Chapter 24: A Reason to Fight

Words: 3,997

Recap: One thing I learned of life is that things have to go worse before it gets better… Tartarus was not part of that equation.

Tartarus was smaller than the last I'd seen him, but it didn't stop me from feeling like my knees were buckling.

'No. That's impossible. He's not- he can't be here- No way- Oh no, no, no way. This is no time for your delusions, dammit.'

But despite berating myself, there was no stopping the panic attack from taking hold of my mind and senses. I know this isn't real. It couldn't be. For one thing, Tartarus would have been far too proud to set foot on the world after getting cocky and making his own body that got mauled as a result.

Pitiful, pitiful, half-blood. I heard the booming bass echo around the forest as if coming from the ground beneath. There was a menacing glint beneath his spiked helm. Alone in the world, alone in time, alone you will fall. Be honored it will be from under my heel, ant.

"Shut the hell up!" The anger overcame my fear, and I came roaring with my sword swung viciously at him.

Tartarus laughed. Raising the spear in his hand, our blades crossed with a loud, ringing clink. I put all of my weight into the attack, but it didn't seem to budge the celestial being. He chuckled before he swung further upward, trying to dislodge my blade.

I pulled back before sweeping to gash his other side. He caught that too, but I kept my flurry of movement. Striking for whatever he willingly left open, but it was futile. His side, his chest, his arms: Tartarus was handling my assault as if he was humoring a child.

Gritting my teeth, I used his next parry to slip the spear down and stepped on it. I then pulled my wand with my other hand and shouted, "Bombarda!"

Explosions covered his helmeted face. The smoke blinded him as I used the grounded spear in his hand as a platform to jump and slice his face.

Tartarus merely raised his hand and caught it barehanded, stopping my sword mid-swing. My arms trembled as I'd just hit a rock.

Do you honestly think you're a match for me, little half-blood? He let go of the sword and I jumped back, circling him from a distance. Come and prove your incompetence.

"Better than proving my impotence, how's the wifey by the way? Still sleeping off your calls?"

I felt more than heard Annabeth's voice, telling me my mouth is gonna get me killed one of these days.

I can see that happening now with Tartarus lifting his fist. Standing in front of me in a blink of an eye, I barely dodged by throwing myself to the side. The resounding boom and earthquake pushed me forward before landing behind the nearest boulder.

I clutched the ground as it pulsated beneath me. Goosebumps ran through my skin as I felt the squelching sensation. The bone trees around were replaced with giant dark needle-like amoebas and branchless round trees. The misty fog blackened to follow suit with the gothic aesthetic. There were shadowing figures from behind them. Monsters of all shapes and sizes, eyes glinting with murderous lust and wicked grins that barred their sharp teeth.

"This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't—" My gut churned like it was being blended inside out. I wanted nothing more but to puke and rested my head down without getting my head up. My lungs laboring for air like they couldn't get enough. "I'm not there— I'm not there— you got out— you got out— gods, pull yourself together, Percy."

The deep rumbling laughter made my breath hitched. Pray all you like, Percy Jackson. They won't listen to you. They never have. Especially not now.

'Shut up— shut up— SHUT UP!' I closed my eyes and covered my ears just to shut the sensations away but it didn't stop the thundering pulse, the wretched smell, or the stinging itch. Everything was overwhelming. I wanted to feel nothing and just make all of it stop.

There's no chance of victory for you here.

Not the first time someone said that.

Why endlessly struggle for a pointless fight?

It's not pointless. None of them were pointless.

No one is here. No one will rescue you. What use are you alone?

Not true. Not true. I have Hecate by my side. Albus has my back. Rhea, and Lily, and Severus, and Annabeth— my breath hitch.

I felt him cackle. Yes, she's not here. The 'love of your life' and you left her.

"I didn't want— I didn't— I had no choice!"

The gods promised you to be back like nothing happened. But we both know how bad they are at keeping promises. Will she still be waiting for you? Will she want you back? Will she not tire of you?

"Yes!" I kept repeating but I sounded weaker every time. The words encroached on me like poison with nothing shielding me from it.

Why keep fighting? Why not let go of the sword and cease all of it? Just… let it go…

My chest felt heavier and my arm grew tired at simply holding on to my sword handle. A familiar disturbing stir in my head gave me alarm and my tiredness crashed into a swirling mesh of emotion. I shivered at the foreign coldness, feeling like an out-of-place sensation. It was oddly the thing that snapped me out of my own mind to look into a pair of gaping dark voids.

