The Unknown Guardian

| Chapter 7 || Identity Revealed |

Chapter Seven

Identity Revealed

*First Person Point of View ~ Artemis' Guardian*

I stood silently, staring up at the Olympians. I faced my peers, none of whom knew my identity either. They only knew me as the Guardian of Artemis, their trusted leader. Usually, it was a tradition for a guardian to reveal their identity when they joined the guild, but the Great One himself gave me a pass of secrecy, and they'd accepted that. They'd been so kind to me during the past fifteen years, and I never even graced them with my real name,

The evil man who forced me to show my face - Télionix - was still smiling. He knew that this would cause us to crumble. The Olympians obviously regretted their decision - as I'd sworn to them before my death. I could tell be all of the small gestures and actions they took since I returned from the other realm.

I wasn't ready to forgive some of them just yet, but I would try. It was the only way to defeat the enemy. If we left issues unresolved, it would tear us apart before we even marched to the battlefield.

I was brought out of my thoughts as Télionix disappeared in a flash. A loud snapping sound broke through the air, leaving the scent of death and blood. The last sound was his laugh, before the throne room fell silent once more.

Artemis seemed the most shocked - probably because I'd been her guardian for the past few days and she hadn't even known. My father seemed to be a close second though, and I could see tears welling up in his eyes.

"P-Percy..." he whimpered.

"Father," I replied briskly. I kept my face stoic, not allowing any emotions to slip through－as my training taught me to do. I couldn't allow them to see the many emotions that I was feeling, for there were too many for even me to register. I couldn't process any of it.

I smiled at Artemis, Hades, Hestia, Apollo, and my father gratefully - the same smile I'd given them right before my death. They all immediately broke down to tears; I assumed that they were not quite ready to believe that I was alive.

I turned my attention away from them, focusing on the rest of the gods. They were all looking down in shame and guilt, and as sickening as it was, I felt comfort in that. It was appealing to know that they regretted their actions. Hopefully, they'd learned from their mistakes.

Zeus was the first to break the silence. "Perseus Jackson." He paused and seemed to be mentally preparing himself for what he was about to say. I could see it on his face. "Perseus Jackson, as the representative of the Olympian Council, I humbly apologize, and ask your forgiveness."

I smirked internally at his pained expression. 'This is a once in a lifetime situation! Zeus apologizing... to me? I love it!' On the outside, I kept my stoic expression, my face making me appear to be almost bored.

"You executed me for something that I did not even do. You called me a traitor and used that very Master Bolt to turn me to ash. If it wasn't for the Great One, I wouldn't have even made it to the Underworld. My soul would have fallen into the River Styx and been lost forever. All because of your jealousy. How does that make you feel, uncle?"

He flinched when I called him uncle. He probably hadn't heard that word in a long time.

"I have returned from the dead to once again protect you Olympians, but I did not do this for you, uncle," I said. "I chose to do nothing but train for the past fifteen years so that I could repay the debt I owed to those of you who believed that I was innocent."

The gods all looked down, but the five I mentioned looked at me happily.

"I'm not ready to forgive you just yet, uncle, but I will fight for you. I will protect Olympus with my last breath, and I will happily die a second time. Then, I may retire to the other realm, eternally at peace."

I then left the throne room, walking out through the large doors and making my way purposefully to the elevator. Everyone stopped and stared as I passed, the expressions on their faces clear. They thought I was a ghost, walking among them as solid flesh and bone. I couldn't degrade them for it though. I'd returned from the dead: a Living Legend.

*Third Person Point of View*

The Olympians were left in shock. Their hero had returned, but he had changed. He kept himself closed off and stoic, no longer the carefree son of Poseidon they knew. What tore them up most though, was knowing that it was their fault. They had done horrible things to their hero. Horrible things that he did not deserve.

The hunters had gone back to traveling, accompanied by Artemis as they'd left Alaska, but their family was less seamless. Everything was stiff and tense most of the time, as both Thalia and Artemis wished to speak to Percy, but they didn't know when to get him alone to talk.

Finally, Thalia worked up the nerve. During one lunch break, she stomped over to where Percy was sitting and said: "Percy, we need to talk."

He didn't look up at first, merely finished chewing. Once he swallowed the bit of deer meat he'd been eating, he turned to face her. "What about?" he asked casually.

Thalia's face turned red. "'What about?'! You know what about! You came back to life and you didn't even tell us! You didn't even tell Artemis and she was one of the gods who didn't want you to die!" She was screaming. All of her pent up anger at the world, at Percy, and at the gods was being released.

She continued ranting at Percy, and he sat there, listening. He had a calm expression on his face as she screamed at him, taking in everything she was saying. Once she was done, he said, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but I wasn't ready to reveal myself. It would've made it real, and I don't think I could've handled it right away. I'm sorry."

Thalia was shocked. It was clear as day on her face. Her jaw dropped, her eyes widened, and she sputtered a few sounds, unable to reply. Suddenly, she broke down, pulling Percy into a tight hug. She sobbed into his guardian uniform, her cries muffled by the darkening black fabric.

Percy wrapped his arms around her shoulders comfortingly, rubbing gentle circles on her back. He spoke soft nothings into her ear, apologizing over and over again. He wished that he had told her, but if he'd told her, then he'd have to tell Artemis, and if he told Artemis, he would have to tell the others that defended him. He wasn't ready for so many people to know he was back from the dead.

Thalia's sobs soon ceased, and she knelt, hiccuping into Percy's chest. "Sorry for messing up your uniform. You might want to change before you go anywhere," she said.

Percy nodded, but at the moment, he didn't care.

Thalia then stood, her body growing rigid once again. "If you tell anyone about this, I will make you wish you stayed dead," she threatened.

Percy merely laughed, causing every single one of the hunters to look at him from where they sat twenty feet away. They'd given the two friends their privacy, but Percy's laugh had piqued their interest. He hadn't laughed since he'd been summoned, and it was relieving to know that the old Percy was still somewhere beneath the surface.

Artemis peaked out of her tent at the sound as well, smiling lightly. In some way, he still reminded her of the young boy she'd met on the cliff. The boy she'd stopped Zoë from slapping at those years ago.

Percy was laughing, and everything was going to be fine.

***

Word Count: 1336

Average Words Per Chapter: 2061

Word Total: 14,428

Posted: October 8th, 2016

Edited and Re-Posted: October 11th, 2016

~CSP2708~

*Dylan_Walts*