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Chapter Text

~~~~~ Percy Jackson ~~~~~

I: Medusa

~~~~~ Percy Jackson ~~~~~

October 15th, 2011

Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium - New Jersey

“Back in business…”

Percy sighed, running a hand through his short hair. His nose twitched at the feeling. He didn't like it short. Maybe he could grow it out.

He fished a pair of sunglasses out of his bag and put them on before knocking on the door. When no answer came, he entered.

“Oh, welc… Ome… you.”

“Hey, Aunty Em,” Percy said with no emotion in his voice as he looked directly at Medusa.

He didn't turn to stone.

She was beautiful, just like before. She'd taken off her hat to reveal the serpent hair twisted into an updo. They came loose and hissed at Percy.

“Here to kill me again?” Medusa snarled, her nails sharpening.

“...I don't know,” Percy admitted softly. Medusa's eyes narrowed. “Sorry, just uh… Not on a quest, I'll be honest. I'm… Maybe… Kinda-sorta running from my responsibilities?”

Medusa raised an eyebrow while her serpents stopped hissing, yet remained on edge. Her nails returned to normal. “Really now? I suppose that's just like one of his brood.”

Percy winced. “...I know what happened,” he said quietly. “What my father did to you. What Athena did to you.”

“Then why did you—”

“But I didn't, then,” Percy said, cutting her off. “Five years ago, I didn't even know how to swing my sword. I didn't even know you had sisters. I…” He gave an empty laugh, running a hand through his hair again. “...I didn't know why you hated us so much.”

Medusa’s shoulders slowly eased as her gaze became… Curious. “You're not like Theseus,” she said in an oddly flat voice. “...You’re more like your namesake.”

“Wh… What?”

“Sit,” Medusa said, gesturing to a booth.

Percy hesitated, but obliged, dropping his bag next to him. He watched as Medusa began to bustle in the kitchen. It wasn't long before she handed him a tray with a burger and fries while she speared her fork into a salad.

“Perseus… The first Perseus… He spoke to me,” she said softly. “He wasn't willing to listen blindly to the gods… But then, he was older than you were then,” she begrudged. “He had time to know better.”

Percy grimaced. He didn't touch the food. Not because he wasn't hungry or he didn't trust it. His stomach just… Couldn't. “But he still killed you,” he pointed out.

“Oh… Yes,” Medusa agreed. “But he apologized for it. He didn't have a choice, as it was for the sake of his mother. I wasn't very upset… Or at least, my anger towards Poseidon and Athena was greater.”

Percy grimaced as he remembered when he finally got Annabeth to tell him the story. He wasn't proud of the circumstances - Tartarus had worn her down, she probably didn't remember anything she'd said in the pit. But…

“You were her priestess,” he said, his voice rasping. “You… You loved her.”

“I did.”

“But… My father…” Percy put his hands behind his neck and closed his eyes, not wanting the tears to fall. “I never knew… That-that he was capable of tha…” He faltered, thinking of Tyson. Of how he'd been abandoned… to ‘appreciate things more’... “...No, no I just didn't want to think about it.”

Medusa gave an unimpressed huff. “You and hundreds of other demigods,” she said, disinterested. “Everyone is so willing to treat the gods as infallible, and monsters as… Monsters.” Her tone was mocking, and he deserved it.

“...Yeah,” he said quietly. “I was… I asked for… For less than the basics after the Titanomachy, and was stupidly satisfied. I asked for more after the Gigantomachy… The barest of basics…” He laced his fingers behind his neck and took a shaky breath. “Fuck, but I am no hero.”

“Oh, well isn't that an interesting thought,” Medusa mused. “You, Bane of Hyperion, Glacier-shatterer, a former Praetor, the prophesied golden child … Aren't a hero?”

“A hero would get the job done right,” Percy said stubbornly. A hollow laugh came out of him. “The Campers… They looked to me, and… And they were happy. But the thing is… They shouldn't be. They deserve…” His shoulders sagged. Tears fell and pooled on the inside of his sunglasses. “They deserve better.”

Medusa sighed. “Knock it off with the pity party,” she said boredly.

Percy looked up at her with a dead expression. “This isn't pity, Medusa. It's anger,” he said flatly. “Anger at myself. My failures. I—”

“My gods, you’re the first person to make things better for demigods in millennia, and you consider yourself a failure,” Medusa said with disgust. “I was wrong. You're not like Perseus - you're like Odysseus. Always moping because you feel you aren't enough. Boy, did you ever stop to consider that maybe they're allowed to be happy and still want more at the same time?”

“I—”

“No, you didn't,” Medusa snapped. “Because you're so stupidly heroic and thick-headed. You act as if the world not being a utopia means there is no good left. Either those wars truly broke you, or—”

“Tartarus.”

“Excuse me?”

“It was… It was Tartarus,” Percy said. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I… I scared myself there. I scared Annabeth. I…”

“You went to the pit?” Medusa said in a very serious tone. Percy nodded. “Well… Perhaps I was too hasty. That does explain things,” she begrudged. “Though I'm not sure why you're so emotional. What is it you did?”

Percy pursed his lips for a moment before answering. “Akhlys,” he whispered. It was the first time he'd said her name since Gaea was defeated. “She… She was going to… To kill us - Annabeth and I - so… I-I turned her poison against her…”

“You overpowered a god with their own domain?” Medusa said with surprise. Percy nodded. “Hmm… Continue.”

“I-I… I wanted to… To hurt her… T-to… To make her sc-scream, I…” He shuddered. The tears were spilling out of the glasses and onto the french fries. “...If Annabeth hadn't been there, I would have done it.”

Medusa was quiet for a moment before she spoke. “It isn't uncommon for demigods - especially strong ones - to face corruption. Mortals face it as well. Odysseus nearly lost his mind while returning to Ithaca, Theseus went mad and sought his own son’s death, Jason betrayed his wife and led to his children’s death, Blackbeard targeted Circe and was turned into a guinea pig for his troubles. But few… Very few can come back or even stop themselves. And besides, Tartarus makes even the kindest of souls become twisted and wretched in order to survive. Don't villainize yourself so quickly.”

“A-ah…” Percy paused. “You… Know Circe?”

Medusa nodded. “We haven't spoken since I reformed,” she admitted. “I heard the pirates are dead, so either she snapped or…” She looked at Percy again, her eyes narrowing. “You know something?”

He grimaced. “We… Wound up there. Annabeth and I. Circe…” He sighed. “She showed me… Something… And I stupidly took the potion. Became a guinea pig. Annabeth dumped the moly vitamins in the pen, and… And dragged me away before I could realize what the pirates would do. I didn't find out until I met one of her former attendants in Camp Jupiter.”

Medusa’s eyes narrowed further. “...If you were not a boy, I would strike you down on the spot,” she said coldly. “But your gender means Circe very much would transform you. And your idiocy makes that daughter of Athena’s actions quite understandable. She wanted to keep you innocent, since you're so… Noble.”

Percy blinked as he looked up. The rest of his tears fell onto his untouched food. “Annabeth… Manipulated me? No, that—”

“Is the only answer,” Medusa said flatly. “Tell me, how often does that girl explain her actions to you?”

“Well, not often, but—”

“And how often has she told you the stories behind monsters - the full stories?”

“N-not often, but—”

“And how often,” Medusa said coldly as she leaned in. “Has that girl actually said she believes in you.”

His throat was dry. “...She has her reasons,” he said weakly.

“Manipulation. It is Athena’s strong suit. Ask me,” she said mildly. “Ask Arachne. Ask Odysseus. Ask any of her victims, and you will know that Athena and her spawn are heartless and calculating.”

“Sh-she… Annabeth… But…” He faltered. “But we're dating… She wouldn't… She wouldn't lie unless she really needed to…”

“The fact you believe that actually makes me pity you,” Medusa said, disgusted. “You have been manipulated at every turn by this girl. Tell me, Percy - does she ever actually compliment you? A real compliment, not something backhanded. Does she guilt you into helping her with tasks she isn't explicitly meant to do alone? Does she seem disappointed whenever you seek rest?”

Percy didn't answer.

“Quite like Athena, then… narcissistic. Vain. I bet her fatal flaw is even hubris, isn't it?” Percy's look of being caught probably gave it away, because she laughed. “What a surprise,” she said flatly.

“...There's a lot I don't know,” Percy admitted quietly. “About… Me. The world… Annabeth… Everything. So… But I just— for her to— I-it doesn't make sense.”

“Hmm… Why else are you here? There's another reason, and your narcissist of a girlfriend isn't why,” Medusa said boredly. “I certainly appreciate your apology now that I can see how pathetic you truly are - and besides, you're not the first demigod to slay me, nor will you be the last. Holding a grudge for that is beneath me. It was your ignorance that drew my ire… But you don't have it anymore. So, what is your issue?”

“I'm… Not sure,” Percy admitted. “Like I said, I kinda ran away… I'm planning to… Make more apologies, I guess. To the Amazons, to the Hunters, to Circe… I didn't wrong all the people I met, I think. But better to apologize and learn how to be better than assume otherwise.”

“So he can be taught,” Medusa mused. Percy’s glare was halfhearted at best. “Anything else?”

Percy squirmed. “I… I've been having trouble with… With my powers,” he admitted. “And… And being around people… And looking at myself… I've just… there's so much about me I don't understand anymore. My Mom says it's because I never got therapy,” he muttered. “She's right, but there isn't exactly a therapist for demigods. I go to a therapist and they'll think I'm schizophrenic or something.”

“Probably,” Medusa agreed.

Percy gave her a half-hearted glare for how happy she sounded, but his heart wasn't in it. “I don't know if I trust you about Annabeth,” he said. “But… I guess, thanks for the input. But I want to talk to her first before I make any decisions.”

“And just how long will it take you to do so?” Medusa drawled. “Weeks? Months? A year?”

“I don't know,” Percy admitted. “I don't keep a phone on me, and I asked Iris to block all incoming calls. I just…” He sighed. “I need to sort myself out before I talk to… Her…”

Medusa gave him another appraising look. Well, he guessed it wasn't so surprising. He had changed in a lot of ways since they'd first met.

In his opinion the changes were far from for the best, but it wasn't like Medusa knew every single horrible thing he'd done.

“It's probably for the best,” Medusa said boredly. “I'm still a monster.”

He blinked at her. “But you weren't always.”

“No,” Medusa agreed. “I am a product of the gods, just as you are.”

“I'm not a monster… And… And you shouldn't have been,” Percy insisted.

“True, I shouldn't. But I am one,” Medusa countered. “And… No, you aren't a monster. But a victim…”

“We're all victims of the gods, one way or another,” Percy said with a weak chuckle. “I’m fine. I'm nothing special.”

Medusa made an unconvinced sound. “Well, regardless. If you're worried about me holding a grudge, don't. You did what you had to. And in the end, we are monster and demigod. Whether you slay me or my sisters, you're doing what you have to so you can survive. I'm not going to kill you today, but… someone will come again. Some other twelve year old who doesn't know better.”

Percy grimaced. “That's still so messed up,” he muttered. “I was twelve… twelve. But they thought I stole… And they made me risk my life, I just…” He sighed. “Then again, it isn't like they have many adult kids.”

“Very true. Any kids who would have become adults have since died,” Medusa commented dryly.

Percy stilled. “I… I m-made it to adulthood,” he said, though his voice was shaky.

“Mmm. ‘Against all odds’, right?”

He turned away.

“I thought so. That's the gods for you. They push… push… and push… Until either you break or you become the diamond they're seeking,” Medusa said, her eyes glinting while open malice showed on her face. “Some think you're a diamond… But it would seem there are more cracks than you've shown to most, hmm?”

Percy sighed, leaning back in his seat as he stared at the ceiling. “You’re not exactly likely to talk to the people I know,” he pointed out. “And… Well, you were the start of my journey. My first real monster after the Minotaur.”

“Ah, true,” Medusa mused. “What are you seeking, anyway? Closure? Answers? Forgiveness?”

“...I don't know,” Percy admitted. “Not… Not forgiveness. That's not something to ask for. Though, I’ll still apologize. But… If they don't forgive me, that's their decision. And I don't know about closure, since I don't… Know who, if anyone, is responsible for my fuck-ups other than me… Answers, maybe.”

Medusa sighed. “You really are a morose one,” she said distastefully. “You sure you're not a child of Hades.”

Percy rolled his eyes. “Pretty sure. That's Nico,” he said dismissively. “I'm just a child of Poseidon who can't get his powers to work right.”

“Hah. Fair enough.”

He sighed and turned, getting up and out of the booth. He picked up his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. “I think… I should probably move on,” he admitted. “See whoever I can run into next.”

“Hm… well, I certainly won't stop you,” Medusa said. “Do you have an idea of where you'll be going next?”

“...Maybe Circe?” Percy frowned, shifting his weight. “There's… Something that's been bothering me. Her mirror. I don't know what she saw, but I doubt it's what I saw. Her reaction was… Off.”

“How so?”

Percy gave Medusa a bittersweet smile. “Circe only turns men into pigs.”

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

II: Circe

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

October 25th, 2011

Circe’s Island

“Huh… Who would've thought it'd be back up and running?” Percy asked himself sarcastically as he walked out of the water.

“Welcome to C.C.’s Spa!” Said a bright voice - a younger girl with brown hair. “How can—”

“Your Lady won't want me setting foot in there,” Percy said with an apologetic smile. “If… If you could just let Circe know that ‘Percy Jackson’ is here?”

The girl frowned. She glanced at her clipboard, as if confirming an appointment, but only seemed confused before she slowly and haltingly walked back towards the spa.

Percy sighed and dropped his bag on the sand. He glanced at the little stone ring he'd been given from Medusa. ‘A parting gift’, as she'd called it. Fitted with an emerald.

…Like he thought, he'd been too young to understand anything, then. Maybe he was still too young. He didn't know.

“Percy Jackson,” said a voice as cold as ice. When Percy looked up, he was face to face with a very angry looking goddess. So, just a normal Tuesday. “Why are you here?”

“To talk.”

“Hah! Talk? Like you and I talked back then?” She snarled. Magic crackled at her fingertips.

Percy sighed. “Don't bother,” he said tiredly. He crouched and unzipped his bag before holding up a bottle he'd opened a few minutes before leaving the water. “I've taken moly.”

The goddess’ anger clearly didn't subside, but her magic did. “Then it seems… I am at your mercy…”

“Just…” Percy sighed. He sat down in the sand. “I'm not here to fight… Or to hurt you, okay? I… I'm…” He faltered. “...I’m different than I used to be.”

Circe narrowed her eyes. She made no move to sit. “Are you? You're just as arrogant as any other man, aren't you? Arrogant and self-serving…”

“...Maybe,” Percy said weakly. He felt tears threatening in his eyes. He didn't look up at her, hoping she wouldn't see them. “But… I don't know… I guess I just wanted to say I was sorry.”

“You're… Sorry?” Circe said, as if it were a foreign concept.

“Yeah,” Percy croaked. He sighed, flicking sand off his jeans. “I… It's no excuse, but I didn't know a thing about you back then. So when Annabeth said to leave it, I did.”

“Annabeth?” Circe asked, sounding confused. “What does she…”

“She's the one who dumped the vitamins in the cage,” Percy said quietly. “She didn't know which one I was… And when the pirates appeared, she took me and ran so we could escape in the mayhem— I swear. I wanted to come back. I did. But… But she said we had other priorities. That… That you were a goddess, it'd be fine…” He looked down at the sand, hoping she didn't see the tears that fell. “But it wasn't.”

Circe was quiet for a moment. The only sounds Percy heard were those of the lapping waves. But after a moment, he heard the sand shift and knew she'd sat down.

“It wasn't the first time men attacked me and mine,” Circe said. “It probably won't be the last. Though… I have made some changes of my own. To… Modify things. I didn't realize the world had grown so much without me until a nonbinary child graced my doors. They're so full of life…” She sighed. “I had to change, and I'm sorry I didn't realize it when a thirteen year old boy arrived on my shore.”

Percy shifted uncomfortably, frowning. Why was she… “Don't do that.”

“What?”

“Apologize,” he said. “Don't… I-I’m supposed to be apologizing. I'm the one whose actions hurt you. You were just protecting your home, I-I…”

“Does that somehow mean,” Circe said, sounding almost a little miffed, “that I couldn't have taken things to the extreme? That I was justified in manipulating and gaslighting a boy who didn't know any better before tearing the illusion away and betraying him?”

He didn't know what to say to that, so he just looked out towards the Sea of Monsters. Not wanting to admit she could be right. Because he'd been the one to hurt her. That made him the villain… That was how it worked. Even if it left a painful lump in his throat and made him want to cry.

“...Reyna and Hylla are okay,” he rasped. He cleared his throat. “Reyna… She became praetor at Camp Jupiter, and now she’s a Hunter. Hylla… She's queen of the Amazons. I… I hurt them. I'll be going to them… Eventually… But yeah.”

“Hm… They sent me letters,” Circe said softly. “Said they protected themselves from Blackbeard and his ilk. The worst I feared wasn't what became of them, for which I am forever grateful. But still, thank you for telling me they're doing well. They're still important to me, whether they're on my island or not.”

Percy hummed. He began slowly tracing shapes in the sand, not sure what he wanted to make. “I'm kind of… Being a vagrant,” he admitted. “So it might be a while before I meet them.”

“Is that so… And why, perchance, has vagrant life become so appealing? I doubt it's the food,” Circe joked.

Percy fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Dodging my responsibilities, I guess…”

She paused. “Ah… I had wondered why the magic around you was so… Different,” Circe said thoughtfully. “That pesky empathy link is gone, and there's an IM block on you. Would you like that removed…?”

“N-no… No…” He grimaced. “Annabeth would find me in a heartbeat. I can't afford that.”

“Oh? Trouble in paradise?”

“...Maybe,” he said evasively, frowning at the broken heart he'd drawn. He messed it up and started to draw again. “I’ve had a lot to think about in the last month.”

“I see… and what do your thoughts say now?” Circe asked. “O one marked by the Moon Goddess.”

Percy froze. He looked at his right arm. No, his sleeve was still on. What had he drawn… A circle with a plus sign beneath it. The sign for ‘female’. He cursed how open his thoughts were.

“How did you know?”

“Her magic is very familiar to me,” Circe said solemnly. “Well? Show it.”

Percy sighed and unzipped his hoodie before letting it fall behind him. He pulled up the sleeve of his sweater underneath, showing a bright silver moon on his right forearm, unmistakable against the usual tan he bore.

“Hm…” He flinched when Circe tapped it with a finger. “How potent. You could ask her help twice with this. She doesn't usually give this to a male… so what is the truth, Percy?”

His gaze didn't leave the mark as he spoke. “I didn't see some… ‘Macho man’ in that mirror,” he said quietly. “I saw… Me, but as if I'd been born a girl. As if I'd been born… me. The real me.”

“Ah…” To his surprise, Circe sounded truly regretful. “Something else I shall have to take in mind, from now on…” She sighed. “Due to my… Prejudice… Whenever someone I perceive as male stands in front of that mirror, I only see a guinea pig. I… I need to start seeing them as human, I fear. I've let the millennia of fear and paranoia get to me.”

“Not without reason.”

“...No, perhaps not,” Circe agreed. “But that does not excuse the extremes I went to…” She sighed, and when Percy finally tore his gaze away and glanced at her, he saw she looked kind of melancholic. “You aren't to blame, Percy… For what happened. It was the consequences of my actions…” She paused. “And… Well, if any demigod is to blame, it would be Annabeth. I shouldn't have blamed you in the first place, if I'm honest. I simply assumed that, being a girl, she was innocent… But she is a daughter of Athena, and underestimating them is dangerous.”

Percy squirmed. He really didn't like the thought of that. Of… Blaming Annabeth.

But he liked the thought of telling someone his girlfriend had inarguably hurt even less.

“...I-I know I'm in no… No position to ask, but… But would…” Percy’s mouth felt dry.

“I can,” Circe said, not waiting for him to finish his question. “Turning you into a woman would be easy for me, Percy. And if I use my divine power rather than my sorcery, you'll even be able to continue using those annoying multivitamins.”

He stared at her in disbelief. “Why would you—”

“Just as you sought me out to make amends, Percy, our conversation has made me desire to do the same,” Circe said, interrupting him firmly. “Besides. It is my understanding that most gods simply use and manipulate you rather than actually listen or - Olympus forbid - care. I wager even your own father simply says he is ‘proud’ and ‘appreciates your talent’, doesn't he?”

Percy looked away. “Dad is… H-he’s…” He faltered.

Poseidon was…

“...He's flawed,” he whispered. “He's… He's very flawed… But he's still my Dad, I… I can't…” His shoulders slumped and he buried his face in his hands. “I don't want to blame him.”

“Hm… Percy, the gods are notorious for being temperamental at best - sea gods especially so, and Poseidon stands at the peak of them all,” Circe said flatly. “Listening isn't their strong suit, and it certainly isn't the specialty of the Olympians, save the exceptions of Artemis, Aphrodite, and Hera if she isn't feeling especially bitchy.”

“Um.”

“I'm a goddess, too. See if I care what the royal pain in the ass thinks,” Circe said defiantly.

Percy chuckled as he looked back at her and saw the goddess glaring at the sky. “Well, fair enough…” He sighed. “...My powers aren't working right,” he confessed, seeing as the subject had drifted towards Poseidon. “My connection to the earth is starting to feel strange. I can't generate storms… I can barely manipulate ice and the seas. Don't suppose you have any idea why…?”

“Hmm… Poseidon isn't growing weak, so that can't be it,” Circe mused. “May I examine your magic?”

“Go for it.”

Percy waited as the goddess bathed him in a golden light with a wave of her hand. Her expression quickly became an annoyed scowl as she fussed with… Something, he guessed. He had no idea what. He didn't know a thing about magic. He'd never even learned that trick Thalia knew about using the Mist to make mortals leave him be.

“Strange… Your connection to the sea is weakening,” Circe muttered before she tilted her head. “But I cannot tell why. Tell me, are you becoming jaded towards Poseidon? Be honest.”

“...A bit,” Percy confessed. “I started all this after learning about Caeneus, and then the first person I made amends to was Medusa.”

“Huh…” Circe moved her hands about some more as she focused on whatever she was seeing again. “Well… It might be that. But I don't know. That doesn't explain why the connection itself is faltering. Does Poseidon have any doubts to your loyalty?”

Percy shrugged his shoulders. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Oh boy…” After a few more minutes of Percy making crappy drawings in the sand and erasing them, the golden light was dispersed.

“What's the verdict?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Circe echoed, huffing. “There's any number of explanations. Poseidon losing faith or trust or interest, his powers merely being blessings and you being some other god’s child, some issue with Amphitrite, I don't know…”

“Some… Poseidon might not be my Dad?”

“It's possible,” Circe agreed. “Did your mother ever seem… Like she was repeating her stories, when you asked about him?”

“I… Well, yeah, but they weren't together long.”

“Did she ever give personal anecdotes?” Circe pressed. “Actual stories about him? Usually gods spend about a year with their mortal lovers, so there should be something.”

“I…”

Circe pursed her lips. “...I would make Amphitrite your next destination,” she said gravely. “She has her own home in the Gulf of Mexico, near Louisiana.”

Percy didn't respond as he stared at his hands. Poseidon might not be his Dad? But how? Why? And how could Percy have so much power if this was the case? It didn't make sense - it couldn't make sense. Right?

“Percy?”

“I…”

Circe snapped her fingers under his nose and he jolted. “Sorry, but you were out of it.”

“Ah… Just… Him… not being my Dad… Just… I don't know how that could be,” he said weakly. “I mean, I was the ‘half-blood of the eldest gods’, in the prophecy, so just…”

“Well… If a father is guaranteed, then perhaps Zeus or Hades… But we gods can take many forms,” Circe said diplomatically. “You could be a child of Aphrodite, who has a penchant for taking whatever form suits her fancy - and who predates any other Olympian. Or perhaps…”

“Perhaps…?”

“...Demeter,” Circe confessed. “You may be a child of Demeter.”

Demeter… Well, that was another encounter to have. Maybe. He hoped not, because that would be stressful… especially considering what Poseidon had done to her to create Arion.

“I… Should probably go soon,” Percy admitted.

Circe hummed. “Not without a little gift,” she smiled. “Don't forget what I just promised you.”

“O-oh. Uh… Right.”

“You'll need a change of clothes. Come on into the spa, Percy. I've got spare clothes galore…” Circe then grinned. “And the girls do so love a fashion show.”

“A what now?”

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

III: Amphitrite

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

November 17th, 2011

Amphitrite's Retreat - The Gulf of Mexico

Between her stay in the Sea of Monsters and navigating underwater when her powers weren't as strong as they used to be, it took Percy a lot longer to reach Amphitrite's Retreat than planned.

But she made it.

She floated in front of the large conch shell. Her new clothes were, thankfully, not too different from what she preferred. Of course, she'd also had to use her powers for cleaning, and today was laundry day, so she was in the set of blue scrubs Circe had tossed in as an afterthought. But it still showed her new form better than her old baggy boy clothes would.

Wide hips, a decently sized chest, an actual curve to her hips… And her face was different, too. Softer, with more visibly feminine features. Circe said she was ‘a masterpiece’.

And now, Percy saw the girl from five and a half years ago in every mirror.

She knocked.

The door opened to reveal her stepmother seeming very tired, and very confused. She was in a long skirt and a long-sleeved blouse. She frowned. “One of Circe’s…? But how are you…”

Percy smiled. “Not quite. I'm, uh… Percy,” she admitted.

Amphitrite’s eyes widened. “Perseus?!”

“Yeah… Can I come in?”

“Um… Poseidon isn't here, Percy, I…”

“I know,” she said quietly. “That's… Kind of the point.”

Amphitrite pursed her lips. “Come in.”

Percy willed herself inside, and was surprised to find that the inside of the house was… well. Not underwater. Or rather, she was breathing actual air instead of the water itself. Once she got over her surprise, she waited politely as Amphitrite shut the door before guiding her to a sitting room of sorts, gesturing for Percy to sit.

After she did, Amphitrite sat across from her. Without the water, Percy could now see that the Queen of the Seas looked very tired indeed. It was rare to see an actual god or goddess look like this.

“Is everything okay…?” She asked softly.

Amphitrite gave her a weak smile. “Thank you for your concern, Percy, but I'll be fine. There's just…” She paused before sighing. “No, it wouldn't be fair of me to lie to you. I'm sorry. I… I'm hiding from Poseidon.”

Percy felt her stomach twist. “...It's because I’ve been missing for two months, isn't it?” She said quietly.

Amphitrite nodded. “Seeing as you've made such a drastic change, I'll consider it safe to assume you had your reasons. Were you with Circe the entire time…?”

Percy shook her head. “No. No… For a good time recently I've been in the ocean, trying to restore my connection to it, but before Circe I was traveling south, down the coast.”

“Ah.”

Percy didn't miss the shifty-eyed look on Amphitrite. “Is he… Mad at me?” She asked quietly.

“Hm? N-no… No, not you,” Amphitrite said with a sad laugh. “...Never you, Percy.”

“...So he’s mad at Hera, or you, or anyone else. Isn't he?” Amphitrite was quiet. “...How often have you hidden here lately?”

“...I haven't been to the palace in five weeks,” Amphitrite confessed. She sighed. “I'll be plain, Percy. Your father and I’s relationship is complicated, but it's fine. It's between us.”

Percy grimaced. “Complicated is a really nice way of saying he forced you to marry him.”

