On the Fringe // Chapter Eight
I know, you guys have been waiting forever and I'm half-expecting a lynch mob to come after me for taking so long, but thank you guys for being so patient with me!
Title: On the Fringe
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Eventual!Luke/Percy, past!Percy/Annabeth. Also some OC pairings, but those are very minor.
Warnings: AU, slash (m/m and f/f). Also, there's a handful of OCs, but most of them are camp counselors with minor roles.
Author's Note: This fic completely changes Luke's fate in The Last Olympian and will otherwise have spoilers. And if you bothered to look at the pairings and warnings, there will be slash, both with boys and girls, so if you don't like it, use your handy little back button right now. If you're still reading this, enjoy the fic.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are copyright to Rick Riordan and if he had any idea what I'm doing with his characters, I'm sure he'd be out for my foolish mortal blood. I do, however, own the OCs.
Chapter Eight
It was probably the biggest surprise Luke had ever had in his life when he whirled around to see Percy, Nico and Tayen crossing the distance to catch up with him, the son of Poseidon at the head. Blue eyes widened in shock, mouth gaping open, the older demigod had no idea how to react; it was incredibly difficult to shock a child of Hermes and, Luke being the best of them, he was the hardest of all to catch off guards. However, it was clear that Luke Castellan was completely thrown for a loop when Percy Jackson ran up to him.
"Percy!" he exclaimed. "Gods damn it, I told you - "
Percy cut the son of Hermes off with a kiss, standing on his toes (Luke was a full four inches taller than he was, after all) and throwing his arms over the older demigod's shoulders as their lips crashed together, like waves breaking against the shore. It was enough to bring Luke to complete silence, no protest at all from the older demigod. Percy put every strong feeling he felt for the son of Hermes into the kiss, wanting Luke to understand how he felt. And, for a long minute, Luke's tension seemed to ease, body relaxing as he wrapped his arms around the son of Poseidon and started to kiss back, a similar need for understanding in the way Luke returned the kiss.
"That is so hot," one of the lampades murmured, unable to take her ghostly green eyes off the two demigods.
"Acantha, quiet!" another of the girls hissed. She, too, was having trouble looking away from Luke and Percy, but she at least had the decency to be blushing as she stared.
When Percy finally broke the kiss, taking in a soft gasp of air as he did, he pressed his forehead against Luke's, eyes half-closed. He paid no mind to the lampades, didn't give it a second thought that he'd just thoroughly kissed Luke in front of a group of strangers, with Nico and Tayen also watching as they caught up. Luke definitely didn't seem to mind the exhibition, if the way he brought his hand up to cup Percy's face and pull him in for a second kiss was anything to judge by. This kiss lasted just as long, was just as deep and, according to the lampades that couldn't avert their gaze, just as hot.
"I told you not to follow me, Perce," Luke murmured when he broke the second kiss. His lips were barely a centimetre from Percy's, so they brushed against the younger demigod's lips as he spoke. "I didn't want you following me."
"I know," Percy replied. He knew that Luke felt that he had to do this, that the son of Hermes hadn't wanted Percy to come after him, to stop him. At the same time, Percy knew what the consequences could be and how those consequences could hurt Luke; he didn't want Luke hurt. "Luke, do you absolutely need to do this?"
Tayen opened her mouth from where she stood off to the side, ready to point out exactly what she'd been telling Percy during their whole journey through the Underworld - that Luke didn't need to regain his memories - but Nico placed a cool hand on her arm. The daughter of Hecate turned to the young son of Hades and Nico gave a shake of his head. This was not their place to speak.
Luke looked at Percy, blue-gold eyes searching pure sea-green ones for a long moment, as if just looking into Percy's eyes would provide the son of Hermes with the answers he needed. For being the son of the Lord of Words, Luke seemed to be at a complete loss for what to say. His fingers carded through the son of Poseidon's hair, thumb brushing over Percy's cheek as he held onto the younger demigod for a while.
Just as Luke was about to answer, it seemed, the lampade guards shifted, all of them turning to the mouth of the cavern, each of them lifting their left hand to rest over their chest. Luke, Percy, Nico and Tayen all followed the lampades' gaze to the cavern entrance and realized that the guards were paying respect to the woman who stepped through.
There was no doubt in any of their minds who she was. She radiated power, power older than that of the gods. Dressed in a tradition Greek peplos, vibrant green in color, the Titaness stepped barefoot from the cavern, her pale blue eyes focused on Luke and Percy. There was no natural wind in the Underworld, but her cascading red hair danced about her face. Though she was a deity older than the gods themselves, she didn't look much older than Luke.
"My lady." The lampade that had hushed her companion moments ago spoke up, looking to the Titaness. "This demigod had come to - "
"I am quite aware of why Luke Castellan has come here," the Titaness cut off the guard. She lifted one hand to dismiss the Underworld nymphs that acted as her guards. She padded over in silence, approaching Luke and Percy.
Luke released Percy from his grasp, turning to Mnemosyne, standing tall and strong in the face of the Titan goddess. Percy knew that Mnemosyne wouldn't harm them, could tell it from the soft kindness in the goddess' eyes. Even so, he reached out to grab the hem of Luke's shirt. Mnemosyne's eyes fell to the hand Percy had gripping the fabric of the son of Hermes' shirt for a brief moment before she stopped only a foot from Luke. She was a tall woman, but Luke was still taller than her, so she had to tilt her head up to meet the demigod's gaze.
"You have journeyed far, son of the Traveler," she said. Her voice was clear and strong as she addressed Luke. Percy could recognize her voice from the song that he had followed to find this place. "You seek Memory, to drink of the Pool and restore that which you have lost. "
Luke gave a nod. "There is too much that I'm missing," he replied. "Too much that I am unable to understand. I need to know the truth, know why my memories were taken away."
Mnemosyne didn't move, didn't break her gaze away from the son of Hermes' eyes. "You understand the dangers that can come from regaining memories that were locked away?" Before Luke could answer, she raised her hand for silence. "Wait, time runs short. The Pool will shift momentarily. Come with me to my garden, all of you."
