I Dare You To Move
•Percy's POV•
I've secretly been shopping. Yup I said it. Shoot me at will, I'm within range.
I've been shopping for Christmas presents. For Katniss first of all, because I'm pretty sure she's never celebrated this. She'll probably freak or try to set something on fire. So let's keep that as our secret, yeah?
But yeah. I'm going to continue looking after Annabeth's first appointment with Dr. Martinez. According to the locals—she's amazing. And she is a demigod herself, of Apollo. She has access to the hospital surgery rooms and what not.
So we're good.
•Katniss's POV•
I practice Pegasi flying. It's not my time, so I'm getting dirty looks from the campers who know I don't belong here. They gave me a schedule. Why do I need a schedule? Why would I use one? It's not like I'm staying here. Four days in a camp doesn't mark my permanent residence. Just gives me more of a reason to leave.
"Alright big guy. We're going straight ahead. Sun wise." I whispered into Fotia's ear. Yes, I gave him/her a name. And we soared through the sky towards the sun.
Fotia somehow listens to me. I see the other campers struggling to control the animal and I don't understand why. And I've heard from Thalia—when she taught me how to ride Pegasi—only Poseidon's children can mentally communicate with them. But we noticed I can too, not just with Fotia. But not mentally either.
I hear shouts. Telling me to get back. And asking what the hell am I doing. Soon I see Percy on a radiant black Pegasus riding next to me.
"What are you doing?" He smiles.
"You're not mad?" I ask solemnly.
"Not really. I mean you're only ignoring your schedule, riding above limits, and exiting camp border. Not much." He laughs. Then he nudges me to continue.
It feels so good to be up here. I feel the wind brushing my hair and breezing through my skin. It's like a rebirth . . . of myself.
"Fotia likes you, you know?" Percy exclaims. Making me stop thinking.
"Fotia is his/her name?" I ask suspiciously. I never made total communication with him/her.
"Hah no. They don't have names, well some don't. I can mentally talk to Blackjack so I was told his name was Blackjack. And Fotia here tells me you named him, Fotia."
"And . . . he's ok with it . . .?"
"Well, it's better than any other name the campers gave him." He smiles. I smile back.
And . . . we keep soaring. Just him and me.
•Percy's POV•
"Wait, what happened to Annabeth? I thought today was her first appointment?" Katniss interrupts our beautiful sky silence.
"Oh, we just got back." I blink a few times into emptiness. Refreshing my memory . . . Oh gods. "I left her near the stables. I saw you flying like no other person could as a beginner, so I just sort of came up with you, and I told her to wait a while . . ." I'm a horrible person. I have to get back.
She stares into nothingness.
"Go back with her. She needs you." She looks at me. There's something in the way her eyes and face are right now. But I can't read it. "Go." She motions with her head. And smiles. I eventually surrender and turn back.
Xx Pretty. Pretty. Please. xX
I pass the concentrated heavy medicine cup to Annabeth to drink. She looks at it with utter disgust. But drinks it anyway.
"We haven't talked in a while, seaweed brain." She smiles. And I forgot how much I missed that nickname. You know, like deep down where no one would see it. And I'm on the list as well.
"No, no we haven't, wise girl." I look at her as she hands me the cup. She then sat on the infirmary bed.
Then that's when Grover came in. Barging in. I haven't talked to him in a while either. What's going on?
"Guys, have—" He gives us a look like if he was interrupting something. Which I don't know if he was.
"Yes, Grover?" Annabeth speaks finally.
"I was—um—gonna ask if you guys have seen Kyron. No one can find him. Since like yesterday. But I don't think you've—" He started to take his leave.
"No, no, stay. You can stay, Grover." I say out of nothing. "It's been a while since we've all hung out. You know—just us three." Annabeth looks at Grover then at me. Grover looks outside.
"Well, I kind of partially lost our empathy link a few days ago." Grover stated nervously.
"What?" I ask. That's impossible.
"Yeah. Like, I'm not surprised. We rarely talk! Now you're just concerned with this huge mission that apparently no one sees as that big of a deal—I mean—!" He stopped.
