Back to the Way I Was

Chapter 6

Percy woke up as sunlight streamed through the window straight into his face with Thalia . . . um, why was Thalia cuddling next to him?

Percy had vague memory of last night. The last thing that he remembered clearly was tucking Thalia into her bed, and then everything else was a blur. Percy felt himself being taken over by something, something that had always been there but Percy had failed to do anything about it. Percy cursed himself, or the other him to be exact. Percy hadn't told this to anyone, nor had he mentioned anything about it, but something changed Percy during his disappearance.

Something he didn't like and would like to not talk about . . .

Thalia stirred in her sleep and Percy couldn't help but feel a bit, um, shy? Elated? Percy wasn't sure, but he kind of felt like both. Percy had never seen Thalia sleep personally next to him and she looked kind of cute, since some of her punk appearance had gone. Her feminine side kind of showed itself when she was sleeping. Her face looked peaceful and comfortable, as her chest moved up and down in sync to her breathing. Without realizing, Percy brushed a strand of her hair and tucked in into the back of her ear. Thalia shifted slightly, but luckily, it didn't woke her up.

Percy thought about the moment the other him took over. This had developed when he tried to interfere an Egyptian god named Thoth in one of his magic tricks. Percy was helping Thoth in defending one of his research labs in the Amazon, where he and an army of basketball loving baboons (long story) had defended Thoth's lab in order for him to prepare his magic. Thoth said he needed it to make sure that some kind of snake won't escape his prison again. Percy didn't pay much attention and had mixed himself in with the magic. He'd survived the process, but the magic had changed him. His personalities, so to speak, had each taken a consciousness and always threatened to take over Percy's body, where his normal consciousness will be, well, unconscious. The first time this stuff happened, his serious side had took over his body and as far as any of the people he'd met had told him, he never smiled even for a second. That's how serious it was. What worried Percy the most was the crazy side of him. Literally, the crazy side of him which no one had seen before. A group of mortals had ganged up on him and cornered him. Percy knew he couldn't reveal his sword but before he could do anything, he'd lost consciousness.

When he'd finally come to, the buildings around him were on fire, bodies were littered around the ground, some were too horrible to even see and some were reduced to nothing more than a pile of flesh and meat drenched with blood. Mortals were running around screaming and Percy didn't realize he had a decapitated head of a man in his right hand as he held it by its hair. The face on the head was truly a horrified expression. Percy realized how dangerous he was should he lost control like that again, so he fled into the forest, where he wouldn't cause more harm to people. Percy had learned that if his feelings were under control, then outbreaks like that wouldn't happen. Probably the worried feeling he had for Thalia had triggered the concerned and passionate side of him. Percy didn't knew why he was passionate, but he knew that he was.

Thalia snapped Percy out of his train of thoughts by stretching herself, punching him in the process. Percy winced a bit as Thalia recoiled, realizing what she'd done. "Oh gods! I'm so sorry, Percy." Thalia apologized even though she looked half awake. Percy chuckled slightly.

"It's okay, Thalia." Percy assured her. "Are you feeling better?" Thalia nodded. She'd been sleeping with him and used his wing as her blanket. Percy didn't remember that, but he was certainly grateful that he did what he did.

"Thanks, Percy."

"Seriously, don't thank me." Percy said, and it was true. He wasn't the one who'd helped her, but Percy didn't want Thalia to know that so he'd decided to play along. "I was just helping you out. Besides, I was the one who froze you, so it's kind of even." Percy said.