Percy

As Percy walked down the narrow path in between thick fog and dead trees, his friends kept shooting him concerned looks. All of them were walking in front of him, leading the way. Annabeth's arm was behind her, holding his hand as they went, basically leading him. Periodically, they looked back at him, pity crossing their faces. They seemed to say "poor Percy" with just a sweep of their eyes. All except Nico, who just seemed to be making sure he wasn't running away.

Percy was starting to become overly conscious of his features. How did he look to them? Did he look really scared? He must, since that was how he was feeling. He tried to make his face look brave, but every corner they turned, he felt it failing. Every step they took, he imagined Nico turning around and announcing that they have arrived. He started closing his eyes and letting Annabeth lead him blindly. It reminded him of when she had lost her vision all those months ago.

With his eyes closed, he couldn't see the red haze of the Underworld, he couldn't see his friends' pitying glances, he couldn't see the growing tension in the group. Life was so much easier to be lead blindly. He felt Annabeth's arm stop him from walking and he finally opened his eyes again. Sad eyes once again met his. He chose to ignore them.

"Why'd we stop?" He started to say, but then he realized. Zoe Nightshade was standing in front of them. Percy's mouth quiet literally dropped open as he stared at the ghostly form of Zoe. He could still hear her last words echoing in his head.

"Zoe." Grover croaked out, the grief of her death filling his chest once again.

"Grover Underwood. Annabeth Chase. Percy Jackson." She nodded her head to each of them respectively. Percy, not knowing what to say or do, gave her a small wave. A soft smile spread on her lips.

"Dear Percy Jackson. May we walk?" She tilted her head to a different path.

"Um, maybe later? We're kind of on a time crunch here..." Jason started, but then tampered off.

"Sure." Percy spoke over him. A lump was rising in his throat. He glanced back at Annabeth who gave him a small nod, then Percy walked forward. The two of them separated from the group, Percy limping, Zoe gliding in a ghostlike form. He didn't know why he felt so compelled to talk to her, especially now. But he saw her, and all he could think about was Bob. Iapetus was his real name, and Zoe's real grandfather. When Bob had sacrificed himself for Percy and Annabeth, he asked Percy to tell the stars he said hello. Here was Zoe, his granddaughter, a constellation.

"Thou hath aged much since we last met." Zoe studied him.

"Yeah. A lot happened." Percy frowned, trying to push the memories from his mind.

"I am aware. The dead hears much in afterlife." Zoe paused her gliding and fully faced him.

"Like what?" Percy asked, warily.

"Thou hath broken my sword." She said clearly. It took Percy a second to remember. Riptide was originally Zoe's, which she then gave to Hercules, who betrayed her. She had told him as she died that she wanted Percy to have it. That he was not like his cousin.

Percy pulled Riptide from his pocket. He uncapped it and the jagged and shattered metal sprang forward. It's celestial bronze lit up the clearing, momentarily pushing back the darkness, something he had done many times in Tartarus. Percy took a deep breath. Once being in the mortal world, he didn't like uncapping Riptide. It just brought forth too many bad memories.

Zoe placed her palms over the broken metal. "It always was a faithful blade." She sighed and lowered her hands.

"Sorry I broke it." Percy tried to put it back in his pocket, but Zoe grabbed his hands. She studied his eyes and Percy remembered what it felt like to be pierced by thousands of years of wisdom. The gods in his mind had always seemed old, but Zoe had felt wise. She had used those years for good while the gods had not.

"Perseus, thou hath always been more than thy blade." Zoe said intently.

"I know." Percy nodded.

"No." She insisted. "Thou hath always been more than this." She gestured around them, at everything.

"I know." Percy said again, but quieter this time.

"That is what thou hath never understood. Metal means nothing." She pulled the sword away from him and dropped it to the ground. "Thou art more than thy sword. That is what I had wished to tell you in life."

Percy said nothing.

"I know where thou art going. Perseus," She grabbed his hands. "Take this if you must," she held up Riptide, "but understand, thou art more. Thou cannot loose because thou hath more to loose. Thou hath a family, things others did not. Thou must fight for them. Do not forget them like thou did before. Thou gave up before, do not fall again."

They stared at each other and Percy felt his chest rising and falling heavily again. He grabbed Riptide from her hands and looked at her eyes.

"I'm sorry I got you killed." He managed.

"I hath lived a long life, Perseus. Thou hath not. Not yet. Go and free yourself of this bond." She took a step back. Percy did as well.

"You grandfather says hello." Percy said reaching the tree line once again.

