The gleaming Celestial Bronze was shooting down towards Percy Jackson's arm, dead set on slashing his wrist.
Percy had indeed wondered what death would be like. He imagined himself laying on soft emerald blades, his lifeblood spilling out of him quickly and only slightly painfully. He imagined being conscious for the first few seconds, before inky dark spots were thrown across his vision, slowly and purposefully. His five senses would shut down, one by one. Then all would be black. And after that there was, of course, the Underworld. Percy even wondered nervously if Nico might drop by to say hi.
However, none of this happened. (A/N: Okay, maybe that wasn't relevant...)
Percy's arm was still forcing Riptide down at an alarming speed with the purpose of striking himself down, when a pale hand seized Percy's arm. Riptide hung, still suspended in the air, with Percy grasping it firmly.
"What are you doing? If you're a monster, go ahead and kill me. I want to end this as soon as possible," Percy spoke coldly, adressing his mysterious captor/rescuer without turning around to face him/her.
"Perseus Jackson, son of Poseidon, as Chaos, ruler of this universe, I command you to drop that sword and face me."
Percy whipped his head around, shocked and angered by what the mysterious person was claiming.
"How dare you pretend to be Ch-" Percy began, but stopped short when he saw the person.
His robes were the deepest, darkest black Percy had ever seen his life. Not threatening and dangerous like the black of Tartarus, but a comforting darkness like a clear sky on a warm night. His skin was pale, but not like Nico's. It was more of a milky white and unblemished, smooth and creamy.
But the most extraordinary of all were his eyes. They were roiling black pits, an even more heartwarming black than his robes, they were filled with wisdom beyond the beginning of time, and a compassion surpassing anything Percy had ever seen or felt. But unlike human eyes, they had stars, moons, even galaxies swirling and churning in them, sparkling and floating within its very depths.
"Master Chaos. I am sorry, so sorry. Please accept my apology," Percy begged, dropping to his knees.
"Rise, Perseus. I am not angry, for you have gone through much. In fact, I wish to speak to you," Chaos said, his voice soft yet commanding.
"Yes?" Percy replied, getting to his feet and deciding not to correct him with his nickname.
"I want you to join me and my army."
At first, Percy couldn't process what he was saying. Chaos was talking to him? And he wanted him - Percy Jackson - to be a part of his army? Chaos had an army?
"I can see this is hard for you. If you would like, please follow me, and I will bring you to my base."
As confused as he was, Percy could not and would not pass up the chance to see Master Chaos' home. And if it would take him away from this world, maybe give him a new start, then he would more then willingly follow.
As Chaos stepped into a blinding late, Percy timidly walked over. One hand went through first. Once that had emerged unscathed and intact, he took a deep breath, and plunged into the searing whiteness.
To say it tingled was an understatement. His whole body was alive with shivers and buzzes, as he vaguely felt himself moving. In seconds (which Percy thought was much too short) it was gone, and he was standing on cold flooring. One at a time, he cracked open his eyes, and beheld the otherworldly sight before him. He stood on marble tiles, a gleaming milky white with soft brown accents polished to perfection. White columns made of glass and bordered in pearls lined the walls on either side of the spacious room, reflecting shining light from the chandelier. The chandelier, which hung from the glass-domed ceiling, was made of golden arcs curling upward with candles perched upon small silver platforms. Ending at the door was a narrow deep purple velvet carpet fringed with golden tassels. The carpet swept in a straight line down the center of the room, like a flowing royal purple river. Percy's eyes followed the rich purple material to the wall directly across from the waxed and gleaming double doors. There, a set of four stairs led up to a raised platform of marble. Atop the platform was the most majestic throne Percy had ever seen. Gleaming silver swirled, dipped, and flowed to make intricate and gorgeous feet and armrests. The silver slowly melted into breath-taking obsidian which arched and curved to make a headrest worthy of only the finest being. The whole room took Percy's breath away.
Chaos smiled knowingly at the slack-jawed teenager.
"Do you like my throne room?"
Percy snapped to attention, shaking his head to clear the stupor from his brain.
"Y-yes, sir! I t-think it's lovely!" Percy stuttered.
"Come, then" Chaos began to glide across the room in smooth strides, and beckoned for the son of Poseidon to follow.
Percy scampered after the towering figure of Chaos, stumbling occasionally like the Seaweed Brain he is.
