Author's Note:
I'm going to update Forever Young, I promise, but inspiration for this story just called.
Have you ever had a relative tell you that you're not as good as your sibling pretty blatantly? (and I mean, literally saying "you're not as good as [sibling's name].") Well, that's been happening to me...and it sucks. I mean, it hurts. And to not only say they are better than you when you were their age but also to say that they will be more successful than you in life?
I'm sorry, I'm not exactly super happy at the moment. To the story we go.
Jason blinked in the bright sunlight, squinting and groaning as he got up. He hadn't slept well at all last night. Blearily, he wondered who'd been guarding the fire last night. He'd taken one of the middle shifts but he'd been so tired that a monster could've been breathing down his neck and he wouldn't have noticed. It seemed like they'd survived the night though, which was a pretty good sign.
"Hey," Jason looked over at Piper, who was cleaning her knife. He could see the bags under her eyes, an obviously drained look on her face. There was a long gash along her left arm, probably one that she'd earned after Leo's fire last night. Jason tried to feel some form of contempt at Leo, but felt himself oddly drained. He was tired of feeling angry, of feeling incompetent. It was like last night had drained all of them and they were all back on neutral ground.
Piper gave him a small smile as she sheathed her knife and poured water over the fire. The tips of her hair were singed from the fire, though they were still braided and had obviously been slept in that way. Jason smiled back at Piper, though in the back of his mind, a single question popped up. He pushed the thought away as he walked closer to Piper.
She looked at him expectantly and Jason enveloped her in a hug. "I missed you," he whispered in her ear. He could smell the smoke in her hair—whether from the forest fire or the campfire, he wasn't sure—and for a brief moment, Jason let himself relax.
He didn't see Piper's look of disappointment as he walked away to the nearby stream to wash his face and get himself cleaned up. As he passed Percy and Annabeth, he paused. Percy looked calmer than Jason had ever seen him (not that he'd seen him much) and Annabeth's arms were wrapped around him gently, in an almost comforting manner. He wasn't jealous...no, that wasn't the way he would describe it. Jason didn't want to be Percy. Not right now—not broken. But the two were still asleep, obviously exhausted, and they looked...relaxed. Okay with each other. That was what Jason wanted.
Ever since Reyna and Piper had arrived, tension had seeped into everything. This morning...it was quite. Calm. No jealousy, no fire. No demigods yelling at each other, no splitting up, no hopeless searches across the country for people who had been missing for a year. It was only the morning after the forest fire, but the birds had returned and Jason felt...okay. Just okay.
He splashed water on his face. An innate, Roman instinct told him that okay wasn't alright. Fighting, glory, honor...that was what was real. What was good. But today, Jason pushed those instincts aside. All he wanted was to be okay. He wasn't at Camp Jupiter. The gods were virtually silent. Today...it was okay to be okay.
When he returned, Reyna and Piper were sitting at the campfire, not talking. Jason awkwardly scooted around them. Already, it seemed, okay was breaking up. Perhaps he should've stayed at the river longer.
"Morning," Jason said. He looked from one girl to the other, hoping one would respond.
"Hey," Piper said at the same moment that Reyna nodded, "Morning." The two glanced at each other before returning to looking at the smoldering remains of the fire.
"We're going to need food," Reyna announced as Jason situated himself across from Reyna and Piper. "I've still got some bread and water, but it's only going to be enough for this meal. Percy—if he's alright—might be able to help obtain some seafood but otherwise we're on our own."
Jason already felt a headache returning. He was seriously regretting not staying at the river for a longer period of time. "I think we shouldn't trouble Percy. He doesn't remember anything...and amnesia sucks." That was the simplest way Jason could put it.
Reyna nodded while Piper gazed sullenly at the ashes. "Well here." Reyna thrust her pack forwards. "You guys can eat this...I'll go check on Leo." With that, she stood up and left Piper and Jason to stare at the ashes.
Jason broke off some of the bread before handing it to Piper. "You okay?" he asked.
Piper laughed a little sadistically. "Oh, yes, I'm fine," she said sarcastically.
Jason frowned. "Pipes-"
"Just...just don't." She shook her head. "I'm just in a bad mood. I'm sorry."
Piper moved to stand up. "I'll go find Percy and Annabeth," she said in a falsely cheerful tone. "Maybe Percy's memories have come back already." She smiled, almost as if she believed it.
Jason wanted to believe it as well, though he knew that almost certainly wasn't the case. Memories didn't come back that easily...even now, Jason struggled to remember the details of his life at Camp Jupiter. And Percy...he looked battered to the point where he'd rather be dead than alive. Still, Jason nodded. All he wanted were for things to be okay.
Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be the case.
"Annabeth, wake up."
