A/N: The penultimate chapter of this story! I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it so far.
Re-edited on January 17, 2015.
Disclaimer: Do I really have to say I don't own these characters?
I blink several times trying to get a bearing on where I am. As my vision starts to come back I notice I'm back at Auntie Em's with Kronos. His seething anger barely contained. Luke's body was glowing with cracks of white light erupting from him. He was close to burning out Luke's body. Even bearing the curse of Achilles, his body was breaking down under the strain of containing the essence of a Titan.
His plan was to crush the Olympians and destroy Olympus itself by exploding his essence from Luke's shell in the Gods' throne room. My poker face does not show how happy and excited I am at this moment. So close. I am so close to pulling this off.
"Daughter of Athena, are you ready to accept the gift of my powers?"
"Yes my Lord."
"You have been my most loyal demigod," he paused, "I had my doubts about you,but you have shown where your loyalty lay many times. Even more than the mortal whose body I inhabit. Do not fail."
"I would never dream of falling in my mission, Lord. Winning this war and destroying the Gods has been the only thing I've thought of for years."
"Excellent, prepare yourself. This will not be easy for you. You may burn up in the process."
"Be careful my Lord, remember that I am Luke's mortal anchor point. If I die, it may be a long time before you have the strength to rise against the Olympians again."
He huffed in annoyance, "do not presume to lecture me. If we fail I will rise again. The same can not be said of you," his smile was unnerving.
He stands straight up and raises his arms. A glow of yellow light starts to radiate before him. I remember to breathe as the sphere of power pulsates brighter and brighter until he drops his hands and the ball comes at me.
The pain is excruciating. Luckily it only lasts a moment. I feel it. Unbridled power. I sense time itself. I feel time bend around me. I feel the power burning through me. Yes, burning through me as in I felt my life force ebb, receding quickly. I did not expect this.
I had figured I would have time to learn how to control the power just like when Poseidon imbued me with his power. I would only have one shot at this before I knew my life would be extinguished.
I remember Kronos theorizing how time travel might work. Going forward would be easy, just like swimming with a current behind you. Going back in time would be akin to swimming upstream in the Mississippi river during a record setting flood. He said that the easiest way to go back would be to somehow step outside of time and jump upstream. It would not be far, but maybe close enough to send my message. He could never travel through time. He was too powerful. The primordial god of time, Chronos, would never allow him to interfere with the past or skip to the future. I, however, am just a little demigod. Unimportant in the grand scheme of things. About as significant to the Primordials as a mosquito would be to an elephant.
"I think I'm ready," my voice labored with feeling of my essence fading away.
"Take this, give it to me in the past. I sense my powers burning your essence. Do not fail." He handed me a note written in his own golden Ichor. I could not understand what was written as it was in a language I did not recognize. Did the Titans have their own language? Ugh, no time for my Athena side to probe.
"Yes Lord Kronos." I bow to the Titan and tense up. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and hope I know what I'm about to do.
I try to clear my mind of the many doubts that suddenly sprang up. Was I strong enough to do this? Would I succeed or make matters worse? Would my note be believed? Would I burn myself out before I got to my destination? Would I be able to go far enough back? Was this even possible? What happens if nothing happens and I'm forced to live with everything I have done in the past few years?
I shake my head dispelling my lack of faith in myself and take another deep breath clearing my mind once again. This time it stays clear.
I close my eyes and envision myself stepping outside the flow of time. In my head I climbed out of the James river near one of Thalia, Luke, and my secret bunkers. The river was frozen in place. Not ice frozen, just stopped. I ponder why I'm hear of all places. Time is a river, or so they say. I suppose my subconscious was just manifesting this power in a way that I could comprehend.
Sure there were some good memories here like the time Thalia almost burned the bunker down boiling water for me to make tea or when we first dug it out and we all slept together, me being in-between both Thalia and Luke in their warm, accepting, dare I say loving embrace. No, I'm not here for any of that. There's something else here that I'm missing. Something my subconscious knows will help.
'Think Chase,' I scold myself and look around. 'Why here? What could posibl.." My inner monologue falls off as I see it and understand.
A hundred yards away is a tire swing, 'why swim when I can just jump upstream! Of course!' my thoughts putting it together.
