Mystery Iris Messenger

Twenty Two

In this, Thalia didn't run away until about a year later than in canon. Just to clear things up before you read.

Percy was running. Down a sidewalk, turn into an alley, across the street. After that, he lost track. It was all a blue now. All he could focus on was getting away from everything.

The voice.

His mom.

Apollo.

Everyone.

Even himself.

He ended up running to a secluded area that looked like a rock beach. He climbed up one of the cliffs and sat on the edge. He didn't want to jump, just wanted to think.

There was a body of water beneath him, leaking the smell into the world. That smell reminded him of the happier times. When saving the world was fun.

He thought back to all the quests, thinking about where life went wrong.

Yancy Academy. There he met Grover and Chiron who brought him into this. That summer, himself, Grover, and Annabeth went on their first quest together. They had been like the super heroes in all the movies.

Then Grover got kidnapped by a Cyclops. Percy met Tyson. They saved Grover. Nothing to take a life turning outlook.

Then Annabeth was kidnapped and forced to hold the sky. He wasn't sure why, but he needed to save her. Maybe he shouldn't have. But that's still not when things went really bad.

Then they found the labyrinth. He met so many people that year. And he still had his best friend's by his side.

At the end of that, they had the war. Percy lost friends and began to lose himself. After that, some began to become hostile toward him, but everything had been blown over. This had to have been the start of everything.

What if he had taken Luke's offer to join Kronos? Then people wouldn't be able to push him around. Percy often thought about joining the other side while on the Argo II, but could never bring up the courage to leave his friends.

Percy closed his eyes, letting the area take him in and he remembered when he was stranded on Calypso's island. If he would have just stayed there, he wouldn't have had any problems. Sure Calypso had taken a rather strong liking to him, but Percy would have been able to snap her out of it. Then they could have lived as friends, surviving on the island together for all eternity.

The darkness of his eyes settled darker and he thought of Tartarus. He had been stupid to try to save Annabeth. It had become clear as they were falling that this would only tear them further apart. And that it did.

A rustling in the leaves brought him from his thoughts. He looked back to see a girl about his age, maybe a year younger.

She had dark brown hair and light gray eyes. Without saying anything, she sat next to Percy. Now both of their legs were dangling over the edge.

"My sister jumped from here once," the girl began. "She was about three years older than me - not that that's relevant. But she landed on her feet, saying that the wind slowed her down. When she landed, she was fine. I tried that too, but I didn't land. The wind didn't carry me. I'm not sure what happened after I hit the ground. I just knew I was somewhere new. It took me a day or so to realize I was dead."

Percy lifted his head. "Dead?"

"I escaped from the Underworld," she ignored his question, "and I found an article in the newspaper saying that I had killed myself. I walked past my house, and overheard my parents saying thaty sister had ran away. Ever since that day, I've been looking for her. Have you seen my sister?"

"What's her name?" Percy asked.

"Thalia Grace."

~~~

Apollo sensed Percy and made his way to where it was coming from, hoping aonster wouldn't reach him first. He made his way up a cliff as worse case scenarios played through his head. Instead, though, he saw him sitting at the edge, talking to a girl.

"Thalia Grace," he heard the girl say.

"I hate to interrupt," Apollo interrupted, "but Percy really has to come back home. Now."

Percy looked at the girl for a second before standing up and going over to Apollo. He waved slightly and walked off. He felt bad for leaving the girl, and began feeling worse when he saw her face drop.

~~Time Skip~~

Percy didn't want to meet his half sister,  but the way his mom sounded as she offered made him reluctantly agree.

A few minutes later, Sally was returning with a rather quiet baby craddled in her arms. "Percy, this is Estelle," she smiled proudly as she handed the baby over.

They sat awkwardly as Percy tried to ignore the baby pulling at his hands and shirt. He just wanted to go home, be with Apollo, and just forget anything happened.

But that didn't happen.

Instead, he forced a smile as he spoke with his mom and step dad as the voice chanted in his head random sentences regarding his mom choosing the baby over him and about the girl from the cliff.