The lampades gestured for the demigods to follow the Titaness to the cavern where her garden was. Luke moved first, pulling away from Percy's grip. The son of Poseidon stood where he was for a moment, watching Luke follow Mnemosyne into the cavern and it was only Nico's prodding that got Percy moving again. Tayen walked just after the two Big Three sons, with the lampade guards following her, carrying their torches as they brought up the rear of the group.
As they entered the cavern, Percy, Luke, Tayen and Nico could really see just how vast it was. The expanse spread at least the size of a football field and every inch of it was abundant with life - something that seemed so out of place in the realm of the dead. The Pool was the obvious focus of the garden, with all the plants around it only enhancing the silvery beauty of the Pool. A carefully laid stone path wove through the garden, across a small foot bridge over the Pool and to a stone gazebo overlooking the water.
"This place is beautiful," Tayen breathed, wandering over to one of the plants in the garden. Very gently, she brought her hand up to touch the deep burgundy petals of the flowers hanging from the branches. "I've never seen a plant like this."
"You wouldn't," Mnemosyne told her, a soft, sad tone in her voice. "That particular plant went extinct in your world in the late sixteenth century." The Titaness gestured around her. "All of these plants are the what is left of wild flora that has gone extinct on the mortal plane. I keep them here, in my Garden of Memories."
Percy was reminded, as Mnemosyne informed Tayen that the plants here were extinct, of the cave where he and his friends came face-to-face with the now faded God of the Wild, Pan. In that cave, Pan had had companions, animals that had long since disappeared on the mortal plane. Mnemosyne's garden was much like that; full of memories and shadows of that which mankind had lost long ago. Percy looked up to see the Titaness gazing at him, those pale blue eyes filled with a sort of sadness that gave the son of Poseidon the impression that Mnemosyne knew what he and his friends had witnessed in that subterranean cave.
She didn't say anything about it, though, which made Percy a little relieved. Instead, she gestured to the group to follow her along the path to the gazebo. The group fell silent as they moved through the garden, Percy following just beside Luke with Nico and Tayen behind them. The lampade guards remained at the cavern's entrance, none of them daring to step foot near the garden with their torches.
Inside the gazebo, there were seats along the walls and a round table in the center. Mnemosyne stepped around the table and sat down, signaling for the demigods to do the same. The moment they did, silver platters and goblets materialized in front of them, with seemingly fresh-prepared meals of fish, bread and cool cucumber slices. The goblets were filled with crystal-clear water, definitely not filled with the silvery water of the Pool.
Percy eyed the food as his stomach grumbled quietly. He, Tayen and Nico hadn't eaten since they'd left Camp Half-Blood almost two days ago, save for a couple of whole-grain bars that the daughter of Hecate had brought out of her belt bag in the morning. Of course, Luke probably hadn't eaten in a longer amount of time, having had a full day's head-start on them - though he might have packed some provisions for himself; none of them quite knew. The only thing keeping all of them from digging right in was the fact that they were in the Underworld and, as Nico had pointed out more than once during this journey, Underworld food would trap them here.
"You needn't worry about being stuck in the Underworld," Mnemosyne pointed out, a gentle smile over her lips. "This cavern is untouched by the laws of my nephew's realm. My food will not trap you here. Go ahead. Eat. I would be a horrible host if I did not give you the hospitality of a good meal."
Only somewhat skeptical, Percy picked up the fork on the side of his plate and speared a cucumber slice. He didn't mean to be ungrateful to the Titaness, but he just couldn't eat fish - not when fish everywhere looked to him with awe, being the son of Poseidon. Mnemosyne seemed to realize this and gave a snap of her fingers. The fish on Percy's plate was instantly replaced with lamb brisket.
"My apologies, Perseus Jackson," the Titaness said, giving a small, embarrassed smile.
"It's not a problem, really," Percy replied. He thanked Mnemosyne for the change anyways. He really was hungry and, after another short moment of hesitation, ate the cucumber slice he'd picked up. The son of Poseidon felt nothing strange after eating, but then, how did one tell if the food they ate bound them to a realm?
At any rate, Mnemosyne urged the others to eat and, not wanting to offend her, Luke, Tayen and Nico all followed Percy's example and started to eat. The Titaness of Memory ate her own meal, to be courteous, and, throughout the meal, no one said anything about Luke's self-appointed mission to come drink of the Pool of Memories. In fact, they actually ate in silence. Mnemosyne didn't seem to mind.
It was only when they were all done eating and the plates disappeared with a wave of Mnemosyne's hand that the Titaness spoke up.
"As I understand," she said, focusing her gaze on Luke, "you've already pieced together that your memories were washed clean by the waters of the Lethe. That is why you came here to me, yes?"
Luke nodded, blue-gold eyes focused on the ancient goddess sitting across the table from him. "I know that something in my past has been hidden from me," he replied. "Too much is missing. I don't know what is missing and I'm losing my mind trying to figure it out."
The son of Hermes closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall of the gazebo. For a moment, he didn't say anything else, didn't open his eyes, but finally, he let his eyes slip back open and his gaze swept over the other three demigods sitting around him. He lingered when his eyes fell on Percy and the son of Poseidon met the older man's gaze. Neither of them spoke, just took a long moment to look at each other.
Many times, Percy had looked at Luke and seen nothing but harsh anger in the son of Hermes' eyes. Even in the beginning, when they'd first met, Luke's eyes had been colder than many of those belonging the messenger god's children. That coldness had only gotten deeper after Luke had left the camp, after the confrontation between him and Percy, where Luke had denounced the gods, sent a pit scorpion after Percy and left him there to die.
Percy's hands fell under the table, where he ran his fingers over the scar on his hand. He caught the way Luke's gaze followed his hands under the table, the way the gold in Luke's irises seemed to dull and disappear as the older demigod watched him. Something in the way Luke looked at Percy again told the son of Poseidon that the blond man knew where that scar had come from, what had happened that Percy had received it. Somehow, Luke remembered it.
Luke finally tore his gaze from the younger demigod and focused again on Mnemosyne. "I need to know what was taken from me. I understand the dangers that come with drinking from your pool, Lady Mnemosyne, but it's something I must do."
