Hi everybody. Hope you all enjoy this portion of the story. I tried my best to get Zoe's whole "thou/thee/thy" deal but it's probably not perfect. As I promised, brighter days ahead! I'll probably take a short break while I put together a more detailed version of where I want the story to go. In all honesty I think this chapter is trash but if you enjoyed it please leave a review.
I Talk With Old Friends (Part 3)
Percy POV
"Greetings, Perseus, old friend," said Zoe.
I was too surprised to answer. Not because of her entrance, gods no. Her spirit coming down to visit me, via the beams of light created from her constellation? That was nothing special. But in all honesty, I'd been expecting (and secretly hoping for) Bianca.
It's not that I had anything against Zoe. But I felt as though I desperately needed Bianca's approval right now; her comforting words. For her to release me from the shackles of shame which seemed to constrain me to a gloomy hole in the ground, far below the surface.
"I was not who you were expecting," Zoe said with confidence in her voice, as if she knew exactly what I was thinking.
"It's just...what Luke said…" I reply quietly.
"I'm sure she would like to have seen thee," Zoe says. "However, as Nico has discovered, Bianca chose the path of reincarnation. Thus, her spirit no longer exists in the Underworld, as it has been reborn in the body of another. One who you will meet one day, I might add."
I'm stunned into silence. But Zoe continues.
"Hades and Artemis have allowed me here tonight, Peseus...thy struggle has not gone unnoticed. The gods have long wondered when this day would come. After struggling for so long….particularly after thy trials in Tartarus….
She falls silent. Her eyes fall to the ground, and I know she is imagining being there herself. After a moment, Zoe allows herself a deep breath as she recomposes herself.
"I am here to recondition thy perception," she says with a look of cold sobriety.
"Recon my perca-what?" I respond sheepishly. It's much too late and these words are much too large. "Damn it Zoe, speak English," I mutter.
"I need some dam English!" she exclaims with a smile, leaning back while she points to me with both fingers, like she's just made the zinger of the century.
"You still don't get it," I retort with a serious tone, shaking my head. It's a statement, not a question, but there's a hint of a smile playing on my lips.
"Unfortunately not," Zoe sighs. "Recondition thy perception," she repeats. "Thy perception, the way you see things, is askew….ah, let's say clouded." Her word choice is a response to my dissatisfied facial expression.
"Perseus, do you remember when you first discovered your godly ancestry? When someone explained to thee how the Mist works on the minds of mortals?"
I'm confused, not seeing how it relates, but I nod my head.
"The Mist," Zoe resumes, "is not the only force which may alter the way in which a person sees the world. Surely, it is the most powerful, yet there are others. The feelings you have now, lying dormant in thy mind, have been brought to the surface after thy argument with Thalia today.
"Still not following," I said.
"Look around thee," Zoe motions, using her arms to indicate our surroundings. "Before, the darkness covered everything. Unable to see the land, you were forced to take extra care, else stumble and fall. Now, you are able to see clearly. The darkness does not hinder thy progress."
"What does that have to do with my feelings?" I ask, though I am beginning to notice that Zoe is on to something. My mood has improved after the cosmos' beautiful display.
"Everything," Zoe retorts passionately. "Imagine the world is thy mind. Today, it has been obscured, covered in a blanket of shade. But Luke's words to thee...they are the light. Finally, you are beginning to understand. It is not the blame of others which encumbers you so. It is thy own guilt, which has come from within. This darkness...it is of thy own making. Thus, only you can banish it entirely. Only you can break the shackles, and rise from the gloomy hole."
I laugh. "So, what, you're reading my mind now?"
She returns my smile. "If I had the ability to read your mind, perhaps I would understand those dam jokes you love so much."
I have to roll my eyes, thinking about it. That stupid joke wasn't even complicated. Like c'mon Zoe, get with the program, you've had two and half years to figure this out.
