Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson
A/N: Hope you are all ready for some family feuds and tests! Also lotttttssss of drama because here it comes! Prepare your eyes and I hope you all enjoy it!
LAST TIME:
"W-What's going on?" Asked a confused voice as Artemis closed her eyes and took a deep breath and prepared for the worst. Ever so slowly she stood up and dusted herself off as she gave a small cough as well.
"S-Sorry." Was the only thing she could stutter out as she quickly hurried to the closet and fetched several pairs of clean clothes as the person in bed stared at her in a daze.
"W-Wait!" They suddenly yelled as Artemis froze as she clenched her eyes shut and took a long breath.
"I-I'm sorry, j-just give me a few days." Artemis begged through closed eyes as she quickly stormed out of the room with her clothes. Artemis suddenly paused at the door though as she gave a glance back at the person as she gave an apologetic look and then lightly closed the door. Leaving the person alone in the room as they slowly lowered their outstretched arm. They then pulled the large soft pelt covering them closer as they flopped back down as a soft sigh escaped their lips.
"Well… this is certainly more than I could have hoped for." They said softly as suddenly a small giggle escaped their lips and a small smile spread across their face. The person in turn just snuggled deeper into the pelts and pillows a bit more, they then gave them a soft sniff as a flush of embarrassment crossed their face as her cheeks lit up. The scent of her and Artemis' night of passions still fresh as Hera couldn't help let her heart flutter.
NOW:
ARTEMIS POV:
"Artemis, are you paying attention?" Suddenly a voice entered my ears as I blinked a few times and looked up to see the whole council looking at me. Seeing all their eyes on me made my mind blank a bit as I tried to figure out what we're talking about, but my mind failed me.
"S-Sorry just getting a prayer from one of my hunters. What were you saying?" I asked, making up an excuse as my brother's eyes shimmered with delight. I just eyed him for a second as his eyebrows were raised up at my hidden message but the smirk never left his face. Damn you, stupid god of truth.
"As we were saying you will be following Perseus when the quest starts, you are the best suited for the job after all." Zeus admitted begrudgingly as the others nodded, ignoring his tone. After the meeting we just had about the boy wonder, everyone agreed he needed someone to keep an eye on him. They knew of my past with the boy and figured if he were to do anything, I would be able to talk to him about it and deescalate the situation. If things didn't turn out that way though, my skills and powers were more than enough to hold him back until help arrived.
It surprisingly didn't take much convincing to have Zeus hold off on dragging the injured boy up here and basically confront him about his being. Most of the council and even a very silent and healthy looking Poseidon agreed that the matter of Percy should be left alone for now. Until the waters in Olympus calm down a bit more, nice pun me.
'Ehhh… 4 out of 10. I mean it could be worse though, not your joke, Percy is a decent kid.' Diana admitted in my head as I ignored her comments.
"Of course, I figured as much." I admitted seeing as I was originally supposed to go anyways. I guess I got a promotion from part time quest babysitter to full time babysitter for the boy.
"Well I do believe that is everything for now, the matter is laid to rest for now. Until things calm down and my master bolt is retrieved none of you are to approach the boy with ill intent. He is the greatest demigod Olympus has seen in nearly a millennium, with his position as ranger he can be of great use to us." Zeus said as I frowned a bit as did a flame-eyed Hestia who was not too far away, leave it to Zeus to think of others as weapons.
"All of you are dismissed." Zeus continued as everyone nodded as they began to flash away and go back to their duties. However some lingered as they talked for a bit before disappearing, Poseidon surprisingly did as he made eye contact with Hestia as if hoping to say something, but all he got was a glare in turn from her. Poseidon's mouth quivered a bit as all he could do was hang his head and give a sad sigh. Seeing any attempt to talk to her rejected he just disappeared in a pillar of water.
Apollo also lingered a bit as he sent me a wink as I just glared at him. In turn he just smirked even more as he disappeared in a pillar of fire as I angrily sighed. Whenever I lied he always held it against me and was always annoying about it as well, my dignified character always crumbling before his childish antics.
"You seemed distracted lately, how unusual." Suddenly a voice jolted me out of my inner turmoil as I looked up to find Hestia standing not too far away. Her eyes staring me down with curiosity as my heart palpated rapidly deep in my chest.
"I-I don't know what you mean." I said as Hestia didn't seem to buy it as her gaze lingered on me and her curiosity continued to grow.
'D-Do you think she knows?' Suddenly a slightly panicked Diana spoke in my head.
'N-No… maybe.' I replied back as I swallowed a bit of saliva in my throat as I put on a polite smile for Hestia as she pursed her lips a bit.
"Hmm… well if you and Percy are to be traveling together I just wanted to lay down some ground rules." She said as I inwardly sigh of relief.
"Of course, yes I promise I won't turn him into an animal. He shall return to you unscathed I promise." I said as Hestia gave a funny face and laughed a bit as I raised an eyebrow.
"Oh I meant for Percy not you haha, I figured you should know the rules me and Zoë have set for him as well. That way if he breaks them you can let me know, a person on the inside if you will." Hestia said with a soft laugh and smile as I blinked in confusion for a second, I suddenly realized just how crafty the goddess of the hearth could really be.
"Of course." I said with a laugh happily agreeing. Knowing Percy would break at least two rules easily, I was kind of curious to see his face when I told him I was going to report it back to Hestia.
