Snowfall

Plum Pudding

They were losing. Thalia watched with despair as the campers of Camp Half-Blood fought, cutting down monsters by the minute only to be slaughtered themselves. Her hands shook to the extent where she couldn't aim her bow correctly, and she swore a tear trickled down her cheek.

She could see Percy, the water following him and lashing out like a thousand whips. Nico was further away, an army of skeletal warriors and predators fighting behind him. Both demigods were being overwhelmed. She had to do something.

"Stay here," Thalia told Phoebe, who nodded and kept shooting. Thalia dropped her bow and quiver onto the ground, took out her spear and Aegis, then charged into the fray.

She fought with a ferociousness she never had before. Her powers would be useful in these circumstances if other demigods weren't within the danger zone, so she had to restrain her power. Thalia couldn't tell if she was making any dent in the army, but she liked to believe she was helping.

A sudden call of "retreat!" from up ahead sounded out. The demigods began to back off, racing towards the camp borders. She saw the hunters beckoning her, urging her to come. Percy was shouting at her, telling her she had to retreat. Annabeth was sobbing, the situation all too familiar to her.

Thalia turned around and braced herself for the monsters. She heard yells and screams behind her, but she ignored it. She could feel her energy dancing inside her, begging to be let out. She set it free, letting it roar through her veins and consume her body. Sparks flickered off of her skin and a roll of thunder shook the earth. She watched the monsters approach. She could feel wind swirling around her, lifting her slightly off her feet.

The newfound power amazed her, but she didn't let her amazement take ahold of her and used it. She pushed the wind towards the centre of the army and within seconds she was there. Power rolled off of her, and she let loose. Electricity surged through her body, overwhelming her and coursing through every part of her body. The feeling was unreal, out of this world, and it was too much. She blacked out.

Percy watched wide-eyed at the show Thalia put on. First, she had flown, flown, above the heads of the monsters, then all hell broke loose. Thousands of bolts of lightning billowed from the skies, all hitting her body. There was a loud boom and then Zeus's power broke away from its collar. All the raw power exploded. The monsters shrieked and howled through the blinding light of crude electricity, being enveloped in a flash so great that a shockwave rolled off, blowing the demigods back.

The son of Poseidon shook off his daze in time to see the storm and the monsters gone and Thalia's body falling to the ground. He screamed silently, the ground cracking beneath his feet. He summoned a large rift in the ground from which water poured, water that caught the immobile girl in its embrace.

Thalia was swept towards him and he raced out to meet it, letting the water dispell and catching her in his arms. She was passed out, her body shivering and occasionally rippling with the still-present lightning. He frantically pressed two fingers to her wrist. He sighed in relief. A pulse.

"My gods! Is she okay!" He heard Annabeth shout from behind him. He turned to see the demigod forces standing there, watching as Percy cradled the person who had just destroyed hundreds, if not thousands of monsters with a single godly blast. "Please tell me she's okay!"

"Thalia is fine," Percy reassured her. "She's alive." Annabeth sighed and the demigods cheered, their roar being heard for a long distance.

Thalia was rushed to the infirmary, where they were told she had just emptied her energy reserve and needed rest to build it back up to a healthy level. After she was placed in the Poseidon cabin, the only other cabin with beds that wasn't mostly full, either Percy or Annabeth was almost always in there with her, watching over her to see if she would wake.

Percy was curled up in the chair situated next to Thalia's bed one night near midnight, still half awake. Neither he nor Annabeth had gotten much sleep since the battle, and Percy still refused to succumb. He was losing the battle until he heard a sudden cough from the bed.

He shot up scrambling to grasp onto the bed. "Thalia!" He gasped, focusing on her form as she slowly came into consciousness. "You're awake!"

"Yeah," she said hoarsely. "Still tired though. How long was I asleep?"

"Four days," Percy responded. "We've been worried. What you did was amazing but risky. Not that we aren't thankful, but you shouldn't risk yourself like that."

"If it means all of your safety, I will," she answered. "I can tell you've been worrying. You look like you haven't slept since. I feel like I haven't slept since." She yawned as if to prove her point.

"That's because I haven't," Percy muttered. Thalia looked at him with irritation.

"Percy, you shouldn't have." He looked about to protest, but Thalia interrupted. "No, no, you need sleep. You will sleep. Now."

"But you're awake now. How can I?" He answered.

Thalia scowled at him. "I'm sleeping whether you do or not, so either sit around in silence while I sleep, perfectly safe, or actually get some rest."

Percy sighed. "Fine." He moved to get up, but Thalia grasped his hand. He turned to look at her with confusion.

"Stay here," she said. "Sleep here."

He looked shocked. "Wouldn't that make you uncomfortable?" He said. "I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable, not after what happened, I'm okay with sleeping on another bed-"

"Percy, you're rambling," Thalia stated. He blushed. "I'm fine with it. Truthfully, I want to know that I'm not alone here. Please, stay here." Percy gazed into her eyes and couldn't find the heart to say no.

He climbed into the bed, settling on the opposite side of the pillow that she was. She surprised him even more when she scooted closer, tucking her face into his chest and tangling their legs together. He hesitated before slowly wrapping his arms around her, tugging her slightly closer. She sighed with content.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.