Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been normal, a normal trip with the four of them. Or, as normal as four demigods visiting Greece could get. Leo led them through the streets of Ithaca with a mischievous grin, as he always did. Percy could only smile and shake his head at his excitement. They had gone on this trip to celebrate the end of Percy and Annabeth's second year of College. It was Percy's idea, surprisingly enough. (At least, that's what Annabeth had said.) Leo arrived at a part of the town, spotting a statue. It looked strange and gave off an unsettling aura. As he got closer, his vision seemed to blur. Leo stumbled and gripped his head. He heard Percy call his name, but he lost consciousness before he could even see him. 

When he awoke, he was falling, falling at fast speeds. Which just reminded Leo of the time he was sent to Ogygia. He was sure he would die, but instead he landed on soft grass. He didn't feel like he was in much pain either. He didn't really want to get up. Of course, he was still quite disoriented from his fall. He slowly pulled himself off the ground. He met eyes with a man in a red bandanna, he had glasses and wore a strange outfit, too. Leo didn't pay it much mind. He was too focused on the fact that he is in a strange place, with a strange person, without Percy. Leo backed away with a small yelp.

"Where am I?" The man blinked and smiled brightly.

"Well..i'm not sure myself. I'm Polites!" He held out his hand for Leo, who took it reluctantly. Before Polites could help him up, another man emerged from the bushes.

"Polites, why did you run off.." The man trailed off as he spotted his friend with Leo. He ran over next to him, a worried look on his face.

"Who's this?" the man asked as he looked down at Leo. Well, he was still on the ground so he had to.

"Odysseus! I found him all alone out here! He seems injured." Leo's eyes widened at the name. Odysseus..Like the Greek Hero? That means this was one of his soon-to-be-dead crew mates. Odysseus seemed tense and looked over at Leo. Polites must have noticed and smiled slightly.

"You can relax, my friend." Leo looked between them before he attempted to stand. But instead of getting to his feet, he fell down on his face. He laughed at himself and held out an arm, lifting himself off the ground slightly.

"I'm Leo.." Polites wasted no time in helping him up. Odysseus still looked wary of him, but he let Polites take him with them as they explored the Island.

"Welcome!" An array of voices spoke up. Odysseus pulled out his sword and pointed at the furry creatures that emerged around them.

"Stay back!" Polites grasped his friends arm.

"My friend, greet the world with open arms.." Odysseus did not relax but lowered it sword the slightest bit.

"We're only here for food.."

"Food.." The creatures repeated his words.

"600 men are waiting for us to show our faces. If we don't get back safely, my men will set this place to blazes." A few of the creatures came forward with some fruit. It glowed a strange purple and made Leo's stomach flipped. Polites, on the other hand, smiled. Odysseus must have realized something was wrong because before Polites could take a bite, he slapped it out of his hands.

"Don't eat it! It's a lotus, it controls your mind!" Polites looked up at Odysseus with a slight frown before he kneeled down next to the Lotus eaters.

"Lotus eaters..Do you know where we can find other food to eat?" He smiled at them, showing that he meant no harm

"A Cave!" A few said simultaneously

"Scary cave." Another added quietly.

"A Cave! Where can we sail to find this cave?"

"East! that way!"

"Thank you!" Polites smiled over at Odysseus. "Let's head over to this cave, Ody!" Odysseus smiled slightly and nodded. He looked over to Leo.

"Polites would never forgive me if I just left you here..Come along." Leo shook his head, backing away slightly.

"I need to find my.." He stopped. Were gays accepted at this time in Greece? He better play it safe. "My friend..We got separated and I don't know where he is." Polites smiled and went to his side.

"We can help you find him! Come on!" Leo found himself smiling at Polites' optimism.

"Alright..Lead the way.." Leo followed the two back to the rest of their fleet before he headed off into the unknown. He knew he should have payed attention when they read the Odyssey in 5th grade. He knew this wouldn't end well.

Chapter Text

Percy didn't remember much of what happened. He had lost consciousness, and when he awoke, he was somewhere completely different. Well, Not exactly different. He seemed to still be on Ithaca, but the difference was the architecture. He chuckled to himself. Annabeth would be interested in this. That thought led him to another realization, where was Leo? Annabeth and Piper were also missing. He spotted someone walking nearby. She held a kind of aura, having a presence of leadership. She wore a flowing dress that reminded him of the art and statues in museums. he didn't really care at the moment, he needed to know where his boyfriend was. He ran over to her with wide eyes.

"Excuse me, ma'am! Where am I? Have you seen a boy around my age? Tanned skin, curly hair, a mischievous grin?" She looked taken aback. Was it because of how he addressed her? She finally cleared her throat and spoke.

