Saving Jason Grace

Prologue

One year earlier...

"Jason, you have to pull yourself together. Piper wouldn't want this." Percy begged.

Jason Grace was almost unrecognizable. His blond hair was matted and dirty, his blue eyes dull and had a constant rim of red. He was wearing the same thing he had since Piper's shroud was burned, black jeans and a black tee shirt. He was painfully thin, and Percy doubted that he had actually eaten in months.

Jason looked at him with those wild blue eyes and smiled, a sad, sarcastic smile that made Percy want to run away very fast.

"But Pipes isn't here, is she? No. Because Gaia took her. So it doesn't matter. Nothing does." Jason said simply.

"Jason, things do matter. Piper is waiting for you, in Elysium. So pull yourself together and live until you see her again." Percy encouraged.

Jason shook his head dejectedly.

"Percy, she isn't in Elysium. She chose to be reborn. I asked Nico." Jason said dully.

"Then you'll see her again, in this lifetime or the next." Percy started, but Jason cut him off.

"What if this was Annabeth? What if Annabeth died in your arms, covered in blood, and you knew that you didn't do enough to save her? That you didn't protect her? What would you be doing right now? If it weren't for you people making me swear on the Styx not to end my own life, I would be dead right now and with Piper. We would be in Elysium together." Jason said, eyes blazing.

Percy was horrified. They had made Jason swear not to end his own life just after Piper died, when they feared he may do something reckless, but they never thought he was suicidal.

Jason stood, brushing off his ratty black jeans and walking off towards the camp boundary line.

"I'm leaving. I can't stand to stay here and see the things she loved to do every day. Its to painful, Percy. Tell the others, if you want. I could honestly care less." Was the last thing Jason called over his shoulder and passed out of sight.

Percy was left standing there, dumbfounded.