The Dementor had its disgusting face up close without my notice, and it was only instinct that had me stabbing it right through it. When it dissipates into a puff of smoke, I suck in a lungful of air that I didn't know I've been losing.

I examined the white bone forest and the tickling silver grass. There were trees chopped and branches cut. But no sign of Tartarus was ever here.

Instead, I have dozens of Dementors surrounding me as if waiting in line to get a piece of me.

This would have been not much of a problem if I was not on my knees about to keel over any second.

They don't care what state I am in though, judging by how eager they were gliding over my weak body.

Ah, freaking Pantelóni tou Día.

I tried getting up by using the Sword as a cane. I don't have to fight all of them. But just a couple would be enough to break an opening for me to run.

I heaved a breath in and slashed the first dementor in range into oblivion. Rolling underneath another before it caught me from the back. I never had to get up before stabbing another from below, escaping the encasement. Boy, talk about a brush with death.

But when I thought I was home free, I collapsed and had a one-sided kiss with the earth.

I winced badly while barely having control over my spasming limbs. My heart beating double-time when the dementors began crowding around me once more. My mind screamed to move, run, skedaddle before falling into a fate worse than death.

Only years of survival instinct had me pulling out my wand. The Patronus spell at the tip of my tongue and the image of Annabeth at the forefront of my brain. "Expecto… patronum… expecto… expecto…."

The spell was failing. My sword was out of reach. The dementor on my face and the dreadful hopelessness began to overwhelm me as my life, everything that made me who I am was being sucked out of me, and there was little strength in me to care.

An arrow whizzed past, and the crowd of wraiths displaced themselves with a hiss. Shielding me from them was a centaur, which calmed me down. So much so that it felt like a thump in the head before I had my lights out.

. . .

Severus Snape hates a lot of things.

He hates the smell of cheap liquor. He hates sudden noises during moments he was alone. He hates the bullies who like to humiliate him, cornering him when he's alone for their twisted sense of humor. Whether it's the neighborhood boys that bothered him because of his skinny figure and wearing his too-big-clothes or Potter and his cronies because he's easy picking for them. He hates the ignorance others had no shame displaying while shooting a glare at him when they know nothing about him.

Most of all, Severus Snape hates being weak. He hates the helplessness of being under the mercy of others. He hates the small feeling he felt when other boys towered over him. He hates feeling unsafe from the dreading pain that he couldn't anticipate.

So it's only a matter of course that Severus Snape loathes the Dementors. The beings that remind him nothing but his own weaknesses when he had sworn to be above them. It wasn't fear at the thought of confronting the wraith; it was vitriol anger.

Had there been a spell to wipe them out of existence, Severus would have learned that first. Heck, he had used most of his time making one instead of mastering the Patronus spell. Severus regrets little things, but this is certainly one of them. Because now, he's cooped up in the Great hall with a thousand other students, teachers, and Aurors while being pushed to the back of the hordes instead of being in the frontline, helping the others defending his House.

Severus doesn't like being protected, but he hates being a hindrance even more so he's forced to sit back and watch from afar. He looked up to the enchanted ceiling, it was cloudy and thunderous as if to follow the dark mood that swept the crowd. Severus clicked his tongue at the useless feature. How was he going to know the situation outside now?

But then the answer came when two gliding Dementors came slipping into the halls. Few students screeched at the mere sight of them. Surprisingly, Slughorn was the first to conjure his Patronus, The sight of a skittering fish came forcing back the Dementor followed by McGonagall's cat Patronus. It was almost a laughably ironic scene for a fish and cat working together to push back against the darkness.

The crowd of children cheered at the sight. Severus frowned. Knowing that the charm could only hold them back but not make them cease to be. He then felt a nudge to his side. Evan Rosier was hanging back alongside him with their backs on the wall, looking like the world wasn't falling over his head. "To think they'd be happy over a meager light trick, and they call themselves pureblood," Evan clicked his tongue.

"Oh, don't whine. It's unbecoming of you." Theophania Travers came striding between the two with a skip in her steps. "Don't think I didn't see you squeaking like a rat when the dementors arrived."

"I don't squeak!" He strongly protested.

But Severus knew better from spotting the white knuckles before hiding them behind his robe and eyes swiveling around for the nearest exit, that Evan was only acting cool. Rosier is just as afraid as any other kid would be. Same as Travers as she kept her arms crossed, her wand at hand at all times, ready for action at a moment's notice. However, Severus was not deceived by her subtle nervousness. He knows her enough that given the first chance, she would sooner throw him to the wolves if she thinks Severus was a liability. Out of all the Slytherins in his year, no one is more of a snake than she.