Amphitrite paled. “H-how did you—”

“He's been censoring what I know,” Percy said flatly. “I know… And so has Annabeth. I've had time to think. To look back and re-evaluate. I spoke to Circe, and to Medusa. My connection to the sea is weakening, and it's not because I'm finding out he's been awful to more than his fair share of women.”

Amphitrite closed her eyes. She was quiet for a moment, and then her shoulders sagged and a broken sob fell out of her. “I wanted to tell you to run,” she sobbed. “Seeing you - a child - be turned into his golden boy… His newest method of seeking fame…”

Percy felt her heart fall. “...He isn't my father, is he?”

Amphitrite shook her head. “I don't know who’s daughter you are, Percy. I'm sorry,” she said. “I… I’ve been fighting to hold it together for Triton, but I just can't anymore. I… I was supposed to be happy… Free… A Nereid. But then he made a mockery of my father… And took me for his trophy…”

Percy felt her heart break. She got up and sat next to Amphitrite. When the goddess didn't object, Percy wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “He… I've met Nereus,” she said softly. “It wasn't, uh… The best encounter… But I think that's because he thought I was Poseidon’s,” she admitted, a weak laugh falling out of her. “...He'd probably like to see you.”

Amphitrite sniffled, slowly lifting her head. Her elbows were propped up on her knees, and her chin resting on her clasped hands. “I wish I could see him,” she confessed, her voice thick with emotion. “But Poseidon doesn't allow me on the west coast. It's ‘too far from home’... So is the Gulf, but I convinced him I really like Louisiana.” A hollow laugh fell out of her. “I do, but only because he hates it.”

Percy hummed. She looked around the little home. It was so… Modest. Like how Iris or Hestia liked to live.

Amphitrite didn't like palace life, and it showed in so many ways…

“Why is my connection to the sea weakening…?”

“...Poseidon planted false memories in your mother,” the goddess said softly. “He didn't… He didn't touch her the way he's done myself and others, but he made her forget her true love. Your real father - whoever that may be. He wanted to make it believable, so he stuck around in Manhattan during her pregnancy. He knew about the Grace and Di Angelo siblings… He was furious that he'd been the only one to obey the pact. So… He wanted the glory, and he made you ‘his’.”

“His blessing… I'd always wondered why I never glowed like Clarisse or Piper or anyone,” Percy muttered. “But it was because I always had it, isn't it?”

Amphitrite nodded. “Now that your mother's memories are returning, your connection is weakening, because she was the medium,” she said plainly. “Your realization has accelerated things. But don't worry, there will be some permanent side effects. You're not going to drown,” she added in an almost-lighthearted way as she patted Percy’s back.

“Hm. That's good,” Percy muttered, a faint smile appearing on her face. She sighed. “Can you… Not tell anyone I was here?”

“...I can,” Amphitrite said slowly, “but may I ask why?”

“I'm… Kind of on a journey of self-discovery, or something,” she admitted. “I'm making amends, checking in on people… I don't really know where I'm going next, if I'm honest. But…” She sighed, moving her arm off of Amphitrite's shoulders and into her lap. “I'm not… Well… Mentally.”

“No surprise,” Amphitrite muttered. At Percy's surprised look, the goddess chuckled. “Percy, you've been fighting every day since you were twelve. Now that you've run away, you're finally getting peace. Without the dissociation, duty, and fight or flight response keeping you on edge, you're actually able to feel your emotions and reflect on your actions.”

Percy winced. That was the nail on the head. “Yeah… I guess so,” she admitted.

“Still, I don't see why you feel the need to apologize to anyone.”

What? Percy looked at Amphitrite in surprise, but the goddess’ expression seemed truly genuine.

“But… Why?”

Amphitrite raised an eyebrow. “Have you ever once acted maliciously?”

“I… Don't think so.”

“And have you ever hurt someone on purpose?”

“I… N-no, but…”

“And,” Amphitrite said, her sea-green eyes glowing brightly, “has anyone you've hurt and didn't mean to acted as though they never wished to see you again?”

“...Not that I haven't already apologized to,” Percy whispered. “But… That doesn't mean I can't try to make things right.”

“True… But are you doing it for them? Or yourself?”

“I…”

“It should be both, if you ask me,” Amphitrite said. She seemed to have gathered a bit of her old energy, and got up to meander around the room, picking up some books and rifling through them absently. “Apologize to them so if they ever seek closure they know you will take responsibility within reason, and make amends so that you can lighten the burden on your own heart and heal the wounds your soul carries.”

Percy sighed, pulling her legs up onto the couch and folding them underneath her. Her eyes flicked to the silver moon on her forearm, and then the little stuffed dove attached to her bag, left on the other couch.

The next people she'd realistically run into… They didn't blame her. They wouldn't have given her these gifts if they did. But…

She wanted to make sure they had no regrets, and that she wasn't worrying about it so much.

“How… How is everyone else handling my… Absence?” She asked softly. “On Olympus.”

Amphitrite paused. “...It depends.”

“On?”

“On whether Poseidon’s there or not,” she said grimly, closing the book in her hands and leaning back against the bookshelves. “If he's there? Everyone's up in arms and concerned and worried,” she said, an almost mocking tone to her voice.

“And when he isn't?”

Amphitrite chuckled. “Athena, Ares, and Zeus are overjoyed and hope you're dead,” she admitted. Percy rolled her eyes. “I know, big surprise. Dionysus, Hephaestus, and Hermes couldn't care less if they tried. They have their own issues to handle.”

“Fair enough… The others?”

Amphitrite’s amusement seemed to die. “Apollo and Artemis are looking for you,” she admitted. “Not for Poseidon, but their own concern. They care about you, more genuinely and honestly than the other six I mentioned. Hera's worried, and I've seen her speaking to Hestia - likely asking to search the hearths you may be at.”

That left three of particular concern… The three who could actually be Percy’s ‘father’.

“And Hades? Aphrodite? Demeter?” She wasn't sure which being her ‘father’ would be the most jarring, if she was honest. She wouldn't know until the time came, but…

“Hades is… Strange,” Amphitrite confessed. “He's spoken to Persephone, possibly asking her to check the surface if you're still missing come spring. Seeing as Nico hasn't come after you, he can't be too concerned…”

Well, that was… Both reassuring and confusing.

“Aphrodite is confusing in her own right,” Amphitrite muttered. Her expression became visibly troubled, then. “You're one of her favorites, so her concern whether Poseidon’s there or not is actually genuine. The reasons, however, seem different. When he's there, she's worried because ‘Annabeth must be heartbroken’, and ‘she’s missing all the drama’ - the usual.”

“And when he isn't?”

“That's just it - I don't know,” Amphitrite said. “Aphrodite is much more unreadable and complicated than one might expect. She's a very old, very powerful goddess. It's possible she's spoken to Piper, since you were both part of the Seven? But I don't think she cares as much about your relationship with Annabeth as she lets on.”

Well… that was both interesting and confusing. Aphrodite had always shown a vested interest in Percy’s love life. Was she perhaps happy, because the drama was coming to a head? Percy couldn't deny that her relationship with Annabeth would be rocky when she got back, based on what she had learned.

What's more, there were still a lot of people Percy wanted to talk to. To ask questions, make amends to, and understand better.

But for now, there was one Olympian left.

“Demeter. What's going on with Demeter?”

Amphitrite was quiet for a moment. “It's… Hard to say,” she confessed. “You left around when autumn began, so she's still in her routine depression from Persephone's absence. But… She's been off for a while, muttering to herself and seeming unfocused. It… It could be her memories were… Altered…” She closed her eyes. “...And Poseidon has attacked Demeter before.”

Percy closed her own eyes, feeling tears fall down her face. It was as she suspected, Demeter was… The most likely goddess to be her divine parent.

And gods did it ever make sense. Her connection to the earth had not broken, but merely felt changed. Different. She'd always felt close to Katie and Miranda, and had considered Meg like a little sister from the start.

She didn't want to make assumptions… But by the gods, it would explain a lot. So much.

“I need to talk to them… Hades, Aphrodite, Demeter…” At Amphitrite’s confused look, Percy smiled sadly. “They're the likeliest alternatives for my divine parent,” she explained. “Since I fulfilled that prophecy. And… Well, if you think about it, it says ‘a half-blood’ - as in one in particular. And ‘of the eldest gods’ - not one god. But gods. So either it meant anyone born to one of the oldest gods, or…”

“Or one who could theoretically be the child of more than one god,” Amphitrite whispered. “Like if they were claimed by someone who wasn't their actual…”

Percy nodded solemnly. “It was me… It was always me,” she whispered. “And Poseidon knew the truth about the prophecy. That's why he did it. He didn't just show his brothers up by having a demigod child despite the pact—”

“He ensured the child would be the one of prophecy,” Amphitrite said, staring in horror at the door out to the seas. As if Poseidon would bust in at any moment. “If… If he caught my father…”

“He'd have been able to force Nereus to tell him the truth of the prophecy,” Percy finished, feeling sick to her stomach. “Since Nereus knows everything.”

Amphitrite seemed to deflate. “Gods…”

Percy grimaced. “I should… Go,” she said awkwardly.

“Where will you go…?”

Percy smiled apologetically. “Sorry, but I can't say. It's not that I don't trust you, but… Better safe than sorry,” she said.

Amphitrite gave a thin smile. “I suppose that's fair,” she admitted. “But before you go… I'll get you some funds - mortal money. Something tells me you'll need more.”

Percy winced. “Yeah… I will,” she admitted. “I had enough for the first couple months since I just paid for food and… Uh… Essentials.” She felt her face turn red.

Amphitrite’s smile became a full-on smirk. “The joys of being a woman have borne fruit, I take it?”

Percy's face turned even redder. “Let’s just say I understand why Piper broke Leo’s nose when he asked her once.”

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

IV: Piper

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

December 10th, 2011

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Percy knocked thrice.

“I'll get it!” Said a feminine voice she didn't quite recognize. When the door opened, though, she definitely knew the face. “Oh! Uh, can I help you?”

Percy smiled a little. “Hey, Shel. It's… It's Percy. Is Piper in…?”

Shel’s eyes went wide as she did a double take. “Uh… Yeah… Uh… C-come in…?”

Percy thanked her and followed Shel inside and through a hallway that opened up into a living room. Sitting on the couch was Piper, seeming pretty damn happy compared to when Percy had last seen her.

“Hey babe, who’s…?” Piper frowned as she looked at Percy. “Do I… I know you. Who…”

Percy smiled at her. “Hey, Pipes. It's been… What, three months?”

Piper's eyes went wide. “Percy?!”

“Yeah - uh, don't freak?” Percy asked hopefully. “Still kind of… On the run.”

“You– but– I– wh– you're a girl!”

“Sharp eye,” Percy said dryly. “Goddess magic has its perks,” she said with a small smile.

“You're…”

“No, I'm not a goddess,” Percy said to Shel, who'd been giving her a dubious look. “I just… Met one while I’ve been out. Well, two, actually.”

Piper took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Okay… Alright… You, sit,” she said to Percy, pointing to a chair. “I'm getting a drachma and calling Annabeth.”

“If you do that, I'm leaving,” Percy said sharply. Piper looked at her in surprise. “Nobody can know I was here, Piper. Not even Annabeth.”

“But she's… What, are you worried she'll freak— wait, is that why you left?” Piper asked, seeming to get herself worked up. “I swear if it is she's fu—”

“No, Piper. That's not why,” Percy said. She sighed, but at least obliged Piper and sat in the offered chair, rubbing the right side of her head. She scowled when she knocked some hair loose from the ponytail she'd put it into. “...Look, let's just say I've been doing a lot of soul-searching, and my life’s a lot more messed up than anyone knew.”

“Aren't you, like, the Ki— uh, Queen of messed up lives?” Shel asked as she sat back down next to Piper, draping her legs over her girlfriend’s lap. “Like… No offense but it sounds like your life’s been a shitshow.”

“None taken,” Percy said, smiling a little. “But yeah… Try ‘Poseidon isn't my dad and Annabeth’s been manipulating me for years’ level fucked.”

Piper blinked. “That's… Okay, yeah, fair enough,” she muttered. “How did…”

“The first goddess I met was Circe,” Percy explained. “Remember the story I told you about the Spa?” Piper nodded, seeming to tense a bit. “I apologized to her, and… Well, we came to an understanding and both forgave each other. She turned me into a girl like I've always wanted, and—”

“Wait, always?” Shel asked, surprised. “You seemed to be chill being a dude before.”

Percy winced. “Call it, ah… False bravado.” She sighed and rubbed the side of her nose. “My stepfather kinda made me terrified to be LGBT+ in any way, and then Circe showed me myself as a girl only to guinea pigify me.”

Shel closed her eyes, looking pained. “Damn.”

“Yeah.”

“So… She made things right. That's good,” Piper said, relaxing. She then had a small smile appear on her face. “Welcome to the club - you're a girl and you're queer, you're officially part of the cool squad.”

Percy giggled a bit at her antics, nodding sagely. “Very true,” she agreed. She gave Piper a more heartfelt smile, then. “Thanks… For accepting me.”

Piper shrugged. “Percy, I'm literally engaged to a girl,” she said, waving her left hand which was adorned with her engagement ring. “Be pretty dumb of me not to.”

Percy shrugged weakly. “I know, just…” She grimaced. “When I looked back on everything… Well… You're kind of my best friend, so… Your opinion matters to me.”

“I… Wh-what?”

“Woah… Guess we should bump her up to your Maid of Honor,” Shel muttered under her breath.

“Percy… I-I’m flattered and touched, and honestly I probably feel the same, but… What about Grover? Or Hazel or Frank?”

Percy sighed. “Grover…” She grimaced. “He put an empathy link on me without my consent. He could literally monitor my emotions for years until I had Rachel break it.”

Shel swore under her breath. “That little…”

“I never liked that goat anyway,” Piper growled.

Percy gave them grateful smiles. “And… Hazel and Frank are like family. A little sister and brother. I can't really say they're friend material - they're family. But… You know me. You treat me like an equal, and you care. You're kind, honest…” She faltered, but only briefly. “And you know what it's like to feel like nobody tells you the truth.”

Piper's expression fell. “Your d… Poseidon and Annabeth.”

Percy nodded. She began to massage her left hand with her right. “Poseidon… He wanted fame - glory,” she muttered. She squeezed harder to temper her growing fury. “He manipulated Mom’s memories, overloaded me with blessings… forced me to be the demigod of prophecy. I don't know who my godly parent is, but I've narrowed it down - Hades, Aphrodite, or Demeter.”

Piper’s eyebrows skyrocketed. “We could be sisters?!”

“Oh, damn,” Shel breathed.

“Maybe,” Percy agreed. “Amphitrite said Aphrodite's been strange lately. Have you noticed anything?”

Piper pursed her lips. “I mean… Well…”

“She's pissed at Annabeth,” Shel said flatly. She waved Piper’s protests off. “I'll level with you - she's worried you're gonna get hurt. She's already confident that Annabeth messed up and hurt you badly. She was ready to smite her if she found out her suspicions were true.”

“It… could be her motherly concern,” Piper admitted. “But… Well, I don't know.”

Percy sighed, staring at the coffee table. “Annabeth's been hiding information from me from the start,” she began slowly. “First it was about my father… Then the people he hurt… Luke… Circe… And it's grown from there. She keeps secret after secret. In my downtime I've been paying attention to my memories, and Pipes… It's not good. She's never treated me like a partner - like a true equal. She treats me like a hindrance and a weak link.”

Piper squirmed. “But… You went to Tartarus…”

“We did,” Percy agreed softly. “...And now I think she knew from the start that we had to close the doors from both sides. Annabeth is a genius, and I'm proud of her brains. But she's also been playing me like a fiddle. I… I don't know if our relationship would survive if I went home now. But I'm not done.”

“You said you were doing soul-searching?” Shel asked curiously. “How so?”

“Apologizing. Making amends,” Percy admitted. “I've still got a good few names I want to check on before I return to New York.”

“Huh… But… Wait, are we…?” Piper asked.

Percy looked down at her hands. “I've been thinking, and I've not been a good friend to you,” she said softly. “Your Dad’s had his career totally destroyed, and I just… Stayed in New York. I didn't help Apollo, I didn't help you… I didn't protect Jason.”

“Percy—”

“I was the leader,” Percy said firmly. She met Piper’s eyes, knowing the daughter of Aphrodite would see the tears falling down her face. “I was the leader when we were on the Argo II. Everyone knew it, they just didn't say it. Annabeth didn't want the spotlight, Jason was tired of leading, you, Leo, Hazel, and Frank were all too inexperienced. It was me… It was always me. And I acted like such an idiot, both then and after. I let you down… I let Jason down.”

“Y-you were doing the best you could, Percy,” Piper said awkwardly. Shel moved her legs and Piper got up to crouch by Percy. “You had a life to live… And none of us expected Jason to die. It's not your fault.”

Percy stared at her knees, tears falling and making the thighs of her jeans wet. “Then why do I blame myself?”

Piper pulled her into a gentle hug that Percy slowly returned. “Because everyone keeps putting crap on your shoulders,” she said in a low voice. “Because Annabeth and Poseidon and everyone else keeps demanding that you be the responsible one. The hero… The strongest of us all.”

Percy laughed bitterly as she clung to Piper’s fleece. “I’m not strong anymore… My powers are all gone,” she said hoarsely. “I can breathe underwater, I’ve still got my strength and speed and stuff, and that's it. Otherwise… I'm a mortal that's vulnerable to magical weapons.”

“...I think you're still powerful,” Shel piped up. Percy looked at her in confusion over Piper’s shoulder. “Maybe not physically or magically… But you're making this journey. You're apologizing to others. You're righting wrongs and making amends… And you're being vulnerable. Honest with your feelings. You're different than when we last met, and… I like this Percy better.”

Percy smiled through her tears. “Thanks, Shel.”

Piper hummed in agreement. “She's right… And hey, maybe things'll change when you meet your real divine parent,” she said, grinning while she broke the hug. “Maybe Aphrodite gave you Charmspeak, too.”

Percy snorted. “Or maybe it's Hades and that's why I'm always on the brink of death,” she joked.

“That'd make Nico your brother.” Percy made a face and Piper laughed at her while going back to sitting with Shel. “Don't act like it's that bad,” Piper teased.

“No… But if he's my brother, that makes the crush he had…”

Piper paused and then looked incredibly pained. “Okay, yeah, no. Fair point,” she said, letting a breath hiss out of her. “Let's hope for Aphrodite or Demeter.”

Percy nodded. “Agreed.”

Piper sighed. “Still… I gotta say, Annabeth being like that…” She then paused. “Maybe it's not that surprising.”

“How do you mean?”

“Well… Uh…” Piper squirmed uncomfortably and didn't meet Percy’s eyes. “That judo flip… And the other ways she… Physically keeps you in check… or blames you for stuff that's not your fault… That's kind of abusive, Percy.”

Percy felt her mouth go dry. Abusive…

She could see that word working for Gabe. She could see it for Poseidon, in the form of neglect among others. She could see it for Clarisse, for Gaea, for Kronos…

But Annabeth? Abusive? Had what Annabeth done to her truly been so unforgivable? And besides, how would Annabeth react if…

“I-I don't know,” Percy said, looking at her bag next to her feet. “It's just… S-secrets and stuff. I don't… a-and hey, so what if she's rough sometimes? Tha-that’s okay, and—”

“Percy,” Shel implored her. Percy went silent. “You told me about your stepdad… how he treated you and your Mom. I just… Do you maybe… Think you just… Got so used to it that you… Unintentionally fell for someone who mistreated you?”

“I… What?”

“It's… something I've learned about in my psychology classes,” Shel admitted. “You had an abusive stepdad in your formative years, so that's the type of relationship you've normalized. You're not accustomed to being treated like an equal, but like you're subservient. You expect a partner who pushes all the hard work onto you while they reap the rewards. You… You looked for a narcissist, and it's your Mom’s fault.”

Percy drew her legs up and buried her face in her knees so they wouldn't see her tears. “She’s not like that. She… Mom did that to protect me. I know that.”

“Did you know that when he was abusing you?”

Percy's lip trembled. “...She’s not a bad person,” she sobbed softly. She sniffled and hiccoughed. “My Mom… She's a good person.”

“Good people do bad things, Percy,” Piper said softly. “That's why you're on this little… Trip… Right?” Percy didn't answer her. “I'm not saying you should hate your Mom… But it's okay to be upset because of how her actions hurt you.”

“But… But I'm the one who ran away from her. Again,” Percy whispered.

“And just like last time, I bet she'll welcome you home with open arms,” Piper reassured her. Percy felt a hand slowly stroke her hair and knew it was Piper. “Your mom's a good person who meant well. That doesn't mean you're not allowed to be hurt by her actions… And even if Annabeth means well, that doesn't make how she treats you okay. At all. She needs to be better… And if you think you're too hurt to stay with her, then don't.”

“But—”

“Percy. Take it from the daughter of the love goddess,” Piper said firmly, taking Percy's head in her hands and tilting it up to look directly at the older girl with a stern gaze. “I know what relationships are and aren't healthy. Yours with Annabeth? Isn't. And if you need to break up with her, that's okay.”

“But… But I was her first partner after Luke,” Percy sobbed. “And… And I went to Tartarus with her.”

“All the more reason that the way she treats you is messed up. And completely uncalled for,” Piper asserted. Her expression relaxed when she saw how helpless Percy looked. “Percy… whatever's holding you back - her mental health, her issues, whatever it is - that's not important. You are. You're the victim.”

“...But what if I've hurt her, too?” Percy whispered.

“I'll believe that when pigs fly,” Piper said dryly. Percy decided now was not the time to mention the Clazmonian Sow. “You're a sweet person, Percy, and your love for her? It's pure, but hurting. Broken and fragmented… If you can patch things up without hurting yourself more? Okay. But if not? Or if she keeps hurting you? Well…” She smiled and glanced at Shel.

“Our door's always open to you, Percy,” Shel said kindly.

Percy smiled a bit. “...Thanks, you two,” she said softly.

Piper grinned and gave her another quick hug. “So, just one last thing to figure out before you go.”

“What's that?”

“Think you have time to be fitted for a Maid of Honor dress?” Piper asked with a wicked grin.

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

V: Artemis

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

February 7th, 2012

Somewhere in Colorado

The Full Moon was bright… Well, now or never.

Percy sat in the clearing and sighed, letting herself sink to a sitting position as she waited. If the twins really were looking for her…

Shf-shf.

Well, that was quick.

“Percy Jackson.”

“Hello, Lady Artemis.”

“It seems the flesh now reflects the soul within,” the young-looking goddess observed as she approached from within the shadows. Her Hunters slowly did the same, circling Percy as though she were trying to escape.

“Yeah… Circe did me a favor,” Percy admitted. She sighed. “But… I really hope you're not planning to take me back to New York.”

Artemis’ expression tightened. “You are missed, Percy,” she pointed out. “By Poseidon in particular.”

Percy nodded. “I know… But I'm only here to tell you that it's okay to let Apollo - and only Apollo - know that I'm okay. And…” She hesitated.

“And…?”

“...And because I'm on a journey to make amends, and your name is on the list,” Percy said quietly. “Same with Reyna and Thalia.”

“Ah… Well, alas, I am the only one you can check off this night,” Artemis said. She gestured and her Hunters began setting up camp. “Thalia and Reyna have forsaken their oath.”

“They… They what?”

Artemis smiled. “It was a more amicable departure than most,” she acknowledged. “They fell in love with one another.”

“Thalia and… Alright then,” Percy muttered, shaking her head. That was a surprise twist. “Guess I'll have to go looking for them after this.”

Artemis hummed. She sat across from Percy, only a couple feet away. “You seem… different.”

Percy nodded. “My connection to the sea has been broken,” she agreed. She sighed, looking at her hands and shuddering. She'd gotten used to the hollow feeling in the last two months or so, but it was still jarring beyond belief.

“Poseidon has forsaken you…?”

“I was never his to forsake,” Percy corrected. Artemis gave her a puzzled look. Percy leaned in to avoid being overheard. “Poseidon is not my father.”

Artemis stiffened and gave Percy a very serious look. “That… That's impossible…”

“With enough blessings and lies, he made it possible,” Percy said grimly. “I don't know who my godly parent actually is. So far the likeliest answers are Hades, Aphrodite, and Demeter.”

“I see…” Artemis looked down, seeming to mutter to herself. “I suppose… And the prophecy… gods, of course…” Her head snapped up. “He wanted fame.”

“He did,” Percy agreed. “He was… Jealous. Of his brothers. That's why he's so fervently looking for me. It's probably driving him crazy that he can't sense his ‘golden boy’ anymore and keep me in check,” she said in a scathing, disgusted tone. Her feelings towards Poseidon had only soured with time, evidently.

“I can't believe…” Artemis sighed. She then tilted her head. “Where is Riptide…?”

Percy took the clip out of her hair and handed it to Artemis. “Once my connection to the sea broke, it turned into a hairclip again,” she explained. “I… I want to give it to you.”

“But this is your weapon,” Artemis objected. “To leave you defenseless, without your powers or your blade… And Zoë entrusted it to you,” she added, seeming irate.

“Zoë’s why I looked for you,” Percy said. The goddess’ anger dissipated and gave way to confusion. “I… I wanted to apologize for her death.”

“Her death was caused by Ladon and Atlas,” Artemis said matter-of-factly.

“Her death was caused,” Percy said, staring at her own hands, “because she was protecting me from Ladon. Me. The useless idiot who wasn't paying attention.”

“But…”

“Lady Artemis… I know she didn't blame me. I know maybe you don't blame me as of right now,” Percy said, keeping both Artemis’ behaviors and favor for her and Zoë's final words in mind. “But I want to apologize and give you Riptide all the same. Because I don't feel worthy of it… And my connection to Riptide broke when my connection to the sea did.”

“But it is not Poseidon’s to give,” Artemis protested. “This can't be. It was crafted by Pleione!”

“An Oceanid,” Percy pointed out. Artemis’ expression went slack while her shoulders dropped. “Riptide answers to those who are of the sea. The fact it won't respond to me probably discounts Aphrodite in and of itself since she was born from seafoam. Be it Hades or Demeter, I'm a child of the earth.”

Artemis sighed. “Which is troublesome in its own right. Poseidon wiping memories and overriding one of them is asking for trouble. Zeus will not take this lightly. Hades is their brother and equal, and Demeter is the eldest of the Olympians. If they learn of Poseidon’s treachery, he may well lose his seat, if not his godhood.”

Percy paled. “But… The gods fight a lot over stuff. Why… Why would I be enough for…?”

“It is not because it is you, at least not in the ways you think,” Artemis said carefully. She looked appraisingly at Percy. “Hades has long desired recognition, and learning that you - the most famous of all demigods in modern day - were stolen from beneath his nose would infuriate him. And Demeter… She has already lost one daughter to her brothers, and Poseidon especially has caused her great harm. If she were to learn he has stolen a child from her - a daughter now, no less?”

Percy paled even further. She thought of how many mortals had died when Demeter's grief introduced winter to the world. If either her rage or sorrow were stoked any further… “The world would fall apart,” she whispered.

Artemis nodded in agreement. “I shall see if I can pass information to you from Olympus. Seeing as I am sure you plan to host your own investigation on this… Journey?”

