Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson
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LAST TIME:
"V-Vesta!" Hestia sputtered out as Vesta gave a small sigh and then stared at the other goddess. Their cinder eyes locked with each other. It seemed the two goddesses were exchanging words without even saying them. Suddenly Hestia's face seemed to blush a bit more as she began to nibble on her lower lip. Her eyes glanced up at Percy before looking back at Vesta to see the goddess giving her a devilish look.
"Like always?" Vesta asked her as Hestia's blush grew and her body began to fidget a bit more.
"L-Like always." Hestia agreed as both goddesses turned to Percy in sync. One that was blushing up to her forehead with a shy look on her face while the other gave him a devilish smile. Percy was then pushed back onto the bed by them both as the two of them leaned over him as he felt his blood start to pump. It was like looking at two succubi ready to eat him alive, not that he was complaining at the moment.
"Hestia and I agreed to keep each other in check tonight like always. We won't do anything to make us lose our virginity tonight but that doesn't mean we can't play around. So let us take care of you tonight… master." Vesta purred before the both of them bent down and started to kiss him.
Please see chapter 29.5 for the smut if you dare
NOW:
THIRD PERSON POV:
Artemis stood silently outside the children's small cabin with her back leaning up against the wall right by the door, her feet gently kicking at the sand beneath her toes as she waited patiently. With her godly hearing, she could hear Zoe inside as she quietly tucked Mayleen into a spare bed inside. Her heart raced in her chest as the time slowly went by, after what seemed like forever there was finally the sound of Zoe stopping right by the exit of the building.
Time seemed to stand still as Zoe held onto the door handle but didn't exit the building, Artemis could even hear Zoe's heart beating just as fast as her own in the silence of the night. Artemis almost wanted to leave as her nerves started to grow even more tense, yet she knew if she did that she would regret it until the end of time. Her relationship with Zoe had only just taken its first steps toward love. With everything that happened today, it was not a surprise Zoe felt the way she did. Even though Zoe told her that she trusted her she felt like she betrayed that trust.
Just on the other side of the door, Zoe was having similar thoughts as her own heart was in just as tight of a knot. She knew Artemis was outside and part of her didn't want to open the door, to simply stay inside and lay down and sleep. She didn't want to face the truth and her own emotions, her jealousy and worry burned in her heart. She trusted Artemis with her heart and right now it felt like she was going back on her word. She chewed on her lips as she tried to think of what to say to Artemis and explain herself.
'Come on just open the door you silly girl,' Zoe spoke to herself, her hand shaking on the door handle as worries continued to fill her. Even her body seemed to shake a bit as she had to reach out and grab the hand that was trembling on the door as she took a small breath to try and calm herself.
"Zoe…" A whisper suddenly penetrated the door as Zoe jumped in her chest and her body trembled.
"I-It's okay if you don't open the door, I just want to talk even if you don't want to respond." Artemis continued to whisper as Zoe's body shook even more.
"I just wanted to apologize for today. You trusted me so much and I felt like what I revealed shook that trust you had in me. I… didn't know what else to do. My feelings for Hera were not something I wanted to hide from you, I was so scared and confused when things happened between her and me. My mind became a mess and I couldn't help but feel the love I had for you buried deep in my heart start to surface."
"I even started to realize I had feelings for Percy and even Hestia after that as time passed. I could only stew in my own thoughts and think about what to do, my feelings of the past and present collided into a storm that I couldn't escape from. I felt weak and useless in my own body, I wanted to tell you what I felt so much, I just couldn't find the courage to. Then… Mayleen arrived and it changed my world."
"I understood so much about her and who she was the instant I touched her, it took a bit for me to understand but I was able to see that Mayleen was mine as well as Percy's and Hera's. I saw a future in which I had a child I never planned to have, a child born from love that I never knew I would come to possess. That is when I knew my love for you, Hera, Hestia, and Percy was not… like I experienced before. Especially my love for you…"
Artemis finished whispering as Zoe had long leaned her head against the door as she felt her emotions well up inside of her, silent tears dripped from her eyes as Artemis waited in silence. Her auburn hair gently blew in the breeze that gently ran its way through camp, her clothes even rustled a bit creating a picturesque scene. Artemis brushed back her hair, pinning it behind her ear before gently smiling as she looked up at the moon.
"Did you know that after I met Mayleen and started to think everything over I couldn't help but wonder if I would have any more children? When I did I couldn't help but get this happy feeling in my stomach, something so happy I first thought of it I couldn't help but blush so hard my face hurt. I thought of… us having a child. A child born from a union of you and me, or even you, me, and Percy. The thought makes my heart skip a beat and seem to flutter away."
"I couldn't help but imagine a future where I can hold our child together for the first time. I just hope that someday it can come true and we can both hold the proof of our love. I love you so much Zoe that it hurts my heart to see you like this, I know my actions hurt you. I just wanna do whatever I can to make you feel better."
*Creak*
Artemis was silenced by the sound of a door opening as she turned to see Zoe step out of the room before silently closing the door. Zoe's head was facing down and her dark brown hair hid her face from the view. Her body stood still like a statue as she rested her head against the door in silence. Artemis wanted to say something but her words were caught in her throat as Zoe stood in silence. Then Zoe took a very slow and shaky breath before standing up straight and facing Artemis.
