Reyna's POV

There was a lot going on back at camp Half Blood. Figuring where to house everyone was going to be complicated along with taking care of the wounded. Despite all of this, Thia slept. She hadn't lasted more than a few minutes on Thalia's back before falling asleep.

Whatever had transpired had zapped every ounce of her energy. She was so far asleep that Thalia and I managed to tug her out of her bloodied and ruined clothes in order to put her into pajamas.

However, during this process I was floored by the long jagged scar that ran across her entire torso. From just above the hip her scar ran over her stomach and across her chest ending so it just peeked out from the collar of her shirt.

It was hard to look at knowing that she'd been injured so horribly and being reminded of it. As wonderful as it was having her back, I still couldn't shake the image of her lifeless body. For hours my worst nightmare had been true, though it was seemingly easy to move past, it wasn't. We'd lost her. We'd actually lost her and it was far more painful than I ever imagined.

A pain all to familiar and annoying flared up in my chest. The one that caused my entire body to go rigid and my breathing to be painfully shallow. Like dozens of needles were being systematically pushed into my heart.

Biting the inside of my cheek I leaned heavily on the wall my hand resting over my heart where I could feel the slight flutter create an irregular beat.

Thalia, bless her, knew immediately what was wrong. She was always so in tune with me. Her attention shifted from Thia to me in less than a millisecond. She shouldn't have been worrying over me, not when our daughter had just woken from the dead, but Thalia would smack me if she knew I'd thought such a thing.

"Easy." She gave me a tiny smile before carefully drawing me into her arms. "You need to rest too. There's been too much stress today."

She was right, and this pain would pass as it always did but it was a nuisance and there seemed to be no way of getting rid of it. I supposed that considering how long I'd lived and how many battles I'd fought I would come out damaged from it. It was only a matter of time. What I never thought was that I'd have someone as wonderful as her to support me.

"I'm good." The pain slowly faded after another minute or two and I was able to relax.

"Now, shower, and rest," Thalia said sternly, but there was a glint of humor in her eyes.

"Sure thing Mom," I teased. Thalia rolled her eyes and rested her hands on my cheeks pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"I mean it." And that she did. In truth, I was more than happy to curl up in bed and have a real excuse for doing so. It was rare I got the chance to. Thalia on the other hand left to go help with everything else going on. She was never one to sit still, especially if others needed her.

It was strange seeing Thia so peaceful as if nothing serious had happened a mere hour or so before. Still, she had changed so much and the more I studied her the more I realized how much she'd grown up within this last month or so.

She'd always appeared much younger than her actual age but that was no longer the case. Her features had grown sharper and much more distinct. The slight arch to her eyebrows had sharpened to mirror Thalia's giving Thia the similar appearance of constant amusement.

Her nose was more slender and the slight upturn at the end was more distinct, similar to mine and Hylla's. Her cheeks had lost the remaining indications of her youth, having slimmed to reveal a strong jawline. Once again, a spitting image of me according to Thalia.

She was one beautiful girl. Perfect in every regard. From her wild hair down to the scar that ran across her torso. Along with the way her eyebrows sometimes scrunched together when she was sleeping like some deep thought had penetrated her dreams.

There was a point where she woke for the briefest of moments and I was surprised to see very faint specks of blue in her brown eyes. A smile flickered across her face before she snuggled closer and fell asleep once more.

We slept well into the evening and when I woke I was surprised to see Thalia perched on the side of the bed fingers running gently through Thia's hair while her other hand traced small shapes on my hand.

"Sleeping beauty awakes," she smiled. Thia groaned stirring ever so slightly before waking up and seeming very displeased about it.

The evening was spent with Thia explaining to us all that had happened. The details swarmed around in my head but what I really felt was immense pride. She started from the beginning, the early parts of the quest and the complications.

When she spoke of Andy her voice went flat and I saw tears brimming in her eyes. "I just started liking him. He didn't seem so guarded like he normally did. And then he died...and there was so much more I could have known about him."

