Everything You Do is Right

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I couldn’t resist. Besides, the days correspond. Why not?

Everyone watched with hitched breaths as Percy was suddenly encased in a silver glow and his form began to shift. His body mass lessened and he became skinnier, losing some of the muscle but allowing for more speed and agility. One eye swirled into a silver pool and his hair lightened, auburn streaks appearing here and there. His body became slightly more feminine and his skin paled significantly.

He shuddered, adjusting to the new form. He didn’t say anything, only blinked at the demigods and centaur watching in amazement. Almost everyone had their jaws on the ground, eyes bulging out of their head almost comically. A smirk appeared on his lips as he watched their astonished faces.

“You know, it would be worth it to do this more often if I get to see this every time,” Artemis commented.

“I do agree,” Percy replied, his eyes glazing slightly as he spoke with her. “This is great. I can’t wait to see what they think when they figure out the whole story.”

He heard, well, more felt, Artemis laughing. “That’ll be a show, now, won’t it?” She agreed. “Now pay attention, they’re coming back to reality.”

Percy refocused on his surroundings just as Annabeth opened her mouth to speak. “What the hell?” Was the first thing she said. “Did you just . . .”

“Combine ourselves?” Percy (and Artemis) finished, his (their) smirk widening. “Indeed we did.”

“What do you mean ‘we?’” Leo asked. “Did Artemis do something to you?”

“You’re speaking to Artemis, you idiotic male,” the duo snapped. “We’re no longer just Percy. It’s both of us.”

“Oh, stop being so cryptic,” Dionysus dwindled. “Just tell them what’s happening.”

They just grinned. “Oh, but what’s the fun in that? Let them figure this out for themselves. The daughter of Athena, at least, should know something.”

“Artemis has merged herself with Percy, mentally and physically,” Annabeth said, still staring at the demigod and goddess. “The only way they’re able to even move is them thinking and acting in perfect synchronization. Something this fluent should take decades to achieve.”

“Obviously it has not,” they answered. “It’s been, what? Only two years since we first reached the point of merging? Two in a half? Somewhere around that.”

“How did you do this?” Annabeth asked. “I mean, there’s empathy links and telepathy links, but being able to completely merge two beings into one? That’s never happened before.”

“You’re right, it hasn’t,” Percy and Artemis answered. “This bond is the first of its kind.”

“What is it? How’d you do it?” Annabeth pushed, always hungry for more knowledge.

“Your mother has declared this to be the ‘ultimate mind link,’ or, as she renamed it, a telepathetical mergence,” they spoke. “It can be achieved only when one member of the bonded has the ability to speak through the mind of the other. Artemis managed to push far enough into Percy’s mind to combine their consciousnesses into one.”

“So any god or goddess could combine themselves with someone?” Jason asked.

“There must be an already established love bond there, whether it is friendship love, romantic love, family love, and so on,” the pair responded. “A god cannot force this link upon a mortal. There must also be consent between both parties.”

“Wait, so how did Percy get so close to Artemis?” Katie, one of Percy’s oldest friends, asked.

The duo decided, to avoid confusion, to separate and have Artemis only hanging around his mind instead of physically combined with him. She retreated out of his form, his body contorting back into his own. Many occupants winced at the sight. “I’ve been staying with the hunters for about three years,” Percy answered. “Artemis was, for the first few months, one of the only ones who actually accepted me within their ranks. When the huntresses did accept me, she stayed as one of my closest friends.”

“Oh, don’t lie, Peter,” Dionysus scoffed. “There’s more to it than that.”

Percy sighed. “Yeah, and I hadn’t been planning on revealing that just yet. I guess I’ll just kick that idea out the window.”

“What is he talking about?” Annabeth asked slowly, a bit afraid of the answer.

“Annabeth . . .” Percy trailed off. “I’m sorry.”

Most of the room seemed confused still, but Chiron, Piper and Annabeth all seemed to understand. Annabeth’s breath hitched and tears pricked at her eyes. “You love her,” she said quietly.

The rest of the room gasped. Percy sighed again. “Yes. I do.”

“Isn’t Artemis a maiden goddess?” Leo asked.

Percy nodded. “Yes. She still is. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t feel love, even if most think that means she can’t ever have a lover. All it really means is that she can never have intercourse.”

“You don’t have a problem with that?” Jason questioned.

Percy shook his head. “I don’t. I love her, and if that means never having sex, I’m okay with it.” He could feel Artemis’s gratefulness and send reassuring feelings in her direction.

“What about the hunters? They’re okay with it?” Piper asked.

Percy smiled, thinking back to the events that had unfolded. “At first it was a bit bumpy, but they’re fine with it now. Thalia enjoys teasing me about it.” That got a few laughs out.

“Are you going to be staying?” Chiron inquired.

Percy shook his head. “I’ll stay for at least tonight, but I’m returning to the hunters. As much as I love you all, they’ve become my family. I won’t just abandon them.” He winced, remembering that he had pretty much done just that to these people four years back.

“I guess that's sensible,” Annabeth exhaled. “Couldn't you at least stay a week though?”

“Depends,” Percy replied. “We’ll figure it out later. Right now I want to spend some time with my friends, yes?”

“Let's fucking do it!” Leo laughed, clapping his hands together dramatically. “What're we doing?”

“Why don't we go to the beach?” Piper suggested.

Leo frowned. “What would we do? I say we show him that obstacle course we added.”

“Percy's a son of Poseidon, he'd probably like the beach better.”

“How would you know?”

Percy only watched the two bicker, smiling to himself. “Are you sure you don't want to stay longer?” Artemis asked. “You seem to have missed them more than you let on.”

“I'm sure,” Percy answered. “I love them all, but you know I love the hunt more.”

“Just the hunt?” Artemis questioned, and Percy felt her mischievousness.

“Just the hunt,” Percy confirmed, a smirk appearing on his face.

“Bastard.”

“Love you too.”

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