author's note: hi everyone! i'm stars4redvines and i'm the one bringing you this crackship which is percy x rachel. it is an original pairing (doubt anyone would be as crazy as me). it's a multi-chapter story and set in percy jackson and the lightning thief and a couple of years before glee. i will update as much as i can but i will be writing other stories, so i may not update as much as i want. i am not great at writing characters as they would act in their respective fandoms, so i apologize for the oocness of these characters. i hope you enjoy the first chapter of shine a light on her.
warning: spoilers for glee and percy jackson and the olympians. sorry!
disclaimer: i do not own the worlds of glee or percy jackson and the olympians. i also do not own any characters associated with these fandoms. i do not even own the laptop I'm using to write this story... oh well. :p
Percy hauled Grover up and staggered down into the valley, towards the light of the farmhouse. He felt grief for his mother well up inside him and he cried out for her but she was gone. Gone in a shower of golden sparks. He held on to Grover and refused to drop him in-spite of his tired arms. He wouldn't lose Grover as well.
Percy collapsed as he dropped Grover on a wooden porch. He saw the face of a familiar-looking bearded man, a pretty blonde girl whose hair reminded him of Cinderella and another pretty girl with the most beautiful brown eyes Percy had ever seen.
They looked down at him and the blonde girl said, "He's the one. He must be."
The brown-eyed girl frowned and hissed, "Annabeth!"
The man shook his head and said, "Silence both of you. He's still conscious. Bring him inside."
Whenever Percy woke up it was only for a few short minutes. The first time he woke up, he was lying in a soft bed, being spoon-fed something that tasted like buttered popcorn except it was a pudding.
The brown-eyed girl was studying him with worried eyes while she scraped drips off his chin with the spoon and the blonde girl was hovering over him, smirking. When the blonde girl saw his eyes open she asked, "What will happen at the summer solstice?"
The brown-eyed girl shook her head at the other girl and hissed, "Leave him alone Annabeth! He's still weak after fighting the Minotaur!"
Annabeth shook her head at her friend and turned to Percy, "What's going on? What was stolen? We only have a few weeks!"
He couldn't understand what she was talking about and mumbled, "I'm sorry... I don't..." Someone knocked on the door and the brown-eyed girl quickly filled his mouth with pudding.
Another time, it was only the brown-eyed girl and she was singing softly:
When I was younger I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind.
He broke his own heart and I watched as he tried to reassemble it.
And my momma swore that she would never let herself forget.
And that was the day that I promised,
I'd never sing of love if it does not exist.
But darling,
You are the only exception,
You are the only exception,
You are the only exception,
You are the only exception.
Maybe I know somewhere deep in my soul that love never lasts.
And we've got to find better ways to make it alone or keep a straight face.
And I've always lived like this keeping a comfortable distance.
And up until now I'd have sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness.
Because none of it was ever worth the risk.
Well you are the only exception,
You are the only exception,
You are the only exception,
You are the only exception,
You are the only exception.
I've got a tight grip on reality,
But I can't let go of what's in front of me here.
I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up,
Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream.
You are the only exception,
You are the only exception,
You are the only exception,
You are the only exception.
You are the only exception,
You are the only exception,
You are the only exception,
You are the only exception.
And I'm on my way to believing,
Oh, and I'm on my way to believing.
He croaked out, "You have a lovely voice," and got to see her blush before he fell asleep again.
The next time he woke up, both girls were gone. A husky blonde man, like a surfer, stood in the corner of the bedroom. He had blue eyes all over his body; on his cheeks, his forehead and the backs of his hands.
After waking up for good and talking to Grover, Percy looked around. The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like Greek architecture.
Children and satyrs were everywhere; playing volleyball, chasing each other around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods, shooting targets at an archery range, canoeing across a lake and riding (winged?) horses down a wooden trail.
Percy turned his attention to the card table at the end of the porch, where two men sat opposite each other. Annabeth and the brown-eyed girl were leaning on the porch rail beside the card table.
The man facing him was small and porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes and curly hair so black it looked purple. He looked like a cherub who'd turned middle-aged in a trailer park. He wore a Hawaiian shirt with a tiger pattern on it. The other man was familiar to Percy. He recognized the wheelchair, tweed jacket, the thinning brown hair and the scraggly beard. "Mr. Brummer!" Percy cried.
