Chapter 2- Why?

Percy's P.O.V

Shivers hunt my spine on this cold Christmas night.

My small fire barely gives me any heat.

I silently, pray to the gods that someone will find and save me...

Wait, I can't pray to them, they also abandoned me, because of their fear.

I spit on the ground in defiance.

I have no one now to rely on.

Thrown to the ground just...

Just like a broken sword.

I laugh at myself for being a depressed fool,

waiting for nothing on this cold, lonely, and starless Christmas night...

Sigh, I miss my mother, surely, she i's baking blue cookies now. Laughing together with her husband, and her new baby that is now being held in her arms.

Yeah, laughing like no tomorrow with her new family. Spending their Christmas without me.

I know that you're asking,

Why not go there?

My answer is I can't.

I didn't want to see their disapproving gaze aimed at me again whenever I'm home and monsters attack, endangering Alex, my baby brother, so I decided to go,

I love them too much, so I ran away because my scent was getting stronger, but that gaze... heart breaking. I decided to go to camp half-blood. The camp became my only home.

After that I just discovered more betrayal and heart shattering reasons that drove me away from camp.

So now I'm homeless.

Now,

I know if that happened to you, you would surely feel anger and resentment towards them,

Right?

But for some odd reason, I don't feel any anger or resentment to them at all.

I just feel sad, lonely, and depressed. It's like I'm being swallowed by the everlasting darkness of the void, my heart, shattered by the ones I wanted to protect. It hurt.

I remember the words Chiron gave to me. He said that he would only accept the best from me, and I gave my best.... I gave my best.

But then why am I abandoned?

Is it because they're scared of me?

Because I bested all the foes that the gods can't defeat themselves?

That they thought that I would betray them?

**.

Now I know why loyalty is a fatal flaw.

It's not because you will destroy the world for a friend or a loved one, but because it shatters your soul, when you give out all your loyalty and yet, they can't give theirs to you.

It's not fatal for the others, but to its wielder... to its pitiful owner... It's deadly.

But I still forgave them...

They may have called me names, insulted me and betrayed me, destroyed my hope and heart, abandoned me and forgotten, but whatever, I'm still loyal to them.

I'll still protect them,

Even when my soul fades.

Maybe because the sea can't be still...

That my anger can't be held forever...

I can't feel angry for a long time...

Only longing...

And I know,

That also one of the reasons for not feeling anger is because I already used up all my rage and emotion destroying camp half-blood.

True, I swear on the river Styx that I destroyed camp because of my rage and rampage.

You would do it in my place too if you were me, because... you know what, I'll just give you a flashback.

"FLASHBACK"

Yes! Normal at last, Gaea has been defeated by yours truly and the peace is regained once more.

I sighed. What a terrible war.

So many demigods died from both the Greek and Roman worlds.

But yeah, it was worth the price.

Now, I just want to spend my time with the love of my life.

Annabeth.

Yeah...I like that. Just me and her, hehe...

We just came back from the war. To be exact, it's been a week. And it's now only five days to go before Christmas.

And I just came back too, after I decided to sacrifice my happiness for my mortal family. I learned that since I turned 18, my demigod scent has gotten stronger.

I left after a hundred monsters came and tried to kill me in our apartment and, of course, I defeated them all. I've destroyed thousands of monsters, 10 giants and Gaea in the giant war so this was just a flick of a finger, but it still endangered my family. That's why I left. I also left because of the looks my family gave me. For me, their disapproving gazes were worse than the glares of all the monsters and bad guys that I've faced. It didn't cause bodily harm, but it destroyed my heart. I'd rather look medusa in the eye than see that again.

But at least I still have my friends and Annabeth my wise girl... hmm...alone time with Annabeth, hehe...

And tomorrow on the solstice, a party will be held for all the heroes both death and alive that fought in the Giant war.

There is a rumor that the gods will give all seven of the leaders a fantastic reward, Woohoo! I wonder what it is... at least there'll be food, yum, but I still wish that I could taste my mother's blue chocolate chip cookies again, although I know that's impossible.

The nectar tastes like them, but nothing will compare to my mother's hand made. It's just sad.

Back to the topic.

I'm on my way to the cabin of Athena. And of course...(you smarty pants PJO addicted people there know this)..., I'm lost. Hey, who can blame me, from the twelve cabins that camp half-blood used to have, there are now almost a hundred.

Yeah, amazing huh, a hundred and still counting.... Who could have thought that there were so many minor gods and goddesses? And who could have thought that they had so many children?

