12. The overdue catch-up session

Percy POV

I found myself in a dark place. Not just dark, like the you-can't-see dark. It was dark, so dark that it seemed like light was a foreign concept in this place. I couldn't see a single thing in front of me. I felt like I was floating in darkness, but I also felt like I was standing up, which was weird.

I looked down to find that I couldn't even see my own body. It was that dark.

It was then did I realise I was in a dream. A demigod dream to be exact.

See, my father blessed me with a dreamless sleep after the Giant War. I found out that the blessing only extended to my nightmares in Tartarus and the wars. It did nothing to help the usual demigod dreams, which sucked.

I looked around and tried my best to see what I could but it was no use. It was as if I was standing in the middle of a black hole but with no gravitational force.

I couldn't feel anything either. I expected it to be cold or something since it was so dark but I just felt...nothing. It was as if only my conscious was there. Usually, I could smell and hear stuff in my dreams but I couldn't now. This was an unusual dream.

I didn't know how long I floated/stood there in the dark but I was starting to get annoyed. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out of my mouth. I could feel my vocal cords moving but it was like the darkness was absorbing the sound.

The silence was deafening. I couldn't move. I couldn't make any sound. I couldn't see or hear anything.

I was starting to wonder if this was an actual demigod dream when something viciously grabbed my throat.

So much for only being my conscious.

I gasped for breath and clawed at the thing around my throat. It felt like a hand but I couldn't see it so I wasn't too sure. It felt like a hand but it also didn't at the same time, which was really messing with my brain. I felt myself being lifted up and then forward as I kicked my legs, desperate to free myself from the grasp.

Suddenly, I heard a soft cackle. It was soft but in the silence, the sound was amplified to a point where it was causing my bones to vibrate. I couldn't tell whether it was male or female, since it was a bit hard to think with your oxygen cut off.

Just as I was about to slip into unconsciousness, I felt a cold breath breathing into my face, making my body shiver. Thankfully, I couldn't smell anything either. Who knows what this thing ate?

The thing cackled again. Bright white eyes immediately opened in front of my face, momentarily blinding me.

'I'm coming for you.'

I shot up breathing hard, grasping at my throat to make sure I was free from its clutches. I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths before observing my surroundings, pushing the dream to the back of my head.

I was on an infirmary bed, like the ones at Camp Half-Blood. I looked around and saw that almost all of the things in the infirmary were silver in colour. I also realized I was in a tent. A silver tent.

For a brief second, I was confused as to why I was in a silver infirmary tent but then I remembered.

I had accepted being the first official male member of the Hunt and had teleported myself to the Hunters' camp. I stretched my back, making several popping noises. I had chosen to reveal myself to Thalia and got a massive lightning bolt in return. The blast had blown me into a tree but other than that, I was pretty sure I was fine since I had managed to block the bolt.

Funny. I thought she would have been happy to see me.

I groaned and rolled out of the bed. I reached into my pocket to pull out a small case before reaching into my eyes.

I gently pulled out the golden-eyed contact lenses and placed them in the container. There was no point in hiding my identity now that they knew who I was.

I walked out to find that the sun had already set. The night sky shone with stars and constellations. The Hunters were smart enough to set up their camp a bit further away from the city so the stars would actually be visible.

I walked around for a bit trying to look for the Hunters. I was strolling around the campsite, pass silver tents and stacks of arrows on the ground, for a while before I stumbled upon the campfire where the Hunters had decided to spend their night.

I stayed hidden in the trees, watching. It looked like Thalia was telling the Hunters something. By the look on their faces, it was something amazing.

Curious, I moved closer to try and hear what Thalia was saying. I made sure not to give away my position as I snuck closer quietly. I saw the Hunters sitting on logs and Thalia was sitting on the ground just a few feet away from the fire. Artemis was sitting on a low-hanging branch just behind the crowd Thalia was facing.