"I heard." She whispered, and then she was gone. Percy was standing all alone, holding his broken sword and starting at an empty clearing. He frowned and looked at his sword. He could imagine it being shattered by his captures and him curling up with the broken pieces, desperate for something to light up his prison. He looked at Riptide and he remembered that, yet for the first time since escaping, he didn't put it back in his pocket. He held it out in front of him as he limped back to his friends.

It was no longer a symbol of his loss, because he was more than just his sword. He would keep it out. Let everyone see its shattered pieces. As he reached his friends again, their eyes darted from him to the sword. Those who didn't know it was broken looked as if they lost a friend. Percy let it hang by his side.

"How did that go?" Annabeth asked, clearly remembering her death as well.

Percy inhaled deeply, feeling more at peace. "Okay, I think."

"Okay then, let's keep going." Nico started walking again. Percy drummed his free hand's fingers at his side before they were grabbed by Annabeth again. She continued to lead him down the path, and to that he was grateful. He wasn't sure that he would be able to keep walking without her.

Down and down the path they went. Percy's limp increased, the steep decline wasn't great for his still healing foot. The broken remains of Riptide continued to light the ground, illuminating the roots of the dead trees around them. Percy's gaze was fixated on the ground as he tried not to trip.

"We're here." Nico suddenly announced and Percy looked up. There was a gaping pit nearly twenty feet in front of him and he found himself stumbling back. It wasn't a conscious decision, more of an impulse. Annabeth's hand slipped out of his and he nearly tripped over a root, dropping Riptide in the dirt.

His heart was beating loudly, so so loudly. How could they not hear it? It was the loudest thing and he did not understand how they could not hear it. His breathing was no longer regular but instead was shallow and panicked. How could he go back in there? He wanted to be back in his apartment, laying on the couch and falling asleep to late night television. Just a couple of hours ago he was fifteen feet away from his mom. How was he back here?

"No." The words came out of his mouth but he never actually thought to say them. "No. I can't. I can't do it. No." He was gasping so hard it was almost making him choke. His body was growing so hot, he felt as if he had just run several miles, yet he hadn't exerted much energy. His head was spinning and he grabbed onto a nearby tree for support standing. They were all staring at him. Why were they all staring at him?

Annabeth came out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. She held him tightly, and shakily he had enough sense to wrap his arms around her as well. The sobs came out of nowhere as he squeezed her.

"I'm sorry. I thought I could do it but I can't." He sobbed, painfully aware of everyone watching him.

"Percy, look at me." Annabeth grabbed his face in her hands. "I. am. here. It is not like before. It wont be like before because you're not alone." Her voice broke on the last word. He shook his head in her hands.

"What if it is like before. What if something happens?" He barely managed to get out in between breaths.

"Percy, take a deep breath. Breathe with me, okay? If something happens, we will deal with it. We have before, and we will again. We'll figure it out. But it will not be like before. You have a way out. You can leave. It is not even close to being like before." Annabeth said and Percy watched her breaths. There were several seconds of silence, then he closed his eyes. In the back of his eyelids, he made several decisions. When he opened his eyes again, he just stared at Annabeth.

"Okay." He said, only staring into her eyes. Another tear fell down his face. "Okay." He repeated.

Annabeth stepped away and held his arm. Percy picked up Riptide and nodded, mainly for his own benefit. He finally looked back at his friends, refusing to be embarrassed as they watched him hesitantly.

"Are you sure?" Will asked.

"Let's just do it." Percy closed his eyes again. Annabeth took a couple steps forward leading Percy to the pit. Suddenly, she stopped as well. Percy looked at her and remembered that she too had fallen into Tartarus and witnessed the horrors. He was being so centered on his own fear he forgot to account for her's. She had to be terrified as well. The last time she was in Tartarus, she thought she had lost him. Percy planted a shaky kiss onto the top of her head and into her messy ponytail. She looked up at him and he placed another kiss on her forehead.

"You guys ready?" Jason was next to them. Percy tried to nod, but found his muscles no longer worked. He strained against them, trying to take another step forward, but every impulse in his body was keeping him from doing it. Trying desperately to push all thoughts away, he took a large step forward, finally at the mouth of the pit. Memories of Rome flashed through his mind and he tightened his grip on Annabeth.

He looked back to see his friends. Nico was watching him with a grim expression. He nodded towards Percy, a sign of respect. Will eyes were watery with horror across his face. He kept looking between Percy and Annabeth as if trying to think of something to say.

"Just a few minutes, Percy." Grover was looking at him with a pained expression. Percy blinked and looked back at the pit.

"Just do it." He muttered to Jason and pulled Annabeth to him and closed his eyes. He felt Jason grab the two of them and started to lower them into the pit. Every single fiber in Percy's body wanted to push away and try to get back to the edge, but he burried his face in Annabeth's hair instead.

He had to. For Estelle. For everyone.

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