Once Chaos was situated upon his majestic (understatement!) throne, he gave Percy the once-over before beginning a small speech.
"Mr. Jackson, as I was saying, how would you like to become a member of my army?"
"It's just Percy, sir. And what do you mean?"
Chaos smiled warmly "Well, just Percy I mean that I would like you to join me here, on my planet. You could become my general, and stay here. You would not have to confront your past again lest you choose to."
Percy was having a hard time wrapping his head around this new development. Chaos was in front of him, offering him a chance for a new start, in a new place, with new people, and all he had to do in exchange was pledge his service to Chaos, and fight for good. In Percy's mind, it was too good to be true, and things like this don't last with his rotten luck.
"Is there any...catch? Any downsides?" Percy inquired carefully, not wanting to upset the ruler of the universe.
Chaos seemed to think it over before replying "Unless you have taken a sudden dislike in battles or being a leader, I cannot think of any negativity."
Percy was sure this was a dream. This couldn't possibly be happening to someone like him. In Percy's eyes, he was still worthless and inept, and his life should be ended.
"I...but...Master Chaos...why me?" Percy croaked.
"Why not, Perseus? You are a good man who has suffered excessively, brave and kind, loyal to a fault. I would be honored to have you with me," Chaos replied, and although his voice was but a whisper, it filled the massive room.
"Then I would be honored to humbly join your grand army," Percy vowed, lifting his head to stare the ruler in his unique eyes.
"Percy, you may stay in a guest room until I tie up some loose ends on my...project. I hope you find your stay comfortable," Chaos said.
And with that, Chaos led Percy out of the grand double-doors, down a hallway that seemed to stretch to the ends of the Earth, and into a cozy little room. Its walls were painted a calming grey, the bunk-beds covered in navy blue sheets, and black pillows propped against the tiny headboards with intricate roses carved into them.
Chaos informed Percy he would not need to share a room with anyone, that there were clothes in the closet, and that he hoped he enjoyed his stay. Then Chaos left an overwhelmed Percy sitting on the lower bunk, processing all he had just experienced.
Percy had no clue how long he had been in his room doing nothing but thinking and drinking from the glass of water that magically refilled on his nightstand. His stay in the room felt timeless and strange, like the Lotus Casino, which worried Percy. What if this was a trap? What if Chaos was mad at him? What if this wasn't Chaos? Doubts swirled like fog in the mountains in Percy's mind, but they were mostly pushed aside by Percy's meditations on his past betrayal. He still could not quite decipher what had taken place, but he was able to piece together that it had something to do with an empousa and some evil chick named Nera, who had poisoned the minds of his friends, his adopted family. Just thinking about their betrayal brought tears to his mournful sea-green eyes.
At long last, exactly four knocks interrupted the son Poseidon from his bittersweet reverie.
Percy lifted his weary head just in time to see Chaos poke his head through the doorway.
"Percy," Chaos called softly. "It's time to go."
The raven-haired boy swung himself off the top bunk and landed next to the powerful being. Wordlessly, they began to trod down the hallway.
The Savior Of Olympus plodded behind Chaos as they turned polish hallway after polished hallway. Before long, Percy became hopelessly lost and knew that he could never get back to his room even if he wanted to. Their footsteps echoed along the empty corridors, the sound magnifying in the deafening silence.
Suddenly, the duo turned a corner and Percy caught his first glimpse of human life in a long time. Five narrow hallways (one of which Percy was traveling down) met at a domed intersection. From three other hallways came three other teens, all of around Percy's age. Leading them were...three Chaos?!
The girl with the brown bob cut and tan skin noticed Percy and the others first. Her misty hazel green hardened into a glare and she immediately went into a defensive stance. Percy followed her example, and set his feet firmly. His hand subtly inched towards Riptide in his pocket.
Before long the blonde with matted hair that reached her mid-back and the large boy with strawberry-blond buzzcut had noticed the three other teens and their three other Chaos(es?) and had followed suit.
It didn't take long for the Chaoses (A/N This is so confusing. What's the plural for Chaos?!) to discover that their charges had stopped. They halted in their tracks, and simultaneously let out a low chuckle, an unsettling sound that echoed through the passageways. The Chaoses forms began to tremble, subtly at first, then escalating to all the Chaoses looking like they were characters in an old TV with VERY VERY bad reception. (A/N I'm pretty sure that's the plural for Chaos)
And then they merged.
