Andy Jackson: Child of Land & Sea

Beyond The Stars

Act III — Deep Blue Sea

Part IX — Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong.

"This is the point where the sky and the earth first met," Atlas said. "Where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, the Titans. Can you imagine a love like this one? The sky still yearns to embrace the earth."

Can you imagine a love like this one? Andy glanced at the rocks weighing Artemis down and she finally understood it. She thought of how much she yearned for Anthony. How much Thalia and Luke yearned for each other. The sky and the earth understood it, too. It was almost poetic. Love conquers all; it shan't be different in this quest. Aphrodite had been right: the most important thing was love.

"Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues," Atlas continued. "And once you have taken the burden, there is no escape. Unless someone else takes it from you."

There is no escape... That was the strength of a powerful love. Through all this time, everyone kept calling Andy a fool, saying she'd been weakened by love, that she'd been blinded. But they were the ones who couldn't see it. Love made everything stronger.

Atlas approached them. "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge." His eyes focused on Thalia. "What about it, child of sky and thunder? Was Luke wrong about you or not?"

"I was not," Luke ventured. He spoke every word as if it were painful. "Thalia... You can still join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It'll come to you." He pointed at a pool of water near him. "Call it. And you will be more powerful than the gods."

"Luke..." her voice, too, was full of pain. "What happened to you?"

"Don't you know? Can't you remember the times we cursed the gods? Together, Thalia? You and I. And the lot of promises we made? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"

Thalia shook her head. "And we do? What have we done to deserve such right? No, Luke. Look at yourself. You are threatening the life of your best friend. This is Tony, Luke! Open your eyes."

"If you join me," Luke promised, "it can be like it was before. We can have that back. The three of us together. Fighting for a better world. Please, Thalia—if you don't agree—" his voice faltered. "It is my last chance to convince you, love. He will use the other way if you don't agree. Please."

And Andy believed in him and his despair. His life was depending on this, not just physically, but also because Thalia was his life and she was in danger. And Andy feared Thalia might believe in him, too. Andy ran to her friend and took her hand to give her strength. "Don't," she whispered.

"We will raise Mount Othrys right here," Luke continued. "Once more, it will be stronger and greater than Olympus. Soon we will be ready to storm Camp Half-Blood. And after that, Olympus itself. All we need is your help."

For a terrible moment, Thalia hesitated. She gazed at Luke, tears and pain and love in her deep blue eyes. Then she leveled her spear. "You're wrong. What we had—we will never have that back. We are not the same. Not anymore. I don't even know you."

That hit him hard. "Thalia," he pleaded. "Please. Don't make me—don't make him destroy you."

"I won't," she said. "I will destroy you." And she charged. But despite Luke's sickly appearance, he was still quick with his sword. He pushed Anthony to the ground, snarled like a wild animal and counterattacked. When his sword met Thalia's shield, a ball of lightning erupted between them, frying the air and symbolizing the end of a connection between two people.