Ch 3

AN: So, quick note, I'll probably be updating on a weekly basis, and yes, you're allowed to get pissed if I don't update regularly. There's also a teensy criteria for me to update: if i don't get 3-5 new reviews or subscribers per chapter or week, I'll wait until i get them, then I can catch up on ither chapters. I know I know, pretty selfish of me, but please? show some love? (reviewers/ subscribers/ favoriter( is that even a word?) get a chapter dedication!). And if anyone wants to be a beta, yes please!

For tattie007 (a.k.a. hi oriane...), WolfassasinKing, ohmygads94, devilchild1000, Le Diablo Blanc2, and the non- account reviews from athenaannie, orky, Zboy10 and whoopie. Thanks for the support!

Mystery POV

Death. What is it? Is it a curse, or a blessing in disguise? Why should all men and creatures fear it, albeit the few seeking death. Is it such a great mystery? Why should all creatures question it's reality? Is it that much a topic of fascination, that wars are exchanged through tongues? One would see death the way they wished, the fields would accommodate their beliefs, as would he. The mystery of death would be twisted to ones imagination- be it whether the Christian or Egyptian judgment of the soul, or the dark void of atheism. Death wasn't the end. One would retain his or her memories, and it would accompany them to the end, either as eternal torture or one of fondness. Death wasn't what men feared- it was the fear of the unknown, the fear of the longing for life, the loss of love... These were all evident, the clutter in the Styx continued to grow, lost dreams, memories, loves tossed away, without a second thought. His brothers had always thought him as heartless, cruel, unforgiving. He couldn't blame them. He had no choice, for despite Jackson's doings, he still felt like an outlaw on Olympus, only comforted by his true home- the Underworld. He too, was once capable of loving, and he still was, however, he thought it was weak. There were times for sympathy, for sadness, but one must conquer them to move on. He had once felt sorrow as he was banished to this far realm, but he found the shadows comforting. He was, after all the lord of the shadows. He was one of the, no, they were one in him. However, pangs of pain still haunted his heart. He longed for understanding, he longed for someone to share his aches of millennia with. He saw one that could understand, and despite his jealousy, needed him. Needed his acceptance. The god of death positioned the bones at his throne once again, hoping to be able to exude the aura he, as Osiris, once had, before his family had betrayed him. Before the had become Hades the merciless. It was his one chance. Being immortal, he had never learnt the gift of gratitude. However, he was determined to cherish the moments he could have with Perseus.

3rd person

The chittering fields of Asphodel were silenced. Silenced by their auras, silenced by their surprise, silenced by fear. It was indeed a strange sight they saw. A lone son of Poseidon, flanked by two children of Hades. The shades parted immediately before the heirs, yet could not lower their eyes. They found the sadness of the son of Poseidon fascinating, the misery in his sea green eyes an object for longing, for they could not feel, the has no hearts. They felt the desperation rippling from him, the need for death, the need for release, and they felt anger towards him. Who was he to control death? He should cherish the life that he had within his grasp, not throw it away! The chattering resumed, as they angry squabbling increased, due to their discomfort and attempt to communicate with Percy, to urge him to turn back and live on, despite whatever hardships he had suffered. The raucous cacophony didn't affect the boy- he was too wrapped up in his own thoughts. The heirs to the throne of death, however, were impatient and annoyed. They created an aura of fear, one that even death could not shield, forcing the curious spirits back. All but one. This spirit, had a more solid appearance of one whose dwelling in the kingdom was short lived. He continued to press on, sheer determination battling against the powers of the dead. He had salt and pepper hair, quite muscled, and a forlorn scholarly look that the son of Hades recognized at once. He beckoned to his sister to stop. The spirits stood still. Who was this man, who was he that had and impact on the young master? The ghost drifted towards the son of Poseidon, who was now looking at the Styx with a faraway expression, one of deep memories, one maybe, of regret? The ghost continued to drift forward, putting an opaque hand on his shoulder, not feeling, but trying to feel, just for a chance, to remember his son the way he was. The boy turned reluctantly, and faced the ghost, and gazed into his eyes. The green found hollow sockets, but they continually searched the brown eyes his mother and he had grown to love. They stood, before the lapping waters of the Styx, before broken memories, before lost dreams, only seeing each other, all worries and pain disappearing. All but one.

"Percy. Let go"

"I can't, dad, I just can't"

"Percy."

"Pau- dad."

The ghost smiled, and turned to face the sea of spirits that had gathered behind him, who were highly disgruntled. When any of the deceased had the rare luck of a visitor, it was bound by Ancient Laws that other spirits could not interfere. Annoyed, the spirits began to file back towards the fields, where they awaited the hearing of another trial. The ghost of Paul glided forward, a shell of his old self, and led Percy to a bench made of the woven dark grasses of the fields of Asphodel. There they sat, father and son, in silence.

Paul's POV

We sat before the waters of the styx in silence,watching memories and dreams float by. The murky waters held a curse, one that Percy had taken upon himself in order to save the Gods. I wonder how that could affect a person. I look at Percy, and I see a man. A man, however, with the eyes of a boy. Young and fearful, looking for help, seeking for reassurance. Not a single scar appears on his body, but I could sense deep mental scars within his soul, so deep that they had emitted dark thoughts. Suddenly, he broke the silence-"Why aren't you in Elysium?"