All four Chaos guides flashed from their respective spots to the center of the hallway intersection, where they converged into one smirking Chaos.
"...care to explain that?" the brunette asked, lowering her raised fists ever so slightly.
"I merely split myself into four parts to lead each of you here. Now, we must be going. We have important business to attend to," Chaos replied evenly, a twinkle in his ancient eyes.
The four teenagers glanced at one another before scurrying down the fifth hallway after the retreating black robes.
Chaos shifted in his throne, appearing as if he were trying to get comfortable, as the four teens shuffled nervously in a horizontal line in front of him. Percy felt his ADHD acting up, and wondered if the rest of the kids were demigods as well, thus rendering them capable of the same hyperactiveness that plagued him.
"Now then," Chaos began. "I suppose it would be best if I explained why I have brought you out of your comfortable rooms, and into the company of other strange adolescents." (A/N Hahaha, good one Chaos)
"I have selected you from the farthest corners of the Earth, seeking only the best," here the teens had the grace to blush "for my team. Should you choose to accept, you will be known as the Elementals, the four most powerful teenagers in the solar system. You will be my generals, and you will aid the people of different worlds and lead different armies into battles for justice. I know you are kind individuals who have had more than your fair share of pain. You are clever, compassionate, and brave. Would you do me the honor of being my Elementals?"
There was a brief moment of silence.
"Chaos, sir? Would we have to...contact people from our past?" Percy inquired timidly.
Chaos shook his head. "Not unless you wished to do so,"
The blonde was the first to step forward and kneel.
"I would love to take you up on your offer. I pledge my life to you, and helping those in need."
Percy was quick to follow, and smiled at the man on the throne as he proclaimed "It would make me happy to assist those who need it under your rule,".
The other girl knelt next, saying "The honor is mine, Master Chaos. I will do what I need to serve you and those who require assistance."
Of course, the redhead decided that he would rather spend his life in the palace with Chaos and these three new people than whatever he had experienced in his past. He simply knelt and simply said "It would bring me great pleasure to join you.".
Percy had to wonder what normally came next in this sort of initiation. A diploma? A ritual? A party? A clap on the back? (A/N That is the INCORRECT answer, Percy! *presses buzzer, and Percy falls to China*)
What came next was none of those. Chaos clapped his pale hands together like an elated toddler and squealed "Yay!".
The new Elementals could only stare as Chaos ranted "I hate having to be so formal, but now that you guys are immortal, we'll have to deal with each other for eternity, so we should just break loose. Did I mention the immortality? No? Oh, sorry. You'll be immortal, forever this age. Not like the Hunters of Artemis, though, I mean you're immortal immortal One time I was scouting their camp for potential Elementals, and I came as a beaten and hungry man. Lots of them turned me away, except for some kind hunters. I think Artemis was away or something. I mean, I can understand their point of view, but it makes them biased. Wait, what was I going to say? Oh, yes! So we should probably do introductions now."
The jovial look didn't leave Chaos' face, but he seemed to adapt a serious undertone. "I understand that you all have painful pasts. You may change your name if you wish, and you are not pressured to reveal anything about your past that makes you uncomfortable."
Percy had a fleeting thought about Chaos being bipolar, but he quickly dismissed it and returned to the matter at hand - his introduction. Percy felt it would be good to take a new name, to finally be able to start anew. But how much of his past should he reveal?
'This is my new family.' Percy reminded himself. 'If I can't trust them, who can I trust?'
In all honesty, Percy was petrified. The idea of giving his whole heart to an adopted family all over again scared him. For all he knew, maybe they would (willingly?) succumb to whispers that urged them to betray him. He was baring his heart to them, giving them a chance, but he knew he was forever scarred. If he were to be kicked out again...he might not ever be able to trust again.
Percy took a deep breath. It was now or never.
"Hey guys, I'm...Pierce. Pierce Jackson. (A/N pronounced like "I pierce my butter with a butter knife". Wow that was a terrible sentence!) I...I used to live in a...camp, for people like me. Children of gods or goddesses and mortals. I was a child of Poseidon. But...all of a sudden, campers started to avoid me. They often talked spitefully to me, admonishing me about my behavior so some girl named Nera. My-my own girlfriend, my best friend since we were 12, she even tried to kill me! The final straw was when I almost killed an empousa on the beach. Everyone started screaming at me, my best friends, practically my family, kicked me out, my girlfriend broke up with me, everyone hated me. I was forced to run away from the camp, my second home. I couldn't even go to my mother's home for fear they would hurt my mom or step-dad..." Percy announced, his voice quivering as he told his story.
