Pleading Eyes

Healing Takes Time

Zeus and the rest of the olympians could only stare in shock at the wreckage in front of them. It seemed the monsters didn't care for age as kids barely old enough to attend school laid dead, most unrecognizable.

Little bodies disturbingly out of place next to the older children, and even then this whole image was wrong, no one should have died.

The Olympians could only watch in utter pity as both Athena and Poseidon approached the still bodies of their favored children.

Both Percy and Annabeth laid still on the blood soaked ground, hands interlaced even in death.

"....Percy?"

"Annabeth, get up.....please."

When no response came, no movement made, both gods made as if to touch their kids only to fall to their knees as they stifled back sobs.

Poseidon's body shook violently from the force of his silent sobs, his mouth set a thin straight line, but his eyes a raging storm clashed on as if to express all of the pain and frustration that it could not speak. Eyes focused in on Percy's still form, determinedly keeping his watery eyes on his sons dead body, because it was the least he could do for him.

In contrast to Poseidon, Athena was openly sobbing and pleading Annabeth to open her eyes and get up, to just breathe, but nothing happened.

Athena's grey eyes could barely see with all the tears welling up as she openly screamed out in pain, because her kids were dead, Annabeth was dead. Athena had her hand reaching out to Annabeth but she fell short as her hand dropped and came back to clutch at her chest.

Unbearable pain coursed through both single parents, for they weren't feeling much like the powerful deitys they were. They had failed their children once again, they all did, this was starting to become a rather painful cycle.

All of the Olympians felt the same pain to some degree for they too were parents, and as much as they would like to be as heartless as they made themselves out to be, they just couldn't go through it for this was their kids they were talking about, their family.

Zeus looked around wearily as he took in the appearances of both his brother and his daughter, the corpses of children to young, now cold and losing color, and then at his family, the rest of the powerful yet broken Olympians.

Zeus sighed and waved for Apollo to come forth.

"Apollo."

"....I know."

Apollo hesitatingly walked forward, coming to a stop just behind his uncle, Poseidon, and his step sister, Athena, both of whom were still heartbreakingly weeping for their lost children.

The sun god seemed to hesitate once more before at last, he continued forward and kneeled down at Percy's side. Apollo's pleading eyes would have told Percy everything he needed to know had his eyes been open to witness such thing, but alas the sea prince continued blissfully unaware of anything.

With a trembling tanned hand, Apollo reached over Percy and kept his gaze on his oddly peaceful face, as he checked Annabeth's pulse, frowning deeply when he found none.

He refused to look back at Zeus and the other Olympians until he finished checking Percy. He desperately hoped he wouldn't have to look into Poseidon's eyes and tell him that his son was gone, hoped he wouldn't have to be the one to tell the others that they had failed the hero of Olympus once again by allowing him to die.

With a heavy heart Apollo retracted his arm and paused at Percy's tear streaked face, sighing tiredly as he closed his eyes and leaned down to press his forehead against Percy's own, and then his hand reached out.