'It's okay Seashell. I'm not going anywhere, I swear'

Everyone followed Grover as he led the way with the smell of hamburgers. They walked into a clearing near the road. A pastel blue and cream building with a sign that read, 'Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium'. Statues were littered all over the driveway. Corey clutched her side as an unsettling feeling stirred in her stomach.

"Oh, come on '' Annabeth ridiculed. Corey looked around, seeing a girl gardening by a house next to the building. She had her curly hair covered by a sark emerald scarf, her skin glowing in the early afternoon sun. She seemed to notice them, shaking the first off her faded dungarees. "Aunty Em has a garden full of petrified stone folks" Annabeth scoffed before Corey tapped her shoulder. "Annabeth" She whispered softly as the girl walked up to them.

She gave them a soft smile as she clasped her hands, "Welcome young travelers to Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium. I'm Emily" She greeted them, her eyes sparkling in the sun. Corey smiled at her, "Hi, um is there any chance you could tell us where the main road is?" She asked her back, much to Annabeth's protests.

A shadow flew over their heads and landed behind them. Alecto stood proudly, her wings folding gently behind her shoulders. "You should have accepted my offer when you had the chance" Alecto chastised Annabeth smugly. Percy furrowed his eyebrows, "Offer? What offer is she talking about?" He asked her. Corey felt her side burn, her hand gripping it softly. "My sister's parting gift, she did miss you dearly Cordelia" Alecto smirked.

"Alecto, what a surprise" Emily walked past the half-bloods swiftly like she was gliding in the air. Alecto's face turns cold at Emily. "Now, you know what we think about you...I don't wanna.." Emily slowly raised her hand to the knot in the scarf she was wearing. Alecto turned her head away, using a wing to shield her face.

"Not today, friends. Not on my doorstep" A soft voice called out. Everyone turned their heads to see an older woman in light cream clothing, she wore a hat with lace at the rim to hide her eyes. Annabeth, Grover and Corey turned their heads immediately, Percy copying them a second later. "Well done my child" The woman smiled at Emily, who walked over to her side.

"Of course mother" Emily bowed her head lightly.

" Your mother!" Annabeth exclaimed harshly, shocked that she of all the monsters had a child who wasn't a stone statue. Corey felt an ache in her head, falling to the floor with her arm holding her side and her eyes shut with force. "Seashell!" Percy opened his eyes to look at Corey.

She gasped, her free hand gripping the ground. "I've been here before" She shuttered out, feeling stickiness on her hand. "Cordelia, you are hurt" The woman called out with a gentle tone. "If you have something to resolve, why not come inside and I'll help?" She offered, sensing the tension between them and Alecto. "Alecto? Will you be joining us?" She offered the Fury. Alecto his head head more at the invitation. "No, well I wouldn't think you would" her lips smacked as her tone shows she knew Alecto would dare enter the small home.

"She won't bother you as long as you're with me. But it isn't as though she'll leave either, not if it means reporting that she failed to retrieve the son of Poseidon" The woman sighed as the group seemed torn. Corey was on the floor, her side injured by Alecto's sister. "How did you–" Percy was cut off by the woman. "A forbidden child has been claimed. How long did you think that secret would keep?" She mused in her question, watching as Corey struggled to stand. " It's a pleasure to meet you, son of Poseidon. I'm Medusa" She smiled.

Percy seemed more convinced than the others, not that he could read Corey's pained expression. "Percy, don't. She's a monster" Annabeth warned him. " We all choose

who we make our monsters, but, right now, that one wants to tear you limb from limb...and I'm offering you lunch and help for your friend. The choice is yours" Medusa spoke before walking back inside her home, Emily waiting patiently for the demigods to make their choice.

"I think we can trust her" Percy spoke up, running to Corey's aid. "What?" Annabeth spat like venom while Grover was more in shock. "Dude!". Corey only grunted as the blood on her hand was hardening slightly. "I can't explain it, I just...My mom used to tell me her story. And the point was always that she isn't what people think" Percy explained to them as he helped Corey off the ground. "And I definitely trust my mom. So I'm going in. I'm getting Corey help. You guys do what you want" Percy huffed, helping Corey walk to the house Medusa walked into moments ago.

He looked down at Corey, her face pale as tears escaping her eyes. "It's okay Seashell. I'm not going anywhere, I swear" He promised her. Emily gave him a soft smile, "Come here young child" Her voice was like sweet honey as she helped him bring Corey inside.

