MOONLIT [Discontinued]

End of an Era: Legendary

As both of them started walking back to the camp, Artemis, being tired, leaned on Percy for support, who wrapped an around her. The constant and nagging pain, though, many a time, forced her into flashbacks that were the reason for this pain, something she would like to forget very soon.

She shivered as she felt her mind return to reality, a ghost pain lingering in her rear. But it was the past, she reminded herself that both Percy and she were free now. Of course, they would make the Giants pay for this but that didn't mean the trauma was gone. Percy sensing her discomfort, scooped her up in his arms in a bridal hold, making her yelp, but instantly she felt relaxed. As an independent woman, it would have been infuriating for her to be treated like this, dependent on a man for as menial a thing as wandering about, but then, this was Percy, who would never think of it in that way, so she snuggled further into his arms and made herself comfortable.

The campers had been in complete shock for one whole day when they found out that Percy was indeed dating Artemis and more so because it was mutual and not like she was asked first by Percy. But by now they had somewhat accepted it and acted indifferently. So they weren't surprised when Percy carried Artemis into her cabin for her to rest and carried on with their activities.

Once he came out, Percy saw the Aphrodite demigods sulking near the sword fighting range, looking demoralized. Percy being the kind person he was approached them. "Why so glum, chums?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood. He did get a few half-hearted chuckles. Percy studied the situation before realizing it. "Let me guess. Someone told you that you guys aren't made for fighting and just go be pretty, right?" he said. They just nodded in unison. "And for a fact, that someone is Marleus, hmm?" Again, he got a round of nodding. That prick of a boy had been a thorn in his side for the 2 weeks he had been training them. He even tried to rebel against the Romans; well that did earn him armory duty for the rest of the war. Though his misdeeds stopped a little after Artemis threatened to change him into some critter, he still didn't stop altogether.

"And you guys believed him!? Pathetic. No one defines you. Have you seen the Venus kids? Do they go and be pretty all day or do they fight during the training?" he continued. Glimmers of hope appeared on their faces. "And did you know? It was Aphrodite who trained me with the sword and she can beat Ares in a sword fight faster than you can say start. If she can, then you can too. Now go and kick some ass with the sword" Percy watched, content, as the Aphrodite cabin happily went back to the arena.

The next 2 months were a blur of training, preparations, and of course Artemis's rehabilitation. She started with small walks and light workouts for her arms and legs. Then she proceeded to take it a step forward. Her will was unshatterable and being a goddess helped out a lot. In about 2 more weeks, she was already sprinting at her original speeds, and her agility was back up to her pre-injury levels. Percy was there for her at every step, himself training to become even better. The anger against the Giants was what drove them on, unrelenting and unwavering. Now, 2 months later, both Percy and Artemis were back at their best and possibly even better. Artemis in particular was the improvement. Instead of breaking down, Artemis came back stronger. Over this period of time, Percy and Artemis came closer than ever, their relationship proceeded to a more intimate level. They didn't have sex yet but they weren't much far either.

The demigods from both camps had been getting along pretty well in the meantime. The Praetors were, Percy admitted, the most level-headed demigods he had ever seen, understanding and compassionate, and played a key role in keeping both sides from fighting each other. Percy was a slave driver when it came to the campers' training. The day often ended with them being asleep even before their heads reached their pillows. But no one, except that prick, could argue that all this training made them elite combatants. The Greeks learned to fight as a single, super-coordinated unit, defending and at the same time making offense. The Romans on the other hand learned to fight in solo scenarios, learning to fight in times when they needed to fight multiple beings at once. And finally and somewhat reluctantly, both camps learned to fight together.