"I'm sorry? I didn't understand that..Young man, you are not from around here, are you?" Ancient Greek. She spoke Ancient Greek. That was not a language many knew. Percy switched languages to match hers. (Being a demigod came with its perks sometimes.)

"Um..No..I'm not from around here." She once again looked shocked, somehow. Was it that strange to speak more than one language?

"Ah..So you speak our language..Though, I figured you weren't from around here before you spoke." The woman turned around and started walking away towards a palace. Or at least, Percy thought it was a palace. It looked different then the palaces in the modern day, but it still gave off the feeling of importance.

"So..Uh..Could you help me? I'm looking for someone!" She stopped in her steps and turned towards him.

"What a coincidence..I am waiting for someone.." She walked up to him and smiled slightly. "What did you say your name was?"

"I'm Percy..And you?" She smiled again.

"I'm Penelope..Queen of Ithaca." Percy gaped up at her. That means he was somehow back in time..Which meant Odysseus was still at sea, if he remembers correctly. Penelope was still waiting for Odysseus to come home. What if Leo was lost at sea? What is happening here? How did they end up here? He snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at her.

"Would you allow me to stay with you, your majesty? Or at least..Give me some help in finding my..friend." Penelope felt bad for him. Her eyes softened as she looked at him. She could tell by his eyes that he was worried for this person.

"You may stay with me on one condition." Percy straightened up and nodded.

"What do you need?"

"Protect my son..He is still young and..I am worried about him." Percy blinked. He was not expecting that to be her request. She continued speaking before he could answer. "You seem well versed in fighting and, at the least, can teach Telemachus to protect himself..But of course..It's your choice." Percy nodded and smiled slightly.

"I can do that, your majesty.." She smiled.

"You can just call me Penelope..I am not your Queen."

Chapter Text

Annabeth awoke on a beach. She couldn't figure out why, but it seemed almost..familiar. And it was almost immediately that she realized she was alone. Percy and Leo were nowhere in sight and Piper wasn't by her side. She stood up, brushing sand off of her jean shorts. She knew she should be cautious, especially with how familiar this place seemed. She approached a palace and froze. It looked familiar, like she had been here before. She recognized it shortly after. She was on Aeaea, the home of Circe. She took a step back from the palace, her head reeling. How did she get sent here? if she was here, where the others in trouble? She needed to find a way off this island. Suddenly, there was a hand on her shoulder.

"Hello there, young one." Annabeth jumped slightly and turned around to see her. Circe. She looked much different from the last time she saw her. Her auburn hair was tied in a braid that went down her back. Pink flowers were neatly dressing her hair and framing her face. Her pinkish gown flowed gently. Another strange thing was that Circe didn't seem to recognize her. "What's a mortal like you doing here?" 

"I..I lost consciousness and when I awoke..I was on your Island..I..I'm really sorry..I'm looking for my Girlfriend and.." Annabeth broke off her words and glanced away from Circe. Her intense gaze felt unsettling.

"You have no boat, I assume? That may be hard for you to leave, don't you think?" Annabeth deflated slightly and gripped her arms.

"If I could just craft a boat I could leave..I won't even have to bother you." Circe shook her head.

"I never said I wouldn't help you." Annabeth looked over her shoulder at Circe.

"What?" The sorcerer smiled and led her into the palace.

"Don't worry. I have a plan to help you find your girlfriend. But, it may take some time. Poseidon is not a merciful god, if you were to try and make a raft, he will not hesitate to drown you." Annabeth nodded and listened to Circe intently.

"Alright..What's your plan." Circe smiled and walked around.

"People often dock at this Island..We must wait for one to dock and then you can take the ship. Hopefully, you may find your way home that way." Annabeth opened her mouth to contradict her idea but closed it again. it wasn't ideal, but it was a pretty smart idea.

"That...Is actually smart..I may take a bit, but it shouldn't take too long." Circe chuckled.

"For now, you can stay with me and my Nymphs." Annabeth still felt a little unsettled with the idea, after her past experience on Circe's Island, but this Circe seemed different from the one she knew. Maybe things would turn out okay for her.

Chapter Text

When she awoke, Piper jumped to her feet and barred her dagger. She was alone on an Island. She let out a sigh and turned around. Piper was surprised to see that behind her there wasn't ocean, but sky. She leaned forward the slightest bit to look down. Yep. She was in the sky. Well that's just great, she only knew of one Island in the sky. She was in the home of Aeolus, the wind god. She sighed again, her shoulders deflating slightly. She was alone. Annabeth wasn't nearby and Leo and Percy were also missing. She looked forward again to see small wind-like creatures looking at her. As soon as she turned towards them, they started giggling.