'You are such a sadist… make sure to take a picture.' Diana said as I ignored her comment. Over the next few minutes Hestia happily gave me a list detailing over 35 things Percy shouldn't be doing. Like putting himself in extreme danger, using his new powers in unreasonable manors, being an idiot, pissing off gods, and etc.
"Also please don't turn him into any animals if he does anything… stupid. Zoë wouldn't appreciate that too much and neither would I." She finally added with a bit of a serious tone as I nodded, it shouldn't be that hard… right?
"No worries Aunt Hestia, you have my word he shall be human when he returns." I said as she nodded happily and gave me an Apollo worthy smile. She then turned around and started to walk away but then stopped as she quickly turned back my way.
"Also seeing as you are his official… babysitter for Olympus, I guess I shall be seeing more of you around the house?" She asked curiously as I nodded reluctantly.
"Yes you will, I will probably move into an apartment not too far from yours for the time being. Sorry to intrude in your little… love nest." I whispered the last part as Hestai shook her head.
"You are always welcome in our home Artemis so no worries. Anyways I must get going, Percy is getting his checkup by Asclepius here soon and I don't wanna miss it." She said as I nodded as she gave me a smile and disappeared in a cone of orange flames. With that I was left alone and I gave a long sigh and processed all the information in my mind. Thoughts of how to handle Percy and his… eccentric ways and other things.
Just thinking about it gave me a mild headache, especially how touchy he got. Thinking back a bit I couldn't help but refer to the headpats he secretly gave me the other day, a mild blush crossed my cheeks. How dare he just casually pat my head! I was Artemis, goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity gods dammit!
'Admit it, you enjoyed it just a little. Just like you enjoy headpats from Zoë.' Diana suddenly said as I inwardly blushed at her comment.
'I-I enjoyed no such thing!' I quickly inwardly yelled back, Diana just hummed a response as I felt my emotions swell a bit. How dare she insinuate that I enjoy headpats from him, well maybe a bit from Zoë… That's besides the point! Throwing the conversation to the back of my mind as well as my emotions I tried to calm my mind a bit, though it didn't work very well.
As I tried, stray thoughts began to enter my mind as my cheeks began to flush ever so slightly, scenes of a certain goddess flashed in my mind. Tiny tingles ran up my body as my legs shuffled just a little. Sensations I never felt before still replayed and lingered in my mind as I couldn't help but glance over at her throne, only to find her actually sitting in it as I froze. Hera sat quietly in her throne as she gave her ever regal and queenly appearance, she quietly went over some papers in her hands from today's meeting. Her beauty was ever so elegant, fitting of her status as queen of the gods.
Just then her soft brown eyes glanced at me as I froze under them. In an instant a torrent of memories came crashing down in my mind as I was lost to them.
FLASHBACK:
THIRD PERSON POV:
"Hahaha and then she slipped on the ice and spilled the entire bowl of chili, it was e-everywhere!" Artemis said in a slightly slurred tone as she laughed as hard as she could as Hera joined her in turn. The two lounged in Artemis' bedroom as they continued on day 2 of their drinking spree. Both goddesses enjoyed each other's company to the max as they exchanged stories with one another at the moment.
"Oh goodness, poor Zoë." Hera said in a slightly less slurry voice as she wiped tears from her eyes as Artemis continued to laugh and roll around her bed. Hera then went to take a drink from her bottle of wine to find it gone as she gave a frown.
"Dangit, all out." She pouted as Artemis finally managed to stop laughing as she caught her breath.
"H-Here." Artemis said in a strained voice as she tried to hand a bottle to Hera as she stretched off the bed, Hera tried to reach it but was a bit too far away. Stretching even more, Artemis suddenly slipped in turn as she fell off the bed. The contents of the bottle spilling on the ground as a priceless wine was wasted instantly.
"Hahaha!" Hera suddenly found herself laughing at the scene as Artemis began laughing as well from the ground as she laid on her back and continued to giggle. Hera just giggled as well as she stared down at the laughing goddess, just seeing her happy as well made Hera's heart beat a bit faster.
"Thank you Artemis for everything." Hera suddenly said as Artemis smiled as she turned to face Hera as she remained on the ground, enjoying the cool floor on her skin as she took a few deep breaths.
"Your welcome… wait, what are you thanking me for?" She asked curiously as she gave a cute puzzled expression on her face.
"For allowing me to enjoy myself for the first time in a century." She said as she slowly stood up from her chair as she wobbled over to Artemis and began to help her up. Artemis just gave a toothy smile as she giggled a little and slowly stood up with Hera's help. The two barely managed to stand together as they supported each other a bit.
"No problem, toots!" Artemis said, giving Hera a finger gun and a wink in turn as her eyes went wide a bit as Artemis began laughing.
"Y-Your face! Oh gods!" Artemis couldn't stop laughing as Hera put on a small pouting face as Artemis leaned over laughing. Hera suddenly considered dropping the goddess on the ground, Artemis finally managed to stop herself and finally spoke again.
"I'm kidding! Geez! I am also glad I could help you enjoy yourself, we need to do this more often. I wanna hear more of your stories." Artemis said with a true smile as Hera's heart beat a bit faster as she smiled herself, a faint blush cresting her cheeks.
