MEMORIES REMEMBERED
MEMORIES REMEMBERED
Disclaimer: Do not own anyone besides (main) Enella and Pierce.
I had changed into "jeans" before I had gotten into this "armor." There was this drawing of another shield with a woman that had snakes for hair on the shield I was given. The sword felt weird in my hand.
"Here, hold the sword in your right hand." Someone told me.
I nodded, thinking it was probably someone from one of the other cabins. I held the sword in my right hand.
"Hold the grip, down here." The person said and I saw his hands show me where to grip the sword properly. "Make sure you hold the shield here," He pointed at the handle. "Don't hold it anywhere else,"
Nodding again, I held the sword and shield right. "OK,"
"Oh, and here." The person put a necklace on me. The charm was two simple letters: C and H. Cassandra and... Hades?
I looked up at the person, confused. I saw him smile and suddenly he grasped me.
"I'll always be here with you, En," He whispered in my ear.
"Pierce?" I wondered. Only Pierce called me En.
He stared into my eyes with his own dark blue ones, his black hair reaching just above his eyes. "Don't ever forget me, En."
"I won't. I'll never forget you, Pierce." I replied, tears falling.
The conch sounded and Pierce smiled one last time at me before he disappeared.
"Who were you talking to?" Percy asked me.
"Nobody, sir." I said absent-minded.
"'Sir'?" Percy repeated. "Enella, are you OK?"
"Yes, I'm all right, sir." Again, I wasn't paying attention to what I was saying. I was just glad that I got to see Pierce again.
"Come on. We're supposed to make sure the other team doesn't get into our boundaries." Percy stated as he grabbed my wrist and led me to the river.
O.o O.o O.o O.o O.o
I think there was something wrong with Enella. She started to call me "sir" and Annabeth "miz" suddenly.
"What does CH stand for?" I asked randomly when we reached our post.
"Huh?" Enella seemed to be back to her normal self. "Oh, this. I think Cassandra and... and..." She stammered.
"Hades?" I suggested.
She nodded. "My brother just gave it to me."
Wasn't Pierce dead? "How did your brother give it to you just now if he's dead?"
"I don't know. He had begun telling me how to hold the sword and shield first then he gave it to me." She shrugged. "Since you people keep on insisting that I'm Hades' kid, then wouldn't I be able to see the souls of the dead?"
"Never got to asking Bianca or Nico." I replied.
"Who?" She wondered.
"Your half-siblings. Bianca and Nico Di Angelo." I stated. "Bianca died during a Quest and Nico ran away. But what I do know is that it was easier for Bianca to kill the Dragon-Soldiers."
When Enella was about to ask who the Dragon-Soldiers were but two angry yells were heard.
"I'm going to get you this time, Prissy!" Clarisse. God, how many times must we go through this? Pretty much like the first time I played Capture the Flag but now I know that all I had to do was drench myself in the river then, you know.
"Prissy?" Enella repeated. "What-?"
"Nothing. Just get ready to fight." I interrupted. "And watch out for Clarisse's spear,"
"Who's Clarisse?" Enella asked.
"The one who called me 'Prissy,'" I muttered. I jumped into the river.
O.o O.o O.o O.o O.o
"What were you thinking?!" I yelled at Percy as he got out of the river.
"You'll see." He replied.
"Get your sword ready!" Pierce's voice told me.
I wonder how Pierce knew so much about swords, I thought. I held the sword steady and gripped the shield handle hard.
"Keep your chest protected with your shield; you don't want the spear or swords in your chest." I moved the shield in front of my chest. Pierce led me through some things to keep me safe from any of the weapons. "And if too many people attack you at once, when you say mother' and Hades' name, there will be help. Also, never, never, remove the necklace I gave you." He disappeared again.
Clarisse and the rest of her friends came running. She had her spear point aimed at Percy. Her friends, five of them in all, came toward me- well, one of them went to help Clarisse attack Percy and the other four went to me.