The Latin teacher turned and smiled at him, "Ah good Percy. Now we have four for pinochle."
He offered Percy a chair to the right of the middle-aged cherub, who looked at him with bloodshot eyes and heaved a great sigh, "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now don't expect me to be glad to see you."
Percy scooted away from him and said, "Uh, thanks Mr..."
"How rude of me!" Mr. Brummer exclaimed. He pointed at the middle-aged cherub and said, "This is Mr. D. He is the camp director here at Camp Half-Blood".
He then pointed at Annabeth and said, "This is Annabeth Chase. She is one of our year round campers."
And finally he pointed to the brown-eyed girl, who was staring at him with her big, doe eyes, "This is Rachel Berry, another of our year round campers. Rachel and Annabeth nursed you back to health Percy."
Percy studied the two girls as they hopped off the porch rail and stood beside Chiron. Annabeth was the stereotypical Californian girl with her curly blonde hair and deep tan. She was only a couple of centimetres taller than Percy and she had intimidating grey eyes like storm clouds.
Rachel on the other hand was small with olive skin and straight brunette hair. They were as different as could be but Percy sensed they would anything for the other.
Chiron called Annabeth over to him and asked, "Annabeth, my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk and Rachel go practise your archery? We'll be placing him in Cabin Eleven for now."
Annabeth nodded, "Sure Chiron."
Rachel nodded as she bent down and picked up a bow and a quiver of arrows. Annabeth and Rachel left side by side and Percy had to restrain himself from watching them leave.
Especially when Annabeth yelled out that he drooled when he slept.
As Percy and Chiron walked through the camp after their talk about the Greek Gods and their children, they stopped by the archery range and watched as Rachel practised.
Percy didn't know a lot about archery but from what he could tell she was good. She was the only one practicing because everyone else was watching her. She was shooting with a long bow and her arrows had two gold fletches and one silver fletch. She shot all her arrows quickly and shot all her targets clean in the centre.
She smiled as everyone began clapping when she finished and bowed as Chiron and Percy walked towards her. Chiron smiled as he looked down at her, "Your archery is perfect as always."
Rachel smiled at the praise and said, "Thank you Chiron. Perhaps I can use moving targets next time?"
Chiron chuckled at this, "Yes, yes. Practise makes perfect. Would you care to join Percy and I around the camp?" Rachel nodded at this and as they began walking and fell into step beside Percy.
"Sorry about Annabeth." Rachel said to him, "She's just... Under a lot of stress right now."
He nodded, "It's fine really... And you were really good back there... With the arrows and stuff..."
Rachel laughed and said, "Yeah... Trait of my cabin really..."
Percy frowned and looked at her, "What?"
Rachel took out a bracelet with two charms on it. She pointed at the gold charm, the sun, and said, "Cabin Seven. Apollo. God of light and the sun, truth and prophecy, healing, poetry and music... My father."
Percy was about to ask about her silver charm when they reached the cabins, which all looked bizarre and different from each other. He turned towards Rachel to see her at a huge stone-lined fire pit talking to a small nine year old girl, tending the flames.
The nine year old looked happy to see Rachel and smiled at her. He walked towards them slowly and picked up his speed when Rachel smiled at him and waved him over.
When he reached them the younger girl looked at him with eyes wiser than her years and said, "Percy Jackson."
He nodded, "That's me... And you are?"
She blinked at him and said, "Now is not the time Percy Jackson."
He glanced at Rachel and said slowly, "Alright..."
The girl turned to Rachel and said, "I must leave now. Do as I ask Rachel Berry and rally your fellow demigods around my hearth."
Rachel nodded and Percy watched as the girl smiled and stepped into the flames. He cried out as they wrapped around her and then she disappeared. He turned to Rachel and asked incredulously, "Who was she?"
She shook her head at him and said simply, "Now is not the time."
author's note: if anyone would be interested in betaing this story, i would be eternally grateful. i have fixed any mistakes i can see but it would really help! please pm me and i will get back to you as quickly as possible. please review, constructive criticism is welcome but flames are not. virtual ambrosia for every review! thanks for reading. i'll update as soon as possible.
songs used:
the only exception - paramore
-stars4redvines