Life of A Young Demigod: Book 1 (Percy Jackson reader insert)

My Mom Invades My Dreams

Somehow, we made it back to the train in time and unbothered by law enforcement. As we watched St Louis disappear into the distance, I explained what had happened to me to Annabeth, Percy, and Grover.

Annabeth looked even more concerned than Andromeda had been. "(Y/N)... this isn't good. If Hades is talking to you, he has a reason. He has a plan. He's not going to let this go that easily."

I looked into her eyes. I knew she was right, but before I could speak, Percy jumped in.

"So you said no, right?"

I sighed. "Of course I did. Like I told Andromeda earlier. I'm not leaving you guys because a mysterious voice in a tunnel told me to."

Annabeth smiled a bit at that, as did Percy and Grover.

Grover spoke next. "Listen, (Y/N). You seem to have a good handle on this, but just... be careful, ok?"

"I will Grover. I promise. Now let me rest."

I slept through the whole night. As soon as I went to sleep, however, it was as if another part of me had woken up. I felt like I was dreaming, but it was more than a dream. It was as if my mind was fully awake, even though my body was sound asleep. I looked around, seeing a deep purple door at the end of a dark hallway, illuminated by a single hanging light. I approached the door, and entered. I saw a familiar figure sitting at a desk. My mother.

She turned around as I entered, and smiled brightly. "(Y/N). It is good to see you again."

I suddenly felt a deep urge to simply sit down and cry. The last couple days had been the toughest of my life, and the only thing that kept me from breaking down was my knowledge that if I did, I may not live to see a better day. Here, I finally felt safe. I sat on a dark blue couch next to my mother's desk and let it all out, just crying nonstop for what felt like hours but was probably only a minute or two.

My mother gave me a nod that said "I get it. It's ok to cry."

"The last few days have been difficult, but you pushed through with a bravery worthy of a true hero. I am proud of you, (Y/N)."

I smiled a bit, and my tears began to dry up. That meant a lot coming from her.

"What happened in St Louis. In the tunnel. I saw that."

I looked at her. She had seen that? Had she heard my thoughts during it? Could she even do that?

"Mom. I... I don't know what happened for certain, but I think it was Hades. He wanted to turn me against my friends, told me the gods did not treat you or me with the respect we deserve."

My mother gave me a grim look and sighed. "I will not lie, I am somewhat inclined to agree with him on that. However, that does not make him right entirely. The other gods have not treated me as I feel I deserve, that is true. But what does that mean for you? Does that mean you should abandon friends who had nothing to do with that treatment? I do not think it does." She sat up a bit straighter. "Us gods are flawed, just as any being is. We are powerful, but that only makes our flaws more dangerous. I, for example, am deeply ambitious. It is in my nature, and through me, it is in yours. Magic itself is ambitious. It seeks nothing less than to mold the world to its preferred image, even if that means causing destruction in the process. I was at one point a Titan, but when I saw how the tide of the war was shifting, I changed sides, and joined with the gods. Not only is that the prime example of my ambition, but it is the main reason why the gods treat me as I do. It is not without reason that they fear that I could one day turn on them. I will freely admit that an offer like that of Hades, to claim the prestige that is rightfully mine, is appealing. However, while us gods are stubborn, we can still learn and change. One thing that I have learned over the millennia, is that just because something is appealing to you, that does not make it right, or even good for you. I'm sure your father told you something along those lines at some point, most parents do. You must temper your ambition at times. You can chase both good deeds and greatness at the same time. It is harder than choosing only one, but does that not also make it greater?"

I gave her a smile. "I... I kinda already thought of most of that, mom."

She laughed lightly. "That is one of the good things about being a demigod. You tend to learn faster than we immortals do. Regardless, I must remind you to always keep this lesson in mind. You will find yourself in situations where the decision is not so clear cut, but I urge you, if nothing else, always ask yourself this question: am I doing the right thing? Ask this for yourself and for all those you care about. It will not be easy to always follow, but you must always try to. Every being has a deep seated fatal flaw. Mine is ambition. Yours may be the same, or it may be something else, but whatever it is, you must always endeavor to prevent it from clouding your judgement."

I nodded. "I will try, mother. Thank you."

She smiled at me once more. "And one more thing."

As she said this, she turned around to take something off the desk. As she spun back around to face me, I saw her holding a small ring. "This ring is imbued with a small amount of my power. You can draw upon it once, and only once, to take the place of your own energy for use in a spell. Use it wisely."

I took it. The ring was small, barely large enough to slide comfortably onto my left pinkie. It had a small stone set in it, which faintly glowed with the same bluish-purple color I had become accustomed to.

"I must leave you now, (Y/N). We will not speak for some time, so I will leave you with one last word of advice. Take care in the land of lights."

I had so much I wanted to ask. What was the land of lights? Why did she have to go? When would I see her next? Why was she giving me the ring, was I going to need it soon? Before I could even think to open my mouth, though, my vision began to fade to black, and my mind returned to my body, finally falling to sleep along with it.