"Oh god." I said under my breath. I got back into my stand and kept my shield in front of my chest as Pierce told me to.
The first one who came at me was a girl with messy black hair and fire seemed to be in her eyes. She had her sword pointed towards me.
I quickly dropped my shield and sword. My mother had told me that self-defense was important. She had me practice thirty minutes to one hour kicking a couple of pillows or something to make sure I could protect myself when there was no one besides the attacker and myself. Even Brittany had me do it when my mother died. When I entered the Inn, I still did it. So I was pretty good at it.
The girl smirked, probably thinking that I would be easy prey.
"Cassia, don't-!" The other girl that was heading for me began.
Cassia. So that was her name. Anyway...
"Why not? She let her weapon down! She's practically giving herself up!" Cassia stopped to say that at the girl. The two boys were saying that she shouldn't, too.
Now who's the easy victim?
Cassia rolled her eyes and continued to attack me.
"Wait until the last possible second." So Pierce was still here. Good.
I waited. And waited. And waited. Cassia was twelve feet away. Ten. Eight. Six. Five...
"Go!" Pierce told me and I kicked. Right in the lower ribs. Ouch. I had been kicked and punched there before. Really hurts.
Groaning, Cassia fell to her knees. "You're gonna pay..." She said softly. She was holding her lower ribs, moaning and groaning.
The other girl, the one that tried to warn Cassia, and the two boys backed away, now alert and they got my message. The boys knew well enough not to get in close range because of that but the girl decided she would take the chance.
"Sure... Warn me then go for it yourself, Kylie." Cassia groaned.
"Shut up." Kylie told her then kicked her and Cassia groaned a bit more. She had the same fire in her eyes. "String-like" black hair. She came back towards me with her sword.
"Pick up your sword!" Pierce shouted at me. When I did, I heard his voice in my ear saying, "And nice shot."
I laughed a bit at that. Loud enough that Clarisse heard- I have a tendency to laugh loud. And, luckily for Percy, he was able to catch her off her guard and attack her. He got her with the butt of his sword. Clarisse grabbed that area- lower stomach- and then tried to get Percy. Percy was able to dodge. By now, I turned back to Kylie.
Kylie's sword was pointed at my upper left chest. I moved my shield in that area and waited for some advice from Pierce.
"Watch the sides of the sword. Look at where it could be moved to, what area that it could slice. The tip isn't much but the sides, that's another story." He told me. So I kept my eyes there. The sword could be moved from -to me- the upper left to lower right now. It would be able to slice my heart in half! Oh god! "You have a shield." Pierce reminded me. Oh. Right. "Now that you know that, check where her "Achilles' Heel" would be." Her what? "Her weak-spot. Like a place that her armor didn't cover." I think I get it. I looked at her. Her wrist! A small target, yes, but if I could get her there, she would drop her sword and then she wouldn't have a weapon. I would be safe for a while. "Good idea. I don't think you should use your foot this time, though. Try with the flat side of the sword. And remember-"
"-Wait until the last possible second. I know!" I said.
"Just checking." Pierce was laughing a bit.
Rolling my eyes, I waited a bit. Just like how I did with Cassia. Twelve feet. Eight. Wow, she's faster that Cassia- no emotion there, really. Four... I hit her and then...
Blackness.
-Memories-
"When are Daddy and Percy coming home?" I asked.
"Soon, Enella. Now, thee should stand still." Mother told me.
"I don't want my hair to be fixed like thou!" I shrieked and ran.
I was only three years old. This was early in the morning that Pierce and Father came home.
"Stay still!" Mother ordered.
"Fine." I muttered and went back to her, letting her fix my hair.
"Now, if thou keeps thy hair like this the entire day, I shall make thou some pie." Mother told me.
"Pie!" I nodded. It was hard not to grab at the bonnet and hair ribbons and mess them up.
Mother smiled at me. "Thou can go talk with Brittany about Percy coming home."