Two shimmering honey-brown eyes looked right at Artemis, a storm of emotions was locked in her eyes, and tears ran down both of her cheeks. Her face was full of many emotions and her lips quivered as she stared at Artemis. Seeing Zoe in such a state made Artemis' heart fill with worry and panic, she was suddenly filled with remorse as she stared at the woman she loved. She was the reason she looked like that, this was all her fault.
"Zoe…"
"Do you really want to make me feel better?" Zoe silenced Artemis as she actually walked toward the goddess and pushed her up against the wall of the cabin. Artemis felt her heart nearly jump out of her chest as her body trembled, she never realized it until now but Zoe was taller than her. Even with Artemis being in her 24-year-old form she was still a few inches shorter than Zoe, sudden embarrassment filled her mind as she looked down.
Before she could look down her chin was gently cupped by a calloused hand and tilted upwards. Artemis felt the urge to suddenly flee under the intense interaction, yet the second her yellow-silver eyes met Zoe's honey-colored ones she could feel her worries dwindle away. In the emotional storm of Zoe's eyes, one emotion stood out from the others. Love stood in the heart of the emotional storm that was directed right at Artemis.
"Milady… No Artemis, you talk too much sometimes," Zoe whispered before leaning closer to the goddess as Artemis' heart raced even faster. Zoe's lips came closer and closer until they rested less than an inch before Artemis' soft red lips as a warm breath cascaded down her face. Zoe's eyes stared right into hers as Artemis didn't move a single inch.
"C-Can I kiss you?" Zoe asked suddenly as Artemis couldn't help but feel her heart jump again, then a smile crossed her face as her arm slowly raised up and looped around Zoe's neck.
"Do you know how long I've been waiting for you to ask me that?"
With that, Artemis pulled Zoe downwards and landed her lips right on hers. In that single instant Artemis and Zoe felt fireworks go off in their minds, a millennia and more of stored feelings and emotions exploded between the two. Under a clear sky and a full moon, they both kissed for the first time, the moon itself seemed to celebrate as it seemed to glow even brighter and became fuller than before.
The kiss was filled with emotions from every branch as well as worries and endless love for one another. Artemis could only follow Zoe's lead as the huntress tenderly kissed her goddess with all her might. Both her hands made it to Artemis' lower back as she pulled the goddess closer while Artemis further wrapped her arms around Zoe's neck. Their soft lips only parted for a second as they both greedily sucked in the air around them and went right back to kissing.
Zoe even began to deepen the kiss as she parted Artemis' lips with her own and gingerly inserted her tongue. Artemis hesitantly allowed Zoe access to her mouth as her own tongue followed Zoe's lead as the tips of their tongues played with one another in the kiss. Hot breaths filled the air as the two pulled one another closer. Zoe and Artemis' bodies stuck to one another as close as possible as their curves seemed to perfectly match each other.
Artemis was even forced to the tips of her toes as she refused to part from Zoe's warm soft lips. Still, they never deepened the kiss to the point it became a deep french kiss as time slowly flew by. Soon 10 minutes passed as Zoe and Artemis pulled back from one another yet their arms never let the other go. Silver eyes met honey brown as Zoe's eyes were no longer burdened by her intense emotions and only showed love.
"You are so beautiful." Zoe couldn't help but say as Artemis' golden blush deepened as she gave a shy look to Zoe.
"So are you." She whispered as Zoe happily smiled before going in for a few more pecks of her goddess' and lovers' soft lips.
"Artemis, I am sorry I got so jealous of you and Hera. I know she is our soulmate, but I still couldn't help it." Zoe whispered while she rested her head on her goddesses as the goddess herself gave a look of love and forgiveness.
"I love you Zoe, I love everything about you. I also love Hera and I will never regret my night with her. I just hope in the future we can also have a night like I did with Hera… maybe even together with her or even with Percy." Artemis whispered with surprising confidence as the kiss put her on a new high. Zoe on the other hand blushed at the thought of her sharing her goddess with Hera or Percy, even all 4 of them together as Zoe's mind went a bit wild.
"I just hope you know… I am a bit greedy." Zoe whispered back as Artemis felt a pleasant shiver down her spine, this feeling… it was nothing like in the past. Zoe almost had a predatory gaze on her face as she looked down at the goddess which only added to the moment. Both were lost in their own world as their past limits were thrown out the window.
"That's what Percy tells me. Be as greedy as you want, I will always be here to accept your love and everyone else's." Artemis replied as Zoe felt her stomach fill with butterflies, images dancing in her mind as a happy smile played on her lips.
"Damn you Percy, giving away all my secrets." Zoe playfully cursed while Artemis giggled a bit, the two sharing playful looks as they continued to ride the high of their kiss.
"Can you blame him? You are very greedy, almost as much as Hera is, though I think Percy is just as greedy as you." Artemis replied as Zoe gave a small chuckle before giving Artemis another tender kiss on the lips before leaving forward to whisper in Artemis' ears.
"This is 100% true, give him the chance he will gobble us both up in a single night," Zoe whispered to her goddess as sudden thoughts filled her mind. A passion-filled night between her, Zoe, and Percy seemed to light a fire in her stomach. Her embarrassment and timid nature seemed to finally come back at that moment as she began to blush profusely. Seeing Artemis return to such a state made Zoe smile a bit before planting another kiss on her lips and standing up as Artemis loosened her grip on her neck.