Percy wanted to argue that Luke didn't need to do this. Wasn't it better that the son of Hermes didn't remember what had happened over the last four years? Those memories had been erased for a reason. What good would it do to get them back, when all gaining them would do was cause Luke pain? The son of Poseidon looked between Luke and Mnemosyne, then to Tayen, who had been Luke's closest confidant on the Titans' side. They'd come to stop Luke, to tell him that the memories didn't matter, when Luke had a second chance.
Before Percy could say anything, though, Mnemosyne gave a shake of her head, her long red hair swinging and falling over her pale shoulders.
"It's not necessary, Luke Castellan," she told the son of Hermes. She met the demigod's eyes again, a small smile curling over her lips. "I don't mean to say that you came here in vain, but drinking from the Pool of Memories is a dangerous choice when you already have another option."
That had all four of the demigods sitting around Mnemosyne pausing. Percy glanced at Luke again, before looking to Nico and Tayen. Both the son of Hades and the daughter of Hecate looked back at him with a shrug, neither of them really knowing what the Titaness was talking about. The only other option they had thought of was for Luke to just go on without his memories. What other option was there?
As if sensing the confusion amongst the demigods, Mnemosyne folded her fingers together, propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin over her hands. "Memories are never truly gone, even by the Lethe's power," she explained. "They can be restored by drinking of my Pool, yes, but there are other ways."
"What other ways?" Luke asked.
The Titaness smiled. "I think you've already pieced that together, too, Luke." She pulled her hands apart and, curling one fist under her chin, she waved her other hand towards Percy. "You know about the scar on Percy Jackson's hand, yes?"
Percy started, not expecting for Mnemosyne to know about that. He lifted his hand up, placing it palm up on the table, revealing the white almost star-burst shaped scar over the curve of his thumb. He caught Luke looking at it, pain in his eyes.
"I did that to him," Luke said, quietly. "I sent a pit scorpion after him. I tried to kill him. And I don't know why."
Mnemosyne nodded. "You remember doing that. You've already unlocked that memory, proving that there is, as I've said, another way. A safer way. For a living being to drink from the Pool of Memories is very dangerous. They can become trapped within their memories, lost in the past, and forget to move on towards their future."
That had Luke stopping. A child of Hermes was always one that favored freedom, abhorred being trapped. Percy knew that inherent dislike of being contained was part of why Luke had initially joined with the Titans. It was clear from the expression on Luke's face now that the idea of being trapped, even by his own memories, was not something Luke wanted to go through.
"Luke," Mnemosyne spoke up again. "Look around you. You have three people who came here to try to convince you that drinking from my Pool is not the path you need to take. These three have faced the same dangers of the Underworld as you have on their journey here, for your sake. Why do you suppose they did that?"
Luke looked to Percy, sitting near him, then to Tayen and Nico. "They know my past, just like everyone else at the camp does," he replied. He knew that there were a lot of people at Camp Half-Blood who knew his past, but none of them were saying anything to him. He asked questions and rarely got answers - even when he did get answers, they were vague. Something big had happened to him and he didn't know what it was, only that it had thrown the camp into chaos and no one was giving him the answers he needed. "And they're just as silent as the rest of them."
"There's a lot in the past that would hurt," Tayen spoke up. She'd been all but silent since they'd sat down in the gazebo, letting Mnemosyne speak to Luke and Luke speak to Mnemosyne. The daughter of Hecate had her arms crossed over her chest, one hand upright and toying with the bronze key pendant that turned into her weapon. "We can't tell you outright because of what the gods have decreed and even if we could, there is too much that could hurt you, Luke. None of us want that."
Percy gave a nod of agreement, as did Nico. The son of Hades might not know Luke nearly as well as Tayen or Percy did, but he understood the pain that came with regaining memories. Too often was he haunted by the memory he'd woken when he pushed for answers, the memory of a lightning-struck building and his mother's death. If anyone sitting in that gazebo could truly understand Luke and his need for the truth, it was Nico.
"If you continue to seek answers," the son of Hades told Luke, dark eyes focusing on the older demigod from where they were almost hidden under his long bangs, "you will not like what you find. You said that you're losing your mind trying to understand what you're missing, but finding the answers could very easily make you lose your mind that much faster."
Luke looked at the son of Hades for a moment, studying the young teen's face. He had only met Nico, to his knowledge, just this last year, but of all the people at Camp Half-Blood, Nico was one of the few who had been there for him when everyone else shunned him. The two of them had a rather tentative friendship, but there was a sense of understanding between them and Luke trusted Nico. After a long moment, Luke gave a nod.
"I'm aware of that," he said. There was a definite determination in the son of Hermes' voice. "I know the dangers. I know - " here, Luke paused and glanced at Percy, then to Tayen, " - that there are things in my past that can hurt me, things that I probably won't like. I just need to know the truth and I won't get it by doing nothing."
Now Luke turned back to Mnemosyne, steadfastly meeting the Titaness' gaze. "The safer way," he began. "Unlocking my own memories, right?" At Mnemosyne's nod, the son of Hermes continued, "If I chose to go the safer way, how long would it take?"
The Titaness thought about that for a moment. "Every case is different," she explained. Many mortal amnesiacs could unlock their memories, given time and help. There was no telling exactly how long it would take the son of Hermes to regain his memories, if he ever regained all of them. "However, you've already taken steps. You have an advantage to use. Your father, Hermes, is the god of connections, amongst other things. Use the connections you have, to those around you."
Luke considered that. It was clear from the way his brow crinkled and lips pulled down that he was working out what the Titaness was saying. Percy was sure that the older demigod knew what Mnemosyne was talking about - though it didn't make sense to him; then again, Percy was not the child of Hermes, so he didn't know all that much about the extent of what the Thief Lord's children were capable of. The son of Poseidon kept his eyes on Luke, waiting for Luke's answer.
However, if Luke had an answer, he didn't say it out loud. Mnemosyne, apparently, didn't need Luke to speak, as she gave a nod of understanding. She announced that she would extend her hospitality through the night and help the demigods return to the mortal plane in the morning. Leading them through the gardens again, this time, the Titaness took the quartet to a building in the back of the cavern - which was infinitely larger than it had appeared - and showed them to a room with four beds, where her guardians slept in alternating shifts. Mnemosyne told them all to get some sleep before disappearing into her own chambers.