"Unfortunately… that was the last bottle of wine and Dionysus cut us off already." Hera said, flicking her hand as a small note appeared with the words "cut off" on it. Both goddesses frowned a bit and gave a sigh at the same time.
"Such a buzzkill!" Artemis mumbled out as Hera couldn't help but agree a bit.
"Well maybe two days was a bit much." Hera said looking at the mess they made of Artemis' room. Nearly a hundred empty bottles of wine littered the room as she felt a bit bad.
"We could have gone for a week straight!" Artemis managed to get out without a slur as raised up her fist but wobbled a bit in Hera's arms as she steadied herself. Seeing this Hera felt her own body struggling to stand as her hazy mind found the bed.
"Let's sit down, I'm getting dizzy standing up too long." Hera said truthfully as her mind started to feel like it was on a rollercoaster. Artemis just nodded in agreement as the two shuffled over to the bed and sat down as Artemis flopped backwards as Hera tried to straighten her vision.
"Oh god, when did my bed get so comfy?" Artemis seemingly complained, running her hands across the animal pelts as Hera looked back at her. Artemis had her eyes closed as a small smile graced her lips, seeing the soft pair of lips happily smiling Hera felt her vision narrow on them as her own lips felt a bit dry. Suddenly finding herself staring, Hera shook her head as she felt her cheeks blush violently.
"I-I should get going, I need some rest." Hera said as she suppressed any urges rising in her.
"So soon?" Artemis asked in a soft voice as Hera turned back around to see two silver orbs staring back at her. Seeing the hazy eyes staring at her, Hera froze a bit, part of her wanted to stay, while the other part of her didn't trust herself if she did stay.
"S-Sorry, I need some rest." Hera whispered as Artemis suddenly began to pull herself up on the bed as Hera simply watched the goddess until she lay at the head of the bed as she patted the side beside her.
"Rest here, you are too drunk to go home safely." Artemis said with a hint of concern as Hera froze a bit as she eyes the spot Artemis patted. Her reason suddenly began to wane as Hera wanted nothing more but to climb into bed and cuddle the adorable goddess but she restrained herself.
"I-I don't know."
"Shut up and get over here, I don't trust the streets of Olympus at night." Artemis said as Hera's reason finally broke apart with those words. She then began to crawl over to the goddess on the bed. Her cheeks were completely golden as her hazy mind began to race.
'I-I am simply doing this because it is dangerous on the streets at night, not for any other reason.' Hera mentally said to herself, yet even she and Juno in her mind knew she was lying.
"There." Artemis said helping the goddess lay down after fluffing the soft pillow. Hera rested her currently blushing face on the pillow as she faced Artemis head on. Less than a foot separated the two as Artemis' warm wine scented breath filled the air as Hera couldn't help but smell the sweet scent. Artemis just remained quiet as the two stared at one another, though her face was partially flushed it was due to the wine. Minutes passed as the two remained quiet, their hazy set of eyes remained locked with one another.
"Hera… do you l-l-like anyone?" Artemis suddenly asked, blushing hard as Hera felt like she was about to die from embarrassment.
"W-W-What?" Hera stuttered out as Artemis put on an embarrassed face as her hands began to play with one another. Seeing the adorable antics of the goddess before her, Hera suddenly had the urge to pepper her with kisses but barely restrained herself even with her hazy mind.
"I-I'm sorry, it was the only question I could think of at the moment. You don't have to answer it! I-I was just curious… I-I mean you said you didn't love Zeus anymore, does that mean you l-like someone? Maybe?" Artemis asked again as Hera's mind seemed to freeze over a bit, her whole body didn't seem to know what to do until finally something in her seemed to snap as reason was thrown out the window.
"I-I do." Hera said in a whisper that even Artemis barely heard as her eyes widened in turn. Her silver eyes showed shock as Hera's soft brown eyes stayed locked on hers.
"Y-You do?" Artemis asked, bewildered by the information as Hera swallowed a bit of saliva and seemed to resolve herself and her feelings. With the help of the mystical liquid of booze Hera finally gained the confidence she needed.
"Yes… you actually know her." She said as her cheeks remained golden in embarrassment as Artemis' eyes continued to widen a bit.
"H-Her?"
"I-Is that an issue?"
"N-No! Of course not! I… I just didn't expect it to be a woman…"
"I didn't expect it either…"
"... what do you like about her?"
"There are a lot of things I like about her."
"T-That's not what I mean, like… is there anything specific?"
"... Her smile, I can't look away when her lips blossom into a smile. It is so radiant and it just warms my heart in so many ways it is hard to explain."
"That's cute."
"So is she."
"Haha… have you told her anything yet?"
"... No I haven't."
"Why not?"
"I-I'm worried she might reject me."
"Why would she do that? You are Hera, queen of the gods."
"It is precisely because I am the queen of the gods that she might reject me."
"..."
"Artemis?"
"Y-Yes?"
"W-What do you think I should do?"
"I-I'm not sure… I don't have much experience with… relationships."
"..."
"M-Maybe… just go for it? Tell her you like her and just show her your feelings."
"Y-You think that will work?"
"You won't know if you don't try… better to take the shot and miss then never take it at all."
"..."