"After you are ready of course, though I don't mind if you want to watch our nights of passion to learn some things. You can even participate just like Hestia did, Percy is extremely delicate in such times. His touches will have you crying out his name in no time, though I wouldn't mind if you cried out mine as well. Maybe even when Hera is comfy we can also have her join in. But I highly recommend it. I will help keep Percy in line, I promise." Zoe said in a smooth and seductive tone along with a wink as Artemis' entire face went pure golden, she had to pull back an arm to hide her face from Zoe.
"Y-You are so perverted, what happened to the sweet innocent girl I used to know, jeez.." Artemis whispered to her before pulling away from her as the demi-titan just smiled happily and put her arms behind her own back. She only watched as steam started to come off her goddess as she giggled a bit more.
"She fell in love with people she truly belongs with. Any outside will get the normal huntress you are used to. But like I said wherever you're ready. So… The next question is, do you want a girl or boy first?" Zoe said with a wink as Artemis couldn't help but blush and then blush even more at the last part.
"L-Let'g go back to the cabin, Hestia and Percy are probably worried sick," Artemis said before walking away from the kid's cabin as Zoe smiled like a mischievous cat.
"Yes, let us go." She said before catching up to Artemis, she quickly slipped her hand into the goddess and interlocked fingers with her. Artemis just eyed Zoe's smiling face as she felt like her heart was going to give out at this rate.
"I-I would like to have a boy first." Artemis casually said as Zoe's ears perked up a bit with interest.
"A boy? I thought for sure you were gonna say you wanted a girl." Zoe admitted as Artemis smile a little bit as she squeezed Zoe's hand a little.
"I did at first but I changed my mind, a son would be… nice." She admitted as Zoe's curiosity grew a bit.
"So… who do you want to have a child with first?" Zoe couldn't help but ask as Artemis blushed even more, this girl was going to make her heart explode at this rate.
"I-I'm not sure yet. I still have a few things to figure out first." She said as Zoe nodded and backed off a bit as she delicately held hands with Artemis as she and the goddess approached the cabin.
"I don't mind if you choose Percy first milady." Zoe softly whispered from her side as Artemis felt her heart jump yet again. Her silver eyes darted towards Zoe to only see a cat-like expression on her face.
"L-Let's just get to the cabin first, no more of your shenanigans," Artemis said in a flustered tone as she quickly dragged a grinning Zoe to the cabin before the two stopped at the front door.
"So what do you wanna tell Hestia and Percy?" Artemis asked Zoe as the two seemed to fall into thought for a second, Zoe then pulled Artemis closer to her before stealing another soft kiss from the blushing goddess as she grinned.
"We can tell them everything, I don't mind. I don't think I'm ever going to forget your confession. Especially the part about the children-." Zoe's mouth was suddenly silenced by Artemis' hand as the goddesses blushed again.
'This little minx won't give my heart a break!' Artemis mentally yelled in happiness and frustration.
'Her lips are as soft as Hera's hehe…' Yet all she heard was the dazed and ditzy voice of Diana in her head. Honestly, she was half a step from being just like Diana. All she wanted to do was snuggle up to this demi titan and reminisce about their kiss and maybe steal a few more throughout the night.
"..." Suddenly a sound came from the cabin startling both Zoe and Artemis, both women froze in place and listened yet they only heard muffles.
"Hestia and Percy are waiting, also enough with the teasing or I'm not kissing you for a few days." Artemis chastised Zoe as the girl gave a look of shock and put on a much more obedient look before following her inside. Yet all they were met with was a dark interior as their curiosity grew, she half expected them to be waiting yet it seems they weren't.
"Did they go to bed already?" Artemis questioned before giving a small sigh. She then began walking to the bedrooms to see the light beneath one of the doors as she matched towards it.
"Gods!" Suddenly a familiar voice filled with carnal pleasure and almost like a wild animal penetrated the wooden door causing Artemis to freeze in place as Zoe stood right behind her. Both women suddenly felt a touch of warmth on their faces just from the sound of it as they remained frozen.
"P-Please don't stop! MMmm!" Another voice begged in such a hunger it made both of their bodies feel a heat grow inside them.
"It seems like Percy is helping soothe Hestia's worries as well," Zoe whispered while blushing as she felt her core heat up drastically, she couldn't help but feel her desire grow as more pants and moans filled the hallway.
"W-We should go to bed and leave them be," Artemis whispered in the tiniest and most flustered voice she could muster. It didn't take Artemis but a second to pull Zoe along with her as the flustered goddess blush so much her face hurt. The sounds coming from the room lessened but the heat inside her seemed to linger.
A/N: See chapter 30.5 for smut hehe.
LINEBREAK: 2 weeks later
"Come on focus!" Percy yelled as Annabeth deflected another one of his strikes, leaving a shower of sparks in the air. The young girl could barely stand as the force pushed her backward several steps. Her knife shook in her hand from the strike as a cloud of warm breath left her mouth.
"With defenses like that, even a normal monster could take you down," Percy taunted as he twirled his kopis before readying himself. He once again had on his Greek black armor with the red trim, yet now it also had arm guards that met with bracers at his wrists making his upper body fully armored. His sleek silver helmet completed the image by contrasting with the black armor as it gave him a more menacing look.
"I would like to see them try," Annabeth growled at him and raised her dagger towards Percy, the bronze knife complimenting her leather training armor she had on. Though her body seemed to shake a bit as she did, her exhaustion finally catching up to her. Her face was scuffed up and bruised and even her ponytail had somehow come loose as her princess curls lay on her back.