She then turned her calculating gray eyes on him, and his back straightened in reflex. "You, however, don't seem to mind the commotion," Travers pointed out.

Severus half-shrugged, "No point losing my head when we're safe at the moment. I'll scream like a banshee once the teachers drop to the ground."

"Hmm, fair enough."

Another couple of Dementors came and they tensed. Another Patronus conjured to shield them off.

Severus had his hands in his pocket, hands curling up with his own raggedy wand before his name was called from across the crowd. A voice familiar but distinctly not of Slytherin made him all the more cl fuse and wary.

"Excuse me, get off me, pardon me, Snape- SNAPE!"

Severus was confused for a split second, not used to people shouting his name. A familiar face came through the mass of people, making him more confused. "MG, what are you doing?"

"Did Lily come by?"

His stomach made a sickening lurch, "No. Why do you ask?"

MG groaned and pulled her raven hair back, "Because she was trying to reach one of the Professors since Potter and his crew weren't around and haven't seen them since, I thought you might know!"

"Well, I don't! What were you thinking of leaving her off on her own?!" Lily might be the one brain cell between the three of them but that doesn't mean he and Percy trust her to be on her own. The last time she was left on her own device, the boys had to fish her out from the river because she, in her words, "had to save a drowning duck" and a magical solution seemed to fly over her head at the time.

"Don't snap at me!"

Severus growled and considered seriously his next steps will be. Obviously, Lily must have gone off to save those jerks since they can't save themselves, let alone deserve it. He wondered where Percy must be throughout this chaos and looked down at his bracelet and got his breath to hitch.

The flower charm was still the color of Kinda-Safe Silver but the sword charm was a blinding Back-up Gold before it slowly changed darker and darker, almost reaching into Dying Black.

Severus wanted to scream. His frustration halted mid-thought when a hand tightly grabbed his shoulder.

"Severus, is this Gryffindor bothering you?" Evan came, standing beside him. He looked at her up and down and gave her an odious glare. "Best you be off with your groupies and leave us from our sight."

Severus rolled his eyes. Despite mostly looking out their own skin, he's grateful his friends are trying to be protective when it comes to others even if it's unwarranted at the moment.

"This doesn't concern you, Rosier." MG barked, "I'm talking to Snape, not you."

"I can speak for him that we don't need our time wasted with your trivial concern."

"Shut up!" MG bit out on Rosier before turning back to him, "Snape, Lily needs you. We don't know how to help her."

Severus barely had his mouth opened, at a loss for words before the students began screeching again. They all turned to find a group of four dementors managed to slip by the Hall. Then an additional two appeared, and the professors started to struggle before the chorus of the Patronus spells from the students to join in the defense.

Evan had his wand pulled out, licking his dry lips, "Come on, we need to go back to the others."

MG was stubborn and had a grip of his sleeve before he could react, "Snape, you can't abandon her— isn't she your best friend?!"

"Ignore her, Severus! We have more important things to do than to worry over your pet friend. Remember our oath; we look out for our own."

"Snape!"

"Severus!"

Severus' kept his dark eyes steady between them, making sure not to show the confusion in his heart, and the struggle in his head. The war cry and misty lights a blurry background to him. He thought about his obligation to his house— as a proud member of Slytherin. He thought of Lily's gentle gaze as she took his hand in hers. Of his housemates showing everything magic has to offer. Of Lily's snorting laughter during one of Percy's antics in their multiple time together. His friends, who saw him more than the backward wizard and opened the doors to his dreams. The warmth Lily gave him just by being by his side.

And so Severus…

Severus chose.

. . .

One of the weird things about being a Half-blood is that you never know where you'll be waking up. Maybe one day you'll be in an unknown cabin, or an unmapped island, or Atlantis, or in the middle of nowhere without your memories to boot. Basically, life is like a surprise box where your day is going to start unexpectedly.

The next time I opened my eyes, I looked up at the crystal chains almost like a chandelier. The night did not diminish the reflecting shine, changing color between blue and purple at every swing from the light breeze.

I was struck, mesmerized at the sight. As far as waking up in strange places, this is certainly a nice one. Mentally examining my body, I was pleasantly surprised to find the ache and weariness absent.

"You're awake." I caught a strong timber. I picked myself up to glance to the side, trying to see who saved me. The face wasn't one I could attach a name to, but he looked awfully familiar in a disturbing way.

"Have I fought you before?" I blurted out.

The icy glare he returned was every bit warranted. "As a matter of fact, we did fight. Two years ago when you knocked me out and made me hostage."