Hera laid there silently for a few minutes as her mind stirred and stirred as Artemis just looked at her. The queen of the gods' minds raced as the haze from the booze and the thousands of years of memories intertwined. Finally the last dredges of worry and regret were washed away as Hera suddenly moved. Artemis didn't have time to think before closing the distance between the two as a velvety soft pair of lips crashed down on hers. The haze in Artemis' mind cleared ever so slightly but her body remained frozen as Hera continued to kiss her.
Artemis didn't know what to do, the haze in her mind fumbling her actions as her body tried to move but Hera's lips remained on hers. The new sensation flooded her mind as her thoughts were erased, the sensation seeming to bury itself deep down in her. The softness of her lips on Hera's, the sweet scent of berries and grass filling her nose, everything seemed… right. A small ding going off in her mind as well as emotions that she felt for only one other began to surface ever so slightly. Silently the face of her lieutenant of the hunt flashed in her mind, then another also did…
Hera then reached over and cupped her face like a porcelain vase, holding it with the utmost grace. The faces in Artemis' head faded as she felt thousands of years of emotions poured into the tame but loving kiss. The sweet and soft sensation on her lips continued as Artemis finally seemed to catch up, trembling hands slowly reached up and softly grabbed Hera's hands. With that she gently pulled them away as Hera ever so slowly pulled away from the kiss.
Small lines of tears fell from Hera's face as multiple emotions filled her eyes, worry, panic, love, regret, etc. Everything returned at once as Hera looked into Artemis' silver eyes, her body trembling as she wanted to escape. Artemis' light grip was the only thing holding her in place, she could break the grip with ease yet she did not. As the two looked at one another Artemis' hazy mind seemed on the brink of collapse as thoughts swam in her eyes, just then she bit her lip ever so slightly.
"J-Just for tonight." She whispered in the smallest voice as gold covered her entire face, Hera's eyes widened but she didn't respond as she moved forward and sealed Artemis' lips once again. This time a heat began to rise up in the kiss as Hera's lips danced on Artemis', passion began to ignite in the bed of Artemis the maiden goddess of the hunt.
PLEASE SEE CHAPTER 21.5 FOR LEMON… yes this is happening
FLASHBACK END:
Snapping out of my memories my cheeks flushed rapidly as Hera continued to look at me with her soft eyes. It seemed like an eternity that our eyes stayed locked with each other, for a split second Hera also turned golden. A small haze even flashed through her eyes as she seemed to be remembering the same thing as me. She then gave a tiny embarrassed and shy expression on her face as I felt my heartbeat quicken rapidly. It seems she experienced the same flashback as me and felt my mind short circuit a bit.
Seeing her like this made the memories even livelier in my mind as I swallowed a bit. A tiny part of me wanted to say something as my lips unconsciously parted but I froze as I saw Hera do the same thing. Both of us then turned away at the same time as I couldn't help but teleport away, I didn't know what else to do but escape the situation. I simply couldn't bring myself to talk to her about what happened yet. In an instant I appeared in my tent in the hunters camp I was residing in as I flopped face first into my bed.
As I lay there, embarrassment flooded my mind as I began to thrash in my bed, lightly slamming my fists and feet into the animal pelts making up my bed. I simply wanted to curl up into a tiny ball and die as I yelled into my pillow. I couldn't believe that I slept with Hera! I had been running away from these feelings all week and finally they had caught up with me. I slept with my stepmom! And.. and… and… i-it felt so good… I simply couldn't forget the sweet sensations.
Lingering feelings of that night wrapped around my mind, a connection I had never experienced before with anyone else that I couldn't forget. Most embarrassing of all… I wanted to experience it again, I wanted to feel our bodies intertwined, to feel her stupidly soft lips, her hot voice calling out my name, I wanted so much from her it made me rethink my entire godly existence.
I continued to thrash in bed for several minutes trying to kill off my thoughts as I finally grew exhausted and lay face down in my pillow as I took deep breaths. I swore the heat radiating from my face was almost enough to light my pillow ablaze.
"Why do I feel this way? " I begged in the silent room.
'Well…' Diana spoke in my mind but didn't continue as I didn't even have the energy to respond to my other half for a minute.
'What?' I asked her finally as Diana stayed quiet and sighed ever so lightly after a bit.
'I think you're starting to catch feelings for Hera, just like you did for Zoë.' Diana finally said as I lay there in silence until I couldn't contain myself anymore and began to thrash again.
*Muffled scream into pillow noises*
LINEBREAK:
THIRD PERSON POV:
"How are you feeling?" Asked Asclepius as Percy seemed to think for a second.
"A bit better, still hurts in a few areas." He replied in a scratchy voice, looking at his still broken arm and multiple cuts and scratches that had yet to heal. Thankfully with multiple treatments of nectar and ambrosia for a whole week his throat was healed for the most part. Thankfully his body was able to hold against the large amounts of godly food and not spontaneously combust.
"That is good to hear, for only 1 week of healing you are making far more progress than any demigod I have laid eyes on. It surprises me each time." He said back as Percy gave a small grin.
"It's probably because… you know. Son of Chaos, ultimate goddess ever." Percy said as Asclepius gave a simple nod in understanding, he then looked over Percy's records and he checked a few more areas on his body. Removing small bandages to cuts that had healed or replacing dirty bandages. 15 minutes later Percy was cleaned up fully as he gave Asclepius a smile.
"Thank you again, again if you need anything just let me know I will do whatever I can." Percy said as Asclepius gave a small grin of his own.