"Is that so?" Percy asked before pausing and reading his kopis once again as Annabeth's nerves fired on all cylinders. Her stormy gray eyes observed every single detail as fast as she could to plan out a route of attack or defense. Every time she did this the world seemed to turn into just numbers and data to her, yet Percy was a mass of data that was too much to solve so swiftly. Just a single step forward and Annabeth could see 12 alternations of his attacks as she gritted her teeth and charged him.
"Oh ho? Attacking while you are this exhausted is unwise. Here I thought you were a daughter of Athena." Percy goaded her on as Annabeth's anger flared. Her eyes simply glowed even more as she pushed her mind to its limit, attacking him with all her might. As she ran towards him she suddenly bent down to the ground and scooped up a handful of dirt as she threw it at him.
Percy simply stood still and raised his shield to block the debris before lowering it to suddenly find Annabeth was gone. Underneath his helmet, Percy couldn't help but let out a grin as he widened his stance and closed his eyes. In a split second, the battlefield went quiet as Percy stood completely still. The only sound was the cold rustling wind as time ticked by slowly, just then a rock flew through the air only for it to harmlessly deflect off Percy's helmet.
*Ding*
The second the ding sounded Percy's eyes snapped open and he moved, he took one step forward and suddenly thrust out his shield. In a single instant, his shield collided with something invisible and sent it flying backward.
*BANG!*
"Uuuugggghhh." Annabeth groaned in pain on the ground as her Yankees cap fell off her head revealing the girl. Her arms currently held her stomach as she groaned in pain, clearly Percy had managed to land a huge blow on her gut. Her face was scrunched up in pain as if she was going to vomit any second, yet she held on as Percy deactivated his helmet revealing his calm and collected face.
"Do you know what you did wrong this time?" Percy asked as he approached Annabeth as she continued to grip at her stomach. Her gray eyes slowly opened and looked at Percy's face as her lips turned into an ugly frown.
"I shouldn't have even used the stone, I should have simply waited until your guard was down." She said in anger as she tried to slowly sit up as she clenching her stomach. Percy just gave a sigh as he knelt down and faced the girl as she refused to meet his eyes.
"You know that isn't the right answer, you tried to fight when you were tired and exhausted. While your opponent was more than twice your strength and still had energy. The best choice of action is to retreat and recuperate your strength and energy, retreating is just as important as fighting." Percy said as Annabeth's body sat silently on the ground, then her eyes which were now filled with a fire of anger turned to him.
"That's easy for you to say, most demigods can't always retreat Percy, the monsters would chase us down and murder us in cold blood. If we don't fight then our chance of survival dwindles drastically." She said as Percy just stared at her and slowly blinked.
"I think you missed my point," Percy said before poking her forehead as her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion and anger. She tried to move away but he kept his finger against her forehead as she continued to speak.
"The main point is that you are tired and exhausted while facing an enemy with more energy and strength than you. Do not let your pride cloud your mind, it is a battle that you could not win and you decided to run right into it. While you are right about demigods facing challenges with monsters, that is why they need training on when to fight and when to flee. I know you know this lesson already and you still didn't follow it. I'm a bit… disappointed in your choice Annabeth." Percy said in a strict tone before sighing as he pulled his finger back as Annabeth's face scrunched up complicated emotions.
"Do you see your mistake now?" Percy asked as Annabeth didn't dare face him as she sat there silently.
"W-Wasn't this supposed to be a simple spar?" Annabeth asked in a tiny voice that made it sound like she was about to cry.
"Think of every spar as a battle, that is how a true warrior trains. If this was a real battle you would have died because of your pride." Percy said in a cold tone standing up and stretching. Annabeth still remained seated on the ground as she pulled her knees to her chest, just then sniffles began to leave Annabeth as Percy froze,
"Dang, you made her cry, not cool my dude." A voice filled the air as Percy turned to see Nick floating several perfect spheres of water around his body as he sat not too far away. Percy had completely forgotten about the boy as his eyebrow twitched, he simply glanced at the bucket next to Nick before moving his own powers. Suddenly two more spheres raised up from the bucket and joined the others as Nick's eyes widened.
Before he knew it both of them were handed off to his control as all the spheres around him began to shake. Turning away from Nick as he began to struggle with his control Percy faced Annabeth, she remained curled up against her knees as more sniffles escaped her mouth. He couldn't help but run a hand through his hair as he let out a small sigh, maybe he had been too harsh on her.
"My words were a bit too harsh, I just don't want to see you end up dying because of something like this. Your flaw is a powerful one, it is part of who you are. I am just trying to help you survive the best I can." Percy said as he kneeled back down and patted Annabeth's head as she continued to sniffle.
"I know…" Annabeth whispered while her hands seemed to be wiping away tears from her hidden eyes. Percy just continued to pat her head before he reached down so she could see his hand.
"How about we take a break-." Before Percy could finish talking Annabeth suddenly grabbed his hand and moved. Suddenly Percy found himself being pulled off his feet and rolled, he didn't even have time to try and stop Annabeth before he found himself judo tossed to the ground. By the time his back hit the ground he already had a dagger at his throat as Annabeth leaned over him. Her gray eyes were filled with happiness as she grinned at the flustered Percy.
