Never Change

Chapter 6

Perfect, blonde princess curls cascaded down to her shoulders, framing her face. She turned and smiled at him, her stormy grey eyes sparkling with joy. He felt himself take a seat beside her, enjoying the bright blue skies as her curls floated gently in the wind.

He felt good. Happy, even. His Wise Girl right next to him, as they enjoyed the gentle breeze on the grassy plains that stretched as far as the eye could see. No monsters, no quests, no gods.

She hummed gently as he took her hand in his, laying on the grass.

He watched the sun lazily glide across the sky.

Everything was at peace. It was bliss, pure euphoria. His head was in the clouds.

The sun was blotted out as dark, stormy clouds rolled into the sky. The once bright blue sky turned dark and ominous. Against the tenebrosity, black tendrils seemed to creep into the night, writhing like the tendrils of some monstrous, unseen beast, thickening in the distance to an impenetrable tangle.

He took a step back, stumbling over a twig and losing his balance.

Annabeth's face darkened, "Why didn't you save me?"

She – no, it – took a step forward, and he a step backwards.

Faces flashed in his vision, swarming him.

Her curls turned dark, and the face turned younger and paler. She changed before his very eyes into a pale, slender boy.

Nico growled in his face, tendrils of darkness and skeletons rising from the ground, "Why didn't you save Bianca?"

"I-"

The Ghost King shoved him back, and Percy stumbled backwards again, barely keeping his balance.

Dark eyes morphed into electric blue, with spiky hair. Thalia grabbed his chest, pushing a fist into it, "You forgot about US! We were your family! And you left us!" she screamed.

"B-But-"

She electrocuted him unlike ever before, the bolts running through his body as he spasmed.

He fell to his knees, tears threatening to leak from his eyes as he looked down at the ground.

A hand jerked his chin up forcefully.

He looked into the irate eyes of Clarisse La Rue.

"Clar-"

She sneered, planting a boot on his chest and pushing him away.

He rolled and came to a stop, staring up at sky blue eyes and blonde hair. Jason narrowed his eyes at him.

A bolt from the heavens dropped down on him, causing him to lay down, smoking on the ground.

More and more faces flashed in his vision; Grover, Annabeth, Thalia, Jason, Piper, Leo, Nico, Will, Beckendorf, Silena, Luke, Bianca, Tyson, Frank, Hazel, Calypso, Reyna, Rachel, his mom...

"Betrayer."

"Traitor."

"Backstabber."

Percy lurched forward, gasping. His sheets were slick with cold sweat, his heart still pounding in his chest. His sea green eyes snapped open as he sat upright in his bed, hyperventilating.

He forced himself to calm down.

What was that? He hadn't had a nightmare since he came to Remnant... and for him to suddenly get one? It was strange...

But perhaps it made sense. He hadn't grieved, not once since he set foot on Remnant. He had pushed himself into training, into work, to avoid the pain. He'd bottled it all up, hoping to hide from it. From them. But the memories...