~Ψ~

Emily and Percy sat Corey down by a table full of treats. Emily handed him a glass filled with a golden liquid. "Have her drink this, it will help" Emily told him as she walked out of the room. Percy brought the drink to Corey's lips, helping her drink some of it. "Why didn't you say anything? You could have died!" Percy scolded her as she drank the liquid. She pushed the glass away feeling the wound close, "Don't worry about me Sea Pup. I'm fine". Percy rolled his eyes at her, "No you're not, look I don't know much about this world but I know one thing. You don't give up on the people you care about. Ever" He stated, putting down the glass.

Corey's heart tugged at his words, a warm smile on her face as she stood up. "I care about you too" She ruffled his hair as she stood up. Emily came back out with empty glasses, "I'm so glad you joined us, please sit" She looked behind Percy and Corey. Annabeth and Grover had followed Percy. Annabeth seemed to have her guard up. "Are you okay Corey?" She asked her. "I'm okay" She smiled, hoping that Annabeth might be at ease. The daughter of Athena seemed relieved but kept her guard up.

"You must be hungry" Medusa called out from the room she was in. "I left snacks on the table while I get something proper going" She added. Emily had seemed to disappear from the room. Percy looked back at Grover, "You think it's safe to eat?" He asked, feeling his stomach rumble at the smell of the phone. Grover looked at Percy helplessly, "Percy, I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm really hungry, and I'm ready to take that chance" He admitted, sitting down at the table.

"Percy looked back at Annabeth, "Thanks for coming" He smiled at her. Annabeth crossed her arms with a pissed off glare, "This isn't the same for me as it is for you" She told him. Percy was lost by this, "Why?"

"You're concerned I would hold a grudge against you simply because you are a daughter of Athena?" Medusa frightened everyone at her sudden appearance. Corey scoffed at her words. "You shouldn't be. We're not our parents after all. And you and I might have more in common than you think" She mused at Annabeth and Corey. She filled the glasses with lemonade before walking back to a small stool a few steps away from the table.

"Please, sit and eat" Emily spoke up, standing next to her mother. "So you're not a monster, what are you then?" Percy asked, still looking away as he added more sugar into his lemonade. "A survivor" Medusa answered him calmly, her hands placed on top of each other. "You must be a little more than that" Percy stated, "There's a Fury out there that seems terrified of you" He added.

Medusa seemed unfazed by this. "Because she knows what I think of her. I don't like bullies. When one shows up on my doorstep, they end up spending a lot more time there than they planned for" She explained with a hint of naivety. "The gift the gods gave me is that I cannot be bullied anymore" Medusa smiled at her gift only to glare at Corey who scoffed at her. "So was my mother a bully? Your sister turned her stone without hesitation" Corey asked her. Percy had never seen her face so cold and angry, her eyes resembled an earthquake unfolding before his eyes.

"Stheno had her own views of your mother, I'm sure you could recall why" Medusa smacked her lips before turning back to the kids. "What my mother did to you wasn't a gift, it was a curse" Annabeth crossed her arms.

"You are loyal to your mother" Medusa spoke, seeing the loyalty pour from Annabeth's words.

"Yes"

"You stand by her?" Medusa asked.

"Always"

"You love her?" Medusa seemed more intrigued by the answer Annabeth would give.

"Of course, I do" Annabeth snapped at Medusa. Of course she loved her mother, what kind of question was that? "And so did I" Medusa's empathy shone in her voice. "So did I" Her voice was sadder this time, only Annabeth wasn't being convinced. "Do you know the story

of how I came to be this way?" Medusa asked them intently.

Corey stayed quiet. Medusa knew who she was and that worried her. She had been here before and yet she can't recall why. "I do" Grover answered with his mouth stuffed with food. Medusa cocked her head, "Do you?" Her voice hadn't wavered from the sweet, almost motherly tone she was using. Grover looked between Percy and Annabeth and Medusa. "Do I?" He seemed less sure.

"Athena was everything to me" Medusa began, her voice wistful as she held her hands over her knee. "I worshipped her, I prayed to her. I made offerings...She never answered. Not even an omen to suggest she appreciated my love" Medusa spoke as if she had been cursed only a few days ago. "I wasn't like you, sweetheart" She looked in Annabeth's direction, the girl closing her eyes just as quickly, "I was you" She spat at her.

She sighed, from what Corey could see, Medusa closed her eyes before continuing. "I would have worshipped her that way for a lifetime... in silence" The whole room was covered in tension and sadness. "But then one day, another god came, and he broke that silence. Your father" Medusa looked at Percy and then turned her head towards Corey for a moment.

