The Girl Who Stopped the Apocalypse (pjo fanfiction)

13- What do you mean, the Earth?

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I got up, using all of my strength, and doubled over in pain. I rolled up my top to reveal that the infection had spread alarmingly. I had no time to loose. As soon as it reached my blood and my brain, well, I was good as dead.

Slowly, I started walking out of the bathroom and the sickbay and into the corridor. The light shining from outside told me it must have been past noon.

I stubled across the corridors, holding onto the wall for my dear life, until I found someone I reconized as Reyna.

"Hazel!" She ran to me, propping me up with her arms "What are you doing here? You should be resting"

"I'm dying, Reyna" I said between my teeth "I might as well be a hero before that. Can you reunite everyone?"

Reyna didn't seem convinced, but I wasn't negociating. As soon as she nodded, I said:

"Meet you at main hall"

The only problem was thatI had no idea where that was.

Groaning, I made preassure with my hand in my stomach and wandered around for a while, until I reached a huge place that was bound to be the main hall.

I sat in the floor, between the high ceelings andthe red velvet curtains, and waited.

It wasn't long until everyone was there, with various ranges of confusion and worry.

"Guys, it's me" I said, while struggling to get up "I just wanted to tell the truth, because I probably won't be here tomorrow to tell the tale"

Silence fell in the hall. I continued.

"As you may know, it has been more than a year since this all started. But I bet none of you knows how it started. Well, I do"

Furious murmurs and chitchat emerged.

"It was my mother" I yelled "She did it with a friend, Gaea! She's mother Earth. Together, they wanted to rule the world, but it got out of hand. Gaea is still loose, creating chaos and dispair"

More whispers. Surely they did not believe me.

"I know I sound crazy! I'm not trying to convince you all! I'm just telling you how it all started! And, maybe, how it will all end"

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked

"My mother made her choice. Now, I'll make mine. She chose to sacrifice the world to save herself and, well, I choose to save the world"

That got their attention. As I was making my was to the front door, my friends surrounded me.

"Hazel, you can't possibly-" Jason started

"Oh, but I can" I replied "Piper, take care of the guy, will you?"

Percy, Reyna, Annabeth and a latino boy I did not know yet tried to persuade me to stay, but I wouldn't budge.

"You're as stubborn as Nico" Will pointed out.

I ignored him and kept walking outside until I was stopped.

"Hazel, you can't leave me like this" Frank said.

I turned back and surprised myself and everyone by cupping his face in my hands.

"Frank, I know it's hard, but we have to be brave. We have to be heroes. We all have a choice, and this is mine. I wish we could have had more time together, but it's impossible. Still, I'm grateful. It's our memories, forever cherissed. Remember that, will you? remember that and I won't be gone"

"Bu-but" We sobbed

I realized I was crying myself, too.

Suddenly, I lurched forward and kissed him, full on the lips.

"I love you" I whispered, when we broke appart.

And, with that, I ran outside. 

Yes, I had finally kissed him, but I knew it would be the last time.

I ran outside, zombies ignored me. I supposed they thought I was already one of them.

I ran until I reached a tiny park and kneeled over in the grass.

"GAEA!!! LISTEN TO ME!!"

I started digging a hole, covering myself in the soil, the earth.

"DON'T BE A COWARD AND FACE ME!!!"

That worked, I suppose. As soon as I started taunting, she appeared. I reconized her from my dream, still as scary as ever. But I was no longer afraid.

"You filthy child!" She screamed "You are dead already!"

"Still, I have one last chance!" 

I didn't know how I did it, and I still don't. Golden light emerged from my palms, shooting towards her.

She stared at me in confusion and, for an instant, I could have sworn I saw fear blossoming in her eyes. But she hid it quicky, and spiky vines started growing around her.

I concentrated. The light shone harder. Where it touched the vines, they dissapeared.

Gaea ruled life, but life was dangerous. Life needed control. Somehow, I was death, and yet I was the good one.

For what was life without death? Or death without life, for instant? However, life alone was way too much. It was time to put all of those corpses to rest. Itwas time for death to come.

I just hadn't realized I was death all along.

The light kept shinning. I saw Gaea struggling, and that made me keep trying.

"YOU WILL NEVER DEFEAT ME!" She yelled.

"I WILL!" I yelled back "BECAUSE I WILL FIGHT. I HAVE FIGHTED A LOT, AND I'M STILL FIGHTING, EVEN FOR A WORLD THAT WILL NEVER THANK ME! BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HEROES DO! AND YOU, GAEA, WILL NEVER BE ONE!"

I made her step back, and kept on. I sweated, but I didn't mind. Pain was killing me, but I kept on trying.

After a while, I realized my light was fading, just as the vines grew stronger. With horror, I found out that maybe it would all be in vain. I would die alone, and still leave the world.

Suddenly, I saw something. Someone. I heard yells.

I turned back and saw... them.

My friends, no, the whole two camps cheering for me. It was Nico's dream come true.

They were cheering for me. They believed in me. And that was all I needed.

That gave me wings to continue.

Lite shone so bright I had to close my eyes. I could hear Gaea screaming.

And, just like that, as tears fell from my eyes and light poured from my palms, she dissapeared into thing air.

I fell to the ground.

I only had time to see that the zombies all dropped dead, back to their reign, before everything turned fuzzy and unclear.

"I have done it" I though, before closing me eyes "I'm proud"

My head hit the ground.

We did it! But, there's still so much to see. Oh, is that a dead Hazel?

Anyways, thank you for reading!

Julieta <3