"Hestia has already promised me several dozen baked goods, anything you can give simply cannot compare." He said as Percy put on a fake hurt face as he put his hand over his heart as if he had been shot.
"Well… her baked goods are that good so I understand. I simply can't compare, can I?" Percy said with a deep sigh as him and Asclepius locked eyes but each smiled at one another. They then both laughed as the goddess in the room just rolled her eyes at their humor.
"Don't worry about it Percy, you have done plenty for me. You always perform any request I have at the quickest speed and never complain. As far as I am aware I owe you." Asclepius said as Percy shook his head. Hestia on the other hand gave a soft smile, however the thoughts of what baked goods to give the god was still going through her mind.
"Anyways enough about me, how is my mom doing?" Percy asked as he got Hestia's help to put on a shirt as Aslepius gave a small sigh and ran a hand through his hair.
"She stabilized a few days ago, it is all thanks to Hestia and that girl you brought with you. She stays by her side nearly all day and tells her stories about you, it is thanks to her that her soul stopped crumbling. However the damage that already accrued is beyond my medical expertise, this situation is simply too rare. Even when gods fade their soul simply dissipates like a fine sand in wind, Sally's soul is broken and jagged. The pieces missing are already gone, I am not sure what else to do. " He said as Percy felt a wave of emotions pass through him as he felt his stomach drop. His body shook ever so slightly as Hestia gave his good arm a soft squeeze as she faced the medicine god.
"Are there any leads you might have that could help her?" She asked as Asclepius gave a small nod.
"There are a few ancient books I've run across in the past, they are currently stored in Athena's library. I was planning to go there as soon as Sally had stabilized and Percy was well enough to walk." He said as a small flame of hope rippled to life in Percy's heart as he gave a nod as Hestia did the same.
"Is… is it alright if I see her?" Percy asked as Asclepius gave him a stare as his hand slowly clenched. Thoughts running through his head about Percy's mental health and possible scenarios, his worry about the young man growing by the second. Then they stopped upon seeing the look in Percy's eyes, it was a look of pure worry. Seeing his eyes Asclepius felt a familiar pang in his heart as he couldn't help but sigh as he gave a nod as Percy gave a smile.
"Only if Hestia goes with you though, you are in a fragile state at the moment. I will not allow my patient's health to fall, Hestia if something happens you know what to do." He said as Hestia gave a firm nod as Percy gave them a confused look.
"I am not a child you know, I can take care of myself." Percy commented but he was instantly met with two flat looks from the gods as he felt a sweat begin to trickle down his back. Their looks continued as Percy finally looked away with a slight blush on his face.
"F-Fine fine, I get it. I know I get… emotional sometimes." Percy said as Hestia gave a soft loving look towards Percy as Asclepius just gave him a knowing look and a soft chuckle.
"It is nothing to be sorry about, they are good traits to have. Just be wary about how emotional you get, can't have you storming off every time something happens." He said as Percy put on a sorry face and lowered his head at the god's words as Hestia nodded as well.
"We are already working on it, I promise." Hestia said with confidence as the god just nodded happily. With that he left the room leaving Hestia and Percy alone as Percy gave a sigh, Hestia though reached over and lifted Percy's face up and suddenly kissed him on the lips. The sweet smell of a campfire and smores filled Percy's nose as they shared a love filled yet tame kiss. A few seconds later they pulled apart as Hestia's cinder eyes sparkled with love.
"Don't you worry, we will get there with time. You, Zoë, and I have plenty of time to talk and help in every way we can. Now, let's go see Sally." She said as she gave Percy another quick peck on the lips, Percy in turn gave her a loving smile and nodded. He knew he had to get better and with the help of Hestia and Zoë he was sure he would get there.
With a bit of effort Hestia helped him stand up as she helped support him as he limped a bit through the medical areas until they reached Sally's room. Upon entering the first thing Percy and Hestia saw was Zoë and Cammy quietly talking and exchanging stories with each other. The two enjoyed each other's company as they chatted about Percy's past as Zora and Ryder were both playing with toys to the side, Zora clearly not having as much fun as Ryder as she was currently grounded.
Seeing the 4 of them made Percy smile as his eyes drifted to the quiet women laying in the hospital bed. She appeared like a sleeping beauty as she quietly took one breath after another. Sally looked much healthier than a week ago, her skin was still slightly pale but her complexion much better. She seemed at peace as she took her steady breaths as the machines hooked up to beeped quietly.
Seeing her so peaceful it made Percy cry a bit as tears dripped down his face, even though she was fighting for her life for a whole week she still held on. He didn't know if her will to live had finally returned to what but he was over the moon that she was still alive. As he wiped away his tears and Hestia helped him walk to her bedside he felt an overwhelming wave of emotions as his lips trembled a bit.
"H-How has she been?" Percy asked as he overlooked her, he even held one of her hands that was free of the covers as Cammy turned to him.
"She has been only sleeping my lord, though sometimes she does have small reactions when I tell her stories of your adventures. She will lightly smile or a small amount of tears will fall from her eyes but nothing besides that. I have also taken it upon myself to meet any needs she has from hygiene, food, and anything else." Cammy said as Percy took in the information and nodded. Then he looked up at Cammy to see dark circles under her good eye, clearly Cammy was missing several dozen hours of sleep.