Annabeth looked up to see Percy next to her, raising an eyebrow and grinning (though he was desperately trying not to). They were in the Athena cabin and everyone else was gone—they must've already gone to breakfast. Had she slept through her alarm? "It's late," he said, extending a hand to her. "C'mon, Wise Girl. Stop being such a sleepyhead."
"Oh, shut up," Annabeth grabbed his hand before pulling him down onto her bed as she stood up, laughing. "You shouldn't be in here."
"Nah," Percy said breezily, looking a little too at ease on her mattress. "But when do I pay attention to rules? Annabeth...wake up." He cocked his head at her, daring her to challenge him.
Annabeth laughed. "Cute. I am awake."
Percy smiled. "Annabeth...wake up."
Annabeth looked at him for a moment, confused. "But I am awake."
"Annabeth, wake up."
The cabin jerked and Annabeth sat up. Piper was leaning over her, looking slightly concerned. Annabeth couldn't help feeling a little miffed that she'd been woken up...though judging by the sunlight, it was pretty late.
"You alright?" Piper asked as she helped Annabeth up. Annabeth nodded, not wanting to elaborate.
Blinking, Annabeth took in her surroundings, reality flooding back. She was in the middle of the woods on a seemingly impossible quest. There'd been a forest fire and they'd almost died, if it hadn't been for Percy...who'd forgotten her...who...
"Percy." Annabeth's voice sounded unnaturally choked and hoarse as she said his name. "Where is he?" Her words were tinged with worry. "Where'd he go?"
"Don't worry, Annabeth," Piper soothed. "I woke him up before you and he went to the river to get washed. He looked a bit battered after everything yesterday."
"Oh." Disappointment laced Annabeth's words. The real Percy—the old Percy—would've woken her up, just like in the dream. Now the real Percy was the one who didn't know her name or her face and didn't care.
"Do you want to go find him?" Piper offered. "I should've made him stay...but it took a while to wake you..."
"No, it's fine." The words slipped out of Annabeth's mouth too quickly, so quickly that she wished she could take them back. "He's probably fine. He knows how to wash his face."
Piper nodded, looking a little uncertain. Annabeth wondered if she was acting a little crazy. She wouldn't be surprised.
When they arrived back at the campfire, Annabeth stayed standing. Piper shot her a curious look and Annabeth shrugged. She didn't want to talk about anything. Leaning against a pine, Annabeth tapped her foot on the ground anxiously.
The three demigods around the campfire were silent. Finally, Annabeth spoke up. "Where's Reyna?"
"Went to wake Leo up."
That was the end of that. Annabeth glanced back towards the river. Where was Percy?
Finally, a few minutes later, there was a rustling behind Annabeth and Percy appeared. In the sunlight, Annabeth got a good look at the man who had once been her boyfriend.
A scar ran down his face, pale white. Healed, but never gone. An image of Luke flashed in Annabeth's mind and she blinked, unwilling to comprehend the person who stood in front of her. Gashes ran down his arms and he was so thin...
"Hey," Percy called. A smile appeared on his face, but it wasn't the smile that Annabeth had grown so accustomed to. It seemed almost forced and Annabeth had the feeling that it could disappear at a second's notice.
Percy seemed fairly relaxed compared to how he jerked in her arms last night. His green eyes looked exactly the same as before, though the sparkle and glint in them seemed to have faded. Just another thing that had changed between the two of them.
Percy turned towards her, and for a moment, Annabeth could trick herself into believing that he was still the Percy Jackson she had had by her side for so many years. The goofy boy who hadn't seen a problem in going on the Thrilling Ride of Love. The teenager who had almost stepped on her toes three times while they danced. The idiotic Seaweed Brain who wouldn't freaking make a move until they ended up tossed in a lake by their friends.
Indeed, she could've been able to pretend things were normal if it hadn't been for...
"Annabeth, right?"
He smiled at her, but his eyes showed no recognition. To him, they had only just met. To her, it was like a lifetime had faded away.
A rustling from across the clearing shook Annabeth out of her shock and she nodded before turning towards the sound. Reyna pushed the branches aside, an oddly worried look creasing the Roman's face.
"It's Leo," she announced. "He's gone."
"He's gone."
Part of Jason was angry. Angry at Leo for taking off again when they needed him.
But a bigger portion of Jason felt guilty. Leo...no matter how much had happened over the past several months, was his friend. Jason knew that he was partially responsible for Leo's disappearance.
They'd scoured the city but were unable to find where Leo was. No one had seen him since last night and Annabeth reasoned that he had left. With a whole night's headstart and no clues as to which direction he went, she had argued, there wasn't much chance they could find him.
