Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Story: Guardians of Light and Justice
Chapter 10: The Darkness Within
Percy's POV
I finally awoke I was in a dark room lying on the floor. Where am I? I couldn't remember. The last thing I did remember I was sitting on the beach at camp. Athena, Nico and Annabeth were asking me questions about that terrible night five years ago. I remember feeling cold and darkness started to cloud my vision. I blacked out, but I had the feeling that my body wasn't asleep, it was like I was trapped inside my body while it moved on its own. I stood up in the dark room and then I saw a small stream of light coming from the opposite wall. I walked carefully to the edge of the room and there was a window with dark blinds. The blinds were closed, but a small ray of light shined through the edge. I reached up and pulled the string and opened the blinds, I was stunned at what I saw. I saw Nico lying on the ground with a sword at his throat. I looked closely at the sword and I realized that it was Riptide. Where am I? Then a sudden realization hit me, I'm inside my body and someone or something is controlling it. I looked at the hand holding Riptide and the arm connected to it. It was my hand and my arm. I was fighting Nico and I was winning. Nico for his part stared up at me without fear I was proud of my friend, but incredibly worried. The scene shifted as my head turned to look at two newcomers, they were Apollo and Aether, thank the gods I thought. I saw my fist strike quickly and connect with Nico's jaw knocking him unconscious before Apollo or Aether could do anything. I concentrated, I needed to hear what was going on suddenly I could hear everything.
"Father?" Aether said.
"Yes, my boy it's me Erebus." Erebus/Percy said. It was strange the voice sounded like me, but it also sounded different.
"Father, leave Percy now." Aether yelled. I could hear the laughter coming from my body, it sounded hollow, lifeless and most of all evil.
"I don't think so, this boy is powerful and you can't hurt him." Erebus/Percy said.
Aether, Apollo, I'm in here help me. I tried to yell, but no one heard me.
"Father, how did you get in there?" Aether asked. How did he get in there? Suddenly, I felt dizzy and the dark room began to spin around, I fell to the ground and blacked out.
Flashback
I awoke in a familiar room, my mom's old apartment. The room was dark, but suddenly the door opened to reveal my slightly younger self. I could see the panic in my eyes.
"Mom, Paul anyone." I yelled. No one answered my pleas.
I looked around to find the light switch, the lights suddenly turned on and the sight before me shocked me completely. In the middle of the living room lying on the ground in pools of blood were my mom and Paul. They had been cut multiple times as if someone tried to drain all the blood slowly and painfully out of them. I looked around the room and blood was splattered everywhere. I walked in to touch my mom, but I couldn't she was covered in blood. I froze I fell to my knees and screamed in agony. I never felt such pain in my life not even when I bathed in the Styx. I felt my heart beat faster as if it was trying to jump out my chest. I felt dizzy and nauseated I threw up on the ground at the sight of the blood and gore. I cried buckets of tears until I could barely see through my sore eyes. My head pounded as if my brain was trying to force its way out of my head. I couldn't think straight the only thing I felt was anger, pain, sorrow and the need for revenge.
"I can help you if you wish." A dark and gloomy voice said. I looked around quickly, but I didn't see anyone there.
"Who … are … you?" I stuttered.
"I'm a friend Percy I can help you get what you seek." The voice said again.
"What do I want?" I asked. I didn't know what I wanted anymore.
"Revenge my boy I can help you find the people who did this." The voice said.
"Revenge" I said.
"Yes, you want to make those who harmed your family pay don't you?" The voice asked.
Is that what I wanted, did I want to kill those that killed my parents? "You know that you have to find them, no one else can, only you." The voice said. It's right I'm the only one who can stop them I have to find them.
"How can you help me?" I asked.
"All you have to do is open yourself to my help, embrace the pain, the sorrow and the anger. Let it consume you and I can help you then." The voice said. I focused on the pain and the agony it was easy to do. I focused on my anger and my rage against those that killed my family. I could feel the power grow within me and then I looked up to see a dark shadow approach me, I stood up in fear.
"Don't be afraid, I want to help you." The voice said. The shadow came closer and then it enveloped me, all I could feel was my anger and hate. The shadow covered my body completely, I opened my mouth to scream, but something moved into my mouth I felt my body convulse and then I blacked out.
