Chapter Text
Piper started reading.
"We tore through the night along dark country roads.....but she kept her foot on the gas."
"I couldn't see much." Sally admitted. “I just knew that staying there would be much more dangerous.”
" All I could think to say was, ‘So, you and my mum... know each other?’"
Leo nodded. "They're just allies in gossiping behind your back."
Thalia muttered something under her breath, while Percy laughed. "Thanks, Leo!"
"Grover’s eyes flitted to the rearview mirror,...But she knew I was watching you.’"
Travis murmured. "Basically a stalker."
"Percy had her own stalker!" Connor applauded.
Grover blushed. "I was a protector, not a stalker!"
“Protector, stalker.”
"‘Watching me?’
‘Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I wasn’t faking being your friend,’ he added hastily. ‘I am your friend.’"
"I'm sure Percy still thinks of you as her great friend." Rachel rolled her eyes.
Grover blushed.
Percy shrugged. “Accepting that I was a demigoddess led me to forgive him for the expulsion.” The girl added. "He had no bad intentions."
“But it had had bad results.” Thalia pointed out.
"It would have been bad anyway. You know what it's like to be a forbidden child."
Thalia nodded.
"‘Um... what are you, exactly?’
‘That doesn’t matter right now.’
‘It doesn’t matter? From the waist down, my best friend is a donkey –’"
Many demigods laughed.
"Grover let out a sharp, throaty ‘Blaa-ha-ha!' ....‘I’m a goat from the waist down.’"
Leo rolled his eyes. "You just said it didn't matter."
"‘You just said it didn’t matter.’"
Leo and Percy grinned at each other.
"‘Blaa-ha-ha! There are satyrs who would trample you under hoof for such an insult!’"
"Gleeson would totally." Clarisse said amused.
Percy nodded. She met Gleeson, and she was also sure that he would totally trample her under hoof for calling him an half donkey.
"‘Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like... Mr Brunner’s myths?’
‘Was Mrs Dodds a myth?’"
"What Mrs Dodds?" Percy hit Grover with a pillow. "The one you pretended never existed?"
"Ow, sorry, I'm sorry!"
Percy smiled, sitting again between her parents.
"‘So you admit there was a Mrs Dodds!’
‘Of course.’"
"Of course, he said." Percy muttered.
"‘Then why you lied?’
‘The less you knew, the fewer monsters you’d attract,’...You started to realize who you are.’"
"A crazy girl." Thalia nodded.
"Not crazy as you are!" Percy replied, making the demigods laugh.
" The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind us, closer than before. ... ‘Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions.’"
"Hades!" Poseidon yelled, his burning gaze falling on his brother. "I never hurted one of your children. Why are you chasing my daughter?"
"Dad?" Percy talked, placing a hand on her father's arm and calming him down. "It wasn't Uncle Hades doing. And, however, he had a pretty good reason for sending Mrs Dodds after me."
"She still hates that you call her Mrs Dodds." Nico said.
"That's not my problem." Percy shrugged, making gods and demigods laugh.
"‘Grover!’
‘Sorry, Mrs Jackson. Could you drive faster, please?’"
"If he went any faster she risked destroying that car." Leo muttered under his breath.
Percy smiled. "And we never wanted that car to be destroyed."
"Percy." Grover groaned, while Sally sighed and shook her head.
"I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening, but I couldn’t do it. I knew this wasn’t a dream. I had no imagination. I could never dream up something this weird."
"I wouldn't say so, your plans seem like indicators of someone with a wild imagination." Thalia commented.
“No, they are just indications of someone with a big brain and a brilliant mind.”
"And who would that be?" Thalia replied, eyes sparkling.
"For sure, not you." Percy answered her, sticking her tongue out in the process.
"My mom made a hard left...‘Where are we going?’ I asked."
"Do they answer you?" Thalia asked, glaring at Grover.
"No." Percy grumbled. "I don't know where I am even now."
Thalia growled, before blinking and looking at Percy. “I defend your honor and you make fun of me?”
"Precisely." Percy smiled. "Calm down and relax. You'll have time to get angry later!"
“I don't like the way you say that.” Silena murmured.
Charles nodded
Chris watched Percy worriedly. Soon they would read about the time she had spent alone with him and Luke. She would relive how she was quickly becoming a great friend to Luke. If he hadn't joined the Titans, Luke would have been her best friend, and not Anthony.
"Grover said. 'My job has been to guide you to this moment. It's always an emotional rollercoaster for a young demigod, so providing a support system-'
'What are you?'
'A satyr. And you're Protector.'
'Oh,' I asked, looking at him. 'You're my Protector?'