"He's right." Annabeth states blankly, with no emotion. "Ever since I've gotten back. All I've heard of is Aminta, Katniss, saving time and space, Vathia, quests, quests, and more quests. And I love all that but still."
"I don't—" I begin.
"Like, what about us?" She spits in my face—frustrated. Grover looks startled. I can tell there is some red on her face but she casts her head down. "Like, we've known each other since we were twelve. Now we're fifteen! Don't you think, like, when two people like—like . . . never mind. You're hopeless, Percy." She falls back on her bed. And I'm not that hopeless. This game has to end.
"I know exactly what you're talking about! I'm not the twelve year old kid you met anymore! I've changed." I exclaim and regret saying each word. Every. Single. Word. See this is why dictionaries are dangerous. But do people ever listen to Percy? No! No one listens to Percy.
"I'm going to go get some fresh air . . ." Grover states.
"No Grover—" He holds up his hand in defense.
"I'll come back!" He shuts the door.
"Since when do you have the big mouth, Percy?" Annabeth claims. She squints at me. "Since you met Katniss, huh?" Wait how did she get into the conversation?
"You want a relationship with me, huh?" I tell her. I can't stop my mouth. I've never had the guts to be so head forward with these things! What's going on? What's next? Raining cows?
She gets startled. Her mouth is open. But she nods. "Yes, for a while now." She looks at the window. What have I done? I'm not ready for a relationship! I—I can't!
"I'll be back in a while." I say as I already head for the door. I didn't want to hear her response.
I go outside and immediately start looking for Grover. I'm losing my friends.
I see him playing his flute up in a secluded hill and I go up and stand there while he plays Candles by Hey Monday. Which is hurting my ears at such a high pitch, and the theme of the song doesn't help my situation.
"Grover. . ." He ignores me. "Grover." Ignored! "Grover!" He then puts the flute down.
"Let me finish at least!" He grins a bit. "Sit." He pats the ground next to him.
"Grover . . ." I sit next to him. The coolness of winter hits our faces. The snow hasn't been strong this year. So only flakes penetrate my skin. Weather changes along the years. But has anyone ever wondered why the gods would keep changing the satisfactory? Why, why, why? Gah!
"Have I really changed...?" I ask—out of the blue.
He shrugs. "In a way—Katniss changed you in a way. Like she's cool an all but she—she just doesn't belong here. Not saying she should leave us and all but there's something . . ." He shrugs. "I don't know Percy, and then it seems as if I've developed an empathy link with Katniss as well. Call me crazy but it's true!"
"What?" I make my self calm down a bit. I don't want to explode like Katniss does. Now that I'm "similar" to her.
"How? When?"
"I don't know! But one day I started getting a—" He stopped.
"A what?" I begin. He bites his lip.
He sighs. "You and Katniss kissed, huh?" My eyes grow. How . . . No, no, no. Did—what? I don't understand!
"W—What! I didn't—" He put his hand up.
"Yes, you did. I know you did! I felt it like a slap in the face and I saw it! So stop denying!" He exclaimed. "Just tell me why you did it."
How can I answer what I don't know? It's like the weather thing all over again. "Grover, you and I both know I can't answer that. I guess I was just curious . . ."
"So you like her?" He asks calmly. He starts cleaning his pipe.
"I don't know! Maybe! I'm confused. I honestly don't know anymore, Grover. I don't know." My hand slides down my face. He puts the pipe aside, and he smiles?
"So does this mean I can be your love counselor?"
"What?"
"Well, you and I both know you have three love subjects. Four if you include the wondrous Calypso. We know they are Rachael, Annabeth, and the newest rival—Katniss." I don't where he's going with this but I nod. "Your problem has always been not being able to admit the truth. So I'll help you see who's the one you are really interested in." I somehow like this idea, and I'm trying to make this sound in the less creepiest way possible.
". . .Fine." He punches the air.
"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. I've always wanted to be love counselor." He stares dreamingly into the sky.
"Anyway," he says—swatting the air, "Today's lesson is 'Realization'." His hand sways with the rhythm of the word, "And I need you to admit that you DO like the three subjects. Yeah?" He must really love soap operas. I nod, hesitantly. I have to fix this problem somehow.
