Disclaimer: Nope, just a fanfiction writer. I would be a man, if I owned it, wouldn't I? So nope.
Story: What if Percy was a little older, and female? What if, at an older age, she wasn't the impressionable 12 year old that easily changed his life for others, but had her own plans, designs? And mind you, nice and sweet as she is, underneath she isn't all that forgiving…
Set AU for "The Lightning Thief", genderbending.
Spoilers: Definitely for the first book for now.
Warnings: Cursing and violence for now…hm, just in case since I'm usually writing it, bit of crazy humor, perverted humor, morbid or sarcastic humor, and maybe some sexual situations…
Pairings: Polympians, maybe a Titan or two?/Percy, Eddie (not Eddie)/Percy, semi-platonic (semi-not) Luke/Percy (mostly friendship, one-sided romance), Amphitrite/Poseidon/Sally/Paul, Hades/Persephone, one-sided Annabeth/Percy, one-sided Clarisse/Percy, Annabeth/?, Clarisse/Chris, etc.…

The Light Before We Land
Chapter Seventeen: Cast in the Sea

"No, no, no –change the channel!" Percy reached for the radio. "I told you I was going to reeducate you in music!"

"There's nothing wrong with something a little mellow," Charon sniffed. "Especially with those souls I have to deal with all the time," he grumbled under his breath.

"Dude, you need some energy to perk you up then. Let me just find something…" she muttered at the end.

She grinned wildly when she found a station and Iggy Azalea's Black Window was on. And when Charon started to reluctantly tap his fingers on the wheel to the beat, she inwardly crowed in her head in delight. She gave a triumphant look to the other two, which Triton raised an eyebrow back at her for and Eddie looked amused at.

By the time they stopped at the side-stop she'd asked for, she and Charon had started singing along to Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. Percy was infinitely pleased and felt it was a job well done.

"Why are we here?" Triton asked, while Charon snorted to himself.

Percy huffed and eyed Charon but addressed her brother after. "Picking up special treats for a special friend," she declared.

She left them behind, letting them wait in the car. But she took her time in there because she really wanted Cerberus to be happy and she missed him too. So she looked around carefully, deciding on dog treats and meat, and once again abusing the Lotus card.

"I really love this thing," she chuckled to herself as she headed back to the car.

She got in and Charon glanced at her bag. "Got what you needed finally? Geez, he's just an overgrown dog."

Percy flicked his shoulder. "You're just sore I didn't get you another suit."

"Am not!"

"You are," she teased and she winked at her brother and boyfriend.

Charon just rolled his eyes and turned on the car, ignoring the now snickering trio.

In what seemed like no time at all (odd though), Charon finally made it to the Underworld's entrance and Percy started feeling anxious again. The last time she saw Hades had been in his throne room and they had been having a one on one fight that she'd been losing badly. Now she was there again and she wasn't quite sure what she was expecting or what would come out of this meeting with him.

Together, the foursome left the car where it was, letting it fade away into the shadows and become near invisible. From there, they entered the building where the restless souls inside were all quiet and still until they saw Charon and began becoming agitated.

"Yes, yes, stop you whinging, you bunch of wankers," Charon said irritably, scowling at them. He sighed and turned to Percy. "Lord Hades will be waiting for you. I'm not…exactly sure where, but he said he would be. Mostly likely you'll be traveling all the way to his throne room and he'll be there. You've been here before, Perseas. You'll know the way."

Percy gave him a weak smile. "Y-yeah. Er, I guess I do."

"It'll be fine," Charon tried to reassure her, though his face said otherwise.

Can a trip to the Underworld be enjoyable?

Percy, Triton and Eddie entered the elevator and Charon closed it behind them. Triton began shifting a lot.

"We're going to be smited on the spot," Triton announced and Percy blinked at him.

"What?"

"You heard me," Triton muttered. "Uncle Hades is going to smite us as soon as he sees us!"

"What? Hey, you weren't like this when we were at the airport and we had to think about Zeus!" Percy said accusingly.

