"Ready youself, Percy."
By this time, I was really confused. What could she possibly be doing? And what did she mean by 'Ready yourself'? Whatever she was doing, I tried to calm myself down by thinking of waves... cool ocean waves...
"Abreh," she said. I had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but I instantly felt a tingle run through my spine. The air stilled, and suddenly one of the dungeons blasted open, revealing only a shadow through the dust that rose from the fallen stones... Then a green light, flickering, just like before... but it was weak, and it immediately burned out...
"Percy!"
Oh no, not another floating green light calling me...
Then the dust cleared. Standing in the center of the partially destroyed dungeon was Harry Potter, the man himself. Wait, what? It didn't make sense. Green lights? Dungeons? Huh?
"Percy, it's me, Harry!"
"I know that," I snapped. I have to admit, I was rude and there was poison in my voice, but I didn't feel even the slightest bit of remorse at the time. "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Er, I don't know," Harry said with a hint of sarcasm. I could tell he was hurt. Good. "Dying at the hand of Fierra, I suppose?"
"Lies," Fierra scoffed. "I found him leaving, Percy. I knew you'd want revenge someday, so I kept him here."
"No," Harry said, approaching us tentatively. "I didn't leave. She trapped me, Perce. She wants you to kill me, so you can finish what Fuego started-"
"Lies!" Fierra yelled in anger, and pillars of flame suddenly erupted from the ground, quickly disappearing as Fierra composed herself.
"She's Fuego's daughter, Percy! She's evil!"
Flames... Fuego... Fierra... Something's clicking into place...
"You can't trust him, Percy! He ditched you, called you a joke!"
Trust... Harry... Ditched... Joke...?
"You've got to believe me! I'd never hurt you, Perce, we're mates, remember?"
"Kill him, Percy, you've got to! You need friends you can trust!"
"SHUT UP!" That was me yelling. My brain was overloading, I had no idea what to think. Then it became clear... Dad's warning... Harry's warning... He disappeared right when Fierra took him? Fishy, fishy...
"Well?" Fierra demanded.
Oh, hell no.
WHOOSH.
With a very impressive flourish of my hands, a huge tidal wave flattened the enemy to the wall and covered the poor soul with ice.
"Percy! No, I swear I'm on your side!"
It was Harry I attacked.
"Sorry, Harry. I can't trust you. Not after what you did. You left me, and you called me a joke. You never believed in me, no one ever did. They relied on me, sure. But not a single one of them believed in me. They kept telling me 'I knew you could do it.' They lied. You lied. I'm fed up with all the lies."
"Perce, no..." he said, with a desperation so severe I almost released him. Almost.
"The Boy Who Finally Died," I sneered, mocking the Boy Who Lived himself. I raised the biggest dagger I had ever made, preparing for the strike...
"WAIT!" Fierra said, stopping my attack. "How about we settle this in a funner way?"
"Why not end him now?" I countered, glaring at the traitor.
"End him in a tournament," she said, her eyes shining with glee. "Prove to me, Percy, that you really have the power to finish him off, in a battlefield, where both fighters give everything they can. Prove your strength. Prove you're worthy."
I lowered the dagger and released Harry from the ice binds, turning on my heel and striding out of the darkness.
"Tomorrow, sunrise at the tower roof deck," I said, not turning back to look at him. "Be there."
~oOo~
Harry's POV
What the bloody hell just happened?
Wait, no, don't answer that. I know what happened. But I can't believe it. Percy wouldn't fall for something so... so... blegh. And he wouldn't really try to kill someone for leaving?
Then again, I know how it feels... Abandonment.
But still, Percy wouldn't - couldn't - shouldn't... He just... He's my friend... Right?
This is all Fierra's fault. The bloody fire woman thing addled his brain, and now we have a duel to the death at sunrise. See, this is what we go through to save the world, and stupid Muggles and mortals don't even know it!
I slammed my fists against the wall, and I felt the blood trickling from my fingers. I didn't care. Ow! Okay, okay. Now I care.
I tried contacting Ellie right before Fierra blasted my cell, but I was too weak. At least now, I'm in a new cell. It brings a cheerful difference to the gloominess of my old one (note the subtle sarcasm).
What to do, what to do...? No worries, right? For the rest of your days? I need a problem-free philosophy...
Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase. Hakuna Matata. Ain't no - what am I doing?
Stupid energy-draining treacle tart also seems to have drained my last bit of sense. Great, what should I do now?
...Hakuna Matata.
~oOo~
"Ah! Yes! I'm free!"
"Help us, too!"
*KABOOM*
"Awesome!"
"Bloody brilliant."
"Blimey, my wrists are aching..."
"Who knew a simple Kaligtasan spell could solve our dilemma?"
