When Sun Meets the Sea ~ PJO 1

~24~

~Percy's POV

        Once Andie got through, the two looked around the amusement park. Percy couldn't help but admire it all, and it was even better when all of the lights turned on. He heard Andie yelp beside him out of surprise and he looked at her with a grin. 

        "Shut up." She growled, glaring straight ahead. 

        "Scaredy cat," Percy replied. 

        "Who saved your life from being chomped to death just 2 minutes ago?" 

        "Who saved your life from falling and dying not even a day ago?"

        Andie huffed, causing Percy to grin in triumph. The two began to walk through the amusement park in silence until Percy decided to break it. 

        "So, what were you saying about Ares' shield earlier?" He asked. 

        "Well, let's see how well you know your Greek, fish boy." Andie shot back. "Now, you know Hephaestus built this."

        "Yes." 

         "Do you know who his wife is?" 

        Percy thought for a moment before the whole story came to him. 

        "Aphrodite." Percy answered and Andie nodded. "That's why Ares was here; he and Aphrodite decided to meet here? Ugh, that's just cruel." 

        "Yeah, no kidding." Andie nodded. "Seems like they got caught and he had to leave in a hurry." 

        "If Ares was right about anything, it's that this family is a mess." Percy spoke. 

        The two continued walking, Percy looked around trying to see if there were any tell-tale signs that the war god and the goddess of love were here. Percy was walking a bit slower than Andie, which caused him to be right behind her but almost a second later he rammed into her. 

        "Why'd you stop walking?" Percy asked but when Andie didn't answer, he looked forward to see what she was looking at. 

        The 'Tunnel of Love' sat before them, a boat sitting there almost waiting for them. 

        "This must be where they got caught." Percy spoke. "The shield must be in there." 

        "Great." Andie sighed. Percy pushed forward with Andie following begrudgingly behind him.

        "Come on sunshine, hurry it up." Percy spoke as he sat in the boat and Andie glared at it while standing on the outside. Percy held his hand out and Andie stared at it for a second before rolling her eyes and taking it, allowing him to help her into the boat.

        Right as she sat down, the boat pushed forward. The tunnel was dark for a moment before pink lights kicked on and a very loud song began to play. 

        Percy looked at Andie who looked very worried and he couldn't help but stifle a laugh.

        "What even is life right now?" Andie asked with disgust and Percy laughed.

         "I think I've heard this before." Percy replied. "In my orthodontist's office."

         "Your what?" Andie demanded with even more fear. Percy wanted to laugh more but soon animations appeared on the tunnel wall and his attention was taken. 

         He watched as the story played out and he came to the realization that it was Hephaestus's story. He watched on and didn't even realize he was telling the story out loud until the story began repeating. 

        "My mom told me these stories all the time. I remember this." Percy spoke. "She said-

        "She said what, Percy?" Andie asked, looking at his curiously. Percy stared back for a moment, not wanting to tell her but he knew he had too. 

        "She said this is what the gods are like to each other. This is the kind of family they are." Percy spoke. 

        "I know that, why didn't you want to say it?"

         "She was trying to keep me away from you." Percy said. "All of you."

        Percy stared into Andie's golden eyes; it was nice to take a second to truly see her. He thought back to that night where the two were talking and how frightened she was about her nightmare that she told him about. It was in this moment, as her golden eyes crinkled slightly as a small smile grew on her face, that he swore to protect her from that nightmare she feared.

        It was almost instantly that the song concluded, and all the machinery powered down.

        "Percy..."

        He went to say something, but a door opened and the two went down a very steep drop. They screamed but almost as quickly as it happened, it ended. Percy looked around, seeing nothing but water and tunnel until he saw a golden chair with a statue above it, holding Ares's shield. 

        "There's Ares's shield." Percy heaved and Andie nodded with a deep breath as well, Percy didn't even notice that she had grabbed hold of his arm but in this moment, he didn't have time to think about it.

        Percy breathed heavily and for a moment he thought it was over until he looked straight ahead and saw all the boats getting crushed into pieces. Percy panicked, seeing their chances of getting Ares's shield dwindling by the second.

        "Jump!" He shouted. 

        "Are you crazy!?" Andie demanded.

        "Do you trust me?" Percy asked, pulling his arm out of Andie's grasp and putting his hands on her shoulders. "Andie, do you trust me?" 

        "Yes, I trust you!" She shouted back over the sounds of the roaring water and the crushing ahead of them. 

        "Okay, then jump!" At his words, the two of them leapt out of the boat. To Percy, the water was dangerous, but he could swim through it fine but when he looked, he saw Andie struggling against the current.

        Percy swam forward, also fighting against the current as he tried to get to Andie. Andie had her hand out, trying to swim toward him but Percy was just out of reach. Percy grunted as he tried to swim harder and he thrusted his hand out again, somehow propelling himself to Andie and then the two of them out of the water. 

        Percy breathed heavily as he rested his head against the golden floor. He heard the heavy pants of Andie beside him before he heard her heave herself up. 

        "Did you just..."

        "I don't know." Percy answered, lifting his head to look at her. "I'm figuring this out as I go."