I opened my mouth, a refute ready at my tongue when the memory rushed back from the reminder. "Oh yeah… Reagan, right? Err… I see your head's in one piece."

The red centaur only sighed at my sheepish admission.

"How…" I croaked before clearing my throat, "How did you find me?"

"That would be thanks to us, Boss." Ivan came buzzing over my head, the fairy gal snuggling in his side but the mechanical fairy proceeded like it's nothing. "We tried to snap you out of whatever ghost your head cooked up, but it's like a fog had shrouded us from you."

"So we came to find the centaurs, right? Like, totally level-headed and all and was not packing whatsoever see they could come to fetch you. Then this one ass, Bane I think was the name, was adamantly refusing us at first, saying he had no centaurs spared out any of the fighters, but Teafey here then managed to chew him out to give you back-up before Reagan volunteered. You should have seen her, Boss. It was awesome!"

I nodded listlessly but my brain asked, "Who's Teafey?"

"Err, the fairy, Boss?" He pointed to his newest fairy friend, "The one uncomfortably clinging to me right now?"

I looked long and hard at the small creature before me, imagining her making chittering noises at the hardass Centaur and Bane looking like a kid being chastised. The very image that popped up was so ridiculous that I laughed so hard, my head was tipped back and wheezing for breath at the end. After the long hours of induced terror and stress, I found myself surprised to hear a carefree sound from my own voice.

I sat up straight to get a grip of the place I'm in. I was taken aback by the crystals I thought were from chandeliers were actually leaves from a tree I was slumped over. The tree itself looked like those Wisteria trees, only shinier. Numerous centaurs resting beneath the trees like a desert traveler finding an oasis. "Where—"

"We're under an Anesteria Tree, the shade from their crystal leaves makes you disregard any pain inflicted on you, in body and mind," explained Reagen.

Ah, that explains it. "What happened to everyone anyway?"

"The Dementors have grown beyond even our capacity to fight back," A second centaur intruded. I carelessly scrunched my nose, seeing Bane of all people, but I don't feel bad since he's doing the same. "We had to fall— fall back for shelter so we retreated to the Anesteria woods. It was the only way to keep most of us from losing our mind if not our soul." Bane explained with his usual frown. Though he's mostly a stickup, the centaurs must be in a more desperate situation than I imagine.

"Then what's the next game plan?"

When Bane said nothing and even avoided looking at me, I knew we were screwed.

"Oh, no, no, no. You can't be serious."

"What are we supposed to do? We've lost too many of our own!"

"Well, where's Baron?"

Bane looked away again, and instantly I paled at the fate of the old Centaur. "Don't tell me he's—"

"—sleeping on the other side of your tree."

"Huh?" I followed where he was pointing. The Legolas-look-alike was looking up at the clinking crystal leaves, sounding like the wind chime the night sang. The wisen centaur had a serene smile on his face. His expression, I imagined, would be no different to whenever I stood on the beach and breathed in the salty air.

Basically, Baron looked like there was nothing wrong with the world when his house is one fire with him in it.

"Err… so he's not okay… why?"

"A dryad that he had… adored had succumbed to the Rot. Baron… he went mad with grief and we had to throw him under the Anesteria for the remainder of a time until he's… ready to assume the title as the Elder." If he ever, what went unsaid. "For now, I'll bear the title in his stead and have us mark this place as our new base."

"Okay, then what?"

"Then we shall pray and hold on for as long as the Fates will allow us."

"What?!" I practically screeched and stood to face him better, "So that's your big plan— holding up in one corner in the forest with your hands behind your back?! How will that help anyone?"

"Silence, Child— You know nothing!"

"Oh, I know plenty." I bared my teeth, my hands itching to have a sword in hand to remind him what kind of child he's dealing with. "Doing nothing isn't going to help your kinsmen. You'll just give the Dementors more free reign to spread the Rot through the whole forest."

"Then what do you suppose you'll have me do? Simply hold the line when they can take our spirit while we have no way to vanquish them with?"

"There is a way, the Primal Tree." The group of centaurs, who's been eavesdropping, turned their eyes on me from the name. "If you can help bring me there as your prophecy foretold then I swear by the River Styx this whole Dementor problem will be over."

"What insolence!" Bane trudge over, looking like he's half considering trampling me. "The audacity of you, Half-blood, to demand us interfere with the will of the heavens!"

"I'm not asking you to interfere with the Fates, I'm asking you to be a part of it! This is your forest, you have more right to try protecting your home than just any random Half-blood or wizard, so I thought you, of all centaurs, would want to lead the charge for it."

