Chapter Text
Everything was fine.
The war was over. Cronos was defeated. Luke was dead. Olympus still stood.
Everything. was. fine.
So why did Yoichi feel like he'd been crushed by a steamroller?
Everything was fine!
He sat by the camp lake, replaying the last few weeks in his head.
Luke.
Yoichi almost joined him.
Just thinking about it made him want to puke.
The prophecy, after all, didn't was about a son of the Big Three, "one of the oldest gods." Luke, son of Hermes.
Percy wasn't the hero.
Neither was Kaiser.
The demigods at camp had a tacit agreement not to talk about it. But it was practically useless, since everyone knew.
Michael Kaiser, son of Zeus, was manipulated (groomed) into joining Cronos' army, because the Titan believed Kaiser was the hero.
But the prophecy wasn't about him. Both parts, in fact.
No one knows exactly how, or why, but Kaiser simply had no involvement in it.
The gods wanted to punish Kaiser for working with Cronos, just like all the other demigods who did the same. But somehow—because he was Zeus's son, because he was only being manipulated, because he turned against Cronos in the end—he wasn't.
Some demigods didn't take this very well.
Thalia, in particular, didn't seem happy to see Kaiser again.
Obviously, he was still punished, and although Yoichi wasn't sure how, he knew he was.
At that moment, 3 days after the end of the war, Yoichi still hadn't seen him.
Yoichi thought of Ness.
Ness, the friendly and gentle Ness, who smiled even when he was angry.
Ness, who for some reason, was extremely loyal to Kaiser, even after he joined Cronos.
Ness was recovering in the infirmary at that very moment, due to a wound that ran from his shoulder to just above his waist—a cut.
A cut that Kaiser made.
Ness had many peculiarities. He was, in a way, different from the rest, from the other demigods.
Ness was the son of Hecate, goddess of magic. He always knew he was. But because she was a minor goddess, Ness still stayed in the Hermes cabin.
Yoichi never fully understood Ness.
He followed Kaiser almost like a puppy, doing everything the other commanded. When Kaiser went to Cronos's side, and Ness didn't follow, it was a surprise. A very pleasant surprise, but a surprise nonetheless.
At that time, without Kaiser, Yoichi thought he had finally begun to understand Ness.
Then, Ness said:
"Ja, I'm angry with Michael. But I simply can't help but 'forgave him. He's my best friend, after all. Whether he's with Cronos or not."
This was shortly after fighting Kaiser and receiving a permanent scar on his chest.
Yoichi would, in fact, never understand Ness.
But they were still friends. Technically.
According to Meguru, Ness' recovery was normal; he was just sleeping due to exhaustion from fighting a war.
Oh, Meguru.
How Yoichi loved Meguru.
His best friend and boyfriend, the sun in human form, the kindest being that ever existed in this universe.
Meguru Bachira, son of Apollo.
Many sons of Apollo died during the battle.
Meguru, who had almost none of Apollo's "god of cure" traits and was entirely "god of art," was helping in the infirmary.
Meguru looked into Yoichi's eyes.
"I... My siblings, Yoicchan. So many of 'em, Yo."
The funeral was quiet. Those who normally sang at funeral rites, the children of Apollo, were the ones being mourned.
Meguru was crying, embracing Yoichi, while the other touched his hair.
Looking to the side, he saw Charles Chevalier, Meguru's brother, with tears in his eyes, without his characteristic smile. Beside him was Ryuusei Shidou, also of Apollo. Seeing them so distraught was a sight Yoichi hoped, and wished, never see again. -
Meguru was better now, but Yoichi had the impression that he would never be the same again.
Just like Chigiri.
Gods, Chigiri.
He was so close to the Apollo cabin. Chigiri is one of the best archers in the camp, despite being a son of Aphrodite. (Well, now he's the best archer in the camp).
Chigiri hadn't been himself since Beckendorf' death.
Chigiri had Hephaestus's blessing. Nobody knows exactly why, though. He was very close to Beckendorf.
And Silena.
Silena Beauregard, Chigiri's sister.
Yoichi hadn't gone to visit Chigiri. He didn't knew if he wanted to.
Every time Yoichi saw Chigiri, he seemed completely desolate. And he was always by Nagi's side.
Nagi, son of Hypnos, who didn't seem to hesitate to give a deadly sight to anyone who looked slightly wrong at Chigiri.
Yoichi didn't judge him.
Otoya seemed to be the only one who wasn't affected.
(Obviously, Yoichi knew better. Otoya was ignoring his own feelings, ignoring his sadness. For a child of Dionysus, sadness is one of the worst plagues, and he didn't want to be swayed by it.)
Otoya stayed close to Chigiri, talking to him, seemingly try to cheer up the Aphrodite' son. Yoichi couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not.
And the Itoshi brothers—gods, the Itoshi brothers.
Rin didn't seem too affected. Not more than the rest of them, at least.
The only thing different from Sae's usual self was that he wasn't wearing his bangs tied back, leaving them loose. To others, it didn't seem like much. Knowing him? He was falling apart.
"Nii-chan is having nightmares 'bout me. About me dying, specifically. We're sleepin' in the same bed now, because if he wakes up from a dream about me dying and doesn't see me immediately, he freaks out." - Rin
They weren't at camp anymore. They had gone to visit their parents—their mortal parents. They had the same divine mother—Athena—and the same mortal father.
Yoichi could only hope they were fine.
"Hey! Isagi!"
Yoichi turned around—there he was, in all his glory, Percy Jackson.
Yoichi stood up from where he was on the sand and went over to him.
"Hey Percy, 'wassup?"
"Annabeth wanted to see you. They're buildin' 'ya cabin. From what I understood, it's going to be number 17. Nike, right?"
"Un, (うん) thanks for letting me know."
Percy nodded. Then, his expression darkened:
"Did you talk to Kaiser?"
Yoichi shook his head. "I haven't seen him since the battle."
Percy nodded. "I think it's unfair. Like—I'm not sayin' he should be exiled, he still helped us in the end."
Yoichi nodded.
"But… He helped Kronos. And Ness… I don't talk much to the guy, but Kaiser almost killed him."
"Ness forgave Kaiser." I didn't, and neither should you. He didn't say the last part.
"I know! But..." Percy huffed, running his hands through his hair, "sorry, Isagi. I'm still stressed with all of this."
"Normal. Ya' don't need to apologize."
" 'kay... Anyway, I'm going back home tomorrow. What 'bout you?"
"I'm going to help build my cabin. And keep my amazing boyfriend company. Maybe in a week, not sure. But soon, probably—my parents are worried sick."
His father and his stepmother—who, to be clear, Yoichi considered his mom. He says "stepmother" for other people to avoid confusion and unnecessary questions. But she raised him, and she was his okāsan.—but anyways: they knew Yoichi was a demigod. They always knew, actually. Saying they were "worried" was an understatement.
Percy chuckled. "Yeah, I understand. I think if I hadn't seen my mom after the battle, she would have forced her way into the camp."
Yoichi laughed. "Understandable. (また後で) Mataatode, Jackson." He said, heading towards the cabins.
"Later, Isagi." Percy said, waving.
Everything was fine.
It was only going to get better.