I remember when I first came here, hmmm... a grief stricken twelve year old boy that was accused of stealing Zeus' master-bolt and then sent on a quest with Annabeth and Grover, thinking that I would fail...good times...good times...

There were at least a hundred campers, and every year I came, the fewer campers present, some eaten by monsters and some, joining Kronos' army. Now there are more or less three THOUSAND campers roaming the CHB perimeter.

Even during winter time.

Many of them are roman legacies that had, at last, come to their senses and joined the Greek camp.

Back to the story again, after giving up finding that blasted cabin, (the cabins were now scattered so only the big three were centered in the middle of the camp which is now is five times bigger) I decided to just go to the beach to refresh my mind.

While I was walking, I noticed something odd (and that's odd that I've noticed something odd, quite a shocker right?) these days. I didn't know what it was, but it was on the tip of my tongue.

It was like people were avoiding me. Yup, that's it.

I think something is going on and I don't know why. But oh well, it's not my job to think, that is Annabeth's. My concern is that she always seems...tense, distracted, like she's solving the most difficult question of her life (she probably is).

When we are together she seems far away. I don't know why but whenever I say I love her, she hesitates to reply. I want to please her, but, I don't know, she doesn't let me. I always to ask her, but when I do, she either ignores my question or gets angry at me.

And now, I swear on the river Styx that I will find out what is wrong even if she slits my throat for it,

*cues thunder*

I swear, girls really are more difficult to understand than the oracle's words. At least, Rachel is more straightforward when she says that I will die (I'm glad that she hasn't said that yet).

I was tired, glad that I reached my destination. I hurriedly dived into the ocean and, after a few minutes, I decided to come up.

This is more like it, just me sitting in front of the deep blue sea in long island. How is my mother? I wanted to iris message her but I knew that she was busy taking care of Alex, and probably still angry at me.

After hours of procrastinating, I went back to my cabin. And braced myself for tomorrow to come

"TIME SKIP WITHIN FLASHBACK"

I woke up, and looked at my clock, 7:12 AM, December 21 it read. 10 AM is our departure time. After that I finished all my necessary chores and rushed up to the mess hall. Of course everyone is excited to go to Olympus, especially the new comers who have never been, but some will remain. I saw Annabeth chatting and laughing with her cabin mates as well as my other friends from their respected tables. I wished that I had a sibling to laugh with or at. And it didn't help that no one wants to talk to me now for some unknown reason.

After Chiron finished announcing the list of those who will not attend in order to guard camp, he said that I needed to go to the big house as soon as possible.

Before I rushed to the big house, I tried to confront my friends, keyword, tried. I approached Annabeth first but before I could speak she said...

"Ugh! Seaweed brain, stay away for a bit, I'm still in the middle of planning a new battle formation with my siblings, so shoo!"

Wow, that's harsh to say to your boyfriend, and it hurt me, but I obeyed her, you know, because I can't understand a bit of their discussion anyway, so I approached my other friends but I gained the same answer; to go away. My heart shattered again, I felt unwanted. Why would they avoid me?

I wished Thalia, Nico and Grover were here, but they were busy with their duties. So I rushed to the big house. Chiron was reading a magazine on the porch so I called him.

"Chiron!" I shouted.

"Oh, good you're here. We have a certain problem to discuss." he said,

I wondered what problem and what I had to do about it?

"I want you to stay here and watch the campers." he muttered

"What! Why me? W-why not the other campers?" I said, shocked as I processed what he said.

Chiron sighed, "The truth is you're not invited to the party, the gods fear you and don't trust you, especially Zeus. And the gift that they will give is immortality. They fear that you might dethrone them, so they won't give it to you."

"What?! Are they crazy?! Why would I choose immortality? I've refused it once and I will refuse it again! What did my father have to say about this?"

"We cannot change their will my boy, I know your hardship, your pain, and your problems. But your father agreed to them. He feared that he's the first one you'll destroy." he said.

"What!? They are crazy. Did they forget that my fatal flaw is loyalty? What about the others? Do they know what the gift is? I know that Annabeth will refuse it but if she knew, why didn't she tell me?"

Chiron stayed quiet for a moment and then said "I don't know, but I suggest that you go to your cabin and rest."

After he dismissed me, my heart again shattered. How many times has my heart shattered now? I don't know. So that's why they're staying away from me, they're afraid, but why Annabeth?