'If I hadn't gotten you kicked out of school, you'd never survived the night. And what's chasing us now, would've found you there easily.'"
"You're not very reassuring." Nico murmured, shivering slightly. "I'm so happy Percy took care of my tour."
Percy smiled sweetly at her cousin, making Poseidon and Hades frown. Seeing a daughter of the sea so protective of the son of one of her father's brothers was very rare and quite odd.
"'That's what you were talking to Mr Brunner!' I exclaimed. 'What is a Kindly One?'"
"Oh, look," Thalia commented sarcastically. "Percy's already started giving people heart attacks."
"I don't give people heart attacks." Percy snorted in offense.
Anthony snorted in amusem*nt. "And what do you call that?"
“I call it, don't talk behind my back and don't expect me to know what you're talking about.” Percy smiled, smirking at her friend over her father's arm.
Anthony snorted in amusem*nt, and Poseidon narrowed his eyes.
"He jumped. 'A... how much you heard?'
'Not so much. What is the solstice deadline?'"
“So, basically, everything?” Leo asked amused.
Percy shrugged, "Nothing, everything. Same thing."
"He looked for a moment my mom, before turning again towards me. 'Something powerful is working on here. The sooner we got you to the Camp, the better...'
I looked confused at him, and he turned to my mom. 'You told her about the Camp, right?'"
“I think you came too early for Sally to have mentioned it.” Thalia snorted in amusem*nt.
“We really didn't have too much time.” Grover muttered sheepishly.
"'Not yet, no'.
'Camp is a sanctuary for half-bloods. A safe place where you can learn who you are and what the world is like on the other side of the Mist.'
I blinked. 'It has something to do with the old ladies that cut a yarn?'"
Everyone gasped. Many cast sad looks towards Percy, knowing that the girl would soon die.
For their part, Jason, Piper and Leo were wondering how much time the Fates were giving her. She had survived at the war against the Titans, they were sure of that. Maybe she would die after it, and was that why no one heard from her anymore? Had she never ended up at Camp Jupiter?
"Both Grover and my mom jumped. 'What you said?'
'The old ladies at the side of the road. I saw them cutting a yarn, I thought... You were talking about those things!' I looked at Grover, who was very very pale.
'You saw the old ladies cut a yarn.' Grover shook his head. 'We are almost there, Mrs Jackson. In the Camp, she will be safe.'"
"Of course, if I had stayed there, I would have been safe." Percy grumbled, before grimacing and saying. "Correction, I wouldn't have been safe."
Thalia looked at her confused. "I was safe."
"You were a tree, that doesn't count as being safe." Percy rolled her eyes, before saying. “But I mean, due to extenuating circ*mstances, I wouldn't have been safe.”
"Oh." Thalia nodded. "The mission."
"Yup."
"'But what does it mean if some old and creepy ladies cut a yarn?' I asked, feeling tired of not getting a straight answer.
‘Those weren’t old ladies,’ Grover said. ‘Those were the Fates. Do you know what it means – the
fact they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you’re about to... when someone’s about
to die.’"
"You just said you." Thalia pointed out.
"Meaning someone." Grover answered.
"Meaning, me." Percy retorted.
"‘Whoa. You said “you”.’ ... ‘I meant you, like “someone”. Not you, you.’"
"Not you, you." Leo laughed.
Thalia glanced towards Sally. Did the woman know that her daughter would die soon? How had she let her go on missions summer after summer, knowing that she had seen the Fates cut her thread?
"‘Boys!’ my mom said.
'I am actually 24.' Grover muttered."
"Not important now." Many demigods exclaimed.
Even knowing that Percy had arrived safely at Camp, and seeing Sally and Grover on either side of her, perfectly unharmed, did not reassure the demigods.
Clarisse was also starting to feel guilty about how she had treated Percy after she arrived at the Camp. She had known for some time that the girl had not lied about the Minotaur. Why would she? Percy didn't give a damn about glory. She just wanted her mother back. Or her best friend. Clarisse swallowed, making the decision to apologize at the first pause, before they got to read about their encounter at Camp and her behavior.
"She pulled the wheel hard to the right, ... ‘Another mile. Please. Please. Please.’"
Poseidon glanced at the woman. Was she praying him? And if she was praying him, then had Poseidon given her the impression that he would answer her? Had he been able to help the woman with the burden of raising his child, especially at a time when no child of his should have existed?
"I didn’t know where there was, but I found myself leaning forward in the car, anticipating, wanting us to arrive...and our car exploded."
Many gasped, and Piper's voice broke. Maybe she should have reviewed many of her thoughts about Percy Jackson.
