's hand, Rachel's eyes glazed over for a moment before returning to normal
"Reyna I think the two of us will get along very well," the redhead said with a smile
"I sincerely hope so," Reyna said, smiling even though she couldn't understand where Rachel's confidence came from.
"I'm happy that you two get along but now we should sit down, class is about to start" Percy intervened, separating the two and hoping in this way to avoid the scary future he imagined their union would bring him.
"There's still time," Rachel said as she stared intently at Percy
"The teacher hasn't arrived yet, we still have time to talk," the redhead said with an evil smile
"Tell me Reyna how did you meet Percy?" Rachel asked curiously
"I'm a new member of the Emiya foundation ," Reyna explained, using the excuse they had agreed upon in advance.
It was a perfect cover story, the Emiya foundation had countless activities under its belt and among them the sponsorship of talented children was one of the best known.
By passing herself off as one, Reyna could easily justify both her knowledge of Percy and why he spent so much time with members of the Emiya family .
The story wasn't even completely false, Reyna could in fact truly define herself as a talented child under the protection and teachings of the Emiya clan , the truly secret thing was the nature of her gifts.
"If that's the case, it means we'll see each other often in the future," Reyna said confidently
"Why?" the demigoddess asked curiously
"Our family and Rachel's family frequent the same social circles, it's not uncommon for us to attend the same galas," Percy explains nonchalantly.
"Boring events where you're not allowed to do anything," Rachel complained
"I'm a nightmare," Percy agrees
"A nightmare that you too will have to join now" Percy and Rachel said in unison finding satisfaction and comfort that now another person would join in their suffering.
"You seem to get along very well," Reyna said sarcastically, seeing how the two who looked like cat and dog had decided for once to join forces and throw her under a metaphorical train.
"Don't worry, the next party won't be too bad" taking pity on the girl Percy I try to reassure her even though before it was him who poured salt on the wound.
"Daddy will cook" the boy plays his last card, well aware that like everyone else before her, Reyna too had been captured by the magnificence of Shiruo 's cooking Emiya .
"It's this Friday, right?" Rachel asked, frothing at the mouth, already anticipating the delicacies she would eat
"Sounds like fun" I completely change my mind Reyna has fallen under the same spell as Rachel
"What's funny?" asked a new voice that Reyna could associate with a cultured and refined person, if she closed her eyes the girl could imagine a young intellectual, the voice also gave the impression that the person speaking was weak and thin.
Reyna's expectations were completely shattered when, turning around, she found herself in front of a completely different person than she had imagined: the child in front of her could not only be defined as tall but looked like a real giant.
More than five feet tall, and with a physique that would be the envy of a bodybuilder, only a childish face gave away his true age. Despite his enormous size, his face was worthy of his small and innocent voice framed by a pair of glasses that gave him an intellectual and even younger appearance.
It was an even stranger sight because no matter how hard Reyna tried she couldn't focus well on the child's face, whose skin went from a healthy pinkish color to a more worrying greenish color before her eyes.
Reyna instinctively took a step back, experience and instinct telling her that this new character was similar to the monsters she had encountered and that the Emiya family had warned her about.
" Nector my friend it's nice to see you again" I cheerfully greet Percy coming forward completely ignoring the panic that Reyna felt, it was as if the fear that every demigod must feel when faced with monsters.
"Friend?" the demigoddess asked in surprise as she tried to clear her mind and understand what was happening.
" Nector and Percy are almost inseparable best friends" Rachel answered his question, only then did Reyna notice that the girl also had her eyes half closed as if she was trying to see better.
"How is it possible?" Reyna's confusion only grew more and more with each passing second
"I know the smartest kid in class with the wildest one seems like a bizarre combination but those two make it work like butter and jelly" Rachel said not understanding where Reyna's real confusion was coming from.
Demigods and monsters by their very nature were mortal enemies destined to face each other in deadly clashes, prey and hunters constantly exchanging their positions and roles.
Adversaries who could not coexist peacefully under the same sky instigated by the same gods to fight for their pleasure and gain, pawns on a chessboard much larger than them manipulated by otherworldly forces.
Reyna was still new to the moonlit world but in her limited experience she had learned that the higher powers viewed everyone as pawns in their eternal game that anyone going against the rules of this was unheard of in her young mind.