"Bye, Mommy!" I left and went to Brittany's home.
"Hey, Enella. Here the news?" Brittany asked me. She was thirteen then and she was able to carry me. She dusted off her long skirts and carried me.
"Yes. Percy and Daddy coming home soon!" I replied. "Percy and Daddy!"
"And you finally get to meet them, right?" We walked around and she was smiling brightly.
"Yes! I get to meet Daddy and Percy!" I was excited then. A thought came to mind. "What Daddy and Percy like?"
"Well, your brother was wonderful. He was able to cheer up anybody. He had black hair and deep blue eyes. Just being with him made people happy. He hated fighting but he would do it if it was for a good cause." Her face lit up. "When I first met him, we were your age. Miz Liz and your mommy were best friends and since Miz Liz took care of me, they tried to get us to become friends. We became friends, all right. Just before you was born, we kissed."
"Yuck!" I hated romance stories. Even fairy tales that had love I hated.
She smiled and laughed. "Yes, we kissed. We fell in love then. We decided when we were able to, we'd marry."
"Marry? Then you'll be my sister!" I said.
"Sister-in-law." She corrected but I didn't care.
"And Daddy?" I wondered.
"Well, he had brown hair and eyes. He'd fight for protection and good cause. He could cook. Better than Miz Liz and she cooks well. He was great with medicine. He doubled as a doctor when he could." She stated.
"Enella!" A male voice yelled. I did not know the voice.
"Brittany! En!" Another male. Brittany smiled again.
"Percy!" She shouted and she ran- at least, the best she could while carrying me.
There. Standing with Mother were two men with horses.
"Ponies!" I said. I had loved horses then.
The older man laughed. "So this is my daughter, Enella H. Jackson, huh?" He did have brown hair and eyes. And he said I was his daughter.
"Daddy!" I reached out at him and Brittany gladly gave me to him.
The younger male smiled and hugged Brittany.
"I'm so glad that you're home, Percy." Brittany whispered. I heard the sound of a kiss.
"Yuck!" I commented at that. Then about a minute later... "Percy?" The male turned and smiled again at me. "Percy!"
"Hey, En," He went to me and hugged me... Then Father quickly gave me to him to hold. "Hey!"
"Can't carry her weight, son." Father chuckled.
"Does that mean that I can?" Pierce whined.
"I was able too. And, Percy, if we want to get married and have kids, you need to be able to carry them." Brittany laughed.
"Not helping me!" Pierce stated.
I laughed and hugged Pierce tighter.
That was probably the happiest moment of my life.
-Memory 2-
"Dad, Percy, why do you have to go?" I asked them once.
Please, no!
I was eight in this memory. This was just after Fort Sumter was attacked. Father and Pierce... The Union... The Confederates... The War... "A divided nation..."
Oh, god, no!
"We're fighting for our home, En." Pierce stated.
"President Lincoln needs an army. We're going to help him, Enella." Father told me.
"But I thought you two didn't like to fight," I said. I pouted. I had hated being wrong.
"We don't." Father replied.
"Then why are you joining the army?" I questioned.
"To help support what we think is right," Pierce answered.
They were abolitionists, so I should have expected that. Being in the North, I never saw real slavery. I saw darks being paid for jobs, which was different from the South. My best friend was a dark also- I hate writing them down as "darks," "colored," or "African American." It's hard for me to write that.
An owl hooted outside. It was night when they were telling me this. We were in Pierce's room, Father sitting near me in a chair while Pierce let me sit on him in his bed. I didn't want them to leave.
"But why? Why do you have to leave?" I inquired. "I don't want you to. I want you two to stay here, with Mom and Miz Liz and Brittany."
"We want to help the country. We want to make the South a better place for the slaves." Pierce said, hugging me. "Listen to me, En. We don't want to leave you either, but we want the slaves to have a better life. Do you understand, En?"
I nodded. I had hoped they would come back safe and sound.
But now I knew that they would never come back.