“Soul-searching adventure, or something,” Percy said with a small shrug. “I'm looking for those I've wronged while also taking time to think and look into myself. I've been taking so long inbetween visits because of all the introspection I'm doing. I could've been done months ago, but…”

Artemis shook her head. “It is better you delay,” she said approvingly. “Matters of the heart and mind are best taken at one’s own pace, not in a rush. So long as you are safe, that is what matters.”

Percy chuckled a bit. She looked around the encampment the Hunters had just about finished setting up, feeling wistful.

“Having second thoughts…?” Artemis asked.

“...I don't know,” Percy admitted. “But… My relationship with Annabeth is…” She winced. “Rocky.”

“Hm… Athena's children have a tendency to be rather rough around the edges,” Artemis agreed. “They take after her in… Many ways.”

Percy sighed. She looked at her left forearm before pulling up the sleeve of her hoodie and rubbing a thumb over the silver mark.

“The symbol of the maiden,” Artemis murmured. “You were quite pleased to receive it.”

“Why wouldn't I?” Percy said with a smile. She gave Artemis a look of heartfelt gratitude. “You saw the girl nobody else did.”

“It is my job,” Artemis said dryly. “I imagine Hera saw it as well, but her meddling tends to take precedence. Aphrodite… Perhaps. Matters of the heart are very much her domain.”

Percy hummed. She thought about the many gods and goddesses she'd encountered. How some - Aphrodite, Artemis, and Hera in particular - had indeed taken a vested interest in her life. Shown genuine intrigue and interest.

They had known. Even when Percy shut the feelings down, they'd known. Every step of the way.

“Annabeth wouldn't accept me… Would she?” She asked softly.

Artemis looked wary. “Why do you say that? Your friend Will Solace, Apollo’s favorite - he is transgender as well,” she pointed out.

“You know that's not why,” Percy said, giving Artemis a piercing look as the goddess looked uncomfortable. “I know Aphrodite gossips - and I'm one of her favorite demigods to mess with the love life of. It would be just like her to make me fall for the one girl who couldn't love me if I were a girl as well.”

Artemis closed her eyes. “...You are correct,” she said in a strained voice. “I… Had hoped to spare you the pain when your life has already endured so much.”

“Annabeth lying and withholding information is a large part of why I'm so upset with her,” Percy told her. “I… Appreciate that you care, Lady Artemis… But I just want the truth.”

Artemis seemed to deflate. “I am so… lost when it comes to these things,” she complained. “Do not get me wrong, I do not regret my vow. But… I so often have Hunters or demigods who seek my counsel for matters of the heart. Of love. Relationships.”

Percy chuckled. “Maybe because they don't expect you to try and fix it,” she pointed out. Artemis just looked even more confused. “You're an eternal maiden, sworn against love - which means you are among those they can consider… A soundboard. Someone to talk to but not expect solutions from.”

“I… See…” Artemis’ brow furrowed, and if it weren't for what Percy knew, the goddess would seem like any other troubled ten year old. She sighed and shook her head in frustration. “Well, if it is any comfort, Aphrodite did say that were Annabeth to work to right her wrongs, she may come to a realization about her sexuality. But it depends on the depths of her hubris.”

“Hm… We'll see,” Percy said softly. She groaned and held her head between her hands. “I wish it didn't have to be so complicated! I mean… Gods, I know I love and care about her, but now I have all these doubts and I've been given so many warnings, I just…” She deflated. “I just wish I could go back to how things were before.”

“When you were stressed, miserable, and blatantly unaware of how you were being mistreated?” Artemis asked.

“...When I didn't feel afraid of my girlfriend,” Percy whispered. “When it didn't feel like I was lost and helpless. When it didn't feel like I was a monster.”

Artemis laughed a little, and Percy couldn't help feeling a little bit affronted before she remembered that the goddess before her had likely experienced much greater pains than a mortal could comprehend.

“You mortals always impress me,” she mused. “With how grand of pain your emotions can become.”

Percy blinked. “What.”

“We gods are… Certain. Stagnant, in some ways. Sure, we've made growth and changes - but a great deal are recent. So recent it may as well have been this morning when you think of our lifespans,” Artemis explained, waving her hand and creating a nebula of silvery light. “We're… Cosmic. Beyond cosmic, in the cases of some - like Hera or Zeus, who rule the cosmos. We feel emotions, but they are… Momentary. Infinitesimal in comparison to our being.”

“Then… Then why do the gods fight so much?” Percy asked, lost. “If emotions are so… Small, to you.”

Artemis sighed, dispelling the nebula. “That, I am afraid… Is a mystery in many ways,” she said softly. “...To those who refuse to pay attention. I am not onesuch goddess. We may not feel emotions terribly strongly, but we can feel emptiness. Loss. Fear. Pain. We are tied to our domains in ways mortal minds would crumble if they were forced to bear them.”

“...How so?” Percy asked.

“...In every moment a woman is assaulted,” Artemis said quietly. “I am there. Providing what protection I can. Sharing her pain. Bringing her peace. I am there when every hunter shoots their gun or dresses a carcass. I am there when the wilderness is threatened - once upon a time, Pan was there as well, but no longer. Whenever someone looks to the moon…”

Percy looked up at the full moon. “You're here,” she said softly. She tried to comprehend that. Seeing and experiencing so much human cruelty worldwide at every single turn. “...It’s not that surprising you get angry when we say you don't care, then,” she said softly.

Artemis smiled weakly. “That is what makes me upset, yes,” she agreed. “Poseidon… He is surprisingly calm, but that generally is due to his strength. He is one of the mightiest gods - greater than most any other. Yet at the same time, that is why his moods are so cataclysmic. That is why his fury crafts tidal waves the size of skyscrapers, why his wrath splits the earth, and why his fear brings the oceans into turmoil.”

Percy grimaced. “I… Guess I feel a bit bad for being so rough, before… But not as bad as maybe you all would want,” she said. She met Artemis’ eyes. “Demigods deserve more. Better. What I've asked for—”

“Has been akin to party tricks,” Artemis agreed. At Percy's surprised look, her silver eyes gleamed. “I spend my days with my Hunters, not with my fellow gods, Percy. I know their grief. Their loneliness and desperation. I know that they crave the love and attention of their godly parents. So believe me when I say that while I may not always comprehend your emotions… I will always side with your requests, if they are within reason.”

Percy found herself smiling. She knew there was a reason she liked Artemis. “Thank you, My Lady.”

Artemis smiled. “Now… It seems it is time you go,” she murmured. “If it is Thalia and Reyna you seek… go northwest. They seemed keen on visiting Salt Lake City.”

“Utah, huh? Alright. Thank you, Lady Artemis,” Percy said softly.

“Don't thank me yet - I haven't even rearmed you,” Artemis said with a dangerous gleam in her eyes. “Tell me, how do you feel about hatchets and knives?”

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

VI: Thalia & Reyna

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

March 16th, 2012

Salt Lake City, Utah

Knock knock knock.

The door was opened by a strikingly familiar head of spiky black hair, though it was a bit longer on top and shaved on the sides now. The girl with electric blue eyes frowned at Percy.

“Uh, sorry lady. No time for solicitors,” she said, going to shut the door.

Percy caught the door. “What about for a cousin?” She asked softly.

Thalia stared for a long moment before her eyebrows soared. “Percy?! Where the fuck have you been?!” She hissed, grabbing Percy by the shirt and yanking her inside.

“Holy f— unf!” Percy blinked before chuckling and wrapping the arm Thalia hadn't pinned around the former Hunter. “Hey, Thals. Sorry.”

“We've been worried sick,” Thalia growled. She made no move to let go. “You've been missing for six months.”

“Yeah… And it's gonna be for a while longer,” Percy said apologetically.

Thalia finally broke the hug only to look at her in shock. “Did you smack your head when you got your sex change, Jackson?!”

“No… But I've been learning some stuff, and right now I'm just… Handling stuff on my own terms,” Percy said, shrugging a bit. “Soul-searching, I guess.”

“Huh…” Thalia sighed, seeming to relax a bit. “...Fine, but you owe me a lightning bolt.”

Percy winced. “Ugh… Maybe something less… Fatal?” She asked softly.

“Nah. Anything less and I won't be satisfied,” Thalia said, half-joking.

“No… Thalia, you don't get it,” Percy told her. She grabbed her friend’s shoulder and gave her a serious look. “I don't have a connection to the oceans anymore. I'm basically just a mortal with enhanced abilities, now.”

“What… how did you fuck that up?”

“Thals? Is someone here?” Another voice came from the other room.

“Shit, uh.” Thalia looked panicked. “Can…?”

“Reyna! Come out here already and say hi to a fellow former praetor!” Percy called out.

Silence followed by a thud and several loud footsteps. Soon Reyna was slamming the door open and looking around wildly in pajama shorts and a t-shirt. Her eyes boggled when she saw Percy. “Is… No… Percy?!”

“A bit prettier now, but yeah,” Percy confirmed.

Reyna took a few steps towards her - slowly, as if she'd startle if Reyna moved too quickly. “You… We've been looking for you,” she said fiercely.

“You should know better than anyone that those Lupa trains cannot be found if they don't wish to be,” Percy chastised her lightly. Reyna pursed her lips, clearly annoyed at having her own Roman experience used against her. “And I do not want to be found.”

Thalia narrowed her eyes. “You say your powers are gone… What's to stop us from tying you up and dragging you back?” She threatened.

Percy looked at her. “The fact Annabeth’s been lying to me for years,” she said, “for starters.”

Thalia closed her eyes. “...Shit.”

Reyna grimaced. “She has… Often seemed… secretive, but to you? Percy, you're her partner,” she said, walking over to Thalia and taking her hand. “If anything… Haven't you been lying to her? Such as about your gender?”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “...Did you know she never told me what Circe was like?”

“Wh-what?” Reyna's eyes looked younger, then. The same as they probably had when she was at C.C.’s Spa.

“I didn't know,” Percy said simply. “That Circe was a goddess. That she was your protector. I thought she was an evil sorceress like Medea - because that's what Annabeth told me. She told me that her attendants were all monsters or evil nymphs… and that's why I didn't stay back to fight off Blackbeard… And I'm sorry,” she said softly. “Please… Can we sit?”

Thalia and Reyna both traded looks, but soon enough all three girls were sat at their dining table. Thalia and Reyna on one side with Percy on the other, staring at the table.

“What happened, Percy?” Thalia said. “Why did you leave?”

Percy took a deep breath and let it out in one big huff. “My powers started to weaken… And I also started to realize I'd done some messed up shit,” she said flatly. “I hurt people - including you two. People I've been visiting. Checking in on. Making amends to. One of them was Circe.”

Thalia took and massaged Reyna’s hand while the daughter of Bellona stared at the table. “I take it she's the one who…” She gestured to Percy’s body.

“Yes, Circe gave me the body I've always wanted,” Percy agreed. She sighed, tapping a finger against the table. “The body she didn't realize I had wanted five years ago.”

“...She always said all men looked like pigs in her eyes,” Reyna rasped.

Percy snorted. “Well, we both said our apologies then,” she said dryly. She tugged at her hair, ruffling the longer locks. “But… I owe you both some apologies. Reyna, for the Island… For my failures in New Rome… For how I rejected you,” Percy said softly. “Thalia, for the Ophiotaurus… For Jason.”

“What… What about Jason?” Thalia asked, her shoulders tensing.

“...I wasn't there,” Percy said simply. “I was doing those stupid quests so I could get a college application… when those damned Emperors were out and about.” She looked up at Thalia with a grim expression. “I wasn't there.”

Thalia opened her mouth for a moment, looking angry, before she stopped and closed her eyes. She let out a low, slow breath, and the tension left her shoulders. “Shut up.”

Percy grimaced, but she kept quiet.

“You… You're always like this,” Thalia said, sounding disgusted. “Taking the weight of the damn world on your shoulders - literally with that fight against Atlas. You always act like everything’s your fucking fault. Did you ever thing for once that maybe Jason died because of the piece of shit that put a spear in his godsdamned chest?!” Thalia roared, slamming her fist against the table.

Percy stared at the table. “I was the leader of the Ar—”

“And the moment your quest was over your lives were your own you seaweed brained  idiot,” Thalia hissed. “I… Look. You wanna apologize for stressing me out? Fine. You wanna apologize for not knocking some sense into me whenever I flip shit? Fine! But for fuck’s sake would you just stop taking responsibility for shit that isn't your fault and trying to make us hate you for no good reason?!”

Thalia slowly heaved for breath, her hair a mess. She curled her hands into fists before she sat down, shaking.

“I… I'm s—”

“Don't,” Thalia said, fury still shaking her voice. She took another slow breath, her hands shaking as she slowly uncurled her fists. “Just. Stop. Apologizing. For fuck’s sake can't you see I'm not mad at you, but for you?”

“I…” Percy faltered. She looked down at the table.

Thalia was angry… for her? But that didn't make sense. They'd always picked fights, and Thalia had always been so… Aggressive. Intense. This was normal, and Percy was used to it. Used to squabbling and arguing with her.

Reyna pursed her lips before she spoke up. “Your rejection hurt, Percy… But it made me impressed,” she said carefully. “To see you be… Loyal. Committed. Frankly, however… I became concerned when Annabeth threw you.”

“She what?” Percy asked, frowning. “When did she do that?”

Reyna looked at her with genuine concern. “When you reunited in New Rome,” she said, leaning in. Even Thalia looked a little surprised. “She threw you to the ground and blamed you for running away when Hera was the one who kidnapped you.”

Percy frowned before she recalled the memory. She'd totally forgotten, which was odd considering it had been brought up at Piper's, too. “Oh. Well, that's just Annabeth. That's no big deal,” she said dismissively. “I'm just more concerned about how she’s been withholding information and lying to me. She treats me like a subordinate, not an equal, and I… I'm tired of it.”

Thalia let out another heavy breath. “Percy… Tell me - clearly - how often Annabeth put her hands on you.”

“What? Thalia, I said it's—”

“How. Often?” Thalia ground out.

Percy closed her mouth and looked away. She muttered something under her breath.

“Percy Jackson I swear to the gods—”

“I SAID EVERY DAY, DAMMIT!” Percy shouted, slamming her palms on the table while she rose, tears pricking at her eyes. “The fuck do you want me to say? That it's not okay? That I shouldn't take it? That it's wrong? I fucking… I know,” she growled. “But if it keeps the peace, it's. Fine.”

Reyna seemed horrified, but she wasn't looking at Percy’s face… She was looking at her right arm. And so was Thalia.

Her sleeve had ridden up.

Percy pursed her lips and tugged the sleeve down, slowly lowering into her seat and straightening her hair.

“Percy, if she’s abusing you—”

“Enough, Thalia,” Percy said coldly. The daughter of Zeus flinched. “There's bigger issues than Annabeth, anyway.”

“Percy what could be more important than—”

“Poseidon isn't my father,” she said, cutting Reyna off. Her voice was hoarse and hollow, sounding deeper than usual. Probably because of the stress. Both girls looked at her in disbelief. “Amphitrite confirmed it. My connection to the ocean was broken by an outside force, and that shouldn't be possible unless I'm not actually his blood.”

“By the gods… that would be… That would turn Olympus on its head,” Reyna whispered. “Do you… Do you know who…?”

Percy shook her head. “Not for certain. I've narrowed it down to two possibilities, but I need to meet with both to be sure,” she said. Her voice was raspy. She cleared her throat, ignoring the pain it brought. “It's either Hades or Demeter.”

Thalia paled. “Oh fuck. That could cause a war between the Olympians,” she whispered. “Especially if it's Demeter. With her and Poseidon’s history…” She began to look green, and then as if she were battling with something.

“Olympus would be torn…” Reyna pursed her lips, her eyes flicking up to Percy’s. “You're not done with your… amends… are you?” Percy shook her head. “When will you be?”

Percy wordlessly pulled a folded up piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Reyna, who unfolded it neatly and frowned at it.

Medusa

Circe

Amphitrite

Piper

Artemis

Thalia

Reyna

Hylla

Hazel

Frank

Nico

Hades

Mom

Demeter

Persephone???

Olympus

Camp Half-Blood

Chiron

Grover

Rachel

Annabeth

Percy

Thalia worked her jaw. “Piper… Hazel… Frank… Percy, what could… They adore you,” she said, an almost annoyed laugh falling out of her. “Nico’s over it. Rachel’s fine.”

“My sister has already forgiven you,” Reyna added. “Appearing before her and offering apologies… It would be an insult.”

“Why… Why are you treating yourself like a monster?” Thalia asked helplessly. “Is it… Is it because of Tartarus? You never talk about it. Annabeth, sure - she got over it, apparently. But not you. So what happened?”

Percy sighed. She took the paper back, folding it up methodically. “I hurt a goddess.”

“You… What?”

“Akhlys. Primordial goddess of poison and misery,” Percy said flatly. “I… I took control of her poison from her. I used it against her. She… She was screaming… begging for mercy…” She looked up at Thalia and Reyna, feeling hollow and… Hateful toward herself. “And if it weren't for Annabeth, I wouldn't have shown any mercy.”

Thalia seemed to be at a loss for words, which made Percy feel better in a vindictive sense.

Reyna, though… “Percy… You were in Tartarus. Frankly, if you hadn't done something like that down there, I'd wonder if you were human.”

“What?”

Reyna sighed. “You're powerful, Percy. Moreso than any other demigod… Possibly ever. Nevermind your true parentage, you were heavily blessed by an Olympian - Neptun— er, Poseidon no less. The gods are known for their cruelty and ruthlessness just as much as they are their kindness and generosity,” she said simply.

“But… I'm not a god. I'm mortal. Now more than ever,” Percy objected.

“Not necessarily… You were subject to those blessings for nearly twenty years. The connection has been broken, yes… But the power no doubt remains. It's likely just acclimating to your true powers,” Reyna said simply, shrugging her shoulders. “It can't just… Vanish. And if it was broken by an outside party, that means that what Poseidon gave you didn't go away or return to him, it simply stopped being affiliated with him.”

Percy frowned. “Well… Okay… But still—”

“Percy… You were fighting for your life,” Thalia said softly. She sounded… Defeated. Beaten down. “Fuck… everyone treated you like their errand boy. Including me. I chickened out of being the prophecy kid and left it on your shoulders. I was older than you. I should've taken the responsibility. But I left it to the kid who was still out of his depth after barely a year and a half of knowing about the mythical world. Percy… You wanna know why I'm angry that you apologized to me?”

Percy remained silent.

“Because you didn't do anything wrong. You were just a kid trying to fight for her life in a world of people who kept shoving their problems onto you without asking,” Thalia said testily. Her expression softened, then. “...and because I didn't get to apologize first, like you deserved.”

Reyna squeezed Thalia’s shoulder before looking at Percy. “Similarly… I’m sorry for the grudge I held about Circe’s spa,” she said softly. “If I'd paid attention, I'd have realized that you couldn't have been the one to open that bottle of vitamins and turn back. And… And I'm sorry for confessing my feelings when I already knew you cared for Annabeth. That wasn't fair to you.”

Fair… To Percy…

“I don't… I don't get it,” she said, uncomprehending. “Why… Why do you… I'm fine. I'm not hurt, or upset at you guys. You… You're my friends,” she said, a weak laugh slipping out.

“Then why are you crying?” Reyna asked softly, as if she and Thalia weren't crying.

Percy raised a hand and was surprised to find her face was wet. “I…” She faltered. “But you're my friends…”

“That doesn't mean we didn't hurt you,” Thalia said quietly. Percy didn't know how to reply to that. “Just… If you really gotta do this, then… Fine… But how about you ask people if they want an apology first, okay?”

Percy squirmed. “I… Well… maybe,” she muttered evasively.

Thalia and Reyna traded a look before the latter looked directly at Percy. “One last thing.”

“Huh?”

“The issue with Poseidon and the issue with Annabeth. They're both equally important. Because they involve how those people treated you,” Reyna said firmly. “And gods know that both Camps and Olympus owe you enough of a debt that you're more than justified in taking the time you need to seek justice from both of them.”

When Percy finally left, her heart and mind were heavier than ever.

Annabeth… Abusive…

It couldn't be… Right?

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

VII: Hylla

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

April 21st, 2012

Amazon Headquarters

“Can I help you?” Asked the woman behind the desk.

Percy pursed her lips briefly. She really hoped this worked out, seeing as she was painfully powerless at the moment. “I'm here to speak to Queen Hylla.”

The woman paused before her eyes narrowed. “One doesn't get an audience with the Queen by merely asking,” she said coldly.

“Not even if I say I'm Percy Jackson?” Percy said softly.

The woman’s eyes flicked up and down her before she slowly leaned towards a mic and pressed a button. “Queen Hylla… A woman claiming to be Percy Jackson is here to see you.”

A brief pause, then—

“Send him down.”

The woman pursed her lips before tilting her head to a nearby elevator. “Follow me,” she said primly.

Percy followed her as she exited the area behind her desk. Percy’s senses were on high-alert as she followed the woman. Hylla’s use of the wrong pronouns had Percy on edge, because clearly she still believed Percy was a man.

And that would be an issue.

They entered the elevator - just the two of them…

And nothing happened as the woman pressed the button and they slowly began going down.

Percy felt her palms begin to sweat as neither she nor the woman made a move until the elevator stopped. And when it did, the woman left first…

But Percy made the mistake of not thinking, and had a spear against her throat when she exited.

She sighed. “Of course,” she grumbled.

“Convincing disguise, male,” the Amazon holding a spear to his neck growled. Kinzie. She recognized Kinzie.

“Bite me.”

“Don't speak without permission.”

Percy pursed her lips, but remained silent as she was slowly guided through the halls. The Amazon who'd brought her down patted her down but found no weapons (duh) so they begrudgingly brought her to a very familiar throne room.

“Percy Jackson… Well, well, well,” Hylla drawled as she strode down from her throne. “You've been causing quite the uproar.”

“Gee, I hadn't noticed,” Percy grumbled.

“Your disguise is… cute, but it doesn't fool anyone,” Hylla snapped.

“Not a disguise. Circe transformed me,” Percy huffed. “I'm transgender.”

“A man pretending at being a woman,” Kinzie snarled.

Percy’s hands twitched.

“Yeah, coming here was a mistake,” she muttered. “Never thought you'd be transphobic, but honestly it's not a surprise.”

The Amazon from upstairs grabbed her wrists, and that's when Percy acted.

She stomped on that Amazon’s foot and threw her fist up, busting her jaw and knocking her to the ground. Now that she was taken care of, Percy yanked Kinzie’s spear away with sheer force, spun, and struck her in the side of the head with the butt of her own weapon. Kinzie crumpled like a sack of bricks.

Percy didn't bother threatening Hylla and just tossed the spear aside. “I only came to talk, Hylla,” she said, glaring at the other Amazons that began to slowly circle her. “But if this is how you want to play…”

Percy tugged on the silver hairties around her wrists and they transformed into hatchets. “Then I'll knock every last Amazon unconscious until you have no choice but to talk to me,” Percy said sternly. “So what'll it be?”

Hylla's eyes narrowed. “...You have changed,” she said thoughtfully. “Where is your sword? Was it confiscated?”

“Given to Artemis,” Percy said evenly. “I no longer have a connection to the sea… Or Poseidon. It's made things rough this last half a year, but see…” A wicked grin appeared on her face. “Somehow, I really don't like your odds. Tell me, have any of your Amazons faced a Chimera without their demigod powers and won?”

Hylla's eyes narrowed and her Amazons all slowed, looking at her in uncertain askance. “You're bluffing.”

“I've had to fend for myself for over half a year, Hylla. That means killing every last monster that came after me… An adult demigod,” Percy said cheerily. “Now, this whole journey is for me to do some soul-searching and making amends, but if you just want war…” She gave Hylla her best wolf glare. “I don't mind winning a third. I've got a pretty good track record there, too. And last I heard you're shy on numbers.”

Hylla clenched her hands into fists. “Have you no shame?”

“Not for this,” Percy said flatly. “But I also don't have a male body anymore, and I never had a male mind. You're behind on the times, Hylla.”

“And who's to say men wouldn't use this to sneak into our ranks and betray us? Capture us and—”

“What, has a man ever had to do that to hurt you?” Percy asked. The Amazons drew closer when she interrupted Hylla, whose lip curled at her impertinence. “Did Blackbeard have to shave and put on a dress so he could hurt you? Did his men have to so they could scare you?”

Hylla's eyes showed a flicker of doubt. Percy went for the throat.

“What are you so afraid of, Hylla?” She asked.

Hylla closed her eyes and sighed. “...Stand down and leave us.”

“But my Queen—”

“Go.”

The Amazons all hesitated, but soon they left, taking their unconscious friends with them.

Hylla gave Percy a very tired look. “Why must you do this?” She asked weakly. “Come here and… And make me feel weak?”

“So you can think about how I felt when you called me a man and locked me in a cage,” Percy said sharply. “Like an animal. Does that sound familiar?”

“I…” Hylla's shoulders sank. “I just wanted to protect them.”

“So did Circe. Except she was worse. She showed a thirteen year old trans girl the body of her dreams before tearing it all away,” Percy pointed out. Then her expression softened and she turned her hatchets back into hairties. “But I forgave her, and she made things right… I can't make things right for what Blackbeard did, but I can apologize for not trying to help when I realized you were in danger. I… I let Annabeth, my pain, and my prejudice cloud my judgment. Maybe I couldn't have changed much, but… If you care, I am sorry.”

Hylla blinked at her before an incredulous laugh escaped her. “You… You came all the way here… put yourself in danger… To say sorry?” Percy nodded. “Hah! I… That…” Hylla shook her head in disbelief. “You are something else. That's so inane and emotional yet kind I think I can believe you when you say you're a woman.”

“What, the body didn't give it away?” Percy snarked. Hylla rolled her eyes. “Times are changing, Hylla. There are going to be more and more women and men like me who are willing to speak up. Let themselves be seen and heard. If you really want people to trust the Amazons, accept them.”

Hylla hesitated. “I shall… Think on this,” she said cautiously. “Two women or two men together is one thing, but this…”

“Is none of your business if all I'm doing is asking to talk,” Percy pointed out. “Let's face it. If I wanted to hurt your Amazons, I'd have done so already. But I didn't. Because that's not why I'm here.”

Hylla’s shoulders dropped. “Yes… I suppose you're right,” she admitted. “...Why have your powers left you?” She asked distractedly, looking like she wanted to change the subject.

Percy sighed. “Because Poseidon is playing a dangerous game,” Percy said. She didn't trust Hylla with the details - the Amazons were too much of a wild card. “Toying with my life… And I'm done letting him. I'm trying to learn the truth of who I am… Of what I want from myself. Of what I've been through.”

“And… What is that?” Hylla asked as she sat on the steps in front of her throne. “What you've been through.”

“Practically everything in the book,” Percy said. Before she could sit on the floor, Hylla hesitantly waved her up. She sat a few feet away… But on the same step as the Amazon Queen.

“I've heard you endured Tartarus…”

“That's honestly more recent,” Percy admitted. “Just after the Spa, we went through the full gauntlet in the Sea of Monsters. Scylla and Charybdis, Polyphemus… And later in life I faced Manticores, armies of dracaena… Titans like Atlas, Hyperion, and Kronos… The giants…” She faltered.

“What?”

“...Something Reyna said,” Percy said distractedly.

“You've seen my sister?” Hylla asked curiously.

“Yeah. She and Thalia are both doing okay,” Percy told her. Both women smiled a bit at that. “But… She said that…” She hesitated. “That Annabeth was… Abusive. And I just… Do you know why she'd say that?”

“Because she is.”

“You haven't even seen us together,” Percy argued.

