𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒆 ― percy jackson

042. BACK IN BLACK

Yet, as she was trying to communicate this to Percy . . . All he could do was stare at her. He hadn't noticed before, but something about her had changed. Her chocolate short hair was now streaked with gray.

Annabeth breathed out in wonder, "She actually carried it."

Percy blinked, "But her hair—"

"From holding the sky," Thalia muttered, "The weight should've killed her."

"I don't understand," Percy said. "Why can't Artemis just let go of the sky?"

Atlas laughed. "How little you understand, young one. This is the point where the sky and the earth first met, where Ouranos and Gaia first brought forth their mighty children, theTitans. The sky still yearns to embrace the earth. Someone must hold it at bay, or else it would crush down upon this place, instantly flattening the mountain and everything within a hundred leagues. Once you have taken the burden, there is no escape."

Atlas smiled. "Unless someone else takes it from you." He approached the demigods causing Aurora to tense as he studying Thalia and Percy "So these are the best heroes of the age, eh? Not much of a challenge."

"Fight us," Percy said. "And let's see."

Aurora frowned. Leave it to Percy to challenge an all powerful being.

"Have the gods taught you nothing? An immortal does not fight a mere mortal directly. It is beneath our dignity. I will have Luke crush you instead."

"So you're another coward," Percy said. Aurora really wanted to punch Percy in the arm.

Atlas's eyes glowed with hatred. With difficulty, he turned his attention to Thalia."As for you, daughter of Zeus, it seems Luke was wrong about you."

"I wasn't wrong," Luke managed. He looked terribly weak, and he spoke every word as if it were painful.

"Thalia, you still can join us. Call the Ophiotaurus. It will come to you. Look!"

He waved his hand, and next to the group of demigods a pool of water appeared: a pond ringed in blackmarble, big enough for the Ophiotaurus. Aurora furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"Thalia, call the Ophiotaurus," Luke persisted. "And you will be more powerful than the gods."

"Luke . . ." Her voice was full of pain. "What happened to you?"

Aurora knew why she was hurting. After coming back to life and learning that one of your best friends turned to the dark side ( quite literally, Anakin style ) you wouldn't want to believe it . . . but here she was finally seeing it was all true. All the pain he caused, All the people he hurt came crashing down into one painful memory.

"Don't you remember all those times we talked? All those times we cursed the gods? Our fathers have done nothing for us. They have no right to rule the world!"