The Creator

By concisus

Started on September 6th, 2013

Dedicated to my sister, I love you.

The Percy Jackson and other copyrighted materials belong to their owners, and I am not claiming them as mine. All original characters created by me are mine and I would appreciate it if you did not take them. Thank you.

You know what they say about Disneyland; it's the happiest place on Earth. To many, this statement had proved to be true, especially for fourteen-year-old Mary. The place had been magical, and the fact that she was able to share fantastic memories of this place with her closest friends tied the whole day together. Today wasn't an ordinary day. In fact, it had been her birthday. It had also been one of the few days her overprotective father allowed her to leave the house. The thickening smell of unwashed bodies and boiled sweat tickled her nose, and with a small wave of her hand, she wafted the putrid stench elsewhere.

Mary groaned. Despite the amount of time she had spent waiting, the line before he ceased to move. Growing weary, she turned to her group of friends, who appeared equally as irritated. "Let's get some shopping done," she suggested. They murmured among themselves, some agreeing, some a bit wary of leaving the line. A few seconds or so passed, and a girl in the crowd of friends spoke up.

"Alright." And with that, they pushed past the waves of people and began the short trek to the shops. Mary continued to wander through Disneyland, occasionally making conversation with her friends. She wasn't necessarily a conversationalist, and keeping people interested was definitely not one of her strong points. Nevertheless, she managed to make good friends that stuck around. As they drifted through the sea of people, numerous flashy attractions caught their attention. A particular booth that caught Mary's attention was a store selling plush toys.

A partial reason of why she chose this shop would probably be because there hadn't been anyone in it. It was a bit peculiar, but once she entered she realized why: the shop had a bit of an uncomfortable aura to it. Mary didn't mind, however, she enjoyed looking at the unique toys. She picked one up, feeling its soft fur-like fabric, and then placed it back down only to pick up another. She continued this process of replacing the different plush toys each time until a voice interrupted her. Shocked, she dropped the one she had been holding, which had been Dumbo, and backed up a bit. "Sorry, I'll pick that up," the rushed slur of words escaped her mouth as she bent over and retrieved the plushie from the ground, dusting it off with her hand.

"Are you planning on buying something?" It was when he spoke that Mary took a look, a good look, at the man who had startled to her. He appeared a bit old, perhaps in his forties, but the strange thing is that he was in a wheelchair. Choosing not to question his handicapped state, she answered his question.

"Perhaps. I'm still looking though, thank you," Mary thanked the man, and continued to roam around the shop. She didn't feel like leaving without buying something, not to mention the air conditioning enticed her to stay as well. As she browsed the store, she noticed the old man retreat into the storage. Wordlessly, she picked up a plushie Scar and considered buying it.

"I see you fancy lions," the man startled her again, and she began to wonder if he took pleasure in scaring people. Nevertheless, it was a bit irksome, and Mary began to grow tired of it. She glanced towards him and gave him a nod while cradling the plush toy of Scar in her arms. "Well if you like lions, I think you might like this," he wheeled his chair back into the storage room and came out with a plush toy from the Nemean Lion from Hercules. "We didn't sell many of these, so we put them all in the back to dust.. you can have it for free if you'd like," he held it out to her, and Mary felt tempted to take it, but her guilt tied her down.

"I'm sorry," she paused for a moment to swallow, "I can't accept such a thing without paying." It was the earnest truth, she was an honest person.

His chuckle filled the room. "Trust me, this will be useful later on," he continued to urge her to take his gift. Despite wanting to politely decline once more, she fell prey to temptation and eventually accepted it.

"Thank you," offering a warm smile, she took the plushie and played with its soft fabric. Leaving wasn't one thing she wanted to do, but she was sure her friends were probably looking for her by now. "Goodbye!" she called out as she left the store, a rush of hot air meeting her face. As soon as she left, sweat began to bead along her neck and forehead. She used her sleeve to wipe off her perspiring skin, leaving it a bit agitated. Mary looked around for her friends, and soon found them crowding around a booth. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that it had been a replica of Esmeralda the gypsy. She speed walked to catch up with the group, her unruly auburn curls inching closer and closer to her face as she walked. When she finally caught up to them, she brushed her hair out of her face, hoping that it was at least neat-looking.