"That's because Uncle Zeus is nowhere near as terrifying as Uncle Hades," Triton said factually.

Percy thought about that and nodded, agreeing with him.

"He can be reasonable, right?" Eddie interjected. "I mean, he was the one who invited you, right Percy?"

Percy, Triton and Charon all looked at him in pity.

"You naïve, naïve soul," Charon said.

Eddie gulped.

"It'll be a quick death at least," Triton said in resignation. "Father will still go to war and avenge us."

Percy twitched and gave him a look that he ignored. She was too young to die, dammit. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. Then again, it was too late for second thoughts. She was already there and close enough to Hades for him to know she was there in his domain.

"You could turn back," she offered, looking at Eddie. He could survive this if he turned back now. He didn't have to stay. At least one of them would live.

Eddie shook his head, looking at her warmly. He leaned forward and kissed her lightly. "I'm with you," he told her firmly and reached out to hold her hand.

Though Triton was used to it, she saw Charon look at them curiously, tilting his head as he watched them.

Her other thought was damn it all, she was supposed to make sure he lived to become Balder and instead this was happening. She was pretty damn sure the whole 'keep him safe and hidden' didn't mean introduce him to Hades and hope the god wasn't going to end up smiting him along with Triton and her.

Why was her life so complicated?

Still, she remembered the lonely feel of Hades, her thoughts in the beginning of all this of how he was always in solitude except for when Persephone was there, and how she'd secretly wished he wouldn't be so solitary and isolated anymore.

"It'll be fine," she murmured to herself. She took a deep breath and she looked determinedly forward, which was noted by the others. Charon grinned to himself, while Triton resolved himself to stick to his stubborn sister. And Eddie just held her hand a little tighter.

"Alright, we'll head straight to his throne room as soon as we cross the river and get off the boat," Percy said, trying to gain a sense of control.

And then everything went out the window when the doors opened and Hades was actually just outside the doors, looking bored as he stood there, apparently having waited for them.

It was nerve wracking coming face to face with Hades again. His dark eyes bored down on her (Was it her imagination or was he taller as he towered over her?) and she wasn't as brave in front of him as she'd hoped she would be. The first time around she had adrenaline and a purpose to bolster her. Now she had nothing and she felt uncomfortable being under his scrutiny.

"Perseas," his voice was the same smooth velvet as she remembered. "So you've come."

"Lord Hades," she murmured respectfully.

He stared at her a moment, assessing her, before he finally turned on his heel and began walking. She knew better than to question if she was supposed to follow him or not, and quickly began to go after him.

"Goodbye, Perseas, and good luck," Charon told her, staying behind while Triton and Eddie kept up with her pace.

"Bye!" she yelled back, trying not to feel like it would be final.

And then Charon was gone from sight and it was just that small little group heading to who knows where. Percy was kind of nervous about it, but she wasn't likely to speak up now. Hades did invite her there, so she hoped that meant that he wasn't still angry at her.

"Charon will have arranged for your things to have been brought to your rooms and be put away. We will be dining now before you'll head for your beds," Hades said succinctly, continuing to walk with his long strides.

"Right. Dinner," Percy said awkwardly, sharing a look with her brother and boyfriend. Could they even eat food from there, or will eating food from the Underworld get them stuck there?

She wasn't sure how long it took, but eventually they reached Hades' palace and found themselves inside of an opulent dining room. The ceiling's height was far beyond them it seemed, and the walls and floor were made of dark, shiny marble-like surfaces that glistened as the lights in the room hit them. There was a long dining room in the middle of all this, made of a dark wood that was embedded by jewels and inlaid by gold and silver.

Hades stopped and finally faced them, gesturing to the table. "Have a seat," he said, voice curling around her almost. "Food shall be served in a moment."

Indeed, as soon as he said that, plates of food appeared on the table and she could see a huge variety to choose from. After a glance at Hades, she headed there first and found a seat, to which she was glad that Eddie and Triton quickly joined her, thankfully sitting on either side of her. They took the empty plates in front of them and began serving themselves from the plates laden with food around them. She paused for a moment when Hades appeared on the other side of the table from her, calmly sitting down and collecting a plate for himself as well.

