𝕎𝕚𝕤𝕙; ℙ𝕖𝕣𝕔𝕪 𝕁𝕒𝕔𝕜𝕤𝕠𝕟

Chapter 4. Who are you?

Nailea and Percy walked down to the lake, passing by the cabins. The lake had always been a safe space for her, in a way, it was like it was reaching out to her at times. It got especially beautiful at night when all the stars reflex off of the water.

Nailea and Percy walked side by side, staying painfully silent. Nailea had hours to think of what she was going to say, but all she thought of was hey.

In Percy's mind, he was freaking out. A girl he has seen for the past few years was standing in front of him, looking pretty without even trying. He was surprised she wasn't the daughter of Aphrodite, but he didn't even fully know about her birth situation, so. There's that.

The two stood in an awkward silence, not knowing what to say to one another. Nailea sighed, looking over, "So, how's camp so far?"

Percy shrugged nervously, "All right, pretty weird here, but..." he trailed off. "Who exactly are you?"

A smile made its way to Nailea's face, "That's the million dollar question, isn't it? As you know, my names Nailea, daughter of Artemis."

"I didn't realize. But honestly, you have the dreams too?" Percy looked over at her with his hand finding the back of his neck.

Nailea looked around the sand, not meeting his gaze, "Yeah, like I said, had them for three years. All the same. You were there." She looked up at him. "Tell me about yourself."

He looked at her with a questioning look and she chuckled lightly at his expression.

"I have seen your face for the past few years and I would like to know who you really are."

Percy watched her smile, how contagious it was. He smirked slightly, "If I tell you about myself, do I get to know you?"

Nailea smirked right back at the boy, "Maybe."

Percy began to explain about who he was, how he would move schools often, he lived with his mom and a jerk named Gabe who was his stepfather. He also spoke about his favorite color being blue and Nailea could see why. Percy talked about how he figured out he was a demigod and pushed a bully into a fountain which caused Nailea to laugh.

It was a strange feeling, to feel so comfortable with one another, and this was there first real conversation with each other.

"Ok, now you tell me about who you are." Percy spoke.

Nailea hesitated, "Well, my mother is Artemis." Percy cut her off.

"How is that possible though? Luke said you were her kid, but isn't she the goddess who doesn't have kids with anyone?" Nailea chuckled.

"So we're starting with my birth story, awesome. Yes, you're right, Artemis doesn't have a children she has given birth to. I'm not technically a demigod, I was made of a wish." Nailea looked at Percy.

"A wish? Like a shooting star, blue fairy wish?" Percy asked as Nailea rolled her eyes at him, laughing at him.

"Yes, a wish. Long story short, mom made a wish with a human, and here I am, very much alive. It's kind of complicated." Nailea explained, not fully understanding how that works.

"Wow." Percy whispered. "Cool."

Nailea laughed at his reaction to her story. "Cool."

Percy began asking her questions about her favorite color, what she liked to do, and he asked about her dad. That was the one that stumped her. And Percy seemed to realize.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Nailea cut him off.

"It's okay, I just don't talk about him much." They sat in silence for a while before Percy began to speak again.

Nailea stopped walking, finding a sea star and picking it up in her hands, playing with it. Percy chuckled, watching her play with the sea star in her hands. "I do have one question, how are you able to tell me that you can turn into a deer?"

"You know how you healed, that's what I got from my mom. You got that from your dad." Nailea hesitated and her lips turned into a frown. "I'm really sorry about what happened on the hill the other night."

Percy turned his attention to the sand as he sniffled, "I just miss her, she risked so much for me, and I didn't realize."

Nailea didn't know what to say or do, so she began to talk to him softly, "Your mom is still here, I can feel it. The ones we love aren't fully gone. They are still with us, in our hearts and memory."

Percy nodded as the two now sat in complete silence. Just watching the waves move in the water. It was very peaceful. Up on Mount Olympus, Poseidon and Artemis watched over there two children with smiles on their faces, if only they knew how much they would mean to one another in the future.

§§§

A while after Percy and Nailea were on the beach, the two left to get ready for bed, but Nailea wanted to find Grover before she goes to bed.

She sees him walking out from the forest and she runs up to him, grabbing him by the arm. Grover jumped out of his skin and let out a girlish scream right before he realized it was Nailea.

Nailea laughed at his reaction, holding her stomach, "You wanna try that again and sound more like a man?"

Grover straightened his shirt, holding onto where his heart was, "Well, now that my heart is beating again, you will never believe what I just found out."

Sally Jackson, Percy's mother was alive. And Mr. D and Chiron aren't going to tell him. That didn't seem very fair to Percy to not know his mother, the one person who has ever truly cared about him was alive.

And Nailea and Grover, would not stand for it. So the demigod and satyr made their way to the cabin. When they neared the cabin, they heard Mr. D and Percy screaming.

Grover and Nailea casually walk in as though they hadn't heard anyone screaming, "Hey everybody." Nailea gave a small wave.

"Grover, Nailea, now is not the time." Chiron told them, warningly.

Grover pushed forward, "I'm sorry, sir. But I have news. Sally Jackson is alive." Grover announced. Percy looked at Grover in shock.

"It looked like she died, but it only looked that way." Grover continued as the two Gods gave Grover warning look. "Your mother was stolen... by Hades. Which means she's with him now, in the underworld. That's where they want you to go too, isn't it?"

Percy looked over at the Gods, mad how he wasn't told his mother was alive. He remained quiet looking at everyone in the room as Grover spoke up again.

"If you can find her there... I think you can bring her back." Grover concludes. Nailea felt terrible for how she didn't say anything and terrible that she knew Grover would take the fall.

A thoughtful look found its way onto Percy's face. He looked over to Nailea, who nodded at him with a small smile on her face. Percy then looked over at the two Gods, looking determined.

"When do we leave?"

Nailea smiled, this was going to be interesting.