The tan girl gasped, her hand flying to her open mouth.
"I've heard of you! The only son of Poseidon!" she gasped.
Percy suddenly turned cold and clammy, and his hands took to shaking. Why? He thought he could leave his past behind him. But of course, he just had to be famous. And now she would probably tell everyone everything, and...
"But...I can't seem to recall what your name is," she frowned. "Sorry."
"Don't be sorry," Percy replied, calming immediately. "I'm...trying to leave my old life behind."
She looked at him guiltily, as if suddenly realizing what she had blurted. "I'm sorry about that..."
She cleared her throat before starting her introduction. "I'm...Fiorella. Daughter of a dryad and a mortal. Very unheard of, but it happened, and here I am. Because of the unlikely pairing, I was born a human with a...magical connection to nature, and a life source, like my mother. If my flower was destroyed, I was destroyed along with it. My father was always very protective of me, especially after...well, especially after my mother died when someone cut down her bush two years after I was born. We moved far out to the country, where we were supposed to be safe. But Gaea tried to recruit me during the recent war...said something about amazing power and avenging my mother. When I refused, she...she...she killed my father right before my very eyes." Fiorella had to take shaky breaths during her introduction, but when she reached the end, she started to sob quietly.
The other girl patted her back awkwardly, understanding painted on her face. She whispered something in Fiorella's ear, and they hugged.
"I...have a question," the other boy said. "What's this about dryads and demigods?"
INSERT YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPLANATION OF MYTHOLOGY HERE, AND PRETEND YOU ARE CHAOS. BLACK BEDSHEETS/CURTAINS MAKE SUFFICIENT ROBES.
"Well that's...a big bomb to drop. But I guess it makes sense..." the boy muttered. "Well, since I've already attracted enough attention to myself, I might as well go. I'm...Axel," he stated, but it came out as a bit more of a question.
"When I was young, I was playing in a junkyard by my house. I wasn't looking where I was going, though, and I...fell into a hole of nuclear toxic waste." Axel covered his eyes with his hands. "I survived, fortunately. But I was left with scars and powers, powers over fire. No one but my family knew, and we tried to hide it the best we could. But one day, I came home and there were at least 20 people gathered in my living room, some holding my parents roughly. I shouted at them to let my parents go, that they probably had the wrong people. The lead man looked me in the eye...and I can still remember what he said next, I remember it so clearly. He said the government had found out about me, I was to be experimented on. He told me I was a freak of nature, and he wouldn't even acknowledge me as a human. When I vehemently protested to go anywhere, he pulled out two guns and held them to my parents' heads. That stupid butt, he threatened me, saying if I didn't come peacefully, he would pull the trigger. I was frozen, I couldn't say anything. My parents struggled, and insisted that I not take the deal. The man got so fed up with them, he barked at them to shut up. I lost control of my temper. I set my hands ablaze, and told him to leave and never return. Nobody hurts my family. I'm not quite sure what happened next - maybe he panicked, or got angry with me. Either way, he pulled both of the triggers. I couldn't do anything to stop him. And me, being the pathetic kid I am, just screamed hysterically as their bodies fell to the floor. And those horrible people just laughed, that murderer laughing the loudest. I don't really remember exactly what happened next. But after the red faded from my vision, the house was gone, just charred remains, and bodies littered the ground. I...I killed them, I even killed my own parents! I was horrified. I wasn't even thinking when I ran, ran away, like the coward I am. I didn't even care when I collapsed in some unknown area, and waited for death to claim me."
There was brief bout of silence. Words such as "It wasn't your fault", "Don't feel bad" and especially "It's okay" would not have any effect whatsoever. In fact, they would only make it worse. Everyone in the room had learned this the hard way. Eventually, the last person spoke up.
