Memories

The Plan

By the time Annabeth and Nico had reached the Big House, I had sat down at the ping-pong table with Chiron and, having missed breakfast, was munching my way through a bowl of chips. An agitated Rachel Elizabeth Dare sat beside me, tracing the doodles on her jeans with her index finger.

"We're here," Annabeth announced as herself and Nico appeared in the doorway of the meeting room and threw herself unceremoniously into a chair beside me.

"What did you need me for?" Nico whined as he joins us at the ping-pong table. "I was just about to eat."

I slid my bowl of chips over to him, which he took happily as Annabeth began to talk, "We've had another prophecy and I think you might be involved in it. Percy?"

After Annabeth gestured for me to talk, I began to repeat the prophecy:

"'Three shall delve into the mind of the sea

To discover the secrets hidden by he.

To fight the place they once escaped-'"

Annabeth cut me off, "That's got to be Tartarus and, I mean, we were the only people to survive- escape - that place. We must be the three of the prophecy."

"I think you're right, Annabeth," Chiron praised her. Had Annabeth been twelve years old still, she would have beamed at a compliment from Chiron, but the wars had since worn her down and something so simple wouldn't make her smile. "As for the delving into the mind of the sea..." He trailed off in thought.

"They don't want us to literally go into the mind of the sea, do they?" Nico asked. "I don't fancy jumping into Poseidon's mind, nor do I want to jump into Percy's."

"I think they might," Annabeth replies. "It might sound a bit far-fetched but it's believable. Tartarus' brand wouldn't have only been on Percy's body but on Percy's mind-"

"Tartarus' brand?" Chiron echoed.

Annabeth turned to glare at me with her stormy grey eyes, "You didn't tell him?"

"I wanted to keep it all on the down-low. It's not their problem."

"Percy, it's a problem that belongs to all of us now." She turned to face Chiron and Nico and told them about my dreams.

"Show me the branding," Nico demanded. I yanked down the collar of my shirt with a sigh and showed him the T engraved into my chest. I heard Chiron and Rachel both suck in a sharp breath. "And it bleads again every night?"

"Not every night; and never when I'm with Annabeth."

"Why would that be?" He asks Annabeth.

"I'm assuming it's because Tartarus didn't want anybody to find out about Percy's dreams. He knows that we would find a way to stop him," she shrugged. "Anyway, Tartarus feeds on the darkest parts of the soul, the darkest secrets. It makes sense that, to be rid of Tartarus, we'd have to go into Percy's mind and see the darkest parts of himself as he does. Maybe even re-write the dark parts in some way"

"Maybe if you did that, Tartarus wouldn't have anything to focus Percy's pain on and thus, would be unable to hurt him in the mortal world." Chiron continued. "Was there anything else to the prophecy, Percy?"

I nodded and continued, "'The hero's mind to reshape.'" Chiron nodded at Annabeth, confirming that her plan was probably correct. "'To sever the bond between friend and foe. A deciding hand of cards to throw.'"

I stopped myself before I could continue with the final sentence. I couldn't tell Chiron the part about sacrifice, he already had too much to worry about. He didn't need to worry about me too.

"Was that all?" He asked me and when I gave a small nod of the head, he didn't believe me but didn't press any further. Annabeth turned to look at me questioningly and I flicked my eyes away quickly, letting her know the matter was done with for now.

"So how are we supposed to get into Percy's mind?" Nico asked. Honestly, I wasn't comfortable with the idea of having two of my closest friends wandering about in my head, but if it would get rid of these nightmares...

"I suppose we speak to Hecate, see if she can do anything for us," Annabeth shrugged.

"I can have Argus drive you three out to Olympus tomorrow," Chiron nodded in agreement with Annabeth (again).

"Thank you, Chiron," Nico said before standing to leave.

"Wait," I said quickly, the simple word managing to throw tension in the air. "Promise me that what you heard today stays in this room. Please don't tell anybody, especially the seven."

"Why not?" Rachel asks, her hands placed strongly on her hips.

"Just promise me. Nobody else needs to know about this."

A/N

So like throwback to two chapters ago (and two years ago) when I praised myself for being good at updating... well that aged well

Anyway, if anyone is still following this story, I found a bunch of my old writing and the next chapters of this were on there. So you can probably expect many more chapters on the way.

How better to spend lockdown that continue teenage-me's shoddy writing!

Signing out,

-R