Decline of Power (Percy Jackson Chaos/Khaos Story)

How to Undo a Curse... Maybe

It was pretty obvious to Percy that FAFO was a centaur.

Like all centaurs, FAFO had a human torso but a horse's lowers. You know, the four legs and tail. That part. Yeah, most humans don't have that part.

Percy had heard FAFO talking about paint ball guns and decided to just go up and see him. There was always a chance that FAFO might know something about how to undo Percy's curse. He was, after all, a "wise centaur."

Percy shook his head. What kind of wise creature would be named FAFO? Short for Freakishly Awesome Fun Ows. Really? Maybe his real name was something like Stuart. That makes more sense than FAFO.

Percy waited until the attender left FAFO in search of other items. Then he walked up to FAFO.

Taking a deep breath, and preparing himself for the worst, Percy asked, "Are you FAFO?"

The supposedly-FAFO looked at Percy, sizing him up for threat level. Apparently, it was satisfactory because he responded, "Yes, I am the wise FAFO. Why do you seek my council nonmortal?"

Percy was a little confused. Nonmortal? So does FAFO know Percy is a demigod? Or is that still unknown to a "wise centaur?"

"Yes, I seek FAFO's council. I have a problem and you were recommended to help me fix it."

FAFO's face grew contorted. "Who told you I could help?"

"Well I asked the Party Ponies..."

"Oh them! Yes, of course they would recommend me. I am the wisest. Even Chiron trembles at my wisdom!" FAFO interrupted.

"Oh?" Percy asked, once again thinking his earlier statement of Chiron's loneliness in this world.

"Yes. I have only met him twice, but each time I do he is shaking his head because he cannot grasp the wisdom that I possess. So, the Ponies sent you, did they? I'm sure I can help you out. Just let me get my paintball gun. I promised my mother I'd win the next battle for her."

Percy was eager to get out of Bass Pro Shop. No offense to bass, but there's a limit to how many paintball guns a store should have. FAFO must have looked at at least eighty-three before deciding on the first one he asked for.

Yeah. Percy was so bored he counted.

Finally walking out of the store, FAFO said, "I'll have to find a new place to hide. Can't have desperate demigods chasing after me because you told them I was there."

Percy so badly wanted to say, "I am desperate," but held his tongue. He needed FAFO's help, like it or not. That would not help him achieve his goal.

FAFO kept leading them until he arrived at a nearby trailer park. He went to the front door of a trailer, knocked three times, paused, one more time, and then opened the door.

"Wait here for a moment," FAFO told Percy. "I have to clear this meaning with the bosses."

Percy was confused, but waited for FAFO. All he could see was a centaur holding two doll shaped figures through the window, and came to the conclusion that he was better off not knowing.

FAFO came to the door. "You can come in. The bosses will leave for a little bit."

Percy entered the broken down doll trailer with reluctance.

As he walked in, FAFO said, "Take a seat right there. Everything said in this room is entirely confidential, and will stay between us unless you give permission, or need help because someone is hurting you, or you are hurting yourself."

Percy was immediately flashed back to his seventh grade counselor. A kid had committed suicide, and the school required everyone to talk to the counselor. Percy remembered that talk well. He knew they both hated every moment. They had tried to get involved in something that no longer existed.

Gabe.

Oh how Percy hated him. The best thing he ever did was give his mom the head of Medusa.

Percy mentally shook his head and readied himself to tell FAFO the curse placed on him. Hoping FAFO didn't use voodoo magic, Percy said, "I used to go to Camp Half-Blood. But a new girl had arrived who was jealous of me and decided she should try to make my life miserable..."

"So you advice on what weapon to kill her with? Well I personally love the..."

"No! I'm not wanting to kill her. There's a chance my friends took care of that. What I need help with is..."

"Oh! I get it! You secretly have a crush on this girl, and want romantic advice!"

"No!"

"Just thought I'd try again. Alright, keep talking."

Percy took a deep breath, "She teamed up with some unknown deity and now I'm cursed. I can't return to any demigod camp, or even the Hunter's of Artemis since there are demigods there. If I do, people will die. I was hoping you could..."

"Help you undo this curse. Yes, I know." FAFO suddenly had a deep, wise voice. Percy was confused at this new FAFO until he saw his eyes. FAFO used to have blue eyes. Now he had a deep chocolate brown. Percy had heard about creatures that this happened to. They had three personalities. One for each eye color. Blue was crazy and fun, brown was wise and understanding, and green was when they had access to all powers at their disposal. The three colors represented Greece's three seasons. It was brown now, and Percy intended to use it until it went away.

"Yes. If there's anything you would be able to do..."

"The doing must wait until the green eyes. But we can speak and think of a solution while in brown. Tell me, do you know anything else about this curse?"

"Not really. Just that it was caused by a shadow figure in my dreams."

"Well any figure can appear shadowy in a dream if they wish. Especially with demigod dreams. Anything can happen. So you truly know nothing of this curse?"

"No. I don't know anything. Do you..."

"When in my green stage, I can examine the curse. I'll see if there's anything I can do to help then."

They waited in silence until FAFO's eyes change again. There was a glint in them that showed FAFO really liked this stage.

"So Old Brown Eye told me you needed a curse examined. Ready? It'll feel weird."

Percy nodded and immediately FAFO thrust his mind into Percy's and FAFO was sucked inside Percy's head.

Percy waited a good ten minutes before FAFO came out of his head. It was uncomfortable, and Percy didn't get how a curse would be in his brain, but apparently it was. All Percy wanted was to know how to undo the curse, and he knew when FAFO did come out of his head, he wasn't going to know anytime soon.

"Did you find anything?" Percy  asked.

FAFO hesitantly said, "Yes."

Percy waited, but it seemed FAFO needed a push. "And..?"

FAFO took a deep breath, like a general having to tell a family their their father died. "Percy, I recognize the curse. It's been used on several demigods as a punishment. But normally saying that if they return, that demigod will die. Yours was altered. Now, normally, you'd just do a year of servitude and the curse would be lifted. No matter who put it there."

"That's okay," Percy said. "I'll just find someone..."

"Perseus," FAFO said gently. Percy already seemed to know why. "Your curse is not normal. Someone besides the castor is holding it in place. I'm afraid the only way for it to be undone, is if you are in servitude an unspecified amount of time, for the primordial themselves."

Percy's eyes flashed pink.

Khaos.