These books would help her get to know her traveling companion to Greece better, at least.
"I remember feeling weightless, like I was being crushed, fried and hosed down all at the same time.....Lightning. "
"Zeus!" Poseidon screamed, glaring at his brother.
Seeing that Percy did not defend him as she had defended Hades, told Poseidon everything he needed to know about it.
Zeus was the culprit. Hades probably had a misunderstanding with Percy, while Zeus had caused serious harm to his daughter.
Zeus had to pray that this wasn't the case. Otherwise nothing would have stopped Poseidon from seeking revenge on him.
"Brother, please." Hestia spoke, a soothing tone of voice. "Let's wait to hear what happened before we start another discussion. Please."
Poseidon nodded. He would have listened to her sister, only for the respect and esteem he felt for her and that he had seen her daughter show her.
"That was the only explanation. ...No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you’re my best friend and I don’t want you to die!"
Grover smiled slightly at Percy.
"Then he groaned, ‘Food,’ and I knew there was hope."
"Well, now it is clear why you're best friends." Anthony rolled his eyes. “You both have this passion for food.”
“You need food to live.” Percy pointed out.
"Not the way you eat it." Silena grimaced in disgust. "Satyrs eat less than you."
"Hey!" Percy complained. "Haven't you ever seen Grover try to take his enchiladas?"
Grover rolled his eyes.
Thalia snorted in amusem*nt.
Will pointed out. "Burgers are bad for your health."
"No, being a demigod is bad for the health. Hamburgers are the consolation and cure." Percy corrected him, causing the demigods to laugh and Thalia to nod in agreement.
“Cheers to that, cousin!”
"‘Percy,’ my mother said, ‘we have to...’ ... I saw the tree she meant: a huge, White House Christmas-tree-sized pine at the crest of the nearest hill."
"Here I am!" Thalia celebrated.
Percy nodded. “The only time you were helpful!”
Thalia threw a pillow at her, making her laugh in amusem*nt as it hit her.
"‘That’s the property line,’ ...‘Mom, you’re coming, too.’"
Athena looked thoughtfully at Percy. If she was the girl from the Prophecy, as the goddess imagined, she hoped that didn't mean anything too fatal.
"Her face was pale, her eyes as sad as when she looked at the ocean.
‘No!’ I shouted. ‘You are coming with me. Help me carry Grover.’"
"Personal loyalty." Athena murmured, looking at Percy who nodded.
"What?" Apollo asked, looking at Athena.
"My fatal flaw. It's loyalty." Percy explained to the god, who blinked.
"It's a very rare fatal flaw. I can't recall many demigods having it." Hermes murmured.
Athena shook her head. "No demigod has ever had loyalty as a fatal flaw. Perseus is the one with a fairly similar fatal flaw, perseverance. But loyalty is not a fatal flaw we want in the hero of the Prophecy."
Zeus shot a distrustful look at Percy, who, for her part, snorted. "I was wondering when you would propose to kill me. However, oh great owl, I am loyal to my father. What does this suggest to your bird mind?"
Poseidon snorted in amusem*nt, before glancing first at his brother and then at his niece. "You had better remember that Percy, as well as the other demigods, is here as guest of the Fates themselves. I hope you do not wish to challenge their authority."
"‘Food!’ Grover moaned, a little louder.....I got mad,"
"Hide! Percy's mad!" Connor screamed.
Percy rolled his eyes. "Shut up, I'm not that scary."
"You are." Grover replied.
Rachel nodded. “But you're also good, so none of us are really afraid of you.”
"Speak for yourself." Travis pouted. "She has scarred me for life."
Nico rolled his eyes. "Percy isn't scary."
All the Greek demigods gave him shocked looks.
"then – mad at my mother, ...‘Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover.’"
"And I never will." Percy whispered, and Sally pulled her close.
"I didn’t wait for her answer.....‘Names have power.’"
"Yeah, don't say their names." Anthony rolled his eyes. “They have power.”
“I almost never say their names!” Percy protested, making the demigods snicker at the offense her response contained.
"Sure." Anthony snorted.
Sally cast a worried look at her daughter, who smiled innocently.
"The pine tree was still way too far ...‘He goes by smell. But he’ll figure out where we are soon enough.’"
“You seem very knowledgeable.” Amphitrite couldn't help but notice.
Sally nodded. "I knew my daughter would be in danger. I have always appreciated Greek mythology, and when I found out my daughter would be a part of it, I reread the myths trying to find the best way to prepare her."
“Like I said, they were my bedtime story.” Percy smiled at her mother.
"As if on cue, the bull-man bellowed in rage. ....Not a scratch, I remembered Gabe saying."