-Memory 3-
I thought that Fighting Joe wanted to attack Confederate General Lee's army from behind. Instead, he turned us back around Chancellorsville.
The drums. Lee was splitting his army in half. But what for?
Everything began quickly. There was gunshots.
I looked at my Stepfather's brown eyes. Yes, I said Stepfather. I knew he wasn't my real father. My real father was the Greek Sea-god, Poseidon. Mother told me about that. But, even still, I respect my Stepfather. I see glimpses of Poseidon when we cross paths with rivers and lakes sometimes. But I never really met him. So my Stepfather, though he thinks En and I are his real children. I was enlisted as my Step-Father's son, so, everyone thinks I'm his son- except Mother, of course; she was the one who told me.
"You ready, Percy?" He asked me.
I nodded. I was ready.
Within a minute, he was probably the first one down.
It's all my fault. I tried to tell him. Maybe, if I had been quicker, he wouldn't have been wounded. Then he wouldn't have gotten ill.
A bullet had whizzed past me. I quickly turned around to my Stepfather. He was right in it's path.
It struck him in his shoulder. He fell and I quickly leaned above him. He was still alive and breathing. Good.
"Be careful, my son." He whispered. His hand rubbed against my cheek. He slowly lowered it.
"I will, Father. I promise." I stood and left him. I turned towards the battle. I glanced over my shoulder once more at him.
The last time I would ever do.
I cocked my rifle. This was war. There were deaths in war. Many, bloody deaths. And many deaths of illness. And many wounded. I just never thought it would happen to my family. I had become friends with many of my fellow fighters, just to have them die before my eyes. I would not have that happen between Stepfather and me. I had spent three years alone with him while looking for another place to live and failing. I won't have my last moments with him being in this war.
I followed the other Union troops and began firing at the Confederates. I found one of the gray-clothed Confederates. I pinned him to the ground and aimed my rifle at him.
"Please, don't! Percy, don't you remember me?" The Confederate yelled.
How did this Confederate rebel know my name? Then I knew.
"Kay? What...?" I was confused. I lowered my voice. "Why are you dressed as a male?"
Kay was one of my neighbors and friend before her family moved to the South. Her blond hair was cut from her normal shoulder length hair to a crew cut and had dirt in it. Her brown eyes were wide with fear.
"I... I didn't want to let my father join the army alone. And I'm his only child, so..." Kay blurted. "Please, Percy, I'm begging you. Please don't hurt me. I didn't want this to happen... Please, Percy..."
I wasn't sure. Betray the Union and help an old friend or stay loyal to the Union and hurt Kay- and possibly kill her by mistake?
"I..." I stammered.
BAM! A gunshot.
"I'm sorry..."
-Later-
I slowly opened my eyes. Percy and Annabeth were helping me get up.
"What happened?" I asked.
"We don't know." Annabeth told me.
"I was trying to keep myself safe and then when I heard Chiron blow the conch, I saw you down." Percy admitted.
I nodded. I understood. "Who won?"
"Hermes Cabin did. The flag that belonged to the Ares Cabin now has Hermes' staff on it." Annabeth replied.
"OK. What time is it?" I really wasn't feeling so good. My head hurt and I was dizzy.
"Nine. Campfire time," Percy said. "That is, if you're up to it. You were out hard,"
Annabeth nodded. "And you were muttering something about betraying the Union or staying loyal to the Union when we were able to get you up."
I blushed a bit. I was remembering when... Wait. I was never in the army... Then I knew.
I had just seen Pierce's memories.
I fainted.
O.o O.o O.o O.o O.o
Chiron told me to bring Enella back to my- our- cabin to rest and to stay with her. Annabeth helped me and then she left to the campfire.
Waiting for her to wake, I listened to what she was muttering about. Part of it caught my attention:
"Kay... Did you kill her?" A few seconds later, "She killed you?!" Then, "But you two were best friends!" And, "She was begging you for mercy- and then she killed, killed, you?"
