Percy Jackson: Defender of Dreams

Prologue: Mission Dossier

I'll keep this short. My name is Percy Jackson, and I've finally been given the opportunity to leave something lasting and permanent, like my Wise Girl always wanted to. She's gone now, taken by the Fates as part of some twisted plan that I have every intention of screwing up. If you want to hear about how all that happened, and is still happening, go ahead and read the Fall From Glory. I don't want to talk about it again.

I don't know if this will spare you any confusion or if it'll just make you more confused, but here's another important detail: I'm not the same Percy Jackson as I once was. Figuratively, and literally. The creator of the universe, Chaos, wanted me for some of his personal missions he couldn't carry out himself, and I'm technically a clone of myself, which simultaneously screws with my mind and makes me want to put on a suit of white armor and attack the Jedi. I'll never have a better opportunity. 

Back to the point, I'm supposed to go through a bunch of other realities that Chaos thinks could use some help, and I'll try to help save those worlds without as much death and suffering as there was originally. That's all I know right now, other than the fact that on my first assignment I'll be pretending to be a "bender", whatever that is.

Now that you're caught up, I'll let you in on my conversation with Chaos.

"Leo, what's your question?" Chaos asked.

"Can I be taller?"

Yeah, I don't know why Chaos chose him either, but I also don't know why he chose me. So, I guess I'll just accept his choice.

"No," said Chaos.

"What?!" Leo said indignantly. He looked genuinely surprised. "You just made me an entire new body, and I still have to be short?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"You're funnier when you're short. Sorry, but it's the truth."

Leo huffed and folded his arms. "Fine."

"Now that's cleared up, there is something I should tell you, so you don't get mad at me for it later. Actually, make that two things." He held up a finger. "One, I'm not all-powerful. I'm also not as compassionate as you might think. I like to watch my creations succeed, but if I intervened directly it would ruin the point for me. I'll give you some help, but you'll mostly be on your own."

He held up a second finger. "Two, I'm not responsible for your growth and development. I gave you all of the memories your former self had, but your habits, trauma, and attachments are things that humans form, not me. It's one of the reasons I like humans at all—you have emotions and behaviors that I can't understand, and it fascinates me."

Chaos shrugged. "This is why, if you look back at even your most scarring and traumatic memories, you'll find that they don't bother you. If you found that out on your own, it most likely would have been disturbing to say the least, so I'm telling you now. Your attachments to Calypso and Annabeth respectively, and your memories of all of your friends, are not as important as the ones you will make. Remember, you are your own person. In your case especially, your past literally does not define you."

I blinked. Opened my mouth to speak, then closed it and blinked again. "That's weird," I finally said. My friends and family were the most important things in the world to me. But, when I thought back to my memories with Annabeth, I didn't feel stuck on her. At first it felt like I was betraying her, but then I felt a surge of indignation. I couldn't be betraying her, I just barely got a fresh start.

"Okay," Leo said, sounding as bewildered as I felt. "Sure, I'm ready to go. Anything else before we get started? Like, maybe some information about the world we're going to?"

"Well, your abilities will change," Chaos said offhandedly. "Percy, I'm afraid the blessings and power you've accumulated aren't with you anymore, and you'll have to relearn how to use your respective gifts, but it won't be quite the same as everyone else's. For the rest, you'll have to find out."

"Wait, what?" I tried to protest. It was no use; I was already falling, hurtling through empty space towards wherever my next destination happened to be.

Here goes probably my most ambitious project. I've decided that A:TLA will be first but I'll do any fandom that I'm part of and I don't feel is overdone. Let the adventure begin...