"What are we waiting for? Let's go find the Two of Destiny!"
~oOo~
Percy's POV
Pacing, thinking, breaking a stone pillar, pacing... And the cycle continues. Twelve of Fierra's stone pillars were broken; there were only three left.
Honestly, I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. All I knew was that I had to kill somebody tomorrow. Someone important to me. Someone who betrayed me and followed a different path. The decision was made.
No turning back.
I encased my fists in ice and punched down the last three pillars, hoping the sky would fall and finish the job.
"Percy!"
I turned around and immediately got glomped by Annabeth Chase.
"An-Annabeth? What? I, um, huh?" Yeah, I admit I was pretty confused. What was she doing here? And Grover too? And Hermione and Ron and Ellie and Delian?
"Percy, snap out of it!" Ellie suddenly said, with a harsh slap to my cheek. Yep, up to this day, it still hurts.
"What was that for?" I demanded. "And what are you doing here? And, I... wait, what?"
"I can't believe you fled the scene, man," Delian said, clapping a hand to my shoulder and grinning widely. I almost thought his cheeks would rip. "Glad you're okay."
"We've been looking for you for ages!" Grover added.
Ellie slapped me again.
"Ow, Ellie!" I said, backing away from her and rubbing the stinging cheek. "Sheesh."
"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked, looking around desperately.
Oh, sure. Steer the conversation back to Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the Man Who Conquered and all that gunk about him. Nobody asks what I've been through, after all.
Okay, maybe that was mean. She is his best friend after all. But still.
"Delian killed him," I answer-mumbled. I couldn't tell them the truth. Not after my decision. I couldn't tell them about the fight. They won't understand. Nobody does. They didn't know what I was about to do, after all.
"You can't go on with the fight!" Delian scolded.
I stand corrected.
"Psh, what fight?" I said in a failed attempt at changing the topic. "No fight. Now, why don't you head on off to Divitio? I'll catch up with you guys, I'll just finish some business here..."
"We know Harry's alive, git," Ron said venomously. "He led us here to find your sorry arse, because he was worried. Going here was wrong, now you're going to finish my best mate off!"
"Don't talk to him like that!" Grover said. He was very defensive of me, the poor delusional Satyr dude. He was my best friend and all, but I didn't need any protection. Oh, wait... he's the protector.
"He's deranged!" Ron yelled, advancing on me.
"Don't fight!" Annabeth reprimanded them, then turned to me. "Percy, listen to me. Harry isn't evil. Fierra is messing with your head. She really is the daughter of Fuego, swear!"
Her voice was pleading, desperate and sad. But I knew what I had to do.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled.
I stomped on the ground and a fresh column of water sprung up from the earth. I willed the water to encase them and pin them against the wall. I could feel Delian fighting back. His force was strong, but he suddenly stopped.
I willed the water away and saw them all chained to the ground, with Fierra laughing like a megalomaniac over them.
~oOo~
Harry's POV
The wind was cold, slicing through my pale (I mean even paler than normal) skin. My eyes were tired, lifeless; my back ached. I cleaned my glasses on my filthy shirt (which did not do it any good, might I add).
It was the day of the battle. The sky was a dull shade of pearly blue; the sun had yet to shine over the bloodred palace. I didn't get any sleep. I couldn't do anything about it. I was marching straight to my death.
I halfway hoped that I would just die this time. Evading death was tiring. I wanted to see dad again, I wanted to see mom, to hold her hand, to laugh with Sirius and Remus, to thank Snape and Dobby, to see Fred and Dumbledore...
Dumbledore.
My purpose on earth was over. My destiny was fulfilled. I could leave now. I could snuff the candle. I could die.
I took a deep, sharp breath, and walked through the open dungeon doors, past a sneering Fierra, past a nonchalant Duhveroh or whatever his name is. It was then that I decided. I wouldn't fight back.
I was ready to meet and greet Death.
~oOo~
Percy's POV
"Are you ready?" Fierra asked, her eyes shining vibrantly red. She was pacing around me, scrutinizing me, sizing me up.
"Yes."
"What are you going to do?"
I inhaled sharply and turned to look at her. "I am going to kill the traitor."
"If you win," Fierra added, continuing her slow pace around me, "will you accept the honor, the glory, of being the great Ultima, ruling over the universe and her galaxies with an iron hand, showing no mercy and destroying all in your way?"
How charmingly tempting.
"Yes."
"Good," her smirk became more pronounced against her features. "This is it, Perseus Jackson."
This is it.
I took another deep breath and walked through the doors, preparing to meet him.
Who's "him"? Well, I wasn't talking about Harry. That's just a tiny clue for you to find out what I'm up to.
~oOo~
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