“No, but you don't know our past,” Hylla shot back. She got a faraway look in her eyes as she stared out at the throne room. “Our father was… A cruel man. Unkind and harsh. Hateful. He was abusive, in every sense of the word. So we know how to recognize abuse, and victims. So if Reyna says it, it must be true.”

Percy propped her arms on her knees and her chin on her arms, looking away from Hylla. “Annabeth’s just rough from time to time,” she said stubbornly.

“Rough… Yes, that's what our father called it, too,” Hylla said in a cynical, bitter voice. “He loved us, he was just ‘rough about it’.”

Percy felt her mouth go dry. “That… N-no. Annabeth… She just…” She hunched her shoulders and buried her head some. “She's… She keeps stuff from me, yeah. Treats me like a subordinate instead of an equal, even though we…” She closed her eyes.

“Even though you…?”

Percy sighed and pulled something out of her pocket, setting it on the steps between them.

“...Has she accepted?”

“She didn't give me enough time to propose,” Percy said bitterly. “Keep it. Destroy it or sell it. I don't care… I still don't think she's abusive, but I… I don't think I'm going to propose for a long time unless she's… More honest.”

Hylla hummed, picking up the box. She opened it and sighed. “A nice ring… Beautiful,” she said approvingly. “But for abusers, it is far too good.” She closed the box and set it on her other side, out of Percy’s view.

“Not an abuser.”

“Yes, and that's why you're running around the country, talking to everyone you can find but her, no? Circe, Artemis, my sister… Who else have you spoken to?” Hylla asked.

“...Medusa, Amphitrite, and Piper,” Percy admitted.

“Hmph. Even I find it hard to believe one… former male could make so many people need his apologies when he is lauded as a hero,” Hylla said, sounding more than a little annoyed. “And frankly, now that you're a woman, I'll admit it - you're… Good. Kind. Caring. It's kind of infuriating, really. Before I always considered it a facade. I was waiting for you to snap and show your true colors.”

“How considerate.”

“Shush,” Hylla said, huffing. “But… You're not like that. Time and again you prove yourself obnoxiously good-natured. You protect, you save, you heal… At this point I feel you are doing this because you feel obliged to apologize for inefficacy rather than actual faults.”

“W-well…” Percy pursed her lips. She decided not to mention that she'd already technically done that and gotten an earful from Thalia in return.

“Apologizing for what you cannot do is stupid and foolhardy. It allows people to believe you are greater than you are and hate you for perceived laziness,” Hylla continued to chastise her. “Don't do that. If you hurt someone, fine. If you make a mistake and it causes damage, fine. Otherwise, don't apologize. Simply be there to support them in their pain.”

Percy frowned. “Is this coming from Hylla the big sister or Hylla the Queen?”

“Both, for it has served me well in both roles,” Hylla replied.

Percy stretched her legs out and stared at her hands. They were different now. Softer, with neater, well-maintained nails that were for the moment painted a warm brown in color. “Why does everyone keep telling me stuff like that?” She muttered. “It all feels like it's… Similar.”

Hylla rolled her eyes. “Because it seems you aren't being kind to yourself,” she said simply. At Percy’s incredulous look, she frowned. “What? Is it untrue? Don't you say harsh things to yourself in your mind? Berate yourself for your failures and shortcomings? Treat yourself like garbage?”

“How do you—”

“Because, my dear girl, I live it every day,” Hylla said simply. “Because our father was a narcissist. Drowning in his own ego as he complained of his woes and belittled our own, treated himself as some grandiose sacrificing hero instead of an abusive father.”

Percy winced - Hylla wasn't the first to call Annabeth a narcissist. “Annabeth… She's not like that,” she said stubbornly.

“Why then was she the first person you defend, instead of your mother? I was complaining about a parent, wasn't I?” Hylla questioned.

“Don't twist it. I brought up Annabeth first,” Percy said sharply.

“And then the subject changed, but when I gave an example of the abuse I suffered, you immediately thought of your girlfriend,” Hylla countered.

Percy looked away.

“You're often quite empathetic to the pain of others… The few stories Reyna told me painted a picture of a hero who cared more about his friends than himself,” Hylla begrudged. “But now… Now I see you're just a mirror.”

“A mirror?”

Hylla's expression was the most vulnerable Percy had ever seen it, and in it was… Something familiar. “You put others before yourself because you devalue yourself. You consider yourself less than - inferior. Subhuman.”

“N-no, I—”

“The slightest pain others experience is something you blame yourself for, as you witness and experience it to a degree. You understand their pain and suffering and get lost in it, fearing you're responsible and that you must rise to the occasion. Accepting blame and fixing the problem.”

“That-that— wait—” Percy sobbed, but her voice kept sticking in her throat. Her chest ached immensely and tears slid down her face.

“You're not a monster, Percy,” Hylla said simply. “You're a victim… and so am I. And just like my father, Annabeth has become your living nightmare. Take it from me - don't let her control you. If you really are on a journey of self-discovery, use it to ‘discover’ a you that protects herself, too, instead of being a shield for those who haven't asked you to make that sacrifice.”

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

VIII: Hazel & Frank

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

May 31st, 2012

Caldecott Tunnel - California

“Halt! State your name and business,” said a pink-haired legionnaire standing in front of the tunnel. Her partner - Dakota, apparently - seemed unperturbed.

“Percy Jackson, here to see the praetors of New Rome.”

Both legionnaires froze and their eyes narrowed. “Percy Jackson’s a boy,” said Dakota.

“You'd be surprised what changes when you're on the run for eight months,” Percy said dryly. She pulled up the left sleeve of her long-sleeve, revealing the trident, SPQR, and single line.

“Fuck,” Dakota cursed under his breath. “Let her in, Lavinia.”

Lavinia frowned before pushing the gates open and giving Percy a skeptical gaze. Percy nodded to them both and passed through the tunnel.

She had to say, it went a lot faster without a smelly, nagging goddess on her back.

She went to one of the bridges and crossed it before making her way to the Decamanian Gate, which was open. Business hours, then.

She got a couple strange looks, but when she reached the Gate she was stopped again by an unknown face. “Who are you? You're not a legionnaire,” the boy said.

“No, but I am a former praetor,” Percy said brightly. “I'll wait here if I need to, but I need to talk to praetors Frank Zhang and Hazel Levesque… now.”

The guard exchanged glances with his buddy before they shared some muttered words. Soon the buddy headed inside while the one who had his spear held out to stop Percy glared at her. “No funny business.”

“Who, me? Never,” Percy said cheekily. He glared some more.

The other guard returned, looking confused. “They said… Let her in,” he told his friend.

The first guard clenched his jaw but pulled his spear away.

“Thank you,” Percy said cheerfully as she passed the two guards by and made a beeline for the Principia. She wasted no time entering, pushing the doors open with an anticipatory grin on her face.

There were a few demigods gathered, and they all gave Percy incredibly wary looks.

But the most wary were those of two faces she hadn't seen in nearly a year. It made her throat tighten with longing and her chest swell with pride to see them, seeming actually quite commanding.

“Who are you?” Asked Hazel.

Percy smiled. “Percy Jackson, former praetor of New Rome,” she stated, lifting her sleeve and turning it out. “Here to say hi to some old friends.”

The Principia was dead silent for several moments. Then Frank slowly came down the steps, approaching with a deep furrow to his brow.

“Percy isn't a woman,” he said carefully as he examined her arm.

“Well, I didn't use to be one in body,” Percy agreed. “But Circe played her part.”

Frank’s lips pursed. “So we're supposed to believe that Percy Jackson - who has been presumed missing or dead for almost a year - has just suddenly returned in the form of a woman?”

Percy shrugged. “I could always just tell embarrassing stories about how you turn into a gecko when you sleep.”

Frank’s face turned beet red, and Hazel rushed down the stairs. “Percy!” She sobbed, tackling the older demigod with all the force she could muster - knocking the wind out of her but not sending her to the floor.

“Hey, little sis,” Percy whispered as she wrapped her arms around Hazel. She was taller than Percy now, by just a smidge. “Missed you.”

Hazel squeezed hard while a red-faced Frank sent the other demigods out, ignoring their muttering and objections.

“We thought you were…”

“I know,” Percy said softly. “I’m sorry. But… I had my reasons.”

Hazel pulled back and looked deep into her eyes, cupping Percy’s face. “You look so different… Is-is this a curse?”

“No… No, it was voluntary,” Percy said with a tiny smile. “Sorry to say that being a guy just didn't suit me.”

“Huh…”

“Where have you been?” Frank asked, concern now deeply etched on his face, replacing his earlier stern gaze and following embarrassment. “We searched all of America for you. Nept— Poseidon almost issued a quest until Dia— Artemis calmed him down.”

“I've been visiting people,” Percy told them. “Our friends, some enemies, some goddesses… Righting wron— ah… Well, no…” She frowned. “Being… Taught, I guess.”

“Taught?” Hazel asked while Frank brought over a table and chairs. They all sat, and it almost felt like old times.

“About… Myself,” Percy admitted. “My experiences. My…” She halted and pursed her lips. She crossed her legs and began to rock back and forth a bit. “The abuse I… Dealt with.”

“Abu… Annabeth,” Hazel said. The fact she used such a neutral tone couldn't mean anything good.

Well, no. The fact she immediately knew it was Annabeth couldn't mean anything good. She just had to be one of the ones that met Percy’s frickin’ angel of a Mom and knew she couldn't hurt Percy if she tried.

“She was ballistic,” Frank said grimly. “Lost her mind for the first… six months. Then, nothing. She just… Acts like everything's normal. Except… She thinks you're dead.”

“Ah… Well, guess that'd be more convenient,” Percy admitted, her voice getting a bit higher at the end. “If I'm dead she doesn't have to tell me all the secrets she's been hiding or address all the lies she's told.”

Hazel sighed, deflating a lot. “Everyone's drifting apart now,” she said quietly. “With you gone… Reyna and Thalia are in—”

“Utah, yeah. I met them a few months ago.”

“‘Course you did… Moving west, huh?” Hazel asked. Percy nodded sheepishly. “Hm… Piper and Shel are still in Tahlequah. You see them?”

“Got upgraded to Maid of Honor for my troubles,” Percy confirmed.

“I knew they wouldn't kick Annabeth off for no good reason,” Hazel said, smirking triumphantly at Frank.

“Hey, I just thought it was because she went nuts,” Frank said, holding his hands up in surrender. “Leo and Calypso are at Camp Half-Blood with Annabeth. Just… Living life. They'll go somewhere else soon, probably. They're travelers.”

“Nico and Will are on the coast - the California coast,” Hazel explained. “Thinking you wanna see them?”

“In a couple weeks,” Percy agreed. She sighed and looked at the two. “Thanks for not… Uh, judging me for… This,” she said. In shorts and a fitted long-sleeve, it was pretty hard to hide that she had a woman’s figure now.

“You're family, Percy,” Hazel said softly. “And besides, if Piper and Reyna can date girls, you can be one.”

“I'm not the only shapeshifter in the family now, huh?” Frank teased, lightly punching Percy’s shoulder. He frowned when she didn't laugh and only became troubled. “Something wrong?”

“...My connection to the ocean’s been broken since the end of November.”

Hazel paled. “But… But Poseidon hasn't given up hope.”

“Why would he… Or did you lose faith because of his…” Frank winced.

“His cruelties? Yeah, but that didn't affect it. There was an outside force. My Mom,” Percy said grimly. “I haven't… Checked in yet… But her memories are probably returning. Memories that Poseidon blocked and replaced with ones of his choice. I'm not his daughter.”

Hazel’s expression became ashen. “Then… Olympus could go to war?” She asked fearfully.

“Not could - will,” Percy corrected. She held up her left hand, “One of the options for my godly parent is Hades.” She held up her right hand, “The other option for my godly parent is Demeter. I still have a connection to the land, it's just faint. That means it's one of them.”

“What the… Wait, so we could be actual sisters?” Hazel asked, seeming shocked and a little hopeful.

Percy chuckled and poked Hazel’s nose. “We already are, doesn't matter if Hades is my Dad or not,” she said firmly. “Okay?”

Hazel blushed. “Yeah… Sorry… Just, when you disappeared this time… You didn't say anything to anyone, and Juno said she was innocent… So…” She sighed and her shoulders slumped. “I thought you were leaving for good.”

Percy winced. “Yeah, that… I didn't really think about how long this would take,” she admitted softly. “But… I needed it to be private. On my own. I've done visits to some people here and there, but…”

“Like who?” Frank asked. “You mentioned Piper, Reyna, and Thalia, but…”

“Medusa, first,” Percy confessed. The two stared at her in disbelief and she giggled. “I had some hangups. But… Then Circe, Amphitrite, Piper, Artemis, Reyna and Thalia, Hylla, and now… You two.”

Hazel frowned. “You almost said… ‘righting wrongs’. What did you do to hurt Piper? Or Reyna and Thalia?”

Percy winced and began to rub her arms a little sheepishly. “I… I was under the impression that being the de facto leader of the Argo II meant I was responsible for all of us - forever. I was blaming myself for Jason… Still am, if I'm honest. Blaming myself for not being there, for being selfish…” Percy sighed. “Piper reassured me, but it wasn't until Thalia and Reyna yelled at me that I started to think they were right, and then Hylla kind of hammered it home. I've been spending the last month and a half trying to knock those beliefs and stuff out of my own head.”

“You do get lost there pretty easily for someone so airheaded,” Frank teased. Percy scowled at him and he laughed. “So after Nico, who’s next?”

Percy blew out a long breath. “Hades.”

Hazel grimaced. “To ask if he's your Dad?”

“Among other things,” Percy agreed. “I’m kind of in the final stretch, now. After Hades, I'm going home and talking to Mom - Sally.”

Hazel squirmed uncomfortably. “I… Hope that goes well,” she said anxiously. “But if Annabeth’s been abusive…”

“She said she's been keeping your Mom up to date,” Frank said. “So either she's lying and your Mom knows nothing…”

“Or she's making you seem like you're worse than you are,” Hazel finished softly.

Percy smiled a bit. “She's not going to be able to trick my Mom,” she said confidently. The two praetors looked at her in surprise. “Before I left I told Mom what I'd be doing. I didn't say how long I'd be gone, but she knew I'd look after myself and be safe, and she knows that when I get home, it's almost over.”

Hazel relaxed almost entirely. “Ohthankgoodness.”

Frank patted her on the back. “That's good, whew. Did you also tell her not to tell anyone?” Percy nodded. “I gotta ask… Why?”

“Poseidon and Annabeth's reactions,” Percy said grimly. “I'd known something was off about them, and gleaning what I have over time has helped me sort my thoughts out a lot better. I had to make them be as genuine and honest as they were capable, so I lied to… Uh, everyone. Sorry.”

Hazel sighed and just got up to give her another hug, which Percy stood to reciprocate. “It's… It hurt to think you ran away or… Yeah. I'll be honest. But I get it. And just… Don't do this again, okay?”

“Yeah. We about had heart attacks when Piper relayed the message, and she seemed like she wasn't handling the news well, either,” Frank said grimly.

Percy smiled weakly. “Yeah… Yeah, no worries. This is something that doesn't need an encore.”

Hazel sighed. “So… Maid of Honor at their wedding, huh?”

Percy barely stifled a snort. “Yeah. I didn't see that coming either, but then Piper agreed that we're best friends. Part of the reason I've been taking so long is so I can make up a decent speech,” she grumbled. “I'm just glad I've got until September.”

“Is that enough time for… Everything?” Frank asked.

Percy nodded. “Wedding-wise, we had my dress fitting done while I was in Oklahoma. I was only there for a couple weeks before I went renegade again, though. Journey-wise… I kind of intend to be a little dramatic and return to Camp on my birthday,” she admitted sheepishly.

Hazel groaned as she dropped her forehead on Percy’s shoulder. “Why are you like this?”

“Uh, because drama is my way of life?” Percy asked with a cheeky smirk.

“Of course it is,” Frank breathed, seeming fully exasperated. “Gods, how many monsters did you have to slay being solo?”

“Too freakin’ many,” Percy said, complaining. “Pretty sure that I’ve fought the Minotaur four times since I left. How can I be so unlucky that he regenerated that fast that often?”

“Yeowch. What do you say to a hot bath and maybe actually staying here for the next couple weeks until Nico visits?” Hazel said hopefully.

Percy hummed, tilting her head back and forth as if deliberating. “Live out of my bag and fight monster after monster for two weeks while hiding like a forest goblin, or sleep in a warm bed with access to warm running water… I dunno, that's a hard sell, guys…”

Frank's stare broke Percy down into laughter within three seconds.

“Yes, I’ll stay,” she said.

Hazel practically cracked a rib with how tightly she hugged Percy. “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!”

“Yep, no biggie,” Percy breathed, wincing. “Hazel, your shoulder’s - mgh - crushing my boob.”

“Oops!” Hazel let go, looking embarrassed. “Sorry. Not used to having to keep track of that on you.”

Percy rolled her eyes. “Neither am I,” she grumbled, stretching a bit.

“I gotta ask… How do you not… You know, stink?” Frank asked. “Or look like a mess. If you've been living out of your bag…”

“I've been paying for shampoo, body wash, deodorant, and razors,” Percy admitted. “And public baths. It's not the best, but working odd jobs here and there has helped. Babysitting, shoveling driveways, mowing lawns. Stuff like that. At least, whenever the money I got from Circe, Amphitrite, Artemis, or others ran out. I didn't ask, by the way. They kinda just gave it to me.”

“The gods are like that,” Hazel agreed. She then frowned. “Did you have to pay for… Uh, hygiene products?”

Percy's cheeks turned red. “...Maybe.”

Hazel chuckled. “Well, good news - New Rome provides them for free.”

“I knew there was a reason I liked this place,” Percy said as she let a smile appear on her face.

It wasn't Camp Half-Blood, but… It was good to be home.

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

IX: Nico

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

June 15th, 2012

Percy’s Apartment - Camp Jupiter

“Huh… My hair’s really grown out,” Percy mused as she brushed out the black waves. There were still a few whitish-gray pieces from holding up the sky. Annabeth's were gone, but Percy was pretty sure that Tartarus and general stress had made the bits she herself still had become permanent.

Great.

She wound up tying her hair back again and stretched. The jeans and tank top she had on were new - Hazel’s choice. The bra, not so much, but that was because Percy preferred something a bit more… bold than what New Rome had to offer. It was a decent outfit overall, though, and adding on a light flannel while she went to the door made her feel all the better.

Ding-dong.

Percy opened the door to see a confused-looking Nico and Will standing at the door, clearly not expecting her to be that quick.

“Uh… Hi. So, my sister kind of just… Sent us here. Sorry. Uh…” Nico floundered, looking more than a little out of his element.

“Wow Nico. One little transformation and suddenly I'm that unrecognizable?” Percy teased.

Nico frowned and then looked her up and down again. His eyes narrowed when he looked at her face and hair. “Percy…?”

“Come on in,” she said, pulling the door further open.

“Holy Hades—”

Nico stared in shock while Will rolled his eyes and herded his boyfriend inside. Percy shut the door behind them and gestured to the table, where the two boys sat. One slack-jawed and the other amused.

“Percy, have you been here the whole time?” Will asked conversationally.

“No, just the last two weeks,” Percy corrected. “Don't hold it against Hazel and Frank - I swore them to secrecy.”

The duo of boys traded looks of confusion before slowly nodding.

“So… What happened?” Nico asked.

“A lot,” Percy admitted. “I've been traveling around, making amends, doing soul-searching… And, uh. Figuring myself out,” she admitted. “Did this whole transformation back in October - Circe's work.”

“Cir— you went to the Sea of Monsters again?!” Will asked, shock finally showing. “Why?!”

“Because I had a conversation to have with her,” Percy said plainly. “We both apologized for how we hurt one another, and she gave me the transformation I'd wanted for years.”

“I had a crush on a girl?” Nico said incredulously. “No wonder I got over it,” he muttered, shaking his head while Percy suppressed laughter. “Oh, bite me Jackson.”

“Pass,” Percy said lightly. “But… I still wanted to talk to you about… A few things. I've kind of come to understand I uh. Pushed myself a lot. Forced expectations, partially because of others - but I don't blame you,” she said quickly. “Honestly, the stuff you've asked was… Pretty reasonable. But… I let Bianca die anyway. And I'm sorry.”

Nico pursed his lips for a long moment before some tension seemed to leave him and he sighed. “Percy… Bianca's… Complicated for me, okay? I was… What, ten? I didn't know what to think or feel, I just knew my sister was leaving me behind. And… Looking back, I get it, but it was kinda messed up that she did that?”

Percy winced. “Ah… Yeah, just a bit,” she agreed.

Nico shrugged. “She reincarnated from Elysium before I could ask her why, so I've had to get closure on my own. And… Re-evaluate. I kinda worshiped you because you saved Bianca and I from Thorn - I'll never stop being grateful for that, but… I was a ten year old asking a fourteen year old to keep my reckless idiot sister from getting herself killed. It wasn't fair to you, Percy.”

Percy grimaced. She sighed, resting her arms on the table and looking away. “Yeah… Not… The fairest,” she begrudged. It was hard to say that, and she couldn't do it while looking directly at him.

“Finally actually willing to agree that the people in your life have given you shit?” Will asked.

Percy grumbled disagreeably.

“Hah… Well, progress is progress,” he begrudged. “By the way, if you apologize for Lee or Michael, I'll punch you.”

“Duly noted,” Percy muttered as her cheeks pinked. She would never admit that the thought had crossed her mind.

“So… What have you been doing? Like, who else have you ‘made amends’ to?” Nico asked, using air quotes and rolling his eyes as if Percy having anyone to make amends to was ridiculous.

“Well… Medusa, Circe, Amphitrite, Piper, Artemis, Reyna & Thalia, Hylla, Hazel & Frank, and now you,” she rattled off. “Some of them weren't so much amends as gathering information, though.”

“Information?” Will asked, puzzled.

“There's a scandal going on in Olympus,” Percy said gravely. “A big one. And unfortunately, I’m dead center.”

“What else is new?” Nico huffed. “You've been the cause of Poseidon throwing a hissy fit for months.”

“Yeah, well, if the kid I threw every blessing under the sea at and pretended was my son suddenly went missing, I'd probably freak, too,” Percy agreed.

Both Nico and Will looked like statues as they stared at her in horror.

“I don't have an exact guess as to who my real godly parent is, but my link to the seas and oceans was broken by a third party. Not me, not Poseidon - Mom,” she said gravely. “Her memories are coming back. I don't know what all she's getting back, but by now she's more than aware that Poseidon’s not my father.”

Nico slumped in his seat. “By the gods… Poseidon… stealing a child— but why? This means he didn't break the oath, so why?” He asked, seeming completely shaken.

“Because he knew the prophecy. He knew what it actually meant,” Percy said grimly. “‘A half-blood of the eldest gods’. Nico, did it ever strike you as odd that it specified ‘a’ half-blood of the eldest ‘gods’? It meant one half-blood with two godly parents.”

Nico now looked almost as pale as he had when he'd come out of the jar Ephialtes and Otis had trapped him in. “No… It was always you?” He whispered.

Percy nodded grimly. “From the start,” she agreed. “Thalia never had to become a Hunter. Hades never had to hide you and Bianca in the Lotus Casino. Poseidon interfered and took me from my true godly parent so he could get all the fame and glory that came with being the one to father the child of the prophecy,” she told them. She knew how ridiculous and outlandish the things she was saying were, but…

“Who?” Nico rasped. “You said you don't have an exact guess, but you must have a guess.”

Percy took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “I still have the faintest connection to the Earth - nothing I can do anything with, but… The two likeliest answers are Hades and Demeter,” she said. “Two of the ‘eldest gods’, since Kronos and Rhea were among the first Titans to have children. I ruled Aphrodite out between visiting Piper and Artemis, so…”

“So you're either another sister of Nico’s or a daughter of the one goddess who'd turn Olympus into a warzone if she learned another of her daughters was stolen from her by her brothers,” Will said, his voice higher-pitched than usual as he looked like he wanted to scream.

Honestly, that was a feeling Percy understood very well.

“My… Sister…” Nico shook his head. “Not gonna think about that. Blegh.”

“You and me both,” Percy grumbled.

Nico rolled his eyes. “...Hey, question for the sake of curiosity. Since you're a girl now, do you like boys? Or is it still girls?”

“Still girls,” Percy said firmly.

“Huh… Yeesh, I don’t know if Annabeth’s bi…”

“Yeah, well, Annabeth and I have a lot to talk about,” Percy muttered.

Nico’s eyebrows shot up. “Alright, I'll bite. What did you do?”

Percy’s shoulders tensed. “And why is it you assume I'm at fault?”

Nico paused and turned red as he stammered, looking panicked. Will put a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. “Percy, Nico hasn't had a chance to, uh… recognize… that Annabeth can be pretty choosy with what she tells people,” Will said.

Percy sighed, looking away. “Okay… Sorry. I've… I've been thinking ever since I met with Piper, honestly,” she admitted. “Then Reyna and Thalia… And Hylla… They all made me realize that Annabeth’s… She's not treating me like an equal - she treats me like a subordinate. Withholding information, lying, keeping secrets…”

Nico paled. “I… Percy, I—”

“Haven't been around us enough to notice,” she said tiredly. “It's… It's fine, Nico. And I know, she…” She paused, her throat constricting as she felt a little choked up. “...She complains about me behind my back, doesn't she?”

Nico's expression fell and Will looked heartbroken.

“Percy…” Will slowly reached out and touched her shoulder. “I swear, it… She…” He sighed, hanging his head. “...She does,” he admitted. “It's not like she says you hit her!” He said quickly. “She doesn't even say that you lie or that she's afraid you're cheating… She just…”

“She calls you an idiot,” Nico said, staring hard at the middle of the table. “She talks like you're a child she needs to discipline and keep under control. As if you don't behave… Percy, I know Annabeth’s clever. She's crafty. But it's also hard to trust her because of all the secrets she keeps, and hard to know if she's being honest. Never once have I heard you lie to me. Make a promise you failed to keep? Yeah, but that's different. You don't lie. So Percy… What's Annabeth like when it's just the two of you?”

Percy pursed her lips tight as she stared at the table. “...It’s hard to say,” she whispered.

“I'll listen for as long as you need,” Nico said. “After all the shit I've put you through - all the bitching and moaning you've listened to from me? You deserve for me to listen to you telling me about your troubles.”

Percy let out a bit of a weak, sobbing laugh, rubbing tears out of her eyes. “Gods… When in the world did you get so mature?” She teased.

“Tartarus does it to you,” Nico said dramatically. “Now come on.”

Percy sighed. She lowered her head to rest on her forearms on the table. “...Annabeth, as I've been told, is abusive,” she whispered. “I… I'm still coming to terms with it. I still don't want to believe it… But Piper… Reyna, Thalia… Hazel, Frank… They all say the same thing. She's abusive.”

A breath hissed out of Will. “Fuck…”

“Abusive…” Nico mumbled, as if the word was hard to say. “Like… I'm sorry, I just… I don't know how that… Looks,” he said, shifting a bit.

“Probably a good thing,” Percy admitted, glancing at Will. “Means your boyfriend here is treating you properly.”

Will’s smile was a little tight. “I do my best,” he admitted.

Percy hummed. “What does it look like… Huh?” She sighed. “It looks like a lot of things. Her calling me names I don't like. Her insulting me and saying I'm ‘not very smart’ or ‘just a dumb guy’. Her blaming me for things that aren't my f-fault. H-her y-yell-ling when I d-don’t– when m-my att-tention gets c-confused and-and she ha-has to r-rep-repeat herself.”