I woke up surrounded by grass I looked around and realized I was in a park. I felt a sticky substance on my hands and then I realized it was on my clothes and my face. It was dark so I couldn't figure out what it was I looked up to find some light. I saw two things hanging in a tree in front of me. I noticed that Riptide was lying on the ground only a foot away from me. I reached for it and picked it up. The blade was covered in the same sticky substance. I stood up and walked towards the tree with the objects in it. As I reached the tree the clouds parted from around the moon and the moonlight shown down on the tree. I looked up and froze at the sight of two bodies, they were covered in blood. I looked closer and then I noticed that they didn't have any skin on their bodies. I looked down at my hands and I realized that the sticky substance was blood, massive amounts of blood. I saw that the blood was all over my clothes and on Riptide's blade. I fell to my knees I killed these two people. The images started to flood into my brain; the anger, the screams, the blood and most of all my laughter. My laugh sounded so dark, so horrible and so evil. I fell to the ground I cried over what I had done.
End of Flashback
I woke up still in the dark room I stood up again and looked out the window or whatever it was. I could see that Nico was still alive and that my body was now facing Apollo and Aether. I continued to scream and pound on the window and then on the walls of the dark room. I was trapped in here while my friends were in trouble, except this time I was the trouble. I was the one hurting my friends.
Annabeth's POV
I saw Erebus/Percy pull his sword away from Nico's throat. He slowly walked toward Apollo and Aether. Aether stepped in front of Apollo and I could sense the power emanating from both Aether and Erebus.
"My boy, you chose the wrong side." Erebus said.
"I chose the light and I always will." Aether said.
"The darkness is stronger than the light, I'm afraid you leave me know choice." Erebus said. A blast of dark energy shot forward from Erebus/Percy's hands toward Aether and Apollo. The two gods created a shield of light around them blocking the darkness. Erebus/Percy just continued his onslaught as his dark energy continued to attack the shield of light. I could tell that Aether and Apollo were struggling to hold back the darkness. I was scared for both of them, Erebus was incredibly strong. Suddenly, I noticed a wall of water moving toward Aether and Apollo, I tried to yell at them, but there light shield seemed to block out any noise. The wall of water continued to move toward the two gods. Apollo and Aether were both so engrossed in their defense they never saw what hit them. The wall of water hit the two of them from behind and swept them into the forest near camp, trees were uprooted and the forest floor was flooded. The water finally receded and lying on the ground unconscious were the two gods. My mother turned away from the sight of her brother and friend she was intensely angry. She strode toward Erebus/Percy with her shield and spear in hand.
"Leave Perseus and run like the coward you are Erebus." Athena spat. Erebus/Percy turned toward my mother his eyes were black as night and I could see my mother's confidence erode under his glare.
"You dare insult a primordial god little girl?" Erebus/Percy said. My mother nodded and stared defiantly at the powerful force in front of her. Erebus/Percy held Riptide in front of him and extended it toward my mother. He moved at an unimaginable speed my mother was barely able to protect herself with Aegis. Her spear was knocked from her grasp by a blast of dark energy. A spear of ice shot from the air and impaled my mother through her forearm Aegis fell to ground with a loud clang. Another force of dark energy knocked my mother to the ground, she kneeled in front of Erebus/Percy defiantly. "I can't kill you child, but I can cause you pain beyond your imagination, but I can kill your little immortal child. Suddenly, a giant hand made of shadow grabbed me and pulled me next to my mother. Erebus/Percy walked toward me with Riptide pointed to my heart.
"Perseus, please stop this don't let him hurt Annabeth." Athena pleaded as tears flowed down her cheeks. I never saw my mother cry before.
"Percy, seaweed brain we need you, please help us." I said as tears streamed down my face as well.
"This boy can't help you, he is no match for my power." Erebus/Percy said. Erebus/Percy's eyes changed from black to green. He began to speak in a foreign language that sounded like Chinese. He stopped talking and his eyes returned to black. "That's all you've got boy?" The sword swung forward I closed my eyes, but nothing happened. I looked up to see Erebus/Percy lying on the ground with Riptide on the ground next to him.
