The Lone Guardian (A Percy Jackson Fanfiction)

Chapter 13

The arena exploded with shouted questions as Rachel collapsed into Chiron's waiting arms. My first thought?

'Well, that was more dramatic than I intended.'

Slowly, I paled as the words of the new Great Prophecy sunk in. Sure, I knew another Great Prophecy was bound to be spoken with the new war coming, but I didn't actually think it would be about me.

Again.

Finally, I decided to take action. I gave a loud taxi whistle and the campers silenced, waiting for me to speak.

"Counselor meeting in the Big House. Now. The rest of you go back to your cabins," I said, my voice ringing with authority. The campers nodded and started walking towards the cabins, the hunters, minus Thalia, following behind at a safe distance.

I trudged behind the other counselors and Chiron towards the Big House with Thalia. She must have guessed the prophecy was about me, as well, because she put a comforting arm around my shoulders as we walked in silence and I gave her a small smile. When we reached the meeting room, the other counselors were already arguing around the ping pong table.

"Hey!," I shouted. They froze and looked at me. I was starting to feel uncomfortable with the stares when Clarisse finally broke the silence.

"It's good to see you, Prissy," she said, while punching my arm. I rubbed my arm and smiled.

"It's good to see you, too, Clarisse," I replied.

"Where have you been, Perce?," Travis and Connor said in unison, a little creepily might I add. I sighed and repeated the story, one I'm getting tired of repeating. The counselors looked at me wide-eyed until Butch, the counselor for the Iris cabin, spoke up.

"Not that it's not good to see you, Percy, but shouldn't we be discussing this new Great Prophecy?," he asked. We all nodded.

"Sooo, who's this guardian guy supposed to be?," Travis asked. Several of us, including myself, face-palmed.

"What?!," he cried indignantly.

"Honestly, Travis! Weren't you listening to Percy at the campfire before the oracle spoke? The guardian is Percy!," Katie Gardner exclaimed. Now, the others looked at me for confirmation. I nodded grimly.

"Since I recently became guardian of the Hunt, I think it's safe to assume I'm the guardian from the prophecy. Not to mention I can do this," I said while lighting my hand on fire and pulling the shadows towards me. Most of the counselors cursed or gasped in surprise, but the Stolls both fell out of their chairs with "manly" squeals. Thalia snorted and I smirked before extinguishing the flames and releasing the shadows.

"What the Hades was that?!," Will Solace yelled.

"That," I began, "was the 'blessings cast' part of the prophecy. Some of the gods decided to bless me when I was made guardian of the Hunt."

"Who?," Malcolm, the new head counselor for the Athena cabin since Annabeth... died, asked curiously. I tried to avoid his gray eyes boring into me that reminded me so much of her as I answered.

"Zeus, surprisingly, Hades, Artemis, Apollo, and Hermes. Also, Hestia may have made me her champion," I said, mumbling the last part, but everyone still heard me and stared at me in shock.

"Anyway," I said, snapping the others out of their shock. "I think we've established that the Great Prophecy is about me. Again."

I muttered the last part under my breath and a few of the campers looked at me with sympathy, but I ignored them.

"I believe we should start training the campers tomorrow for a possible attack. If that's okay with you, Chiron.," I proposed, looking at Chiron for approval. He'd been quiet the whole time, but now nodded gravely.

"You are correct, Percy. We will start training in the morning," he said.

"But wait! Who's the 'enemy who rises from his hellish land,' then?," Connor asked suddenly. I winced and sighed in defeat. I had hoped no one would ask that question. This prophecy confirmed my worst fears.

"Tartarus," I whispered. Thalia gasped sharply from right next to me. The others looked at us in confusion, except for Chiron who looked at me sadly.

"I'm afraid so, my boy," he said quietly.

"What are you talking about?!," Will shouted.

"Tartarus!," I said louder. "The enemy is Tartarus."

The room was silent, until Travis broke the silence.

"We don't know that for sure, right?," he asked hopefully. I slammed my fist on the table, causing everybody to jump.

"Don't you get it?! 'Seeking revenge on he who escaped his hands.' Only three people have ever escaped that hellhole. Nico, A-Annabeth, and me. I'm the only one left and it's because of him they're d-dead. He's coming for me!," I shouted. Everyone stared at me in shock from my outburst, but I ran before they could say anything.

I ran until I was standing on the beach and collapsed to my knees in the sand. I couldn't hold it in anymore.

I screamed. I screamed in anger, frustration, and pain until my voice was hoarse and cried. Tears were running down my face in a never-ending waterfall. I cried for my parents. For Reyna. For Nico. For Hazel. For Frank. For Leo. For Piper. For Jason. For Annabeth. For everyone I've ever lost. I cried for all I've been through and the war to come.

I barely registered my father appearing next to me, wrapping his arms around my shaking form, his own tears mixing with mine as they fell to the sand. Or Thalia appearing on my other side doing the same thing. Or Elizabeth and the other hunters, Chiron, and every camper left that I'd ever known, gathering around me, shedding tears of their own.

I sat there, kneeling in the sand and sobbing, with what was left of my family gathered around me, for hours as I mourned for the fate I was given.

I gotta be honest guys. I almost cried writing the end of this chapter. :')