Don't

Y/N slipped in and out of consciousness. She hit her head pretty hard, and all those moments she actually was awake, she was only able to hear muffled voices. What she was aware of though, was the blond hair of her friend and how she has been carrying her on her back for some time. It looked like everyone was hurt in some way. With the little energy she recovered, she started to sing hymns in order to speed up the healing of those who were injured like her. Of course, falling into sleep again after getting exhausted.

When she finally opened her eyes properly, she realized her little hymn worked for her. Well, for a bit. She was still hurt. Y/N was high up in the sky on a pegasus, with Percy. She could feel him holding her waist. It felt a bit weird. Wouldn't Annabeth feel uncomfortable to see him holding her like this? It would've been a better option if she was with Annabeth, right?

Of course, she did what she would've done in an awkward situation like this. Pretend to be asleep.

Annabeth flew along side by side.

"Your dad seems cool," Percy told her.

It was too dark to see her expression. She looked back, even though California was far behind now.

"I guess so," she said. "We've been arguing for so many years."

"Yeah, you said."

"You think I was lying about that?" It sounded like a challenge, but a pretty halfhearted one, like she was asking it of herself.

"I didn't say you were lying. It's just… he seems okay. Your stepmom, too. Maybe they've, uh, gotten cooler since you saw them last."

She hesitated. "They're still in San Francisco, Percy. I can't live so far from camp."

"So what are you going to do now?"

They flew over a town, an island of lights in the middle of the dark. It whisked by so fast like they might've been in an airplane.

"I don't know," she admitted. "But thank you for rescuing me."

"Hey, no big deal. We're friends."

"You didn't believe I was dead?"

"Never. Neither did...Y/N."

She sighed, "Why do you sound guilty? What the heck did you do now?"

"I don't know why but I felt annoyed after all of it went down. All of us were fighting and I guess I blamed her for not caring about you in the flow."

"If I wasn't riding, I would've hit you!" She shouted, "Are you serious? Why would she want me gone? She's my closest friend!"

"You know why I thought that."

For a moment, silence spread in the atmosphere. "You didn't tell her yet, did you?" she asked.

"Didn't get the right time for it," he said.

"You're just making excuses."

"Yeah right, just like you do about Luke."

She hesitated, " Um...Luke, you know… he isn't dead."

"Annabeth, that fall was pretty bad. There's no way—"

"He isn't dead," she insisted. "I know it. The same way you knew about me."

The towns were zipping by faster now, islands of light thicker together, until the whole landscape below was a glittering carpet. Dawn was close. The eastern sky was turning gray. And up ahead, a huge white-and-yellow glow spread out—the lights of New York.

How's that for speedy, loss? Blackjack bragged. We get extra hay for breakfast or what?

"You're the man, Blackjack," Percy told him. "Er, the horse, I mean."

"You don't believe me about Luke," Annabeth said, "but we'll see him again. He's in trouble, Percy. He's under Kronos's spell."

Y/N felt more uncomfortable than before. Firstly, they were openly talking about her, and then Luke? Clearly, Percy could sense the difference in Annabeth's tone when it came to him. Suddenly, she felt Percy slowly coming close by her ears. She could feel his hot breath.

"I know you are awake," he whispered in her ear. Y/N could even feel him smirking the moment he uttered those words. Was he teasing her?! Okay.

She slowly slid back her hand on his legs, feeling him stiffening up before she pinched him. She felt him jolt back as she tried to control her laughter.

"There it is." Thalia's voice; she'd woken up. She was pointing toward Manhattan, which was quickly zooming into view. "It's started."

"What's started?" Percy asked.

Then they looked where she was pointing. High above the Empire State Building, Olympus was its own island of light, a floating mountain ablaze with torches and braziers, white marble palaces gleaming in the early morning air.

"The winter solstice," Thalia said. "The Council of the Gods."