"You're dead." She whispered happily as Percy just gaped at her, he couldn't believe she just pulled a fast one over him. No, he could completely believe that, though as he stared at her he noticed her eyes did appear a bit puffy around the edges.
"Damnnnn! Get rotated!" Nick couldn't help but shout at the scene before several splashes were suddenly heard as he began to groan.
"It seems that I am… you win this battle," Percy said with a small reluctant sigh as Annabeth's smile grew even wider, her whole body then seemed to lose its strength before suddenly collapsing on top of Percy.
"Ughh my tummy, why did you have to hit me so hard?" Annabeth protested as Percy couldn't help but laugh at her words, the daughter of Athena simply continued to lay on him without moving. Seeing her actions he couldn't help but laugh again as he sat up Annabeth was forced to roll to her back which now rested on his legs.
"Because I wanted to incapacitate you, seems like I should hit you harder next time," Percy said as Annabeth's stormy gray eyes stared at him, her face turning into a grimace at the thought.
"I don't think I would survive if you did that." She said while rubbing her stomach as Percy stared down at her with a smirk.
"You have survived worse and will continue to as long as you keep training with me. Also… don't throw my words away because they are hard to hear. Your pride is a fatal flaw for a reason, don't let your flaw control you. I don't know what I would do if you ended up dying." He said in a soft tone as Annabeth stared up at him, his words seemed to soak into her very being as her cheeks began to redden.
"Oh my, if you say words like that one would think you are confessing to her." A voice filled with mischief filled the area as Annabeth's face turned pure red she managed to find the strength to pick herself off Percy as she dusted herself off in embarrassment.
"S-Silena! W-When did you get here?" Annabeth asked in a slight fluster as the daughter of Aphrodite emerged from the surrounding woods. The black hair and blue eyed girl just gave a soft smile as she held up a picnic box just as another person excited the woods right after her. A huge African American youth that was nearly a head taller than Silena stood behind her.
"Me and Charlie wanted to get away from the camp for a bit so we decided a picnic would be nice." She expressed happily as she glanced around to simply find the three of them.
"Isn't it a bit cold to be having a picnic?" Percy could help but ask as Silena gave a grin before motioning to Charlie as he lifted up a small contraption that looked like a small stove of some sort.
"Charlie made a wonderful little furnace to keep us warm… not that we would need it," Silena said before whispering the last part with a small wink towards the giant of a man as a blush managed to ignite on his face. Thankfully Nick and Annabeth were spared from hearing such a sentence while Percy was not. All he could do was cough a little and ignore the couple's antics before dusting himself off.
"Well, training is over for the day so I will get these two back to camp. You two enjoy your picnic," Percy said before quickly gathering the items as Nick and Annabeth helped, in a minute everything was good to go as they began to walk their way back to camp.
"Percy if I could have a minute of your time," Suddenly a deep voice stopped them in their tracks as Charles spoke to them. Blinking in surprise Percy just nodded before motioning Nick and Annabeth to continue on their way. Before too long Percy was left in the clearing with Charles and Silena as the daughter of Aphrodite set up their blanket and everything.
"I just wanted to say thank you for the materials you dropped off at our cabin, everyone was thrilled to get their hands on such pure silver. I even thought of a few things I could make with it." He said in a thankful tone as Percy just waved his hand at him.
"It's fine, no worries. It was just extra that I had after making a few weapons, figured you all at cabin 9 would enjoy it." He said as Charles shook his head a little.
"Still I must say thank you, ever since one of the past councilors of our cabin got in trouble hitting on a hunter it has been tough to get our hands on such materials. If you ever have any more of it laying around I would greatly appreciate it, especially with the way things are going." He finished as a small darkness entered his voice as Percy couldn't help but nod.
"I will see what I can do, Artemis only blesses so much silver at a time. If I get my hands on some I will bring it over." He said with a small grin as Charles just gave a grin himself as he held out his catcher mitt-sized hand. Seeing the hand Percy just laughed as he reached out and shook it before both of them nodded.
"Charlie, are you two done with shop talk yet? It's getting chilly and I don't know how to work the furnace." Suddenly Silena spoke as she put on a cute pouty face and poked at the small furnace, Charles coughed a bit and blushed as Percy couldn't help but grin a bit.
"Next time I decide to forge something I will head to cabin 9 as well. Also… you two might want to put up a small barrier if you want to get extra warm." Percy said as Silena and Charles froze in place and both their faces turned pure red. Percy couldn't help but laugh as he walked away leaving the two love birds alone.
Once that was done Percy simply started to walk through the woods once again and hummed a small tune as he weaved in between trees and other shrubbery. Yet as he took a step around a tree the entire scene around him changed in a split second. He was no longer in the forest surrounding camp half-blood but instead in a small cave that he instantly recognized.
"Come…" A whisper of a voice flew through the tunnel and entered Percy's ears as he couldn't help but make a funny face.
"Couldn't you have waited till I was asleep Ananke?" Percy joked, yet he didn't get a response; he could only give a soft sigh and walked down the cave until he reached the door that held the snake wrapped around an egg. With that, he entered the room and once again met his sister, her pale blue eyes shining with happiness as he walked into the room.