"Cammy like I was saying, you should take a break. It isn't good for your health if you keep going like this, demigod or not." Zoë said in a concerned voice as Cammy looked at her and shook her head, as she did a flash of emotion crossed her face as she glanced at Sally and then the others in the room.
"I-I… I must help her. Sally is very important to Percy and… others. The nest can function without me if you are worried about it. Please just allow me to do this my lord and ladies, I must see to it that she gets better." Cammy spoke in such a pleading tone that everyone in the room remained quiet as they eyed the sleep deprived demigoddess.
"... Get some sleep for now. Take a day off, go to the nest, get anything you need, I will watch over her with Zoë and Hestia until you return." Percy said as he sensed he would only verbally spar with her if he refused her wishes, or worse she would coax Zoë and Hestia to allow her to continue her work. Cammy just showed a grateful smile as she quickly stood and bowed to him and everyone else.
"Thank my lord, I will make haste and I will see you in 24 hours." She said as she quickly stood up and gave Sally one last look before quickly walking out of the room leaving the three in silence. Zoë then turned to Percy as she overlooked his complexion as he gave her a slight smile.
"Doc says I am getting healthier." He said as she rolled her eyes but she couldn't stop a small smile from gracing her lips.
"That is good, when you finally are healthy enough I am still kicking your butt." She said in a slightly angry tone as Percy gave a sorry face.
"Mommy butt is a bad word." Ryder said from his spot as Zoë seemed to freeze a bit.
"U-Uh I mean… kicking your tuckus!" Zoë corrected herself as Percy had a hard time not laughing, Hestia even covered her mouth restraining her own laughs. Zoë in turn just blushed hard as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
"A-Anyways! I am happy you are feeling better, I have half the mind to ground you as well." Zoë glanced at Zora who's head dipped down avoiding her mothers gaze.
"I know… I promise I won't ever act rashly like that again. It's just…" Percy trailed off as he looked down at the peaceful sleeping Sally as he pursed his lips together and held her hand a bit tighter. Seeing his look Zoë gave a look of understanding, with all of her years of living she could understand where Percy was coming from.
"I know but next time… please just talk to me and Hestia. We will help you no matter what, we love you Percy and don't want anything bad to happen to you. Seeing you hurt like this pains my heart so much, I just don't know what to do. Like Hestia said before, we are your home and we will always be ready to help you with anything you ever will need. Even if we can't see you all the time because of your job, we want to help you. So please, if you ever need to rest if you're hurt emotionally or physically, even if you are just tired, just come home. We will always be waiting." Zoë said in a concerned tone as Percy looked up at her watery honey eyes that shimmered with love.
Her normal fierce eyes of a huntress seemingly replaced long ago when she fell in love with Percy, though when she was around others they always returned. Her persian princess face was now like that of a persian queen's ever since she had grown older. Her copper skin helped her pull of the persian queen look even more, as her dark brown hair. That was in its forever braid when she was out, framed her stunning face to make it even more beautiful. Zoë's beauty was that of a goddess in his opinion as he couldn't help but want to stare at her all day.
He then looked at Hestia as he stared into her comforting cinder eyes that moved like an open flame. He couldn't help but take in her beauty as well as he stared at her. Her mousy brown hair fell down to her shoulders as it framed her face in ringlets. Her soft and comforting beauty was perfectly proportioned in an unpretentious way, it always made Zoë and Percy want to give her hugs and kisses for days. Her loving smile that always cheered them up, her dark olive skin tone adding to her beauty and giving her the full greek goddess appeal.
"What did I do in my past life that earned me the right to have such amazing women by my side?" Percy asked the room with a loving smile as Hestia and Zoë both rolled their eyes but couldn't help but blush and happy grins cover their faces. Hestia even had a small amount of steam coming off her head as she continued to blush.
"Y-You and your honey like words, so embarrassing… you must have saved a whole universe if I were to guess." Zoë said with a blush as she threw out a small joke as Percy grinned a bit and rubbed his head. Then he winced in pain as his injuries flared up a bit. He just ignored it and then took a seat by Hestia and Zoë as the three of them cuddled with one another. Each woman taking an arm, Zoë rested her head on his shoulder while Hestia did the same but on his bicep.
Since his height had increased with him getting his domain Percy found his two goddesses now shorter than before. His long stagnated height was finally changing as he prayed in happiness, though he was tall already Percy was not quite satisfied yet. Plus he had to admit, being taller than both of his wonderful girlfriends was pretty great, especially since when frustrated they looked even cuter. He would never tell them that, especially since Hestia could grow to up to 16 feet tall.
"So what now?" Zoë asked as Percy gave a small shrug.
"For now we rest, then… council meeting?" Percy asked, looking at Hestia as she surprisingly shook her head as both Percy and Zoë's eyes widened.
"There was an emergency council meeting yesterday that even I was called for. Basically Zeus decided to put your matter aside for now and simply labeled it as a family fight. Which we have far too many of already… regardless, Zeus surprised us all and said he would simply keep an eye on you for now and have other gods do the same. Your power surprised him and every other god as a matter of fact, he even claimed this is the reason why he prevented me and Artemis from finding you when you fought Poseidon. To simply try and scout out your powers more, but your defeat by Posidon's hands showed him the limits to your power." She said with a distaste in her mouth as she grinded her teeth together as Percy gave her a soft hand a squeeze as she calmed down.
