Guiding Light (Perzoe)(Under Editing)

Its Not That Easy

Two
It's Not That Easy

Percy scowled as he found himself in another demigod dream. All he'd wanted was to get some uninterrupted sleep, but of course, the fates had something else in mind. To say he was surprised when he found himself to be standing amongst clouds would be an understatement. Instead of finding himself back in the clutches of Kronos, he stood before a colossal wall, one that appeared to have been taken from ancient Greece in all its glory. A soft glow lit the entire structure, one that seemed to radiate from the marble bricks and gold inlays. The teen could just faintly pick out a style that seemed reminiscent of Olympus and Othyrs, yet far older.

Just as he began to take a step forward, the whole dream seemed to tremble with the strength of his father's earthquakes and a soft voice began to speak. "Find the katasterismoi, Perseus. You must reach the Throne Beyond the Clouds. They are waiting..." Cracks appeared in the marble as the wall separated, revealing an entrance veiled in shadows, soft points of light twinkling like stars.

A loud knock echoed throughout the cabin, resonating from the locked door caused Percy to wake up in a cold sweat. His dream was fading like a fleeting thought, but the voice had his mind racing like a Pegasus. Another loud knock and faint voices brought about a sour expression, he just wanted to sleep, maybe encounter the same dream again.

It had only been a few days since the battle atop Othrys and his mind was still reeling. Not only was he still in physical pain from holding the sky for so long, but the deaths of Bianca, Grover, and Zoe weighed heavily on his shoulders, almost as if he was once again carrying Atlas' burden.

"Percy, you can't stay in there all day." A soft voice said, the boy only just making out the words. They had been trying to speak to him since he had gotten back, but he had shut them all out. His life had changed in the blink of an eye, and he wasn't sure he was ready to face it yet. After Zoe's death, Thalia had been recruited by Artemis, intent on making the demigod her new Lieutenant. In doing so, the Great Prophecy had once again been passed back down to him, adding to the already heavy weight he bared. The son of Poseidon was just about to tell the person to go away when he heard a soft click, and the door to his cabin opened.

"Thanks, Connor." The same feminine voice said.

"Of course Annabeth, but remember, you owe me a drachma!" Connor responded. Percy wanted to tell her to go away, that he didn't want to speak to her, but the girl could be more stubborn than he was in some cases.

"Percy," Annabeth said as she slowly made her way over to his bed. "Are you really going to spend the next few days camped in your cabin? You only have until Sunday, then Sally will be here to pick you up."

"Just leave me alone Annabeth. I don't want to do anything right now." Percy replied, pulling into himself.

"Percy, I know it's hard, but people die. It's just a part of our life, you can't let it keep you down like this. It's time you get..."

"It's time I get over them, over her? Over the fact that my life now has a timer? Like how you're 'over' Luke? They all died because of me Annabeth. I wasn't strong enough and I caused them to die. Because I was weak, Nico will never see his sister again, Juniper lost her boyfriend, and Artemis lost her lieutenant. It's not that easy Annabeth." Percy snapped, interrupting the blonde demigod. He knew it was uncalled for to mention Luke, but he was tired of her speeches.

Annabeth seemed to be stunned by his words, a shine starting to appear in her eyes before the atmosphere in the cabin changed. It was almost as if it was choking him, layering feelings of hurt and guilt onto his already heavy heart.

Percy sighed before apologizing, "I'm sorry Wise Girl, I think this past week has just been... hard." His legs bounced with a mixture of guilt and anxiety.  Annabeth wasted zero time before wrapping him in a hug.

"I know Percy. Death is always hard, but you can't stay locked up In here day in and day out." Annabeth said as she ran her fingers through his hair. They had been close since their first quest, becoming inseparable after their second. She knew that there was a huge pressure sitting on his shoulders that could end in either peace or the end of the world. "Everything will be okay."

"Alright, you got me, give me a moment to take a shower, and then I'll be out. I'm pretty sure I stink." He said giving her a half-hearted smile.

"Oh thank the gods you noticed, I didn't want to point it out." She snickered, hoping to cheer him up a little more. "Meet me in the Arena in twenty?"

"Sure." Percy responded, shooing the girl out of his cabin. Once she was out, he took in a deep breath, before letting it out. He never won against her, and though it irritated him to no end, he was glad she won.

His burdens were a mountain blocking his path, forever growing taller and wider. All he could do was start climbing. He wouldn't let this get him down any longer. His friends needed to be avenged and he had an entire world to save. 

After taking a long, and much-needed shower, Percy quickly dressed before heading to the Arena. Annabeth could confuse him and spin his brain in whatever way she wanted, but when it came to fighting, he excelled. Even so, he was weak. Starting now, he would push himself farther than any hero had ever gone before him.

The walk to the Arena was a short one, especially from his cabin, but each step seemed to drone on. He could feel the eyes of curious camper's burning holes in his back, their whispers easily carried across the air to his ears. They hadn't seen him since he'd returned with Annabeth. He wasn't their hero yet, but he would be. The boy set his face in a determined line.

Every day he would train, he would push on, he would climb the mountain before him. A new Percy Jackson had been born, a hero capable of surpassing his namesake, and maybe, just maybe, he would get a constellation of his own.

Sorry, it's short! I just really liked this ending. I know people hate training chapters (as well as fillers) but every story needs them In a sense. The next few chapters will show quite a transformation.

Also! This is a Perzoe story, but their may be a tad of Percabeth, I haven't decided.

Hope you enjoyed.