I smile and run towards it noticing that the ground is moving but I'm not. I was at the tire swing, but the river had not moved. I theorize that even though I am currently outside time, I am still anchored to the spot in time I was at. If I jump in, will I just end up being where I was? Or is being on the ground anchoring me?
I get up onto the tire. My hands gripping the rope above the tire and my feet perched on the inner rim. I notice as I'm swaying slightly that the river is not moving with me. Aha! I pull my Yankees hat out of my back pocket and put it on instantly being invisible. I wouldn't want to scare anyone when I appear at whatever time I end up.
A smile on my face, I begin swinging the tire at an angle over the river. I put all my concentration on imagining the Athena Cabin at camp, hoping that I would end up there instead of back at Auntie Em's when I let go. Suddenly appearing in Medusa's lair would not be ideal at all if I accidentally go back too far.
I breath deep and jump from the tire at the optimal angle to get the furthest upstream. I get wet when I hit the water. I must jumped into a point of time before Poseidon blessed me. that does not bode well. If I lost my control over water, does that mean I will have lost my control over time when I go back into sync with the universe. Whatever it is, I can't think about it. I have a mission to complete.
Now the moment of truth, where and when will I end up. Still thinking of my cabin, I close my eyes and will myself back into the flow of time.
I blink several times trying to adjust to the darkness. Where did I end up? Actually, better question, when did I end up?
I stumble a little as my legs gave out on me. I managed to catch myself on a bunk before I crash to the floor. My body aching with weariness, the time traveling taking a lot more out of me than I could have anticipated. Luckily, the bunk I landed on was empty. From the looks of it, it had just recently been vacated, the blankets were pushed to the side and middle of the bed was still a little warm.
Where did the bunks' owner go? Stupid disorientation, my eyes have barely adjusted, and the room is still sort of spinning. I think I see bookshelves and worktables along the far wall. Yes! I must have appeared inside the Athena cabin.
After another minute, my eye sight finally adjusted to the dark. I was in my cabin and actually sitting on my bunk, but it was not my bunk yet. All of the personal items around belong to David, the head councilor before me. I was at least 6 years in the past. David had left camp in my 3rd summer.
I gasped aloud before quickly covering my mouth hoping no one heard me. I would have to wait at least 2 years before I could save Percy. At least 2 years to live with myself and all the horrible things I have done since he died. All the horrible, disgusting things like becoming Luke's girlfriend, tricking Artemis into holding up the sky, betraying camp by leading an army to slaughter them, shooting an arrow into Chiron's heart, and beheading Clarisse. Just to name a few unforgivable acts that eat away my thoughts day and night.
Without Kronos and his minions around I could finally think freely. Not have to guard my thoughts and feelings constantly. I am free. I am going to save my friend and future savior of Olympus. Yes, Poseidon told me the reason I needed to succeed. Without Percy Jackson the Olympians would fall to the Titans and then the Titans and humanity would fall to Gaea and the Giants. You know, nothing too important.
I need to find out what year and day it is and also figure how I would hide from the other campers, Gods, and more importantly myself until I would either reveal myself or find someway to complete my task unseen. Perhaps there is a calendar around. There was not one around when I first came to Cabin 6, and there wouldn't be one until I became councilor.
I started to look around when I noticed all the beds were empty and it was pitch black outside. Where was everybody? I quickly exit the cabin looking around for a dozen children of Athena. I jog up to the Big House and see a mass of campers up by Thalia's tree.
Thalia.. she would still be the tree now. I fight back an urge to cry thinking about the night we arrived at camp being pursued by the Furies and a pack of Hellhounds. The sky turned dark and stormy when Thalia took her last stand atop the hill to protect Luke, Grover, and me. When she was defeated, a massive bolt of lightning came down upon her near lifeless form. After the blinding flash, instead of seeing Thalia there was a massive pine tree where she had been.
Looking up at the sky, it looks a lot like it did all those years ago. The campers surrounding her tree and the five campers coming down the hill carrying three limp forms.. It struck me like a freight train. This was the night I came to camp with Luke and Grover.
Nine years, I went nine years into the past. Oh Gods, five years to wait. This just became a whole lot tougher.
Nine years, just imagine what you could do if you were sent nine years into your past. I know there is so much I would change, but I know there is only one single thing I would want to change. It sure would be nice to not carry the guilt of pushing away and losing your best friend and love of your life. Well enough about me.
