A Different Reality (Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Prologue

(this happens almost a year after they defetead Gaea)

The seven were at Long Island's beach. The girls, along with Reyna and Will were lying on the sand.

Hazel and Will were trying to make Nico smile. Or convince him to get out of the umbrella. Or to take off his black shirt or jeans. Maybe even go in the water. None of which were complied.

Jason and Frank were playing with a ball at the sand.

Leo was determined to make the biggest and most baddass sand castle of the history, with Calypso's help. He was obviously wearing sunglasses and his tool belt over his shorts. He tried to talk Hazel into redrawing the tatoos she did on him when they tricked Narciso, but she refused.

Percy was at the sea, with water at his waist, playing with the water, trying to make shapes, mostly horses, out of the waves, just like his father did so long ago.

Annabeth got herself up on her elbows and turned to Reyna.

"Are you sure you can be here, along with Frank?"

Piper turned to Reyna to wait for her answer.

"We have five cohortes, with ten centurions. They marched to war without a praetor, only the augur. If they can't keep in line for a week, in times of peace, there's something seriously wrong with them."

Piper laughed quietly: "Please, don't say that again."

"What?"

"Times of peace. We are demigods, we don't say words such as peace, quiet, lucky, good..."

Reyna nodded: "Ok, I won't. Actually, I'm more worried with the greeks that are at Camp Jupiter."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow at Reyna: "Are you worried they will destroy something?"

Together, the three of them turned to look where Leo was, almost buried under his castle.

Annabeth turned back to sea: "Don't worry, if they do something, they'll have to answer to Percy, Jason or me."

Piper looked at Annabeth: "I think you are by far the scariest of that list."

***

A few hours later, they were still at the beach, around a bonfire, made by Leo, eating a picnic.

Piper turned to Reyna: "So, how is Ivan?"

"He is good."

Will looked confused to Reyna: "Who is Ivan?"

"My boyfriend."

Percy and Jason choked on their drinks. Piper patted Jason gently on his back, Annabeth just rolled her eyes at Percy.

Frank, Nico and Leo were staring at Reyna with their mouths open.

Leo recovered first. He just smiled and shook his head murmuring "Naughy, naughty Reyna."

Frank was next and managed to get the words out: "You... you have a boyfriend? Since when?"

Hazel looked at him: "Really, how distracted are you? It has been a few weeks, how could you not notice, being praetor and working side by side with Reyna?"

Jason turned to Reyna. "But, but... how, when, why?"

"You want the details of how and when? And you really need to ask why?"

Piper interrupted: "Okay, so Reyna has a boyfriend, his name is Ivan, he is a Mars' legacy and they have been together for a few weeks. Done, no need to ask any more questions. She has the right to have a boyfriend, no big deal. Get over it."

The girls looked at each other and tried not to laugh at the boys' expressions.

***

Piper was looking at the bonfire when she spoke again.

"There were sometimes I wished I wasn't a demigod."

Percy looked at her.

"I know, I felt that way when I found out."

Piper nodded at him, and started again.

"But then I think that it has it's perks. I know I can do a difference in the world, I discovered that I'm brave, and more powerful that I thought. And now I have real friends. Actually, not friends, I have a new family. Thank you for being here, guys."

Jason hugged her, and the others smiled, except for Leo who was pretending to cry.

Piper stuck her tongue to Leo, and asked everyone.

"Do you think we would be friends?"

Annabeth asked her to explain herself.

"If we weren't demigods, if we weren't the seven from the prophecy, if we were mortals, do you think we would be friends? Who do you think you would be, if we were normal?"

Annabeth leaned on Percy and answered first.

"I would obviously be a nerd girl. Maybe I would go for sports too, I don't know."

Jason looked to the sea. "I have no idea. I spent only a day in high school, at the Grand Canyon, and we all know how that ended. So no, I have no idea who I'd be."

Piper, Leo and Percy answered together: "A jock."

Jason raised his eyebrows at that. "Okay, if you say so."

Piper kissed his cheek. "Maybe not a jock, but you would definitely be into sports."

Percy hugged Annabeth tightly and started "I'm not completely sure who I would be..."

Annabeth, Piper, Hazel and Will all answered together: "The rebel."

Percy laughed and asked why would they think that. Leo just seemed a little offended, maybe he was hopeful to be labed as the rebel.

Annabeth started doing little circles on his arms with her finger.

"You were kicked out of so many schools, Percy, and not just because you are a demigod. You are CHB leader and were named preator. Sure, you are a good leader, but that is not the only reason. You get yourself in positions like those because you have problems with authorities, you don't deal well with orders. So the best option is to become the authority itself. You like to do the opposite you are told. Think of Mr. D. Ares. Tanatos. Atlas. Kronos. Gaea. Sure, some of them were the bad ones, they needed to be defeated, but you would do so just because they tried to order you around. Remember what you said to me about Atlanta? The sea doesn't like to be restrained. That is why you would be the rebel."

Hazel nodded at that. "I would probably be the quiet girl no one notices."

Frank smiled at her, squeezing her hand. "I would notice you."

Piper started to bite her nail. "I have no idea who I would be."

Reyna smiled at her "A cheerleader?"

Piper's face showed horror at the idea "Oh, gods, please no!"

Jason wondered "Who would you be, Reyna?"

Percy answered first "The youngest principal in history."

They all stared at him.

"Come on, can't you see it? She would find a way to get in the power. That is why she would become a principal even before she finished high school."

Reyna smirked at that "I like that idea."

Will's face lit up "I would be that student who helps at the infirmary."

Nico was next. "What about me?"

Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Jason, Frank and Leo all said "The EMO guy."

Nico took offense at that "What? No, I'd not be an EMO guy!"

When the others changed their attention and started arguing about the remaining demigods, Nico whispered to Will:

"What is an EMO guy, exactly?"