The Fourth Inheritor (A Percy Jackson/Chaos Fanfic) [Complete]

Chapter Eight: The New Host

In the next instant, Percy couldn't help wondering if he had made a mistake. Eternity disappeared, and the darkness returned, wrapping around him until it was all there was. This darkness wasn't empty like it was before, though. It almost seemed... welcoming.

Then he was back on the platform, only it seemed different from before. He seemed different from before. After he'd gotten to Haven, Percy had realized that he no longer had his powers. He didn't know why, but it wasn't like he'd particularly needed them. There were no monsters in Haven. Now, once again, he was entirely aware of the water flowing from the fountain. Not just in that he could see and hear it; he could feel it. He hadn't realized how much he missed that.

Percy made his way over to the water, crouching down to let it run through his fingers. It was cool and clear. As he stood, he took note of his reflection. Raven hair had deepened to the same black as the darkness surrounding the platform, which sort of looked like an island floating alone when he really thought about it, and his skin was now incredibly pale. It seemed even now that color did not exist. His eyes, once a vibrant sea green, were gray. Not like Annabeth's, though. They looked like they had been colorful once and had simply been washed out until their original color could no longer be determined.

As he took all of this in, Percy wondered if he was still Percy. All his conversations with Eternity over the years played through his head. How many times he'd been asked if he was sure that was who he was. Now... he wasn't.

His heart stopped a moment. Two.

Percy's hand went up to grip the fabric of his shirt, right above his heart, as he felt it begin to beat again. Why had it stopped like that? His hand shook as he slowly lowered it. Both of his hands were shaking.

Again, his heart stopped. Longer.

He was on his knees, hands in the stream, when it began again. The water didn't seem to be helping though. What was going on? Eternity hadn't said anything about this. Of course.

That was when, a final time, his heart stopped beating altogether.

He shook, as if all his muscles were spasming at once, and then everything stopped. He stood up cautiously, stretching his arms, his legs, his shoulders. All fine. His hand went to his chest again, but there was no heartbeat to be found. He shook his head, a wry smile finding its way to his lips as he adapted to the new development. "That would've been nice to know, Eternity."

He looked down to the water again. His reflection gazed back, skin as pale and hair as dark as before. Now, though, his eyes were a muted red. So that happened. He wondered if the shadowy thing Eternity had was something that would happen later or that he could activate on a whim. Might as well give it a try.

A moment later, he was cloaked in shadows. They wrapped around him in an endless swirl, but they were comforting. He grinned. This was pretty cool. Another thought, and they were gone. Even cooler.

"I wonder what name..." He knew, knew that the power he now hosted had changed him somehow. Eternity had been correct. He wasn't Percy anymore. Not in the way he had been. And maybe he would be Percy again someday, but for now he couldn't be. And if he wasn't Percy, he must be someone. Who?

'I have many. Chaos, Destruction, Order, Creation, Beginning, End, and others.'

Which name drew him? Creation, Order, Eternity... the first three. He almost laughed. They'd been around for all of history, so they were more Big Three than the Big Three. That was beside the point now though. He wasn't them, so none of those were his name. While he had a bad habit of destroying things, he wasn't about to call himself Destruction for who knew how long. End wasn't right either. Beginning? No. That left...

"Chaos." He grinned. Yes, that one fit quite well. He had a tendency towards causing chaos, sometimes accidentally and sometimes purposefully. Either way, it had an appeal. And it wasn't like he could only cause chaos. He could also help tame it.

As if settling into his role, he spoke to himself, "I'm Chaos."