¹𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒 ! - percy jackson

-012

IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE Stella drifted off to sleep. She wasn't sure when was the last time she got some shut-eye in, but her body desperately needed it, especially after the last twenty-four hours. She had never felt so mentally and physically exhausted.

They were flying over the Sierras in the direction of San Francisco, being held onto by two bronze angel statues. One angel, Hank, held Percy and Stella with one hand and Thalia with the other. The statue had a tight grasp on her, but she still grabbed onto Percy's arm for extra precaution.

He didn't seem to mind, and Stella found herself struggling to keep her eyes open until she was finally asleep. 

That was until a blinding light forced her eyes open, and she found herself nowhere near the flying angels or her friends.

Stella was flying the Sun Chariot somewhere high above the clouds. The chariot wasn't the cherry red Maserati her dad loved so much, but instead, the original seen in old paintings and statues.

"What the fuck!" She exclaimed when she saw she was holding the reigns.

"I told you I'd give you a private lesson."

She turned her head to the left to see Apollo grinning. His sandy hair was perfectly messy, and he wore a white polo, jeans, and spotless sneakers. He was seated next to her with his hands behind his head as if he were on vacation, surrounded by a flickering aura of honey-colored light.

"Am I dreaming? Or is this really happening," She asked, panicked.

"Both," He said, eyes playful, "Now loosen up and just cruise. Driving the sun chariot isn't that hard."

"Thalia almost burned an entire town last time," Stella protested.

He laughed, "Oh, that. Well, you're my daughter, so this should be easy for you. Just don't think about it."

"Don't think?" She repeated incredulously.

Apollo nodded. So, she let intuition take over and allowed her hands to do what they felt was right with the reigns. 

"See, you're a natural!" He said with such joy that it was impossible for Stella to refrain from smiling.

Her dad always made it easy to forget the world around her. From his lame (but sometimes funny) jokes to his smile, his energy was infectious. All her anxiety seemed to fade whenever she was in his presence. Her worried expression shifted into one of utter peace.

That was until she remembered the world around her.

"Dad," Stella said, her smile fading.

The one word caused Apollo to mirror her serious expression. It was as if she had poured a million unspoken thoughts into one syllable. He understood her; he knew.

"Star, I'm sorry you lost the di Angelo girl. And I am sorry you are now carrying the guilt, but you cannot continue to blame yourself. Nobody was at fault."

"Then why doesn't it feel that way? Why does it feel like I could have saved her?" She said, starting to feel her emotions rise.

"There was nothing you could have done," He said solemnly.

"But there was!" Stella cried. "If— if I kept digging, I could have found her and healed her. And— and my vision. I should have stopped her and tried to save her, but I ran."

Apollo took the reins from her, allowing her to crawl into his side as her sobs wracked her body. She clung to him, seeking solace in the warmth of her father's embrace.