SOLACE IS A GIRL???

Wait, I'm a little lost. WHO is she?

One of my friends from camp.

Like the others, Piper, Jason, etc?

Yes...

But? I can feel a but coming.

But I'm a girl. And so are you.

What does this have to do with anything?

That blond... girl, my friend who is inside her is a boy.

Oooooooooohhhhhhhh, now I got it.

Oh, gods, poor Nico.

Why?

He and Solace are... close.

Reyna could see Nico completely still, not even blinking, just staring at the blond girl with shock.

***

Hazel looked lost: "But... HOW was this possible?"

"You mean Solace being a girl or us being here, whatever here is?"

"Well, both?"

Annabeth sat more rigid besides Percy.

"Well, Annie and I have a theory about it. Have any of you heard about the multiverse theory?"

The what?

No idea.

Everyone was looking at her, trying to find a way to say they didn't. Percy went first.

"Wise Girl, just explain it already. But please, make it simple, not with all those nerd words. Make it sounds like something I could understand"

And they're together? Really?

They work together better than anyone I have ever seen. Trust me, they're made for each other.

Annabeth rolled her eyes at Percy's wide smile, but started to explain.

"It's a theory that says our universe is not the only one. That there are thousands of thousands of thousands of other universes, where things happened different. Maybe in one of those universes, water is a poison to every specie that exists. Maybe in a universe Earth is inhabitaded by aliens, maybe Hitler won the war, or the Roman Empire never ended. Or dinosaurs became an intelligent species"

Percy interrupted: "Dino sapiens?"

Really?

They bring balance to each other.

They look opposites! Like hot and cold, day and night, positive and negative.

Exactly, positive and negative, so they kind of attract each other. They have enough in common so their relationship is solid, and enough differences to make it interesting.

I would like someone at least a little smart.

Percy is smarter than he looks, trust me.

Annabeth closed her eyes for a second and shook her head slightly, but otherwise, ignored him.

"We discussed and we think that maybe this is one of those universes, where things happened exactly the same, except here, the greek gods are just... legends. There are no monsters, they are just allegories. Maybe in one of this universes all of us exist, but had a gender swap, I don't know. But, apparently, in this world, only you had it, Will"

Reyna could see how Will was trying really hard to not loose his sanity.

"Yeah, but why ME? Why not, I don't know, Leo?"

Leo flexed his arm and kissed it smoothly.

"Because it wouldn't be fair. A female version of me would be too fabulous for anyone to handle"

God, he is...

I know.

Is he always like this?

Yes.

And you're friends with him???

Not THAT close friends. More like... acquainted.

Good, because I was ready to question your sanity.

Hazel was still confused.

"But I don't get it. In this theory, Nico and I should be dead"

Annabeth sighed and let her shoulders drop.

"Like I said, it's a theory, I don't have ALL the answers. Don't start, Percy"

Percy closed his mouth in a smirk and kissed Annabeth's head lightly.

"You're still my Wise Girl"

Will sat on a chair, with the elbows on knees, looking from one to another.

"HOW can I undo this?"

"Well, first let me finish. It's a shot in the dark, but I'm guessing everyone has a similar life with your... host. Annie has a father, step mother, two brothers and a distant mother, who only cares about knowledge. All of you noticed something familiar between you and your... host, right?"

We never talked about it.

We should?

Do you have an older sister and your father became obssessed with war until loose his sanity when you're little?

HOW did you know THAT???

I can see her point.

HOW did you know THAT???

Reyna could see everyone nodding their heads slowly, like it was against their will to admit it, even if just a little.

"Adding this to the physical resemblance, is not hard to see they are our mortal and normal versions on this world"

So, I'm you and you're me?

In different universes, yes, I think that's what she said.

"There's one thing I can't understand, Wise Girl"

Annabeth sighed and turned to look at her boyfriend.

"What is it, Percy?"

"Why are we here?"

"I already said, Percy, I don't know..."

"Sorry, not that. I'm not making myself clear. Why is Annie, Peter, John, etc, all on the same school?Why they all know each other, even if just by name? If we weren't demigods, I wouldn't have known you. If it weren't from the prophecy of seven, greeks and romans would never have met, so we'd never have befriended Jason, Reyna, Frank and Hazel. Maybe they wouldn't know themselves. Like Hazel said, she and Nico were supposed to be dead. And yet, all our versions are in the same decade, the same city, the same school, just like we're brought together by the prophecy. So the question is: why? What brought them together? What is waiting for them? Our challenge was the prophecy, what will be theirs?"

That was... I don't even know what to say. Surprising is not enough.

I told you he's smarter than he looks.