I can’t resist writing another chapter.  I’m always like this with new stories, especially when it’s Percy Jackson (or Harry Potter).  READ READ READ!

Chapter Quote:

“This is a pen… this is a PEN!”

~Percy Jackson

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Chapter 2: I Explain The Impossible

Luke

If it hadn’t been for Shiloh, I’d be pinned to the wall of the Hermes cabin by Grey’s sword.  He used to be a great friend of mine.  Now he hated me, and I understood.  To be honest, I hated myself.  No one could see that though.  All they saw was what I had done to them, all I had caused, and if I was in their position, I’d be the same way.

When I entered the Big House for the first time in four years, Shiloh captured Chiron and Dionysus’s attention for me.  I knelt to the ground, bowing my head in respect.  Dionysus would never accept the fact I was here, but I still had to attempt the impossible.

“Stand up, my boy,” Chiron told me gently. “What are you doing here?”

Shiloh, Percy, Annabeth, Chiron, and Dionysus all stared at me, waiting impatiently for an answer.  Uncomfortable with all the attention on me, I shifted on my feet. “It’s my punishment, sir,” I explained, before adding quietly, “And also my chance at life again.”

“I think we need to sit down while you explain,” Chiron decided, shrinking from his centaur form into his wheelchair.  Dionysus grouched as he plopped down in his chair.  Percy, Annabeth, Shiloh, and I sat on the couch.  I sat between Annabeth and Shiloh.  Annabeth urged me to explain.

“At first, when I went in front of the Judges of the Underworld, they were planning on putting me in the Fields of Eternal Punishment for fifty years for what I did.  Then, I believe it was King Midas, he came up with the idea that the Fields of Punishment would cause me not near enough of the pain I deserved for helping K-” I had trouble saying the name.  After everything I’d been through and witnessed with Kronos as my leader, I hated him.  With every part of my being, I hated him.  Somehow, I managed to spit his name out. “Instead, he suggested I be sent back to camp where everyone hated me.  But he promised me that if I could get the approval of my being at camp by a majority of the campers in two months, I would be allowed to stay here on earth and live out the rest of my life.  Of course, that’s impossible since everyone hates me here…”

“I don’t hate you.  I don’t think Percy hates you.  I know Annabeth doesn’t.  Chiron doesn’t.  Dionysus hates everyone.  And the Stoll brothers, they would love having you back.  Mainly to prank but still.  That’s what… six people on your side?  That’s better than nothing,” Shiloh offered.

I gave her a weak smile, wondering how she could be so optimistic.  Her blues eyes sparkled.  They were the color of the Caribbean sea, that turquoise blue.  They were absolutely enrapturing.

“I planned on hiding out and not letting anyone know I was here, but the Judges had other plans, obviously by dropping me in the dead center of my cabin,” I admitted.

“Why were you going to hide?” Annabeth demanded.

“I cared for all these people, I really did.  I didn’t want to get attached to them and then not receive their approval and go back to the Fields of Punishment with only the memories of how much they despised me rather than how they felt of me before.”

“I would’ve dragged you back up to earth from those fields and killed you myself had I found out you’d been hiding from us,” Annabeth growled.

“So we just have to get most of the camp to approve of the guy who tried to destroy us a week ago?” Shiloh queried. “Am I understanding this correctly?”

“Yeah,” I mumbled. “It’s impossible.”

“Oh it’s not impossible,” she said casually, waving her hand.

“How?” I asked somewhat doubtfully.

“Come on, even in the word ‘impossible,’ it says ‘I’m possible.’  The biggest problems you’ll have are Ares, Hephaestus, and Aphrodite.  Athena will be easier to sway because of Annabeth.  I mean, your own cabin can’t hate you forever and the Stoll brothers will be able to ease the tension with that.  Demeter, does she ever get mad except when her daughter gets kidnapped?  Nico… I have no idea what he’ll do.  Let’s see… Apollo might be somewhat difficult because of Michael, but they’re all pretty laid back so just be nice to them and that’ll be fine.”

“Looks like Shiloh has this all figured out,” Chiron remarked in amusement.  Shiloh stopped rambling and blushed, looking sheepish and adorable. “Percy, Annabeth, stay here.  I must speak with you.  Shiloh, would you mind getting Luke settled back into the daily routine?”

