Percy Jackson and the Olympians

plunging to our death

No one's POV

DIONE layed in her bed. Shifting and turning in her sleep. She opened her eyes and sighed. Her mind was racing of million things at once. Making it hard for her to shut off her body.

Dione stared at the ceiling. While she heard Grover's snoring loudly like it was the end of the world. "Hey, you guys asleep?" Percy whispered.

"Yes." Annabeth said. Dione didn't answer because she too lazy to open her mouth. So she just kept quiet and listened to Annabeth and Percy's conversation.

"You and Thalia were really close right?" Percy asked. "Yeah." Annabeth arms crossed over her chested as her hair were over her shoulders. "What was she like?"

"Why?" Annabeth whispers. Dione wondered the same. Percy knew about Thalia. Second or third thing he said about her "She met a pine cones fate."

"She was the last forbidden kid before me, right? She must've dealt with the same kind of stuff." Percy's voice was raspy. Dione wasn't going to lie. She enjoyed it a little. She liked the way he talked when it followed with a rasp.

"She was tough. I mean, she knew she was a forbidden child. She just didn't care. When Luke and Thalia found me. Luke cared for me right way. But Thalia... she made me earn it."

When Annabeth talked about Thalia. Her mind went to all the moments she had with her. "Is that why you give me a hard time? I gotta earn it with you too?"

Annabeth sighed. "Yeah. Maybe."
"I gotta say that doesn't make a lot of sense to me." Percy whispered a little louder.

"What doesn't make sense to you?" Annabeth moved her eyes to him for a spilt second. Then back to ceiling above her.

"The way you guys all talk. The way the gods want us to think. Got burn an offering to get a parent's attention. Gotta beat up on Clarisse just to get my father to admit he's my father. It isn't supposed to work that way."

Dione had the same happen to her. And maybe the rest of the Ares cabin. Or other half-bloods. When she first arrived. At Camp Half-Blood. She waited 2 or 3 weeks to get claimed. That's what Chiron said.

After those 2 or 3 weeks. Nothing. She didn't get claimed at all. She was stuck in the Hermes cabin for another month. That's until one camper told her that she had to earn her parents respect. Show them that she was capable.

And she did. She trained everyday no matter how tired she was. Her weapon of choice was a spear. Sometimes a sword. She soon become one of the best swordsman at Camp.

She only proved herself when the campers played capture the flag. Leading her team to victory. 10 times in a row. Each time they played.

That's when she was claimed. By Ares. God of war. It didn't mean anything in the end. After, Dione stayed at camp. Her beaded necklace having 6 beads. Almost 7.

She ignored her thoughts and listened back into the conversation. "People who are close to you aren't supposed to treat you that way."

Annabeth took a breath and turned her head to Percy. "You wanna know how I ended up alone on the road in the first place? I started out as gift to my father, that's how it works with Athena. We're born from thought in her mind, and then given to a partner she feels connected to."

"And for while I was treated like a gift. My father cared for me. He loved me. I knew it." Annabeth touched her necklace. "Then he met a woman. They had their own kids. And to her, I wasn't a gift... I was a problem. So I left. I was seven."

Annabeth continued. "Isn't the gods who think that way. It's everybody. But at least with the gods you know the rules. Show them respect and they'll be in your corner."