Percy sniffled, tears falling heavily. She rose abruptly to avoid Nico or Will reaching out, her chair screeching from the sudden movement. She shoved it back in place and began to pace, watching her tears splash on the floor.

“It looks like her lying to me and withholding information,” Percy said. Her voice was raw and shaky, the emotions she felt pouring out alongside the words she had to force out of herself. “It's abusive when she demands affection after I've said I need some space. It’s abusive when I'm struggling and she completely ignores me. It's abusive when she shoves me and knocks me over. It's abusive when she slaps me or hits me. It's abusive when she treats me like I'm just another chore - just another thing she has to look after.”

Her nails dug into her arms as she stopped, watching tear after tear fall onto the floor.

Why had she never noticed? Why had she kept excusing it? Why had she kept acting like everything was okay, like it was fine? Why did she keep thinking it was acceptable?

…She knew why. It was because she loved Annabeth. Because she loved the girl who was sweet, strong, and kind and had shown her vulnerabilities she hid from everyone else. Because she loved the girl whose hugs were warm, whose kisses were sweet, and whose heroics impressed her.

It was because there was still good in Annabeth that she was willing to accept the bad…

And because she'd grown up watching a relationship just like her own. Watching a Mom who suffered the bad for the sake of the good. Watching a Mom who was ordered around, hit, and abused.

…It was just like Shel said. Mom was a wonderful person… But that didn't mean she couldn't leave Percy with trauma.

“Percy…”

She took a slow, deep breath, using her sleeves to forcibly dry her face as she steeled herself. There was another reason she'd wanted to see Nico. It was time to start getting herself ready for the main event.

“I need a favor, Nico.”

“Uh— I— um, what is it?”

She turned to him, knowing her face was red and tear-streaked but not caring. She kept her expression as strong as she could. “I need you to take me to Hades. I need to see your father.”

Nico paled. “To… Ask him if…?”

She nodded. “I heard you're staying until the thirtieth. Let's make Hades a pit stop, and then you can drop me off back on the surface.”

“I… I can bring you with us to New York,” Nico offered, seeming to be a little desperate. “See your Mom? I mean, if… If you're… You should see her. She… She can help you feel better, r-right?”

Percy closed her eyes. “No… No, I need to get back alone,” she whispered. “But it's okay. I won't take too long. I can manage it on my own - I-I need to.”

“...Okay,” Nico whispered. “In two weeks… I’ll bring you to Hades.”

“Thank you,” Percy breathed.

“And…” Nico hesitated before seeming to gather his bravery. “If you ever need anything… Let us know. I… Now that I know…” He squeezed Will’s hand tightly.

“We're here for you, Percy,” Will said gravely. “Always. It's time we stopped putting shit on your back, and started giving a helping hand.”

“...Thanks.”

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

X: Hades

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

June 30th, 2012

The Underworld

“Here we are,” Nico said grimly.

Hades’ Palace.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Nico asked. “Try and keep Dad from… I dunno, throwing you in another airtight box?”

Percy sighed. “He won't.”

“How do you know that?” Nico asked, looking troubled.

“Because he’s a lot more reasonable when you know what to say,” Percy said before she crossed the front gates, leaving Nico behind.

She was glad she'd dressed warmly. The Palace was frigid.

She had a turtleneck, jacket, jeans, and boots on, and she still felt cold. Part of it was that her new body got cold more easily, but still.

She knocked on the front doors and tried not to let herself panic when they opened on their own. Ominously.

“Oh boy…”

She slowly walked inside. The Palace… seemed empty, but Hades would be around. The doors wouldn't have opened otherwise.

When the torches all suddenly light with bright blue flame, she jumped and clapped a hand over her mouth mid-shriek. Damn Hades and his dramatics.

She looked up, and there he was.

The god of the dead.

“Well now… Hello, nephew.”

Percy huffed. “Hades, I'm not in the mood. I'm a girl, please just treat me like it?”

He rolled his eyes. “And just why are you here?” He asked. His robes were moving slowly this time, probably because he missed his wife. No surprise there. “I'm not reviving anyone for you.”

“I know,” Percy said. Her hands shook a bit from the cold and she shoved them in her pockets. “I'm guessing you're aware I've been missing for some time?”

“Very,” Hades growled. “Poseidon makes it known at every turn. We've been having meetings on Olympus twice a week. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to have that idiot badgering me to find out if you're down here?” He huffed. “And now you actually are, though I guess he'll be happy to know you're alive.”

“Do me a favor… Don't tell him,” Percy said grimly.

Hades stared. “And just why… would I do that? When your… antics have caused me no end of grief?”

“Because Poseidon isn't my father.”

Hades paused. His eyes narrowed and he rose, slowly descending the steps from his throne. Without her powers… Percy felt a lot less confident if he tried to hurt her. So, she began to tremble, but she kept a brave face.

“Hm… The sea’s traces are almost gone,” Hades muttered as he peered at her. He towered over her and he wasn't even in his full-size form. “You're just shy of mortal, now… Almost.”

Percy grimaced. “I have the slightest tether left… But it isn't to the seas,” she whispered, keeping her gaze dead ahead. “It wasn't broken by me or Poseidon.”

“Obviously. You aren't stupid enough to do that, brainless as you are - and Poseidon wants you alive,” Hades drawled, sounding annoyed at her stating what was evidently the obvious.

“It was broken by my Mom… Remembering who my real godly parent is,” Percy said. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Now wasn't the time to get choked up. “We've not been in contact, because I've had a lot of other reasons to be on my own. My transition’s one of them.”

“Hm. So you're trying to figure it out on your own? What, still trying to decide if it's Dionysus or Hermes?” He asked, laughing mockingly.

“No… It isn't them,” Percy said. “‘A half-blood of the eldest gods’. One child from more than one of the eldest gods.”

Hades stopped in front of her. His expression became a totally unreadable mask. “I see… So the moment Poseidon blessed you… Hah. He had control of the prophecy from the start,” he mused. “Seeking the fame and glory it brought… He always was more greedy than we gave him credit for. But while Zeus expected fame and glory, Poseidon has always taken it.”

“Yeah, he's a rapist. I know,” Percy muttered.

“Took you long enough,” Hades said dispassionately.

She sighed. “In my defense, I was being misled and lied to,” she grumbled. “But… You don't care about my personal life.”

“You're right - I don't,” Hades agreed. “Still… Fine. If Poseidon’s truly been plotting for so long, I can only assume you know what you're doing. For once. Who else knows?”

“Circe, Amphitrite, Piper, Artemis, probably Apollo, Reyna, Thalia, Hazel, Frank, Nico, Will, and now you,” Percy said grimly. “I've only got two more visits before I finally go to Olympus.”

“And they are?”

“My Mom and Demeter,” Percy said.

“Deme… So she's one of the possibilities? Hmm… If she's the one, Olympus will be lucky to survive. She already hates me for Persephone… Another daughter of hers being stolen by Poseidon? If she doesn't raze Olympus herself, I'll eat my robe,” Hades said darkly as he began to slowly pace. “Nico and Hazel… Makes sense, they're trustworthy and they like you for whatever insane reason. They'd tell their partners anyway, so fine. Circe’s unable to leave her Island… I can see why you told almost everyone… But why Amphitrite and the twins? Why me?” Hades asked, narrowing his eyes at Percy.

She took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled, her breath fogging in the cold of the Underworld. “Amphitrite's been hiding from Poseidon for months,” she said grimly. “She swore she wouldn't tell him I know. The twins because they're searching day and night - if I could've withheld it and kept hiding, I would have. But I couldn't. So I made it easy for Artemis to find me, explained it to her, and she promised she and Apollo wouldn't tell. As for you…”

She faltered. The panic began to set in. What she was about to suggest was dangerous. It would be implying he broke the pact outright. But…

She needed to know.

“The tether I have left is to the earth,” she said slowly. Hades went still. “The only possibilities left for my godly parent are Demeter…”

“And me,” Hades said in an almost… curious voice. He stared at Percy with fresh eyes, seeming thoughtful. “Poseidon manipulating my memories… It wouldn't be the first time… but you being my child is hard to believe.”

Percy swallowed the lump in her throat again. “I know… Because you went to lengths to circumvent the pact, not break it.”

“And because when I held your mother’s soul I didn't feel the faintest glimmer of recognition,” Hades agreed. “Of course, it's still… possible,” he said begrudgingly. “But I'll want more proof. A lot more proof. You and Hazel being ‘siblings’ in all but blood is one thing, but you actually being a child of mine is something else entirely.”

Percy shivered and nodded. “I… Yeah, of course,” she said, feeling immensely relieved that he didn't strike her down on the spot.

“I must say… You've changed,” Hades said with a slight air of approval as he walked back to his throne. “You're smarter… More cunning and thoughtful. You think before you speak, and you aren't as arrogant.”

“Um… Thank you?”

“Hmph.” Hades turned and sat on his throne, resting an arm on it and his head on his fist. “What else have you been doing?”

“Wh-what?”

“I said,” Hades grumbled. “What else have you been doing? Somehow I doubt it would take you this long to investigate the truth.”

Percy winced. Well, he had a point. She sighed. “I was having… Personal troubles,” she admitted. “With Annabeth. With… My head. I just… Kept feeling like I was doing something wrong… So I went around to just… Make amends. Apologize.”

“Apologize…” Hades rubbed his chin a bit. “I suppose you had Nico on your list, didn't you?” Percy nodded sheepishly. “Of course… As much as I am proud of my son, he's still young. Evidently he's among those demigods that placed too much on your shoulders.”

“I-I’m sorry?”

“I'm right, aren't I?” Hades growled. Percy flinched and nodded. The god huffed. “Contrary to popular belief, we gods aren't blind to the mistakes of our children… Or to the suffering of others. You've done a lot for Olympus… And for me and mine, as well. Thousands of years I'd spent demanding the seat I deserved, yet you helped me get it in just a meager three. I'm not ungrateful to you, Percy.”

“Um… Uh… Y-yeah,” Percy stammered. Getting thanked by Hades was not on her bingo card for how today was going to go.

“So… What did you learn?”

Percy winced. “I learned… that I need to cut myself some slack,” Percy admitted. “That I'm not to blame when everything goes wrong. That… That it's okay to not be a perfect hero.”

“Hmm… I've always thought we send our children on quests too young,” Hades mused. “Too… Weak. Scared. Impressionable. You were twelve when you first faced me. You didn't know the scope of what the term ‘god’ meant. You just saw the man who'd stolen your mother. Now, you do. You're scared. You can see more. Sense more. Understand more.”

Percy winced. “I… Yeah,” she admitted. “It was always… Weird… To me. Being told to respect the gods. Because you all were… Intense and kind of… Uh…”

“Rude?” Percy shrank back. “Oh, calm down. I know that's how we come across to mortals.”

Percy sighed. “But… I kind of get it, now. You're… Beyond us. Beyond us in ways we can't ever really comprehend.”

Hades nodded. “Yet we still make mistakes,” he admitted. “We demand the same respect from children that we would adults, when you can't even comprehend the differences between us. And even as it stands, it isn't as if you as an adult have received greater treatment than you did as a child. Mortals see respect as earned, not inherent… Because while we gods can see the links and chains of faith, power, and domain… Mortals cannot. So they find other ways to grant respect.”

Percy closed her eyes. “So when the gods treat us poorly…”

“It is because we mistakenly treat you the way we would powerless gods,” Hades confirmed. “Rather than try to see things from your eyes. No doubt that is why we have lost notoriety ever since. Become… Myths.”

Percy opened her eyes, staring at the black stone floor. “Maybe we can change that someday.”

“Maybe,” Hades agreed.

“Why… Why do you and Artemis seem to get that… But the others don't?” Percy asked. “Artemis… She walks among her Hunters. So, I guess I can see that they'd help her understand mortal minds better. But…”

“Percy, I am the god of the dead,” Hades said. “Every mortal and demigod who has ever died and been sufficiently aligned with Greco-Roman culture has had their soul come into my domain. And I don't just spend all day brooding in my palace. I go out. I talk to them. From the cruel fools like Sisyphus and Tantalus to the heroes like Penthesilea and Odysseus. I talk to them. I hear their stories. I pay attention and I learn.”

Percy smiled faintly, remembering her conversation with Artemis. “You're there… Always,” she whispered.

Hades blinked. “You know?”

“I… I spoke to Artemis about this,” she admitted. “I was curious why the gods acted the way they do. And… She mentioned that it's impressive how us mortals can have such strong emotions - well, those that aren't things like fear or loss.”

Hades sighed. “Emotions born from the things we place the most value on - power and domain,” he bemoaned. “And pride. Humans feel a much greater range than we tend to, and to a much greater degree. Of course, we can feel love, but mostly only for other gods. In my case, for Persephone.”

“Then… What about Nico’s mom? Or Hazel’s? Or…” She faltered.

Or mine? She thought softly.

“Fascination, mostly,” Hades admitted. “Curiosity… wonder. I love my children, of course - Nico, Hazel, Bianca… And should you be one I'm sure I'd grow to feel the same about you, as I grow accustomed and restore my memories. But the mortals we partner with are mostly those who impress us. Though…” He hesitated and stared at Percy for a long moment.

“...Yes?”

“Considering… How warm and kind your mother’s soul felt… I hope for her sake and yours that you are a child of Demeter,” he said quietly. “Being unmarried… She would have likely loved Sally Jackson just as much as her other mortal partners. And frankly, after everything you have been through… Including the torment I myself put you through, you both deserve better. It was uncalled for, how you've been treated.”

Percy squirmed uncomfortably. Having one of the ‘Big Three’ apologize to her for how he behaved. Frankly, having gods in general apologize to her was weird. Having people apologize to her was weird.

“So… You're heading to your mother next, are you?” Hades asked.

Percy nodded. “I've got a rough timeline. I'll probably be going to Olympus sometime in early August,” she admitted. “I… I've got a lot to think about before I talk to Mom… And stuff I still need to sort out before I approach Demeter… And maybe Persephone, too.”

“Pers… Ah. Yes, I suppose I can see why you would want to speak with her,” Hades mused thoughtfully as he tapped his chin. “Well… If you would like, I can send you to the surface.”

Percy shook her head. “It's okay. There's someone else who’s been waiting for me,” she said, a smile reappearing on her face. “And I owe her a call.”

“And who might that be?”

Percy's smile broadened and she brought her right thumb and forefinger to her lips before whistling.

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

XI: Mom

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

July 22nd, 2012

Manhattan, New York

Percy grimaced at how sweaty her palms were. She rubbed them dry on the back of her shorts, huffing a bit.

It was fine… It would be fine. She could do this. She needed to do this.

She knocked on the door twice. She felt anxiety when nobody said anything from behind the door. Was she mistaken? Had that not been moonlace in the window? Was—

Click.

The door was opened by a really familiar face.

“Oh! Hello. I'm sorry, do I know you?” The woman asked with a kind smile.

“Hey, Mom,” Percy croaked.

Sally Jackson stared at her for a long moment before she grabbed Percy and yanked her into an incredibly tight hug. Percy grunted from the force of it but returned it as strongly as she could.

“You're home,” Mom whispered as she seemed to relax some tension that Percy hadn't initially noticed she was holding.

“Yeah… I'm sorry I'm late,” Percy whispered. She was just a little shorter than Mom now, so her face was hidden by Mom’s brown curls.

“Come on… Let's go inside,” Mom said softly.

Percy hummed her agreement and they broke the hug, closing the door and heading inside.

“Paul went to take Estelle on a playdate,” Mom explained as she guided Percy around, weaving their feat through strewn about kid's toys, shoes, and more.

“Ah. I wondered why I didn't see his car,” Percy murmured. Mom gestured to the couch and she smiled, sitting down.

“So… I see you look very different,” Mom said lightly, though her voice was a bit strained. “Did… Were you worried I wouldn't…”

“No, Mom,” Percy reassured her. “Circe gave me a hand, for sure, but uh… I honestly just didn't think to talk to anyone about it. The whole soul-searching journey helped me realize I should have, but… Yeah.”

Mom nodded as she sat next to Percy, placing a hand on her back and leaving it there. Probably to ensure Percy was really there and not a figment of her imagination. Percy couldn't help feeling guilty for that.

“How… How are your powers?”

Percy shook her head. “All gone,” she admitted.

Mom sighed. “I wondered… I… I don't know who your father is, honey,” she said softly, seeming apologetic.

Percy reached her hand up and squeezed Mom’s. “It's okay. I'm figuring it out,” she reassured Mom. “I'll be looking for a certain someone in the next couple weeks, and then it's Olympus… And Camp.”

Mom hummed. “So… Did you finally realize that your friends have no reason to be upset with you?” She asked with a dry, knowing smile.

Percy sighed, smiling as well. “Yes, I did. Though they had to hammer it into me,” she admitted, chuckling a bit. “Also, I'm now Maid of Honor at Piper and Shel’s wedding. Officially best friends now.”

“That's good,” Mom said, beaming. “I'm happy for you.”

Percy hummed. She looked down and began to rub the silver hairtie on her right wrist. “Mom…”

“Yes, dear?”

“...You remember Gabe?”

Mom’s hand on Percy's shoulder stilled before she squeezed tightly. “Yeah… I do,” she whispered. “I'm sorry, honey.”

“Mom—”

“No, Percy… No, I'm sorry. I… I excused too much of how he treated you. It…” She sighed and wrapped her other arm around Percy, hugging her. “I defended it. Saying it was to protect you, but… There were alternatives. Driving across the country, moving to a different country… But I didn't choose them.”

Percy hugged Mom back. She wanted to tell Mom it was okay. She did her best. But…

“It hurt,” she whispered.

“I know…”

“He called me so many awful things… Called you so many awful things…”

Mom hugged her even tighter. Percy’s back felt wet, and her vision was blurred with tears.

“He hit you… Hit me… Yelled… Screamed… Stole whatever money I got…”

“I'm sorry,” Mom whispered, her voice the slightest croak. She sobbed. “Gods, Percy… I'm so sorry, baby. I should have done something else.”

Percy hugged Mom tighter. “I wanted to say it was okay… That because of the good, I could ignore the bad,” she rasped. Mom buried her head in Percy's shoulder. “It… It was Shel… And Reyna… They helped me… Helped me realize that… It hurt.”

Mom gave a wet laugh. “Well, thank the gods for Shel and Reyna,” she said, sniffling as she lifted her head and slowly pulled away. Percy had never seen her look like this before. So… Broken down.

Then again, Mom hadn't seen her like this, either.

“Here…” Mom handed her some tissues and they both used them to clean up, tossing them into the little wastebasket when they were done.

Percy chuckled. “I guess I've still got healing to do,” she said with a sigh.

“Healing’s a lifelong journey, dear,” Mom said with a small smile. “I'm sorry I started you down it, but…” She took Percy’s hand and squeezed. “If you're okay with it, I'll walk it with you. Every step of the way.”

Percy smiled and shifted to sit closer to Mom, resting her head on Mom’s shoulder. “I'd like that.”

Mom hummed, moving her arm back around Percy's shoulders. “I don't have to reach up like this,” she teased, scratching Percy’s head a bit.

“I was tripping over my feet for weeks,” Percy grumbled. “Luckily, Amphitrite was after Circe, and she's underwater. Has a place in the Gulf of Mexico, actually.”

“Huh. Queen of the Seas has a vacation home… Go figure,” Mom mused, sounding amused. “...So what else is there?”

“Hm?”

“There's more, baby. I know you and I know you well. What's wrong?”

Percy pursed her lips and stared at her knees. “Annabeth.”

“Ah… She's been coming by every week… She's due in a few days, actually,” Mom mused. “But… What's wrong with Annabeth?” She asked, sounding confused.

“...I gave the ring away,” Percy whispered.

Mom stopped massaging Percy's hair and looked down at her. “You… She didn't say yes?”

“She didn't give me a chance to ask,” Percy muttered. “And then… Then I started talking to people. Friends. They… They said she's…” She pursed her lips, not wanting to say it. Mom had such a good opinion of Annabeth…

“What did they say, Percy?”

Tears slid down her face. “Annabeth abuses me, Mom.”

Mom was quiet for a long moment before she slowly and silently pulled Percy into a hug. Percy returned it, clutching to Mom like she was a life ring.

“She… She yells, a-and… She calls me names, insults me… She-she touches me even when I s-say no, she… She h-h-hits me, Mom. She… But she's so nice other times… And she cares… I don't…”

Mom squeezed her even tighter. “That doesn't make it okay, Percy,” she whispered.

“I… I st-still love her… I… Everyone s-says we… I sh-should b-break up… T-take-take care of-of myself… But-but she's– she's– I love her, I-I…”

Mom slowly rubbed Percy's back. “That doesn't make it okay, Percy,” she repeated. “If she's your partner, then all the more reason for her to treat you better than anyone else. She shouldn't hurt you. She shouldn't say those things. She’s wrong for that.”

Percy sniffled. “I…”

“Percy, please. I… Being around Gabe… I started to reason the same thing. The good was more important than the bad. But Percy, they're both important. Paul… He doesn't say anything hurtful, he never lays his hands on me, he's genuinely good. And if we have a problem, we talk. Because that's what's healthy.”

Percy sniffled. “I don't… How am I s-supposed to… B-break up w-with her?” She asked softly.

“You ask your friends to be there,” Mom said firmly as she slowly broke the hug but kept her hands on Percy’s shoulders. Her expression looked concerned and sad and very, very… Heartbroken. “Piper, Hazel, Frank, Thalia… anyone. As long as you trust them to be there for you, you ask them to be there. To protect you, to keep you confident. Whatever you need, you have them be there for you.”

Percy looked down at her legs, watching her own tears fall onto and slide down her thighs. “Why… Doesn't she just… not hurt me? Could… Could I… Make up?”

“Percy…” Mom sighed and rested her head against Percy’s. “If it was a one-time thing… maybe. But someone who hits their partner needs to do a lot of work on themselves, and I don't think anyone wants to see you together if you're going to be with someone who hurts you, Percy. You're… You're one of the sweetest, kindest people I know, and I know they feel the same. So please… For your own sake, you and Annabeth need to break up.”

Percy felt more tears sliding down her face. “She… She wasn't always like this…”

“I know… They aren't, usually,” Mom murmured.

“She… She was sweet, and kind… But… But then she started lying. Keeping things from me,” Percy whispered. “And then Hera took me… And she… She blamed me for it. Th-threw me to the ground a-and threatened me in front of everyone. And… And between that and Tartarus… It just… She just kept getting worse…” Her voice felt… Hoarse, and hollow. Like she was finally showing all the scars that were still left on the inside.

“Threatened you… What did she say?”

Percy pursed her lips.

“Percy?”

Percy let out a shaky sob. “She said… Fuck, she broke off partway, but… She… She implied that… If I ever ran away again, she… She'd…” Percy closed her eyes and let more tears fall. “...Hurt me.”

Mom hugged her again. “This isn't advice, now. This is me telling you what to do. When you talk to her again you need your friends with you. For your support and your protection.”

“But—”

“No buts, Percy,” Mom said firmly. She sighed and pulled away, squeezing Percy’s upper arms. “I swear that I don't want to tell you what to do. But Percy? That's dangerous. You left - and don't you dare blame yourself for that - but you left after she warned you. When she's already emotionally and physically manipulative and abusive. That's dangerous. We don't know what she'll do, Percy.”

“But-but she— I-I’ve handled it before, so–”

“Percy,” Mom said sharply. Percy flinched and Mom’s expression softened. “Oh, Percy… You've handled it when you submitted before. This is different. I know how strong you are, and I know you've endured a lot. But… I've been in something like this, too. I know how abusers react when you ‘fight back’, even just verbally. So please… Please just protect yourself. Okay?”

Percy pursed her lips. She… She wanted to say it would be okay. That she'd endure it. That Annabeth wouldn't do anything ‘extreme’...

But Mom did know. And her expression was so serious that somehow Percy’s objections kept dying before they even reached her throat.

…And she didn't know how Annabeth would react. What would she say or do? Because Mom was right - Percy hadn't stood up against Annabeth before. So… Having friends there with her would help. But…

“I want to be able to tell her myself,” Percy mumbled. “I don't… I don't want anyone else to get… For her to get mad at them.”

“Okay… But they should know what you want to say,” Mom said firmly. “Because you might struggle to tell her. And that's okay - that is not your fault, it is Annabeth’s. Do you understand?” Percy nodded weakly. “This way they can take over if you need them to, and if Annabeth tries to gaslight you? If she tries to make you speak, or refuse the breakup because you didn't say it? They can stand up for and protect you.”

“Would… Would sh-she really d-d-do that?” Percy whispered.

“Wouldn't she?”

Percy looked down. She didn't want to admit it, but… Annabeth would. That sounded just like Annabeth, which made her of course feel more than a little miserable. She just wanted it to be over, but…

“I'll… I'll call Piper and Shel,” she whispered. “I can probably call Nico, Thalia, Reyna… Frank, Hazel… I just… I didn't want to be a-a burden, I…”

Mom pressed a kiss to Percy’s forehead and pulled her close, squeezing her daughter’s shoulder and sighing. “I'm sorry again, Percy… I hurt you in so many ways… And I should've done better to support and prepare you,” she murmured.

“You… you did the best you could, Mom,” Percy said.

“I worked hard, yes. But like I said, there were ways I could have raised you better,” Mom said, sounding painfully sad. “I didn't have someone back then to give me advice… To help me and teach me. I know how it hurts and how it feels when you're alone with an abusive partner. But I also know how much better it feels when it's over. It'll hurt, first… But then it gets better. And you have a lot of people who care about you. Me, Paul, Estelle, your friends, your…” She trailed off, frowning and blinking.

“Mom?”

“I… I was…” Her shoulders sagged a little. “I almost remembered.”

Percy hugged Mom tight. “It's okay… I think I'll know once I'm done on Olympus,” she murmured.

Mom smiled. “I can't wait for you to tell me,” she murmured.

“...I’ll be okay, Mom. I promise. It… It might take a bit… But I'll be okay.”

“Thank you, Percy… And remember. I'm always here for you. Always. I love you, honey.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

XII: Demeter

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

August 8th, 2012

Central Park, New York City

Percy sat on the bench, setting her purse next to her. The Park was nice today. Busy, but… Privacy wouldn't be much of a necessity, since she mostly just wanted to talk about lighter topics today.

“Lady Demeter,” she said softly. “Lady Persephone.”

A shifting of wind came as a breeze blew over her, kicking up some leaves. She blinked at the sudden wind, and when she opened her eyes there were two women in front of her.

One had long, straight blonde hair that was left loose, and wore a blue sundress with a sunhat atop her head. If it weren't for her familiar facial features, Percy wouldn't have recognized the goddess of spring.

The other… Her blonde hair was wavier, and she looked much happier than when Percy had seen her during the Titanomachy. She looked a little… Off, though. Her jeans and blouse fit her nicely, but she wasn't… Focused.

“Percy Jackson,” Persephone said, raising an eyebrow as she took off her sunglasses. “You were in the Underworld a month ago.”

“I was,” Percy agreed. “Though in the last year I've been traveling the United States.”

“Hm… You've caused us a great deal of trouble,” Persephone said with narrowed eyes.

“Hm? Oh, hello dear. Percy, is it?” Demeter asked. Her eyes looked unfocused.

“Um… Yes, Ma’am,” Percy agreed. She gave Persephone a worried look and the goddess sighed.