"Though I know he has other motives, I can't help but slightly agree with his view on the topic. He took into account the reason for your anger and the reason the fight started in the first place, even your track record with helping Olympus. All of the demigods you have rescued and delivered to both camps have helped Olympus immensely. It seems after what happened with Artemis and you making a mockery of him on Olympus, Zeus is thinking a bit more." Percy couldn't help but smile a bit but Hestia simply continued on.
"He knew if he did something outlandish and punished you all of the gods would oppose him and fight against his decision. You have simply done far too much for them and they all are grateful to you, be it minor, major, and even Olympian all of the gods seemed to have been helped by you. Though the topic of your origin was something else entirely, Athena was particularly interested after you dropped the whole Order step father and Pontus' domain information."
Hestia said as Percy gave a nervous smile as the small goddesses eyes flickered a bit with frustration but understanding. Still she gave a light sigh as her face hardened a bit as Zoë and Percy noticed she wasn't done just yet.
"That is another reason for him watching you as well, to understand your origins even more. I am sure you will be called before the council to explain them once our enemies are dealt with. Like I said before, I am sure a majority of the gods on Olympus will support you when they find out you are Chaos' son. More so if you keep progressing with helping gods with their requests. But… because your fight with Poseidon, prying eyes from all directions had shifted your way." Hestia finished as the air was filled with confusion from Zoë and Percy.
"You mean the titans?" Percy asked as Hestia nodded a bit.
"You're not wrong, I am sure the titans already know of you. These eyes… are not ours so to speak." She said with a hint of mystery as Percy's eyes narrowed when suddenly they snapped open as he understood what she meant. Zoë however still appeared confused as Hestia decided to speak again.
"We already have too much trouble happening inside our own pantheon; we don't need more of it coming from outside it." Hestia said with a small sigh as Zoë and Percy's eyes went wider.
"Y-You mean other pantheons?" Zoë asked in a light whisper as Hestia glanced at her and nodded. Percy was already familiar with other pantheons and the fact they existed but never met anything other than Tia and a few other demigods. Never had he thought their gods would be poking their noses into their issues.
"It turns out when a demigod shows exemplary abilities that match even a major god for a short time they tend to get interested. Even though they are forbidden to interact with Percy they have their ways and will try to tempt you." Hestia said looking up at Percy as his eyes turned serious as he started to think. If another pantheon started to meddle in Greek or Roman affairs he was not sure what would become of Olympus.
"For now though Zeus has already made a statement to them about you. If anybody is to approach you and try to coax you into anything there will be consequences." She said with a deep sigh as Percy's eyes widened, he even gulped a little as sweat covered his body. He was already having trouble with Greek and Roman gods he didn't need anymore to deal with.
"Wait you said if they try to coax him there will be consequences… what if they don't try to coax him and just try to meet him?" Zoë suddenly asked in a serious tone as Hestia met her gaze as her eyes burned with deep emotions.
"Then they are technically fine, that is if I even allow them to get that close." Hestia said angrily, surprising both Zoë and Percy.
"Do… you not have good relations with other pantheons?" Percy couldn't help but Hestia didn't answer as her cinder eyes flickered even harder with complex emotions as she laid her head back down on his arm and held his arm a bit tighter. Seeing her reaction Percy decided to withhold any further questions as he gave a small nod as did Zoë.
"Well for now I am grateful I don't have to go before the council, at least until things calm down… speaking of which the quest." Percy said with a groan as both women nodded a bit.
"It has been delayed for the moment but they are planning to set off here soon. You are to still follow like you planned to before." Hestia said grumpily as her emotions still hadn't quite settled, though she appeared to also not want to let Percy go anyways. Wanting to spend more time with him before he had to depart, especially when he was injured as much as he was.
"Well at least it could be wor… nevermind I'm not going to finish that sentence." Percy said with pursed lips as Zoë and Hestia nodded in agreement.
"So who is the god they are sending with me then? Is it you?" Percy asked with interest as Hestia gave a soft sigh and snuggled him a bit more.
"Noooo… it's Artemis aka your new babysitter quest or no quest, she is to report to Olympus about you. Though she angered Zeus a bit by firing her arrows at him he still said she was the best person for the job." She said as Percy gave a surprised face, babysitter? He seemed to think for a second and couldn't help but find Hestia was right. Artemis was best suited for the job. They had a past relationship and knew each other pretty well so it made sense if things got a bit… difficult for him.
Then he noticed Hestia growling just a little. Seeing this Percy grew a small grin on his face as he looked down at the adorable puffed up cheek Hestia.
"What's wrong, little flame?" Percy asked as Hestia glanced up at him and puffed at her cheeks more a bit.
"Can't believe they didn't make me your babysitter, I am your s-soulmate after all. After what happened I want to spend more time with you, I don't care if Artemis is a possible soulmate." Hestia said with golden colored cheeks as a rare bout of jealousy popped up from her. Percy couldn't help but smile a bit at her antics, even Zoë couldn't help herself from smiling as well. Seeing her like this kinda reminded Percy of Zoë when they first found out they were soulmates. He was more than happy to please the ever so greedy goddess.
"If it makes you feel better, Artemis or no Artemis I will still spend all the time with you that you want." Percy whispered ever so softly into her ear in a sensual manner, but quiet enough as to not have the children hear as Hestia cheeks flared up in embarrassment.