[ TIME SKIP ]

Towering at the peak of the mountain was the greatest palace of all, the glowing white hall of the gods.

Their pegasi set them down in the outer courtyard, in front of huge silver gates which opened by themselves.

For a minute they stood there regarding the palace, the way they'd stood together in front of Westover Hall, what seemed like a million years ago.

"I'm guessing we'll meet Artemis along with Zoe," Y/N said looking at them. They looked at her with eyes...she could decipher as pity. Frowning, she asked, "What happened? Did I miss something?"

"Later....we promise to tell everything about it later," Annabeth said, offering her a small smile. She didn't like the way they were looking at her. Something went horribly wrong. And she had to wait to find out about everything.

And then, side by side, they walked into the throne room.

Maybe it was better this way. But she didn't exactly have to wait for long to get the whole story. She figured it out in the next moment.

Twelve enormous thrones made a U around a central hearth, just like the placement of the cabins at camp. The ceiling above glittered with constellations—even the newest one...which Y/N had never seen before. The one that looked like Zoe the Huntress, making her way across the heavens with her bow drawn.

Her heart dropped at the sight. She looked at Annabeth to be sure, who just held her hand in assurance and said, "We...didn't have ambrosia."

"Oh...but it was my job to...heal everyone," Y/N's voice trembled, "It was the one thing I had to do."

"You did everything you could," Thalia said standing beside her, "In fact in this whole mission, only you were the one working on healing us all the time, without a break. You couldn't get enough time to restore your energy. On top of that, you fought with Atlas."

"I am a healer," Y/N said in a strained voice. She knew she couldn't cry here. She wouldn't. "And clearly I am terrible at it when we lost two people."

"You were not even in a state to heal her back. She was way too weak and.." Annabeth said, "...I am the reason why all of you came here in the first place. Should I start blaming myself now?"

Y/N nodded her head silently and started walking forward.

All of the seats were occupied. Each god and goddess was about fifteen feet tall.

"Welcome, heroes," Artemis said.

"Mooo!"

That's when they noticed Bessie and Grover.

A sphere of water was hovering in the center of the room, next to the hearth fire. Bessie was swimming happily around, swishing his serpent tail and poking his head out the sides and bottom of the sphere. He seemed to be enjoying the novelty of swimming in a magic bubble. Grover was kneeling at Zeus's throne, as if he'd just been giving a report, but when he saw them, he cried, "You made it!"

He started to run toward Percy, then remembered he was turning his back on Zeus, and looked for permission.

"Go on," Zeus said. But he wasn't really paying attention to Grover. The lord of the sky was staring intently at Thalia.

Grover trotted over. None of the gods spoke. Every clop of Grover's hooves echoed on the marble floor. Bessie splashed in his bubble of water. The hearth fire crackled.

Grover gave Annabeth, Y/N, and Thalia big hugs. Then he grasped his arms. "Percy, Bessie and I made it! But you have to convince them! They can't do it!"

"Do what?" Percy asked.

"Heroes," Artemis called, "The Council has been informed of your deeds. They know that Mount Othrys is rising in the West. They know of Atlas's attempt for freedom and the gathering armies of Kronos. We have voted to act."

There was some mumbling and shuffling among the gods as if they weren't all happy with this plan, but nobody protested.

"At my Lord Zeus's command," Artemis said, "my brother Apollo and I shall hunt the most powerful monsters, seeking to strike them down before they can join the Titans' cause. Lady Athena shall personally check on the other Titans to make sure they do not escape their various prisons. Lord Poseidon has been given permission to unleash his full fury on the cruise ship Princess Andromeda and send it to the bottom of the sea. And as for you, my heroes…"

She turned to face the other immortals. "These half-bloods have done Olympus a great service. Would any here deny that?"

Y/N didn't have the confidence to look at her father. Just what kind of healer was she? How was she going to face him?

