Chapter Text
From the time Persi first started praying to Artemis and leaving her offerings, ey started noticing things changing around em. It started with small things at first. Things that could be excused away as luck or coincidence if they happened on their own.
Persi didn't believe in coincidences though, and was far too observant not to connect those small things together. With each small change that ey noticed, Persi gave thanks and offerings to Artemis.
The biggest difference Persi noticed was that Smelly Gabe seemed less interested in giving em bruises. Not only that, but the bruises that were still given didn't hurt Persi, even in the moment of impact. Since there was no way the human monster would do that on his own, Persi deduced that Artemis was protecting em.
Learning more about Artemis led to learning about about other gods. Every piece of information about the gods and the divine that Persi found was soaked up like a sponge. When reading the information became too frustrating, the young information seeker prayed to Apollo to ask for help, since one of his domains is knowledge.
Since this seemed like a big thing to ask for, Persi felt like he had to sacrifice more for it. To a ten year old with very little, and even less treats, the biggest sacrifice ey could make was the last of eir blue jellybeans from the last time eir mom splurged on a treat.
With the jellybeans burning on the little flame from the candle, Persi nervously began speaking, "Lord Apollo, um…I'm not really sure if I'm doing this correctly. Or if you really want to listen to me. I know I'm just a kid, but I have a lot of what Mom calls Big Thoughts. I've been learning as much as I can about the gods, but I'm struggling to read and learn more. All of the letters and words go all wibbly and they make my head hurt. I know it's a lot to ask for, and I'm sorry to bother you in the first place, but will you accept my offering of the last of my jellybeans for a way to help me read better? I understand if its not possible, and thank you for listening to me either way. Love, Persi. Wait…that's not how its supposed to end. Sorry Lord Apollo."
The smell of a hot summer day filled the room and a small box, that had definitely not been there before, appeared on Persi's bed. Inside the box was a generic pair of glasses, a catalogue for different glasses, a box of contacts, and a note.
Before anything else, Persi said a sincere thank you to Apollo. Figuring the note would have important information about the rest of the stuff in the box, Persi decided to read that first. The note said that the glasses and contacts would adjust to eir eyes, with whatever prescription might be needed. The biggest thing they're would do though was to allow Persi to read without the struggles of dyslexia.
Looking through the catalogue, Persi decided on a pair of blue, seashell shaped glasses and tapped on the picture. The generic pair of glasses transformed into the frames ey chose.
Putting on the glasses, Persi reread the note ey struggled with earlier. Being able to read easily for the first time in eir life brought the child to tears with the overwhelming happiness ey felt. "Th-thank you so much Lord Apollo. I will use this gift well to learn everything i can."
The glasses helped Persi so much that ey were easily able to read and learn the materials. Between the glasses helping em read easily, and the choker with a pendant that was a bow made out of the moon, arrow pulled taut, Persi was able to flourish in school. It helped that Smelly Gabe seemed to be scared to come near Persi.
As Persi read more and more, one of the things ey decided to study was star maps. Being under the night sky had always felt peaceful to Persi, and ey wanted to learn to navigate with the stars as well as to be able to tell when something was different with them.
Growing up in different apartments in Seattle, it was hard to spend time outside at night. This was why ey climbed the fire escape any time ey could. Most people would only climb up on the fire escape at night if it was a clear night. Well, most people outside of Western Washington that is.
Persi loved the stars and when ey got to map them in eir mind and memorize them. Sometimes Persi danced while looking at the moon, dedicating the beautiful movements to Artemis. On the nights it was raining, Persi danced and laughed as much as ey dared. Dancing in the rain was eir favorite way to let go of any bad things that happened in the day. Sometimes the dancing turned into pretending to fight.
Having read books on different styles of fighting, Persi attempted to mimic the images and descriptions ey found. It wasn't long before patterns started making themselves known to Persi. On clear nights when the moon was out, ey were more fluid in dance. On nights with heavy rain, eir movements became more sharp and controlled.
Without even realizing ey were doing it, Persi had started training for life as a demigod. While studying about the ancient gods and the entire culture that went with them, Persi would frequently have dreams about the story ey were currently studying. Ey always thought eir imagination was the best.
In the couple of years after Persi first prayed to Artemis, ey had noticed a lot of changes in eir environment. These changes started with Smelly Gabe and rippled outward from there.
It had started with the hits ey received not hurting, but Smelly Gabe seemed to be favoring the spots on his body like he was injured. After receiving the necklace from Artemis, it seemed that Smelly Gabe forgot about Persi's existence. A couple months later, after receiving the special glasses from Apollo, Gabe's health started declining. It was a bit odd that he never went to the doctor though.
With all of the changes made, Persi was able to remain at the same school for the rest of elementary school instead of being expelled. Since ey weren't having trouble in school as much, or scared at home, Persi was able to actually make friends with some other kids. Until the middle of fifth grade, Persi only had two friends, Cambryn Fisher and Adiran Starliss.
October of Persi's fifth grade year brought a new addition to eir classroom. There was something about Leo Valdez that made Persi want to befriend him. The invitation for Leo to play with them at recess was the beginning of a lifelong bond.