I felt a presence behind me and then I saw what it was it was Pin and beside him was Feng. Erebus/Percy stood up and looked at the two creatures with shock and a little fear. "You stupid creatures will pay." Erebus/Percy let loose a powerful blast of dark energy. Feng flew forward and caught fire in front of us. The dark energy hit the fire bird with no visible affect. I could see the astonishment on Erebus/Percy's face. "That isn't possible." I heard the noise of rushing water, I looked to my right to see a giant wave heading toward us, but it stopped just in front of us. The water just stood there, I saw Erebus/Percy struggle to move the water, but it wouldn't budge. I looked over my left shoulder and I saw Pin's eyes glowing a vibrant blue as he focused on the wave. The glow of his eyes intensified until it was blinding and the next thing I knew the water evaporated in front of us. Erebus/Percy was about to move when he was suddenly pinned to the ground by the massive clawed feet of Feng. Erebus/Percy could not move, the strength of the bird was immense. Pin walked forward with his long body moving like a water snake with legs. He stood in front of Erebus/Percy and looked into his eyes. I saw Erebus/Percy's eyes turn from black to green and then they changed to a vibrant blue. Both Pin's and Erebus/Percy's eyes glowed the same color. I heard Erebus/Percy scream and a bright blue light enveloped them.
When the light cleared Percy was lying on the ground unconscious and next to him stood a strange looking being. His skin looked black as night except it shifted as if to avoid the light. I couldn't tell if he wore clothes nor could I see his facial features. He looked like a being made of oil. His body flowed as if it was a living shadow. This had to be Erebus. Erebus walked slowly toward me, but Feng stood in front of my mother and I protectively. She turned her body into fire again and the light was blinding, Erebus looked away. "This is not over, the Hand will triumph." Erebus said as he dissolved into a shadow that was cast onto the ground by the hovercraft. Feng changed back to her normal appearance and I saw her and Pin move toward Percy. They both huddled around him protectively.
I crawled to my mother and helped her stand. Her arm was bleeding badly. We walked over toward Apollo and Aether. They were both sitting up now, they must have seen the entire end of the battle. They were both awestruck by the power of the two Chinese monsters. "Apollo, help my mom is hurt." I said. That snapped Apollo out of his musings. He walked toward us and carefully held my mother's arm. He stated a few magic spells and my mom's arm glowed with power. When the light subsided her arm was completely healed. Aether stood up next to us.
"These two creatures are amazing." Aether said as he looked toward Feng and Pin. We all looked toward them and I smiled as I saw how careful they were not to hurt Percy. We carefully walked toward Percy and when we reached him the two monsters stood and looked at us warily. We all froze, these creatures were outside of the ancient Greek realm and their power was immense. We heard Chiron gallop toward us and then we saw Feng and Pin bow toward him and fly off toward Thalia's tree.
"Thanks Chiron." I said.
Aether and Apollo ran toward Nico to check on him as he was still unconscious. My mom and I walked toward Percy as Chiron galloped into camp to check on the rest of the campers. Percy laid on the ground unmoving. My mom and I knelt next to him and I placed my hand on his neck to check for a pulse. His skin was like ice, but I felt a faint pulse. The clouds that had covered the sky during the battle finally cleared and the sun shone down onto the beach as the light hit Percy his skin began to glow. His eyes opened and they were the normal sea green eyes that I never could forget. He slowly sat up with help from my mom and I.
"Perseus, how do you feel?" Athena asked with concern in her voice.
"Like a great weight has been lifted off my shoulders." Percy said with exhaustion evident in his voice. His eyes grew heavy, I took off the jacket that I wore and rolled it up as Percy slowly laid his head back onto it. He was fast asleep in no time. My mom and I stood up and walked over to Aether, Apollo and Nico. The three of them were standing near the hovercraft watching us.
"Is he alright?" Nico asked.
"Does he need my help?" Apollo asked.
'Don't worry he'll be fine, he's just exhausted. We should let him sleep here, the sun will help recharge him." Athena said. The five of us walked toward the big house. Percy was back and the influence of Erebus was gone, but I couldn't help worry about Erebus's threat.
AN: I promise next chapter more Percabeth, plus we learn more about the Hand's plan for revenge.