What the gods had forgotten was to tell Thalia to swear not to tell the story they told her. So she told the Percy, Nico and Annabeth. They all sat in the bedroom; Annabeth and Percy sitting on her bed, Thalia on hers and Nico on the floor in the middle of the two beds.
Annabeth chocked on her drink. “What?”
“The three goddesses adopted the Olympia brothers.” Thalia repeated. “I am not sure if what my father was saying is true. But according to him, Hera and Hestia do this once every few millennia. They adopt some random kids, take care of them and all that.”
“So the three honestly think that the goddesses are their sisters” Percy asked “What about our fathers?”
“What about them?”
“Who do the three think they are?”
“I don’t know” Thalia said “Probably their friend. But I hightly doubt that they told them of their true identity”
“Maybe that’s why they seemed like demigods” Nico said “But it’s still weird. I didn’t think that the gods know how to raise kids. I mean look at Ares and Hephaestus. They both dislike their mother’s way of raising kids.”
“Well Hestia is there.” Percy said “Maybe it might be different.”
“Annabeth, you seem quiet” Thalia noted “Usually you’re the one debating on this.”
Annabeth shrugged. “maybe it is good for the three brothers that Hera and Hestia took care of them”
“Are you sick?” Percy asked placing his hand on her forehead. “You’re not. WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ANNABETH”
“Stop it Seaweed Brain” she said pushing him down to the floor. It didn’t hurt him. “Stupid curse”
“Why would you think it would be good for three goddesses to take care of three mortals” Nico said “I mean like I said before, most gods don’t even know how to take care of their kids.”
“Well for one, it’s the goddess of family and the goddess of hearth.” Annabeth said “Even if Hera doesn’t like her imperfect family. She values family as a whole. Its practically in her job. Hestia is a very kind and loving goddess if you can remember.”
“But three mortals?” Thalia said
“Well they don’t have a place to go” Annabeth pointed out “So maybe it’s a good thing. Didn’t the three all say that their father was in prison and their mother was dead?”
“Yeah”
“Which means if the three sisters didn’t façade as their sisters, the three would be orphans. Maybe it is a good thing.” Annabeth said “Who knows maybe they know something about the gods. Or at some point related.”
“She has a point” Percy said
“Percy, if Annabeth said a duck is a chicken. You’d agree with her” Thalia pointed out.
“It looks like a duck, it quacks like a duck but if she says it’s a chicken. It’s a chicken” Nico said suddenly
“No, I don’t” Percy whined “Do i?”
“Yep.” Annabeth said “But why the heck would I think a duck is a chicken. They’re different from each other”
“I needed an example” Thalia said
“So what about the three brothers” Nico said “should we tell them? Or should we just let it be? I mean with Demeter with them, they could be force fed cereal or forced to go to the fields. I know that from personal experience”
“You worked on the field?” Thalia asked noting the very milky pale skin
“Nope. I avoid the Underworld in Winter. I go there like for one day. Usually Demeter, whom I have no idea how to call seeing as she can be my step-grandmother AND my aunt, is there with Persephone.” Nico said
“Just let it be” Annabeth said answering Nico’s first question. “I think it would be for the best”
The Big Three had returned to the apartment a few days before the school was about to start. It was late at night when they had finally reached their room, after being distracted by all three of their sisters. They went directly to their room. Almost simultaneously they crashed into their beds.
“I have to admit, that was fun” Hades said
Poseidon mumbled something into his pillow.
“Can’t hear you, Don!” Zeus said with his pillow over his eyes.
Poseidon pushed his body up and his face was off the pillow. “I said, that it was fun. But I wish that the girls would return us back to our godly forms.”
“Wow.” Hades said “You’re the one with the close mortal friend. Yet you want to leave”
“I don’t think she’s a mortal” Poseidon said flipping to his back. “I think she’s a demigod.”
“What makes you say that” Zeus asked turning to his side looking at his brother
“Well, she told me that she didn’t know her father” Poseidon said “One of the few signs of a demigod”
“So?” Hades asked “There are many people who died that didn’t know their parents. Those whose parents died in accidents, sickness, killed even.”
“I saw Greek writings” Poseidon said “it was in her harmonica. I couldn’t make it out.”
“Alright” Hades said “You said its father who is missing right?”
