The nymphs of Artemis were bathing within the riverbend. Thalia would have joined them, but-
She was sitting alongside the cliffs, her Father's element blowing through her growing hair. Her Acrophobia was not controlling her thoughts. It was one thing she had come to terms with in this time as she knew without a doubt that her Father would let no harm come to her.
She had also come to terms with there being nothing wrong with her fear. Ariadnê was afraid of the deep sea and uncontrollable storms. The only reason that the younger girl had even been comfortable visiting her Father's realm was because transportation was always godspeed.
(Her younger cousin had punched her brother in the shoulder quite harshly for spilling that secret. She had then told Thalia if she had to consciously make the decision to willingly let herself just fall to the ocean floor, then it was not one she would make. Even her Father had forgotten all the creatures that lingered in his realm and she had no interest in meeting them.)
Thinking of the twins brought forth the worry for her Family that she left. They were all struggling with the death of Zagreus which only would have dug in deeper after her departure. She was feeling horrible herself, especially considering that she was leaving Annabeth behind once again.
But Thalia just couldn't stay there any longer.
Not with the actual ghost of Luke haunting her.
It was like the weirdest shaped love pentagon. Luke split his affection between her, Annabeth, and Ariadnê. Annabeth traded love sick glances with Percy in equal form, not even noticing Luke's feelings. Ariadnê pretended he didn't exist while Connor looked as if she was the one to place the moon, sun, and stars in the sky.
And while there may have been something for him once upon a time, the time had long since passed. She wasn't that girl anymore.
Besides, Thalia needed to breathe.
Losing Jason all those years ago hurt, but she learned to do with the pain. But now to lose Zagreus and to the same bane of her existence. Zagreus was doting and protective. He looked after in a way she had never known until she joined the hunters. He answered any question she asked and was always willing to help her train her powers.
And well, the greeks loved tragedy, but she wished that they came up with some new material.
Thalia had felt like she was wandering aimlessly around the world without an anchor.
And to see the way how the twins had such a close bond between them and how they doted on Nico who surprisingly allowed it. She felt like she wasn't really a child of the Big Three. The three of them each represented the three brothers. There was no place for Thalia, the actual child of Zeus. Even training with Katie and teaching her how to deal with the pressure of being a child of a Kronide and the expectations on them didn't really help matters. She would represent her mother after all. Hestia was a maiden goddess.
And Thalia would be damned to the pit before she represented her stepmother.
She felt guilty for leaving Katie also. That pressure wasn't something to handle alone. She didn't see how Nico handled it without the twins but-she was feeling like a caged bird in the kingdom.The people watched their every move, judging them for how they grieve. It was sickening.
The leaves crunched behind her, and she knew that it was only because the person wanted her to hear them. She was not surprised to see that it was Artemis coming to sit beside her.
The goddess traced her eyes over her, "You seem in distress, sister." She reached for her hand, "Do you still grieve for Zagreus?"
"A part of me always shall," she admitted. "But now-I worry for my sisters and brothers that I left behind."
