Glory of Hera [On hold]

Chapter XVII

A/N: Happy Thanksgiving all (to those not in Canada [or anywhere else that celebrated earlier or celebrates later]) Have a great day regardless! Hope you like this new chapter.
Peeves and Marri : )

Chapter XVII: 3rd PoV
"She did what!" Karie shrieked to her bedridden friend. She, Nico, and Percy were alone in the infirmary, aside from a few other injured campers. Katie looked livid, Nico also looked angry, although he hid it much better.

Percy nodded tightly, "She betrayed us. She's left us for Kronus."

"I don't believe it!"

"I know, I know," Percy replied empathetically. "None of us did." A steely edge entered his tone, "But she's chosen her path, and there's no going back."

Nico agreed, he hadn't known Lou for as long, but she had betrayed them. She wouldn't be forgiven.

"I refuse to believe it!" Katie shouted, "She's still the same old Lou Ellen. Our Lou Ellen. She doesn't know what she's doing."

"Our Lou is dead!" Percy responded loudly, "She died, just like her brother. And you need to get it in your head that they're not coming back. They're dead to us!"

"Dead to you, you mean!" Katie hurled back, "Why are you soon keen to just give up on her, she was like our sister. Or do you just forget family that easily."

"I don't know, why don't you ask yourself that, you're the one who left us. You're probably the reason Lou went dark side anyway!" Percy regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.

Katie's face blanched, "You're right. This is my fault, oh gods!" She ran out of the room, ignoring Percy, who called out her name.

Percy attempted to go after her, but was stopped by Nico, who insisted that he had to stay in bed until the poison completely left his system.

Percy'd been forced to reside in the doctor infested hellhole for six whole days. When he'd been released, the first thing he did was go to the edge of camp, to Thalia's tree.

Opening the vial delicately, he cautiously poured it onto the base of the tree. Hurriedly stepping back, Percy watched as the bark bubbled angrily. It was like thick mud. A huge bubble formed in the center, and when it popped, there was Thalia Grace.

The fourteen year old girl looked shocked. Her wide blue eyes surveyed her surroundings, eventually landing on Percy.

"Keep this between us. If anyone asks, I had no part in freeing you," He gruffly informed her before briskly stalking off. He tilted his head back, pleading with his watery eyes silently.

Don't you dare fall out.

Alas, they rebelled and leaked out the sides, wetting his hair.

Godsdamnit.

He wasn't crying. He repeated it to himself over and over again. But it was no use, Thalia Grace wasn't the person he'd poured his heart out to. He'd simply thought it was her. And that was what was killing him.

Stupid mother, giving me stupid caring traits!

If it weren't for Hera he wouldn't be like this. He wouldn't care as much. And when you're hurting as much as he was-about Zoë, Lou, Lou Ellen, 'Thalia' and so many more-the last thing he wanted to do was to feel.

Percy just wished people would stop leaving him.

Without even paying attention to where his feet took him, The son of Hera ended up at the lake. Kicking off his shoes, and dipping his feet in, he didn't bother to wipe the tears off his face as he stared up at the blue sky. Knowing that, on the other side of the world, stars lit up the sky, showing Zoë.

He knew that somewhere in the ground beneath him, Lou rested peacefully, unaware of his sisters betrayal. And that somewhere deep inside of her, Lou Ellen was still good.

What he didn't know was that Thalia had followed him. At least, not until she plopped down next to him.

"I guess I'll just be going then," Percy slipped his sandals back on and began to walk away.

"Wait!"

He ignored her.

"Percy, wait!" He paused, he'd never told her his name.

"How do you know my name?" He settled back down on the ground, crossing his arms.

Ducking her head, Thalia spoke once more, "I could hear you. While you were talking to...Kronus. I could everything both of you were saying."

It was even worse then Percy had ever thought, she had heard deepest secrets.

"And Percy, I really hope we can be friends despite..everything. You're turning sixteen in a little over a year, a couple month before I do. So no matter what, the prophecy is going to one of us. So we watch each other's backs."

Percy nodded and leaned back, resting on his palms. "Favorite color?"

"What?" Thalia was majorly confused. What did that have to do with what he's just said. Percy had meanwhile decided that it was better to become friends with Thalia then to have her hate him and spill his darkest secrets.

"I'm at a disadvantage here, you already know almost everything about me. So, what's your favorite color?"

Catching on, Thalia quickly replied, "Navy, like the night sky. Next question."

Linebreak
"Any siblings?"

Thalia immediately sobered. "I had one, he's gone. My mother...sh-she..."
She choked up.

Percy swooped closer and put his arm around her, "Sorry, you don't have to talk about him. We should probably get to dinner."

"Let's make an entrance!" Thalia suggested, "You don't come back from being a tree everyday. And I need to say hi to Luke and Annabeth."

Percy chuckled, "An entrance? There's no doubt who your father is. You can make an scene if you want, I will be entering quietly to my spot at the Hermes table. And be warned, Luke and Annabeth are dating, they have been for about a month."

The daughter of Zeus look slightly crestfallen, "Oh..."

She brightened up a moment later, "No matter. I'll just hang out with you if I feel like the third wheel."

And Percy let out a truly breathtaking smile, "I am completely fine with that."

A/N: Hey friends! Just a quick announcement, we've fiddled with people's ages a bit. Thalia is a bit younger, and Luke's a lot younger.

A couple other characters have also had their ages changed, you'll see later.

Also, we have a question. How do you all pronounce Thalia's name?
      Th-ail-ia
Or
      Th-al-ia
Or
    T-al-ia
This is just a preference question, we've met people with all different ways of saying her name.

So do you all pronounce the Th? If not, then why do you think Rick put it there rather then just making her name Talia?

That's it for now. Once again, happy Thanksgiving (or regular Thursday) Signing off again,
Marri and Peeves