AN/Disclaimer
I do not own PJO or HoO.
First, I'd like to give a special thanks and shout out to the friends that I know personally who are reading. You guys are the best and I wouldn't be posting this if you hadn't helped me along the way. Thanks. ; )
I just want to thank everyone reading this in advance. You guys are the best. I honestly cannot find the words to express how much this means to me. How much my writing means to me. And how much it means to me that you guys are reading this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I'd also like to add that this is the first fanfiction I've ever posted and that productive criticism is welcome and necessary to the wellbeing of this story. I have written others, I just haven't had the guts to post them.
I guess there's a first time for everything.
So…again, I'd like to thank you for reading. Enjoy the story!
-Matryoshka39
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Chapter 1
Percy-
Endless. That's what it felt like to be falling into an eternal hell. Percy couldn't say that he had ever wanted to find that out.
Annabeth's limp form hung in his arms. She was unconscious. Percy envied her, she had found an escape from their impending doom. Lucky her, Percy thought. He had never felt more awake…or more exhausted.
It was like his body was heavy with sleep, but his mind was awake and buzzing with thought.
Percy thought about those final moments, when he had been hanging onto to that narrow ledge by only inches. He thought about those final words in his conversation with Nico. The way the boy's features had changed, rearranging themselves into a mask of surprise. The way he had stuttered the words "I-I will." The way he had let go of the last shred of hope they had. Letting go of that ledge and letting him and Annabeth fall to their inevitable dooms.
Percy looked around his surroundings. He couldn't see much, the darkness enveloping them was as thick as a blanket, smothering Percy and Annabeth like a second skin. The only thing he could see was a tiny pinprick of light far above them. As Percy watched, their last tie to the normal world disappeared, leaving Percy to rely on physical sensation alone.
Percy felt something knock him squarely in the head. He looked up in surprise, wondering what the heck had hit him. After a moment of pondering, the horrible truth hit him…hard. They were in trouble. The remainders of Arachne's lair were cascading down around them, threatening to hit the couple.
Percy gently wrapped his body over Annabeth's limp frame, shielding her from the debris and taking all of the hits for her.
The bits and pieces rained on them for what seemed like hours, though Percy knew it was only half the time he thought it was.
The debris flew at him at dizzying speeds, hitting him in several places. He heard bones snapping painfully in his shoulder and wrist, making him yelp. This small sound in the blanket of silence woke Annabeth.
" What the- Oh my Gods! Percy! Are you alright?" She asked hurriedly, tripping over her words in her panic.
"Yes, Annabeth. I am completely and wholly fine. I'm just a little—um- scratched up." Percy said smiling down at her. He was still shielding her from the remains of her enemy's belongings, trying not to wince as the last few pieces of Arachne's home continued to hit him.
"Are you sure?" She asked, biting her lower lip and looking worriedly up at him.
"Yes, Annabeth. Gods, sometimes you worry too much. I should be the one worrying about you. You're the one with the broken ankle. Is it alright?" He said, frowning at her with grave concern. "It's fine, it doesn't hurt anymore. I think the ambrosia I ate earlier is finally mending the bone." Percy smiled down at her, relief shining brightly in his eyes. "Good, that's one less thing we have to worry about" said Percy.
Annabeth studied him for a moment. Her striking grey eyes swept over his features and analyzed his face for any signs of pain or fear. After finding nothing of concern, she pulled herself back into his arms and sighed softly.
"We'll make it through this. We'll find the Doors of Death. I promise." Percy said, breathing the words softly into her hair. "I know…I know we will Seaweed Brain."
Percy smiled and closed his eyes for a moment. Letting himself relax for the first time since they began this seemingly endless fall through the one-way tunnel to Tartarus.
Unfortunately, they couldn't relax for long. When Percy opened his eyes…he was met with the sight of the cold hard ground rushing up at them.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Did you guys like it? I hope you did. Read and review. I'll post the next chapter soon!
-Matryoshka39
