A/N: Just an idea that popped into my head during math class. I was in a rush so please point out any grammar mistakes or spelling errors. Constructive critisism is always appreciated. R&R!
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or any of the characters. If I did, Piper wouldn't exist
Daughter of Rome
The archer locates his target among the crowd and notches his arrow, a gleaming steel weapon that promises deadly accuracy. He has perfected the art of blending into the shadows, remaining unharmed as he watches his allies, waiting for the precise moment to strike. He pulls back the string so his hand lightly brushes against his right cheek and takes aim, following the boy with the tip of his arrow. He has done this many times, and yet he hesitates before letting the arrow fly. It whistles through the air at the speed of light, heading directly towards Jason Grace's chest.
The blond-haired boy continues to fight physically but inside he is already crumbling. He watches as the Legion falls apart under the assault of the opposing side, young demigods collapsing in a pool of blood, their lives ripped away, dreams demolished. He must remain strong though, he can't afford to break down in front of his camp, all of whom are depending upon him. He can't afford to disappoint them again. He barely hears it when Piper's shrill scream fills the air yelling his name. He turns warily and sees the arrow flying at him. His instinct tells him to run, but he remains rooted to the spot as time slows down.
He can still hear Pipers voice in the background, the sound of swords clanging against one another, could still see the arrow flying in slow motion towards him. Yet, his feet feel like lead and his legs can no longer move, he simply stands there, frozen. It is only moments until the steel passes through his body and yet he feels calm, even relieved. He lets his eyes shut, wanting his last thoughts to be about Piper. He imagines her shimmering kaleidoscope eyes, her lips, her smile, her choppy chocolate-brown hair, their first kiss. He remembers her innocence, her elegance, her charisma, and feels… nothing. He is no longer captivated by her beauty, no longer fascinated by her charm. Her name no longer makes his heart flutter and his spirit fly. Another quickly replaces her image.
Wavy black hair woven into a tight braid, obsidian eyes, ivory skin. She has been through much, experienced more than her years let on, she cannot be broken. Her regal stance, calculating stare, cold, clear voice, is the image of a leader, and a strong one at that. She is stoic, calm, collected, and fearless. Her imperial attitude, the few smiles that grace her lips, surpass all other beauty.
Reyna.
He waits for the blow but it never comes. Instead he feels a force crash into his back, smashing him to the ground. He feels a flush of relief wash over him, nearly bringing him to his knees. He thinks about the people he would have left behind, he can imagine their tear-stained faces, the red and orange flames flickering as they burn his shroud, their words of farewell; the image will haunt him for the rest of his life. He turns to thank his savior and watches in horror as the arrow passes clean through Reyna's chest.
His fellow praetor gasps in pain and slumps helplessly to the ground, crimson blood already leaking through the armor. Anger courses through his veins as he slashes through the next line of dracenae, searching for the unknown archer, but no, he is nowhere to be seen. Jason collapses next to the girl in a daze, cradling her head in his hands, brushing the loose strands of hair from her face, tears already pooling in his eyes. He feels like his heart is being twisted into knots, he refuses to believe it; she couldn't be gone, taken away from him in a matter of seconds. But, no, as a shudder runs through her body and her eyes open ever so slightly, he begins to hope.
The girl with obsidian-black eyes can feel her life draining from her as she collapses to the ground. Her life literally flashes before her, the good and the bad, betrayal, hurt, pain, suffering; friendship, laughs, ice cream, and Kool-Aid, before long memories overtake her. She watches herself as spa attendant, eyes so innocent, so excited to learn. She had been so naïve; it would only be a matter of time before her fairytale ended. She watches as the boy with emerald green eyes and the blond-haired girl wreck havoc in the spa, a band of pirates tailing them. She remembers the worst days of her life, kidnapped by pirates, more tears than she had shed in a lifetime. She remembers Hylla's farewell, the betrayal she had felt when she had told her. "You are not my sister," she remembers saying, tears stinging her eyes. She hates her life, wishes she had never been born. Yet, this was only the beginning of her, life had twisted her, broke her, and molded her into the young woman she is today. She herself wishes otherwise.
She remembers Lupa's harsh words and aggressive claws, the pumping of her own heart, the adrenaline running through her veins, and how it feels so right. She knows then and there that she is a daughter of war, that she will never give in, that she is strong. She watches her first battle with the boy with sparkling blue eyes and blond hair, the shock on his face as she knocks the sword out of his hands and pins him to the ground, one of her first few tastes of pure victory. They are rivals at first, always being compared as the two best fighters at camp. She sees him as an obstacle, one that must be put away with quickly before it does more damage. He sees her as a worthy opponent.
They become close, too close, both elected as the praetors of the camp. She notices how the Venus girls giggle as he walks by, how they become lost for words when he tries to make conversation with them. She watches their foolishness in disdain, but she to feels something when he sits next to her, discussing strategy. Her heart beats fast and she can't help but smile, but she dismisses this as the feeling she always gets when she speaks of such things with him. She is a daughter of war, no? Still, she reminds herself "Duty before everything." Her fatal flaw will be the end of her.
She remembers his lips, how close they were to hers, before she runs back to her house. She regrets it immediately but stays put; she can't afford putting the future of Rome at stake for a few petty feelings. She spends the entire night losing sleep, burying herself in her pillows, feeling tears come into her eyes. She can't describe what sort of tears they were, of even why she was shedding them, simply that she was. She sobbed over Hylla's betrayal, Bellona for abandoning them, herself for simply being her. Jason. Jason for being all she could ever hope for, brave, strong, understanding, and- turning him away.