"The Sea God told me that he loved me. I felt as though he saw me in a way I had never felt seen before. But then Athena declared that I had embarrassed her and I needed to be punished. Not him. Me" Corey was waiting for Medusa to break down in tears. "She decided that I would never be seen again by anyone who would live to tell the tale" Medusa looked down at her dress, smoothing it out.

"What about you? Alecto was pretty terrified of you" Percy turned to Emily, wondering how she hadn't been turned to stone. "My older sister was a daughter of Athena. My sister did something that offended her mother and I was punished" Emily took off her scarf, allowing her hair down.

To a mortal, Emily hair was a normal texture. Coil curls bounced on her shoulder, tangled within one another. But to anyone in the mythical world, the ends of her curls were small snakes, hissing and moving softly.. Emily's eyes were more snake-like too, her pupils were more like ovals than slits in the center of these crystal blue eyes that drew Corey in. But no one was turning to stone. "I freeze people in their place, the amount of time can vary" Emily explained as she put back on her scarf.

"You know who I am...how?" Corey asked Medusa. "You came looking for this" Medusa held up a single pearl in her fingers before throwing it towards Corey. "What is it?" She asked her. "Your way to save Elise" Medusa said. Corey looked at the woman with fury, "How do you know that name!" She shouted, standing up from her seat.

Medusa didn't answer her, looking at Annabeth. "Your friend went missing on the Gods wishes, and your mother punished me and my daughter unfairly for the actions of others" She changed her tone and the conversation. "That isn't what happened. My mother is just, always" Annabeth stood her ground, while Corey seemed to be in a state of shock as she stared at the pearl in her hand.

"The gods want you to believe that, that they are infallible. But they only want what all bullies want. They want us to blame ourselves for their own shortcomings" Medusa tried to convince her but she should have known better when dealing with a child of Athena. "That is not what happened. And you are a liar" Annabeth's anger seemed to be masked by her need to get everyone out.

Medusa didn't seem affected by this, "Something's burning" She turned her head to the entrance she came out moments prior. She looked at Percy, "Would you give me a hand in the kitchen?" She asked him. "I think lunch is ready" Medusa walked out of the room, waiting for Percy to follow after. He looked at his friends uneasy, unsure if he should follow her. He looked at Corey. She looked at him as tears slowly fell, "Don't" She begged him softly.

But he didn't.

Corey watched as Percy left the room, she tried to call for him but she couldn't open her mouth. "Grover...get ready to run" Annabeth warned him. She looked at Corey who was still rattled, "Annabeth's right, we need to leave now" Corey agreed, wiping her eyes. Emily peaked around the hallway her mother walked out of.

She looked back at the half-bloods, "You can't, Alecto is still outside" She hissed, peaking at the windows. "What do we do?" Grover yelped, eating the paper from a cupcake like it was his last meal. Emily ran past them, opening a door. "Mother keeps her statues down here, go hide I'll help your friend find you" Emily told them, opening the door wide.

Corey was the first to object, "How do we know you're not setting us up?" She questioned her. Emily rolled her eyes, "I could just freeze you in place but I didn't. My mother was right about one thing. We're not our parents" Emily told her. Corey looked back at Annabeth and Grover, "Go, I'll wait for Percy" She told them.

~Ψ~

The moment Percy walked out from Medusa's kitchen, he was grabbed by Corey. "Don't say a word" She hissed at him, dragging him to the basement. Once they got to Annabeth and Grover, Corey stood in front of them. "You okay Sea Pup?" Corey whispered, looking back at him. Percy nodded.

Click, clack

Everyone froze, Corey feeling a lump in her throat as the door creaked open. Fire lit from the sides of the stair railings, lighting up the basement. Statues were everywhere, from Ancient Greek to now. "Holy shit" Corey gasped. Annabeth tapped her shoulder, her face screaming at Corey to run.

So they ran through the maze, running from Medusa until her steps were distant enough. "There's four of us and only one of her" Grover panted, stopping the group. "If we split up, she can't be watching us all at once" He suggested. He was right, if they split up they might stand a chance. "I don't think it'd be that simple" Annabeth stated. "It could be" Corey agreed with Grover. "Here's the plan. I'll get in the air, I'll draw her attention. As soon as you hear me say, Maia you guys start–" Before Grover could finish, the shoes Luke had given Percy activated on Grover's feet. He flew upwards and away from them, failing to control the shoes.

"So, we're gonna need a new plan" Annabeth stated, but Medusa's snakes hissing caught their attention. "Run, I'll distract her" Corey pushed them away, Percy tried to protest but Annabeth dragged him away.