About fifteen minutes later, she sat up. "I fainted, didn't I?"
I nodded. "You still want to head to the campfire? We still have forty minutes left. Or do you want to tell me what you were talking about?"
She was blushing again. "I'd rather not go out. But I don't mind telling you about what I was talking about. What about?"
"Well... How about the part when you were saying 'She killed you'?" I wondered.
"Oh... that... You know how I said Pierce died in the Civil War?" I nodded. "Well, just before you woke me up, I was having this memory... But it wasn't mine. It was Pierce's. I saw his last moments..."
Oh wow... "Did you feel how it was to be dead? I mean, you could tell me if you want to..."
But Enella had already signaled that she would tell me. "No, I didn't feel how it was to be dead. And thank God that I didn't! I never want to feel dead until I really am."
Good. She didn't yet. Good. I nodded. "So, tell me about yourself. And, if you don't mind, about Pierce."
Enella stared at the ground and I thought, Way to go, Percy. Now she won't tell you anything. But, unlike I had thought, she nodded. "I'll tell you. It may take a while. And if we can, would you mind telling me about you?"
I shrugged. "Sure,"
She nodded again and closed her eyes. "You want to know about me or Pierce first?"
"You," I said, though I was wondering about Pierce more.
"All right," She inhaled. "As you know, my mother was..."
Suddenly, I was able to see what she was saying as they really happened.
O.o O.o O.o O.o O.o
I saw all the things that I was saying happen again.
"...Cassandra Moses Jackson. My parents had been married for at least thirteen years when I was born." I opened my eyes and saw Percy with me and around us were friends and neighbors huddling around a bed that my mother was laying in, with me in her arms.
"Where was Pierce here?" Percy asked as he walked toward Mother and myself as a baby. "I don't see anyone that you can mistake for me here."
"He wasn't here for my birth. Neither was my father, Jacob. They were looking for a new home for us." I walked next to him and held Mother's "hand" tight. She looked up at me; Percy and I stared at each other. But then we turned and found she was smiling at Miz Liz and Brittany. "That's Brittany and Liz." I told Percy before he asked. I hugged their images, and tears fell. "Two years later, I learned that I actually had a father and that I had a brother as well. My mother had gotten a letter from them." Before us, the scene played.
"Mommy, what that say?" The two year old version of me asked Mother.
"Oh, Enella," She was beaming. "Your father and brother are coming home!" She pulled me onto her lap. "See this? It says..."
Suddenly, we heard two males' voices as they argued about what to write.
"Pierce and Father," I whispered. I saw Percy nod slightly.
Then Father's voice read the finished product:
"My Cassandra and Enella,
We have not been able to find a new home for us and we yearn to see you both.
We have decided to come home to both of you. It will take a while to get home- perhaps a few months if we can get good horses, maybe a year if we can't- but still, we're coming home.
Pierce has nearly gone crazy because he didn't get to be with Enella- En, as he calls her- the past few years and teach her things- and trust me, I want to be able to teach her things and be with her too. He's practically pulling his hair out! Not literally, of course- because if he was, he'd only have one hundred hairs left."-"Hey!" Pierce's voice interrupted. Father laughed.-"It's nice to have something to laugh about once in a while, isn't it?
Only God knows how much we miss you two. We can't wait to come home, Cass. We wish we were home right now with you two. We're just over the Mountains so it may be a while until you two hear from us again. See you two soon!
Love,
Jacob and Percy."
I sat down where my bed was supposed to be and almost cried. I forced the next thing out of my mouth. "The year quickly passed and then the day came when they came home." The first memory that I had relived showed again so Percy could see it. Finally the complaining of Pierce faded away. "Four years old, and I saw something strange."
Even though I am now fifteen- well, almost- I still don't know what the thing was. All I know is that Pierce was talking to that.
The memory began.
"Yes, I'm all right, Father." Pierce was saying as I walked towards him to see why he was taking so long with his chores.