In the past few months, Jason had grown father apart from Leo. Preoccupied with searching for Piper and trying to keep his friends alive, Jason had forgotten about the one friend who'd stood beside him ever since everything began. Now, Jason had realized too late that he'd taken his mechanic friend for granted.
"I'm on Annabeth's side," Reyna spoke up. Jason's head jerked up as he watched the drama unfold before him. "We need to go find Frank and Hazel. Leo has left twice now—we can't waste anymore time on this."
"No!" Piper objected, standing up angrily. Her dark hair whipped around her face, making her look both defiant and pretty at the same time. "Leo's my friend...our friend! How can you suggest we leave him behind? I thought that both Greeks and Romans were loyal, loyal to their allies, loyal to their friends."
Piper literally radiated with power and Jason could tell that despite her efforts, her charmspeak was leaking through. Jason saw doubt appearing in Reyna's eyes. Jason even found himself nodding. He wouldn't want the others to leave him behind if he were in Leo's shoes.
Reyna raised her head and her clouded eyes turned hard again. "We need to think of the bigger picture," she said icily. "We can't just focus on Leo."
Annabeth looked a little uncertain and Jason saw her glance at Percy. The son of Poseidon's eyebrows were furrowed. Was he being influenced by the charmspeak or did he really agree with Piper's point of view?
"Reyna, I thi—" Annabeth began.
"Piper's right." Annabeth turned, shocked as she looked at Percy, who'd spoken up. "He's your friend, isn't he? You can't just abandon your friends. I mean...no one wants people to leave while they still might be around."
Jason watched as Annabeth stared at Percy like he'd jumped out of boiling lava with a fish head. There was doubt in her eyes, mixed with worry...and something else. Nostalgia?
He didn't have long to ponder. Annabeth cleared her throat. "At any rate, if we want to find Leo, we need to stop sitting around here. Let's keep heading towards our destination. If Leo is trying to get away from everyone, he's not going to head backwards, only forwards. That's our best course of action at this point." She seemed ready to get out of there.
"Alright," Percy nodded, standing up. "Do you guys have any transportation-?"
"Yes! Yes..." Annabeth's reply came too quickly. Her voice was crisp and higher than usual. "Don't worry, I'll go get them."
"Are you sure?" Percy looked at her oddly. "I could-"
"No, it's fine." Annabeth brushed off a smile before leaving a slightly bewildered Percy rather hastily.
Jason looked at Piper, who shrugged before moving to go after her friend.
In the end, they left.
Piper felt terrible about it. She mainly blamed Reyna for them. Annabeth was her friend, so she didn't want to blame her, plus Annabeth hadn't really known Leo. Granted, neither had Reyna, but still. Piper needed someone to blame.
What really bothered her was Jason. He hadn't suggested they leave Leo behind...but he hadn't said a single word in his friend's defense. It angered her more than she cared to say.
It was a side of Jason Piper felt like she'd never seen before. The Jason she knew cared about his friends. Maybe it was just because Reyna was there, maybe it was because things had changed while she was gone, but he seemed so much more distant. More Roman. Only caring about the fight, the greater good and ignoring one's feelings, emotions, and aiming for the bigger picture.
Piper could see sense in that...but to completely abandon their friend...
Percy and Annabeth shared a pegasus. The pegasi had somehow survived the fire unscathed and as Piper hugged her pegasus, she felt uncomfortable. The winged horse only reminded her more of Leo. Leo hadn't bothered to take his pegasus with him, meaning that Reyna and Jason each got their own winged horse. It was a tiny triumph and Piper felt guilty about it, but she couldn't help herself.
Leo had changed. Piper hadn't really noticed it—they'd been a little preoccupied after all—but he wasn't himself. The Leo Piper knew was a jokester. He pulled pranks, he laughed and bounced around, in some ways, he was more like a Hermes kid than Hephaestus' son. Piper stared at the sun which was inching towards the horizon. Sunset wasn't due for almost half an hour, but the tips of the sky were already turning pink.
She felt terrible. She'd abandoned her friend in his time of need. Like Percy said, if the roles were reversed, she would want them to search for her.
Instead, they were flying away.
"You said what?"
Annabeth had been talking to Reyna and Piper looked back at the two of them, strands of hair whipping her in the face, stinging her cheeks. Annabeth's eyes were sharp and looked almost dangerous. This was why Piper would never think of challenging the daughter of Athena.
Percy looked at Annabeth, frowning. Piper wondered briefly what it was like to be Percy, to be so lost. He hadn't really said anything about what had happened under the sea and Piper figured Annabeth was too shaken by his appearance and memory loss to ask.
"The giants are planning on setting off for Greece from Florida," Reyna repeated.
Piper's eyes widened. "And you didn't bother to tell us about this?" she spluttered. "We could've saved half a day of travel!"