Tayen and Nico, both being comfortable in the Underworld, were able to fall asleep easily, both of them out relatively quickly after crawling into the beds readied for them. Percy got into bed, but wound up laying awake, mind too busy to let him rest. He curled onto his side, eyes watching Luke as the son of Hermes paced around the room for a few minutes before going over to the window overlooking Mnemosyne's garden. As Percy watched, the son of Poseidon found himself really questioning what Luke's answer was.
Was Luke going to stick to this idea of letting the memories come back to him? What, exactly, had Mnemosyne meant about Hermes, Luke and connections? If Luke's memories came back, what would that mean for them? That question, above the others, stood out in Percy's mind. He could forgive Luke for the things that had happened. He'd seen, through Hestia and Hermes, through talking to May, what had happened to make Luke side with Kronos in the first place and, after finding everything out, had understood the older demigod much more.
It wasn't that Luke was entirely blameless, but it was clear to Percy that Luke had been used, manipulated and twisted by the Titan lord. He'd been left alone by a father who couldn't change his future, frightened away by a mother who was trapped in her own mind, pitied by fellow demigods who saw his first quest as a failure. His closest friend had died protecting him, his other close friend caught up in the excitement of having so many kids who were in the same situation as she was. Kronos had taken advantage of the downs in Luke's life and used them to bend the son of Hermes to his will.
Would everything that Luke had done with the Titans, everything he'd done against the Olympians, against the camp, against Percy, really affect any relationship that the two of them might have? Tayen had told Percy that Luke's biggest regret was hurting him, Luke already realized that he had hurt Percy and, if Mnemosyne was right and Luke could bring his own memories back, the son of Hermes would know of things worse than a pit scorpion.
"Percy, you're thinking too hard."
Luke's voice surprised the son of Poseidon, making Percy start in bed. He looked up and saw the older demigod standing in front of him, having moved over while Percy was deep in thought. Though the room was dark, light from the gardens outside filtered in through the decorative window, giving just enough light for Percy to see the son of Hermes. "Luke."
"Your nose scrunches up when you're thinking too hard," Luke told him, an amused smirk over his lips. He sat down on the edge of the younger demigod's bed as Percy moved to sit up. "You should be sleeping. We're going home tomorrow."
Something about the way Luke called it home, the way Luke said 'we're' made a warm feeling bubble up in Percy's chest. "Yeah," he said, letting his lips curl just slightly. Home sounded good. "We've been away long enough."
Luke nodded. "Bet everyone's wondering where you are. The great Percy Jackson doesn't just disappear without everyone noticing."
Percy's smile faltered now. Though Luke's words were said with a teasing tone, there was still an undertone of envy in the older demigod's voice. He wasn't sure what exactly Luke had been told about the war, since Percy preferred to avoid the subject like the plague - he'd lost too much during the war, too many friends. However, who didn't talk about how Percy had saved Olympus? Who didn't praise the son of Poseidon for his heroic actions? The gods themselves had offered him the honor of immortality for everything he'd done for them.
"I'm not so great," he told Luke. "Yeah, I saved the world, but so what? I lost a lot of friends, I'm always going to be that guy who saved Olympus and, after everything, I couldn't hold a relationship for more than a few months before realizing it wasn't going to work. And now I'm in love with you and I don't know how we're even going to work."
"Why wouldn't we?" Luke asked. The son of Hermes leaned in, bringing his hand up to cup Percy's cheek. His thumb stroked over the younger demigod's lips, keeping Percy from speaking. "You're in love with me, Perce. You know I'm in love with you. Whatever happened between us in the past doesn't matter now, right?"
Except that it does, Percy couldn't help thinking. Luke spoke of their past as if they hadn't been the worst of enemies in the middle of a monstrous war that threatened the very existence of their world. You don't even know how bad things really were.
He must have been thinking too hard again, because Luke realized that something was still on Percy's mind. The older demigod brought his free arm around Percy's waist and tugged the son of Poseidon over to him. Drawing the teen closer, Luke tangled his fingers in Percy's hair, then brought their lips together in a long, slow kiss. If his intention had been to get Percy to completely stop thinking, he certainly succeeded, as the younger demigod immediately relaxed in Luke's arms, bringing his own arms up to curl over the son of Hermes' shoulders.
Luke kept the kiss going for a while, holding Percy close to him, refusing to let go of the teen. He deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue through Percy's lips and exploring, prodding, tasting every inch of the son of Poseidon's mouth. It drew a soft moan from the younger demigod, who curled in closer to Luke on instinct, wanting more of that kiss, more of Luke's own warmth.
And then Luke's hand was slipping under Percy's shirt to rest over the small of the younger demigod's back, fingers brushing against a small spot that suddenly sent a jolt up Percy's spine, causing him to break the kiss with a gasp.
"Perce, are you alright?" Luke asked, concern in his voice and eyes as he grasped Percy's shoulders to keep him from pulling away.
"I...I'm fine..." Percy nodded. He was completely breathless, he was sure his lips were kiss-swollen and his back was tingling from the sudden touch to the only vulnerable point on his body. Eyes slipping shut, the son of Poseidon took a moment to let himself recover from that. It hadn't hurt or anything; the jolt that had coursed through his body at the touch had been quite pleasurable, actually. Just unexpected. Recalling the time that Annabeth had touched his Achilles' spot, Percy couldn't remember the touch having quite that effect.
Regaining his composure, Percy looked up at Luke, catching the concern in the older demigod's pure blue eyes. "I'm alright, Luke," he told the son of Hermes. He'd rather liked that sensation that had come to him with Luke's touch. Leaning back in towards the older demigod, Percy pressed his lips against Luke's again, this time briefly. "Though I think we both need to get some sleep."
Luke gave a nod, a smile curling over his lips. There was something devious about the smile on his lips though and he didn't make a move to leave Percy's bed. Instead, the son of Hermes wrapped his arms around the younger demigod and shifted so that he was laying down with Percy curled on top of him. "Sleep sounds good," he murmured. He pressed a brief kiss to Percy's temple. "I think I like your bed more, though."
Percy laughed softly, then nestled against Luke, reaching over and pulling the blankets over both of them. "Fair enough."
Author's Note: Things are far from finished, but I hope you guys continue to stick around. I know I'm horrible at updating on a regular basis, but I will keep working on this. Just be patient with me is all I ask! D: Hope you enjoyed this chapter, at least; I put in the kisses just for you guys!