"What?" Piper tilted her head in confusion. There was a voice somewhere nearby that interrupted her thoughts.

"Ahahah! Hello, little dove!" Piper jumped and turned around to see Aelous. This version of Aelous looked a lot different than the one she knew. They had a very child-like look to themself. They sat on a cloud as they flew around Piper. Piper was taken aback. Why did theygive her that nickname? Could they tell she was a child of Aphrodite? "I have never met a child of love, before! Tell me, little dove, what do you need?"

"Great wind god, Aeolus. I don't know how I got here..Could you help me find my friends?" Aelous smiled and turned upside down, hanging from their cloud.

"Oh, little dove! Of course I can! But how about a game first!" Piper was taken aback by the suggestion. They were really like a child, playful and fun. But she knew better than to piss of gods, so she decided to ask a question instead.

"A game?" They nodded, a big grin on their face.

"Yep! You see, my Winions can get lonely at times..And they wanted a new friend! So let's play a game!" Piper sighed and nodded.

"Alright..What game do you have in mind?" They let out another strange laugh and smiled.

"How about a game of tag! You can run around anywhere on the island, but can't get tagged by me or my Winions! If you can last long enough, I will help you!" Piper nodded, holding herself high.

"Alright. I'll play your game!" Aeolus giggled and smiled.

"I knew a child of love would be fun! Alright! I'll give you a head start!"

Chapter Text

When he stepped back on land again, Leo and the crew were heading to the cave. Only some of the men from Odysseus' ship came with them. The one Leo hated the most came as well. He couldn't even pronounce his name..It started with an E or something. It wasn't like the guy was unreasonable or anything, but he was overly cautious of Leo. What could he even do? Well, he had his fire, but they didn't know that! Plus, isn't the whole 'changing history' thing forbidden in time travel? That was, like, rule one of any time travel movie. Whatever, Leo didn't really want to kill anyone anyway. They entered the cave and were greeted with the sight of hundreds of sheep. Someone's arrow went flying, killing a sheep close to the entrance. Leo winced at the sound. That will definitely not cause problems later. He thought, sarcastically. But of course he had to be right. Suddenly, a booming voice spoke up.

"Who are you?" A giant cyclops came over to where they were. Some of the men seemed frightened by its presence. Odysseus was first to act, stepping into action.

"Hey there! We're just travelers. We come in peace." The cyclops, however, ignored him. He went over to the dead sheep, picking it up to look at it in his hands.

"You killed my sheep..My favorite sheep." Leo held back the remark that flashed through his head. Come on, you can't tell them apart! The cyclops seemed really distraught over that one sheep, how does he even tell them apart? Leo was hardly paying attention to what was happening, focusing on trying to find a way out instead. There was only one way out. They way they came in. When he looked over, Odysseus had given the Cyclops some wine. He must've said something nice because the cyclops looked somewhere content now. But of course, he wasn't fully satisfied.

"Stranger, what's your name?" 

"My name is Nobody." 

"Nobody, for your gift I've one to reply." Odysseus bowed slightly with a smile.

"I'm so glad we see eye to eye." He went over to his crew mates with a smile. It seemed they won the cyclops over. But of course, nothing ends up that perfectly.

"Yes, you shall be the final man to die." At that, Odysseus's smile dropped. He turned towards the cyclops.

"What?" The cyclops prepared to attack, The men moved out of the way, drawing their weapons. "Watch out!" Odysseus screamed to his men, He quickly came up with a plan, explaining it to his men. Leo didn't want to be the only one not helping. He looked around to make sure no one was looking and reached into his belt, pulling out a dagger. He probably shouldn't use his hammer, since that wasn't exactly a normal weapon of the time. He looked up at the cyclops, seeing him pull out a club. Leo's eyes widened as he saw where his aim was. Polites. The nicest of the crew members. He ran forward without thinking.

"POLITES!" He ran into him, causing the two of them to tumble out of the way. The cyclops did not look pleased that he missed and decided to kick Leo out of the way. He went flying into a wall at record speed. Leo dropped to the floor, coughing up blood. He looked up to see several other men getting slaughtered by the cyclops, but Polites was still alive. His mind felt fuzzy. He probably had a concussion, but he needed to help. He forced himself onto his feet and went over to help. Polites spotted him and grabbed him.

"Hey! You're injured! You shouldn't be fighting!" Leo looked up at him with sad eyes.

"But...I need to be useful.." Polites shook his head.