"Oops." Leo smiled.
"Oops."
Leo and Percy exchanged smiles.
"‘Percy,’ my mom said. ...‘I’ve been worried about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me.’"
"No, you weren't." Percy told her. "I preferred to grow up with you, with your way of seeing things, than with theirs."
Sally smiled, before taking a deep breath. "I'm happy to have raised you."
"‘Keeping me near you? But –’...He reeked like rotten meat."
Silena grimaced in disgust. “Do you have to be so thorough in your descriptions?”
"I don't see why I can't." Percy shrugged. "Maybe you should smell it too and then tell me if I was precise enough."
Thalia snorted in amusem*nt.
"He lowered his head and charged, ...So I held my ground, and at the last moment, I jumped to the side."
Artemis cast a displeased look towards Percy. Another perfect chance that was lost in favor of childish love. She had seen the way Percy looked at Anthony, Athena's son. She didn't want to join the Hunt because she was already in love with a boy.
It was always a shame to see such talented people go to waste. Whatever feat Percy would accomplish, she would take a backseat, in favor of praising Athena's son.
"The bull-man stormed past like a freight train, ....We’d never make it."
"You could have done it." Sally murmured to her daughter, running a hand through her untameable hair.
"Not without you." Percy whispered back, holding back tears with difficulty. Even having her mother by her side didn't make the memory of losing her any less painful.
"The bull-man grunted, pawing the ground. ...She caught my eyes, managed to choke out one last word: ‘Go!’"
Percy began to sob, and Sally hugged her, pulling her away from Poseidon's side and holding her close.
"It's okay, love."
"It wasn't." Percy whispered, her voice cracking with sobs.
“But thanks to you, it is.”
"Anthony and Grover helped me." Percy whispered back.
"Because they loved you, love." Sally told her. "And you help the people you love. Like you did with me."
"Or you and dad with me." Percy whispered.
Even though his daughter was in tears, Poseidon had to fight a smile. Dad. He had helped his daughter, and she was sure of his love. He hadn't received better news.
Of course, if he hadn't known that Sally was alive, the god's reaction would have been very different. But there was no point in getting desperate and worried at that moment. He was sure that, when it happened, his reaction had been much less understanding and calm.
"Then, with an angry roar,....A blinding flash, and she was simply... gone."
Many of the gods frowned. That wasn't death.
Hades specifically recognized this as his abduction. Why would he kidnap someone's mother? It wasn't something he would normally do. He left to his siblings, Zeus and Hera, the pleasure of ruining the lives of the demigods' mothers.
"‘No!’
Anger replaced my fear."
"Good, now he better run." Connor smiled enthusiastically.
Travis applauded. “Oh, the Minotaur is so f*cked.”
"Language." Silena said looking at him.
"Percy will show him." Nico smiled, excited at the idea.
Chris nodded. “Oh, he messed up with the wrong girl.”
"Sorry," Percy interjected, drawing the demigods' attention to himself. "but will no one comment the fact that Silena just said language?"
"I know." Silena grimaced, blushing slightly. "It slipped out."
"Newfound strength burned in my limbs ....I couldn’t allow that."
"Oh, no one touches Percy's friends and then goes around telling it." Charles shook his head, looking softly at the girl.
"I do not know what you're talking about." Percy sniffed disdainfully. “Whoever fell into the lake, he fell by his own.”
“Wait, that was you?!” Clarisse glanced at Percy, who smiled. "Tell them to leave Mitchell alone."
“Oh, no one can mess with the little kids.” Drew smiled. "There's a reason everyone loves you, Percy."
"Oh?" Aphrodite looked at Percy. "Do you protect my children, Percy?"
"I protect anyone who needs to be protected." Percy replied, bowing her head towards the goddess. "Also, I've decided I'm going to follow a motto. You make them, I keep them."
Thalia burst out laughing. "Damned if you do. There's a reason you're the Camp mom."
“And the reason is delicious cookies.” Percy pointed out, making her moan. "I miss your cookies."
"I'll make some for movie night." Percy promised, making all the greek demigods cheer.
"I stripped off my red rain jacket.
‘HEY!’ I screamed, waving the jacket, running to one side of the monster. ‘Hey, stupid! Ground beef!’"
“Is that an insult?” Clarisse snorted.
"Not all of us can spend all our time thinking about new insults. Some have to make themselves useful, you see." Percy replied, then giving her a wink.
"‘Raaaarrrrr!’ ...But it didn’t happen like that."
“None of your ideas go the way you think they do.” Thalia told her.
"To the ships, my plan worked right away." Percy pointed out to her.
“Was that your plan?” Thalia blinked.