“Yeah”
“Well let’s try to figure it out.” Hades opened a drawer and took out a pen and notebook. Hades was sitting cross legged on his bed while Zeus transferred to Poseidon’s bed sitting beside his brother.
“It couldn’t be any of us” Zeus said “Unless….” He looks at Poseidon. Then suddenly smiles
“Of course not stupid kid” Poseidon said pushing his brother. Zeus loss his balance and nearly fell if it weren’t for Poseidon grabbing him from the back of the shirt. “Now that was your fault”
“Yeah, yeah, blame the youngest” Zeus said sitting upright on the bed. “So who else.”
Hades yawned. “Alright. Cabin Five. Ares”
“No, I don’t think so” Poseidon said “She can be a pacifist”
“A Pacifist?” Zeus said incredulous “she kicked me in the place that should not me kicked. I highly doubt that it’s a sign of pacifisism.”
“Is there such a word?” Poseidon looked at Hades
“No I don’t think so. It might be pacifism. I don’t know” Hades said “Alright keeping that. Cabin Seven, Apollo”
“Possible” Zeus said “But she has this mysteriously mischievous glint in her eye. Like she wants revenge, I am still keeping my distance. Who knows what she would do.”
“He doesn’t know about Apollo and Hermes’ adventures doesn’t he?” Hades asked Poseidon
“Nope,” Poseidon said “They would sometimes blackmail me into covering for them
“Covering what?”
“Should you tell him or me?” Hades asked
“I was going for not telling him” Poseidon said
“Tell me what!”
“Nothing”
Zeus crossed his arms like a child “Don’t keep things from me. I want to know”
“Aww. You look so cute doing that” Poseidon said imitating their sister and pinching his cheek. Zeus slapped his hand.
“Don’t do that again” Hades said “That was very disturbing”
“Anyways, where were we?”
“Uh…Nine Hephaestus” Poseidon said
“Nope” Hades said crossing it out “I have her in woodworking class. She couldn’t use a hammer without injuring herself.”
“Okay next.” Zeus said “Hermes”
“Possible” Poseidon said “You just said she has this ‘mysteriously mischievous glint in her eye, like she wants revenge’. I think it’s possible she can think of some Stoll worthy pranks every now and then.”
Poseidon looks at Zeus “Speaking of which, Zeus have you seen your pet eagle in a while?”
“Harrison?” Zeus asked “Not since before the whole meeting with our sisters. Why…. He’s with Hermes, isn’t he?”
“You didn’t hear that from me” Poseidon said “Next?”
“Dionysus”
The three gods looked at each other “Nah.”
“Who else?”
“Hypnos” Hades said “But it’s not totally possible. She doesn’t sleep like that Clovis kid.”
“Yeah. Now that kid has some powerful skills” Zeus said “I nearly fell asleep just sitting beside him.”
“That or maybe your just boring” Poseidon said both gods laughed. While Zeus still looked at Poseidon with this angry glint in his eyes.
“Anyways” Hades said “Let’s call it a night. I’m exhausted”
“It’s a night” Poseidon said cheekily, which got him a pillow to the face from Hades.
“Haha, you’re a comedian” Hades said closing the lights “Good night”
“Night”
Annabeth knocked loudly at the door of the Big Three’s apartment. Hades groaned seeing as he just woke up and both brothers were still asleep. Taking a long sip of his coffee, he opened the door without looking at the peep hole.
“Annabeth, what are you doing here” Hades looked at the clock “At eight in the morning. It’s Christmas Vacation.”
“I am always up early, Lord Hades” she said
“Oh yeah” Hades said after taking another long sip “You know. Anyways come in”
“Are you sure?” Annabeth said “seeing as your”
Her hand made a sweeping motion on his appearance. Hades had forgotten that he was still in his pajamas, or what he wore to sleep anyways. It was just an undershirt and shorts, (Like short cut pajamas not those kind of shorts)
Hades shrugged “I’m fine. Mark’s worse.”
“I need to talk to you three by the way” Annabeth said formalities forgotten “About what happened with Thalia”
“I knew this was coming” Hades said finishing the rest of his coffee and putting the cup in the sink “Do you need anything?”
“No thanks” Annabeth said sitting on the couch.
“Alright, just hold on. I have get the two out of bed” Hades entered the room. The door was wide open and what they didn’t notice was that Annabeth could see almost everything going in there from the door way.
Hades opened the curtains causing both Zeus and Poseidon to groan. Strangely enough it was already very sunny outside in winter time.