"What about me?" Zoë asked in an innocent voice and batted her honey eyes as Percy gave her a devilish smile.
"But of course, like they say, two is always better than one." He said as Zoë grinned and blushed as well, however Hestia cleared her throat redirecting the two's faces to her still blushing face.
"No shenanigans while you are injured." She said simply as Percy seemed to deflate a bit as Hestia glanced at them from the side of her face.
"No… rigorous shenanigans." She added as Percy and Zoë perked up a bit as the goddess blushed even harder as she tried to ignore their blooming smiles.
LINEBREAK:
TIME SKIP: later that night
"Do you want something to drink?" Asked Zoë as Percy shook his head as he gave a small yawn, from his chair he was currently overwatching Sally, who was still sleeping soundly as ever. He had taken upon himself to watch over her, Zoë and Hestia offered to help as well but Percy said he wanted to straighten out his thoughts alone for a bit. From those words he got two worried looks from them.
With lots of reassuring words promising if anything serious sprouted in his mind he would immediately go to them to talk about it. After several other promises from him both finally agreed and with that he would be left alone after Zora and Ryder fell asleep. Zoë was simply checking in on him making sure he was okay, she then quietly took a seat by him as Percy offered his blanket to her as she quickly covered herself and snuggled against him.
"So… any progress?" Zoë asked as Percy thought for a second and nodded.
"Yeah… after Poseidon's words a lot became clear to me. Though they were harsh… I can't help but agree with them. I just don't know how to tell mom yet." Percy said, staring at Sally as Zoë gave a small nod.
"What did he tell you?" Zoë asked as Percy paused for a second.
"That a god's love is… different. Different from me and you or a mortal and another mortal. Though I am 100% sure Hestia's love for us is not the same as the other gods and mortals. It is an unfortunate and painful truth mortals and gods have to face, but it is what it is and for that I am not sure what to think. I am not sure what to tell mom or if she already knows, I just wish… I could talk with her and explain it all." Percy said with a sigh as Zoë gave a nod of understanding. She already had an idea of what he was talking about, she had seen many demigoddesses, even nymphs or dryads that said similar things.
"Well… don't stay up too late okay. When you are ready to talk to her, I am sure she will be listening even if she can't show you she is." She said as she planted a soft kiss on Percy's lips as they shared a delicate moment. After a few seconds Zoë retreated and then abandoned the warmth of the blanket as she tucked it in around Percy. With a smile from each other, Zoë quietly left as she closed the door with a soft click.
With that Percy was once again left alone as he just continued to stare at Sally and think. Each breath she took was like a clock ticking in his mind, slowly he reached up and grabbed the star like gem that hung around his neck. The delicate warmth of the item housing Chaos' soul brought him comfort and relief as he tried to figure out what to do. Slowly the night began to continue as Percy slowly rolled the gem in his hand, his mind drifting as the night progressed.
At some point in the night Percy's mind had turned hazy, the lack of sleep, the pain in his body, the information Asclepius told him about his moms soul, the things he wanted to tell her, the intent and hope to make everything better. The constant thoughts running through his mind looped as his consciousness began to wane a bit. Everything merged together in his mind until finally something started to piece itself together in his mind.
"Alpha, Barbatos… Order's powers… what were they specifically?" Percy suddenly asked as he steadied his grip on the gem and stared down at it. As he did he gripped it firmer in his hand as his minimal aura began to focus in the core of his body, he then closed his eyes as a thin film of dark aura began to spread over his skin.
"... His powers pertained to energy systems, souls, and infinity." Barbatos said as Percy's eyes slowly opened, the white color in his iris began to surface and completely fill eyes as they shone like deep wells. Pools of infinite white that swirled like a galaxy made of nothing but stars as he stared down at the gem that laid silent in his hand.
"Infinity… Energy system… Souls…" Percy whispered as his aura also began to shift and turn pure white as small tendrils of his aura began to lift and wrap up and slowly move forward as they began to gently touch the gem in front of it. Each tendril as tiny as a hair as they slowly began to touch the gem one by one as the gem began to vibrate ever so slightly.
"Where are you…" Percy whispered to himself yet again as he stared even harder at the gem more and more tendrils began to latch to the gem. Percy's eyes seemed to strain themselves even more as the deep wells of white began to expand until they took up his entire eye. Just then the space around him seemed to ripple ever so slightly and then freeze.
"YOU! STOP IMMEDIATELY!" Suddenly three female voices that were unfamiliar to Percy yelled at the same time. At the same time space seemed to crack in three places as three separate hands shot out at Percy at the same time to stop him in his path. Each of them reached for the gem in his hands as Percy didn't even have time to react.
A/N: So many reveals! So many fun settings! Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and the half chapter which will come soon hehe. That cliffy though… sorry my dudes and dudettes gonna have to wait a bit more to see what happens. Also hop you enjoyed the little teaser for Artemis and Hera, I thought it was adorable. I wonder what is gonna happen with Sally though… who knows! Also sorry for the kind info dump but it was necessary for plot and for later chapters as well! But other pantheons are planned for later so If you have suggestions or maybe someone you want to see please feel free to review and let me know!
E/N: Another chapter done and dusted! I swear every chapter he slowly gets better (I feel like he wants to get rid of me LOL). I hope you all enjoyed the reveal! Other pantheons being real is a big thing. This is Dex (Sol) signing off for the night!