"Yup."
"Dude, you're in bad shape."
"I know. But so are you, so we have company."
"The bull-man charged too fast,....I couldn’t jump sideways, so I leaped straight up, kicking off from the creature’s head, using it as a springboard, turning in midair and landing on his neck."
"How did you do that?!" Anthony asked.
"No idea, man." Percy shrugged. "Just happened."
"Are you sure you don't wish to join my Hunt, Percy?" Artemis couldn't help herself to ask again.
"I am sure, lady Artemis. I am honoured, but I have a duty towards myself."
"No one will remember a female hero. Men will always take the glory." Artemis made her notice.
"I am not interested in glory, but only to keep my friends safe. If I join the Hunt, the prophecy will be Nico's. I can't allowed him to going through that." Percy smiled. "And I won't allow anyone to forget my name, lady Artemis."
"That would be kinda hard." Anthony muttered.
Grover nodded. "You are already known by everyone. God, nymph, satyr, demigod... They all know who you are."
Percy shrugged. "I am amazing."
"How did I do that? I didn’t have time to figure it out. A millisecond later, the monster’s head slammed into the tree and the impact nearly knocked my teeth out."
Thalia jumped.
"Did you feel it?" Percy asked, confused.
"No, but it was just rude." Thalia pouted.
"Sorry." Percy smiled at her, and Thalia shrugged. "You made him paid."
"The bull-man staggered around, trying to shake me....forward."
Ares nodded. That was good. The girl had good insticts. She could have the ability to guide the other demigods into the war.
"Meanwhile, Grover started groaning in the grass. ...I got both hands around one horn and I pulled backwards with all my might."
"It will not work." Athena snorted disdainfully
"The monster tensed, gave a surprised grunt, then – snap!....My head smacked against a rock."
Apollo flinched, knowing that blow would result in physical harm. A concussion, perhaps. Impossible to fight against the Minotaur in such conditions.
"When I sat up, my vision was blurry, but I had a horn in my hands, a ragged bone weapon the size of a knife."
"Apparently, it worked." Chris smiled, ignoring the way Athena tensed in insult.
Percy despised the goddess, and none of the demigods respected her. Percy must have had a very good reason to hate her.
She didn't like Hera either, let alone Ares, but she respected them much more than she did Athena.
"The monster charged.... I drove the broken horn straight into his side, right up under his furry rib cage."
Apollo looked impressed at Percy. She had actually killed the Minotaur, without training and with a concussion.
Artemis was complaining about not being able to persuade Percy to join the Hunt.
Clarisse felt very guilty at that moment. She had needlessly made life hell for a girl who had just lost her mother, suffered a betrayal from her best, and only, friend, and who had then found just a second friend, Luke.
She didn't want to think about the fact that she had lost Luke too.
"The bull-man roared in agony.....The monster was gone."
The demigods cheered, wondering exactly how Sally could be there.
Had Percy succeeded where Orpheus and many others had failed? Had she brought someone back to life?
"The rain had stopped. The storm still rumbled, but only in the distance."
“Were you causing it?” Triton asked, staring curiously at his sister. That the storm ended the moment the fight ended was too odd to not be connected.
Percy frowned. "I've never created a storm, and I think I would have known if it had been my doing."
Poseidon murmured. "It's not a sure fact, this. My children usually get explanations from their older siblings, but you have no other demigods to ask about your powers and boundaries. I'm not sure. It depends on how much strong you are. If you're powerful enough, that storm could have been your doing. A reflection of your stormy state of mind."
Percy snorted at the poor pun her father made.
"I smelled like livestock and my knees were shaking. ... I wasn’t going to let him go."
Sally hugged Percy tightly, while Grover gave his friend a sweet and emotional look.
Dionysus and Hermes appreciated the care the demigoddess had for one of Pan's protected people. They admired anyone who made an effort to safeguard what was left of their friend and son.
"The last thing I remember is collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan circling above me, moths flying around a yellow light and the stern faces of a familiar-looking bearded man and a boy, his blonde hair curled. They both looked down at me, and the boy said, ‘She’s the one. She must be.’"
"Oh, she is the one!" Connor laughed.
Travis nodded. "The only one."
"Shut up." Anthony looked at them, blushing. "I meant in another way."
"And, by the way, he was right. I am the one." Percy smiled.
"‘Silence, Anthony,’ the man said. ‘She’s still conscious. Bring her inside.’"
"I think it is a proper time to make a little break." Hestia smiled. "And, after lunch, we could continue with other four or five chapters."
Agreeing with Hestia, all of the demigods stood up and left the throne room, looking for some food to eat or to something to do.
