Disclaimer: No matter how much I try, 11:11, shooting stars and coins in wells just won't allow me to own HP and PJO.
-oOo-
Percy's POV
"Wait, Harry!" I called, but it was no use. Harry was gone.
Everyone stood there in stunned silence. We had to fight Harry. No... we had to KILL Harry. I turned to look at everyone. They all looked miserable and hopeless. I felt the exact same way. After all, we were just forced to kill someone who I've grown close to. Harry was like a brother to me now.
And I had to kill him.
"So... now what?" Grover asked, approaching me. "What do we do?"
"The only thing we can do," I muttered sadly. "I guess we've got to kill Harry."
"That's horrible!" Annabeth gasped.
"Isn't there any other way?" Ellie gasped. "Delian, please, please, PLEASE tell me we don't have to do this. Harry is... he's my apprentice. More than that, he's our friend!"
"I know, I know," Delian said, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Let me think... I... Gah... Fuego left no loopholes at all! We've got to defeat Harry."
"But Fuego's gone," Annabeth insisted. "Harry doesn't have to obey him! He can leave and save his friends with us, can't he? Without Fuego, that should be easy for us."
"The Darkness Warriors are equipped with over a thousand years experience and skill," Delian muttered, "It won't be that simple. Plus, Fuego's last order for them was to ensure Harry tries. If he doesn't, they'll attack. Everyone. Everywhere."
"That's just awful," Grover said, chewing on the hem of his shirt. "I don't want to attack Harry! He's pretty cool."
"It's like Luke all over again, but worse," Annabeth shuddered.
I only realized how painful this was for her now. She was probably taking it the hardest. She has to battle another friend, even if she only met him a few days ago.
"Well, Harry's got to make an effort," Delian said, speaking like a leader. "We've got to train."
"But he won't be fighting whole-heartedly," Ellie added. "I mean, how can he?"
"Nevertheless," Delian replied, "he needs to put effort into it."
No one could argue with that, so we all split up in silence. I went back to the edge of the cliff and just looked at the mighty ocean churning before me. I turned to look at the others. Annabeth was sitting not that far from me, etching out a plan on the sandy soil. Grover was watching her illustration intently. Ellie was nowhere to be seen, but purplish light from below told me that she was practicing in the meadow again. Delian was probably training with her, because a huge water column burst out of the meadow suddenly.
I sighed and walked over to Annabeth looking at her plan. There were many crossed out versions all around her. Annabeth had never been this tense and hesitant before.
"Don't you think at a case like this, it's better to just go with th flow instead of sticking to a plan?" I asked her, prodding her shoulder gently.
She turned around with a face full of conflict and emotion. "I'm the daughter of Athena, Percy! That's what I do! I make damn plans!"
She turned back to her plan with a huff, and I looked at Grover. He shrugged and pointed out a weakness in Annabeth's plan. Annabeth groaned and crossed it out again.
I walked over to where Harry's green form appeared. I wanted to see him. I wanted to smack his face for being so powerful and heroic. I wanted to yell at him. He was making me so frustrated.
But I knew I wasn't mad at Harry. I would've probably done the same thing. It's just that... Well, I'm not sure. I closed my eyes and tried to relax myself. If we didn't kill Harry, we'd be forced to see a world of Infinite Nothingness.
Harry's POV
I drummed my fingers on the stone impatiently. The Darkness Warriors were taking a whole lot of time to talk it out. Then when they finally decided on their plan. They made their move.
"Knight to where that white pawn is standing," Celex announced.
That's right. We were playing Wizard Chess. You might be thinking, "How could Harry be playing that game right now? Blimey, he's got some bloody nerve! He's about to be in the greatest battle EVER, and he's playing Wizard Chess?"
Well, after I told the Divitio gang about my plan, I was pretty miserable. I had to mentally prepare myself for death again, just like when I went to get killed by a certain white, red eyed, slits-for-nose Dark Lord.
But the Darkness Warriors were pretty cool with it. Easy for them to say, of course. They didn't have the ability to die.
Celex told me to stop training because it'd be harder to kill me if I did. It was an annoyingly correct thought, so I stopped and asked what else I could do to relieve tension and kill time.
To my utter disbelief, he whipped out a set and challenged me to play.
I was winning of course.
"Checkmate," I said gleefully. I was rarely able to beat Ron at the game, so it felt very invigorating to actually win this time.
"How do you do it, master?" a DW named Zaf asked curiously.
"I don't know," I shrugged. "I just... Well, I don't know."
"Master's amazing," another DW named Kaffix said. "He shows exemplary bravery, superb skill, unerring chivalry, sly cunning, and even major modesty!"
"Hooray for master!" The DW cheered.
I swear, I have never been in a weirder predicament. "Well, master," Celex said, "I do believe the time is almost right. We set out our crusade for the next full moon in Divitio. Three days from now."
"Blimey, already?" I asked, getting into my deep, sulky brooding thing again. "Great."
"Great big sucky thing, master has to go through," a female DW named Santeriz said. "The future of the worlds rests in his hands. Great big sucky thing indeed."
I couldn't help but chuckle. "Great big sucky thing." Even though the DWs were over a thousand years old, they were very up to date with the, er, latest slang terms.
"Master plans to sacrifice himself to save the world," Celex said. "How courageuos, master!"
"And after that, you'll all be free to do your own will," I said, fixing the chess set. I stood up and brushed myself off, coming face to face with a dozen wide-eyed, shocked DWs.
"What?" I asked innocently.
"Master... doesn't wish to leave us with new master?" Zaf asked cautiosly.
"No," I answered slowly. "You said you guys want peace, but you have to obey your master's commands. Well, I figured if you're free, you won't be forced to do things you don't want and peace will prevail."
"Master..." Kaffix gasped.
"Is there something wrong with that?" I asked.
Suddenly I was surrounded by celebrating, dancing Darkness Warriors. They were all doing some victorious jig. They seemed to be lost in thought.
"Freedom!" Kaffix yelled.
"After nine hundred years of working for someone else!" Another one added.
"Master is so good to us!" They chorused.
Okay, THIS is the weirdest predicament I've ever been in.
I watched them do there triumphant little dance, and one by one they all shook my hand and professed their gratitude. Some were even speechless as they approached me.
My mind was set then. After all I've been through, I was still a little hesitant of my death. But now I knew I had to do it. Seeing all the ecstasy of the Darkness Warriors, I knew I had to set them free and bring peace to the worlds .
I knew I had to die.
-oOo-
Percy's side is training and Harry's side is... well, not training.
What do you think? Guys, I shall make an UNBREAKABLE VOW to NOT update until I get at LEAST 15 reviews. I need it for the inspiration and motivation, guys! Even if just one of you reviews it again and again, that gives me the sense that there's ONE reader out there who REALLY wants me to keep going. So please review!
The next chapter shall be the shiznit.