Reyna couldn't understand how but Nector and Percy seemed to have managed to do just that, a feat that her father had managed to accomplish only at the cost of his death had had to make the ultimate sacrifice to free himself from the chains that the gods including his mother had placed him.
Percy and Nector to Reyna's knowledge had not made any sacrifices but it seemed that they had somehow managed to free themselves from those chains, keeping this in mind it didn't take long for Reyna to understand that Nector was one of those two special individuals that Percy had nominated.
With more questions than answers at her disposal the demigoddess's eyes focused on the only person who could give her the information she desired
"Everyone sit down, class is about to start" the teacher's arrival stopped the girl before she could question Percy to finally get the answers she wanted.
Unfortunately for her, Reyna had to wait until the end of the morning lessons to be able to talk to Percy, but once the bell rang the girl wasted no time and immediately started chasing her target.
"Tell me everything," I commanded as he pushed Percy into an empty classroom
"What?" the boy asked confused, unable to understand why he had been tossed around like that
"Tell me all about Nector , what is it?" the girl asked, her forehead dangerously close to the boy's as she stared intently into his eyes.
Seeing Reyna so close Percy felt himself blushing, not even fully understanding why but thanks to his training the boy recovered quickly finally understanding what the girl was asking for.
"He's my best friend," Percy answered honestly
"He's not human," the girl said confidently
"Yes," Percy said, not sure what the girl wanted
"Percy," Reyna growled, her eyes almost seeming to emit sparks
"Yes Nector is not human but that doesn't change the fact that he is a good person and my best friend" there was strength in the boy's words as he stepped forward, the two young men's foreheads now locked together.
"It's dangerous," Reyna said as she remembered her father's death
"Don't worry Nector wouldn't hurt a fly"
"He's a monster" Reyna screams
"he's a good person" defended his friend Percy once again
"he's a monster and he's dangerous" I continue to push Reyna, not wanting to listen and believe the boy's words, preferring to remain attached to his ideas and preconceptions
Hearing his best friend Percy insulted once again he felt his temper begin to heat up, his eyes darkening as his face began to turn red.
"Reyna" the boy hissed, startling the girl who could now clearly feel the aura the boy was unconsciously releasing
"Percy" a calm voice defused the boy before he could explode
Reyna immediately recognized the voice as Nector 's even though she had only heard it a few times, the contrast between it and the boy's appearance had made it unforgettable for the demigoddess.
Nector emerged from the shadows of the room with a book in his hand and slightly moist eyes. For a moment, seeing his scruffy appearance, Reyna felt guilty only to immediately crush this feeling, having no intention of being fooled by what she believed to be a ruse. .
"You're right Reyna I'm a monster but I can swear to you on my life that neither I nor my family have ever hurt anyone" Nector said with a hand on his heart
"I can't trust you"
"But you can trust me," Percy said confidently, much calmer now
"do you really think that our family didn't know about Nector 's existence and about our friendship" I logically argue the boy making Reyna blush who obviously hadn't taken this situation into account.
"Our families have known each other for years, I met Nector in one of his dad's restaurants, his mother works there as a cook" I explain Percy
"So Uncle Shiruo knows about him?" the girl asked confirming once again
"Lord Shiruo was very kind to my family," Nector admitted with tears in his eyes
"Not only did he give my mother a job, but above all he gave us the chance to live without having to fear being exterminated"
"Why would anyone exterminate you?" Reyna asked shocked by the revelation
"That's not what heroes do," there was bitterness in Nector 's voice as he said those words
"They do it to defend themselves and others," Reyna defended her category
"That's only partly true," Percy said gravely, butting into the conversation
"Not all heroes are good and not all monsters are bad," the green-eyed boy states confidently
"The truth is that most of those we call monsters are simple inhabitants of the mystical world who wish to live in peace" said Percy as he revealed the reality to the girl
"You want me to believe that monsters are not evil and eager for our flesh" Reyna said sarcastically, not believing her companion's words.
"I didn't say that, what I wanted to say and how there are good men and bad men and the same for those you call monsters. Every individual and every case is different what I'm telling you and to evaluate case by case and not base your judgments only on appearances and your preconceptions" Percy passed on his wisdom
"My mother and I are what you might call ogres," Nector said , seeing that this was the best time to talk and explain his situation.
