Percy sat down across from Mr. D.
"Why didn't you tell me you suffer from PTSD?" He asked as he pulled out a pad of paper.
"I didn't want to waste your time."
Mr. D looked at Percy with soft serious eyes, "Perseus, you can never waste anyone's time if its because you are suffering." Percy nodded, stray tears falling. "I can tell you this now, I will let you talk to me anytime you need to talk." He nodded again. "Now, can you tell me how long this has been going on?"
Percy looked away, "The Tartarus flashbacks or the PTSD?"
Mr. D looked at him softly, "The PTSD, Perseus, how long has it been since it first started?"
Percy looked down, "Ten, eleven years.."
Mr. D's eyes went wide, "Percy you got to camp at 12....how has it been that long?" Percy looked away, eyes showing fear. "Its okay you don't have to talk about it right now."
Percy nodded, he looked down and started playing with his thumbs.
When Percy walked into his cabin, he was met with Artemis and Hestia sitting on his bed.
"Perseus?" Hestia asked softly.
He met her eyes, which showed neither pity nor fear but sadness and understanding.
"We have to go, Zeus called a meeting, but there is someone else here to keep you company." Percy nodded, before he started to look around for this other person.
"Percy?" Thalia asked at the door of his cabin.
"Thals?" Percy asked, his voice showing how mentally tired he was.
"Percy?" Thalia walked into the cabin, unsure if that voice was truly his. "Oh, Perse."
Thalia came forward and pulled him into a hug. Percy started crying the minute his head hit her shoulder. Thalia rested her hand on his head, running her fingers through his hair. She wished she could help him with this more than what she knew how, but she hadn't been the best in comforting people. When they were younger no one would dare to think of them in a scene like this, but know, with everything they have gone through. How could they not be there for eachother?
Thalia sent a silent prayer to Artemis, her cousin needed her more than her duties did in this moment, 'My lady, can I stay with Percy tonight? I will be back to the hunt tomorrow, but he needs me with him tonight.'
Artemis replied with 'yeah as long as she does not sleep in the same bed as the young man'. Thalia looked down at Percy to see he had already fallen asleep, so guided him to lie down on his bed, and covered him with a blanket. Then got onto an empty bed herself and soon fell asleep.
Poseidon watched as everyone slowly flashed in, Artemis and Hestia were the last ones to return back to the Throne Room.
"What is the point of this brother?" Demeter asked.
"We have something to discuss about young Perseus." Zeus said to crowd.
"Okay, what is it?" Demeter asked.
"We have to turn him."
Poseidon looked away as this was said, not liking the possible outcomes.
"What if he rejects?" Athena asked.
"Again." Ares pointed out.
"He won't. It is the only way to keep people safe." Zeus answered.
"That is what I feared." Dionysus admitted, speaking for the first time in a long time at a meeting about a demi-god.
"Yes, if he rejects godhood from us, he will ascend without knowing and risk killing hundreds if not millions, and depending on where he ascends depends on who gets hurt when he does." Zeus explained.
"What do you mean?" Hermes asked.
"He is burning through his mortality." Hestia softly said.
"What? He will not mentally survive this." Apollo said.
"Why do you care? It saves our kids." Ares asked.
"Ares! I get that you care about your children, but that is my son your talking about!" Poseidon yelled at the War God.
Percy woke up to see Apollo at the foot of his bed.
"Lord Apollo?" Apollo looked up, his eyes soft and sad.
"Just call me Apollo, Percy."
Percy nodded, "Why are you here?"
Apollo frowned, "We need to talk."
Percy nodded and got up, he headed to his dresser to get clothes, then went to change.
"So what do we need to talk about?" Percy asked Apollo as he came out of the bathroom.
"Not here, lets go somewhere more private."
Percy nodded confused, what's more private than his cabin. Apollo grabbed Percy's shoulder and flashed them to his temple on Olympus.
"What is so important that we had to come here?" Percy asked with wide eyes, as he looked around and realized they were on Olympus.
"Percy, you know how when you were in Tartarus you felt something break?"
Percy nodded, flinching at the mention of it. "Yeah it felt like something broke...the best way I can describe it is glass shattering. It smoothed out after I quit.." Percy trailed off.
"Your soul isn't full and the power you used was not meant for a mortal body."
Percy nodded, "Okay.."
Apollo shook his head with a fond smile. "Percy, you are burning your mortality away. Zeus will explain it more. Come on."
They entered the Throne Room to be met by the rest of the Olympians. Poseidon came forwards towards Percy. "Hello Perseus." Percy nodded, still in shock by the news given to him by the Sun God.
"Percy?" Hermes asked the young hero. Percy looked towards him, his eyes blurry with tears. "Oh, Perce. Can I hug you?" Percy nodded, Hermes walked forwards, holding his arms out. He jumped into hug, the tears now falling down his face. Hermes, being put into father mode, starts to distract him. "Percy, want to know something cool?" He nodded, Hermes gave him a soft smile, "You get to be with Thalia and not be alone, you get to meet people your mom wants to and, you get a whole family that loves you." Percy nodded, pulling away, Hestia pulled him into a hug before looking at his face.
She used her hand and wiped the tears away, "Perseus, I know its hard to imagine this being a good thing, but there will be plus sides, there will be fun times and happy moments. We will help you adjust. We will explain the process before it happens, but its your choice to let it happen naturally, or have us trigger the ascension."
Percy nodded, looking at Apollo, "Will doing it naturally hurt?" Apollo looked at Poseidon who nodded.
"Both ways can be painful, but if you fight the process it will be even worse. If you want you can explain everything to your friends today and we can trigger the process in a couple days." Apollo told him.
Percy looked down, "Okay." Apollo nodded, before flashing him back to camp.
