Percy Jackson: The Defender of Olympus

End Of The Old And Beginning Of A New

'Percy!' Thalia yelled and jumped on top of me,hugging me to death. Dam- I mean damn- this girl has power. What do they do to the hunters? Pump them on some kind of steroids that only give you power and strength and not muscles? Wow,my imagination is kind of freaky. Well,it is what it is. Now back to the real world. Dam- i mean damn- my ADHD.

I hugged her back. It felt good to have the company of a friend after so long. I tilted my head and looked at my environment.

I was in a tent, lying on a green sleeping bag. The inside of the tent was green as well,and from the curves,I guessed it was silk. Thalia got up and looked at me. Tears were gathered on the edges of her eyes. I gasped shocked. Thalia hardly ever cried. Despite,her vulnerable state,she smiled faintly at me. I suppressed a smile as well. 'Artemis told me,Percy. I never thought........what happened.......'

I put a hand on her shoulder. 'It. Wasn't. Your. Fault. Remember it. It wasn't you who wanted me out'. She smiled lightly and brought her hand up and put it on mine'.

We sat there,just enjoying each others company. Suddenly my throat constricted and I choked. Thalia,noticing this,handed me water from the nightstand. I made the water rise from the bottle and shot it down my throat.

My throat opened up and I gasped,breathing in the air around me. I put my hand in the air,as a signal telling Thalia that I was fine. Thalia let go a breath of relief. I pushed myself up. And with the help of Thalia,walked outside.

I hoped,just a little that maybe Artemis wasn't here. But we don't always get what we want. And with the luck of being a demigod, we really don't get what we want.

'PERSEUS,WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING'. I swore. In such a way that Thalia punched me in the arm. I whirled around to find Artemis and her hunters with bows ready to shoot me down.

I put my hands in the air,exasperated. Artemis strolled over to me. 'You're coming with us,Percy. I'm sorry'. I backed up a little. But Thalia grabbed me from the back. 'Sorry Percy. Orders are orders'. I snapped.

I brought my foot down. A collosal earthquake shook the ground to the core. The top layer of Earth broke. 'THIS IS FRIENDSHIP!!!' I yelled. 'THIS IS YOUR TRUST!!'. I let the betrayal of so many years finally get to me.

I dropped to the soft and crumbling earth,my head hung low. I cried my heart out. Tears just weren't stopping. They kept coming and coming,unlocking the vault of pain. I cried loudly,not caring enough to stop.

I finally managed to stop. 'No need to take me anywhere' I sniffed. 'End it right here Artemis. Put an arrow through my heart. I just don't have the courage to live anymore.......'. My voice cracked. The hunters were staring at me but I didn't enough to snap at them. My shoulders slumped,I walked over to Artemis.

I got on my knees. I finally looked at her. I showed her the betrayal. 'Do it. Do it' I said to her. 'Kill me. I'm not a man. I let my friends slip away from me. I made them hate me. I deserve nothing but death. It is my punishment. I made them drift away from me. I don't even deserve to die standing'. I hung my head again,this time sure it would be the last time. Until I felt a hand on my shoulders.

Many hunters gasped. My head snapped up. Looking down at me was Artemis,her silver eyes shining like the moon. And she was smiling. I waited for her to say what she wanted to say. 'You know,Perseus, I'm not in this. This bringing you to Olympus and killing you. Today,I have felt what you have felt. And let me tell you one thing. You didn't make anybody do anything. It was there own decision'.

She removed her hand from my shoulder. She started walking towards the camp. I made out to reach her but pulled my hand back. I smiled,a wholehearted smile. I got up and started walking towards the woods once more. The only person still there was Thalia. She made to touch me but I jerked away from her touch. 'Don't touch me. Artemis left me alone,if she hadn't, you would have tried to kill me. I just don't trust you anymore'. I started waling again. As I reached the edge of the hunters camp,I looked back. Thalia was still standing there,looking at me,but not calling me. Artemis was a few feet away from her,still walking towards the tents. 'Thanks,Artemis!' I yelled. She put her hand in the air,waving at me.