“No, sir.  Come on, let’s get you some clothes and toiletries and find a bunk far, far away from Grey,” she chirped.  I stood up and followed her.  I couldn’t tell what age she was.  Shiloh had this look about her where she could be whatever age she wanted to be.

“How old are you?” I asked, shutting the door to the Big House behind me.

“Twenty.  I turn twenty-one in November.  I can’t wait,” she laughed.

“I feel like I knew you before…”

“Before you tried to take over the world?  You did.  We were in the same cabin for, oh, four, five years?  We didn’t talk much.  I think the only time we did was because you asked if it was okay if you took over as cabin leader which I agreed to.  I thought I’d let someone else deal with the Stoll brothers.  Speaking of those two,” she trailed off, turning towards the sword fighting arena where two tall brothers, instantly recognizable, were walking. “Hey Connor!  Hey Travis!  Come here!”

“Wh-what are you doing?” I hissed in fright, afraid of what my half-brothers would think of me now.

“Gotta start somewhere Luke.  And trust me, they’re not mad at you,” she promised, resting her hand lightly on my arm.

“Shiloh!” Connor (at least I think it was Connor) hollered back.

“Come here!  There’s someone I want you to see!”

The two brothers came running up to us.  I watched as their facial expressions changed the closer they got to me.  Instead of stopping though, they ran right into me, knocking me backwards.  I don’t know how I stopped myself from falling flat on my back from the impact.

“Big bro is back!  We missed you man!” Travis exclaimed.

“Saving the world in the end was your best prank bro!” Connor added cheerfully. “So how’d you escape from the Underworld?”

“Um, I didn’t.  The Judges sent me back,” I replied, purposely avoiding this happened to be my ‘punishment.’

“You’ve changed.  We need to get you to lighten up again, Luke.  Don’t worry, the kids will warm back up to you.  Just give it a few.  I mean-” Connor began.

“-Aphrodite, Ares, and Hephaestus will be the hardest to win over.  But you have us, you apparently have the lovely Shiloh, and Percy and Annabeth once they see you,” Travis finished.  Just like old times, I thought.  The Stoll brothers finishing each other’s sentences.

“They’ve seen him.  I’m taking him to get some clothes and other necessities.  Want to join?” Shiloh inquired.  The brothers instantly agreed, flanking me and Shiloh.  The three people I walked with ignored the freaked out stares we received when campers saw me.  It actually helped; it made me feel a little more normal even though I know I’m far from it.  I admit though, I at first hated the fact we had to wear the orange tee with the Camp Half-Blood symbol on it.  But now, with my white toga from when I’d ‘been’ Kronos, I looked forward to it because then I’d at least somewhat blend in.  I hardly ever blended in anywhere.  Being tall and being blonde and having bright blue eyes, I tended to stick out.

When I came out of the bathroom from changing, I found Connor holding Shiloh in his arms bridal style, with her peering down to the floor.  Travis kept trying to pull her out of his brother’s arms.

“What is going on here?” I questioned, feeling myself start to smile.

“There’s a massive spider,” Shiloh explained, head-butting Travis away from her.

“It’s the size of my pinky nail!” Connor laughed.

“That’s huge!” she argued. “Just because I’m not related to Athena does not mean only big spiders scare me.  Little ones are just as- THERE IT IS!  KILL IT NOW!”

Instead, Travis picked it up.  He started playing with the spider as it scuttled all over his hand.  When he started bringing it closer to Shiloh, he was promptly hit with a jet of water in the face, pushing him backwards and out of the bathroom.  I actually started laughing a little bit.  She jumped out of Connor’s arms; Connor fell to the floor in absolute hysterics.

“Never mess with a Daughter of Poseidon,” I noted.

“Especially when there’s a spider around,” she added. “Travis, if you come here, I can make the water dissipate off you.  But if that spider’s anywhere near you, you’re staying as is.”

“Come dry me off!” Travis whined.  Shiloh walked over to him before placing her hand on his head; instantly, all the water evaporated off, leaving him nice and dry.

The four of us walked back to the Hermes cabin where the campers were all gathered outside.  Every.  Single.  Camper.

Percy and Annabeth were explaining why I was here although they purposefully left out the part about me being here for punishment and me gaining redemption and all that stuff which I was grateful for.  Plus, I don’t think the campers would care anyways.

The Ares, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus cabin sat near each other, looking extremely pissed off, especially when they saw me.