"Ok, so say 'I like blah blah'. But don't say blah blah, say whichever name you want first." He grabs his goatee and puts on a philosophical face. I sigh. I don't want to do this.
I run my hand through my hair and sigh. Let's do this . . .?
"I like . . ." I picture the day I met Annabeth. The first words she said to me. With her camp T-shirt and baseball cap, while drooling over Luke. When I almost set her free when she screamed she wanted to join the Sirens. When she kissed my check after the chariot race. Or that day I saw Annabeth in Aphrodite. Or the day I carried the sky for her. Or on Mount St. Helens . . . when we first kissed. "I like Annabeth. I really, really like her." The last part wasn't necessary, but it made Grover very happy. And he motioned for me to continue.
"I like. . ." I remember Rachael when I "stabbed" her even though Riptide just went through her. When I saw her that day at Goode High and she saved me. Then when she guided us through the labyrinth. At school—making fun of Kamila or watching her kick butt in PE. When we went to Stephanie's party. Then at Athens when I accidentally said the wrong words to tell her I wanted to save Annabeth. And when she left to go back home to school and she was so radiant with her red hair over by the camp van. But I have more memories in school and our lunch time where we would walk. Where I should be, with her. "I like Rachael, more than a friend." Grover's smile contented growing and it was teasing me.
"Do I have to—" I began.
"Yes you do!" Grover pounded his fist on the ground. "Man up! You're fifteen! Not five!" He yelled. Okay, okay! Geez! Kill me now!
"I like . . ." I begin to picture the stormy headstrong brunette who fell on my bed. The day I first saw her cry. Stephanie's party where we first danced. Morpheus's visions. The Nemean Lion attack. Saving Peeta. Yoli telling me I love Katniss. Kissing Katniss. The spider attack with Ripfotia. And then I picture our future battling to save the world—somehow.
"I have strong emotions for Katniss but, I don't know what they are." Grover didn't seem so pleased with that answer.
"Because I imagine you two share an empathy link, huh?" I nod slowly. It's the most logical thing I can think of towards why we can like tell each others actions. "That explains our three way connection here." He pointed out. "Then here's the plan. Date Annabeth. You like her. So give it a shot!" I don't like this idea. "How are you going to find out what you feel if you don't dare to move?"
"Alright." I state in surrender.
"You're working really well with this. I expected a few kicks and punches and possibly some K.O's. But no." I swear he seemed kind of disappointed there for a second, "Okay, then! Go back and ask her out." He gets up and smirks. I can't do that. I can't. I don't "ask out". I'm just that guy who—who doesn't date till he's like forty or something. I nod slowly—unconvinced. Then he spirited off like the satyr he is. Probably to go hook up with Juniper. Now back to the main topic.
What have I done?
•Katniss's POV•
"—she should join us." Clarisse fought. I turned to the Apollo cabin. The guy's name is Michael Yew. Kind of rodent looking if you ask me. He's the one who asked me if I was single during the first time I reveled myself to the camp. What a pig.
"No, no. She's technically Artemis's so therefore she's like our cousin. So she's ours."
They fight over whose team I should be on. That's a first. No one ever wants me on their team.
Percy then comes holding Annabeth's hand. How unsurprising. People whistle and I hear multiple "Finally!"s. I scan the situation and for some reason, I don't have a good vibe about it. I feel a pang in my heart—betrayal. But it's probably just because I've always had his attention.
I think I've chosen my team.
"I'll go against whichever team they are on." I point over at Percabeth. Clarisse gives a big smile.
"Welcome abroad. You sure you're not an Ares kid?"
"Hah." I joke. "I'm not even a demigod. Much the less the great Ares's." My answer made Clarisse very happy.
"I really underestimated you, Katniss. And I was so wrong." Of course you were, Clarisse. I am fire. And fire never loses.
Let the games begin.
•Percy's POV•
I entered the infirmary to see Annabeth flipping through the channels. She didn't give me a second glance until I turned off the TV for her.
