There were only a few things that truly irritated Rhea. One being when people made fun of her brother, and two being when they were forced to separate during any point in time without knowing where the other was.
And right now, the latter was happening, and Rhea was not happy.
It had started after Percy had told her about the alternate universe thing when they were seven.
First it was a few weeks, then a few days, and then a few moments before they started to get worried if they didn't know where their other twin was.
It had worried all three of their parents so much that they had gone to see a psychiatrist who had told them that they had separation anxiety.
Of course none of the parents knew the reason, and the twins couldn't tell them. So now all of them just accepted the situation.
But right now the twins were pressed close to each other trying to not let go and reassure the other that they were there.
The reason being, one of them had to go to camp before the other.
"This is stupid, if you want to send us to camp, send us both." Rhea exclaimed, her leg shaking. Percy just squeezed his sister's hand as he nodded back, scared to even think of the possibility that Rhea would go away.
Their parents exchanged a look, as if trying to understand why it was such big a problem.
But they didn't because the twins never told another person what they had shared with each other that one night in the confines of their bedroom three years ago. The promise they made to each other. They couldn't.
The parents exchanged another look before they looked back at the twins, them still sitting as close as they could to the other.
"My brother, your uncle, is getting wind of the sudden rise of demigod power here." Poseidon started, his voice weak. He didn't want to separate his kids, not when they held onto each other like they feared the other was going to disappear. The same way he had held onto his siblings when they had been trapped inside their father's stomach. It pained him to think about the type of dreams they might have had to result in them clutching to each other in such a way, and he would never stop blaming himself for cursing them with such a fate.
"And if we keep the two of you together, near each other, the power could grow before you both are ready to reveal yourself. And I really don't want you to spend more than a week at a time in the Hermes Cabin. So please." Poseidon practically begged.
"You both have grown a lot, not just physically and mentally, but also in your powers. We are having a hard time concealing your scent from the monsters, and we will not have you be revealed and killed because we couldn't protect you." Their Mama Amphy said, her voice stern, as if restraining herself from wanting to embrace her children.
Usually, Amphitrite did not care about the children her husband sired, but these two were different. They were too much like the sea, too much like them. They were kind and benevolent, but she knew that if it came down to it, they would wreck the world if they had to for their family, for each other.
She didn't know when she came to accept them as her own kids, as her flesh and ichor, she didn't know when she came to anticipate the day they would come down to Atlantis, or the day she would go to meet them.
But she did know that she loved them as her own.
And it killed her to see them like this, like they were scared the other was going to be ripped away from them.
But they didn't have a choice, they couldn't conceal them any longer. One needed to go to camp, the other needed to stay here so that the gods that were paying attention didn't feel a sudden absence of demigod power, or else they were going to be suspicious.
The twins exchanged a look, knowing that their parents were right. In the other universe, Percy had been one of the strongest demigods to exist, due to the fact that his father had truly loved his mother.
But in this life, not only had their father truly loved their mother, but their Mama Amphy had accepted them as one of her own children, making the sea be a part of them like it hadn't been in Percy's previous life. Add to the fact that Percy had his previous mutated powers and Rhea is the first demigod daughter of Poseidon, they were quite the pair.
Rhea and Percy knew it was inevitable. Yet that didn't stop them from trying to convince their parents otherwise.
They just turned to their parents and solemnly nodded.
"Will we get to choose who goes?" Percy asked, his voice cracking as if reality was hitting him.
The reality where he won't be next to his sister, and the fates could just snap her out of existence, like they had said they would. Where they would fight and train for a war that was inevitably coming towards them. The war that he would have to fight again, and he knew he couldn't do it alone this time. Not this time, because he did not know what he would do without Rhea. He did not remember the time he had been without his sister, nor did he like thinking about it. What he did remember was all the times she was there for him and knew that he needed his sister.
"We thought it would be fitting. We don't want to separate you, but since we don't have a choice, it should be your choice who gets to go, at the very least. You can IM and all, we have had a talk with Iris and she swore on the River Styx she won't tell anyone." Their Mama Amphy said, her tone empathetic.
The twins just nodded, trying to stop themselves from shaking.
They knew there was a possibility of this scenario happening so they had already decided that Rhea would go, as Percy had already been and trained before and just had to get used to the movements again and he would be able to fight, they knew Rhea needed it more.
"When will one of us leave for Camp Half-Blood?" Rhea asked, hoping the date was not near, hoping to spend a few more days with her brother before she had to leave.
She knew her brother was scared, and as much as she tried to reassure him, a part of her was scared too. What if the fates, since her brother threatened them, punish him? What if he gets hurt or gets snapped out of existence? What if she is gone and doesn't know what happened to her brother? What if he is gone and she is alone? She won't be able to do that, after all her brother had been there for her entire life, unlike what she had been for Percy in his previous life. And she knew that he might not need her, but she needed him.
Their immortal parents just exchanged a look, as Sally held both of their hands, holding it for them or for herself, they didn't know.
The two kids saw the look, something in their blood telling them that they were missing something.
"What is it?" Percy inquired, his voice trying so hard to remain steady.
Sally took a breath this time, blinking her watery eyes, trying to make them focus on her children.
"Do you two remember the talk we had about your dad's Roman counterpart?" She asked, her voice wobbling a bit due to the heavy topic.
The twins nodded, wondering why the topic was being bought up again.
Sally nodded before she looked at the Sea God beside her.
"Well, we are asking because whichever one of you is going, is not going to Camp Half-Blood." He said, his voice softer than before, especially after hearing the small tinge of hope in his daughter's voice. Hope that they had some time with each other before one of them had to leave.
"You will be going to Camp Jupiter, the Roman Demigod Camp."
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