Just like before she was seated in her big comfy chair and was spinning thread as if he had never left. Her long silver hair, her dress, and even her stunning motherly appearance were all the same and even her age was still in the 40s as she seemed to remain unchanging. Maybe it was because he was so used to gods changing their form he expected her to, maybe that wasn't the case with primordials
"Something on your mind?" Ananke asked in a curious whisper as she continued to quietly spin thread while Percy just gave her a curious stare.
"I mean… I am curious why you called me here in the middle of the day.Now I can't help but wonder if you ever get up and move around. Do primordials ever get leg cramps from sitting too long?" Percy asked as Ananke blinked a few times at the suddenness of his questions.
"I move around, do you really think I sit here all day and do nothing but spin thread?" She asked him in a slightly confused tone as Percy couldn't help but blush.
"I mean… a little."
"Haha, it seems you are still unfamiliar with the way primordial acts. That is to be expected though, we all have our own eccentric ways of doing things. Still, you must be wondering why I brought you here in the middle of the day, also no need to worry I sat your body in a safe spot in the forest." Snake said as Percy simply nodded, part of him now worried if he simply face-planted the ground then she took him away.
"I assume it is for more domains?" Percy asked in a calm voice as she nodded, with that she flicked her hand as several orbs appeared in the air, in total there were 8 orbs ranging in different colors as well as appearances. There was a burning hot sun, a pitch black moon, the sky itself that was filled with stars, gray mist that seemed like an illusion, darkness itself in the form of mist, a mess of moving golden gears, one filled with a purple mist in the shape of a heart, and finally a gust of golden wind.
Percy could only stare at them in silence as he felt his gut clench a little, these precious things once belonging to his family. Now all that was left was a simple orb for each of them. Hemera, Nyx, Hypnos, Erebos, Chronos, Eros, and Aether. He couldn't help but remember all their smiling faces as he met them for the first time as tears welled up in his eyes. Quickly wiping away his tears he let out a shaky breath as he looked up at Ananke who had a single tear running down her cheek before it disappeared in a fine mist.
"Do you think they are happy?" Percy couldn't help but ask as Ananke glanced down at him.
"I think they are at peace. I am not sure what happens after death for a primordial. Whether their being goes to a place we cannot see or if they are simply dispersed into nothing like fading. I don't even know if the realm of the faded does or doesn't exist, even so, I am sure they are happy. You might not know it but you brought about a great change in all of us." Ananke said as Percy and her looked at one another as she gave him a soft smile.
"At least they left you behind a message in the trial you will face, hopefully then you will get the answers you seek. If not… grow strong enough and defeat Abyss, then seek them out yourself." She said with a hint of mystery in her tone but when Abyss' name left her mouth she sounded like she just tasted something awful. Percy also felt a flame of rage burn inside him at the name as he followed his eyes and looked over the trial pearls.
"So which one is it this time?" Percy asked as Ananke slowly grinned at him and he gave her a curious face.
"Any of them, it is your choice. Though just remember your body isn't strong enough to support multiple active domains at once." She said as Percy blinked in surprise, he expected to get them handed in a certain order but apparently, that wasn't the case.
"So… any of them?" He asked as she responded with a nod. He couldn't help but reorganize his thoughts, his previous plan of going with the flow simply was thrown out the window. He had to think about it carefully, he wasn't even sure when he was going to come here next time. His mind went into overdrive as his eyebrows furrowed a little.
"Hmm." Ananke watched Percy in mild amusement as he scanned over each and every orb as her hands continued with her task of making thread. Minutes turned into hours as Percy still didn't make a decision as he tried to figure out a game plan. All Ananke did was simply continue to watch him as her face appeared to be holding back laughter.
"Just how dumb are you! She said your body can only handle two active domains at once, but that doesn't mean you can't be taking multiple trials at once! Take them all, you idiot! Ananke stop messing with our brother!" A male's firm voice suddenly shook the cave as Percy snapped out of his thoughts.
"You are no fun Tartarus! I was going to see how long it took him! Think of it as a trial of my own!" Ananke huffed out in a slightly annoyed tone as her fun had been stopped. Percy's eyes went wide at the name, he had kinda forgotten that Tartarus was also his brother. He couldn't help but eye Ananke who was immediately turned away from his gaze as Percy's face turned into an awkward smile.
"T-Thank you, brother!" Percy called out as a simple chuckle filled the room.
"No worries, I will always have our brother's back when the girls get a bit mischievous." He said simply as Ananke's brows furrowed a bit.
"I'm mischievous? Then what does that make you?" She couldn't help but retort as an awkward coughing sound filled the room.
"Oh my some monsters are kicking up a lot of dust down here, I'm afraid it is far too dusty to continue this conversation. *Cough* Percy take care of yourself, I don't wish to see you down here anytime soon." Tartarus finished as Percy didn't quite know what to make of the conversation he just had. On one hand, Tartarus seemed like an okay guy but on the other…
"That schemer," Ananke said with a small pout as she turned back to Percy and put on a small apologetic face.
"I didn't mean to tease you… too much. You were simply so concentrated it was hard to say anything. Tartarus is right though, take them all. When the time comes the trial will activate and you will meet them. For now, they are all dormant." Ananke said as Percy just stared at her as he felt his eyebrow twitch, just how long had he been thinking about this? So much wasted time!
"Well… that makes things easier," Percy murmured as he reached forward and grabbed the first sphere, in a split second it absorbed into his skin as he felt a small shiver pass through his body. Blinking a few times to rid himself of the awkward feeling he continued to grab the spheres as they were absorbed into his soul, Each making a little spot for themselves inside it as he continued to absorb them, with the last one absorbed Percy shook his body a bit before letting out a breath.