I knew my words were getting him as his hard expression melted, his devotion for his herd and his duty known as Protector of the Forest would not allow themselves to be creatures to be protected instead. But the hesitation was still there, so all he needed was one little push.

"He has a point." Reagan supplied his own thoughts, "The young Half-blood cannot seem to accomplish heaven's will alone. "

"Reagan!" Bane was halfway from scolding him, but he wasn't finished.

"Our home is dying, Bane. As Protector of the Forest, we cannot do nothing. We are needed."

I could almost feel the final nail being struck to his coffin when Bane sighed, relentingly. "Fine," he gritted his teeth, "But until we take you to the Primal Tree, you will follow our direction or I'll throw you off myself!"

I grinned and saluted with my best upright position, "Sir, yes, sir!"

Oh God, I've been so busy. I've only recently finished a big group project for my campus, my home was hit with a really bad flood and had no electricity for 24 hours. Last month was a mess so sorry for the late update.

Also, a few voice concerns about Lily being an idiot for going off on her own. But I would like to defend her character and my decision since 1) I need a reason to show off Lily being badass. I mean, she could have raised her voice until the teachers notice the problem but then you guys won't get a chance to see her fighting like a queen. It's a requirement for this fic HAHA. 2) I firmly believe she's at the age where she's beginning to see herself as an adult so when face with an obstacle, she thinks of a solution and run it on her own. The solution isn't always a good one because of her insecurities. 3) I never claimed for Lily to be less disastrous as the other two boys, she's one par with Hermione-litting-Snape-on-fire type of disaster. You can trust that girl to manage others but she cannot manage herself wkwkwkwk.

Also, credit to my new friend zoomingaway for giving me the idea for Severus internal conflict. If it gives you angst, thank them.

Anyway, time for the QR&A where I answer your question and thank you for the love.

Patolemus: To be fair, Lily scolded Percy last chapter because she's more worried about him getting hurt not because she doesn't believe he can't fight. Don't worry about Riptide, did you forget in Epilogue Act II it found its way to Percy again ;) Thanks so much again for the kudos and luvs.

Black Victor Cachat: Dumbledore happens to be wiser and knows more than others, okay? And without social media, people like to gossip a lot. And you know how many people can believe fake news. Imagine wizards and witches who have little logic in their brains.

Silverback was something I had struggled with because I didn't want people to sympathize with Slytherin because he grew to be a murderous ass. But then I had to keep reminding myself that Slytherin House doesn't equal Slytherin nor Death Eaters which must be a hard thing to separate for people if even I have a hard time. James doesn't know Lily has a crush on Percy because he's a dense dork but he's jealous of the close proximity they have. Also, the last review you give was hella funny XD

thanks for the link, I'll read it right away:))

Cherrystoll: Is it or is it not a boggart? Hmmmmmmm. Also yeah, student safety first but they're being attack RIGHT NOW and the effect of the dementors doesn't help in keeping their mind straight. Thank you so much for the luv :)

WKWKWKWKWKWK OH GOD I CAN'T GODMOTHER XD Look forward to the epilogue ;)

scl04: As always, thankyouthankyouthankyou so much for the kind review. The way you write the details you like about my chapters has always been a source of joy for me. It really says how you take the time to read and properly digest the story I made. As for the other goddess, a little hint; the blessing from the first few chapters. Love the luvs!

Beanieninja1: But cliffhanger is the only way to go! Muahahaha. Hope you enjoyed this chap as well.

123wwww: I believe it can if Tartarus is not even real. After all, I sold my soul in order to create a good chapter. Your frustration and tears shall be my payment.

Stjinbus: Thank you so much :) And Grindelwald is not a demi, he's just a cool, powerful mortal who advocates genocide okay? Gryffindor Sword has a Stygian Iron in it but not a pure Stygian Sword. There's a difference.

SilverBlizzard05: Here's how it happens next, hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for the kudos!

zoomingaway: *cracks finger* alright, first of all Tik Tok is a slap song so no judgment on my part. Lily is worried he'll get hurt but she's not worried that he can't fight. Oh, and have I told you I just love how people react about giving away Riptide. It's like the emotional payoff felt real reading those. I should have credit the Myopic Chichuhua to Psych TV Show, they have the best one-liner and comeback. Thank you as always for the love and reactions you made in this review, hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much.

Karrot Soup: Hello! don't know if you're reading this but thank you so much for the kind and thoughtful review. It really moves me to have my effort recognized for something I do as a hobby and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'll try my best to see this story to the end.

Oh my Gods1: Thank yoooooooouuuuuuu :)))))