"I understand how you feel," Zoe continues, breaking the short silence. "After Bianca died...I held myself responsible. However, Bianca visited me in the afterlife. She knew how I felt, and we discussed the quest. She wanted me to know that I was blameless in her eyes. As were thee," she concluded, regarding me with emotion-filled eyes.
"So….you don't blame yourself anymore?" I ask, with a touch of hope creeping into my voice. "You don't feel guilty?"
Zoe pauses thoughtfully, carefully considering her answer. "I will not deny that the matter often plagues my mind. However, now I recognize that the fault was not mine alone. The prophecy preordained death; if not Bianca, another demigod would have been taken. And I could not wish that fate upon any of thee. Her forgiveness meant that I could co-exist with the pain, even if it remained within me."
I paused to consider. But Zoe was not finished.
"And it would be wrong for the pain to fade entirely, Perseus," she says, her voice cracking slightly. "For that would mean forgetting the sacrifice. I believe you can and must continue to carry that load. Too many people rely on thee, in more ways than one."
I inhale deeply. It's as if the weight of the sky has been lifted from my shoulders all over again. Zoe's words exposed me to something that I desperately needed. A way to live, after so many had died.
"I never knew you were such a sap, Zoe," I say, chortling.
She wipes the tears from her eyes as she laughs. "Actually, I believe the title of sap should go to Thalia,"
After taking in what she's said, I'm doubled over laughing. Actually, we both are. Together, we're just a couple of stupid teenagers, laughing at a bad tree pun. It's not even that great of a joke, but coming from the ever-proper, robotic Zoe Nightshade, it's infinitely better. As I laugh, the world starts to become a little brighter. I live for moments like these. How could I have ever thought about abandoning this world? There's too much here I still care about.
After a solid five minutes of laughing, I feel much better. This time, it's me rubbing at my eyes. It's just been too much, this day. It floods out of me in that fit of hilarity, like the light coming from Zoe's star. Eventually, we recover, gasping for breath.
"Thank you, Zoe," I say, wheezing for breath. "Honestly, what you said…." he stopped. He'd never been very good with words. But he could tell by her expression that she understood.
"You are welcome, Perseus," she said. "I look forward to watching thee live a long, happy life, with Annabeth."
"Oh, you approve?" I replied with a mischievous smile. "Abandon the 'ol Hunter values, have we?"
"I would never….Annabeth and thee are on the short list of relationships which I approve of. Aside from the two of you, only the Obamas, the Curry's -"
"Romeo and Juliet?" Percy cut in.
"Absolutely not!" Zoe yelled in exasperation. "Did you even read the book?"
I just looked at her for a few seconds without saying a word. "Of course you didn't," she sighed, rolling her eyes at me. "Typical."
I notice that the sky is becoming brighter now, as Zoe's star begins to grow more brightly. Zoe glanced up, and her expression again became tinged with sadness.
"I must leave, Percy. Artemis calls me back."
I only nod, and take a few steps back. The silvery-white beam returns, bathing Zoe in a column which spans into infinity. Then she's gone, and the night returns to normal. Everything, that is, except for the radiant constellations which decorate the heavens, presenting to me the infinite possibilities of the long life to come.
I hear voices calling my name, and turn to see Annabeth, Thalia, Nico, and Grover. They all look drained, and I can tell they've been out looking for me all night. Annabeth catches my eye, and pure relief slides over her face.
Only then do I realize what I must have done to her. It's like last year when I disappeared, all over again. She must have been worried sick. I try to apologize as she runs over to me, but I'm cut short when she tackles me, knocking the breath out of my lungs. My shirt begins to feel slightly damp as sobs into my chest. My friends only watch from a comfortable distance.
I initially expected her to be angry, to yell at me and generally just think I'm an idiot. Which would have been totally fair. Instead, she doesn't say anything, refusing to pull away from me. So I hold her in our embrace. Eventually, I sit on top of the dunes, but no words are necessary. Together, the five of us watch the sun rise over the valley. And I know that the best days are ahead.