Corey hid behind a box, slowly moving to the direction Annabeth and Percy as Medusa seemed to be one with her movements. "We are not our parents, until we choose to be. You two have chosen" Medusa's voice was laced with venom, her anger towards Athena and Poseidon finally showing.

"A daughter of a self-righteous mother, who chose self-righteousness for herself" Medusa tried to lure Annabeth out. Corey began to hum softly, following Medusa from her hiding spot while also staying away from her sights. "And you, you could have shown your father what it means to stand up for someone you love" Medusa's words struck Percy, but he had to stay still. Corey was still out there with no weapon to fight.

That's when everyone heard her, Corey's sweet hum becoming a more vocalized melody. Medusa seemed to slow down, the melody filling her senses and calming her muscles. Sadly not her anger. "You could choose to save your mother instead of doing your father's bidding" Medusa still tried to get a rise out of Percy but it was no use. Corey came closer to Medusa, seeing Percy hiding behind a crate near her. She kept singing, her voice echoing in the ears of Medusa and her snakes.

The monster stood still, unable to move her body on her own. "Siren song? You are full of surprises Cordelia...It begs the question...Why hasn't he claimed you?" Medusa seemed to hit Corey hard, her voice faltering allowing Medusa to move. "If neither of you will help teach these lessons, perhaps you should be the lessons" She decided, walking closer to where Percy was.

"When I ship your statues to Olympus..." Medusa's snakes hissed as Corey began to sing again, this time it was more of a lullaby calming the snakes. "...maybe that will get my point across even better" Medusa's voice was calmer, Corey's singing was working. Just as Corey thought they'd have an advantage, Percy uncapped his sword and its glow caught Medusa's eye.

"Stand up" She demanded Percy, her tone sharp. "Let's have a look at you" She walked closer. Percy stood up like wildfire, eyes closed while his hands gripped the sword. Corey closed her eyes as she came to view, her singing was louder than before and a harsher melody. Medusa was barely an inch away from Percy as she caressed his blonde curls.

Corey felt her body go rigid, a cold feeling surrounding her spine. "Don't touch him!" She seethed only to be met with a laugh. "I must say you chil–"

"I didn't really think this through!" Grover's voice screamed as he flew in between Medusa and Corey and crashed one of the crates in front of them. "Now!" Annabeth's voice shouted. Before Corey could react the sound of a thump hit near her feet.

"It's okay!" Annabeth told her. Corey opened her eyes and ran to Percy, wrapping her arms around him. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Corey asked him, holding his face in her hands. "I'm fine, a little grossed out but fine" Percy answered her. He was in a little shock but mostly from how freaked out Corey was. "You have siren song?" Annabeth asked Corey, hands on her hips.

Corey nodded, allowing Percy to find Medusa's head. "Blessing from Apollo" Corey shrugged, looking Annabeth up and down. "What are you doing?" Annabeth stepped back from her. "Just making sure you're okay. Are you?" Corey's voice was softer with Annabeth, watching the way she looked at Corey stunned.

She crossed her arms and kicked a piece of stone from a statue that Grover broke in his crash. "I'm fine" She looked up at her with a tight lipped smile. Corey smiled back at her, "Grover, you okay?" She turned to the satyr. Grover nodded a little too happily.

"Is it over?"

Emily walked towards them, looking around. "Where is she?" Emily asked, only to see Percy holding...nothing. "Oh" Emily clicked her tongue. "You okay?" Corey asked her, Emily smiled. "This is the third time a demigod has killed her since I was seven, I'll be fine. But there is still a rather impatient Fury waiting to kill you..." Emily pointed at Corey, "...And take you to Hades" She pointed at Percy.

"I have an idea" Percy looked down at the empty space in his hands.

~Ψ~

Percy and Annabeth walked back to the basement of statues. It was an awkward tension as they reached the door. Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows, stopping Percy with her hand. "What is it?" He asked her. Annabeth opened the door gently.

"Let me go!"

Percy looked back at Annabeth, it was Corey. "Corey just wait please!" Grover's voice seemed to plead with her. "Listen to your friend...we should wait until Percy and Annabeth come back" Emily seemed to agree.

Corey was angry, Grover and Emily were blocking her path. Percy practically ran towards her while trying not to drop Medusa's invisible head. "What's going on?" Percy asked them, standing next to Corey. "Corey's mother is here...Stheno brought her after..." Emily trailed off as Corey seemed too quiet. "After turning her to stone at the orders of Camp Half-Blood, the night I arrived" Corey kicked the dirt on the floor.