"I was watching that." She claims.
"I know."
"They were teaching me how to make sushi."
"I know." This can't continue. She seemed really ticked off. Does she really not know how to make sushi? I mean—has she really been waiting so long?
"Annabeth," She turns to me. Her eyes identical to that of Katniss's.
"Yes Perseus?" I caught a small grin off her face.
I couldn't get the words out. I wanted to go be the whimp I've always been. I can't do this. Then I picture Katniss. And when she told off the gods, or confronted Kyron, and how headstrong she is in general. How powerful she is.
I let out a small laugh. "You're not making this easy for me, you know?" She smiles and lets out a small laugh.
"I will never make things easy for you, Seaweed brain. So get used to it." She exclaims.
That's when I had the nerve to do it. I will be a whimp no more. "Will—will you be my girlfriend?" I choke internally on every word. How much longer will I go on before I go crazy? But the look on her face fixed it all.
"Yes, yes!" She sprang from the bed and jumped me. In a hug that is. And her hair still smells like lemon soap. Gods I missed that smell. "I've been waiting so long for that." You're not the only who's been waiting for me to do stuff today . . .
Thalia knocked on the door. "Capture the flag in twenty minutes, love birds. I'll be watching." I looked at Annabeth and she was so happy. It made me happy, like no other.
We parted ways to get ready for the game and eventually we walked off together into the night. Hand in hand. As we walked something startled Annabeth.
"Percy. I needed to tell you something, but I just remembered! Remember back at the cave? In your comatose?" I nod. I totally forgot about that. "Iris told me that when you came to see me the first time—you were to be in a comatose and she told me to tell you. . ." She clutched her eyes—trying to remember. "When all else fails, two shall stand. Both fighting with each other, hand in hand. Two loved ones shall perish and the trigger's gore will begin all. Fire and water will face two worlds at war. A liar will rise from the polyceptics' goddess and crave a—relevant forgiveness. But only 'till the end will all hearts be forever contented, against all witness." I'm surprised she remembered all that. Strange.
"What—"
"Don't ask me anything because I'll only know as much as you do or less." I shrug.
"That's not important today." I mentally smacked myself. I'm so cheesy. She smiled.
"No, it's only you and me." She looked at me with gleaming eyes.
Those eyes that imitate Katniss's eyes. The Gemini eyes I must bare with day by day.
•Katniss's POV•
Red armor decorated my body. I was on offense. I was getting myself ready. Looking around—I remembered the Hunger Games. So much. From the fact that I'm in the woods to carrying a weapon and running to attack. Once the bell rings, I'll become my battle self. And I'll unleash the Mockingjay—along with my new role that I officially accept. Fire.
Ding!
I spirited off with Paggos Fotia. I ran like I did on my first game. Just ran for my life. As I kept running, I encountered various Apollo archers. I jumped into a snowed tree and managed to get them all crystallized. Without making noise, not even dropping a drop of snow.
Being in the tree I just ran from there. Oran gave me a month worth lesson on running on trees, rocks, etc. Anything that doesn't involve land. So I skid through each tree without a peep. I even rescued some of my fellow offense members from a net.
Eventually though, I made it to the other's flag without a scratch. So noticeable against the white pure snow, in contrast to the blue flag. I will love Mitzuki and Oran forever, for teaching me all this.
Before long I see the two people guarding the flag. Percy and Annabeth.
"Kat." I look down to see Clarisse. I jump down in a split second. "I'll give you first pick on who to attack. That's how much I admire you." I smile. I'll admit, tough choice. If I pick Percy, I'll get to kick his butt but possibly make our weapons react so I'll go for Annabeth.
"The blonde. Athena's daughter." Clarisse smiles and her breath is noticeable when she chuckles.
"I like you. And your choice of words." She whistles—signaling the defense and offense that we made it so to keep the defenders back away from us. "Alright Kitty Kat, let's party." Kitty Kat? Seriously? I like Catnip more now.
We spring into action—surprising the love birds.
"Katniss?" Percy says. "You're playing?" He looks over at Clarisse and makes out a small unbeliever laugh, "And with the Ares cabin?" I shrug and Clarisse motions me to attack.