Thalia sighed, seeming to understand perfectly what that felt like. "Sometimes there's nothing you can do about it but I'm sure he's more than thankful you gave him a proper burial and I can't say how proud I am of you for that. A lot of demigods aren't that lucky."

"I used to hate when he called me 'kid'." Thia sniffled. "I wouldn't mind it so much now."

She collected herself and continued on with the story and how she stumbled upon the ruined temple of Order and what transpired there. How she was discovered by Robin Hood. It was a lot to take in and process, especially what she described happening while she had died.

"It was terrifying. I never thought there was so much pain in the world I...there's so many bad people." Thia swallowed hard and I could identify the very beginnings of an anxiety attack coming on.

"Hey, don't think about everything at once. Break it down into small chunks remember? No need to be overwhelmed," I encouraged. She nodded, raking a few shaky breaths and giving me a thankful look.

"But there's a lot of good too and I have to keep telling myself that." Thia paused for a moment. "That it's how the world works. There's never going to be one without the other. There just has to be balance. Order. That's my job. I have to make sure the scales don't tip."

She was so wise, so young, but so brilliant. She was able to have so much hope even after all of this.

"Hold up. So my daughter is Jesus?" Thalia asked in confusion.

"No." Thia laughed. "In a way I suppose, but not really." 

"So you're half Jesus?" Thalia asked, glancing between the two of us looking for an answer.

"No Mama," Thia laughed, shaking her head. "I'm just me, only I'm part of him. In a way, I'm sort of like a piece of him that's been passed down through dozens of other people before me. Reborn and very much different from those before me but still guided by their experiences."

Thalia sat there for a long time until a look of understanding passed over her face. "Okay, I get it now."

Once Thia had shared her story with us she decided it would be best to share it during dinner at the pavilion. Hundreds of people looked on as she stood on the steps Chiron had occupied many times before her.

There were questions which she answered as best as she could and there were oohs and ahhs, but there was a lot of pride too. Jason and Jaxon looked ecstatic for Thia and her success. The two were practically bouncing in their seats. Maria boasted that her cousin was amazing earning laughs from Grey who agreed. Sol smoldered on occasion during the exciting parts of the story. So much so that Calypso had to remind her to calm down before she spontaneously combusted.

What really made me smile was Thia's humility and humbleness. The pavilion was eager to celebrate her heroism but Thia politely declined.

"I didn't do any of this one my own. In truth I don't think anyone can do anything alone." There was a murmur of agreement. "One of my friends isn't here at the moment. He didn't make it. His name was Andy, son of Venus. At first I didn't like him much. Admittedly, he grated on my nerves. He made me feel small and lackluster but I learned a bit about him and I realized he was just as guarded as I was. He was broken like a good majority of us. I saved his life more than once and he thanked me. It was really the first time he seemed sincere about anything. After that it was like we finally regarded each other as friends not polar opposites stuck on a quest together. He was like a brother to me. He believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. I wish I had gotten more of a chance to know him. I'm sure he would have done some pretty amazing things."

There was a silence that fell over everyone and it was something I'd seen a few times before. Though a majority of them didn't know Andy, they grieved for their fellow demigod. It could easily have been anyone else.

"Then there's Leah." Thia's expression shifted slightly and she glanced over to where Leah sat at the Hermes table not exactly belonging anywhere else. "You can come up here if ya want."

Leah hesitated but her table mates were eager to celebrate her success and shoved her towards the steps. Leah stood awkwardly next to Thia not used to such attention.

"Leah is really the only reason I finished my quest. She's braver than pretty much anyone I know. She charged into battle without second thought to clear a path so I could confront Chaos. But even before that she was kind and smart. Far more than she gives herself credit for. So, if you're going to celebrate anyone, celebrate Leah." Thia glanced at her friend who was trying to avidly protest such an idea.