"Percy? Daddy inside," I stated softly. My skirts were covered in dirt and my hands were covered in mud. I had been making "pies" with mud just before.
There was another voice, talking to Pierce, but I couldn't understand what it was saying. Back then and now.
"Yes, they were helpful when Stepfather and I needed supplies. He didn't even know what they were- Step-Father and the trader. Stepfather was surprised that I even had money," Pierce said.
Percy looked like he knew what Pierce was talking about but he didn't say anything.
"Percy, who you talking to?" I had asked, a bit louder.
This time he heard me.
"Who is that?" The voice inquired.
"My half-sister, En." Pierce whispered to the voice. To me, "No one, En."
"I heard voice," I said and entered the barn. I saw Pierce quickly turn around so that his black hair spun around his head in front of something.
"What voice?" He asked, innocently.
"A voice. Said "Who is that" to you." I stated. There was something behind Pierce. It look like water or something. "What that?" I pointed at the thing that Pierce was trying to hide.
He sighed a bit. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the voice interrupted.
"Iris-Message me later, Pierce. Bye," The thing behind Pierce disappeared.
"What thing?" He said as he stepped aside.
I hated being lied to.
I turned to Percy to see if he had something to say before I continued.
"I know what you saw and who you heard." He said simply.
"What? Who?" I wondered. I'm curious.
"The voice you heard had said 'Iris-Message.' Iris is the goddess of rainbows. If someone made a rainbow and offered her some money in the right way, then she'll let you talk to the person you want to. I'm guessing that Pierce had asked Iris to let him talk to someone. And this someone is Poseidon." Pierce paused. "My father."
"Percy and you both have the same father?" I asked.
Percy stared at me in shock. "'Percy and you'? I am Percy,"
I stared at him in confusion. "I could have sworn that I was talking to Pierce..." I put my hand to my mouth. What happened? I shook my head. "OK. Do you want to go on or continue tomorrow?"
"Wait a sec," Percy peeked through the cabin door and closed it. "Do you think the images can be seen in the dark? They're going back to their cabins now."
"Already?" He nodded. "Well, we'll have to find out now." I sat down on the bed that was mine. I saw some small springs and tinkering tools on a small table besides the bed. "Who do these belong to?"
Percy looked at them. "Those are Tyson's things. He's going to be coming soon to fix this." He did something with his wristwatch and a shield began to open- but then it stopped before it was fully open. "Got broken last winter when Grover found out Bianca and Nico were Demigods. Tyson made it for me when we went to find the Golden Fleece- the thing on the tree on the hill."
"Is Tyson a son of Hephaestus?" I tried to tell what the picture on the shield was.
"No..." Percy began. I looked at him, confused. If Tyson wasn't a son of Hephaestus, then who was his father? "He's a Cyclops... And-"
"-My half-brother." Pierce's voice said in unison with Percy.
"Oh..." Half-siblings. That seems to be the case with a lot of people. "Well, turn off the lights. If it doesn't work, we'll talk tomorrow."
Percy cut the lights. It was still light enough for us to see dim figures. He moved to his bed and crossed his legs.
"When I turned five," I began, hoping that we could still see the images. We could still see them as if it was bright as day. "When I turned five," I repeated. "I saw Pierce as he was beginning to Iris-Message Poseidon. I saw him make a rainbow, kneel, and offer this weird looking coin. I stayed hidden and watched him as he stood up and began to talk."
"Your half-sister isn't there, right?" Poseidon asked. I had been hidden in a place where I could see Poseidon's "face," as well as Pierce's.
"No; she's in the house, sleeping." Pierce replied.
Sleeping. Yeah right.
"Did you get the pendant?" Poseidon wondered.
"Yes. CP. Cassandra and Poseidon." Pierce answered.
"Poseidon? But Father's name is Jacob..." I whispered.
They didn't hear me, thankfully.
"Remember, keep it with you at all times. If you don't have it at any given time, you will be vulnerable." Poseidon stated.