He looked up then and smiled slowly, watching her intently. "Enjoy," was all he said and then seemingly focused on his food.

Mentally shrugging, she decided to dig in. The sight of the food spread out in front of her, as well as the enticing smells, were calling out to her and she was feeling hungry. And after the first bite, she honestly couldn't give a damn if eating the food there caused her to stay stuck in the Underworld.

Damn, it was good.

Trying not to pig out (and probably failing), Percy began eating with gusto. When it came to good food, she almost always ended up having poor manners.

For a while, they just ate in silence. Despite it, she was too focused on the food to really pay it any mind, though after she finished she noted that both Triton and Eddie looked very uncomfortable and vaguely terrified. Triton, in particular, hadn't even eaten much of his food. What a waste.

Without further ado, she reached over and grabbed his plate, scooping some of it onto her own. He gave an indignant yelp that she ignored, grinning at Eddie's chuckling.

"You snooze you lose, bro," she told him, smiling cheekily. "This food is awesome and since you weren't really eating…"

"I was too eating," Triton muttered.

"I'm glad you're enjoying the food," Hades said smoothly, drawing attention to him. Percy tried not to flinch. "People seem to cringe away from food from the Underworld." His eyes glanced indifferently at Triton before returning to her. "Eat as much as you want. There is plenty."

As suspicious and worried of him as she was, her stomach and the food won out.

"Glutton," Triton accused while she continued to eat.

She shrugged at him. "Not denying that," she said honestly.

"Well, I'm finished," Eddie said. "Want my leftovers too?"

She nodded eagerly and transferred his food over to hers, while Triton rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't actually done, but I guess I am finished too," Triton grumbled.

"Very good," Hades suddenly stood up. "The two of you may retire to your rooms while I talk with Perseas then."

The two other men looked at him and then at Percy in alarm.

"On second thought!" Triton frantically said. "Maybe I should –"

"Go to make sure all of your things have been managed?" Hades said and everyone heard the tinge of danger in his tone.

Triton shut up and looked between Percy and Hades several times. Then he looked apologetically at her and Percy just gave him an understanding look back. Eddie gave her a supportive look and then the two of them left the dining hall, effectively dismissed.

Percy gulped and pushed her plate away from herself, focusing on Hades.

"Are you finished?" he gestured to the food.

"I have a feeling I should just get on with it and talk to you," Percy bit her lip.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't look like it's your funeral. I did invite you here after all. I've to return something precious of yours."

Some precious?

Hades turned to the doors, so Percy did too –only to have her heart stop while her breathing stuttered. The grand doors opened and in walked her mother. Sally Jackson was radiant and beautiful, dressed in dark splendor befitting of the Underworld, and smiling like Percy had never seen her smile before.

"Mom!" she cried out, feeling tears well up in her eyes.

Blinded by them, she ran towards her mother without care, throwing her arms around Sally and grasping on tightly. She had missed her so much. Thinking she had died while being on the Quest, it had helped to make Percy a fireball of emotions. Grief, anger, sorrow, hopelessness…they had all been buried in Percy and yet also swirled under the surface while she'd been trying her best to look for that stupid Lightning Bolt. All she'd wanted in the end was her mother.

Peering at Hades from the hold she had on her mom, she saw him watching her carefully. Blinking tear-filled eyes, she gave him a watery smile.

'Thank you,' she mouthed towards him.

He watched her a moment longer before nodding sharply and leaving her be with her mother.

Started 4/20/18 – Completed 4/27/18

A/n: Ah, about to head to my brother's band performance and will be busy chaperoning all day, so I rushed to edit this and rushing to publish this. The long awaited reunion with Hades and Sally, eh? I really hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! And please remember to leave a review! I appreciate hearing from everyone and enjoy reading everyone's comments. Thanks to everyone who had alerted, favorited, and reviewed last chapter!