Percy Jackson: Night In The Land Beyond The Gods

"Stay alive."

Piper's POV

"We need to keep our eyes open, Annabeth," I kept my voice low. "We all know it's going to be a trap, each and every one of us, but we need to brace ourselves for whatever they throw at us because if we can't stop this... who will?"

She nodded, her anger and worry rolling off of her in thick clouds of emotion. I struggled to look through it all, but at its centre I could see Annabeth's more primary emotions – fear mixed with courage, a powerful storm of human nature.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to pause for a moment, blinking a few times before looking around. The multi-coloured clouds of emotion were gone from my vision but I knew they still were there. They always were.

I had been dealing with the sight of visual emotions for a few years now, a 'gift' from my mother, Aphrodite, after we had defeated Gaia. Of course, she didn't tell me about this gift until a few months after I'd initially gotten it, meaning I didn't understand how to control the sudden bursts of colours that blocked my view.

I walked onwards, constantly blinking whenever I thought I was going to be sucked up into the neon nightmare, my hand itching towards Katroptris. The Celestial Bronze blade glinted in the dim light, its faint glow like a dying beacon – it was there and monsters would be able to sense the deadly blade, but it couldn't light the path as if it were a flashlight.

Besides, Percy was doing a fine job of lighting the way as it was.

In one hand he held his 'stupid stick' – as Annabeth had called it – and in the other, a small white gem was clenched in his fist. The stone released rays of white light, nothing more than small streaks but any more and I knew we would all be blinded. It was like pure lightning, bright sparks in the stormy skies of darkness.

At the though of lightning, my mind immediately switched over to Jason. I could remember his goodbye ringing in my head, his warning in my heart.

"Piper," I felt strong arms wrap around me, a tone of concern belonging to the voice of the body of those arms, "Are you sure you're going to be alright? – Because if you want I can argue for you to switch places with Thalia so you can stay on the Argo II with me... or I'll sneak into your group... only if you want me to, though! I mean, it's cool if you don't want me there, totally cool!"

A small blush coloured my cheeks as his flustered thoughts outran his concern, a laugh bubbling in my chest as I struggled to hold them in. I didn't for very long, though. It poured out of me like a waterfall – constant, powerful, long-lived.

Finally, I levelled my breath and subsided my chuckles. I inhaled heavily, my head buried in his shirt, "I'll be fine, Jason, besides – you and Thalia can't follow us into the mountains... they're mountains!"

"I know, but please be safe, Pipes, I can feel it... something is going to go wrong."

"I feel it too, but this mission could be vital! I can't just drop out of this when it's so important." a sigh escaped my lips, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, you've done nothing wrong."

"Still..."

"Just stay safe, I love you."

" 'Love you too, Jase, stay alive."