Title: On the Fringe
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Eventual!Luke/Percy, past!Percy/Annabeth. Also some OC pairings, but those are very minor.
Warnings: AU, slash (m/m and f/f). Also, there's a handful of OCs, but most of them are camp counselors with minor roles.
Author's Note: This fic completely changes Luke's fate in The Last Olympian and will otherwise have spoilers. And if you bothered to look at the pairings and warnings, there will be slash, both with boys and girls, so if you don't like it, use your handy little back button right now. If you're still reading this, enjoy the fic.
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are copyright to Rick Riordan and if he had any idea what I'm doing with his characters, I'm sure he'd be out for my foolish mortal blood. I do, however, own the OCs.
Chapter Eight
It was probably the biggest surprise Luke had ever had in his life when he whirled around to see Percy, Nico and Tayen crossing the distance to catch up with him, the son of Poseidon at the head. Blue eyes widened in shock, mouth gaping open, the older demigod had no idea how to react; it was incredibly difficult to shock a child of Hermes and, Luke being the best of them, he was the hardest of all to catch off guards. However, it was clear that Luke Castellan was completely thrown for a loop when Percy Jackson ran up to him.
"Percy!" he exclaimed. "Gods damn it, I told you - "
Percy cut the son of Hermes off with a kiss, standing on his toes (Luke was a full four inches taller than he was, after all) and throwing his arms over the older demigod's shoulders as their lips crashed together, like waves breaking against the shore. It was enough to bring Luke to complete silence, no protest at all from the older demigod. Percy put every strong feeling he felt for the son of Hermes into the kiss, wanting Luke to understand how he felt. And, for a long minute, Luke's tension seemed to ease, body relaxing as he wrapped his arms around the son of Poseidon and started to kiss back, a similar need for understanding in the way Luke returned the kiss.
"That is so hot," one of the lampades murmured, unable to take her ghostly green eyes off the two demigods.
"Acantha, quiet!" another of the girls hissed. She, too, was having trouble looking away from Luke and Percy, but she at least had the decency to be blushing as she stared.
When Percy finally broke the kiss, taking in a soft gasp of air as he did, he pressed his forehead against Luke's, eyes half-closed. He paid no mind to the lampades, didn't give it a second thought that he'd just thoroughly kissed Luke in front of a group of strangers, with Nico and Tayen also watching as they caught up. Luke definitely didn't seem to mind the exhibition, if the way he brought his hand up to cup Percy's face and pull him in for a second kiss was anything to judge by. This kiss lasted just as long, was just as deep and, according to the lampades that couldn't avert their gaze, just as hot.
"I told you not to follow me, Perce," Luke murmured when he broke the second kiss. His lips were barely a centimetre from Percy's, so they brushed against the younger demigod's lips as he spoke. "I didn't want you following me."
"I know," Percy replied. He knew that Luke felt that he had to do this, that the son of Hermes hadn't wanted Percy to come after him, to stop him. At the same time, Percy knew what the consequences could be and how those consequences could hurt Luke; he didn't want Luke hurt. "Luke, do you absolutely need to do this?"
Tayen opened her mouth from where she stood off to the side, ready to point out exactly what she'd been telling Percy during their whole journey through the Underworld - that Luke didn't need to regain his memories - but Nico placed a cool hand on her arm. The daughter of Hecate turned to the young son of Hades and Nico gave a shake of his head. This was not their place to speak.
Luke looked at Percy, blue-gold eyes searching pure sea-green ones for a long moment, as if just looking into Percy's eyes would provide the son of Hermes with the answers he needed. For being the son of the Lord of Words, Luke seemed to be at a complete loss for what to say. His fingers carded through the son of Poseidon's hair, thumb brushing over Percy's cheek as he held onto the younger demigod for a while.
Just as Luke was about to answer, it seemed, the lampade guards shifted, all of them turning to the mouth of the cavern, each of them lifting their left hand to rest over their chest. Luke, Percy, Nico and Tayen all followed the lampades' gaze to the cavern entrance and realized that the guards were paying respect to the woman who stepped through.
There was no doubt in any of their minds who she was. She radiated power, power older than that of the gods. Dressed in a tradition Greek peplos, vibrant green in color, the Titaness stepped barefoot from the cavern, her pale blue eyes focused on Luke and Percy. There was no natural wind in the Underworld, but her cascading red hair danced about her face. Though she was a deity older than the gods themselves, she didn't look much older than Luke.
"My lady." The lampade that had hushed her companion moments ago spoke up, looking to the Titaness. "This demigod had come to - "
"I am quite aware of why Luke Castellan has come here," the Titaness cut off the guard. She lifted one hand to dismiss the Underworld nymphs that acted as her guards. She padded over in silence, approaching Luke and Percy.
Luke released Percy from his grasp, turning to Mnemosyne, standing tall and strong in the face of the Titan goddess. Percy knew that Mnemosyne wouldn't harm them, could tell it from the soft kindness in the goddess' eyes. Even so, he reached out to grab the hem of Luke's shirt. Mnemosyne's eyes fell to the hand Percy had gripping the fabric of the son of Hermes' shirt for a brief moment before she stopped only a foot from Luke. She was a tall woman, but Luke was still taller than her, so she had to tilt her head up to meet the demigod's gaze.
"You have journeyed far, son of the Traveler," she said. Her voice was clear and strong as she addressed Luke. Percy could recognize her voice from the song that he had followed to find this place. "You seek Memory, to drink of the Pool and restore that which you have lost. "
Luke gave a nod. "There is too much that I'm missing," he replied. "Too much that I am unable to understand. I need to know the truth, know why my memories were taken away."
Mnemosyne didn't move, didn't break her gaze away from the son of Hermes' eyes. "You understand the dangers that can come from regaining memories that were locked away?" Before Luke could answer, she raised her hand for silence. "Wait, time runs short. The Pool will shift momentarily. Come with me to my garden, all of you."
The lampades gestured for the demigods to follow the Titaness to the cavern where her garden was. Luke moved first, pulling away from Percy's grip. The son of Poseidon stood where he was for a moment, watching Luke follow Mnemosyne into the cavern and it was only Nico's prodding that got Percy moving again. Tayen walked just after the two Big Three sons, with the lampade guards following her, carrying their torches as they brought up the rear of the group.