Everyone was silent, it wasn't everyday someone could see their mother's last moments forever. But Corey needed too. She was five when she was brought to camp. She had no photos of her mother, only the dreams of her face blurred.

"Where is she?" Percy asked Emily.

Emily lit a hand held torch from one of the many fire pits, leading the way through the statue maze. She stopped upon a cluster of them, the people looking terrified. "These are Stheno's victims. Mother only shipped her own to Olympus, says it sends a message" Emily explained as she turned to Corey.

"Was your mother wearing anything specific?" Emily asked Corey. Corey thought for a moment, closing her eyes. A memory came to mind, her mother placing her in the car the night she came to camp. She remembered her necklace, "A water lily necklace, my father gave it to her '' Corey answered.

Emily nodded, allowing Corey to pass her into the cluster. Corey looked at the statues one by one. She could see the fear in their eyes as they faced death. Did the gorgon's victims die? Corey always wondered if her mother's soul ever made it to the Underworld. Did she find peace in the Fields of Asphodel or Elysian.

She looked at their necks, mainly the women for her mother's prized necklace. Corey stopped in her tracks, her hands flying to her mouth as she stared at a statue. She walked over gently holding her hands out to touch the statue's face, "Eomma" Corey sobbed as her fingers ghosted over the necklace. A waterlily.

She let out a heart wrenching sob, falling to her knees as she cried. She didn't hear footsteps or a voice calling out to her. All she felt was arms wrapping around her, holding her tightly. "I couldn't remember her face...I couldn't..." She sobbed out, looking up at her mother.

Amalia Cesel stood in front of her, her hands by her sides, fists balled. She looked terrified, but not the same way as the others. She wasn't afraid of Stheno, she was afraid her daughter would die.

"I'm here" Percy mumbled to her, hugging her from behind. Corey looked up at her mother again, tears falling down. "We are going to find your mom Sea Pup, I promise" Corey told him, holding the back of his hand.

~Ψ~

Corey asked Emily to destroy the statue of her mother. She couldn't bear to know that she was there, just frozen in time forever. Emily had promised to grind the stone to ash, sending them to camp as an urn. Corey was thankful. Emily has also gone searching for any mortal money Medusa would have had lying around to help them. She felt like it was right after her mother tried to kill them.

She walked back to the kids, ready to get out of this basement. She stumbled upon Percy placing Medusa's invisible head on a table that was very out of place. "I leave you three for ten minutes! What are you doing?" Corey asked them, hands on her hips. "I'm gonna ship Medusa's head to Olympus" Percy stated from behind the desk. Corey let out a snort as she looked at him with amusement, "Seriously?" She asked him. Percy nodded.

Annabeth scoffed at him, "Percy, you can't ship Medusa's head to Olympus" She scolded him. Percy shrugged while looking for Olympus' shipping address, "Why not?" He brushed off. "Because the gods won't like it" Annabeth spoke with fear, " At all. At all, at all" Grover added with heavy emphasis on all his words. "Why? That's what you do with dangerous stuff. Like batteries, you just send 'em back where they came from" Percy compared the two, much to Corey's amusement.

"Okay. Look, this is a bad idea" Annabeth insisted, "They will see this as impertinent" She added. "I am impertinent" Percy agreed with her as he grabbed the box with Medusa's head inside it. "What's impertinent?" Corey asked, raising her hand. "Yes, but we're not" Annabeth stated the very clear fact, "Really, very not" Grover supported her.

Percy sighed, looking at the both, "Look. Medusa tried to derail our quest. She's got serious beef with your mom. When you look at it that way, this seems kinda like tribute or something, doesn't it?" He asked them, proving his plan had some sense to it. "And besides..." Percy reached in to the box he placed Medusa's head in and taking off Annabeth's hat and handing it to her, "...this way, a part of your mom's still with us" He smiled at her softly/

"Thank you" Annabeth smiled back, taking her hat from him. Corey looked at them both, "Woah! What did I miss?" She asked them only to receive smiles laced with the feeling she had missed out on something big. "We'll tell you later" Percy answered her as he closed the box with tape.

"So this isn't exactly what I meant. By choosing each other. There are actual dangers involved here that cannot be..." Grover was cut off by Percy clapping. "You're gonna sing the song, aren't you?" Grover chuckled as Percy started clapping faster. "Oh gods not the Consensus song" Corey groaned as the kids laughed.

"Oh, golly. The road's gettin' bumpy. Consensus" Percy sang while Annabeth and Grover only shook their heads at him. Corey playfully glared at him, "I am so getting you back for this one Sea Pup" She told him.