"Hi, I'm Amilia, but please just call me Amy. I...I had a mom, a dad, and a little sister. When my sister was four, and I was seven, we were attacked in the middle of the night. These people, these horrible men in black, they came, and they set our house on fire. The smoke, the heat, the ashes, and all the collapsing furniture and structure... I was able to get my sister out, but...I never saw my parents again." A single tear trickled down her cheek, an impressive attempt at hiding the emotional pain. "I tried to get away from the smothering smoke and flames with my sister, but they caught us. They kidnapped us and brought us to a dark building. It was there I discovered my powers, however weak they were, over winds. I was forced to work as a spy for them on many occasions, and it was terrible living with the knowledge that I was helping them hurt innocents. The only reason I did what they asked is they threatened my sister with fire. She had arsonphobia, and they would wave torches or large lighters in her face and dump oil on her. The haunted look in her eyes always broke my heart into billions of pieces. But one day, some fool dropped the torch he was waving in her petrified face. It fell in the ring of oil they poured around her. I was away on a mission, and by the time I got back, the whole hideout was ablaze. I tried so hard to save her...but all I managed to find was her burnt hair piece. It was always her favorite, the one mom and dad got her on her last birthday..." That was all Amy could take. She slumped to her knees and held her head in her shaking hands.
Chaos gazed empathetically down at the four huddled figures, who were so young, and yet had been through so much. He could already feel a connection being made among the broken teens.
"If you are ready, it is time for you to receive your powers and immortality," Chaos whispered after several minutes of dismal silence. "Please step forward."
Amy, Fiorella, Percy, and Axel (in that order) took two steps towards the throne. Chaos lifted his hand over their heads, and began to speak in a loud voice.
"By the power within me, I give you each the power of the elements! Air! Earth! Water! Fire!"
There was a blinding flash of searing light. Percy heard someone cry out in a voice that sounded suspiciously similar to his. A fierce and savage pain slammed into his chest, quickly filling the rest of his body. He struggled to fight the paralyzing pain, but his efforts were futile. The new Elemental's mind slipped into darkness.
The first thing Percy noticed was that the horrible pain was gone. Before he even opened his eyes, he realized that not only was he feeling better, he felt more powerful than he ever had in his whole demigod life.
He sat up groggily and shook his head before opening his eyes. Picking themselves off the floor were Amy, Fiorella, and Axel. But they looked different...very different. Fiorella's brown bob had transformed into ramrod-straight bangs and a long French side braid the color of rich soil. Her skin was a healthier, more toned, shade of brown, and when she opened her eyes Percy caught a glimpse of emerald orbs that sparkled with facets and knowledge. Her torn black t-shirt and jeans had been replaced with a knit layered jade shirt, and dusty brown leggings complete with mud-colored combat boots. Amy's blond hair had morphed into long locks that fell to her knees. Its color reminded Percy of a pale ice-cream flavor called 'lucuma' he had sampled at a Peruvian restaurant with his mom and Paul. Small breezes flitted around her, tossing around strands of her hair, an aspect which should have made her look disheveled but instead added to her beauty. She wore a tank top covered in scalloped baby-blue layers, starting under a baby-pink ribbon stretched across the tank just under the chest, to form a ribbon on the left side. Rolled up pure white denim shorts ended at her knees, and her new sky blue eyes opened and closed blearily, her pale eyelids fluttering like butterflies. And gone, gone away were Axel's strawberry-blond strands. In their place were fiery red locks, which curled upward like licks of fire frozen in time. His chest was covered by a black muscle shirt, and he sported new beige cargo pants speckled with pockets. He was staring at his fellow Elementals with golden eyes filled with confusion.
It was all Percy could do not to have a heart attack at all the sudden changes.
"What happened?" Percy demanded, trying to keep his voice even.
"You simply merged with your element. It changed your physical appearance, and may have altered your personality just a bit," Chaos explained, gazing at them apologetically.
"Wh-" Fiorella began to say, but Chaos cut her off with a clap.
"Now then! I will explain some concepts, then we will show you to your rooms, yes?"
Chaos bore a smile on his lips, but his eyes let them know there was no room for argument. Once he was sure the teens would remain silent, he continued.
"Your clothes will change according to your comfort. For example, if Axel was to become cold, his shorts would change into a pair of jeans. Is that understandable? Good! Follow me, please."
Chaos led the dazed Elementals to his throne, he pushed it back to reveal a narrow wooden door with a circular bronze handle. With a hard shove, the door swung open soundlessly. A hallway lit by suspended flames lining the walls opened up before their startled eyes. As it turned out, this hallway was purely a secret. It led from the throne room to the wing where the Elementals would stay. There was another hallway that branched off of this one that led to a spot behind a false potted plant in the grand hallway. The planet they were on, as it turned out, was the Earth's moon. Chaos chose the Earth's moon, he explained, because the people of Earth often got into danger, and had no magic to defend themselves. Their base was open to all other planets, and there were some inns, but only Chaos and now his Elementals lived here.