I spring into a tree and jump off another one opposite of Annabeth. While shooting one of the crystal arrows.
She dodges it.
"I can see the snow fall you know." She brags.
She puts on a cap and out of no where a rope ties me to tree in back of me. A very good knot. I struggle to get free. She then appears out of nowhere—taking of the cap.
"That was too easy. How did you even make it this far?" Paggos Fotia regenerated into a bracelet again so I managed to get the bomb charm off. And the tree exploded. I ran up another tree and shot a fire arrow at her cap. The fire sadly did not reach her cap because of the cold. So it's just pierced. But still—
A clean shot if I do say so myself.
She grunted as I swooped down—in a blink of an eye—to get the cap. I looked over to Clarisse who wasn't having much luck. I shot a crystal arrow at Riptide—making it freeze in crystal momentarily before Percy broke it. Since he already knows how to.
But I revealed my location. I began springing through the trees again. I felt Apollo arrows striking the trees. Clarisse was tied to a tree. They captured her. I put on Annabeth's cap and did some work.
I began shooting at the Apollo archers and crystallizing them. I'm glad that it's temporary or I'd have some explaining to do to the gods.
"C'mon Kitty Kat! Bring them ninnies down!" Clarisse roared with anticipation.
I eventually captured all the archers in the area. Annabeth was a bit tough though. But I got her eventually. Now the only ones left were me a Percy.
"So it's you and me, huh Kat?" He exclaims as his breath makes a puffy cloud.
"I only see myself and that flag over there." A smirk grows on his face plus some OOOOs from the Ares cabin.
He charges with Riptide and in defense I raise my bow. Static energy comes sizzling out of each hit. Getting "ahhs" from the crystallized immobile campers.
Eventually the unexpected yet so typical thing started happening. The weapons started shaking. The auras/our energy was floating around them.
Only this time, we knew what to do. It's just a matter of doing it.
•Percy's POV•
I forced Riptide to move and morph with Paggos Fotia. Only this time it didn't want to morph. Katniss strapped back Paggos Fotia as a bracelet. And I saw the golden aura was actually coming from her hands.
I did the same and saw the same reaction—only blue of course.
Katniss then smirked at me and I saw what was floating at her fingertips.
Fire. Sizzling, cracking, hot fire.
She launched fire at me and immediately made a water shield because I figured I'd get water. Like talk about the obvious. Only now I can control it without asking or thinking about Poseidon.
But she launched the bomb charm near me making a tree fall. So I had to roll to safety.
Worst move that whole day. How come Riptide didn't come with an explosive?
"Kitty Kat! Get the flag!" Clarisse yelled. Katniss's instincts came back to order and she leaped into the rock to catch the flag. The Apollo kids yelled at me as well. But I was still on the floor and a little too late.
Katniss raised the flag in victory. How did she ever become so good? Or even learn how to skid on trees that good?
The Apollo kids that were crystallized got set free. Some gave me dirty looks and some gave me a high five.
In the meantime I looked for Katniss to congratulate her but I couldn't find her. Strong fierce snowflakes began falling.
"You were amazing out there, Percy." Annabeth said behind me. I turned to her and shrugged. She hugged me. And I was trying to enjoy the moment and all but I couldn't. Where was Katniss?
"Hey have you seen Katniss?" I asked Annabeth.
"No why?" She then let go. "Is it because—" I cut her off.
"I need to know if she faded." I respond.
Out on your own—cold and alive. Can this be what you really want? Blame it on me. Set yourself free. Nothing can hold you back now.
•Katniss's POV•
I ran out of there as fast I as I could. I don't want praise. I wanna go home. My pride took me to the place I don't want to be. I was being pompous and prideful. The winter solstice is so close I can feel it. But it didn't occur to me until it started snowing again. I am so blind and—and weak. I am not who I pretended to be. I'm losing everything. Everything I've ever known up until now. Peeta, Oran, Mitzuki, and Sora. And . . . my family.
Maybe—maybe I can't accept this role yet, or ever.