"Feel like I just took a dip in a pool made of static," He said while shivering as Ananke laughed a little at his reaction.
"It could have been worse. If you were stronger you would have had to activate all the trials one after the other. Imagine what they would have felt like." She said as Percy just pursed her lips together and gave another shiver.
"So what now?" Percy couldn't help but ask as Ananke smiled a little before reaching into her dress and pulling out a piece of paper and holding it out for Percy. He just blinked at it before reaching over and grabbing it as he instantly found it was a brochure for what appeared to be a resort.
"C.C's Spa and Resort, a spa for all your needs be it beauty or relaxation. Location… in the sea of monsters, right past the cliff of the 'more' jagged rocks, not to be confused with the cliff of 'most' jagged rocks before the shoreline of lost souls." Percy read the brochure as he glanced up at Ananke as she gave him a confident smile.
"This is where you will need to go to acquire the next part of your domain of the seas from Pontus." She said simply as Percy slowly nodded and then looked back down at the brochure as it listed all sorts of beauty treatments and other things. Even going as far as listing the slides and number of pools, even the name of a few poster animals you could pet.
"Sounds like a nice place," Percy murmured as he flipped it and looked over everything.
"It is a wonderful spa if I do say so myself. Sometimes I like to visit to get a fish pedicure and a nice mud mask." She said with a soft sigh as Percy opened his mouth to say something but decided to simply shut it. He was not about to ask why she needed a spa trip, be it a normal woman or even a primordial, they enjoyed their spas.
"Oh that reminds me, take this and give it to the owner. It will prevent any issues from arising." She quickly added as she handed over an envelope with her symbol on it. Percy just pursed his lips a bit before nodding and putting away the two items.
"So… a possibility you can tell me what I'm looking for?" Percy asked as Ananke simply smiled at him.
"That is for you to find out, though it isn't a what but a who. That is all I can say, you will have to figure out the rest yourself for it to be a real trial." She said as Percy's curiosity grew.
"Thank you for the info regardless. It was nice seeing you again Ananke, I hope I can visit more often." Percy said as the primordial goddess just gave him a soft smile.
"As do I Percy, next time we meet I hope it will be for a nice visit and not any business." She said as Percy nodded, yet he paused as he was about to leave, he stepped forward and suddenly hugged her as her eyes widened drastically.
How long had it been since someone actually showed her any physical affection? She had been in this cave all alone for so long yet she never seemed to mind it. Her only visitors were her daughters or Tartarus. None of them ever hugged her when they left, as he hugged her she couldn't help but feel a small amount of tears form in her eyes. Her arms then hugged him back and the two shared a genuine hug for a minute until Percy released her.
"Take care of yourself, also feel free to come and visit Mom if you get the chance," Percy said with familial love in his voice as she returned it with her own and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I shall visit her when I can, also you do the same. Now go before the others worry." She said as Percy smiled, with that, his soul began to fade from the room as Ananke was once again left alone. The primordial simply wiped her eyes a few more times and took a breath before once working on her thread.
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"C.C's Spa and Resort… Why does that name sound so familiar." Artemis questioned herself as she looked over the brochure that Percy handed her. Her eyes scanned over the info as Zoe leaned over her shoulder and Hesita leaned across Percy as they all read the paperwork with her.
Currently, the three women and Percy sat side by side under a large blanket, with Zoe and Hestia taking up both ends and Percy and Artemis taking up the middle. Currently, they were about to watch the movie Cars (E/N: Okay great movie choice!!), they even had snacks and even drinks set out as they were ready to start it. Yet the introduction of Percy's quest via Ananke put a short pause on their night.
"A spa and resort? That sounds nice, it has been a minute since we took a vacation." Zoe said with a thoughtful expression as Percy glanced over at her.
"Didn't we just visit the hunter's camp for a vacation a few weeks ago?" He asked as Zoe glanced up at him and rolled her eyes a little.
"That is different. Sure they have a nice lake and a lot of cool things but it still isn't a vacation. Besides this place actually has a spa and a bunch of water slides and spots to relax at, the hunters don't actually have anything like that there." Zoe said while listing out several things as Artemis couldn't help but nod.
"The camp is not set up with those as of yet. We do have a few things planned out right now, this would be a good chance to go grab a few examples from them and expand our plan." She said with a slightly chipper tone as Zoe's eyes twinkled a little. Hestia even leaned a bit further over Percy to take a look as she seemingly crawled over him.
"They even have 15 exotic cooking classes? Look! They even have a penguin named Fluff you can pet!" She explained in excitement as her cinder eyes glowed with just as much.
"A pettable penguin?!" Several voices exclaimed in excitement from the other coach as Vesta, Zora, Ryder, and most surprising of all Mayleen.
Ever since that night Vesta and Hestia no longer needed to be in the same body much to their own surprise. Each goddess was now able to exist without the other yet they were able to easily combine back into one and then separate just as easily. Though they did find the longer they stayed separate their power declined, taking about 4 days for the decline to begin but the moment they recombined they regained their power after a few hours. Once their power reached 100% they could once again separate at their own whim.