"...and the there are two rooms across from each other on each end of the hallway. The two closest to the door are the boys', and the two on the other end of the hallway are the girls'. Ah, yes! Here we are at last!" Chaos swung open a door identical to the one behind the throne. A long hallway made of shining pearl stretched out for at least 50 ft. Two doors across from each other, one red and one blue/green, were but a few fit away, while a deep green one and a white one could just barely be made out at the other end of the hallway.
"You have the until tomorrow morning to get settled. Again, I hope that you find your new life here comfortable and pleasing. Oh! And any gender mix in a bedroom must be approved by me first," Chaos smirked, that playful gleam back in his age-old eyes. With a simple wave, he closed the door behind him and departed, leaving Percy, Axel, Amy, and Fiorella standing in their new home, trying to soak in all these new events.
In silent solemnity, the four new Elementals retreated to their respective rooms. A few half-hearted waves later, Percy stood alone in the glittering hallways. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the sea-green door on his right.
Soft sandy-colored carpet sank beneath his feet the instant the placed his socks down on it, torn sneakers in hand. But that was the least of his pleasures. The room looked virtually underwater. The walls reminded the son of Poseidon of that time he had gone to an aquarium, and went through a tunnel with water surrounding him on all sides through the glass (of course, a monster had shown up and almost broke the glass, but it had turned out to be an overall fun day with the seven, Nico, Reyna, and Thalia). Incredibly realistic looking seaweed and shells were painted where the walls met the floor.
Pushed against the right wall was a bed covered in sea-mist colored bedsheets and a royal blue comforter. The pillows were fluffy clouds of sea-green propped against the sandy-yellow bed frame, which was complete with a headrest and footrest that looked like they had waves carved into them and a canopy with curtains that Percy was 99% sure was made of sea spray.
Against the wall across from him was a white desk, with a simple navy-blue lamp and a black laptop. Just a couple of feet to the right was a dresser painted such a dark blue it looked close to black, which only made the seashells scattered across the wood pop out more. Across from it was a petite loft bed, with a bed covered in green sheets on the top, and a hangout with beanbags and rugs on the bottom.
It was a rather small room for such a grand palace-of-sorts, but Percy wouldn't have his new homey bedroom any other way.
Percy stepped in front of the mirror beside his dresser to examine it. A boy with vibrant yet comforting sea-green eyes and wavy black hair that rose and feel like waves in the ocean stared back. He was wearing navy skinny jeans and a hoodie that at first glance appeared to be tie-dyed, but upon closer inspection, turned out to a be a vibrant and ingenious blend of greens and blues. His new appearance caught Percy's rapt attention until he spotted an open door on the right wall.
'Well of course,' Percy realized 'I need a bathroom, don't I?'
Percy wandered over to the sandy wooden door and pushed it open. Inside lay a bathroom almost as large as the bedroom. A hot tub half-covered by a bath curtain decorated in cartoon fishies tucked away on his left. Across from him was a marble sink, with a faucet made of obsidian and three drawers underneath. On the left was numerous white racks in an open closet next to a white porcelain commode.
Percy could barely bite back his grin as he stared at the hot tub.
'I think a bath is quite overdue...'
Me: First of all, I want to address some...issues that I noticed after I finished writing this, and developing the characters' personalities. I found WAY too many similarities between Fiorella, Axel, and Amy and the PJO/HoO characters.
1. Axel is a big softy like Frank. They're both just really big, strong teddy bears.
2. Fiorella's smart/calculating leader personality is like Annabeth's.
3. Fiorella's life used to depend on a flower. I honestly just wanted to make a demi-dryad, i didn't intend for her to be like Frank.
4. Amy hides emotional pain behind a cheerful facade of jokes and smiles, like Leo.
5. Axel's story of burning down his house is just like Leo's.
6. Amy's whole 'natural-beauty' thing with her hair is like Piper's.
I bet I could find more, these just popped out the most. I swear these were all an accident. I'm so sorry. :(
Please don't forget to cast in your votes! Who should Percy end up with? I'm leaning towards Fiorella right now, but I'd love to hear your opinions!
Here's the current scoreboard...
Annabeth - 1
Amy - 1 (my beta reader *grumbles about rebellious betas*)
Fiorella - 2 (me!)
Zoe Nightshade - 1
Other - 0
