Of Shocks and Seashells

Of the Titan's Curse and Drabbles

Disclaimer: No, I'm not Rick Riordan. I'm just a young teenager who enjoys writing fanfiction.

Thalia's Point of View

The light from the helicopter blinds me, and my vision erupts in white. Why are mortals getting involved in this? They're only going to get hurt. I blink my eyes rapidly, trying to regain my vision, but nothing happens. I try squinting, but all that does is send a sharp wave of pain over my head.

The manitcore's tail came out of nowhere and slammed into me, not only knocking the breath out of me, but also sending Aegis flying in one direction and my spear flying in the other. I land on my back in the snow, frigid wetness seeping through my jacket, the breath I have slightly regained leaving me again. I'm breathless and dizzy, my head pounding in a dull rhythm.

Dr. Thorn stands over me, a triumphant smirk spreading over his beastly face. His tail writhes as it whips through the air, the spikes glinting in the sharp sunlight as they prepare to impale me.

"No!" I hear a strangled shout, and Percy rushes to my side, parrying the spike that would have hit my chest. Sparks fly into the freezing air as Percy lifts his shield into the air above both of our heads.

How...gallant of him.

~PJO~

Percy's Point of View

I know it is a mistake as soon as Thalia raises Aegis, the celestial bronze glinting in the bright afternoon sunlight. The boar turns towards us and charges, its eyes alight with an insane fury.

"REEEEEET!" it squeals angrily as its hooves pound on the snow-covered ground.

"Come on!" I said, grabbing Thalia's arm and dragging her uphill as the boar plowed through numerous rocks and trees. We barely kept ahead of it.

"This way!" I say, pulling Thalia along as I duck underneath an old tunnel, which has a weak-looking wooden bridge spanning a huge gorge at the back of it. "Follow me!" Thalia slows down, but I yank her arm and she trips, stumbling before running again. When we reach the back of the tunnel, her face pales, making the snowy landscape look slightly gray.

"No!" she screams, looking down in horror at the seventy-foot drop that was spread out before us. She looks at the tiny, unsteady bridge and acts like she is about to faint.

"REEEEEEEEET!" the boar squeals hysterically from right behind us, it's breath billowing into the air.

"Come on!" I plead What was with her? "It'll hold out weight...probably..."

"I can't!" Thalia whimpers, her face a mask of hysterical fear.

The boar burst through the tunnel.

Thalia's Point of View

"Now!" Percy yells at me, but I am frozen, unable to move except for my hands, which are shaking. My stomach twists and turns violently. I look down and swallow with difficulty, my body rigid with fear.

The boar starts to run towards Percy and I, its huge tusks poised to spear us through. Percy, acting on a whim, tacklew me, sending us hurtling off of the edge of the cliff.

I try to scream, but the wind takes my breath away. Instead, my pupils dilate dangerously as Percy and I slide on Aegis to the bottom of the gorge. Percy is gripping me tightly, his eyes alight with fear and surprise. My vision starts swimming and I panic.

We skid to a stop, Aegis sliding out from underneath us. I start to hyperventilate, my head reeling. My face is littered with cuts and scratches from the pine trees that had brutally attacked me on the way down; pine needles were intertwined with pieces of my dark hair.

Percy looks at me, his sea green eyes flickering. I meet his gaze for an iota of a second, but then I turn it to the ground. "You're afraid of heights."

My face heats up as I flush angrily. "Don't be stupid," I snarl, fear, adrenaline, and fury coursing through my veins.

"That explains why you freaked out on Apollo's bus. Why you didn't want to talk about it."

I take a deep breath, running my hand through my hair, picking out pine needles. "If you tell anyone, I swear-"

"No, no," Percy says, shaking his head, his hair falling into his eyes. "It's just...the daughter of Zeus, Lord of the Sky, afraid of heights?"

~PJO~

Percy's Point of View

"There's a path," Grover says. "We could get to the river."

I try to see what he's talking about, and finally notice a tiny ledge winding down the cliff face. Just looking at it makes me dizzy, and I've never been afraid of heights. "That's a goat path."

"So?" he asks, slightly offended.

"The rest of use aren't goats."

"We can make it," Grover encourages. "I think."

I think about that. I've done cliffs before, but it'd never really appealed to me. I look over at Thalia to ask her what she thinks, and I see pale she's gotten, her freckles looking like tiny black ants climbing up small white hills that are her prominent white cheekbones. Her problem with heights...she'll never make it. I can't put her through something like that. Seeing her while 'sledding' down the gorge was horrible. She looked panicked, her eyes wide while her pupils dilated dangerously, her mouth open in a scream no one could hear. She'll never be able to do it. And I won't make her.

"No," I say. "I, uh, think we should go farther upstream."

"But-" Grover starts.

"Come on," I say. "A walk won't hurt us."

I glance at Thalia. Her eyes say a quick Thank you.

~PJO~

Percy's Point of View

Thalia embraces me, her body pressing into mine. Then she breaks away and smiles at me warmly. I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks as she grips my shoulder.

"Umm...aren't you not supposed to do that anymore? Hug boys, I mean?"

"I'm honoring a friend," she says, and a funny look flits across her face.

It's the look of despair, of wanting, of guilt and remorse of not doing something.

~PJO~

Percy's Point of View

As we trudge back up Half-Blood Hill to the pine tree where the Golden Fleece glitters, I half expect to see Thalia there, waiting for us. But she isn't. She's long gone with Artemis and the rest pf the Hunters, off on their next adventure.

I miss her already.

Thalia's Point of View

I place the intricate silver tiara on my spiky black hair. Already, I've changed into ripped, skinny camouflage pants, a silver hunting jacket, and black combat boots. It feels good, and it fills a void in my heart that's been empty ever since I woke up from my six year slumber inside of a tree. But there's still one part that refuses to fill.

I miss Percy already.