After I reached my cabin, I immediately curled up on my bed and cried. Now I have no family. My mother and my father are staying away from me. Now my friends are gone, they chose to stay away from me.

After hours had passed, I decided to IM Annabeth.

I trudged up to my fountain and muttered, O' lady Iris, goddess of rainbows, accept my offering, show me Annabeth Chase, Olympus.

Image formed in the rainbow I saw Hazel, Leo, Jason, Piper, and Frank standing off to the side, now twelve feet in height, they must have accepted the gift, I thought, good for them, they deserved it.

Then I saw Annabeth in front of Zeus. I heard him question my Wise girl. "Annabeth chase, daughter of Athena Goddess wisdom, war, and strategy, heroine of Olympus, do you accept our gift of becoming a goddess?"

Of course she'll say no, I thought, she still has me. I gave up being a god for her and she'll do the same for me... right?

But her answer broke the already shattered pieces of my heart.

"Yes!" she said it full of excitement.

As she grew into a 12 feet goddess, my tears silently flowed down my face.

"No."

I said, everyone turned and saw me, they gasped, even the gods -par the big three and Athena- the loudest was from Annabeth, as she stammered...

"P-Perce I-I..."

But before she could answer I bowed my head slightly and avoided her gaze, and said,

"Congratulations... Annabeth..." then swatted the mist to severe the connection.

"Annabeth, why?" I muttered as I let my body fall to the bunk.

Did she ever even love me?

What have I done for her to abandon me?

Is denying the gods gift of godhood to me, and saving the world for her not enough?

Why did my friends abandon me?

Is it because their scared?

Did they ever even treat me as a real friend?

Why didn't my father do something to prevent this?

Did he really love me?

Or did he just use me?

So much for being his favorite...

Tears escaped my eyes...

My colorful world, turned into gray...

Rage and anger flowed through my being.

Despair, agony, pain...

I felt only that, and anger...

An unknown power burst through my body.

I felt myself growing as if I was turning into a giant, 10 feet...20...30...

My back seared with pain.

My skin and limbs tingled.

I felt myself changing.

As the pain left me, I coughed up blood.

Gallons of red liquid splattered my cabin, painting it all red.

I saw my body as a gray beast's.

My feet and hands had become talons.

I tried to shout as loud as I could, but instead an ear shattering roar came from my throat,

Breaking all the Poseidon cabin's glass window.

Anger consumed me...

Destroy.

All I want now is to destroy.

Tongues of blue flames escaped my mouth consuming my cabin.

The intact part of the ceiling finally fell down as I slashed using my new bronze talons. I crushed everything in it.

I finished expressing my anger at the cabin that was now, no more than a pile of ash and rubble.

I felt again the searing pain and I noticed that I grew and grew and grew.

As the searing stopped, I noticed that I was now larger than the big house.

The campers got over their shock and while some still gaped at the giant monster in front of them, the rest started to attack me.

Arrows, swords, javelins and magic spells rained down but none of their weapons or powers could penetrate my hide.

They just fueled my desire to destroy.

For every cabin that I saw, I turned into a pile of rubble and ash in one blow.

Menacing laughter escaped my throat as tears flew like a waterfall from my eyes. I saw the campers cower before me.

I felt like a mad man...

whose hope had abandoned him.

I burned the cabins and the big house,

But I left the campers and the nature spirits alone for I was still not that evil.

I then discovered that I had wings.

So I flew to the beach where I secretly met with Annabeth to escape the harpies whenever we wanted to stay out together after curfew.

Loneliness and despair stung my heart.

I melted the sand and evaporated the water in the wave pools so the shore was gone.

After that I was satisfied,

I roared once more.

I laughed in the face of my pain and misery.

Tears continuously escaped my eyes.

I checked my appearance on the reflection at the lake.

Naiads stayed away with fear in their faces.

I saw my reflection and roared once more ...

There, I saw a gray beast with black horns and gray eyes...

Menacing razor sharp teeth, and bronze claws...

A dragon...

I had become a monster...

Drowning in the pool of my misery, I willed myself to fly and escape but my body didn't respond...

I wanted to go away from this pain, just anywhere, but here.

There was no problem because no one wants me.

No one cared for me.

I was just a monster.

I had nothing.

No family...

No friends...

No love...

Nothing.

I dove into the ocean as I closed my eyes.

I wanted to go away...To run away from the pain...

I felt like shrinking...

My pain ceased...

My anger was gone...

I willed the current to take me away.

As everything started to fade...

The last word that escaped my tongue was

"Why?"