I successfully made it behind Thalia without anybody noticing. I strained my ears and smiled when I heard what Thalia was telling her fellow Hunters.

She was talking about me, of all people. It seemed like she was telling them the story of my life and the quests I have been on since I was twelve. I listened closer and realised that my cousin was telling her audience about the battle on the top of Mount Tam, where we had to free Artemis. and put Atlas back under the sky.

I would have been fine with it had Thalia not put a spin on the story. She was telling them how I fought Atlas, and how I was beating him until the Titan got a lucky shot on me, forcing me to hold the sky in Artemis' place.

I frowned and then smirked at what I was about to do.

'You know, it's not good to lie, Thalia.'

She froze in her place on the ground and slowly turned towards me. I could see the tears in her eyes when she finally faced me.

'Hey, Thals.' I said smiling.

Without a word, Thalia launched herself at me and embraced me in a tight hug. I hugged her back as I felt my own tears threatening to fall from my eyes.

'I missed you too, Thalia.' I said softly.

Instead of saying anything, Thalia pulled back from the hug and proceeded to punch me in the gut. Hard.

I doubled over and groaned in pain. Thalia had grown a lot stronger over the years.

'Where have you been?!' she asked angrily, although I could see the happiness lingering in the electric-blue eyes I had missed.

I straightened myself and smiled, 'We'll talk later.' I said glancing at the wide-eyed Hunters.

Before Thalia could demand answers right away, a young girl I had brought to the Hunters a while ago interrupted her.

'What do you mean Thalia was lying?' Genieve, her name was, asked curiously.

I chuckled, 'What I meant was she was overexaggerating the whole thing. I did fight Atlas, yes, but he was not the one that was getting beat up.'

Thalia looked at me sheepishly and I decided to continue, 'I almost died that day had Zoë Nightshade not been there.'

I felt the mood in the clearing change insatntly. I sighed, 'People say I rescued Artemis, but that is not the truth. She and I would have not been here today if not for Zoë. She was the hero, not me. She faced her father knowing that she would be the one to "perish by a parent's hand"'.

I looked into the fire, ignoring the sniffles of the older Hunters and the ones that knew Zoë. 'I wish I could have gotten to know her better. We weren't really friends but we weren't strangers either. I always thought she would have made a good friend.'

Thalia patted my shoulder, 'She would have been.' she said softly.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out a pen before palming it. I looked up into the sky and stared at the Huntress constellation solemnly. 'Before she died, she had said she was honoured that I wielded her sword, that she had found a true hero for it.'

I paused for a moment before continuing, 'I wonder if she changed her mind.'

I felt Thalia tense next to me but I ignored it. I closed my hand around Riptide, the sword that belonged to Zoë Nightshade. I felt a tear roll down my face as I remembered all the friends I had lost over the years. I had come to terms with their deaths but I still remembered, remembered their heroic deeds and their sacrifices. They were all heroes.

I stood there for a long time thinking about the past before I sighed and wiped my face with my hand. I returned Riptide into my pocket and turned to smile at the Hunters. 'It's a bit late now. Go get some sleep. I'll take the night watch.'

The Hunters didn't even argue. They silently got up and started heading towards their tents to turn in for the night. Only Thalia and Artemis stayed behind.

Artemis approached me first. I could see that she had been crying. I mentally cursed myself. Zoë Nightshade had been Artemis' friend for millennia. I had basically rubbed salt in the wound when I mentioned her in front of Artemis.

I prepared myself to apologise but Artemis surprised me by hugging me.

This was the third time I was hugged by a god or goddess that I never expected to hug me.

'Thank you, Percy,' Artemis said when she finally pulled away from the hug 'Thank you for honouring Zoë's death.'

I dipped my head a little, 'Of course, milady.'

Artemis smiled and nodded before she turned around and headed for her own tent.

I turned back towards Thalia only to get a huge slap in the face.

'Ow.' I said simply.