"I'm wearing it right now." Pierce promised and he showed him the pendant that said CP.
They continued talking and suddenly the image stopped.
"What happened?" Percy asked me. "Did you make it stop?"
"No..." I answered. "I don't even know how it started in the first place." I tried to more but then I couldn't say what I wanted. Then I started to speak- but not what I intended to say. Heck, it wasn't even my own voice!
"I wasn't wearing the pendant when I went out to war." "I" said.
Percy stared at me as if I was crazy. I was able to control the rest of my body, thankfully. I shrugged my reply.
"I lost the pendant... That's why I'm..." "I" paused. "Why I'm dead..."
Again, I shrugged. It wasn't me talking then who was...
"Don't you know your own half-brother's voice, En? It's me Pierce. I'm using your body so Percy can hear me." Pierce stated.
"OK, whatever prank you're doing to me, stop it Enella." Percy told me. "It's not funny."
"She could not have made her voice sound exactly like mine. You heard my voice in the memories. My voice is sorta like..." Pierce thought. "Yours."
"Stop it Enella. You're beginning to scare me." But Percy's voice had no hint of fear.
"Perseus, son of Poseidon the Sea-god, my half-brother, do you think Enella could change her voice to match mine?" Pierce wondered.
How in the name of Hades is this happening?! How is Pierce using my body?!
"You'll find out later," Pierce said to me. "As I was saying, I didn't have my pendant with me when I went to war. I had lost it in the battle before Chancellorsville. That's why I didn't say my parents' names when I was dying. It would only work if I had it on. That's why En must always wear her necklace. If she was to be in danger, she could be saved."
I touched the necklace Pierce had given me. CH. Cassandra and Hades.
"Don't ever take the necklace off, En. I will come back tomorrow. I may use you again so Percy can hear me, En, or when Tyson is here, see if he can speak for me." Pierce said.
"I..." I whispered, glad to be able to use my own mouth again. "I don't know what happened... He must have stopped the image..."
"Just continue." Percy replied.
I nodded.
After Pierce and Poseidon finished talking, he left. The IM was still intact, Poseidon having said he would cut the connection in a while.
I made the mistake of leaving my hiding spot and entering his line of view. "Who are you?" I had asked him when I had become face-to-face with him.
"Poseidon." He answered, looking like he wanted to cut the connection, but kept his voice calm. "And you?"
"I'm Enella. How does Percy know you?" I inquired.
"I'm his father." Poseidon answered. "I have to go now." He waved his hand and his image disappeared.
The next day, I stole one of the coins that Pierce had used when he had made the IM. I wasn't sure what to do, really, since I had only seen Pierce do it once. So I decided to repeat what he said, except, instead of "Poseidon," I chose to say, "my father," to see what he was doing.
I made the rainbow the same way that Pierce had made it. "Oh, Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering," I had said and offered the coin I had taken. Then, I said, "My father, please."
Percy looked at me, confused, and said that you had to say the place that the person was. I quickly replied that when Pierce had done it, he didn't say where Poseidon was, and it worked. He shrugged and let me continue.
The image was dark. I couldn't see much. Images of people passed by, glancing at me. Some of them even began to whisper to be, saying, "She's not a Dead," and "What is a Living doing here, the Land of the Dead?" Then the image shifted. It was a bit lighter here. First thing I had noticed was that there was a chair made of bones. I thought, Ew! Who would do that to people?! The next thing I made note of was two people, one male that was pale with black hair and a robe that looked like it was made of souls, and the other a female with bright, vivid colored clothes.
"You're not Father," I whispered softly. At the same time as the memory, I had said it in reality.
They turned around to look at me.
"Who are you?" The woman said.
"My name is Enella." Both the image and me in reality said. "Who are you?"
"My name is Persephone." She replied. "This is my husband Hades."