“I say we kill him and be done with it,” Clarisse shouted angrily.

“You’ll do no such thing!” Shiloh retorted back. “I know you don’t like it, but he’s here.  And in case you haven’t realized, Luke hasn’t done anything to any of us since he’s arrived here.”

“That doesn’t mean he won’t try something later,” Grey pointed out.

“We wouldn’t let him.  He’s not interested in hurting us.  He never wanted to anyways.  That was all Kronos.  I know Ares and Aphrodite cabin, you’re angry and hurt over Silena.  We all are.  But she died a hero’s death; she chose to do what she did.  And Hephaestus cabin, you’re upset over Beckendorf; but he died a hero’s death as well.  We all miss them terribly for they were great people and friends.  But neither of them would want you to turn into murderers by killing a defenseless person.  In case you haven’t realized, Luke is unarmed.  You kill him now, you’d be committing murder.  Whether you like it or not, Luke helped us win this war in the end.  In the end, he destroyed Kronos.  So if you want nothing to do with him, don’t speak to him, don’t look at him, just ignore him.  But if any of you are willing to give Luke a second chance like I am, and Percy and Annabeth and the Stolls and Chiron, don’t be afraid to come up and talk to him,” Shiloh said.  Her voice had been clear, calm, and powerful.  Everyone had fallen silent to listen to her.  I found myself staring at her rather than the hatred-filled faces of the campers aimed at me.  Shiloh turned to Grey. “Put Luke in a bed next to the Stolls and far away from you.  I still don’t trust you not to skewer him with your sword.  Connor, Travis, think you can help Luke adjust back to being at camp when Percy, Annabeth, and I aren’t around?”

“We got this,” the brothers declared simultaneously.

“Good.  Now, back to your activities whatever you have and stop dawdling.  There’s much to be built, much to be done.  Go!”

The campers grumbled and griped but obeyed her.  Shiloh’s power amongst the campers reminded me similarly of how it used to be here at camp for me.  But I stopped myself from reminiscing.  It would do no good.

“Chiron’s going to talk to you about your schedule tomorrow,” Annabeth explained, walking up to me and Shiloh. “Pretty much, it’s mine, Percy, and Shiloh’s job to help you acclimate back to camp again.  We’re going to make sure you stay Luke.”

“You still have to sit with the Hermes cabin but sit with Connor and Travis, they’ll make it all right,” Percy said.

“And you can sit with us at the camp fire.  Deal?” Shiloh chirped.

“Thank you guys, really.  And I’m sorry...” I said.

“For what?” Annabeth asked, scrunching her eyebrows in confusion.  Percy looked at his girlfriend with a cocked eyebrow.  He obviously knew what I was going to say.

“For trying to kill you multiple times, for lying, for breaking our family, for killing Thalia’s tree, for-”

“Luke, stop.  It’s no good to go back in the past.  I appreciate the apology but I forgave you a while ago.  Now why don’t you head to archery with us?”

“That sounds good,” I responded, taking a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

“Hey Percy?  I can’t go.  I’m taking care of the Pegasi and horses.  I’ll see you later okay?  You too, Annabeth and Luke,” Shiloh informed, waving goodbye.

“Hey, um, actually, can I go with you?  There’s less people at the stables and I think starting off small is better,” I insisted.  It was true, and also for the truth to be told, I kind of like hanging out with Shiloh.  It was a lot less awkward being around her than Percy and Annabeth for two reasons: one, Percy and Annabeth were a couple and I was the awkward third wheel.  Second, I still felt the utmost remorse for ever trying to kill them.

Annabeth hesitated but agreed nonetheless.  So while my best friend and her boyfriend walked off, I followed the chipper blonde who seemed to realize I didn’t want to talk much, so she talked for me.  Shiloh talked about the new cabins and how one (I think it was for Hecate) had stones that if they were dropped, they’d explode and everyone within a mile radius would turn into a tree or something.

Shiloh was sweet and outgoing, yet reserved and calm.  She kind of contradicted herself at times with herself, but I could see the similarity between her and the sea.  Both were unpredictable.  I liked her.  I knew she’d do anything to help me stay here on earth, but I didn’t have much hope that I’d be able to stay here.

The Fates weren’t all that merciful.

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Hope you enjoyed! The picture is of Shiloh. Please review! :)