A Crown of Golden Leaves: A Percy Jackson Fanfiction

Capvt XXXI: To Be A King

"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." -Bil Keane

Capvt XXXI: To Be A King

THE wave crashed all around him. Percy barely had time to gulp down his last breath of air when the water cascaded over his head. The pressure lifted him off the ground and then made him hammer down against it; at least, that was what it felt like.

It made his eyes burn-the salt in the tidal wave, or whatever it was. The pressure crushed his skull, making it ache like it was being squeezed thinner and thinner - like pins and needles were pricking his mind - and for a moment he was convinced that he was going to die because there was no way a normal, mortal man could survive such pressure. But he couldn't. Die, that was. Not yet. He had a country that needed him, that he would one day rule - there were things he still needed to do, things he wanted to say. He still had to atone for letting Rachel die that day, too; it should have been him, not her - never her - the shadow monster had wanted his blood, but Rachel had stopped it and she had paid the price. He hadn't been able to save her, and by the gods, he would try to make up for that even if it took him a lifetime. He wasn't ready to give up now anyway.

You're in a giant ball of water! Get out of it!

Oh, right. That. But he didn't know how. His lungs were beginning to ache, and it wasn't like was a son of Poseidon so that he could breathe or manipulate the water somehow. He could wait it out for gods know how long, but that was a bad idea because he could drown by the time he got out of this sphere. Besides, Jason was stuck in here with him probably so that meant he could die as well, and Percy knew he was the best swimmer between the two of them -

Wait. He could manipulate water.

Memories came to the forefront of his head, somewhat blurry around the edges and monochrome - but the voices were startling clear. The first thing was her red hair, Rachel's red hair; it stood out in stark contrast with the gray areas of the memory. She was laughing, her green eyes lit up joy, tossing her head back while Reyna grumbled and twisted her hair around. Wringing it out? He had pushed her into the lake and had placed the blame on Jason, who had shoved him toward the water with his shoulder though he had caught his balance at the last second. He had felt guilty about pushing her in when she said something about catching a cold, so he had... concentrated on the water and imagined pulling it away, out of her hair, dispersing it into the air. She had rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder, but had smiled too and said thanks.

So, how could he apply the same principle to this wave? It felt like the wave was now trying to tear him into two separate pieces, everything from below his torso to go up while everything above his torso wanted to go down. And his lungs were beginning to burn.

I need air. Now.

His thoughts swirled in his head, ideas popping to the forefront of his head and then being quickly dismissed because they wouldn't work. He knew he had to move the water, but how on earth was he supposed to move such a large quantity of this stupid liquid so that he could breathe? And what about Jason? Did that mean he had to split it apart somehow? That was impossible! He couldn't--

Calm. Down. That voice sounded like Reyna, actually... Bless her. She was the only one who thought logically in the insane situations they got themselves into, even inside of his own head. You're running out of oxygen faster by panicking and you can't waste it what you still have left. Think quicker, idiot!