"You're no use to anyone if you're dead..What about the person you are looking for?" Leo nodded, he couldn't argue with Polites. The ground suddenly shook as the cyclops collapsed in front of the exit. Eurylochus and Polites were trying to get Odysseus attention, who hadn't moved for a long while. He snapped out of it and turned to his men.

"We must move quickly. We don't have much time. He didn't notice I mixed Lotus in his wine. Mark my words now, this is not the end." Eurylochus stepped forward.

"But captain..What will we do with our fallen friends?" Odysseus clenched his fists and looked down.

"Remember them. When the fire begins to fade. For the fallen and afraid. We are not to let them die in vain." Odysseus issued his orders, having his men carve the cyclops' club into a spear. Leo stayed with Polites, leaning on him. he watched as the men took the club and stabbed the cyclops through the eye. The beast awoke, pulling it out and crying out in pain. That's when they heard other voices.

"Who hurts you?" Leo tensed. This wasn't the only cyclops.

"There are more of them?" Eurylochus asked. As if it was a question. Thanks Captain Obvious. Odysseus turned to his men.

"Hide." he whispered out. The voices repeated their question.

"Who hurts you?"

"Captain, we should run." Eurylochus speaks up. They are hiding, why is he talking? Does he want them to be found?

"Wait.."

"Captain, please.."

"Wait.." That's when the cyclops responded.

"It was Nobody! Nobody hurt me!" Leo grinned. THIS he remembered from the Odyssey.

"If nobody hurt you, be silent." Odysseus turned back to them.

"Grab the sheep and away we go." They headed back to the ship, Odysseus paused for a moment, as if he had a thought. Wasn't there a god who mentored him? Leo couldn't quite remember. Polites came over to Leo.

"Let me wrap your injuries." He starts before he hears a yell from Odysseus.

"I am the infamous ODYSSEUS!" Leo winced. Yep..that's gonna come back to bite us later. He thought bitterly. He turned his attention back to Polites, letting him wrap his wounds. He heard Eurylochus whispered voice as he spoke to Odysseus. Well, more like he was trying to be quiet..of course, Eurylochus wasn't really quiet.

"Okay..We are ready to head off..But are we seriously taking that boy with us? He was hardly any help in a fight!"

"Eurylochus, please. He is of no harm to anyone."

"But that's an extra mouth to feed!" Odysseus crossed his arms and leveled him with a glare.

"Eurylochus, I have made my decision. Plus, he saved Polites. That should be reason enough to let him stay." Leo looked down at the ground. He saved Polites, sure, but he still felt bad. Like he was intruding. But whatever the case was, the ships all set out towards Ithaca. This was only the beginning.

Chapter Text

Percy followed Penelope back to the palace. It was vastly different from anything he had seen before. Marble floor and walls, beautiful pillars around the hallway. It was also giant inside, despite not looking that large. Penelope smiled slightly and turned to him.

"Telemachus should be nearby." As she spoke, a 13 year old boy appeared in front of them and smiled. He had brunette hair and a bit of jewelry decorating his neck and wrist. He had a small tooth-gap that just added to his charm.

"Hi, mom! Who's this?" Penelope chuckled and ruffled his hair. Her eyes were filled with love as she looked at her son, and Percy felt a pain in his chest. It reminded him of how he couldn't see his mother until he was out of this time period. Did his mother realize he was gone? How much time has passed in his time? He shook himself out of his thoughts, focusing on the present. Or, his current present.

"This is Percy. he's going to teach you how to use a sword." Telemachus looked at him with wide eyes, a bright smile scrawled across his face.

"Really?!" Percy chuckled and kneeled down next to him. It reminded him of Nico, before he became so emo.

"Really Really." He smiled at the prince's excitement. He stood back up and watched as Telemachus jumped up and down. Percy turned to Penelope.

"Are there any clothes I could borrow? I..kinda stand out.." Penelope chuckled and smiled.

"I'm sure some of my husband's clothes should fit." Penelope led him to a guest room and smiled.

"You can stay in this room. I will get you clothes to borrow." Percy Nodded and checked out the room. It was pretty nice for a guest room. The bed was large and soft, the decor was sparce but expensive. And the window had a gorgeous view of Ithaca.

"This room used to be Polites for whenever he visited." Percy jumped at the sound of the Queen's voice. He turned around and smiled.

"Who's Polites?" She smiled

"Well..He is Odysseus' best friend, and a close friend of mine, I suppose." She smiled at the thought and placed a chiton down on the bed.

"This is for you, it should be easy to fight in and light enough for you. I will get one of the servants to wash your clothes for you. Now, get some rest. Telemachus is excited for his first lesson." He smiled and bowed slightly.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Penelope." She chuckled.

"Of course, Percy."