This new power led to a very interesting conversation with Zoe, Artemis, and the children. Thankfully everyone took kindly to the new goddess and happily accepted Vesta into the family. Having Vesta seamlessly integrated into the family was a wave of relief for both Hestia and Percy. Though now they both had to deal with a slightly mischievous mind-reading goddess, to say the least, Hestia's cheeks rarely weren't gold.
Mayleen's situation was a bit different though, she was asleep when the portal back home reopened for her. Basically, she had missed the bus home and was forced to wait until the next one. The girl quickly explained that she would be fine since they would know where she was since they were with their past selves and since she would arrive just minutes after she left. That however didn't mean she got off easy, with desert privileges revoked for the month Mayleen was welcomed into the house as well.
"That sounds so fun!" Mayleen said happily as her eyes sparkled.
"Do they have any fishes that we can pet?" Zora asked while cuddling her plush shark.
"Hmm… it does say here they have an aquarium with a petting spot!" Artemis said happily before looking over as the girl's eyes lit up with the other children.
"Dinosaurs?" Ryder asked with curiosity in his eyes from Vesta's lap.
"They don't say anything about that… but they do have alligators and other cool reptiles, at least it says so in the brochure. There is even a chance to pet a few of them." Zoe added in as Ryder looked ecstatic.
"What about couples massages?" Vesta couldn't help but ask as her curious questions seemed to make all the women look over the piece of paper.
"It says there are massages but nothing about couples massages. I am guessing they just have it as an on-site option." Zoe said curiously as Percy just looked at everyone a little exasperated.
"Why are you all planning out a trip? I have to go here for a mission for my domain, not a vacation." He said slightly confused as everyone turned to him he suddenly felt pressure from all sets of eyes on him. Especially the children's eyes that showed excitement as he was forced to swallow a little bit.
"I mean… It is in the Bermuda Triangle and the trip is extremely dangerous. I wouldn't dare risk taking you all at once." Percy quickly added in as the other seemed to deflate a little since he had a point.
"Why don't we take one of our chariots?" Vesta suggested as Artemis and Hestia perked up a bit along with Zoe.
"Wait… that wouldn't work. The sky above the sea of monsters is just as dangerous as the sea. There is a good chance even our chariots would be knocked out of the sky." Artemis said as a group sigh happened as Percy felt a bit of guilt. Still, their safety was a priority, he would do whatever he could to make sure they were all safe.
"Can't Daddy open doors to the Nest wherever he wants to? Can we use it to avoid all the bad stuff?" Mayleen suddenly suggested as Percy felt the combined weight of all their stares on him yet again. He struggled to find an excuse this time as he ever so slowly nodded as a collected cheer ran through the room.
"J-Just let me make sure the place is safe first and finish my test before anything else." He said with a sigh as Zoe, Artemis, Vesta, and Hestia all nodded in sync. He couldn't help but feel defeated for the second time that day as he leaned back on the couch. Yet when he did he felt each of his hands wrapped up in another as Artemis and Hestia smiled at him.
"Thank you, it will be a wonderful family vacation. We can even invite Calista and Cammy," Hestia said before giving him a small peck on the lips as her eyes sparkled. Percy felt his past reluctance dissipate a little as he nodded.
"Plus it won't interfere with the children's school either, also thank you," Artemis said softly before every so quickly giving him a peck on the cheek. Artemis' face was instantly golden as Zoe gave her goddess a knowing smile but simply cuddled up closer to her and the others.
"So when do you leave?" Vesta couldn't help but ask with a look of worry and curiosity as Percy gave it some thought.
"Probably in a few months, I'm not sure. I still have a few weeks of training left with Annabeth and Nick before they get to where they need to be. They still have school as well so it might take even longer than anticipated. I also don't wanna try and travel there during winter and try to brave the cold and the weather at the same time. I will probably wait till spring to go." Percy laid out his plan as everyone, with it being late August it was a tough time to do any traveling.
"It also gives Zora and Ryder time to acquaint themselves with their new school better and make friends. Leaving suddenly would be bad for them since they arrived a bit late. If you could line up the time you want us there right with spring break it would be perfect." Zoe said with a sparkle in her eye as Percy chuckled and nodded.
"Also have the hunters sent word on anything to help with Thalia's tree?" Percy asked as Artemis and Zoe shook their heads, all he could do was frown a bit and sigh.
"We have 3 of the hunts searching for a few things to help with potent poisons. I expect to hear from them in a few weeks about it so don't worry too much. We will save Thalia's tree one way or another." Zoe said with a smile as Percy gave her one back, the safety of the camp had been weighing on him lately. It was one of the reasons he was staying so close even if he was training Nick and Annabeth while he was there.
"For now, let's relax and watch the movie. No more quest talk until after the movie. I wanna see what's so great about vehicles that talk." Vesta said as everyone nodded and then focused on the screen as Vesta pressed the play button.
A/N: Kachow! Chapter done! Hope you all enjoyed it, also people waiting for Percy to go on his big quest wont have to wait too long! His personal quest and journey will happen next chapter! Yay, time skips! Though it will be later in the chapter I'm going to work on Annabeth's powers a bit. Also miss Mayleen might be missing her buss on more occasions than one hehe. Regardless I hope you all enjoyed it and leave a review!
E/N: Good movie choice man! Loved it growing up! Anyway, you have to remember character names, Sally is Calista silly goose! Great chapter though! I hope everyone enjoyed and I will see you around in the next one! - Sol