Hi everyone. This is another little story I wrote my little sister because she's been scared of the dark. I will gladly let you know that it got her over her over her fear. Love ya Mads. You're my little shining star :)
Disclaimer: I do not own anything PJO related, Mads owns herself, and Pamela (me) owns this story idea and stuff.
Dedication: For my nine year old sister, Madeleine.
I sighed as I tried putting Mads to sleep. It just wasnt working. Apparently Nico had decided to pop in with Mrs. O'Leary and he'd scared the living daylights out of Mads. I wasnt scared, I actually started laughing because Mrs. O'leary was great, but Mads was thinking about scary monsters popping out of the shadow so things actually popping out of the shadows didn't exactly help.
"I'm sorry Mads. I didn't mean to scare you," Nico said as he rubbed his shoulder where I'd pressure-pointed him. Mads simply shrunk farther into her bed and I glared at Nico.
"Way to go corpse-brain. Scaring a nine year old! Now she'll never stop being scared of the dark," I hissed. I slapped him upside the head just because I was so frustraited.
"Well what do you want me to do?" he hissed back. I kept my mouth shut and glared at the rest of the cabin because, honestly, I did't know.
"Pam?" Mads whispered to me. I smiled down at her and hugged her closer to me.
"Yeah kiddo?" I mumbled as I passed her Kailan.
"What if all of the other bad monsters shadow travel and get me?" she asked like a frightened little child.
"Don't worry kiddo. Nothing's going to jump through shadow to get you. I promise. Now I just need to find a way for you to sleep without the lights on," I muttered that last bit to myself but I got the feeling she heard it. She began humming the tune to Rush by Aly&AJ when it hit me.
"Stars!" I exclaimed.
"Huh?" Nico,Percy, and Mads, asked as they looked at me funny.
"Stars. I've got to find Nyx," I declared. I grabbed Nico's hand and dragged him outside.
"Where are you going?" Mads called out after me.
"You'll see! I called back before the cabin door slammed shut behind us. "Come on death-breath. You're taking me to see the goddess of night."
Nico had taken me to the edge of mount Olympus by shadow travel and I'm not gonna lie, I was ready to puke.
"Never . . . Again . . ." I breathed as we sat in the garden of night. Seriously, once you went through the gateway of stars, all of the sunlight was cut off and everything was the color or the night sky. Little twinkles of light, baby stars, were everywhere. Yeah, this was definitely Nyx's garden.
"Nyx, ruler of the Night, please show yourself," I called. The air shimmered and a woman in a dress of stars appeared. She had pale skin and I couldnt even see her hair because, of course, it was as dark as night.
"Yes daughter of Poseidon?" she said in a soft voice.
"Um, hi. I'm Pamela. I need a favor," I said nervously.
"And what might this favor be?" she asked patiently. So I told her.
When we shadow traveled back to camp Nico was grinning like an idiot as I swore at him for shadow travel being so horrid.
"Get used to it Starfish. After all, isn't making your baby sister smile worth it?" he said innocently. I glared at him before stomping into the cabin to see Mads wrapped up in Percy's embrace looking like the happiest kid alive.
"Pam! You're back!" she cheered, jumping out of bed and tackling me in a hug.
"Yes, yes I am. Now back to bed, I have a gift for you," I said with a smile. She scurried back to her bed and sat there giggling. I rolled my eyes but I was smiling anyway. My little sister could make you smile without even trying.
"What is it? What is it?" she asked as she hopped around in her seat. I sat on the bed with her and Percy and ordered Nico to turn off the lights. "No, please don't."
i hated to heard her sound so scared but Nico turned out the lights and left the cabin.
"Don't worry squirt, it's time for your present," I said soothingly.
"How will I see it in the dark?" she asked as she held me tight. Without a word I reached into my pocket and pulled out two leather necklaces. Mads gasped and stared at them in awe.
"Are those-"
"Yeah. Real stars," I said proudly. In the place where a charm might be was a small and brightly lit star. Each star was the size of a quarter and I draped one around her neck and the other around mine.
"Where did you-?"
"Nyx gave them to me. She says that even when you're wearing the necklace in the day, you can only see the star at night when it's dark."
"Why?" Mads asked me curiously as she cupped the star in her hands.
"Because during the day we have the sun. At night, when you're scared, you'll always have you shining star," I smiled.
"So do you!" she exclaimed happily. I examined my own star and smiled.
"Yeah, but I don't need my own star," I said simply.
"Well why not?" she asked curiously. I smiled and hugged her close.
"Because I've got you squirt. No matter what, you will always be my Shining Star."
She giggled and hugged me tighter before I kissed her forehead and tucked her in. I hopped into my own bed and smiled as I watched my little Shining Star fall asleep with her own shining star.