As they entered the cavern, Percy, Luke, Tayen and Nico could really see just how vast it was. The expanse spread at least the size of a football field and every inch of it was abundant with life - something that seemed so out of place in the realm of the dead. The Pool was the obvious focus of the garden, with all the plants around it only enhancing the silvery beauty of the Pool. A carefully laid stone path wove through the garden, across a small foot bridge over the Pool and to a stone gazebo overlooking the water.
"This place is beautiful," Tayen breathed, wandering over to one of the plants in the garden. Very gently, she brought her hand up to touch the deep burgundy petals of the flowers hanging from the branches. "I've never seen a plant like this."
"You wouldn't," Mnemosyne told her, a soft, sad tone in her voice. "That particular plant went extinct in your world in the late sixteenth century." The Titaness gestured around her. "All of these plants are the what is left of wild flora that has gone extinct on the mortal plane. I keep them here, in my Garden of Memories."
Percy was reminded, as Mnemosyne informed Tayen that the plants here were extinct, of the cave where he and his friends came face-to-face with the now faded God of the Wild, Pan. In that cave, Pan had had companions, animals that had long since disappeared on the mortal plane. Mnemosyne's garden was much like that; full of memories and shadows of that which mankind had lost long ago. Percy looked up to see the Titaness gazing at him, those pale blue eyes filled with a sort of sadness that gave the son of Poseidon the impression that Mnemosyne knew what he and his friends had witnessed in that subterranean cave.
She didn't say anything about it, though, which made Percy a little relieved. Instead, she gestured to the group to follow her along the path to the gazebo. The group fell silent as they moved through the garden, Percy following just beside Luke with Nico and Tayen behind them. The lampade guards remained at the cavern's entrance, none of them daring to step foot near the garden with their torches.
Inside the gazebo, there were seats along the walls and a round table in the center. Mnemosyne stepped around the table and sat down, signaling for the demigods to do the same. The moment they did, silver platters and goblets materialized in front of them, with seemingly fresh-prepared meals of fish, bread and cool cucumber slices. The goblets were filled with crystal-clear water, definitely not filled with the silvery water of the Pool.
Percy eyed the food as his stomach grumbled quietly. He, Tayen and Nico hadn't eaten since they'd left Camp Half-Blood almost two days ago, save for a couple of whole-grain bars that the daughter of Hecate had brought out of her belt bag in the morning. Of course, Luke probably hadn't eaten in a longer amount of time, having had a full day's head-start on them - though he might have packed some provisions for himself; none of them quite knew. The only thing keeping all of them from digging right in was the fact that they were in the Underworld and, as Nico had pointed out more than once during this journey, Underworld food would trap them here.
"You needn't worry about being stuck in the Underworld," Mnemosyne pointed out, a gentle smile over her lips. "This cavern is untouched by the laws of my nephew's realm. My food will not trap you here. Go ahead. Eat. I would be a horrible host if I did not give you the hospitality of a good meal."
Only somewhat skeptical, Percy picked up the fork on the side of his plate and speared a cucumber slice. He didn't mean to be ungrateful to the Titaness, but he just couldn't eat fish - not when fish everywhere looked to him with awe, being the son of Poseidon. Mnemosyne seemed to realize this and gave a snap of her fingers. The fish on Percy's plate was instantly replaced with lamb brisket.
"My apologies, Perseus Jackson," the Titaness said, giving a small, embarrassed smile.
"It's not a problem, really," Percy replied. He thanked Mnemosyne for the change anyways. He really was hungry and, after another short moment of hesitation, ate the cucumber slice he'd picked up. The son of Poseidon felt nothing strange after eating, but then, how did one tell if the food they ate bound them to a realm?
At any rate, Mnemosyne urged the others to eat and, not wanting to offend her, Luke, Tayen and Nico all followed Percy's example and started to eat. The Titaness of Memory ate her own meal, to be courteous, and, throughout the meal, no one said anything about Luke's self-appointed mission to come drink of the Pool of Memories. In fact, they actually ate in silence. Mnemosyne didn't seem to mind.
It was only when they were all done eating and the plates disappeared with a wave of Mnemosyne's hand that the Titaness spoke up.
"As I understand," she said, focusing her gaze on Luke, "you've already pieced together that your memories were washed clean by the waters of the Lethe. That is why you came here to me, yes?"
Luke nodded, blue-gold eyes focused on the ancient goddess sitting across the table from him. "I know that something in my past has been hidden from me," he replied. "Too much is missing. I don't know what is missing and I'm losing my mind trying to figure it out."
The son of Hermes closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall of the gazebo. For a moment, he didn't say anything else, didn't open his eyes, but finally, he let his eyes slip back open and his gaze swept over the other three demigods sitting around him. He lingered when his eyes fell on Percy and the son of Poseidon met the older man's gaze. Neither of them spoke, just took a long moment to look at each other.
Many times, Percy had looked at Luke and seen nothing but harsh anger in the son of Hermes' eyes. Even in the beginning, when they'd first met, Luke's eyes had been colder than many of those belonging the messenger god's children. That coldness had only gotten deeper after Luke had left the camp, after the confrontation between him and Percy, where Luke had denounced the gods, sent a pit scorpion after Percy and left him there to die.
Percy's hands fell under the table, where he ran his fingers over the scar on his hand. He caught the way Luke's gaze followed his hands under the table, the way the gold in Luke's irises seemed to dull and disappear as the older demigod watched him. Something in the way Luke looked at Percy again told the son of Poseidon that the blond man knew where that scar had come from, what had happened that Percy had received it. Somehow, Luke remembered it.
Luke finally tore his gaze from the younger demigod and focused again on Mnemosyne. "I need to know what was taken from me. I understand the dangers that come with drinking from your pool, Lady Mnemosyne, but it's something I must do."
Percy wanted to argue that Luke didn't need to do this. Wasn't it better that the son of Hermes didn't remember what had happened over the last four years? Those memories had been erased for a reason. What good would it do to get them back, when all gaining them would do was cause Luke pain? The son of Poseidon looked between Luke and Mnemosyne, then to Tayen, who had been Luke's closest confidant on the Titans' side. They'd come to stop Luke, to tell him that the memories didn't matter, when Luke had a second chance.