Annabeth was the last to get to the ping pong table. "Chiron, why did you call us here?" Chiron looked behind him, sitting on a couch was Percy and Apollo.
"Percy, what is going on?" Thalia asked, looking between Percy and Apollo.
"Percy do you want to tell them, or should I?" Apollo asked.
Percy looked at the Sun God, "I'll do it." Apollo nodded gripping his shoulder. Thalia and Nico looked at their cousin, their eyes showing their concern.
"Perce?" Nico asked coming forwards.
"I..."
Apollo puts his hand on Percy's shoulder, "I can tell them, you don't have to." Percy nodded, tears in his eyes. "Do you want me to?" Percy nodded sitting down. He pulled his knees to his chest, hiding his face.
"Dad? What is going on?" Will asked. Apollo looked at Thalia, motioning for her to sit next to Percy. Thalia nodded, moving towards her cousin.
"Can I sit here?" Percy nodded. Thalia sat down next to him, as Apollo got everyone's attention.
"I will explain, now this wasn't anyone's but the Fates' choice."
Reyna looked at the sun god, "What do you mean?"
Apollo looked at the seven hoping they wouldn't freak. "His mortality is being burned away, he is slowly becoming immortal. When he got the Curse of Achilles it took away part of his soul and morality, then when he used his powers to torture Akyls, in Tartarus, he lost more of his mortality. Now its only a matter of time before he ascends." Apollo saw the shocked and scared faces on everyone in front of him.
"What's the plan then?" Thalia asked behind him.
"He has chosen to trigger the ascension, so we will trigger the start of it, and he will spend the time it takes on Olympus to be completed so he can be watched and helped through it."
Annabeth looked at Percy then back to Apollo, "Will he be in pain?"
Apollo looked down, "Yes. While he ascends, he is burning through his mortality, his blood is becoming fully ichor and his soul is dying. After he is fully ascended, he won't be aloud off of Olympus until he has full control over his true form or powers."
Annabeth nodded looking at her boyfriend, looking as though she is going to puke at the thought of that amount of torment, "How long will that take?"
Apollo frowned, knowing what she was asking. "At least 50 years. You can visit, but it will be less painful, for the both of you to say goodbye." Annabeth nods, tears forming in her eyes.
"How long till you guys start?" Nico asked.
"We will be having a meeting tomorrow to go over the process with Perseus, and then the next day we will be starting the triggering process." Annabeth nodded walking out of the room.
"Annabeth?" Reyna called.
"Hey?" Annabeth greeted, wiping tears off her cheeks.
"How you holding up?" She asked sitting on the hill next to Annabeth.
"I..I don't know what I did so bad to deserve this?"
Reyna looked at her, "What do you mean?" Annabeth took a breath laying down, to look at the sky.
"First, Luke betrayed everyone here at camp and was the first one to join Kronos, then a couple years later Thalia joined the Hunters, and I now barely see her. Now," Annabeth took a deep breathe, "now, Percy has no choice but to become a God.
Reyna shot up, "There is a way to continue being friends with Percy and Thalia and be able to be around them." Annabeth sat up looking at Reyna with confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Reyna shook her head, "Join the Hunters, you won't be able to be with him, but you can stay friends, and be with Thalia."
Annabeth looked down, "I can't. I don't want to torture Percy or myself like that. It would be easier to say goodbye and move on." Reyna nodded with a smile, happy to know that Annabeth even though was going through her second heartbreak, was being rational and mature.
Percy walked out of the Big House to be met with Annabeth. "Perce?" He looked at her to see her sad eyes.
"Your here to say goodbye aren't you?"
Annabeth nodded, tears falling from her eyes. "I feel like we both need the closer."
Percy nodded, tears starting to fall.
"I love you, I always will, you were my first love, my first kiss, but you were also my first goodbye."
Percy nodded, "Same. You were my first crush, my first love, my first kiss, and my first goodbye." Percy looked down, he looked up when he felt a hand on his arm. When he looked up he saw Annabeth with tears falling down her face looking at him.
"You have to promise to keep me updated on him." She said looking behind him.
"I will, I promise." Apollo told her.
Annabeth nodded. "You, Percy, have to promise to be happy, find another love, hell if you want have a couple kids. Just don't be a dick dad, okay?" Percy let out a sob nodding.
Apollo guided Percy to the Apollo cabin. "Perce, I am going to pack up your cabin, stay with Will okay?" Percy nodded.
"Perce?" Will asked at the door.
"Can I stay here until your Dad returns?" Will nodded letting him in.
"We hope not to see a kid of yours for at least a hundred years." Will told him jokingly, Percy nodded let out a wet laugh. "Come here." Will said, holding his arms open, Percy accepted the offer and hugged Will. Once in his arms the tears just came. Percy didn't know what was happening lately, it was like he couldn't keep his tears in check at all. Every time he received a hug he cried or cried harder, no matter who it was from anymore.
Apollo returned to find Percy asleep in Will's arms. He gave his son a questioning look. "He was crying, so I gave him a hug. He fell asleep soon after." Apollo nodded, picking Percy up in his arms. Percy curled up against Apollo, snuggling against him. Apollo blushed, before flashing to the Throne Room, where he was met with most of the Olympians looking at him.
"Apollo?" Poseidon asked, looking at Percy in Apollo's arms.
"He fell asleep hugging my son, didn't want to wake him yet?" Percy stirred.
"Dad?" He asked looking up.
"Percy?" Apollo asked as he let him stand.
"So in two days?" Percy asked looking down.
"Yeah in two days." Apollo smiled warily, "Well at least saying your goodbyes wasn't the most painful part..."
Hermes and Artemis shot him a look, "Apollo!"
"Sorry..."
Percy laid down in his bed, 'Well I guess tomorrow is my last day with out pain..." Percy closed his eyes, letting sleep take him.