After befriending Leo, the strange things Persi was used to kept getting stranger. All of the beings that had kept their distance since ey had prayed to Artemis the first time started getting close again. The weird part that they only started getting close when Leo was with Persi. It took several months for the beings to be close enough to be noticeable by Persi.
The reactions that each of Persi's friends had to the beings were different enough for em to notice and ask eir mom about it. Adiran had no reaction to them, which meant he likely couldn't see them at all. Cambryn's eyes kept lingering on them for just a smidge too long before they gave a tiny shake of their head and continued on. It was as though they were convincing themself that they were imagining things. Leo's reaction was the most concerning of all Persi's friends though.
Every movement from Leo when the beings were close, was as careful as Persi had been around Smelly Gabe. To Persi, it was obvious Leo was scared, even though he looked like he was used to hiding his fear. What happened to eir new friend to have him react that way?
On one of the days when it was just Persi and Leo hanging out at the skate park, Persi decided to ask about it. Tapping out rapid patterns on eir thigh, ey hesitantly asked, "Hey Leo?" Ey waited for Leo to look over and make to continue. "You see them too, don't you?"
The careful flick of eir eyes to the cyclops that had been watching them was enough to explain what he meant. Persi recognized the being from eir studies of the Greek Pantheon.
Everything in Leo froze at the question as his eyes widened in fear and something Persi couldn't decipher. Even without eir friend's tiny almost imperceptible nod, Persi would have known the answer.
Forcing eirself to stay calm and offer eir hand to Leo to help him up, Persi suggested they visit the creek down the street. As they walked to the creek, Persi silently prayed to Artemis and Apollo asking for a protected spot to talk to his friend.
With the warming of eir glasses and cooling of eir necklace, Persi knew there would be a safe place to talk to Leo. Crossing over the creek on the wooden foot bridge, Persi felt eir necklace, glasses, and jacket thrum with power, confirming the small clearing in the woods was the protected spot.
Sitting down on a rock at the edge of the creek and taking eir shoes off, Persi put eir feet in the water and invited Leo to join em. Like with the rain, ey felt calmer and more relaxed, while also having more energy with eir feet submerged in the water.
Though Leo didn't join em in putting his feet in the water, he still did come over to sit on the rock. His eyes kept darting around the clearing and past it into the trees, searching for threats.
"I know it will be hard to believe me, but I promise we are safe here. The reason we are safe here is also the reason I wanted to talk to you." Even though ey was trying to be reassuring, ey knew from experience that fear didn't work that way. "Are you okay with having a bit of a scary conversation?"
As Persi waited for Leo to answer, ey swirled eir feet in the water and watched the little whirlpool ey created. Ey might have been imagining it, but the water seemed yo be playing with em. Even while specifically trying not to notice, Persi couldn't saw Leo pull out the little mechanical parts he seemed to always have with him and start tinkering with them.
In the quiet between them as Leo thought through his answer, the sounds of the forest that had gone largely unnoticed up to that point filled the air. Birds called to each other as they flew through the trees. Mosquitoes buzzed around their heads while various critters ran and called out. The rustle of leaves from the wind and the smell of the air made it obvious it would start to rain soon.
The sharp intake of breath beside em told Persi that Leo was ready to give his answer, but Persi waited until he actually spoke to look at eir friend. Trembling hands and wide eyes told Persi that Leo was terrified to even talk about what he'd experienced.
"Mamá said" a sob broke off the rest of Leo's sentence. Making sure eir friend could see em moving, Persi slowly wrapped him in a hug, not pushing him to keep talking. Shaking with sobs, Leo curled closer to Persi and seemed to be trying to become as small and quiet as possible.
After about half an hour of them sitting like that, Leo sobbing and Persi holding him, the tears slowed and breath evened out. Somehow Persi's secret wish to not be covered in snot and tears came true and eir shoulder was dry when Leo lifted his head. Ey didn't think much of it, since weird things like that happened around em all the time.
"We don't have to talk about your Mamá right now Leo. Not if you aren't ready. I can tell you've had bad experiences with those beings we can see that other people can't. Would you like to learn what I know about them?" As ey spoke, eir voice bounced with barely contained excitement.
Slowly, the look in Leo's eyes changed from fear and sadness to curiosity and anticipation. The fear and sadness wasn't gone, just postponed, but that was enough for now. With a hesitant nod, Leo started tinkering with his spare parts again.
Starting with the basics, Persi gave a rundown of the Greek Pantheon and the beings associated with it. Ey spoke of the gods and goddesses, nature spirits, beings most considered monsters, and the legends of demigods of ancient times.
For a couple hours Persi told Leo what ey knew about the Greek Pantheon and answered his questions. As ey talked about eir prayers and worship of both Artemis and Apollo, the energy in the clearing around them started to grow in intensity.
Silver and Gold emerged from the surrounding trees, slowly solidifying into a man and a woman. The Silver Woman stepped forward and spoke.
"Hello Moonbeam."