"Our tribe has long abandoned its violent methods, we still pursue an ideal of strength but only through competition, strange as it is to hear it we have become primarily athletes"
"Boxers, football players, choose any sport and you will almost certainly find an ogre among the big names in that specialty" added Percy
"Even though we have abandoned the old ways, the gods and other great beings have not forgotten us and continue to use us for their entertainment by instigating constant conflicts between us and the demigods" I note the green-skinned child with extreme sadness
"And only thanks to Lord Shiruo that my mother and I did not suffer the same fate and become pawns in a game too cruel for us" concluded Nector
The boy's words had hit Reyna hard and she had seen firsthand and immediately what it meant to dance to the melody of the gods .
"How did Uncle Shiruo do it ?" he couldn't help but ask the girl to know how her guardian had cheated the fate that instead had brought ruin to his family
"It gave us the means to hide from even the most attentive eyes," Nector said as he began to fiddle with a chain around his neck.
"This necklace perfectly masks my identity" I show the offending pendant to the ogre
"Then why can I barely see it?" Reyna asked curiously, even now she could barely see the shadow of the boy's true appearance
"It's thanks to the bracelet that dad gave you" I reveal Percy showing his to the girl who in turn reveals the gift she had received
Nector 's necklace have the same purpose of hiding us from the inhabitants of the moonlit world and to do this they use the energy that father infused into them" I begin to explain Percy
Nector 's disguise "
"By the way I think my necklace needs a recharge" Nector said immediately piquing Percy's interest
"It shouldn't be possible, not even a month has passed since the last charge." The boy said worriedly not understanding what was wrong with his friend's cloaking device.
"I don't know what to tell you Percy, but I can assure you that the other day Rachel claimed that my skin turned green during gym class."
At hearing Rachel's name, Percy's face became even more serious, before melting into a mask of resignation
"it has become even stronger"
"Wait what does this have to do with Rachel now?" the demigoddess asked, confused by the turn of events
"Do you remember when I told you that there were two special individuals in our class?" Percy asked
"Yeah, it doesn't take long to figure out that Nector is one of these but Rachel doesn't seem like a monster or anything to me. In fact, even though I've only known her for a few hours, I dare say she's the most normal person I've ever met."
"That's because in fact Rachel is completely human, I dare say you will never meet anyone else who is more human than Rachel"
"So what makes her so dangerous?" he couldn't understand Reyna
"You underestimate humans too much. Of all the creatures that walk this earth there is none more dangerous than men." Percy said with absolute certainty getting a nod from Nector
"There is a reason why most of the inhabitants of the mystical world have decided to start coexisting with men. Times have changed and the gifts that nature has given us are no longer enough to allow us to act with impunity against what you call simple humans," Nector explained
"And even among humans Rachel is special, she possesses the rare ability to see through the fog that separates the mundane world from the mystical"
"and this seems to get stronger and stronger with each passing day" the two boys took turns trying to explain everything to Reyna
"I understand that her ability is rare but I don't think it's enough to make her any more special than me, you or Nector " the girl expressed her doubts
"You don't understand seeing through the fog is just the tip of the iceberg, the beginning of the much wider and deeper path that can lead to achieving a power that even in myths only a few have possessed"
"What power?" he asked, swallowing loudly
"Clairvoyance," Percy said solemnly
"The ability to see into the future, there is nothing as desired and feared in the world as this power."
"Because seeing into the future is the first step to changing it. And change destiny and what all those beings who believe they are masters of this world fear. Because those who have the power to change destiny can be their downfall no matter whether they are Gods, Titans or anything else."
"Percy," Reyna said as she ran a hand wearily over her face
"When I got up today I was expecting a normal first day of school. My only worries were making a good impression on my new classmates and hoping that the math teacher wasn't a monster. Not that my classmate had the potential to change the world" the girl's voice almost seemed to be cracked as if she still couldn't believe what her life had turned into.
"Well if it makes you feel better, Mr. Herison isn't a monster or at least not in the literary sense of the term" I try to joke Percy only getting condescending looks from both Reyna and Nector .
In response the boy simply shrugged, knowing that this was just another day of the normal madness that was his life.
Worlds change, lives change but some things don't change and Percy's luck with school remains even if in a diluted form.
Releasing one chapter here means two more are available on my P. a treon, if you want to read ahead feel free to visit. There, you will also find some incredible fan art about this story.
P a /RedArcher739
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