Before Percy could say anything, though, Mnemosyne gave a shake of her head, her long red hair swinging and falling over her pale shoulders.
"It's not necessary, Luke Castellan," she told the son of Hermes. She met the demigod's eyes again, a small smile curling over her lips. "I don't mean to say that you came here in vain, but drinking from the Pool of Memories is a dangerous choice when you already have another option."
That had all four of the demigods sitting around Mnemosyne pausing. Percy glanced at Luke again, before looking to Nico and Tayen. Both the son of Hades and the daughter of Hecate looked back at him with a shrug, neither of them really knowing what the Titaness was talking about. The only other option they had thought of was for Luke to just go on without his memories. What other option was there?
As if sensing the confusion amongst the demigods, Mnemosyne folded her fingers together, propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin over her hands. "Memories are never truly gone, even by the Lethe's power," she explained. "They can be restored by drinking of my Pool, yes, but there are other ways."
"What other ways?" Luke asked.
The Titaness smiled. "I think you've already pieced that together, too, Luke." She pulled her hands apart and, curling one fist under her chin, she waved her other hand towards Percy. "You know about the scar on Percy Jackson's hand, yes?"
Percy started, not expecting for Mnemosyne to know about that. He lifted his hand up, placing it palm up on the table, revealing the white almost star-burst shaped scar over the curve of his thumb. He caught Luke looking at it, pain in his eyes.
"I did that to him," Luke said, quietly. "I sent a pit scorpion after him. I tried to kill him. And I don't know why."
Mnemosyne nodded. "You remember doing that. You've already unlocked that memory, proving that there is, as I've said, another way. A safer way. For a living being to drink from the Pool of Memories is very dangerous. They can become trapped within their memories, lost in the past, and forget to move on towards their future."
That had Luke stopping. A child of Hermes was always one that favored freedom, abhorred being trapped. Percy knew that inherent dislike of being contained was part of why Luke had initially joined with the Titans. It was clear from the expression on Luke's face now that the idea of being trapped, even by his own memories, was not something Luke wanted to go through.
"Luke," Mnemosyne spoke up again. "Look around you. You have three people who came here to try to convince you that drinking from my Pool is not the path you need to take. These three have faced the same dangers of the Underworld as you have on their journey here, for your sake. Why do you suppose they did that?"
Luke looked to Percy, sitting near him, then to Tayen and Nico. "They know my past, just like everyone else at the camp does," he replied. He knew that there were a lot of people at Camp Half-Blood who knew his past, but none of them were saying anything to him. He asked questions and rarely got answers - even when he did get answers, they were vague. Something big had happened to him and he didn't know what it was, only that it had thrown the camp into chaos and no one was giving him the answers he needed. "And they're just as silent as the rest of them."
"There's a lot in the past that would hurt," Tayen spoke up. She'd been all but silent since they'd sat down in the gazebo, letting Mnemosyne speak to Luke and Luke speak to Mnemosyne. The daughter of Hecate had her arms crossed over her chest, one hand upright and toying with the bronze key pendant that turned into her weapon. "We can't tell you outright because of what the gods have decreed and even if we could, there is too much that could hurt you, Luke. None of us want that."
Percy gave a nod of agreement, as did Nico. The son of Hades might not know Luke nearly as well as Tayen or Percy did, but he understood the pain that came with regaining memories. Too often was he haunted by the memory he'd woken when he pushed for answers, the memory of a lightning-struck building and his mother's death. If anyone sitting in that gazebo could truly understand Luke and his need for the truth, it was Nico.
"If you continue to seek answers," the son of Hades told Luke, dark eyes focusing on the older demigod from where they were almost hidden under his long bangs, "you will not like what you find. You said that you're losing your mind trying to understand what you're missing, but finding the answers could very easily make you lose your mind that much faster."
Luke looked at the son of Hades for a moment, studying the young teen's face. He had only met Nico, to his knowledge, just this last year, but of all the people at Camp Half-Blood, Nico was one of the few who had been there for him when everyone else shunned him. The two of them had a rather tentative friendship, but there was a sense of understanding between them and Luke trusted Nico. After a long moment, Luke gave a nod.
"I'm aware of that," he said. There was a definite determination in the son of Hermes' voice. "I know the dangers. I know - " here, Luke paused and glanced at Percy, then to Tayen, " - that there are things in my past that can hurt me, things that I probably won't like. I just need to know the truth and I won't get it by doing nothing."
Now Luke turned back to Mnemosyne, steadfastly meeting the Titaness' gaze. "The safer way," he began. "Unlocking my own memories, right?" At Mnemosyne's nod, the son of Hermes continued, "If I chose to go the safer way, how long would it take?"
The Titaness thought about that for a moment. "Every case is different," she explained. Many mortal amnesiacs could unlock their memories, given time and help. There was no telling exactly how long it would take the son of Hermes to regain his memories, if he ever regained all of them. "However, you've already taken steps. You have an advantage to use. Your father, Hermes, is the god of connections, amongst other things. Use the connections you have, to those around you."
Luke considered that. It was clear from the way his brow crinkled and lips pulled down that he was working out what the Titaness was saying. Percy was sure that the older demigod knew what Mnemosyne was talking about - though it didn't make sense to him; then again, Percy was not the child of Hermes, so he didn't know all that much about the extent of what the Thief Lord's children were capable of. The son of Poseidon kept his eyes on Luke, waiting for Luke's answer.
However, if Luke had an answer, he didn't say it out loud. Mnemosyne, apparently, didn't need Luke to speak, as she gave a nod of understanding. She announced that she would extend her hospitality through the night and help the demigods return to the mortal plane in the morning. Leading them through the gardens again, this time, the Titaness took the quartet to a building in the back of the cavern - which was infinitely larger than it had appeared - and showed them to a room with four beds, where her guardians slept in alternating shifts. Mnemosyne told them all to get some sleep before disappearing into her own chambers.