Reyna's eyes narrowed. "Look, McLean," she said, her tone cold, "I'm not part of your little quest. None of you cared to share the exact wording of the quest with me. For all I knew, you received specific directions from the gods to go this way. Your quest was obviously not to fight the giants, but to find your missing demigods. Plus, in case you didn't notice, we haven't exactly had much time for discussion."
Piper opened her mouth to retort, but Annabeth cut her off. "Whoa," she said to her pegasus. The others followed suit. "We need to go to Florida."
Percy blinked. "Florida..." he murmured. Annabeth looked back at him, an odd look in her eye.
"That's probably best," Jason nodded. "We're still missing Hazel and Frank and...well, Leo..." he hesitated. Piper wondered if he was regretting not standing up for his friend. "Florida's our best shot."
Percy nodded. "Yeah, so..." His eyes widened. "Piper!" Already, his hand was reaching for his pocket...for a pen?
An intense roar sounded from behind her and Piper's eardrums nearly burst from the sound. She ripped out her knife, but before she had the chance to use it, an intense pain erupted along her right side. Her shirt was torn apart and bloody claw marks marred her exposed skin. Piper resisted the urge to cry out.
"Pipes!" Jason yelled. His pegasi made towards her, but before he managed to get there, there was a dropping sensation in Piper's stomach.
As her pegasus spiraled towards the ground, Piper opened her mouth, a scream forcing its way out of her chest.
His curly hair was matted. It hadn't looked much better earlier, but it was looking even worse after a day of travel.
When Leo had left camp, he had had no idea or sense of where he was heading. He still really didn't know. All he wanted to do was get away.
Now that he thought about it, it was probably a stupid idea. He had no food and he'd only managed to drink a little water earlier this morning.
Idiot.
"Shut up," Leo muttered to himself. He couldn't help glancing around to see if anyone was around. No one, not even a cricket. Disappointment flashed through him, combined with relief. No one would hear him talk to himself like a crazy person.
Crazy person. Yup.
Is that me talking or my conscience talking or someone else talking? Leo's head hurt from the thought. It was like his brain was splitting in two. He grimaced and pulled a few random bits of metal out of his tool belt, tinkering with them. No matter what he tried, the pieces just wouldn't work together. If he had a forge and some time, maybe they would've fit together, but...
Leo let the scraps of metal fall to the ground with a clink. He'd never really understood people, not even himself, but now it felt like he'd lost the one bit of himself that he'd always been able to understand.
To Leo's surprise, he found his fists clenched. Leo stared at them for a moment before loosening them. He felt a dull pang inside. He really was better with machinery. He didn't even know what he was feeling...not really.
"Leo."
"Shut up!" Leo snapped, smacking himself in the head with his palm. He gripped a fistful of his curly black hair. He really was going crazy.
"Leo...stop hitting yourself." Leo looked up in surprise. The voice was soft and gentle, and very familiar. Leo blinked before turning around.
"Hemera." The goddess stood before him, smiling slightly, her white robes settling slowly around her and rippling as if carried by an unfelt breeze. Leo suddenly felt conscious of himself.
"What's wrong?" Hemera asked. Her eyes held Leo's gaze steadily. For a moment, Leo wondered if goddesses blinked or not. "Where are your friends?"
"I...I, uh, left them." The words seemed to come out of Leo's mouth without his consent, leaving him with a bitter taste in his mouth. It was relieving to admit the truth to someone, yet at the same time, it only doubled the guilt.
Hemera nodded sympathetically. "Your friends do not understand." Hemera looked up at the sky, sighing. "I am the goddess of daylight, born from my mother Nyx. I was separated from her at birth, fated to only see her at sundown and sunrise. I am alone. So are you."
Yeah, he was. The realization hit Leo with a dull pang. Alone. Alone amongst friends...and alone now. Was that something you could inherit? Loneliness? Leo thought back to Hephaestus, his father, and how alone he had seemed in the forge. Leo didn't want that but...was it inevitable?
A spark of flame appeared before him and Leo jumped back in surprise. Hemera stood right before him, her palm stretched out. A beautiful little flame danced between her thin fingers and she held it before him.
"You don't need to be alone, Leo," Hemera chided. "You can be so much more. I know that the battles have changed you...but you've blocked yourself off. You need to stop."
Leo cringed. To be rebuked by a goddess—especially a kind one, like Hemera—made him feel worse inside. Still, he squared up his shoulders. Even he could tell that Hemera was offering to help...and he wasn't going to pass up a chance like this by.
"How?"
Author's Note:
It's short...sorry about that. I promise the next chapter will be longer and more detailed.
Please review!
I'd like to thank Darkmiror for her elaborate and detailed beta-ing of my story and I hope to see you all soon!