"Katniss . . ." I turn. It was a little girl's voice. "Katniss . . ." Again the same voice but coming from somewhere else. "Katniss . . ." I spin. My hand is on Paggos Fotia as my knees buckle. Something about this voice, something, it makes me weaker. The mere whispers in each word has a trace of poison.
The woods are so dark. The trees are drooping in a black shade and everywhere I turn there it's pitch black. Even the snow is gray and dead. There is no light or noise here, except for that voice.
"Show yourself!" I yell. I hear giggles. Oh gods. I know who this is. My eyes grow and I turn back. More laughing.
"You can't see me, silly." She says. I cover my ears. I turn once more to find another exit but I can't, it all looks the same.
Then I see her. That demon. In a long soggy white dress. Her head is cast down and she is pale as paper. All her hair covers her face as she looks down and the darkness accompanies her being. Her claws shine in the darkness.
"Time's running out. For you. I just love the noises gears make when they click on . . ." She says as somehow she is right in front of me. I trip backwards. She laughs and fades away.
"Katniss?" I hear a familiar blonde's voice. Annabeth. That makes me immediately get up.
"Yeah . . .?" I groan as I regain my saneness from the shock.
She looks at me with curious eyes. "Are you okay?" I nod. Slowly. "Percy was wondering if you faded."
"Well I'm about to." I get on a rock as I gain energy the same way I did back in the jail cell. "Just tell him . . . Aminta sends her regards." And with that I shut my eyes and picture District Thirteen. Specifically the core. My beautiful new home. And I feel the usual rush of the mist and whiteness.
And through the worm hole all I could here was a clock ticking. Back and forth inside my head. And in the background—the resonance of gears clicking burned my skin under my right eye. Where the scar was . . . In the vision Ripfotia granted us.
Uqhhhh, Im such a promise breaker majiggerrr -.- I recommend you take this Bazooka 5000000, and kill mehhhh for being so bad at updating CONSIDERING I have all these chapters -.- HECK Im like just brushing up on CH. 20 GAHHHHHH~~~! I actually have a life these days…. Plus I catched up on some of mah anime :'D LOVELY COMPLEXXXXX D and… *sigh* SCHOOL DAYS. Like what the %#*$? YOU CANT JUST CHEAT ON WOMEN LIKE THAT FOO! And as for lovely complex. . . (6ft Girl + 5ft Boy) + Relationship = WTF IS THIS %^*&? xD
Another thing: I like the movie Grover best. That is all.
Yeah . . . btw Idk if you guys have heard the song I Dare You To Move by Switchfoot but I HIGHLY recommend you do . . . just an fyi :D I don't own nutin' and one of Percy's last lines is from the song Lacrymosa by Evanescence :D Hence the name of CH.2 :'D ah good times good times! Anyway yeah sorry about the last short chappie! That is the shortest chaptr I've ever made 8DD Also I've changed my title of chapter theme to songs for a while THEN ill go for random PJ chappie titles and the cycle will repeat :DD WHOO!
I dedicate this t-to all ma-ah WONDERFULNESSLYY fans :'D I could never have the will to keep writing this brain-racking-possibly-damaging-to-my-physical-and-mental-being/condition story :D AND TO MAH BETA :D MAXWAYLANDGRAY. I loveth yew ;D
So um yeah. . . I would say "IMA UPDATE IN TWO DAYS~! 8DDDDD" but id rather not ~.~ you know, due to my past broken promises *sob sob SOB* So ill just say this. . .
ENJOY THE NEXT FEW DAYS OF WAITING :D
P.S
Psssssssssssssst~! GO AND SUBMIT TRIBUTES FOR THE OMEGA DEMIGOD GAMES! 8D its gonna be written by me and MaxWaylandGray :D And plus: Who doesn't want to send a poor helpless demigod into the gory Hunger Games of pain and depression? EXACTLY. So im counting on you people~! :'D MAKE MAMA PROUD!
BTW: Do feel free and REVIEW as well. You know, cause it makes me smile. LIKE THIS: :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Espacially those LOOONG reviews :'D OH YUSSS INDEED, foo.