Destiny Calls (A Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

39: Down the pit again...

My fingers ran through my hair as I spoke, subconsciously separating my hair into three strips as I braided my long hair down so it rested on my right shoulder. Atlas, too, was incredibly fidgety for a Titan, scratching his neck or back every once in a while, sometimes shrugging and rolling his shoulders back to remind himself that he wasn't under the weight of the sky anymore, that he was finally free. By the time I had finally described to Atlas what I wanted him to do with the help of the moonbeams I had created, my hair had been braided into several strips of braids, as my hands had created braids on the sides, the majority of my hair being left done.

"So, I want you to pretend that you're still on Nyx's side, and just let her torture me for one more session." I whispered, the channels of silver energy creating a path way for the sound to travel to his ear, rather than spreading across the entire cavern. "It's probably going to be two sessions next, since she's left me alone for so long, and Tom might be here to beat you up again, so get ready and don't ever look at his eyes. Never." My eyes looked into his as I looked at my own reflection in his iris's. "Also, you might want to try and hide your face a bit more, like I said. Open face, open book. Madam Nyx is going to whip your butt with that smirking face of yours."

"You should learn to be not as mean as you already are, Arthella." Said Atlas in return. "Since you're the one that's a little tied up in the moment."

"Come, on." I complained. "You're even worse than Khione, General Atlas. Just, I don't know, talk a lot. The way that you usually do." I felt a sudden chill in the air, a tell-tale sign of Nyx's arrival. "The Lady of the Mansion is coming."

"I really am honoured, Arthella. The Lady of the Mansion does have a slight ring to it, don't you think, Atlas?"

"Of course, my Lady." He said gruffly.

"Good." Was all Nyx answered. "I need some time alone with our delighted guest. I hope Tartarus will be sunny when you return there, Arthella. Because I really would hate it if you got too damaged down there, because what would I do without our charming Arthella?"

"Go to the Voids of Chaos." I spat. "Gods' don't know what you're up to."

"Where do you want to go next?" Nyx asked. "Perseus Jackson, or Nico di Angelo."

"You're not going to give me a choice. Do your worse, Nyx."

"Gladly." A stream of shadows burst from her hand and wrapped around my forehead as she pulled my mind back into the past.

A dark, dreary past.

Did it really only happen about one year ago, nothing more?

My vision went white, and once again, I found myself hurtling towards the depths of Tartarus, clutching tightly onto Annabeth, my hands raw from the pain of holding on to the ledge that had been my last chance of resisting Tartarus. I felt all the misery that had washed over Percy as we fell into the Cocytus, and suddenly I was sort of glad that I had fell into the Phlegthon instead of the River of Misery, because instead of Annabeth by my side, I had no one. Well, I did had Kelli for a while before she decided to destroy my mind my opening my eyes and pulling my dream-self into the Mansion of Night with my eyes WIDE open.

I drank from the River Phlegthon, (the second time in doesn't make me feel any better and it still tastes like a ghost chili smoothie), and I decided that really, Annabeth had the best off out of our Tartarus buddies Percy and Nico. I had ventured in alone with Nico, and while I hadn't seen the real Tartarus in my first journey, the physical manifestation, yes, but no, not the true terrors of the pit. Nico had it the worse, but honestly, I think that's my crown I need on my head since I've ventured in twice now, and probably going to go through Nico's ordeal as well.

Sad life, ain't it?

I once again saw Kelli get killed by Bob. Gosh I hated her, and the memory of Bob brought tears to my eyes as I remembered Ethan Nakamura's escape from Tartarus as I left Bob and his kitten pack to fight against Tartarus with Damasen, and how they really never stood a chance against the primordial in his home territory. Then came Akhyls, and finally, I saw Percy's true power. The blood of the seas rushed through my brains as I analysed the structures of how Percy managed to summon hurricanes.

There was no structure. His power came from raw power, pure passion, and his heart that I could never replace. His unswerving loyalty I would never have. Annabeth's cool, collected mind that I would never had. Thalia's instincts and reflexes that I could never have. Because I had something else. A gift that was given from the fates that merged the world's three most dangerous demigods into one explosive tween with a very short attention span.

As I deserted Bob once more as I entered the Doors of Death for the second time, my eyes welled once again, reflecting Percy's moments of depression and fury at Gaia. I felt bad that he never got to stick the last sword into Gaia's heart, though Leo deserved the kill. Gaia had messed with his life half a century before he was ever even born, but Percy had lost more friends than Leo even knew. All because of Kronos's warm-up act for Gaia's big plot, but the finale was coming up with Nyx.

As I saw the sunlight again, I felt myself absent-mindedly leaving the life of Percy going on around me, and instead looking forward of what would happen to me after Percy's life had finished replaying. Nyx had asked me if I would rather Nico's life, and that question alone told me that I was probably going to lose my mind if I wasn't able to escape fast enough.

I sped through the journey of the Argo II, and to the final battle that I had not known. How Percy was nearly killed and was saved by Annabeth, how Annabeth was nearly killed but was saved by Percy. How they both had each other's backs and the rest of the Greek army's at the same time, a feat only able to be performed by the greatest of warriors.

I was pulled out from my thinking as the pressure was released from my temple and I was thrown back into reality. Atlas looked slightly disturbed, probably because I must have been doing everything in reality as what Percy did, since I was basically floating in mid air, suspended by the shadow ropes as I dangled from the ceiling. I used the water vapor in the air to sense where Hecate was, and it seemed like Nyx still didn't know about her yet. Summoning the last of my willpower, I morphed into a wolf.

"Woah!" Atlas said, taking a step back. "What's that little white dog doing there."

I'm sure I've said this before. This little dog has a name. I mentally said, my thoughts echoing through the room.

"This is why we would like Althea's assistance in the war, Atlas." Said a new voice, revealing an annoyed Tom in the corner. "Why couldn't you make her scream more? I like to hear them scream."

"Tom. Please, come back to us. Leah's been heartbroken, Tom. You've deserted your family." I tried to reason, even though I knew it was no use.

"My family deserted me when they found my eyes behind all the contact lenses I had to wear. I'm nothing but a monster, and at least Lady Nyx has found a use to my abilities."

"Now, now, this is where you have been befuddled." I answered with a smile. "My eyes are as strange as yours."

"And this is no time to talk. Tom, take Atlas away." Nyx's lip curled into a smile. "I would like some quality time with little miss Arthella with me."

Done. Although late