"No you don't-"

"Leah is a legacy. A lot of people think legacies are useless and not real demigods. In fact, years ago in New Rome individuals attempted to wipe them out. At the time many people believed legacies were useless but they have some of the most heart I've ever seen. Powers or not, they're willing to do what the rest of us are. I had my destiny sealed in stone but Leah didn't. She was strong on her own, and I was strong because I had help." Thia turned to Leah and gave a tiny smile before walking down the steps. "If you take my word for it, Leah you are the Guardian of Life, protector of the world, defeater of Chaos, ally of Order, embodiment of justice, and...a legacy."

The entire camp exploded in shouts and cheers of triumph and celebration. Thia quietly slunk through the crowd to where Thalia and I stood clapping. She stepped up next to me and tucked her hands in her jean pockets.

"You're wonderful at making speeches," I smiled.

"What can I say? It's genetics." She smiled, leaning into my side as I wrapped an arm tightly around her shoulders.

"Mama says you might need to step back from your praetor position. She says it'll help with your heart." Thia spoke loudly trying to be heard over the crowd.

"I need a replacement and a good one," I explained.

"I think I found the right person for the job." Thia smiled.

"Yeah me too," I laughed ruffling her hair. "When should we tell her?"

"When this mess is over," Thia decided.

"You think she'll accept?" I asked

"Definitely," Thia nodded. "Besides, who doesn't love a purple cape?"

---

And accept she did. It was a grand time in New Rome upon everyone's return. There was Frank, Hazel, and Emily who all wanted to know what had happened despite what they themselves had experienced.

Though it was bittersweet stepping back from my position at least I knew Thia approved. Thalia was right though, I'd run myself into the ground for far to long. It was time to turn the reigns over to someone much younger in a sense. Leah adapted beautifully. She had a natural sense of leadership and wasn't afraid to ask for help.

Though, Thia and Leah had some drastic adjusting to do. Neither of them had experienced the hero complex before. People who'd never talked to them wanted to be friends and they had to somehow swim through this newfound popularity.

School continued on for them which was also a new adjustment. There was a lot they'd missed and had to learn in a short period of time. Sadly. what animosity there had been against Thia before only worsened and there were times I could tell it was taking its toll on her.

In the first month that followed our success in the battle things didn't fit into a rhythm. As it turned out, Thia was suffering a lot more than any of us originally suspected. Most nights she hardly slept. Some of the most horrendous nightmares I'd heard of kept her awake. Still, she was sweet as ever and went on her way.

But there was a saddened aura about her that only strengthened. It took Thalia and I a long time to really learn why. Thia always seemed happy, especially when Leah was over. That was, until Leah started coming over with a boy, who later became her boyfriend.

He seemed like a decent kid but Thia was always a much better judge of character and she was turned off by him immediately. Leah seemed happy though. She had someone to help and support her in her transition into the leadership role of camp. That was always a welcome help. It made my early days as praetor much easier having Jason by my side.

However, the change in Thia's behavior sparked my curiosity and I began to pay closer attention. Certain times I was nearby the school when the kids got out. Thia typically waited under a tree until Leah and her boyfriend, who I learned was named Tyler, joined her.

Thia would take Leah's bag and sling it over her shoulder before Tyler dumped his bag on her as well. Leah would hop onto his back and the two would walk just ahead of Thia. She didn't seem like she minded so much as she walked quietly behind them.

There were other times too that I noticed her quietness. This solemn air about her. Times when the three of them were crowded in our living room doing homework or talking about praetor duties. Thia would listen and observe from the corner of her eye as the two interacted.

Things were very different when it was simply Leah and Thia. The two often slept over with one another whether it was our house, or Leah's. They would talk well into the night and do silly things. Thia who had never been into nail polish or hair and makeup would, on occasion, give Leah the pleasure of painting her nails black.

There was one time I stumbled upon them sitting on the floor in the bathroom. In pajamas, damp hair twisted up into towels from showering, laughing as Leah tried to paint Thia's nails.