Tayen and Nico, both being comfortable in the Underworld, were able to fall asleep easily, both of them out relatively quickly after crawling into the beds readied for them. Percy got into bed, but wound up laying awake, mind too busy to let him rest. He curled onto his side, eyes watching Luke as the son of Hermes paced around the room for a few minutes before going over to the window overlooking Mnemosyne's garden. As Percy watched, the son of Poseidon found himself really questioning what Luke's answer was.
Was Luke going to stick to this idea of letting the memories come back to him? What, exactly, had Mnemosyne meant about Hermes, Luke and connections? If Luke's memories came back, what would that mean for them? That question, above the others, stood out in Percy's mind. He could forgive Luke for the things that had happened. He'd seen, through Hestia and Hermes, through talking to May, what had happened to make Luke side with Kronos in the first place and, after finding everything out, had understood the older demigod much more.
It wasn't that Luke was entirely blameless, but it was clear to Percy that Luke had been used, manipulated and twisted by the Titan lord. He'd been left alone by a father who couldn't change his future, frightened away by a mother who was trapped in her own mind, pitied by fellow demigods who saw his first quest as a failure. His closest friend had died protecting him, his other close friend caught up in the excitement of having so many kids who were in the same situation as she was. Kronos had taken advantage of the downs in Luke's life and used them to bend the son of Hermes to his will.
Would everything that Luke had done with the Titans, everything he'd done against the Olympians, against the camp, against Percy, really affect any relationship that the two of them might have? Tayen had told Percy that Luke's biggest regret was hurting him, Luke already realized that he had hurt Percy and, if Mnemosyne was right and Luke could bring his own memories back, the son of Hermes would know of things worse than a pit scorpion.
"Percy, you're thinking too hard."
Luke's voice surprised the son of Poseidon, making Percy start in bed. He looked up and saw the older demigod standing in front of him, having moved over while Percy was deep in thought. Though the room was dark, light from the gardens outside filtered in through the decorative window, giving just enough light for Percy to see the son of Hermes. "Luke."
"Your nose scrunches up when you're thinking too hard," Luke told him, an amused smirk over his lips. He sat down on the edge of the younger demigod's bed as Percy moved to sit up. "You should be sleeping. We're going home tomorrow."
Something about the way Luke called it home, the way Luke said 'we're' made a warm feeling bubble up in Percy's chest. "Yeah," he said, letting his lips curl just slightly. Home sounded good. "We've been away long enough."
Luke nodded. "Bet everyone's wondering where you are. The great Percy Jackson doesn't just disappear without everyone noticing."
Percy's smile faltered now. Though Luke's words were said with a teasing tone, there was still an undertone of envy in the older demigod's voice. He wasn't sure what exactly Luke had been told about the war, since Percy preferred to avoid the subject like the plague - he'd lost too much during the war, too many friends. However, who didn't talk about how Percy had saved Olympus? Who didn't praise the son of Poseidon for his heroic actions? The gods themselves had offered him the honor of immortality for everything he'd done for them.
"I'm not so great," he told Luke. "Yeah, I saved the world, but so what? I lost a lot of friends, I'm always going to be that guy who saved Olympus and, after everything, I couldn't hold a relationship for more than a few months before realizing it wasn't going to work. And now I'm in love with you and I don't know how we're even going to work."
"Why wouldn't we?" Luke asked. The son of Hermes leaned in, bringing his hand up to cup Percy's cheek. His thumb stroked over the younger demigod's lips, keeping Percy from speaking. "You're in love with me, Perce. You know I'm in love with you. Whatever happened between us in the past doesn't matter now, right?"
Except that it does, Percy couldn't help thinking. Luke spoke of their past as if they hadn't been the worst of enemies in the middle of a monstrous war that threatened the very existence of their world. You don't even know how bad things really were.
He must have been thinking too hard again, because Luke realized that something was still on Percy's mind. The older demigod brought his free arm around Percy's waist and tugged the son of Poseidon over to him. Drawing the teen closer, Luke tangled his fingers in Percy's hair, then brought their lips together in a long, slow kiss. If his intention had been to get Percy to completely stop thinking, he certainly succeeded, as the younger demigod immediately relaxed in Luke's arms, bringing his own arms up to curl over the son of Hermes' shoulders.
Luke kept the kiss going for a while, holding Percy close to him, refusing to let go of the teen. He deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue through Percy's lips and exploring, prodding, tasting every inch of the son of Poseidon's mouth. It drew a soft moan from the younger demigod, who curled in closer to Luke on instinct, wanting more of that kiss, more of Luke's own warmth.
And then Luke's hand was slipping under Percy's shirt to rest over the small of the younger demigod's back, fingers brushing against a small spot that suddenly sent a jolt up Percy's spine, causing him to break the kiss with a gasp.
"Perce, are you alright?" Luke asked, concern in his voice and eyes as he grasped Percy's shoulders to keep him from pulling away.
"I...I'm fine..." Percy nodded. He was completely breathless, he was sure his lips were kiss-swollen and his back was tingling from the sudden touch to the only vulnerable point on his body. Eyes slipping shut, the son of Poseidon took a moment to let himself recover from that. It hadn't hurt or anything; the jolt that had coursed through his body at the touch had been quite pleasurable, actually. Just unexpected. Recalling the time that Annabeth had touched his Achilles' spot, Percy couldn't remember the touch having quite that effect.
Regaining his composure, Percy looked up at Luke, catching the concern in the older demigod's pure blue eyes. "I'm alright, Luke," he told the son of Hermes. He'd rather liked that sensation that had come to him with Luke's touch. Leaning back in towards the older demigod, Percy pressed his lips against Luke's again, this time briefly. "Though I think we both need to get some sleep."
Luke gave a nod, a smile curling over his lips. There was something devious about the smile on his lips though and he didn't make a move to leave Percy's bed. Instead, the son of Hermes wrapped his arms around the younger demigod and shifted so that he was laying down with Percy curled on top of him. "Sleep sounds good," he murmured. He pressed a brief kiss to Percy's temple. "I think I like your bed more, though."
Percy laughed softly, then nestled against Luke, reaching over and pulling the blankets over both of them. "Fair enough."
Author's Note: Things are far from finished, but I hope you guys continue to stick around. I know I'm horrible at updating on a regular basis, but I will keep working on this. Just be patient with me is all I ask! D: Hope you enjoyed this chapter, at least; I put in the kisses just for you guys!