“Sit here, Mom,” Persephone said, gesturing to the bench. Demeter obliged happily and pulled some straw out of nowhere as she began weaving, humming a little tune to herself. Persephone sighed again and sat between Demeter and Percy.

“Is she…?”

“My mother's been struggling lately,” Persephone said curtly. “It's nothing for you to be concerned about, Percy.”

Well, the thing is…

Percy shut the thought down. She wasn't certain yet.

“You have the smell of Circe's divine magic on you,” Persephone said, changing the subject. “Yet Poseidon’s powers have left you.”

Percy nodded. “The connection was broken - by a third party, not me or him. But, uh… Circe's transformation was a gift,” she admitted, her cheeks warming. “A welcome one.”

“Hm… I take it you went into hiding for good reason? You've never struck me as a fool,” Persephone said. She wasn't looking at Percy, though, but the ground.

“Yeah… Personal ones,” Percy murmured. “One of them being… My girlfriend.”

“Annabeth Chase.”

Percy winced. “Yeah. Her.”

“You sound unhappy. Has she done something? Have you done something?” Persephone asked curiously.

Percy gave a weak laugh. “I, uh… No. I didn't… Though I thought I did for the longest time,” she murmured. “But my friends knocked some sense into me.”

“Good friends do make life worth living… What are you making, Mom?”

“A sunhat, dear. Your friend looks like she's too hot,” Demeter said mildly.

Percy blinked and looked down at herself. She felt fine. Short shorts and a tank top. Fine for the warm weather. But Persephone didn't seem fazed by Demeter’s answer.

“That's very kind of you, Mom,” Persephone said. She gave Percy a significant look.

“Oh! Um, thank you, Lady Demeter,” Percy said a bit awkwardly.

“Of course, dear,” Demeter said, though she didn't look at Percy and simply kept admiring the Park. Her hands didn't miss a beat, though.

“...So, what did your girlfriend do?”

Percy winced. “She…” She sighed, rubbing at the silver hairtie on her left wrist. “She's lied to me. Withheld information. And that's just the surface. She's… She’s abusive.”

Persephone winced. “...I see,” she said quietly. “While Hades is kind now… He was not always. And the first century of our marriage still remains vivid in my memory. I do not envy you, Percy Jackson. But I hope - for your sake - that you do have a way out.”

Percy pursed her lips. “...Maybe,” she said evasively. “I… My friends are coming to Camp. For my birthday, at least, as far as anyone else is gonna be told. They're… They're actually there to support me when I… Break up with her.”

Persephone nodded sharply. “Good. Do not let your emotions blind you, Percy,” she said firmly. “You are a pow… You were a powerful demigod, but your kindness and generosity remain. You deserve better than an abuser.” Her eyes darkened when she said the last word, and for a second Percy saw the Queen of the Underworld. Persephone - Slayer of Men.

“...I’m sorry your marriage didn't start out well,” Percy said quietly.

Persephone smiled sadly, her expression softening again. “It's fine… I've grown past it. Hades and I have children. I've even had some demigod children here and there,” she said more conversationally. “By the way, I have a son who should arrive at Camp in a few years. Say hello for me?”

Percy blinked in surprise before she smiled and nodded. “Sure,” she agreed. “I'll even teach him a few tricks.”

“I think I'd like that,” Persephone said as her smile became more warm. “Though, I must say. Hiding from your girlfriend and your friends when she is abusing you is understandable, but why the gods as well?”

Percy pursed her lips. “Well… It's complicated,” she said slowly, especially because she didn't want to upset Persephone or potentially distress Demeter. “But… Let's just say that Poseidon has completely lost my trust. And… If you want the full story, I'll be calling the Olympians to Olympus in a few days. Just come with Lady Demeter and I'll reveal everything.”

“Mysterious,” Persephone said with an amused laugh. “Mom?”

Demeter had stood up and she walked over to Percy, standing in front of her before rather gingerly placing the sunhat on her head. It was… Perfectly fit. And it indeed cooled her off, just as she was starting to feel a bit too warm.

“Thank you, Lady Demeter,” Percy said softly, her chest oddly tight.

Demeter smiled in kind. “You're welcome, dear. After everything you've done for Olympus, one hat is simply too little, but I'm glad you like it,” she said, her voice breezy. It left a tingle through Percy. Maybe…

Demeter went and sat next to Persephone again, who was staring at her mother with rather plain confusion and uncertainty, as though the lucidity from Demeter wasn't expected. Maybe it wasn't. Percy’s meetings with the goddess of the harvest were pretty sparse, so she didn't know enough about Demeter to say one way or another.

“...Lady Persephone?”

“Huh? Er, yes?”

“What… Was it like?” She asked softly. “Being… Stolen.”

Persephone stiffened. “...If I am to tell you this story, you won't get certain details,” she warned.

“That's okay,” Percy said. “I just…” She pursed her lips. “...I’m sorry, I can't explain why I ask. It's related to…”

“Olympus…” Persephone sighed. “It was quick, admittedly. And he was nice at first. But he wanted something, and once he got it he became… Cold. Distant. Demanding my presence, ordering me around… A far cry from the gifts and warmth he showered me with until my father approved our marriage.”

Percy pursed her lips tighter. Poseidon had been warm and regularly praised Percy, called her his ‘favorite’ and gave her many gifts. He didn't even smite her for sitting on his throne.

And then the prophecy was fulfilled, and he went practically radio silent. The barest of contact ever since, save for situations when all demigods met their godly parents. It had been jarring. Only once Gaea was defeated had Percy realized how much she missed Poseidon’s praise and their conversations. His words of wisdom.

Once he got what he wanted, he became cold and distant.

“Fuck…”

“What?”

Percy looked up, her elbows resting on her thighs and her head on her clasped hands. Tears slid down her face.

Evidently she and Persephone had a lot more in common than she could ever have expected.

“What happened on Olympus?

“What?”

“Olympus. What happened there when you were abducted?”

“Ah…” Persephone gave a nervous look to Demeter, but she still seemed out of it. She was smiling at a butterfly on her finger. Persephone sighed and looked back at Percy. “War. It was a war. Mother, Hera, Hestia… All of the goddesses were furious. They demanded retribution. Aphrodite and Hera were especially furious at the ‘mockery of love and courting’. But between Poseidon, Zeus, Ares, Apollo… They supported Hades’ actions. And Zeus is both King of the gods and my father. He approved it, so it was.”

“...What would happen if something like that happened again?”

“What?”

“If a god abducted the child of another - be it for marriage or any other purpose - what would happen? Demigod or not.”

“I…” Persephone faltered. “Olympiamachia.”

“A war of the Olympians.”

“Unless true and fair retribution was had? Yes,” Persephone agreed. She gave Percy an incredibly concerned look. “Were you… Married? Against your will?”

“No… No, not that,” Percy said after a long moment. “Annabeth's… Touched me… Without consent, but that's the closest I've endured when it comes to anything in that line of things. No… My issue is… Different.”

She didn't bother pretending she wasn't the victim. Persephone was too smart to fall for any act Percy put up. And if she was being honest, she was tired of acting anyway.

“Then… and your connection to Poseidon, by a third party…” Persephone's eyes widened and she looked at Percy in shock. “You're—”

“Shh.” Percy said, not caring that she was being disrespectful when she held a finger to Persephone's lips. She gave an incredibly pointed look to Demeter, and the goddess of spring looked even more panicked before she slowly settled and nodded. Percy lowered her hand. “I'm sorry.”

“No… No, I quite understand…” She took a deep breath and sighed. “...Is it…?”

“I don't know for sure,” Percy confessed. “It could also be…” She glanced at Persephone and then pointed to her head.

“My… Ah, I see… Is that why you…?” Percy nodded. “He didn't remember?” Percy shook her head. “...Mother’s been off for perhaps seventeen years. She goes into bouts like this from time to time, of course, so nobody batted an eye… But with how the circumstances align…”

Percy reached up and gently ran her fingers over her new straw sunhat. It was made with expert craftsmanship, honed over millennia. Made with tender care that one might not expect from a goddess.

Her hand lowered, shaking.

“I’ve visited a lot of people… I know Poseidon’s guilty,” Percy whispered. “Medusa, Circe, Amphitrite, Artemis, my friends… I know myself better than I ever have before. And I'm very close to this one last piece.” She stared at her hands.

She reached out for that tether. The one to the earth. She couldn't feel much of anything just yet. Just… Warmth. Safety. Home. Night after night of sleeping in the woods, fields, farmland… Whatever it took to feel closer to the earth.

She still felt so far, despite how close she knew she was. If she could just be certain…

“When I first came into being,” Persephone began. “I was Kore. I danced with flower nymphs and dryads, I slept under the stars, I breathed the air of a land my mother had cultivated. I watched her grow, tend to, and teach the land how to exist without the guidance of Gaea. I watched her be the kind of goddess any other would aspire to be. I watched her earn the title she never received - Queen of the Earth.”

Percy looked at Demeter, and in her mind… She could see it. A goddess with just as much power as the Big Three. One with just as many hidden depths as Hestia, just as much might and regality as Hera. A daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Queen of the Earth.

“It's time Olympus takes responsibility for its actions,” Percy muttered, feeling a flame be stoked within her chest. She stood, picking up her purse. She reached inside and smiled before withdrawing the two items within. She handed one to Persephone, and one to Demeter. “As thanks for the audience,” she said sweetly.

Persephone seemed confused before she opened the little box. She seemed genuinely surprised as she lifted out the bookmark with lilacs engraved on it. “How beautiful,” she murmured. “And this flower…”

Demeter smiled at the little gardenia brooch, a strangely knowing look appearing in her eyes. She nodded to Percy, who returned the nod.

“I'll see you again in a few days,” Percy said kindly. “And when we do… Everything will be revealed. Take care.”

“...Take care, Percy,” Persephone said. “I wish you the best of luck.”

“The roots are strong,” Demeter said sagely.

When Percy blinked her eyes at another breeze, the goddesses were gone, the pleasant smell of flowers in their wake. The only sign they had been there was the hat atop Percy’s head.

She turned and looked in the direction of the Empire State Building, eyes flicking to its peak. The sunhat made it much easier to look up like this.

“Soon.”

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

XIII: Olympus

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

August 15th, 2012

Empire State Building - Elevator

Her palms were sweatier than ever, and her heart was pounding as the elevator continued to rise further and further.

“You've got this, Percy,” she muttered to herself.

She'd sorted her thoughts. Her journey was just about complete. And she'd unearthed the truth. All of it.

She'd dressed well, too. Jeans, sneakers, a Camp t-shirt that Piper had snuck her, and a blue hoodie she'd left unzipped. It was the type of thing she wore all the time before her transformation, just fitted to her new body. It'd also help remind her and them that while she was different and both grown and changed, she was still the same person at heart.

Her hair was tucked into a baseball cap. It was a bit awkward to manage it with how long it was getting, but Mom had given her a hand. This part was mostly for a dramatic reveal, which was just Percy’s style.

Ding!

The doors opened and she stepped out, slowly walking the path to the Throne Room.

Olympus was quiet right now. There could have been any number of explanations why - from Percy’s disappearance to Poseidon's moodiness to Zeus and Hera’s latest tête-à-tête.

She slowly ascended the staircase. Her heartbeat thundered in her chest and she clenched her jaw to stop her teeth from chattering. Olympus had never felt so foreboding before, but she'd also never gone up to pick a fight with the gods before.

Had this been how Luke felt when he was sneaking in to steal Zeus’ Master Bolt?

She shook the thought aside when she reached the entrance. All fourteen thrones were empty.

Not for long.

Percy stepped inside and shuddered at the thick and overpowering feeling of divine energy as she kept her head down, hiding her eyes and face from view with the brim of her hat.

Once she was perhaps ten steps from the hearth, she spoke.

“I know you're all here. I want to talk to you.”

Her heart pulsed in unison with the numerous yet simultaneous beats of energy. Fourteen Olympians and three tag-alongs - who were all still goddesses in their own right.

“Who are you to request a meeting of the Olympic Council?” Growled the familiar voice of Zeus. It was actually a relief to hear such a familiar voice, if she was honest. Zeus she was used to being impertinent towards.

“What, don't tell me you've already forgotten the face of the Savior of Olympus?” She asked, sounding way more cocky than she felt as she took her hat off. Her face was a bit pink, but she met Zeus’ eye as firmly as she could. “Percy Jackson, alive and well.”

Suffice to say, Olympus was in an uproar as various gods demanded where she'd been, why she looked different, what she was doing. She slowly met the eyes of the gods who were silent - Amphitrite, Artemis, Apollo, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, Persephone, and finally Zeus.

The King of Olympus raised his hand and his Master Bolt appeared. He slammed the butt against the ground, causing a massive thunderclap that silenced the other gods.

“Explain yourself.”

She felt a shiver run down her spine, but, well… Now or never.

“I left because I needed to evaluate myself without prying eyes,” she said. “Mortal or divine. I realized that there were… A lot of things I needed to learn about myself. Things I didn't have the freedom to learn while I was drowning under the expectations of Olympus and Camp Half-Blood combined.”

“Then why not inform us and ask for peace?” Hera asked. “You would have gotten it.”

“No, I wouldn't,” Percy replied. “Because Annabeth Chase didn't want to let me out of her grasp.”

“Careful how you speak of my daughter, Percy Jackson,” Athena warned. “Or I may yet revoke the blessing I gave you.”

Percy glared at Athena. “Take it then,” she said, her voice trembling. “Because I'm not asking her to marry me.”

“Percy?!” Poseidon exclaimed, sounding shocked. She ignored him.

“Your love was so strong…” Aphrodite began. Everyone looked at her, seeming surprised. “Yet it has become… Sad. Broken. Percy, my dear… What happened?”

“There is pain in her heart,” Hestia murmured. As always, every last soul in the room endeavored to listen to her. Because she was just that commanding.

Percy took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. “Annabeth Chase… Is abusive,” she managed. She glared at Athena to stop her objection before it started. “She lies. She deceives. She withholds information.”

“All normal for a strategist,” Athena snapped.

“But not for a partner!” Percy snapped in kind as she glared harder, a muscle in her jaw feeling tense. “And tell me, Athena, is it normal for a strategist to yell at her partner? To threaten them? To keep them ‘in line’ with insults and blows?!”

Athena went silent, and of all the gods it was Hera who spoke next.

“That… Percy…” She said softly, seeming to see the demigod for the first time.

“That is not love,” Aphrodite said firmly, and every god around pretty quickly deferred to her in the matter.

“I spent… months,” Percy ground out as she began to pace, running a hand through her hair. “Trying to come to terms with it. I wanted to excuse it. Her behaviors. Her abuse. I tried to excuse it to Piper! To Thalia! To Hylla and Hazel and even my own Mom! But I couldn't, because it's wrong! I might still love your daughter, Athena, but if I don't break up with her I don't know what she's going to do. Considering when we reunited in New Rome she threw me to the ground and threatened to hurt me if I ‘ran away again’.”

“That's madness!” Poseidon roared. He glared at Hera. “Look at what you've done,” he growled. Percy didn't look at him.

“Hera isn't to blame. She just provided a catalyst,” Percy said in a low voice. Poseidon seemed shocked by her words, but Percy just continued to slowly pace back and forth. “But… Annabeth and I will sort our issues when I return to Camp in a few days… Right now, there's something more pressing. The reason I needed you - the gods - to be unaware of my status.”

Zeus’ focus seemed to intensify. He never cared much one way or the other about Percy and Annabeth’s relationship, since it didn't involve his children. But something involving Olympus was bound to catch his interest.

Frankly, all the gods present seemed keenly interested - especially Poseidon, though his brow furrowed more with worry and concern.

“My connection to the seas and oceans was broken,” Percy began. She finally looked at Poseidon. “And neither of us is the cause… Are we, Poseidon?”

“P-Percy?”

“It was my mother. Remembering something. Her memories became clearer as the false ones fell away. See, I spoke to Rachel Dare when my powers began to wane. She told me that mind magic is only effective for so long against Clear-sighted mortals,” she said in a placid, empty voice as she gave Poseidon the emptiest stare she could.

“What did she remember…?” Apollo asked, frowning.

“...’A half-blood of the eldest gods shall reach sixteen against all odds’,” Percy recited. “For so long you took that to mean the first child to reach the age of sixteen that was born to one of the eldest gods. But ‘god’ can be unisex, and many children of Demeter and Aphrodite reached that age in the meanwhile. So I thought about it. ‘A half-blood of the eldest gods’... A single from a plural.”

Several gods began to murmur and Poseidon looked incredibly nervous while Zeus seemed to be struck with realization.

“A half-blood who has more than one godly parent,” he breathed. “Or perhaps, one born to a child of myself and Aphrodite, or any other qualifying pair of ‘eldest gods’.”

Percy nodded. “Yes… But the former is what's relevant here,” she said gravely. She walked around the hearth in the middle of the room and stood bravely in front of Poseidon. “You were never my father. You broke into my home, warped my mother’s memories, planted false ones in my own mind, and struck my mother's existence from the mind of my real godly parent.”

“Percy, I—”

“Don't lie to me, Poseidon,” she said even as her hands began to tremble. “I've asked everyone I could think of. I've thought about it. I've paid attention to the signs. To the truth.” The ground began to crack slightly beneath her feet as she felt her anger build. “All you wanted was the fame and glory of having the child of prophecy, because you were angry that your brothers either broke or circumvented the pact.”

Poseidon was silent, but his gaze was murderous. She could smell the salty sea air. He was angry - wrathful. Because she was unraveling the truth.

She turned right and slowly began to circle the hearth. “I visited monsters, gods, and people alike.

“Medusa was first, and she reminded me of how the gods often unjustly make victims of innocent mortals,

“Then Lady Circe, who gave me the body to reflect my soul and heart, and taught me to be honest with myself and others,

“Then Lady Amphitrite, who helped me understand my heart and actions so much better than I could while in such pain,

“Then Piper, my best friend, and Shel, her fiancée, who helped me come to recognize that I was allowed to be hurt by my Mom’s actions,

“Then Lady Artemis, who taught me more about the gods, as well as how they can be both kind and cruel,

“Then Reyna and Thalia, who grew upset on my behalf for the apologies I was giving because I feared I'd hurt the people I love,

“Then Hylla, who I taught about the future and taught me about our pasts, which were more similar than either of us knew,

“Then Hazel and Frank, my little sis and her boyfriend, who reminded me I still had a home even when I was scared and felt alone,

“Then Nico and Will, who were the first people I really and fully acknowledged my pain to, and who accepted me even though they didn't understand,

“Then Lord Hades, who I had suspected of being my real father, and who showed me that I was changing things and making a difference,

“Then my Mom, who knew and shared in my pain, apologized for how she hurt me, and gave me a plan for how to change and fix things…”

She stopped and turned to the deity next to her, smiling sadly as tears fell down her face.

“Lastly… I spoke with Lady Persephone, who sympathized with my pain as someone abducted by a god…” She undid the Mist she’d wreathed around her baseball cap, revealing its true form as a handmade straw sunhat. “And my second mother, Lady Demeter.”

The goddess blinked, uncomprehending for a moment. And then she stood and shrunk to mortal size in the same moment. Her eyes seemed sharp. Focused. She placed her hands on either side of Percy's face, blinking the remnants of confusion away from her eyes as she stared into Percy’s.

“Just like Sally’s,” she mumbled under her breath. She looked down at herself, seeming confused, before looking at Percy again. Realization dawned and she flung her arms around Percy, who immediately returned the hug. “Your eyes are just like Sally’s.”

When Percy hugged the goddess of harvest it felt like home. “I'm sorry it took so long, Mom,” she whispered.

Demeter pulled back and sighed as she fussed with Percy’s hair. “So messy and dark… Of course, she became pregnant with you in the fall, so that's just your luck I'm afraid,” she muttered. “Still… It was nice, spending a fall and winter with someone as kind as your mother.”

Percy smiled. “She'd like to see you,” she said softly.

Demeter chuckled. “Isn't she married?”

“She is. They have a baby girl - Estelle.”

“Estelle… Well, I do love babies,” Demeter mused. She blinked a bit. “Babies…” Her joy faltered as she turned and looked at the brother who had stolen so much from her. “...You stole my baby.”

“N-now, Demeter, let's be reasonable—”

Demeter began to grow, a scythe with a golden blade appearing in her hands as her skin cracked as though earthquakes were occuring on the surface of her body, while her hair turned into a chaotic mane of thorny vines and wicked leaves.

Persephone cursed and grabbed Percy, pulling her back to stand in front of Demeter’s throne, which seemed to have a protective bubble around it. “Number one rule - when Mom’s mad, get out of the way,” she muttered under her breath.

“What more must you take from me, Poseidon?” Demeter growled, her voice holding tremendous levels of grief. The throne room cracked as thick roots began piercing the stones. “You steal my womb and are named Earthshaker for your conquest,” she spat. “You throw tidal waves and grand storms on a whim, causing wanton destruction to the nature I strive to protect alone after Pan’s death. You aid Hades in stealing my first daughter, and now you have taken one of my dearest children to slake your own thirst for fame and greed for power?! How DARE you!”

“Demeter… You don't want to do this,” Poseidon said carefully as he reached for his trident.

Amphitrite took her full-sized form and grabbed it before he could. Percy was shocked for a moment, until she realized that being Poseidon’s wife probably made her the only god who could wield his symbol of power without asking.

He didn't even get to give her so much as a betrayed look before giant vines were holding him down.

“I think Tartarus could use another occupant,” Aphrodite said coldly.

“I'm inclined to agree,” Hera spoke up.

“Mother never liked him all that much,” Hades drawled.

“He does have quite a bit of bad karma saved up,” Artemis said idly as she buffed her nails on her chiton.

“I think Amphitrite would make a lovely addition to the Council,” Apollo chimed in.

“Sometimes to protect the hearth you must expel the poison,” Hestia said gravely.

“He's such bad drinking company,” Dionysus grumbled.

“Some wars are best fought before blood is shed,” Athena said sagely.

“I dunno, it could be fun to see Demeter rough him up a bit,” Ares mused, rubbing his jaw.

“No more running from the consequences for you,” Hermes snickered.

“Kid always seems to shake up the lineup when she's here, so why not?” Hephaestus said dispassionately, though his eyes shone with fire.

“...It seems we're all in accord,” Zeus said as he rose. “Demeter… If you would?”

The goddess of the harvest and Percy’s mother shot Zeus a cold look. Her vines had sprouted thorns that were piercing Poseidon’s skin as he shook and trembled from the pain, ichor soaking into his throne.

“Just one last thing?” Demeter asked. Zeus gestured for her to get it over with. She raised her foot and after it came down everyone in the room audibly cringed at Poseidon’s scream. “Been wanting to do that for millennia!”

“Poseidon… As King of the Gods of Olympus, I hereby strip you of your godhood, authority, and godly domain,” Zeus said as he pointed the Master Bolt at his brother. “I shall grant them to your ex- wife Amphitrite, to rule the seas and oceans in your stead…” His eyes flashed with lightning. “And I banish you to the depths of Tartarus.”

Persephone covered Percy’s eyes as a bright light reminiscent of the flash before a god revealed their true form filled the throne room. Several seconds later, she moved her hand…

And Poseidon was gone.

Demeter seemed much more satisfied as she walked back over, slowly returning to her smaller, more human-friendly size.

“Tell me Percy, what's your favorite kind of cereal?”

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

XIV: Camp Half-Blood

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

August 18th, 2012

Camp Half-Blood

“Is it weird that I'm more nervous than when I went to Olympus?” Percy muttered.

“Nah,” Piper said dismissively. She smiled, pulling her hands away. “There we go. A braid for the birthday girl. Old lady.”

“Ha-ha…” She sighed. “Time to face everyone…”

“You've got this, girl,” Thalia said, stumbling onto ‘girl’ awkwardly. “Gonna have to think up some new nicknames…”

“Bane of Poseidon's an option,” Percy teased. She grimaced when she saw the pine tree atop the hill. “Oh boy…”

“It's okay, Percy,” Shel said, squeezing her hand. “We're here for you… Well, everyone else is. I'll be in the car.”

Percy snorted, but smiled at Piper’s fiancée. “Works for me,” she said agreeably. “I don't think Camp’s ready for you.”

“They wouldn't know how to handle all this,” Shel agreed.

Percy looked at the hill again and then herself. Jeans and a sweater, since it was kind of warm. Didn't do a whole lot to hide her figure, but she'd only been wanting to do that because she was afraid of Annabeth’s reaction to her new body. And…

She rubbed a thumb against the first birthday gift from Demeter. A brooch in the form of a sheaf of wheat.

“...Let's do this.”

They passed over the border as a group, and Camp Half-Blood was revealed. Nobody noticed them at first…

“Thalia! Reyna! Woah, everyone's here!” Meg said, seeming surprised as she ran up from the strawberry fields. The sunny valley had caused her to develop a tan. “Any news on Percy?”

“Well…” Thalia smiled and pushed the girl in question forward.

Percy glowered at her cousin before she turned to Meg and smiled nervously. “Hey, Meg.”

She blinked before her eyes went wide. “Percy!” She shrieked, barreling into Percy with a hug and earning a grunt from the demigod she didn't know was her sister.

Percy smiled and hugged Meg back. “Hey, you.”

“Percy?”

“Percy’s back?”

“Percy’s alive!”

Camper after camper came rushing, including a grinning Will and Nico who both gave her hugs immediately while everyone else stood at a distance, seeming surprised.

Clarisse - who must have been visiting - stared at her. “Jackson?”

“Hey, Drakon slayer,” Percy said with a grin.

Clarisse blinked and huffed. “Always something new with you,” she muttered. “And a year? Fuckin’ lunatic.”

Percy gave a wicked grin. “Wait till you learn what happened,” she said cheekily.

“Where were you?” Sherman Yang asked.

“What happened? Why'd you leave?” Kayla Knowles pestered.

“Why are you a chick?” Drew Tanaka asked, frowning.

“Well—”

A golden light suddenly bathed everyone and Percy failed to suppress a smirk. “Let's just say a lot happened,” she said while the golden scythe and two sheaves of wheat rotated above her head.

“But… But you're a son of Poseidon,” Clarisse said dumbly.

“He abducted me,” Percy said simply as she began to walk towards the Big House, the campers following her. “I've always been a daughter of Demeter… But I didn't find out until recently.”

“Someone needs to get Annabeth,” Malcolm - her brother - muttered. Percy didn't get to stop him before he ran off. She grimaced, but just sat on the steps while everyone else made themselves comfortable.

Thalia, Reyna, Nico, Will, Piper, Hazel, and Frank all sat close enough to keep the others away, of course.

“How'd you find out you're our… Uh, sister?” Miranda Gardiner asked while she and Meg got the luxury of sitting the closest with the other Demeter kids.

“I realized my connection to the sea was broken by an outside force. Those powers vanished… And over time, I learned the truth. From Amphitrite, mainly, but I discovered a lot of it myself,” she admitted. “And after I met Mom and Persephone… I knew.”

“You met Mom?” Meg asked wistfully.

“Yeah… She's doing better than she has in a while,” Percy said with a smile. “And she misses all of you. She's going to come by when Persephone goes back to the Underworld.”

“Mom’s coming…”

“Mom's coming!”

“Mom…”

The Demeter kids - her siblings - all whispered amongst themselves, clearly excited and nervous all at once. Demeter had been in a bad spot ever since Percy and Sally Jackson had been wiped from her mind, so this was big.