But for every happy occurrence there was a let down. On an evening where it rained, as the kids walked home from school, Thia gladly passed her umbrella over to Tyler and Leah. She made her way happily through the water leaping into puddles and having a good time.

Leah seeing the fun of it had joined in for a brief moment before Tyler wrapped an arm around her and tucked her into his side. It was really the first time my eyes were opened to much smaller gestures between the two.

As a present one day, Leah had stopped by and given Thia a gift. It was a Polaroid camera.

"My parents were getting rid of it. I figured I had no use for it but you seem to like admiring things so I figured you'd put it to good use. You're the one always telling me that you want to capture certain moments like the time where the sun hit the tree just right, up by the school." Thia had thanked her profusely, the excitement clear in her eyes.

In truth, Thia needed a distraction. The mental scarring of her ordeals was deep, but thankfully it hadn't worsened. Though the nightmares were bad, and on certain occasions you could find her staring off into space like she was in another world entirely, Thia was still Thia.

So that's what they did on certain days when Leah was over. They would take pictures. Silly things mostly, but there were a few that stood out to me. Thia taped the good ones to her wall.

When she was off to school one day I decided to admire some of the shots. They were good but the really beautiful ones only had a single focus and that was Leah.

A shot of her with a smile on her face down in the punk club Thia thought Thalia and I didn't know about. Or the one where Leah was completely oblivious to the fact that Thia had taken the shot. I started to wonder and things began to make sense to me even if they didn't for Thia. At least not yet.

She would grow on her own. One thing I knew however, was that quests had a way of bringing people together. It's hard to ignore life bonding events. I supposed that's what made her so susceptible to an almost nostalgic feeling.

It was no longer the two of them. Unlike Andy who'd been part of their group previously, Tyler was an unwelcome third member and as Thia observed, I observed because it was my duty. I was her mother after all and I needed to understand things from her point of view.

It became clear to me more and more as I caught sight of their interactions that Tyler was pleased to simply have a hero as his girlfriend. Leah on the other hand, was so desperate to feel some form of acceptance because her family didn't provide it that she was head over heels for him.

She didn't seem to notice the constant arm that would wrap around her shoulders or the conversation that always reverted back to her titles and status as a hero, a legend, and a praetor.

Such things continued for a month since the battle until an invitation had been sent to both camps requesting an invitation to Olympus for the annual celebration of victory. It was something that had started maybe five years ago. A way to relent the fallen and celebrate the victory of the Titan and Giant Wars. I assumed it now included Chaos' war.

Thia had been too young and preoccupied to go before but she seemed genuinely interested now that she was old enough to appreciate it. It didn't help her cousin's were going. They could get into some pretty incredible trouble together. What better opportunity to fool around than during an Olympian and demigod party?

Still, it wasn't something one really denied. So Thalia and I were forced to pull together decent outfits for ourselves to wear. We weren't the type to go all out for such events but we couldn't look as though we hadn't given a decent attempt at dressing for the occasion.

The best part of all was watching Thalia help Thia get ready. Thia wasn't the dress type and thus Thalia had gladly pulled something from the deep dark corners of her closet. It looked stunning on Thia.

A suit that mimicked ones from the days of early rock and roll. Like Thia was preparing to perform on stage and completely own it. She seemed comfortable in it too which was all the better.

"Who knew my spastic little girl could clean up so nicely?" I'd asked, straightening the suit jacket.

"I didn't know either." Thia laughed, and in that moment I saw just how grown up she really was.

"You ready to go? First Olympic party." Thalia smiled, walking past and patting Thia lightly on the rear. Thia jumped slightly and laughed.

"Yeah I'm ready. Can't wait to see what it's like. And everyone's going. Maria, Emily, Grey, Sol and Jaxon are all gonna be there. Leah too, and Aunt Hylla, and everyone!" Thia's old rambunctious excitement was glaringly obvious and it was good to see.

"Yep," I smiled, fixing her hair. "Now, to get to the Empire State Building."