Her friends murmured, giggling wildly and excitedly over what the robotic gypsy had prophesized. A bit curious, Mary decided to put one of her own quarters into the machine. When her own fortune was discarded, she frowned when the letters before her danced across the page. The small card of paper was taken from her hands, and one of her friends read it aloud. Once it ended, she let out a small giggle of her own. She didn't necessarily believe it to be true, but that wasn't stopping her from entering yet another quarter in the machine when prompted to do so.

But she hadn't necessarily been expecting what she was going to be told.

She wasn't ready, of course not.

The machine paused mid-sentence, and Mary had concluded that it was broken. She turned to leave when she heard an eerie voice command her to halt. Doing as she was told, the redhead turned slightly only to see that the machine had been working again, albeit it's eyes were glowing oddly. It felt like the whole park had gone silent, or at least most of it had. A single whisper floated through the room, similar to an ash that had gone awry from the fire. That ash began to burn, brighter and brighter until it became a roaring flame, consuming everything in its path. The deafening murmurs filled her ears to the brim until they couldn't take it anymore and spilled over the edge. A single, raspy voice rose above the noise, and all was calm once more.

"What is your name, Daughter of Thesis?" the machine's lips moved, synced to the words, and in that moment, she believed it was all a part of the act.

This idea was quickly quelled when the whisperers fell silent. Her tongue felt foreign and awkward in her tongue, and she struggled to speak. Words tripped over words as she found herself forcing a few words out of her mouth. "M-Mary, Mary Laurens."

The murmurs grew a bit louder again, and she was able to make out a few words.

"Freak", "Unusual", "Dysfunctional".

The voice arose again, akin to a beacon in the rage of a sea.

"A trio of misfits will start the quest,
and another three will be put to the test.
Death shall die, his power shall fade,
do not forget who has fallen, he must be repaid.
Beware, poor son of Fear,
because you will lose your live for those you hold dear."

And with the last word, the glowing eyes of the gypsy faded back to its lifeless, jade green. Mary's body felt rusty, with a few bolts missing here and there. However, she moved, allowing herself to turn around and face those who witnessed who had just happened. However, she only found her friends trying to figure out what their fortunes could possibly have meant. Her frayed nerves calmed just a bit, only to act up again when she realized she didn't have their word for it.

"Did you," she faltered, her voice failing her. "Did you see that?"

One of her friends looked at her quizzically. "See what?"

She let out a sigh of relief. "Nothing, nothing. People here are a bit strange." A pause. "I'm a bit hungry, I'm going to get cotton candy or something," Mary told them while pointing towards the small booth selling numerous unhealthy foods. They shrugged, and nodded, then quickly went back to whatever it was they had been doing. With a small sigh, Mary elbowed and kneed her way through the crowd until she had reached the back of the line for the miscellaneous food cart. The line wasn't necessarily slow, and soon enough she made it to the front. After acquiring a sweet ball of cotton candy, she struggled to make her way back to the shop she had been initially, only to discover that her friends had ditched.

Placing a piece of cotton candy in her mouth, Mary sighed and decided to wait a bit for her friends. After a while, she questioned what she had been waiting for; her friends weren't planning on returning after all. She was about to leave before an enticing, deep voice called out to her

"Looks like your friends are playing hooky." Despite the voice's smooth, alluring tone, Mary felt the strong desire to punch him square in the face. Her daydreams of her rough, bony knuckles colliding with his sleek jaw were quickly interrupted when his face floated across her vision like a buoy. He was dreamy, to put it simply, and the reason why he even spoke to her in the first place was beyond her reasoning, but she didn't really care. He looked like he had just stepped out of a romance movie, and she was captivated with him.

"Y-Yeah," the words stuck to the bottom of her throat and refused to move, "looks like it." The second bit came out in a somewhat sad tone, but she cleared it up with a happy smile. It was then that she noticed he didn't have any friends either. "And yours?" her tone was a bit teasing.

"I guess mine are too," he grinned at her devilishly, and Mary swore that her heart was prepared to burst through her rib cage. "Why don't we spend some time together? We are one and the same after all," he suggested.

She was a bit wary of the situation; it wasn't every day that you had a cute boy at your doorsteps. However, it had been her birthday, and she was all too eager on spending a little time with someone she hadn't met before. "That sounds nice," she cursed herself at her response, struggling a bit to maintain her calm disposure. At her agreement, the boy held out his hand for her to take. Despite being wary of holding a stranger's hand, she didn't find herself refusing.