“Why are you a girl now?” Drew asked, repeating her earlier question. “Is it a curse? It looks good on you, but…”

“It's by choice,” Percy said firmly. “I went to the Sea of Monsters and sought out Circe. She used her divine power to grant me a woman’s body, like I've always wanted. I'm transgender.”

She was surprised when Valentina Diaz reached out for a fist bump, but returned it. Based on the daughter of Aphrodite’s tiny smile, she had a guess as to why she'd done it.

“You were gone for a long time… How many monsters did you fight?” Asked a younger Camper - a child of Hecate, Percy was pretty sure. A sweet kid who was still kind of unaware of things, and had been brand new when Percy left.

“More than I can count,” she confessed. “I had to hone my skills without my powers. Thankfully, I had lots of opportunities to practice.”

“Did you keep any of the spoils?” Sherman asked, nodding to her bag.

Percy shook her head. “No. I didn't have space, and there were way too many. I just destroyed them,” she admitted, shrugging. “Though according to Hades I've now got enough kleos that if I don't get into Elysium it's because they made a whole new place for monster-slaying nutjobs.”

“You went to the Underworld?!” Travis Stoll exclaimed.

“Bad. Ass.” Connor said approvingly.

“The easy way, with Nico,” Percy admitted. She gently patted the son of Hades’ back and he rolled his eyes. “I could still feel that I had a connection to the earth, and before I knew it was Demeter, I considered Hades as a possibility.”

“Woah…”

Lots of murmuring went on as some seemed to debate asking something, but then Nyssa spoke up.

“Do you know why Poseidon's cabin collapsed?”

Percy blinked and sighed, staring at her hands. “Poseidon is in Tartarus.” Numerous gasps erupted among the assembled Campers. “Because if he was allowed to remain a god, Demeter would've torn Olympus apart to destroy him. An Olympiamachia. She already lost one daughter to her brothers. She was pissed when she found out it happened again.”

Miranda clenched her fists. “Good,” she growled.

“And for it to be Poseidon?” Billie said. “He's lucky Mom didn't kill him then and there.”

“Do you have any new powers?” Meg asked curiously. “Now that Mom’s claimed you and everything.”

Percy shook her head. “Something's blocking them,” she confessed. “I can feel them… They're there, and they're strong. But…”

“No shit they're strong,” Nico laughed. “You're the strongest demigod to date, Percy. I bet you'd lay Hercules out on his ass at this point.”

“Nico, come on—”

“I don't see that muscle-bound jerk having any stories of using pure skill to survive a year fighting monsters and living in the wilderness,” Nico pointed out.

“Or dueling Titans to a standstill,” added Thalia, who'd been there when Percy matched Hyperion blow for blow.

“Defeating several Giants all by himself,” Hazel teased as she poked Percy's side. “Unless you really wanna count throwing a statue head at Polybotes or Thanatos poking Alcyoneus as real backup.”

“You make Ancient Greece look like a joke, Percy,” Piper agreed. “You're the savior of Olympus. Own it.”

Percy huffed and wound up trying and failing to look away as her lips twitched and her face burned a bright scarlet.

“Oh that's definitely Percy. Dude, get used to praise already,” Kayla said, cackling.

“Same exact shade of red,” Pollux agreed. “It's such a giveaway.”

“Hey, what's with the hairties?” Lou-Ellen asked, gesturing to them.

Percy hummed, her blush being slightly tempered. “Gifts from Artemis,” she explained. “New weapons, since Riptide stopped answering to me. I use hatchets and knives now.”

“I thought you had really bad aim?” Teased Mikayla, though a few campers winced as they no doubt recalled the incident where Percy nearly hit Chiron despite the centaur standing behind her.

“That’s a curse Artemis and Dad placed on children of Poseidon,” Will piped up. “Probably just applied since Percy was blessed by him.”

Percy nodded. “He’s right. Though, I still had to practice to get decent aim,” she amended. “Thankfully, I had plenty of chances for target practice.” The laughter that earned helped her relax some more.

Looks like she didn't need to be as anxious as she had been. For this part, anyway.

“What about Annabeth?” Valentina asked curiously. Percy internally cursed her stupidity for relaxing. “You've got… Lots going on there,” she said, gesturing to Percy as a whole.

“Valentina!” Drew of all people hissed.

“That's between Percy and Annabeth,” Piper said firmly. Valentina jolted and quailed under her older sister’s cold glare. “Anything they tell you after the fact is up to them, but wait until they have their reunion, okay?”

The other Aphrodite kids all nodded their agreement, and so did various other campers.

Clarisse, ever the wordsmith, was the one to break the following awkward silence. “Guessing you told all these punks?” She said, jerking her chin to the friends immediately surrounding Percy.

“Slowly but surely,” Percy agreed. “It was kind of piecemeal. I had… A lot of visits to make. Some gods, some mortals, and even a couple choices that surprised me. But… Yeah.”

“She's also officially Maid of Honor at my wedding,” Piper chimed in as she flung an arm around Percy’s shoulders and grinned. “Can't just have my best friend be there and not be right next to me.”

Percy blushed and looked away. “I just wish the dress wasn't so low-cut,” she grumbled, causing Piper to smirk and poke her side, earning a yelp and a glare from the daughter of Demeter.

“Say, where's Leo?” Percy wound up asking, wanting to try and change the subject before anyone got any ideas and asked how low-cut her dress was.

“He and Calypso are at the Waystation with Lityerses and the others. Guess they like the place better than Camp,” Nyssa said, shrugging her shoulders. “Can’t blame ‘em. It's a lot more secure.”

“Huh… Didn't know he'd gone permanent. Now I feel bad for not visiting after all,” Percy mused, sighing as she rested her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. “I wanted to catch up with them.”

“Speaking of… Why did you visit some people but waited so long to come here?” Lou-Ellen asked as she furrowed her brow. “I mean… I just don't get it. Besides Annabeth, you've got Grover, Chiron… Lots of people here… Well, are important to you, right?”

Percy winced and looked at the sky for a moment as she sorted out her thoughts before she returned her attention to the other Campers. This was a question she couldn't very well avoid. And honestly, it wouldn't be long before all three of those people Lou-Ellen mentioned would want answers of their own.

“Because I had a lot to re-evaluate,” Percy said slowly. “About myself… The people in my life… My relationships. I had to figure out who I am, at least a little bit. There was a lot I didn't understand or know what to think about or just flat-out had the wrong ideas about. I… I thought I was a monster, and I wanted to try and make amends.”

“But you're not,” Piper said vehemently as she side-hugged Percy tightly. “You're our friend, and I'm pretty sure you couldn't hurt us if you tried.”

“I dunno, pretty sure I still owe her for giving me a freaking aneurysm,” Thalia said thoughtfully before she grinned and lightly punched Percy’s shoulder.

Clarisse laughed. “Damn, Jackson - that's rich. You? Hurt your friends? You're such a freaking drama queen.”

“Rude,” Percy muttered.

“No, that's pretty on-point, actually.”

“Right on the money.”

“She's got you dead to rights, Percy.”

She glared at the gathered campers, but then her head jerked up as movement caught her eye, and she pursed her lips. “Hey, guys? I kinda need privacy,” she told them. “Talk later. But… Yeah.”

The campers followed her gaze and - upon seeing who was rapidly approaching - they scattered, some throwing confused glances to Thalia and the others, who didn't go anywhere and stayed on the porch with Percy.

The heavy footsteps of horse hooves accompanied by noticeably softer goat hooves slowed as two people looked at Percy in disbelief, both out of breath.

“Is… Percy… Is that you?” Chiron murmured, seeming as if he was hoping against hope.

“Percy…?” Grover asked, taking a couple steps closer.

She pursed her lips before putting on as neutral an expression as she could. “Hey guys. Long time, no see,” she said neutrally. “We've got a lot to talk about.”

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

XV: Grover & Chiron

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

August 18th, 2012

Camp Half-Blood

“Thanks,” Percy said appreciatively when Grover handed her one of the diet cokes that Dionysus had left behind. She wasn't usually partial, but after nearly a year of mostly eating whatever she could get her hands on (that wasn't from a dumpster), she was going to take what she could get.

She took a sip and set it down on the card table, looking evenly at the satyr who had once been her best friend and the centaur who had once been her mentor.

“Your transformation suits you,” Chiron said amicably, though his voice was a little strained.

“Circe’s good at what she does,” Percy agreed.

“Cir… You went to the Sea of Monsters?!” Grover cried. “Why?!”

Percy looked flatly at him. “I h… I thought I had amends to make. Circe, at least, was one of those ‘both of us owed an apology’ type of things,” she said firmly. “Annabeth and I abandoned her and her attendants to Blackbeard. That's messed up, Grover. She deserved an ‘I’m sorry’.”

Grover winced, clearly not expecting her sharp tone. “Ah… I guess so… It's just— well, she turned you into a guinea pig, didn't she?”

“Yeah, and it hurt to have that happen right after I was shown myself as a girl. As what I've always wanted to be,” Percy agreed. “But she apologized, and so did I. We made nice, she agreed to do better, and I was given what she promised when I was thirteen.”

Chiron studied her some more. “You've changed,” he said, almost abruptly. “This journey has… Changed you. Your confidence is back - better, even. And you stand up for yourself.”

“All things you never taught me,” Percy said.

“They weren't mine to teach.”

“You're our instructor, aren't you?” She shot back. “Chiron, you're our teacher, yet most of what you do is watch. You watched while the Aphrodite Campers were mocked every day. You watched while the Aphrodite and Hephaestus Campers crumbled in the wake of Silena and Charlie’s deaths. You watched while the unclaimed and non-Olympian demigods left us for Luke.”

Percy stood and leaned over the table, glaring at the centaur. “You stood by and did nothing, Chiron. You have no right to claim to be our teacher when the most influence you have is on those who are your favorites,” she growled. “You neglect us and pretend to be a kind mentor. Wake up. Teenagers shouldn't be self-governing like this. They shouldn't be doing nothing but learning how to fight for our lives and wield our powers. They're kids. I was a kid when I came here, and you sent me on a quest to retrieve the symbol of power of the King of the Gods. You're no mentor. You're an observer.”

Chiron didn't speak, probably because he hadn't expected to be called out like that. Percy huffed and pushed herself up, brushing herself off. When she felt a hand on her shoulder she turned to see Piper looking at her in concern, but Percy just shook her head and gave her friend a pained smile. While hesitant, Piper went back off to the side with the others.

Annabeth was one thing, but…

Chiron and Grover made her angry. She was furious at them for their actions. Maybe it was influence from Mom - though if so, it was a tossup as to which one. Sally hated injustice and had a fire burn in her for abused kids, and Demeter's wrath was legendary.

Percy slowly sat back down and pushed her hair back out of her face, as it had gotten a little messy. She met Chiron’s eyes evenly, and was pleased to see the guilt in them.

“You've got a lot to make up for, Chiron. It's a good thing you're immortal, because I expect you to do better,” she said firmly. “At heart you're good. Show that. Take an adolescent psychiatry course or something. Learn about modern childcare. What you put us through is outdated - badly.”

When she saw Grover staring at her, she raised an eyebrow in askance.

“Uh… sorry,” he apologized. “It's just… You're… You smell like nature,” he admitted. “Especially when you got angry just a bit ago. It was almost…” He hesitated.

“Poseidon isn't my father. Demeter sired me,” Percy answered offhandedly. “Also, Poseidon’s in Tartarus, Amphitrite took his place, and I found out about my heritage over the course of my journey. I started it because my powers were waning - and no, even though Demeter properly claimed me right after I returned, I still don't have any new powers to take their place.”

Both Chiron and Grover looked like they'd been thrown for a loop, and she didn't blame them. But honestly, she figured that at this point it could be understood if she saved the details and focused on what she'd been wanting to say for a lot longer than she realized.

“How many… How many people knew?” Chiron asked after clearing his throat since his voice creaked.

“Only two,” Percy began after taking a sip of her soda, “at first, anyway. Mom - Sally - and Rachel.”

“Rachel knew? She said—”

“Yeah, I know. I told her to lie,” Percy said mildly. Grover grimaced at her words. “I didn't want to be found or known. I told Mom so she wouldn't worry, and Rachel…” She trailed off, tapping the can. “Well, Rachel's different.”

Chiron frowned. “I suppose that's… Fair.”

“Good thing I don't care one way or the other,” Percy said mildly. “It was my decision… And considering the issues I had, I think I did right.”

“But… Percy, why not me? You can trust me—”

“Can I?” She said, cutting off Grover with a sharp gaze. “Grover, you lied to me. You told me that empathy link - which you didn't ask for consent before putting on me, by the way - wouldn't let you read my emotions in real-time or stalk me. I know differently now. I don't care if you never used it for that, but that's a huge breach of trust. That's fucked up. Thankfully, Lou-Ellen had my back.”

Grover had the decency to look ashamed as his face turned scarlet.

“And by the way, you're not my best friend,” she added. He looked hurt but her gaze was unflinching. “That’s Piper.”

“She's even Maid of Honor,” Piper chimed in from where she was standing. Percy glanced back and could tell she'd been watching the whole time. She wound up having to suppress a smile because of that.

“I… Can guess you've probably told everyone here,” Chiron said tiredly. “I presume over the course of your journey?”

Percy nodded. “Piper and Shel were first, the others came with time. I also spoke to several gods…” She held out her right arm, but rather than the silvery moon on the forearm, she gestured to the hairtie. “Artemis, for example. I gave Riptide to her, and she gave me new weapons.”

“It seems your time in the wilderness suited you well,” Chiron said, a faint smile appearing. “Though for a child of Demeter, that's not unexpected. They… you are well-suited to living among the land.”

Percy hummed. “Like Persephone, before Hades took her,” she mused. Both Chiron and Grover winced at that. “It's kind of morbidly amusing how much my sister and I have in common… Daughters of Demeter stolen by Sons of Kronos.”

Grover stared at his hands. “For Lor… For Poseidon to do that,” he muttered. “It's hard to think about. I just…”

“Is it? How do you think Arion came to be?” Percy questioned.

“Foul-mouthed horse,” Hazel grumbled from behind her. Percy fought off a smirk.

“He…” Grover trailed off. “...Maybe it's not that hard to think about,” he amended.

“Percy… I must ask. What of Annabeth?” Chiron asked, resting his arms on the table. “Of anyone, I thought she would be the first to hear from you and know that you're doing okay.”

Percy didn't respond at first as she took a sip of soda and set it back down. Her hand trembled and she wished she wasn't so shaky, but…

Grover and Chiron may have made her angry, but she was still willing to give them a second chance. To let them make things up to her. Because they weren't actively painful to be around. They weren't actively trying to hurt her. They were just doing the wrong things and thought they were helping.

And in the end, everyone knew where you got with good intentions.

“Annabeth and I will talk later,” she said firmly. “All I'm telling you is that it's between us and that's that.”

“Yet something tells me it isn't just between you,” Chiron observed. “If it were, then by now the others would have begun to venture across Camp as usual. Maybe not if they weren't aware of your well-being, but…”

She silently cursed Chiron’s observational skills. “Like I said. It's between Annabeth and I,” she said firmly, pretending her voice didn't tremble.

Chiron looked troubled, but seemed to understand her reluctance to say more on the subject and dropped it.

“So… What else did you do on your journey?” Grover asked. “Besides uh. Find out Lady Demeter's your godly parent and stuff.”

Percy gave him the tiniest of appreciative smiles for the change in subject. “It was a lot of ‘finding myself’. Soul-searching and stuff. I kept… I kept thinking the worst of myself, and the best of others. Those guys,” she gestured to Piper and the rest, “helped me get my head together.”

Hazel walked over and hugged her from behind. “Really glad you can stand up for yourself, sis,” she said, squeezing a little. Percy patted her arm and returned the squeeze before Hazel went back to sitting in Frank’s lap.

Chiron smiled sadly. “I'll… Admit. When you first started, ah, ‘tearing me a new one’, as it were… I was shocked. I didn't know what to think or say, but…” He sighed, looking weary. “You're right. I've… I've neglected my duties. I've neglected my charges. I should have done better. Perhaps if I had, circumstances wouldn't have come to be that you didn't feel the need to leave, and…” His energy seemed to peter out as the weariness intensified. “And perhaps Luke wouldn't have betrayed us.”

“...Maybe,” Percy agreed. She wasn't going to sugarcoat it for Chiron. He didn't need to be comforted or have his behaviors excused. He needed a reality check. “If you do better, maybe we won't have another Luke.”

Chiron nodded. “Maybe.”

Grover clasped his hands together. “...I’m sorry, Percy,” he said. A weak laugh fell out of him. “I'll admit, I won't blame you whether you trust me or not when I say I didn't use the link for that… But yeah. I lied. I should have asked, and I should have told you what it did. Honestly, when I told Juniper about the whole thing, she was… She was almost as angry as you were. I didn't think about it - I just wanted to keep you safe… But I should've asked. And I didn't. And I'm sorry.”

Percy nodded, relaxing somewhat. “Yeah… You should've,” she agreed. “But… Thanks. For apologizing. For owning up to it. It'll take time before I can trust you again… But I'll give you a chance, Grover. Don't blow it.”

Grover gave a weak laugh, but nodded.

When she heard rushing footsteps, Percy turned. But it wasn't Annabeth like she'd initially panicked. She felt her heartbeat settle when she saw an out of breath Malcolm approaching.

“Hee… Haaa… Hfff… Pfff… Fuck…” He braced himself on the side of the railing, looking totally winded.

“You look like you ran all over Camp,” Piper commented.

“I did…” Malcolm confirmed, looking totally wiped on energy - he didn't even sound snarky. “I… eventually… found her. Middle of the freakin’... Forest… Fuck…” He stood up, putting his hands on his back and stretching back. His shirt was drenched with sweat. “She… Hhh… She says if… You’re really… Percy… You'd come find her… Yourself…”

Percy blinked. “I… Well…” She faltered. All her bravado felt like it was… Gone. Petered out. One mention of Annabeth and suddenly she felt like a twelve year old kid again, like she was totally out of her depth and had been flung into a brand new world.

Everyone so far that she'd talked to had been supportive, caring, or willing to own up. Or she'd been apologizing to them. The sole exception was Poseidon, and for most of that she'd hidden behind the safety of being in the middle of the Olympian Throne Room and later hiding behind Demeter’s skirts.

Annabeth she'd be facing… mostly alone.

She cast a helpless glance to her friends. Malcolm and the others all seemed confused, but her friends understood. Piper discreetly held a hand in front of herself and pointed down. ‘Here,’ she mouthed.

Percy turned back to Malcolm. “If Annabeth wants to see me… She needs… Sh-she needs t-to come here,” she said, her voice shaking almost as much as her hands. She then looked at Chiron and Grover. “Can… C-can you… Tell her? Mal… Malcolm looks kind of, uh… Tired.”

Malcolm blinked and frowned before he gave Percy a grateful look as he left, while Grover slowly stood up.

“I'll, uh… Get her?” He said, giving Chiron an uncertain look. After the aged centaur nodded, Grover went on his way.

“I'll give you your privacy,” Chiron said softly as he wheeled himself towards the ramp. He paused at the top. “...And for what it's worth, Percy?” She looked at him, still feeling shaken and nervous. “I'm proud of you, and I'm sorry I failed you. I wish you the best.”

“...Thanks, Chiron.”

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

XVI: Annabeth

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

August 18th, 2012

Camp Half-Blood

The sound of footsteps on the porch made Percy freeze. Immediately her heartbeat began to race and she clasped her hands together on the table.

The others were sitting closer - on the porch itself now instead of the steps - but not at the table, which now only had one other seat.

For Annabeth.

“Percy,” said an even-toned, familiar voice. She could sense it, though. The underlying veil of upset. She didn't use Percy’s name unless she was upset or worried - and if she were worried, she'd have hugged Percy by now.

“Hey, Annabeth,” Percy replied without turning. She was too stiff. If she tried to move now she'd crumble. Not seeing Annabeth right away was the only reason she was doing okay.

The last year of being away from her, undergoing all those realizations, and coming to terms with the pain had all caused Annabeth to go from her intense but beloved girlfriend…

To someone she didn't know anymore. Perhaps she never knew Annabeth at all.

“You’re a girl now. This some kind of curse?” Annabeth asked as she approached, her footsteps deafening to Percy’s ears.

“No… N-no, I… I… Circe did this for me. I… I wanted it,” Percy said. She fought the urge to bite her lip. Her eyes twitched up from the table and she saw the barely-contained loathing in the eyes of some of her friends, while others just looked disdainful, and Nico looked troubled and uneasy.

“You wanted it?” Annabeth asked, sounding a bit confused. Almost concerned. Percy went still as a statue when she felt her ponytail lift and the barest brush of a knuckle against the back of her neck.

“P-please d-don’t t-t-touch m-me,” Percy whispered as she began to tremble. Since when had Annabeth’s touch become so upsetting? So terrifying? It felt like she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. For Annabeth to get angry and shove her head into the table or something, even though she'd never…

She slammed into the pavement, but her pain-filled exclamation was immediately silenced when Annabeth pressed a knee to her diaphragm and an arm against her throat.

No… No, Annabeth had absolutely been this violent before.

“What, I can't touch my girlfriend?” Annabeth asked. She didn't listen and put a hand on Percy’s shoulder. The daughter of Demeter felt sick. “‘Girlfriend’... Hmm. I don't like that too much. How long does this last?”

Piper’s glare was the worst Percy had ever seen it. “Let go of her, Annabeth,” she said. Charmspeak. But Annabeth didn't let go. Her hand didn't budge.

“Stay out of it, Piper. Actually, why are you all even here? What, can't give a couple some privacy?” Annabeth said, sounding almost lighthearted. Percy could see a bit of Annabeth from the corner of her eye. She looked away.

“Please… Let go,” Percy half-sobbed in a very, very small voice.

“I didn't hear that, Percy. Come on, speak up.”

She began to tremble some more. She could feel the sweat running down her body in rivulets. “Ple… ase… Let… G-go,” Percy rasped, her voice barely a bit louder.

“Percy… I can't hear you,” Annabeth repeated. Her hand squeezed just enough to feel uncomfortable.

Frank got up, stomped over, grabbed Annabeth’s arm and lifted it off of Percy. “Knock it off, Annabeth,” he said in a low voice. “She said let go. That kind of means let go. If you're gonna keep this crap up I'm gonna make sure you can't touch her.”

“You wouldn't dare. Percy’s my girlfriend, I—”

Frank squeezed harder and Annabeth grunted. “I'm a son of Mars, Annabeth. We're not known for being the most gentle. So if you don't—”

He stopped when Percy tugged on his shirt the tiniest bit. He gave her a pained look but nodded before reluctantly returning to the group.

“See? Percy’s not that upset,” Annabeth said brightly. But she didn't touch Percy again and simply went to sit in the other chair. The screech of wood on wood felt agonizingly painful in that moment. Percy could see a reddish mark on Annabeth’s left wrist. She didn't dare look higher. “So… How long until… This… Is over?” Annabeth asked.

“...Never,” Percy managed. She forced herself to speak louder, not wanting Annabeth to mock her again. “This is… Me.”

“No, it isn't,” Annabeth said dismissively.

“Yes… I-it is,” Percy stammered. “I… I l-like this, I…” She felt her throat closing up and forced herself to keep talking. It hurt, and the constriction made every word agonizing. “I-I’ve w-want… ed this, f-for years… This… I-it’s m-m-me.”

“...Huh.” Annabeth drummed her fingers on the table. “Look at me.”

It wasn't a request. It was a command. Usually Percy followed them by instinct, but the intense and crippling fear she felt was killing that instinct. Smothering it. She couldn't budge a muscle - every last one was too tense.

She needed to change the subject.

“I-I’m… I'm n-not… P-P-Posei… don’s,” she rasped. “D-Demeter.”

“Your mom’s mortal.”

“I-I kn-know. They… M-magic. G-god m-magic. Like… You,” Percy forced out. She felt tears slide down her face it was so painful to speak.

When she felt hands on her back she flinched, but then she realized it was Piper, who slowly reached her arms around Percy and hugged her gently.

Despite the guilt she felt at involving her best friend, Percy couldn't deny that the safety of her hold helped. Her muscles relaxed by a tiny fraction and the tears slowed a bit. Her throat even hurt a bit less.

“Uh… Piper, what are you doing?” Annabeth asked, sounding annoyed.

“Hugging my best friend,” Piper replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“You're getting in the way of our conversation.”

“Am I?” Piper turned to look at Percy. “Can you hear Annabeth?” Percy nodded shakily. “Huh. Looks like she can hear you juuuuust fine. And since I'm not blocking her mouth… No big deal, right?”

Annabeth glared at Piper, but Percy’s best friend didn't back down an inch. In fact, she gave Percy a gentle squeeze of reassurance to combat the instinctive flinch the older girl had when Annabeth glared.

“...Fine,” Annabeth said irritably. “So… You made me come to you. Even though you know what I told you last time.”

“Everyone knows what you told her last time,” Reyna said with disgust. “You threatened her for Juno’s actions. And here I thought you were the smart one.”

Annabeth glared at Reyna in a very familiar way.

“Don't talk back to me,” Annabeth had snapped, breathing heavily after throwing the glass at Percy. “I know what I said. I know what happened. If you hadn't made yourself an easy target, none of this would've happened. It's your fault.”

“Reyna—”

She gave Percy a stern, sad look before returning one of disgust to Annabeth. “She had shit to deal with, Annabeth. Shit that didn't require you knowing anything. She told her Mom, and that's it.”

“Oh, so now she's lying to me, too?” Annabeth asked, her glare turning to Percy. “Bet you thought it was funny, laughing behind my back while I tried to comfort her. What, were you in the apartment next door this entire time? While I was worried? While I was panicked? I wasted months looking for you!”

Waste. Percy was a waste. She was a burden to Annabeth, wasting her time like that.

“I-I-I’m s-s-sor—”

“Shut up, Annabeth.”

Percy looked at Thalia in horror, but the daughter of Zeus ignored her. She stood up and walked up next to Annabeth, looking down at her. “You think it's a waste to look for your girlfriend? What a piece of shit,” she said, sounding disgusted. “You ever think maybe she didn't tell you anything because she was running from you?”

“Hah!” Annabeth looked at Thalia in disbelief. “Really? I didn't hear anything from you guys, so who's to say Percy wasn't running from you?” She countered.

“The fact that she told us,” Piper said flatly. Percy quailed under the immediate sensation she felt. Of pure fury aimed at her. “One by one. She visited some gods and people that she trusted. That she loved and felt safe around.”

“Piper—”

Piper hugged Percy tighter. “She told us about you, Annie. Some real interesting shit. I thought that judo flip was kinda fucked up. But wow, it got worse? That's real low, Annabeth,” she said, making a laugh of disgust.

Annabeth rose from her seat so quickly that Percy cowered by instinct, but she was slammed back down just as quickly by Frank.

“Get your hands off me.”

“How many times did Percy ask that and you didn't listen?” Frank asked, sounding angry and curious at the same time. “I heard at least three today. How many more times were there? Hundreds? Thousands?”

“Knock it off, Frank,” Annabeth said angrily. She tried to pry his hands off, but they held her shoulders tightly. Percy knew firsthand that when a child of Ares/Mars held onto something…

Well. They didn't let go easy.

“Guys… P-p-please,” Percy said softly. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it had finally come back enough for that.

Frank and Thalia traded looks before they eventually backed off. Annabeth worked her shoulders, looking supremely annoyed.