Thalia narrowed her eyes, 'What is wrong with you? Not only did you disappear from me for four years, but you also went ahead and said you weren't a hero? That you didn't deserve Zoë sword? If anything, you are the most worthy to wield her sword.' she said angrily.

I shook my head, 'I'm not a hero, Thalia.'

Thalai scoffed, '"Not a hero". Yeah right. Zoë's mind hadn't changed, Percy. You are a hero.'

'No, I'm not.'

'Yes, you-'

'I'm not, Thalia,' I cut her off, careful not to raise my voice 'I'm not a hero. You have no idea the things I did, the things I had to do. Maybe I used to be but I'm not anymore.'

Thalia stayed silent. She was careful not to ask about the things I did. I was thankful for that. I wasn't ready to relive them just yet.

'Where were you the past four years?' Thalia asked, dropping the previous topic.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, 'Alaska.'

Thalia's eyes widened, 'Alaska?! That's the land beyond the gods! Why would you go there?!'

I rolled my eyes at her panic, 'Calm down, Thals. That is exactly why I went to Alaska. I didn't want any contact with the gods for a while.'

'That's why we couldn't Iris Message you,' she said 'Then why didn't you contact us? Why didn't you contact me?'

I looked over to Thalia to see her looking at me less mad and more questioningly and sad.

'I did it to protect you, so no one else would get hurt because of me,' I sighed 'I made a mistake. I see that now.'

Thalia accepted my explanation. She sat down on a log and patted the spot next to her. I chuckled and sat down.

For the next few hours, we talked. Nothing more, nothing less. Just talked. We talked about nothing and everything.

Thalia told me about the things that have changed since I left. The camps were a lot bigger now, to house more campers. The city of New Rome had expanded to house more demigod citizens since the Greek demigods were welcome now. A lot of the senior campers from Camp Half-Blood had started college in New Rome. The gods had made an easy travel system to get from camp to camp, erecting a simple teleportation hub in the middle of both camps.

According to Thalia, the wish I made four years ago had affected the demigods and gods greatly. I already knew that but it was still nice to hear Thalia talking about the time she was finally able to spend with her father. Zeus was right. Thalia had never been so happy.

I told her about my time in Alaska. I had gotten a job at a local aquarium in Seward and that was what funded my stay in Alaska. I had a surprisingly good pay. I also told her about the times I was attacked by monsters, which wasn't many, surprisingly. The monsters in the area and I had a mutual agreement. I wouldn't kill them if they wouldn't attack me. Simple as that.

Thalia wanted to know about my powers and how powerful I became over the years. The only thing I told her was that I could gather water molecules from the air and that was what I used to block her lightning bolt. She was impressed.

Wait until she hears about the other things I could do.

I also found out that the Hunt went to the camps a lot more now. Thalia told me it was because the Hunt was more tolerant of males after meeting me. I didn't want to believe that but the constant 'It's true!' from Thalia finally made me accept it, albeit grudgingly.

I missed talking with Thalia. After I left, it was pretty lonely. The only people I talked to was Apollo and the occasional demigods I helped. I also talked to the employees at the aquarium and also to the tourists. Surprisingly, kids these days really like to hear about what a squid likes to do when the aquarium was closed.

Talking to Thalia reminded me of Nico. He was probably still out there looking for me now. It made me feel guilty and I reminded myself to visit him and the camps when I could. Thalia went to bed after about two hours saying she needed to get up early tomorrow.

I stayed outside, inhaling the cool forest scent and just thinking about things going on in my mind. I didn't need as much sleep as I used to so I could stay awake the whole night to make sure no more monsters came and attacked.

The talk with Thalia was so good, it almost made me forget the dream I had earlier.

Almost.

A/N: Ah yes, chapter 12.

You know what's insane?

Tha amount of views I have on this story now. 342?! I had 280 yesterday!

Thank you all for reading this story. Feel free to leave comments on here. I will read them.

I'll see you next time.

~Sacai2005