A figure appears in the doorway, tall and muscular. It's him. Neither speaks a word, but a sort of understanding passes between them and he places himself next to her, one arm around her curled up body, allowing her to cry into his chest. She doesn't remember how long she pours out her emotions until she finally asks "Why?" Why come back and comfort me after I left you? Why waste your energy on an emotionless stone when you could go for a more beautiful, kind, perfect girl? Why forgive me after all I've done?
He says four words that she will remember for the rest of her life. "Because I love you."
When he thinks she has fallen asleep, he rests her carefully on the bed, kissing her temple and allowing himself to brush against her lips. He is leaving tonight, he knows it. Juno is waiting outside, waiting to take his memory away, to steal away all he has fought for. "I could never forget you." He whispers into Reyna's hair.
Her eyes flash open the moment he leaves, but she's too tired to go looking for him. She tries to stay awake, but her eyelids are slowly becoming heavier, the thin line between illusion and reality already blurring. "Yes," a woman's voice, thick and sugary fills her ears. "Sleep, he will be gone before you wake."
Juno.
She fights the urge but already her eyes are shutting, her world being enveloped in darkness. No! The voice inside her head is screaming, she can't let the magic control her. She needs to find Jason, find him before its too late. The spell is becoming stronger, taking over her, and she can't help but let it win. His last words echo in the back of her head, no matter how hard she tries to block it out. Because I love you.
The next morning she will find his bed empty and curse his name. She will search for him herself, though she knows she may never find him. He is not dead, no, never dead. Only missing. After days of searching, she does the unthinkable: she gives up. She loses hope, but she is in denial. Her friends will come to comfort her, but she refuses them. She will spend hours in his room staring at old photographs. Will scream at the wall that she hates him, hates him for abandoning her, for filling her head with empty promises and comforting words, for making her let down her walls and let him in. For making her love him back. However, deep down inside, she knows that she hates only herself.
When the ship lands, her heart is beating unnaturally fast and her stomach feels like it's being twisted into knots. He is the first to come out. He is taller and tanner, but the golden blond hair and sky blue eyes remain the same. His demeanor is more laid back and he looks happier than he ever did at Camp Jupiter. She resists the urge to run up to him and hug him, squeeze him, and breathe in his scent once more. She has an unlimited amount of questions only he can answer. She knows that he belongs to her, and always will.
When the girl comes out, she loses all hope.
She is effortlessly beautiful, her eyes a mirage of colors, blue, green, hazel, brown. Her nose and lips are petite, her face a perfect heart shape. Her hair is choppy and uneven, as if cut by a small child, the luxurious chocolate colored locks braided in a hurry. Reyna can see the grace in the way she moves, the way she holds herself. Her voice is sweet and melodious, and she gazes at Jason with eyes of love.
And to Reyna's horror, he does too.
Jason slips his hand into hers, giving it a tight squeeze, and she leans closer to him, their shoulders touching. Reyna stands erect, silently taking in the image, but inside, she is screaming. She wants to run up to the girl and rip her nails across her face, marring the pretty features. She wants to slice her into tiny pieces, pin her to the wall and hold a knife to her chest. But no, she must remain calm. All in due time, she thinks silently, All in due time.
When Jason chooses the daughter of Venus, she is not surprised, and yet she still feels a pang in her chest. But she is a queen and queens do not crack, she is a queen and she is strong. She glares at the girl, and finds her expression to be smug, but her eyes filled with sorrow. She knows, a voice in the back of her head whispers, and she feels forgiveness wash over her, as it is not the girls fault. It is his.
As she lays in his arms, his sky blue eyes gazing into her inky black ones, she feels no regret for her actions. She sees the sorrow in his eyes, the hope, hope that he will be forgiven, hope that she will forget what he has done to her. Both are impossible, but he has to hope, for hope is the drive of human nature, the one thing that keeps us going, hope for a better day, for a brighter future. There is something else in those beautiful eyes of his: love. When he leans in to kiss her blood-stained lips, she kisses him back hesitantly, reminding herself that he is hers, and forever well be.
When the darkness starts closing in on her, she knows she must fight it, but she wants to rest, to be at peace, to forgive and forget. She wants him to go now, so he might not die anyways, that her actions would not be in vain. She whispers her last words, caressing his soft face, although each move causes jolts of pain through her body. Remember, words are only sounds, put together to form meanings, and yet they have changed history, declared laws, spread news, and so much more. Her last three words will haunt Jason Grace for the rest of his life. I love you.
Why she did what she did will remain a mystery to even her closest friends, for when she saved him, she had not been using her head; she had been using her heart. For deep down inside, she knew that she still loved him, that he would always be hers, no matter what he did, thought, or felt. She knew that the girl with ever-changing eyes would never commit the ultimate sacrifice, but she could. Reyna was not a member of the prophecy, she was simply another lucky girl who was made praetor, who meddled with the son of Jupiter's emotions, she could not change history, but he would. And while she is blinded by hatred for his selfish actions, she knows that in order to save Rome, she must save him first.
So while a daughter of love may say her actions were because of her love for him, this is only partially the case. Yes, she loved him, loved him more than words can describe, but this was not her drive, her motivation, for she knew that her love for one person, could not replace her love for her country. It was because of her sense of duty to Rome and her people that she was willing to make such a selfless sacrifice. It was because she saw the bigger picture, saw how small and insignificant she was compared to those who could actually make a difference, that she took the arrow for him. She knows she won't regret it.
Whilst he is remembered as a brave fighter, one of the seven, a great friend, and a wonderful brother, husband, father, and lover, she is a legend. She will never be forgotten, because while heroes die, the stories fading, legends will be passed on through the generations, forever staying in the hearts of the people. Behold, Reyna, child of Bellona, true daughter of Rome.
End
A/N: Jeyna FTW! Read and Review!