"I gotta say"—Apollo broke the silence—"these kids did okay. In fact, my daughter did great." He cleared his throat and began to recite: "Heroes win laurels—"

It felt like a burden was lifted off her shoulders. He wasn't disappointed in her in the slightest.

"Um, yes, first-class," Hermes interrupted like he was anxious to avoid Apollo's poetry.

"All in favor of not disintegrating them?"

A few tentative hands went up—Demeter, Aphrodite.

"Wait just a minute," Ares growled. He pointed at Thalia and Percy. "These two are dangerous. It'd be much safer, while we've got them here—"

"Ares," Poseidon interrupted, "they are worthy heroes. We will not blast my son to bits."

"Nor my daughter," Zeus grumbled. "She has done well."

The goddess Athena cleared her throat and sat forward. "I am proud of my daughter as well. But there is a security risk here with the other two."

"Mother!" Annabeth said. "How can you—"

Athena cut her off with a calm but firm look. "It is unfortunate that my father, Zeus, and my uncle, Poseidon, chose to break their oath not to have more children. Only Hades kept his word, a fact that I find ironic. As we know from the Great Prophecy, children of the three elder gods… such as Thalia and Percy… are dangerous. As thickheaded as he is, Ares has a point."

"Right!" Ares said. "Hey, wait a minute. Who you callin'—"

He started to get up, but a grapevine grew around his waist like a seat belt and pulled him back down.

"Oh, please, Ares," Dionysus sighed. "Save the fighting for later."

Ares cursed and ripped away the vine. "You're one to talk, you old drunk. You seriously want to protect these brats?"

Dionysus gazed down at us wearily. "I have no love for them. Athena, do you truly think it safest to destroy them?"

"I do not pass judgment," Athena said. "I only point out the risk. What we do, the Council must decide."

"I will not have them punished," Artemis said. "I will have them rewarded. If we destroy heroes who do us a great favor, then we are no better than the Titans. If this is Olympian justice, I will have none of it."

"Well," Zeus grumbled. "Perhaps. But the monster at least must be destroyed. We have an agreement on that?"

A lot of nodding heads. It took Percy a second to realize what they were saying. Then his heart turned to lead.

"Bessie? You want to destroy Bessie?"

"Mooooooo!" Bessie protested.

His father frowned. "You have named the Ophiotaurus Bessie?"

"Dad," he said, "he's just a sea creature. A really nice sea creature. You can't destroy him."

Poseidon shifted uncomfortably. "Percy, the monster's power is considerable. If the Titans were to steal it, or—"

"You can't," he insisted and looked at Zeus, "Controlling the prophecies never works. Isn't that true? Besides, Bess—the Ophiotaurus is innocent. Killing something like that is wrong. It's just as wrong as… as Kronos eating his children, just because of something they might do. It's wrong!"

Zeus seemed to consider this. His eyes drifted to his daughter Thalia. "And what of the risk? Kronos knows full well, if one of you were to sacrifice the beast's entrails, you would have the power to destroy us. Do you think we can let that possibility remain? You, my daughter, will turn eighteen on the morrow, just as the prophecy says."

"You have to trust them," Annabeth spoke up. "Sir, you have to trust them."

Zeus scowled. "Trust a hero?"

"Annabeth is right," Artemis said. "Which is why I must first make a reward. My faithful companion, Zoe Nightshade, has passed into the stars. I must have a new lieutenant. And I intend to choose one. But first, Father Zeus, I must speak to you privately."

Zeus beckoned Artemis forward. He leaned down and listened as she spoke in his ear.

A feeling of panic seized Percy.

Oh no.

She was going to talk about them - Annabeth and...Y/N. He didn't want her to go.

And after watching her fight with Atlas, making him waste his time enough for them to come up with a plan, it's almost obvious who Artemis was going to choose. The one with the fighting spirit. The one who cussed at Atlas without an ounce of fear. The one who laughed in the face of death.

He held her hand tight. "Y/N," he said under his breath. "Don't."