“Took you long enough,” she snapped. “So what, just gonna let our friends do all the talking for you?”

“Her friends,” Nico corrected. The uncertainty was gone, replaced by pure disgust. “And we're here to support her - seeing as you either can't or won't do that.”

Annabeth stared at them before looking at Percy. Her body language made her seem almost… Impressed. She gave a couple claps.

“Wow,” she said, sounding as if she was in awe and disbelief at the same time. “You've really got them wrapped around your little finger, huh? What, am I not enough? Now you've got to spread all these lies and make me look like the bad guy? How much longer am I gonna be walking on eggshells, hmm? Hey, guys, you ever think that maybe she's just full of shit and feeling needy because I didn't give her enough attention?”

Hazel stood up and approached while the others looked outright shocked at Annabeth’s words.

She slapped Annabeth.

“If you wanna say my big sis is a liar again, I've got a whole lot more than a slap lined up for you,” Hazel warned in a low voice. Percy felt a frigid chill down her spine.

She sounded just like the Greek equivalent of her father - Hades. Cold, unyielding… Serious.

“Don't pull that shit with us, Annabeth. Or else you won't notice the gem until it's beyond too late.”

A gem. Hazel was threatening to hide a gem in Annabeth’s possessions. Percy wanted to rebuke her - to say it was too much - but her throat had closed up again. Her mouth tasted salty from tears. She couldn't bring herself to speak at all.

When Annabeth shot her a look of fury, Percy quailed again. And then she saw Annabeth’s eyes - the flicker of betrayal.

Was… Was this really the right thing to do? If this was hurting Annabeth… maybe she should call everything off? Was this a mistake?

“Let’s cut to the chase,” Piper said abruptly. “Because I'm getting kind of sick of looking at you, and Shel's keeping the car warm for us.” Percy shot her a panicked look but Piper just hugged her again. “It'll be over soon, Percy,” she whispered softly.

Over… Right. If she stayed like this… Nothing would change. Annabeth would keep hitting her. Keep yelling at her. She'd probably get worse. She wasn't known for keeping her cool when Percy opposed her, and this was a huge opposition.

…And maybe a partner who was like that wasn't a good one. She'd seen Shel and Piper disagree, but they hashed it out without so much as a raised voice. Thalia and Reyna bickered, but they never laid hands on each other or said mean things. Hazel and Frank had their differences but still had each other’s backs. Will and Nico were polar opposites but they worked like a charm.

Percy and Annabeth…

“...We should break up,” she rasped softly, still looking at the table.

The porch was dead silent except for the distant buzz of cicadas and the slight click as Reyna tapped a nail against her sword’s pommel.

“I'm sorry, I think I misheard you. It almost sounds like you said we should break up,” Annabeth said, a forced smile on her face as if Percy had said a cute joke.

She forced herself to look up a bit further, at Annabeth’s nose. “You didn't mishear me,” she said weakly. Her shoulders were shaking. Tears were sliding down her face.

“I didn't?” Annabeth asked, her smile dissolving into absolute neutrality. “That's strange, because I could have sworn you loved me.”

“...I do,” Percy admitted. “I… I still… Love you.” She wished it wasn't true. Then maybe it wouldn't hurt so much. Maybe it wouldn't feel so scary or intimidating to confront Annabeth.

“Then why?”

She slowly made herself look a little higher. Just barely below Annabeth’s eyes - her cheekbones. “Because… I'm scared… Scared of you,” Percy said. She clenched her hands into fists. “I shouldn't be. That's not normal.”

“Everyone's scared of me, Percy. I'm a scary person. You're being ridiculous,” Annabeth snapped.

“...You say mean things to me,” Percy said. “I'm not ridiculous… I'm not a liar. I'm not mean or-or manipulative or any of these things you call me. I'm not.”

“Then prove it.”

“No!” Percy half-sobbed, her voice not very loud but still audible. To her it may as well have been a scream with the effort it took. “I don't… I don't need to prove it! I know it! That's why I went on this stupid journey! I wanted to know myself better! I wanted to be happy! That's why I told everyone but you! I didn't feel safe around you! You hit me Annabeth! You throw things at me and-and threaten me and you…” Tears continued to stream, dropping onto her shirt and the table.

She met the eyes of her girlfriend… Her ex- girlfriend. Eyes that seemed shocked, surprised, confused… And just the tiniest bit guilty.

“You hit me,” she whispered. “Even though I told you about my Stepdad. You lied… You kept things from me… Kept secrets… I don't know who you are anymore. I don't know if I ever knew who you were. You… I told you about him. I cried to you about him. You comforted me… But…”

She sniffled as the tears continued to fall. A hiccup interrupted her sobs as she tried to keep a brave face but failed miserably.

“You changed… I don't know why… And I'm s-sorry… But… It's over, Annabeth…”

“...Okay.”

Chapter Text

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

XVII: Rachel

~~~~~Percy Jackson~~~~~

August 18th, 2012

Rachel’s Cave, Camp Half-Blood

“It's okay, guys. I just… I just gotta talk to Rachel for a bit,” Percy reassured her friends. Her hands were still twitching and trembling.

“Alright… But don't take too long, okay? You've really tired yourself out,” Piper pointed out.

“Yeah… Don't worry. After this it'll all be over and done with,” Percy reassured them. They just looked more anxious, so she gave them a weak smile before turning, pushing open the curtains, and heading inside.

As always, it was well-lit. And Rachel was staring at a canvas that Percy couldn't see since it was pointed away from her. The redheaded oracle smiled faintly when Percy entered. “Hello, Percy.”

“Rachel.”

“Come in, sit,” Rachel said as she gestured to one of the foldable chairs she kept with her. She walked around the canvas and sat in one herself, staring thoughtfully into the fire.

Skeptical, Percy obliged. Being around Rachel was unnerving as ever.

“It's been eleven months. How was your journey?” Rachel asked curiously as she pulled a pack of hot dogs from her cooler and grabbed some of the sticks she used for cooking them.

“It went… Just like you said it would,” Percy said tiredly. “But I still don't get why I can't tell anyone.”

“Percy, sometimes some information is only meant for one set of ears. In this case, the prophecy was for yours,” she said simply. “The spirit of Delphi told me that only you may know, and that if someone else were to learn…”

“The consequences would be dire,” Percy said sourly. She sighed.

“Bright side, you look cute as a girl,” Rachel said with a wink. Percy rolled her eyes while Rachel shrugged and speared the hot dogs onto the cooking sticks. “So who'd you see first?”

“Medusa,” Percy admitted. “After that…”

“‘Gods and their brood your story shall keep’,” Rachel recited, humming thoughtfully. “How many of each?”

“Well, I didn't talk to Apollo directly, but counting him… seven,” Percy said. She frowned a little. “Weird. Didn't expect it to be a sacred number…” She shook her head. “But demigod-wise, it was… Also… Seven…”

Rachel smiled while Percy just looked dumbstruck. “That number does have a habit of making itself known lately, huh?” She chuckled, pulling a bag of rolls out of the nearby basket while the sticks balanced precariously against the fire’s edge.

Percy huffed, feeling both uneasy and more relaxed. “...I broke up with Annabeth.”

Rachel paused before she slowly continued her food prep. “I'm sorry to hear that,” she said genuinely.

“You knew it would happen, Rach… I know you did.”

She winced. “Well… no,” she confessed. When Percy frowned at her she sighed and seemed almost normal and not so enigmatically mysterious for a bit. “Percy, the prophecy didn't ‘come to me’ - I forced it.”

“What?”

She smiled weakly. “I saw how you and Annabeth’s relationship was… Spiraling…” Her smile gave way to a grimace, showing that she was using a gentler word than she wanted to. “And I had a vision of you… Dying. By her hand.”

“What…? But-but… No, she wouldn't—”

“Not now,” Rachel said, holding a hand up. “Later. When you were in your forties. By then a lot of time had passed. She'd worsened and worsened. You never found your true self. Your friends were all pushed away… So I demanded the spirit of Delphi give me a prophecy. Something to help save you,” she said. “You're powerful, Percy… But against the people you love…”

Percy pursed her lips as she felt tears slide down her face. “‘That which has been sown you must now reap’,” she recited bitterly. “It meant my relationship with Annabeth, didn't it?”

Rachel nodded. “Most likely,” she said softly.

The silence was only broken by the hissing and sizzling of the hot dogs until Rachel put them on the buns. Feeling sick, Percy rejected the one she was offered, staring emptily into the flames.

“So… Poseidon’s in Tartarus,” Rachel murmured. “And you're a daughter of Demeter… Have you received any gifts from her?” Percy shook her head. “I suppose it may take a while… You're one of her favorites, and you’re positively radiating divine energy. Honestly, it's…” She paused.

“What?”

Rachel was quiet for a moment as she piled ketchup, mustard, and relish on her hot dogs. “Well… You feel like you're… A goddess,” she admitted.

“A— Rachel, that's ridiculous,” Percy objected.

“Is it?” Rachel asked quietly. “The last two lines. Did you ever figure them out?”

Listen to those who keep you in their heart

For soon your story shall have a new start

“Yeah. I had to listen to the people who cared about me and then I'd be able to ‘start anew’ or something,” Percy replied evasively. “That's what people call it when they leave an ab-abuser, right? ‘A fresh start’.”

“Maybe…” Rachel frowned and took a bite of her hot dog, seeming troubled. After she swallowed, she began muttering to herself. While she did, Percy mentally went over the prophecy as a whole.

Alone you shall travel for this journey of the heart

Secrets untold shall unravel, back to their start

That was easy - she had to make the journey by herself, no companions. She didn't even call Mrs. O’Leary for more than getting to the surface from the Underworld, she'd been so paranoid.

The secrets untold were of course referring to her being a trans woman and a daughter of Demeter. She'd assumed it was one or the other until Circe and Amphitrite helped her realize there was more than one - and ‘secrets’ was plural after all.

Gods and their brood your story shall keep

That which has been sown you must now reap

The former was fairly cut and dry - she was able to tell gods and ‘their brood’ about her ‘story’. She felt a bit bitter now as she recalled that ‘story’ was a term often used for survivors of abuse. She'd be hearing that a lot in the future…

The latter they'd just now unraveled. ‘That which has been sown’ was her relationship with Annabeth, and today she had reaped it. They were destined to break up thanks to Rachel’s intervention. If it weren't for the oracle's vision of Percy’s death at Annabeth’s hands, she'd have been more upset.

Within the depths of the ocean your foe shall hide

While at the heart of the land the origin will reside

She'd been paranoid about being deep underwater because of that first line, and now she knew why. Poseidon was her foe. She'd thought it was something to do with maybe an older foe like Oceanus or something. But… No. It was Poseidon.

She'd thought ‘heart of the land’ was literal at first and had wandered the central States for weeks before meeting Artemis and later Reyna and Thalia, but now she understood it meant Demeter. Which of course meant the ‘origin’ the prophecy referred to was actually her origin as Demeter’s child.

And then the last two lines…

Now she felt a bit troubled. Why would they seem to refer to the same things as the second pair of lines? Or at least, similar? Usually prophecies weren't redundant in the slightest. Every line had its own purpose, often independent from the rest.

Could…

“Percy… I think you might be turning into a goddess,” Rachel whispered.

“But… Why? I didn't… I didn't want to,” she objected weakly. “I rejected it years ago for—”

“Annabeth.”

Percy felt pain as her face contorted at the memory. She'd given up divinity for her now ex-girlfriend… Who she still loved…

Godhood hadn't had much of an appeal for her then, but… Now….

“You have a better appreciation for them, don't you? The gods,” Rachel clarified. At Percy’s guilty look she smiled sadly. “They like you, Percy. And they trust you. They know you're kind, and good… They know that you mean well and want to help others. So they did what they could to help you. I think…”

“...They knew,” Percy whispered.

Rachel nodded. “Most likely.”

“But… How am I…?”

“Well… It's not common for a mortal to ascend to godhood unaided,” Rachel began slowly. “But Poseidon gave you a lot of blessings. And then you had your dip in the Styx, you saved Olympus and were there when Kronos’ essence was dispersed, I'm pretty sure Hera gave you a boost when she kidnapped you, then the three quests you ran for those acceptance letters…”

“I earned favor and reputation,” Percy muttered. “Kleos.”

Rachel nodded. “It was fine before since Poseidon’s meddling kept Demeter from doing anything, but when Sally’s memories started to come back, it broke the blessings off while keeping the divine energy in you,” she said, pointing at Percy’s chest. “Then Circe blessed and transformed you with divine power instead of sorcery, and… Well, that little crescent from Artemis is divine energy, like it or not… You've been fighting monsters nonstop and getting stronger all this time… And Demeter wouldn't have left you high and dry. She definitely threw some powers and gifts at you.”

“But they didn't manifest… Because I'm not…”

“Because you're closer to being a goddess than a mortal now,” Rachel said softly. “I don't know how long you have, but…”

Both women were quiet as Percy stared at her hands. They didn't seem any different. Her consciousness didn't feel different. She still felt… Human. The emotions she felt were still varied, way more than Artemis had said… But then…

The old myths about the gods always seemed more emotional than they were now. Maybe it was a consequence of their age? And it wasn't like they couldn't find joy - Britomartis loved tormenting Apollo, Demeter liked making sunhats… They had variety, it was just that the only ones that made themselves regularly known were ones related to divine energy. To their nature.

To… her…

“Can… Can I stop it? The transformation?” Percy asked hopefully.

“I… I don't know, Percy,” Rachel admitted. She stared at the second hot dog for a moment before taking a bite. “It's… Well, not exactly a normal situation, even for a demigod turning into a god. Most have it happen after death, like Heracles or Asclepius. So…”

Percy pursed her lips. “So I'm supposed to just… Give it up? My humanity?” She asked, tears sliding down her face.

“Well… Yes and no,” Rachel said. “You… You can't be mortal anymore, but your humanity… That's something you decide on. Heracles, Asclepius, and the others became gods because they didn't want to be mortals anymore. You're becoming one despite wanting to stay mortal. Maybe… You'll be different.”

Percy blinked. Different? Did she mean in temperament? Or different like how the gods were different from Titans and Proteganoi?

“And… Hey! I mean, you can at least… You know… Keep Demeter company when Persephone's in the Underworld?” Rachel offered weakly, a nervous laugh escaping her.

Percy smiled sadly. “That wouldn't be the worst thing,” she murmured. Her happiness gave way to pain quickly enough. “But… I'll have to watch everyone I love…”

Rachel stood up and walked around the fire to crouch in front of Percy, taking her hands and squeezing them. “It's okay,” she said gently. “Maybe talk to the Hunters about how to cope… But it's okay. You'll miss us, remember us, and I don't think you could stop caring about us if you tried. I think - for heroes - that's the best they could ask for. For their friend to remember them while being an immortal goddess.”

Percy laughed weakly, sniffling a bit when tears slid down her face. “A goddess… me… could you imagine? It’ll drive Zeus insane.”

“Right?” Rachel smirked. “Even better, you keep your titles as epithets. ‘Savior of Olympus’. Now you get to hold that over him forever.”

They both shared some laughter while Rachel returned to standing in front of her canvas, but soon that gave way to sad, meaningful looks. Somehow they both knew to treasure this moment, now that Percy’s future had changed in such a way.

“So… Are you still going to Piper and Shel’s wedding?” Rachel asked curiously.

Percy nodded. “Yeah… Maid of Honor,” she said, smiling a little. “One month away… I'm going back to Oklahoma with them, actually. I'm gonna help with their plans and they're giving me a place to stay that's far away from…” She pursed her lips.

Rachel smiled sadly as she looked at the canvas instead, letting Percy shed her tears without being seen.

“I loved her…”

“Yeah.”

“She… She meant so much to me,” Percy whispered. She stared at her hands again, watching as her tears fell onto them and slid down before dropping to the ground.

“I know.”

“I… I wanted a long life with her… A family…” She sniffled and hiccuped. “I wanted… I wanted to be happy.”

“I know,” Rachel replied. Her voice sounded a bit hoarse, as if her throat were tightening on her.

“But… But she… She hurt me,” Percy sobbed. Her voice broke on the word ‘hurt’. She still couldn't believe it, in a way. That Annabeth had hurt her, despite everything they'd been through. Despite Percy’s love and devotion.

“Yeah.”

“And she just…” She sniffled. “...She just walked away. She said… She said ‘okay’... And walked away,” she sobbed. “Did… Did I not… Did I not mean anything to her?”

Rachel closed her eyes, tears sliding down her face. When she opened them, she was looking sadly down at the canvas. “I think… I think you meant more to her than anyone… And maybe that's why she walked away… Because she didn't want to hurt you anymore,” Rachel said softly.

“...Why does this hurt so much?”

“Because you loved her… Because you’re mourning what you lost… regretting what happened… despairing over what could have been…”

“...She was my everything.”

“And now… You both get to move on.”

Chapter Text

~~~~~The Mortal~~~~~

XVIII: Percy

~~~~~The Goddess~~~~~

September 19th, 2012

“Am I… Dreaming?”

“Sort of.”

“Who… Who are you?”

“I think you know.”

“...So it’s tonight, then.”

“It is.”

The mortal’s eyes fluttered open and she saw the goddess.

Her skin was flawless, smooth and showing toned muscles. On her left arm was a black trident forming a cross with a scythe while the other arm held a silver moon. From the elbow down her right arm was a blue so dark it was nearly black, like the night sky, and the freckles had become white, now resembling stars.

The white chiton dress the goddess wore was beautiful, and far different from the modern rose-colored dress the mortal wore. It also showed things she didn't expect to see. Her legs were the same midnight blue as her arm, and the scars on them went from looking like hideous marks to meteors, comets, and nebulae.

Her eyes were a dark blue now, gleaming with curiosity and tiny flecks of white stars as she peered at the mortal soul before her. The girl with a tiny, faded streak of gray hair that looked so different yet similar to the goddess’ long trail of pure white that stood stark against the flowing blue and purple that comprised most of her curls.

She was small, yet grand. Impressive in a way no other mortal could be, yet in the same way that every mortal was.

Her makeup had been well applied, even if it paled in the face of a goddess’ beauty. She'd had to shave her legs, clean and wash her hair, and do so much more that a goddess never had to waste the time on…

She was beautiful.

“Do… Do you always look like this?” The mortal asked.

“No. This is my true form. Normally I look a bit more… Chill,” the goddess said with a giggle as she floated about the empty space.

“Oh… Do all gods’ true forms look like this?”

The goddess nodded. “Mortals just can't perceive it and survive because of the soul energy,” she explained. “This is the appearance of my divine soul. If they were to see it, their eyes would burn out and they'd be cast down to the Underworld - assuming their soul survives the toll of witnessing my glory.”

The mortal frowned, but decided that made sense. Still, she couldn't help feeling bad for all the mortals who'd demanded to see a god’s true form, and hoped that Jason’s soul hadn't been damaged from seeing Hera’s.

“Piper and Shel are quite cute together,” the goddess murmured. “They have a bright future ahead of them.”

“Can… Can you see them?” The mortal asked, surprised. “Their future.”

“Somewhat,” the goddess agreed. “Piper is a hero, and a friend. I can take a peek at her future, keep an eye out and make sure everything turns out okay. It's not as effective as when the Moirai do it, but nothing is.”

The mortal hummed, then sighed sadly. “...I’m going to go away soon, aren't I?”

“Yes,” the goddess agreed, “and no.”

“Huh?”

“We're going to become one. It's a little strange, but it all works out. You'll still be here,” the goddess said as she pointed to her chest.

“Then… What about other gods who used to be mortal? Are they… Like us?”

“No,” the goddess said with a sad sigh. “They rejected their mortality… fled from it. I cherish you… I love you. You're important to me in a way that nobody else ever can or will be.”

“I… Oh…” The mortal had a tiny smile appear on her face. Hearing that, she felt she could understand now why other mortals felt so touched to have the favor of a god or goddess. To be so ephemeral, yet seen by something eternal and - even more wonderfully - treasured by them. “I think I understand Thalia’s Mom a bit better now.”

The goddess chuckled. “Yes… Our love can be addictive to mortals. To know that we - whose time is theoretically eternal - wish to spend even a few fleeting moments with them… it enamors them.”

She sighed sadly, giving the mortal a tender gaze. Her smile was dazzling, bright and shining in a way the gods couldn't hope to understand. Her beauty was so… charming. She was so small, yet so large. And her emotions… The goddess could feel a great deal of new emotions that no mortal could ever comprehend, ones that made love seem almost trifling.

Yet she could feel it. The mortal’s love. And she felt sorrow that the mortal couldn't feel what the goddess felt for her. Not in full, anyway. The goddess would seem like an affectionate pet owner at best, when in reality the mortal felt so… important. The goddess cherished her - needed her. She was important.

“So… Heroes, you can sense them?” The goddess nodded. “Does that mean you're a goddess of heroes?”

The goddess tapped her chin thoughtfully. Was that an appropriate way of describing it? She was understanding now why the gods had always felt so incomprehensible and confusing. They had to describe their personalities - their very ways of being - using mortal language and terms.

It wasn't that the gods ruled these domains, or even that they embodied them. Those domains were simply the best way of describing their very essence - their being.

“...Emotions, heroes, memories, truth, tides, fields, and flowers,” she responded with a small smile. “I am the goddess of emotions, heroes, memories, truth, tides, fields, and flowers.”

The mortal blinked. Those domains felt so… Modest, yet somehow grand at the same time. And meaningful, too.

She didn't know why, but each word felt like it resonated. ‘Emotions’ somehow reminded her of every single moment in her life and how she'd felt in all of them. ‘Heroes’ brought all of her friends to mind, even the ones who had hurt her. ‘Memories’ brought to mind the various people in her life and every experience they'd shared. ‘Truth’ felt as though it embodied her very being and how she had endeavored to be honest and genuine at every turn. ‘Tides’ reminded her of the few good memories she had of Poseidon, and how beautiful the water could be. ‘Fields’ reminded her of Artemis and Demeter at the same time, of their influence and importance in her life. And ‘flowers’ was simultaneously the most interesting and most calm, as it brought the very thing to mind and also reminded her of her origin as a daughter of Demeter, just like Persephone.

The same origin the goddess shared.

“It's perfect… It suits you,” the mortal said, a sad smile on her face. She looked down and blinked in surprise at what she saw. Her clothes had changed to match the chiton dress the goddess wore, but while the markings on her arms were the same as well, they were the color of charcoal, and her scars didn't look nearly so pretty.

The goddess’ skin had transformed to look the same, but her hair and eyes still retained their cosmic appearance.

“It's progressing well,” the goddess said with a smile.

“What is?”

“We're becoming one and the same,” the goddess told her. “Pretty soon it will only be us in here.”

“But… It already is us,” the mortal said, giggling a bit at how silly the goddess sounded.

“Yes, it is,” the goddess agreed. “But it is also us. Individuals. Soon this place will only have…”

“Me,” they both said in unison. The goddess in melancholy, the mortal in understanding.

“But it's okay. You'll still be you, it's not as if you'll ever stop being you. You'll just also be me, just as I have always been and always will be you,” the goddess said.

“...That's really convoluted,” the mortal muttered.

“Isn't it?” The goddess laughed, truly amused at both the mortal’s annoyance and her own profound words, even if the mortal didn't understand them just yet. “...You did really well with your speech, you know.”

“I started crying halfway through.”

“I know. And they were happy to see those tears. To see you so willing to open up to them,” the goddess said with a warm smile. “And the memories you made and shared have touched them in ways you can't quite imagine just yet. But trust me, they'll always look back on your words with a smile.”

“...Until they're gone,” the mortal whispered sadly. “They… They won't be here forever… Not like us.”

The goddess’ broad smile slowly faded to a more sad one. “Yes… Soon their spirits will pass and they'll go to the Underworld… But you know, we can still visit,” she said. “We can see them in Elysium, or perhaps even the Isles of Blest if things turn out just right.”

“...Yeah, that's true,” the mortal mused.

“And their memories will always be here,” the goddess said, pointing to the mortal’s head. “And here.” She pointed to her own. “We won't forget them. Not now or ever. They're the ones who helped us become who we are now.”

The mortal grinned broadly as her curls grew into a longer mane, held back by a silver hairband. “They're pretty cool, aren't they?”

“The coolest,” agreed the goddess as her own curls turned to look the same. She blinked her eyes and the sclera turned white while her pupils turned black, but the irises remained the same deep, dark blue. The mortal’s eyes were slowly darkening.

Now the only difference was age. The mortal was still in her teenage years, but the goddess was different. She wasn't quite like Ganymede, who had resisted immortality until the end and become fraught with teenage worry and strife due to Zeus’ thoughtless treatment - nor was she like Heracles, who rewound to his youth, before he had lost his mind to madness and become volatile, letting him reject his failures and pretend he wasn't flawed.

The mortal had feared immortality, but come to accept it with open arms, even if she was hesitant and scared. She even accepted her flaws and failures. That was to be expected. But she accepted her shortcomings and wished to do better - be better. Now she was able to look at the goddess with a warm, ready smile. The nerves were still there, but there was also hope and even a little excitement.

So no, the goddess didn't look like a teenager. She looked like a young adult, perhaps in her mid-to-late twenties. She had an aura of maturity about her despite only being a few minutes older, and even those minutes were slowly dwindling away along with the last shreds of true mortal essence.

Soon, both goddess and mortal would become one.

“...Does it hurt?” The mortal asked lamely.

“No more than a vaccine,” the goddess replied.

“...That was a stupid question, huh?”

“There’s no such thing as a stupid question, only fools who answer curiosity without compassion,” the goddess corrected. “True questions are asked out of ignorance, and sometimes those who know the answer become so conceited in their knowledge that they forget what it was like to not know the answer. Of course, not listening to the answer is problematic in its own right…”

The mortal hummed. She looked down at her hands again. She'd been doing that a lot lately. “I killed a lot of monsters with these,” she murmured.

“You did.”

“I always… I always thought that it didn't mean anything, since they'd reform and come back anyway,” the mortal said. Tears began to slide down her face. “But that's not true, is it? They lose them. Memories. Feelings. Emotions.”

“They do,” the goddess agreed sadly. “Most demigods aren't raised to think of how the monsters feel, and I'm not going to fault them for killing monsters to protect themselves and others. But… Taking a life isn't something you're meant to do lightly. Even the tiniest of bacteria has emotions - but mortals cannot comprehend them, so they take them for granted.”

“...Are we a vengeful goddess?”

“No… But we aren't a negligent one, either. We're always there when the monsters feel strong emotions… we're always there when mortals, gods, and animals feel strong emotions… even when Titans and Proteganoi - who are far greater than we - feel emotions, we are there. Listening. Feeling. Supporting.”

“Huh…”

“We'll also be there when people hurt their loved ones…”

“For the victim and the abuser, huh?”

The goddess gave a sad smile as she watched the mortal age just shy of a decade within the blink of an eye. They were the same, now.

“It won't be easy,” the goddess said softly.

“I didn't expect it to be.”

“You'll have many times you get upset, frustrated, and yes - even angry,” the goddess warned.

“I had a feeling that might be the case.”

“You will see so many things… And unlike most, you won't come to an end. You may seem small, but your role is more significant than any other,” the goddess advised her.

“That's okay… I'm ready.”

“Yes, you most certainly are.”

They embraced one another, and the story of the mortal came to a silent end.

. . .

When the goddess awoke, she was everywhere. A smile played across her lips.

“It's alright,” the goddess of emotions whispered to the cosmos. “Because I will be here.”