"My name is Matt, by the way," he introduced himself. "Do you come here often?"

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Mary," she gave him a small smile. "And I only come here if I'm lucky," she laughed a bit, and his own chuckle joined along.

"That's nice, have you been on the Teacups yet?" As soon as the question was asked, Mary felt her heartbeat pick up speed again. Now, if a friend had invited you to ride the Teacups, it would have been a bit more on the friendly side, but when a boy invites you to ride the Teacups, it suddenly turns into a romantic ride.

"I haven't got the chance," she admitted, a bit sad. "Line was too long."

"Great. I can get us in quick, don't worry," Matt shot a wink her way, and, to put it in a cliché way, she felt her heart melt.

She cracked a grin. "And how on Earth are you gonna do that?" Mary asked, eyebrow raised.

He smirked back at her, "Just you wait and see." Placing his index finger over his lips, he approached the woman guarding the Fast Pass line, and began chatting her up. From Mary's standpoint, it was quite obvious what he had been doing. Jealousy bubbled in her stomach, but she pushed it down, assuring herself that he had only been doing this to get them into the ride. As she reassured herself, Matt turned away from the swooning employee and waved her over.

When she was near him, she rolled her eyes. "Did you flirt with her to get us in here?" her voice was hushed. Wordlessly, he gave her his answer: an audacious wink of the eye. All she did was giggle, and they watched as the teacups twirled before them. "Which one do you want?" Mary sliced the silence that stretched between the two.

"I want the pink one with the heart on it," he answered suavely. Mary nodded, and fixated on the pink teacup dancing smoothly with its pastel colored companions. The dancing slowed, and their beautiful waltz came to an end. She watched as people left the cups and laughed and held hands as they exited the ride. Set on getting the one Matt had wanted, Mary made her move as quickly as possible. As soon as the gates opened, she was already nabbing the pink teacup. Matt opened the door, and motioned for her to go through before following her in. "Now, shall we spin this thing fast or slow?"

"Fast sounds nice, but I have a feeling we'll get dizzy," she gave him an unsure answer, and he just laughed.

"Women are so indecisive," his comment was a bit daring.

Playfully, Mary narrowed her eyes. "Fine! We'll spin it fast, then," she told him indignantly. Placing her hands firmly on the handle in the middle of the cup, she ignored her partner's chuckles.

The ride began to move, and the cheery tune of the Mad Hatter and the March Hare filled the air. "Happy Unbirthday to you," he sang along.

"It is my birthday," she snorted a bit.

"Is it really?" Matt was a bit shocked.

"Would I lie?"

"No."

"Exactly," Mary gave him a sly smile.

"Well then," he feigned being hurt, "I guess I won't give you a birthday present." He stuck out his tongue.

She faked a gasp, "You wouldn't!"

"Of course I would," he whispered with a grin.

"Hmph," Mary decided to give him the silent treatment, and resorted to spinning the teacup extra roughly. He continued to plead with her, but she was a stubborn person after all. Before they knew it, the ride was over, and she still continued to give him the silent treatment.

"Oh come on," an exasperated groan escaped Matt's lips as he tried to persuade her into speaking. "I'll buy you something."

And with that, Mary found her will to speak again. "Oh really?" her tone was one of disbelief.

"Anything. As long as it's not too expensive," he told her.

She laughed, "Don't worry, I won't drive you bankrupt."

"I hope not," he took her hand and turned around, leading her back to where the shops had been. Noticing something, a frown formed on his lips before quickly dissipating into a smile. "Let's go another way, I know a shortcut."

"Something wrong?" Mary was insatiably curious.

Matt eyed something off in the distance, and when she turned to look what it is he pulled on her hand a bit forcefully. "Let's go."

Indignantly, she refused to move. "No."

He pulled on her arm hand again, even more forcefully than before. "I said let's go."

It was then when she had remembered her father's key rule:

Do not speak with strangers. Especially strangers who you think are charming.

"Let go of me." She wasn't fooling around now, she was dead serious, but Matt wasn't prepared to let go. He continued to drag her off somewhere, and she continued to struggle. With one sharp tug, Mary felt her shoulder dislocated, and she became enslaved to pain, following Matt to wherever he had wanted to go, growing more and more uneasy as time dwindled on. When she noticed that they had gone to an extremely secluded and shady part of the park, her worry took over full force. Roughly, Matt released her arm and shoved her forwards, causing her to stumble.