I look at him fondly,"I'm waiting for your mother, of course."

His voice hardens, anger apparent in his eyes, the sea against a strong wind,"Is this living up to your expectations? Being finally able to see the world through my eyes?"

"Only if you think looking through your eyes is enjoyable, yes."

His hands tremble, and his eyes flash irately at my face, as he suddenly snaps. "Will you stop being so bloody accommodating! Why don't you ever get angry? Why aren't you ever scared? How can you keep such a calm mind all of the time! IT'S NOT FAIR! Why can't you just punch me? Or slap me? No, you have to be the nice one! I wish I had never met you!"

His eyes widen as he realized what he had said. He stops, his grip on Riptide slackens, as he sits down, a tired man, a confused boy, one who had too many thoughts, too many memories and a tumultuous life.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of that, it just-"

"Don't worry. I can't really take offence, seeing that if I actually lost my temper, my hand would just fail to meet your face, it'd just go right through."

He snickers, his laughter music to my ears-"Is that really your attempt at a joke?"

"Don't blame me, I seem to have lost my comic touch, being dead and all. The living Paul Blofis was a riot, as your mother had once said."

"Christmas, when you first met her and was helping her with her book?"

"Yes."

I remember that day. The snow drifting from the sky onto her porch. Her eyes full of sadness and longing. Her eyes. There was something different about them, I remembered saying to myself, something in there that makes me want to know her. I remembered her beautiful laugh, one that didn't hold back, and showed pure joy. I remember her fond smile, as she showed me pictures of her son. The exact same boy that now sat before me, grown up, having faced things I would never imagine, even in my dreams. Only in my nightmares.

he suddenly interjected,"What's dying like?"

"Why, Percy? Have you not been close enough to its grasp yet?" I said, failing to make another joke.

"Sarcasm isn't your strongest suit."

"Neither is it yours."

"Fair enough"

"Look at us. Still joking around, as usual, even if I am dead"

We were both silent, until his voice, one of a broken boy, whispered, "What happened?"

"The monsters targeted us. Your mother had warned me, she could still see, even if it got mistier. She saw the monsters ahead, and I ignored her, thinking it was a joke. What became a car crash and my greatest regret was my lack of thought. Now she's all alone, carrying the burden, while I sit here, waiting day after day, hour after hour, standing for what seems like eons, to apologize." I could still see my last moments on earth, and every time I closed me eyes, I could see Sally's hand, covered in blood, clutching mine before I passed, and the grotesque monsters that the Mist had finally revealed as my murderers. I could never forgive myself for what happened. For what happened to both Sally and Percy.

"Please forgive me"

He looked at me in surprise, and her apologized, as his mother would have. "I'm sorry dad, I'm sorry you got caught up in all of this."

"Don't worry. Before I met you or your mother, I was simply Mr. Blofis, the Sophomore English teacher at Goode High. Now look at me," I said, gesturing to my body where stab wounds were still visible, as a more silvery substance, "you have made me someone that I would've read in a book. If only I could've written your adventures down," I said wistfully.I imagined being Percy, running with monsters, being a hero, suffering the inner-

"I want to join you."

"Pardon?"

"I want to join you. To wait for mom, to apologize for ever being born, for ever bringing her suffering-"

"Percy. You never did. You brought her the greatest happiness, you are, and will be, her pride and joy. Even my love for her cannot measure towards you love, and your respect that has bonded you mother and son. If she has any regrets, it should be that of not being able to guide you through your decisions too much. But it isn't her fault. She would've been blasted to a pile of ash by Zeus a long time ago."

"Tell me. Does death release you from pain?"

"It releases you from the tire of daily life. But your memories, your happiness, your regret, you sorrows live on as a part of you. If it did, I wouldn't be here, brooding and waiting for your mother."

"So if I -"

"It won't help, Perce" a new voice interjected. One that I had not heard of for a long time.

"it wouldn't make any difference. The world you know of now will change considerably, and greatness will be displayed, whether you continue to survive or not.

"hello Nico," I said, nodding at the boy, "you've changed."

"You have too," Nico said with a smile. "I trust the information I gave to the judges has served you fine?"

"Yes, thank you for doing such a deed. I owe you my gratitude."

"just help me convince Percy that death isn't the answer. My father requests his presence"

"I see. Percy, you better go and see Hades. I will always be a part of you. I will always be there if you need me, in your dreams. Literally. Or you can always visit me again." I winked and vanished, milling around with the other ghosts, leaving Percy to his fate.

I had heard that Hades had been in turmoil. I wondered why he wanted Percy. They had an uneasy alliance, one that came from the Titan and Giant wars. I had heard rumors of his future, and I hoped them not to be true. I cannot guide him further. I can only watch, as any ghost, from aside, the barrier between the living and dead shown as true as ever. All I can do is hope and wait. Hope and time, the cure for evil. But will there be enough to cover the darkness in ones heart? One could only see with time. I watch Nico and Percy's retreating figures, and remember the days when I was living. I look down at my body and smile. I hope Percy will meet Nemesis, find the balance of his heart, and do the right thing. Hope and time. Things I had abundance of, being dead.

Soooo... Review? Pretty pretty please? Suggestions or comments would be appreciated! (I have no idea where this story is going...) Flames are appreciated too! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO PRESS THAT BUTTON :)