Betrayal and Redemption

Chapter 34

He walked out of his cabin and went to breakfast, him and Piper went to the steam in the forest. She cried and cried and told him a thousand times she wished he didn't have to leave. He didn't want to leave his best friend, but he had accepted and he was extremely excited to go. She cried until she had no more tears so they sat on the rock with their feet in the water while he held her.

"What are you doing?" A red faced Jason came out of the woods. "What are you doing together?" He stopped when he saw the tears in Percy's eyes and the tear tracks on Piper's face.

Percy stood. "Pipes, five more years. I promise." He gave he a kiss on the forehead. He turned to Jason. "I hope i'll see you guys again." He shouldered his bag and flashed to Olympus.

-Linebreak-

Piper looked at the spot where he disappeared then sat down on the rock, having no more tears to shed. Jason sat next to her. "Pipes why are you crying?"

"Percy." That was all she said.

"What did Percy do to make you cry?" Jason wrapped his arms around her.

"He left." Her voice was raspy from the sobbing she had done into Percy's shirt.

"Where did he go?" She shook her head. "You can't tell me?" He sounded disappointed.

"I promised on the Styx i wouldn't tell where he went until he came back." Jason looked hurt, but he nodded.

"Let's get you back to camp." He picked her up bridal style while she started down at that stream.

-Linebreak-

Percy appeared outside the throne room, he steeled his emotions and pushed open the doors. The Olympians sat on their thrones, he smiled when he saw Hades and Hestia. Hestia and Hera both had tears running down their faces. Artemis had tears in her eyes that were threatening to spill over. Apollo and Hermes smiled sad smiles at him. His father was trying to to sob, Hades looked mildly upset, even Zeus looked a little sad.

Hestia jumped off her throne and went a tackled her adoptive son in a hug, his father joined, then Hera, Artemis, Apollo, Hermes. He was being strangled by the Olympians he was closest to.

"I'm gonna miss you guys so much." Everyone stepped back and he hugged Hestia again.

"Will you come and visit us Percy?" SHe spoke without letting him go. She squeezed him tight, he squeezed her right back.

"As often as i can." A fresh wave of tears escaped her. She stepped back and studied him. She had a hand on his cheek.

"You've grown up to be such an amazing young man and i am proud of you. You were the best champion and son i could have ever asked for. Remember that, i will be proud of you no matter what." He nodded not trusting himself to speak. She went and sat back down. Hera was next, he pulled her into a tight hug.

"Percy you are an amazing young man, please don't ever change a thing about yourself. When you come back we will be here to welcome you home, because we're family right." It wasn't a question, a sob like laugh escaped her and she hugged him again.

Artemis walked up, he put a hand on her shoulder and flashed them away from the other Olympians. They ended up on that same cliff. "Now you can cry." The tears spilled over, they were like little drop of silver.

"It's going to be so wrong without you in the hunt."

"It's ok you'll see me again, we just have to let everyone else suffer."

"You told Piper didn't you?" How did she know, he had no idea.

"I couldn't put her through that again, Piper is my sister. She went through enough the first time, this time she will at least know i have a place to stay." Artemis nodded. "Dry your tears Moonbeam, we have to go back." She nodded and wiped the tears from her face and used the mist to make it as if she had never cried. She nodded and he flashed them back to the throne room. They got many curious looks, but ignored them. She walked back to her throne as if nothing happened.