“Close the curtains!” Zeus said turning his back to the window with his pillow in his arms. “It’s still way too early.”
“Annabeth is outside”
“Tell her to come back later” Poseidon groaned. “It’s way too early.” He put a pillow over his eyes and went back to sleep.
“Alright” Hades said then suddenly he was out of the bedroom with Zeus over his shoulder and Poseidon wrapped in blankets being dragged on the floor. Annabeth was shocked to see this from the three eldest gods. The childishness.
When Hades stopped pulling Poseidon in his cocoon of blankets he dropped Zeus on top of him. Which woke both gods up.
“What the heck!” Poseidon said pushing Zeus off of him. Poseidon suddenly looked at Annabeth. “Annabeth, what are you doing here?”
“Uh, I was going to ask you about what you three told, Thalia.” Annabeth said then turned to Hades “Did you have to drag them both when their… like that”
Hades shrugged “I told you I’ll get them out of bed.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Poseidon said totally oblivious
I guess I know where Percy gets the cluelessness from Annabeth thought. “Um, you aren’t exactly…decent at the moment, Lord Poseidon”
True enough, Poseidon was without a shirt.
“What?” Poseidon asked “Guys always swim without a shirt on”
“You’re not in a pool, Donny” Zeus said standing up.
“Yes, I am” Poseidon said “I am in the pool of my own blankets.”
“Haha,” Hades said pulling the blankets “Get a shirt and come back here”
“Fine” Poseidon said going back into the room.
“So what did you need Annabeth?” Zeus asked sitting cross-legged on the floor.
“I need a reason why you gave that story to Thalia” Annabeth said crossing her arms “Why couldn’t you just tell her the truth.”
“Pride” Hades answered
“What?” Annabeth said totally confused
“It’s embarrassing” Poseidon said coming out of the room with a green shirt on. “We’re gods. Its weird enough that we have to go to school with you demigods. Our children think highly of us. If they found out that they were going to school with their fathers, it would be awkward for them to be around us.”
“Especially since you and Percy are now….” Zeus added
“Hey, I am fine with it” Poseidon said “it is my rivalry with Athena. She is the one who dislikes the whole ordeal. This is my argument; I don’t like to involve any of our children in this.”
“Uh huh” Hades muttered “Zeus here didn’t want his daughter to find out of his little punishment from our sisters” Hades said the last part pinching Zeus’ cheeks like a child.
“Would you two stop doing that?!?” Zeus exclaimed “You two keep treating me like a kid. I’m not that much younger than you”
“Two centuries” Poseidon said
“Two centuries and a half” Hades added
“Fine I’m younger but it doesn’t give you a right to bully me”
“Uhm. Guys?”
“Sorta does” Poseidon said
“Yep, “ Hades said “It’s all part of the job. The older brother gets to pester the younger brother”
“While the younger brother annoys the hell of the older brother” Poseidon added “It’s how sibling rivalry works”
“No, its not” Zeus contradicted. “Then what of the older sisters”
“Now that is a different story” Hades said
“Guys?”
“Yep” Poseidon agreed with Hades “The oldest sister, aka Hestia, gets to smother the younger brothers. Second oldest sister fights with oldest brother’s judgments. Then youngest sister gets to mess around with youngest brother, aka me at the time.”
“Then everyone seems to scold younger brother and oldest brother for messing around.” Hades added “You have no idea how much trouble we caused way back before you were born”
“But…”
“GUYS!!!!”
The three brothers totally forgot about Annabeth sitting there at the sofa. She was looking at them with a raised eyebrow and was in the verge of laughing. “So do I tell them the truth or do I just let them try to figure out themselves”
“Let them figure out themselves” Poseidon answered “besides you’re under oath not to tell them anything”
“Alright” Annebth said “I think it’s time for me to go. You three seem to be in the middle of…a little spat.”
“Yeah. I think it would be better” Poseidon said “But first could I talk to you outside?”
“What’s this about?” Annabeth said
“How can you determine a demigod?”
“Uh, usually we’re known as troublemakers” Annabeth said “ADHD, dyslexic, sometimes even with the traits of our godly parent. Why do you ask?”
“Because I think my friend is a demigod” Poseidon said
“Allison?” Annabeth asked “How could you tell?”
“I don’t know. She might be?”
“I think it’s time to try the Demigod Test”