Lights

She was gone.

My hope and my weakness, my strength. She was my life support, and she was gone. She was oxygen, and without her I was drowning.

And she was gone.

I was on the floor of my cabin. The door was shut and locked, the windows shut and blinds drawn. Nico could get in, shadow travel and he often brought Thalia. They tried to get me to get up and keep going, but how do you live without air? I was suffocating. I was lost in depression without hope. Maybe I needed a kickstart but what I knew I needed was her. I lay on the floor, deep in remorseful memories. Arguing when we were twelve, the sea of monsters, holding her as she sobbed, when she went missing when we were still just thirteen, being fourteen, and all of the troubles that came with it. Fifteen, as a war raged around us, friends dying. Finally being sixteen, and the best underwater kiss of them all. But it wasn't enough. The memories of her were like a drug, but drugs can be deadly, and it kept me going for a bit but soon it wouldn't be enough and I would once again be left gasping for air. I stared into nothing, just remembering. I faintly recalled Nico and Thalia coming by, trying to get me to eat, but couldn't they see it? How could I eat now? Waste what little oxygen I have left? They left soon, leaving me alone again. I blinked eventually, coming out of my trance and dully looking at the clock blinking 4:14. I collapsed on my bed, taking a deep shuddering breath. And stared up at the achingly bright lights. Thinking almost nothing at all. As I stared, one dulled slightly. Thinking nothing of it, nor caring the slightest, I rolled over. I saw the light reflect in the water of the salt water fountain. It dulled even more and I slowly wrapped a blanket around me. Watching it, slowly dying. Slowly becoming less and less, the spark it once had coming to a dull heat, and soon it would dull out and nothing would be left. This light was like me. Soon I would run out of air, slowly dulling to nothing. I watched, my heartbeat slow, as it flickered once. Flickered twice, and gave it one more try before coming to darkness. It left a feeling. Everything was darker. Sadder. Lonelier. This was darkness now. No salt water reflections. Just nothingness. I closed my eyes, but soon heard a sound like a electrocution. I blinked hazily, the light was still trying. It buzzed a moment, before stably glowing a moment. Then it was dark again. This happened twice more, before I was alone once again. Me and the dark. Preserving my air. I gave up on the light and rolled over. Not to sleep, I didn't get much sleep lately. It worried Thalia and Nico and Chiron and everyone. My never eating, never sleeping. Just thinking about air. About the happy blissful moments I used to have. The ones I thought would never end. Wrapped in a burrow of blankets, the heat was annoying. I shoved them off with a annoyed sigh. That's when I saw the reflection in the water. A reflection needed light. I slowly looked at my light. It was there. Burning low, seeming on the edge of fading, but there. It had run out of air, it's time was up. Yet here it was. Glowing, dull, but slowly getting brighter little by little, soon it would burn at a bright confident glare once more. If this light was like me, running out of time, as people slowly gave up on me, it made a comeback. It didn't give up, it kept fighting and made its own air. It's like me. Or it's going to be. I stood up slowly. I walked over to the water and put my hand in. I would burn bright too. My energy surged back into me, little by little. I ran my fingers through my knotted hair, until it looked acceptable. I put on a new shirt and pair of shorts and slipped on my Reeboks. I might be dull and I may run out of air, but I can glow bright someday, too. I opened the door and was greeted by cool fresh air. I flipped off the light, letting my hope live a little longer, perhaps. I shut the door with a quiet click. Stepping out, I walked to the dining pavilion, and leaned against a statue. I breathed in the cool crisp morning air. I felt a little like the old Percy. A ghost, maybe. Maybe a shadow. But a small fraction of who I used to be. Maybe someday I could be almost the exact same person? If that light could burn so could I. I heard a startled voice behind me. "Percy?" I turned around. My eyesight was clearer. Less hazy, more sharp. I looked right into Thalia's eyes, finding relief and surprise. "Hate to ask but, I thought you were never leaving that cabin. What changed?" Nico walked up beside her and I replied in a voice that seemed like my old one, a little more hushed. "If the light can do it, so can I." They looked at each other, but must have decided it wasn't important, because they looked back at me, and Thalia gave me a quick hug. "I have no clue what that means, but I'm glad to have my cousin back." I gave them a small smile and we walked down to the beach to talk about whatever came next. And maybe I wasn't who I used to be, maybe I never would be, but I could sure as hades come close. And that's what I did.

~FIN.

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Sorry it's too short!! But I hope you liked it! It's my first one-shot. I have wrote fanfictions before. I haven't been on my old account in forever and forgot the password and it wouldn't send me a email so I made a new account because as I watched Dr. Who today, a light of my burned out, and I just turned around to see if I had another.. To find it flicker back to life. And I had to get this great idea out. Short but sweet, yeah? R&R please! No hate, but constructive criticism is great! I usually write long Fics, so this was new. Tell me what you think!

~Phoenixxfeathers