Who: Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase and Thalia Grace What: Using the Fleece to turn Thalia back When: Backdated: Mid September Where: Annabeth and Thalia's apartment Rating/Warnings: Family Friendly Status: Started in docs; to finish in comments
Regardless of how long it had been, Percy still found it a little hard to believe that Thalia was a tree. After all, people didn’t just turn into trees. Unless they just so happened to be one in their dreams apparently. Seriously, still extremely hard to believe. However, thanks to his dreams, Percy was pretty sure he knew how to turn her back into a girl; at least he hoped he did. He had woken up that morning to find the Golden Fleece that he had managed to retrieve, laying over his desk chair. In the dreams, after taking care of Polyphemus and getting the fleece, he and his friends had returned to Camp Half-Blood where it was assumed the fleece would heal Thalia’s tree, but it had actually revived her and Percy was hoping it worked in the waking world as well.
He’d called Annabeth to let her know about the fleece then had gotten dressed and headed out to her and Thalia’s apartment to see if this crazy theory would pan out.
---
Having a roommate that was a tree wasn't the best thing. And honestly, it was stressing her out. She needed to help turn her back, and she was at a loss. So, when Percy called to tell her that he might have figured out a way to turn her back, she had jumped at the chance to figure it out.
She had been pacing the floors while she waited for him. This had to work. It was too important not to work. Annabeth had promised Thalia she would figure this out. And she was so grateful that she had Percy to help her with this.
The door was opened before he could even knock and she quickly ushered him in. “This has to work, Percy. She can't stay a tree!” This had clearly been overwhelming her.
---
Percy knew how stressful this had been for Annabeth the last few weeks and he really hoped that this would work, “If it worked in the dreams, it should work here.” He hoped anyway. It made the most sense after all and besides, if it wasn’t going to work, why would the dreams give him the fleece right when he needed it?
---
Annabeth liked his confidence. At this point, she was glad to have something else to try. Maybe he was right. Maybe this would work because it had in the dreams. “So, what do we do?” She asked with a tilt of her head and an anxious glance towards Percy. “I haven't dreamed this far ahead yet.” And because of that she didn't quite know how it all worked. “It's not going to be hard to do, is it? Will she remember any of this?”
--
“We just put the fleece on the tree. It should work pretty much right away,” Percy said, setting his backpack down, which he’d brought the fleece over in and unzipped it, “Do you wanna do it?” He figured that since Annabeth knew Thalia better and was closest to her in the dreams, it might make her feel better if she was the one who ended up turning Thalia back. Taking the fleece out of his bag, he held it out to Annabeth, waiting to see if she’d take it.
--
“Alright. If you say so,” she said as she stared at Thalia’s tree. Turning to look at Percy, she nodded. He was right to think that it would make her feel better. Despite the fact that in this world they weren't nearly as close as their dream selves, Annabeth couldn't help but feel like she was connected to Thalia. Reaching out, she gently took the fleece from Percy. This was it. It had to work. Without anymore hesitation she placed the fleece onto the dream and held her breath.
--
Consciousness came back in dribs and drabs - or maybe she wasn’t ever unconscious in the first place. Thalia was aware of...things. Of the passage of time - that time had passed - of the presence and murmur of people around her, although she couldn’t tell who it was or what they were saying. Of the light and the darkness and the warmth and the cold and the reaching, reaching for the sun.
Sound came first, the low murmur of noise coalescing into distinct voices and words. Then it was feeling: stiffness and discomfort even with the soft carpet underneath her. And then, finally, she opened her eyes.
“What…” The word came out in a croak; speech hadn’t yet returned. She looked different, too, her long hair cropped into short, dark spikes. And on her wrist was a bracelet she’d never worn before.
Groggily, she pushed herself up. “What happened?”
--
Percy had been expecting it, but actually seeing it was so much crazier. After all, in the dreams it hadn’t been the whole tree that had turned back into Thalia, but here, in the waking world, it would be weird if a tree remained in the middle of the apartment. As Thalia spoke, Percy crouched down beside her; he would have tried to help her up, but having been a tree for a while, he wondered if her legs were stiff or wobbly. “You were a tree. We used the Golden Fleece to turn you back.” He glanced up at Annabeth to see her reaction to all of this.
--
Annabeth let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Watching the whole thing happen in front of her was surreal. She hadn't dreamed about it yet, but it still felt like a dream. Her eyes shifted to stare at Percy and then back to Thalia. Annabeth sunk down to her knees and rested her hands against her thighs. “I didn't think you'd really become a tree, but it's true. If it wasn't for Percy I'm not sure how long you would've stayed a tree.” Because so far, nothing else had worked. “How do you feel?”
--
Given how weak and stiff she felt at the moment, Thalia didn't even bother trying to stand. She managed sitting, and that was enough.
“Gods, I-”
She shook her head, memories of her dream still fresh and vivid in her mind. In that moment, she felt like Thalia, daughter of Zeus, who had sacrificed herself to save her friends.
But then reality started to seep in, and she looked up to see college-aged Annabeth, rather than the little girl she'd been ready to die for.
“I was seriously a tree?” She stared at the destruction wrought in the living room by the tree roots. “How long was I a tree?”
***
Percy nodded, “Yeah and let me tell you, seeing a tree in the middle of an apartment is really weird. Not sure how Annabeth would have explained that one to your landlord if this hadn’t worked.” He glanced from Thalia to Annabeth then back, “Um...two weeks? Something like that?” He glanced back at Annabeth for her to confirm or deny the length of time. Sometimes the dreams caused him to get time confused, but he was pretty sure he was right this time.
--
“Seriously a tree. It was definitely a shock to wake up to. And not easily explainable to people.” And that was probably putting it mildly. “Two weeks is about right. It felt like a lot longer than that, though.” Mostly because Annabeth had started to worry Thalia would be a tree for the rest of her life. “Do you remember anything? What was it like?” Annabeth couldn't help but be curious about what being a tree was like. “Do you need anything?”
--
Thalia started to shake her head, then realized how parched her throat was. “Water,” she said. She decidedly did not ask if anyone had watered her while she was a tree. The faster she could dissociate from that, the better.
“It was...weird. Like that feeling you get when you're half asleep, and you know things are happening but you don't know what.”
Speaking of things happening, however, she was suddenly reminded of what hadn't happened.
“Luke. I was supposed to meet him.”
***
When Thalia asked for water, Percy got to his feet and headed towards the kitchen before Annabeth could get the chance. He figured that she would rather be there with Thalia anyway. After finding a glass, he filled it and brought it back to Thalia.
“If it makes you feel any better, I got turned into a guinea pig in the dreams not too long ago,” Percy was just glad that he hadn’t turned into one in the waking world cause that would have been difficult to explain to his mother and Paul if one of them had found him.
--
Annabeth briefly glanced at Percy as he got up. She was so grateful he was here to help her with all of this. After this was over, she would have to tell him that. “Luke, yeah. He texted me and I let him know. He was upset at first, but once he heard what happened he understood.” She smiled a little at Thalia. “He came by a few times to check on things and see how things were progressing. Like if we had figured out how to fix this.” She knew he was bound to be thrilled when he learned that she was no longer a tree.
Annabeth’s eyebrows shot up. A guinea pig? She wasn't sure what she would have done if he'd turned into a guinea pig while Thalia was a tree. She knew she probably would have lost her mind trying to get both of them back.