He began to laugh, the frightening tone causing her to flinch. "Foolish Half-blood," he continued to laugh at her misfortune, and Mary began to grow angry. This had been the second time someone had called her something she wasn't.

"What do you want?" her question wasn't met with an answer, but with an action. Her anger turned into disgust when she noticed him scanning her body with lust. "You can't possibly want me," she attempted to cloud her mind with denial.

"Oh believe me, love. I want it bad, and I always get what I want," he was barely allowed to finish the sentence before his jaw was met with the full force of Mary's strength. He pushed her away, holding his cheek where she had slapped him. "You bitch!" he cursed her, raising his hand to smack her, but then he put it back down. "On second thought, I might have a better use for you. Énas! Come!" Despite never taking Greek, Mary immediately understood that the word had meant one. She then became fixated on the idea of her understanding Greek despite not having properly learning it, and she didn't even notice the disgusting creature before her until she smelt it. Looking up, she noticed a huge, buff man before her. Except, it wasn't exactly a man, of course it wasn't. In the place of what should have been a human head, was a bulls head. As it examined her, its eyes narrowed just slightly, and she could just barely see the upward curl of its jaw.

The creature had been smiling.

Alarmed, Mary backed up nearing a wall with each small step. The back of her heel had just grazed the wall when she heard someone call out her name. As the creature turned around, she used this distraction to move out of its way and also to look for the person who had been asking for her. She found nothing but an oddly disfigured shape approaching very quickly. The sound of sweet music filled the air, and she was extremely shocked to notice a nearby willow tree rope itself around the creature.

"Mary!" she heard her name once more and turned towards a familiar figure she had seen a lot at school. He was one of those people who you see a lot, but don't really speak with.

"..Pike?" Mary stole a glance towards the boy and was surprised to see that instead of having human legs his legs were replaced with those of a goat, and just barely poking through his hair were too small horns. "You're.."

"A Satyr," he finished for her. "Look, I can't exactly explain now, considering we're keeping a rancid Minotaur for company, but I promise I'll tell you later. Do you have a weapon?" Pike asked her a bit urgently, looking towards the struggling Minotaur every so often.

"No, I don't, I'm sorry," she apologized, but then realized that there was no point in apologizing in the first place. What use would she have for a weapon in Disneyland? It was the happiest place on Earth. Seizing her bag, Pike looked through it and pulled out the Nemean Lion plushie.

"Here, use this as a weapon," he urged her.

"It's a plush toy. Unless the Minotaur over there is afraid of fluffy, cute lion plushies, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to use it as a weapon," Mary shot Pike a look.

"Bring it to life," he told her cryptically.

"How exactly am I going to do that?" she was slowly growing more and more irritated with him.

"Just like how you bring your characters to life. Just concentrate," after hearing his soothing words, Mary stopped asking him questions. She considered, just for a second, that this had been a prank, but considering the size and ferocity of the Minotaur, she easily countered that thought. "Hurry," he urged her once more, a bit more desperate. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and began to think. But what was she supposed to think of?

Unsure of what to do, Mary filled her mind with thoughts of the lion. The roar, its agility, its strength, its weak spots, its antics. She slowly began to bring it to life, much like a character. She continued to fabricate the lion, every little detail was filled in, and no blanks were left unfilled. She even gave it a name. "Itus," she breathed. A deafening roar filled the air, and she opened her eyes. Before her was the lion, and she could not believe what had just happened. "Protect Pike and defeat the Minotaur, Itus," she commanded it. However, she was unable to witness what had happen, because she quickly fainted upon uttering her command.

A Note from the Author

I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read this chapter; it truly means a lot! My writing is mediocre at best, so I'm happy that you were able to bear with me. You don't have to review, however I would really appreciate it if you did so. If you have any questions, please leave them in the reviews, and I'll be sure to answer them in a little section next chapter!

This chapter actually turned out a lot different from what I had initially planned, laughs. As I began writing, I recalled more scenes and other stuff from Percy Jackson that I had forgotten so I had to revise this a lot, oops. I had to change it a lot in order not to destroy Rick Riordan's image of the Percy Jackson universe. Anyways, I hope what I wrote doesn't stray too far from the world Rick Riordan fabricated. Also, you will get the chance to meet a few oldies (but I won't be saying who for the sake of surprise) so keep your eyes peeled! This story will mainly use original characters, however.