I didn't realize until now how much more I looked like Hades than Jacob. Now I believe what they had told me is true. I was a daughter of a god and Cassandra. No wonder in Pierce's last moments he was calling Jacob "Step-Father." (A/N: in this current memory, when she is talking to Persephone and her father, she'll be saying what her past self is saying at the same time.)
"How did you do this?" Hades had asked me. He signaled to the IM.
"I dunno." I shrugged. "Percy was doing it yesterday. I copied him."
"Who is Percy?" Hades asked.
"My brother. He was talking to someone named Poseidon." I stated.
"Poseidon. Your brother?" Persephone asked Hades. "The sea-god?"
"Yes, I believe it was him." Hades turned back to me. "What is your last name, child? Or you mother's name?"
I told him that my last name was Jackson and Mother's name was Cassandra.
"Yes, yes. I know who you are." Hades muttered and turned away then left.
That left Persephone and me.
"Well, Enella, I don't know what my husband is muttering about. Where do you live, child?" Persephone inquired.
I told her my location, which would later become the same place where Percy would live.
"Well, child, I must go. How about you and I talk again some time? If you're hurt or in trouble, you just do what you did now, but say 'Persephone' instead, and then we can talk. And then I could call you- if you're hurt- until you get better. OK?" Persephone said.
I nodded and then she cut the connection.
When I went to bed that night, I found a bunch of coins like the one I had taken from Pierce with a note. When Pierce read me what it said, he was surprised at it:
Enella,
These are for you to use when you want to talk to Persephone- or me. If you ask your brother who I am, I know you will not want to talk to me after you know. But, still, I want to give these to you. If you ever run out, Persephone or me may place another few coins next to you so you can keep in touch.
From,
Hades.
When Pierce had told me who Hades was in Greek Mythology, I certainly didn't want to talk to Hades.
"I had probably only Iris-Messaged Persephone one or two times after that. Until now, I had forgotten about them. Now I believe you people. I am Hades' child." I whispered. I couldn't believe it completely. I was daughter to the Lord of the Dead. How did Mother live knowing that she had three husbands, only one of which had lived with her children, the other two gods? I shook my head. "I'm tired; I'll continue tomorrow." Percy nodded and I lied down. Hades. My Father.
I closed my eyes only after I saw Percy fall asleep. And even then, I heard the soft noise of coins falling on the table besides me. I peeked at the person, only to find out that the person was gone. Well, I won't find out if it was Hades or Persephone tonight. Oh well.
"Good night Pierce..." I whispered. I didn't expect anyone to respond.
"Good night Enella." Percy replied. "And I know you weren't talking to me." Well, I guess either he's a light sleeper or he wasn't even asleep.
I nodded slightly so he could tell and turned my back to him and closed my eyes. A cold breeze made me shiver and open my eyes again.
A sword. It wasn't the one that Percy had used in Capture the Flag. Nor one that they had given out for the game.
Feeling it, I found out that it was the same type of blade that was on Percy's sword. I felt the handle and pommel. The handle... it seemed to change shape to where my hand was. If I placed it at the bottom of the handle, the grip formed there. When I placed my hand at the top of the handle near the pommel, the grip formed there. Strange. The pommel, however, stayed the same shape... a... Oh god! Uh... never mind... I thought it was a real one... The pommel was in the shape of a skull. A SKULL!! Well, if it was by Hades' request, wouldn't you expect that of him? And then there was some words on the back of the skull... I... am... something something, coma, something. Like I pointed out in the first memory when I found out that Pierce was dead, I never learned how to read... I'll see if maybe Annabeth or Percy can tell me what it says tomorrow. Then, where the eye-sockets were on the fake skull, my hand brushed some jewel... wait... they were diamonds. I didn't feel that there earlier. And then I felt the entire sword again. It was smooth... I'm going to check what type of metal it was tomorrow morning.
"It says, I am your father, Enella." Pierce's voice told me. "It's from Hades."
I nodded. Then, after moving the sword under my bed, I finally fell asleep.