Hi! Welcome to A Thousand Years!
For those of you who are new to my writing my name is Luna… Luna-Incendia14. I have another story called Heart By Heart which is also a Percabeth story. It's one of the most reviewed stories for Percy Jackson on Fanfic which is saying something I think… as well as the fact that it has only been out there for about four months. If A Thousand Years isn't really your cup of tea I suggest Heart By Heart as it is almost the exact opposite of A Thousand Years.
A Thousand Years is a more action, intense, mystery story with romance as well whereas Heart By Heart is more Hurt/Comfort/Romance.
So anyway… um let me know if you've read my Heart By Heart story… or if you're a new comer! Because everyone is welcome!
One disclaimer for this whole story: I DO NOT OWN! Short and sweet
And on with the show!
Chapter One
The vow goes: "Till Death do us part."
But what happens after death? What happens when the bond is finally broken. But is it broken? Is it possible when two souls have been in love for thousands of years?
True love cannot be stopped. Even by Death.
Or can it?
o.O.o
"You'll find me again," she whispered as tears fell down her mud caked face, her curls singed from the fire that was burning around them, the fire that was ravaging the town, that was destroying lives with just one of its burning flames, that was ending stories that had been planned for thousands of years.
But all stories must come to an end.
The man who knelt across from her in the scalding ashes of Pompeii cupped her chin with his hands just as he had done so many times before. He tilted her head upwards so that she was looking into his eyes.
"I promise, I swear on the gods that I'll find you again. Even Death can't stop me from getting back to you," he said. "I'll always come back."
They had suffered for so long, only to be given a few moments of peaces which were suddenly destroyed when the ash began to fall like rain on the town. How could they have known it would have ended this way?
"I don't want to leave you," she said, trying to stay strong just as he was. She looked into his sea green eyes and was comforted just as she always had been when they looked at her underneath those starry skies when he had helped her climb down into the courtyard and helped her run.
Run so that they could finally be together.
She had known the first time that her stormy eyes had met his that there was something different about him, maybe it was the tug in her stomach or the light headedness she felt, but there was something about him that made her smile every time he looked her way. They shared a secret love that should have been blessed by the gods.
But the sad thing with believing in the gods, is that they never wanted you to be better than them. They never wanted you to be happier.
So the only way to make them suffer was death. She guessed that she knew it from the beginning; that their love was doomed in a way that the great tragedies were written.
The man gave her a weak smile as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. He too realized that they were fated from the beginning to die. "You don't have to," he said.
They had never been more beautiful than in this moment, when the gods' wrath was pouring down on them with a heavy hand, they had never been more beautiful than in the moment when they were damned.
The man wrapped his arms around her, just as he had done so many times, drawing her closer. She buried her head in his chest as the ash began to burn their skins. He pressed his lips to the crown of her head, burying his face in her curls.
"I'll never leave you," he whispered.
And he kissed her, his lips tasting like char and ashes, like Death. The kiss spoke of last chances, they knew it was hopeless.
As the burning ash settled on them, they knew their love was doomed.
As doomed as the city of Pompeii.
o.O.o
The dreams weren't getting any better.
He had done everything that the doctors had told him to do. He had taken all the different pills, he had exercised until his bones turned to jelly, he had choked down every herb that they had fed him, he had tried every home remedy, he had even sprayed his sheets and pillow with lavender which was supposed to bring a peaceful sleep. All it did was make him smell like a girl.
It didn't work.
If anything the dreams got worse. It was as if they didn't want to be controlled, as if they didn't want to be kept back.
It was as if they were fighting back.
Telling him to remember something.
But the problem was. He couldn't. No matter how hard he tried the dreams just brought him nightmare after nightmare. All about him dying with a beautiful girl in his arms. Not the happiest dream.
The doctors finally had decided he was crazy or at least was becoming crazy. So they had told his mom that he needed to attend a school for "special" people like him. In other words, a school for kids that they thought were insane.
But he wasn't insane.
He knew he wasn't.
Or was he?
Lately Percy Jackson couldn't tell who he was. Half the time he was living in a dream landscape and the other half of the time he was trying to figure out what reality was. It was an incredibly hard life to live.
"Here we are Percy," Sally Jackson said as they pulled into the parking lot of a large building that looked like it had come straight out of a story book that Percy had been forced to read as a kid. It looked like a castle with large towers and great wide windows. Percy couldn't help but whistle at the impressive feat of architecture.
"See Percy, maybe this won't be too bad," Sally said turning around in her seat to smile at her seventeen year old son. Sally Jackson didn't want to leave her son at Goode Academy but the doctors had said that Percy needed it and that it would only get worse.
When Sally had first talked to Percy about the dreams, she was terrified, she would admit it freely. The dreams he described were terrifying.
There was always death. Death and fire and pain.
"Yeah, whatever Mom," Percy said, swinging open the door and hopping outside into the cold New York air. It was the middle of September, Goode Academy didn't start until tomorrow and went later into June. He unlatched the back trunk and grabbed his backpack and his duffle bag, swinging it over his back.
"Do you want me to walk you in?" Sally asked, hopping out of the car after him. Percy shook his head.
"Nah, I'm fine Mom," he said, swooping down low to give his mother a peck on the cheek. "Have a safe drive back to Paul."
Paul Bolfis was Sally's boyfriend.
"You have everything?" Sally asked nervously. "No laptop or ipod or anything?" She asked. Percy shook his head.
"None Mom." One of Goode's more… peculiar rules, was that no student was allowed access to their own personal technology. A radio would be provided in their dorm room and computers would be accessible in the library but that was all. Students could bring their cellphones but they would be turned in at the front office and returned only when necessary.
Percy didn't know how he felt about that idea.
"I'll see you for Christmas?" Sally said hopefully. Percy shrugged.
"Maybe," he said.
"Be a good boy, remember these people are only here to help you," she said, hugging her son who towered above her small frame.
"I know Mom, I know," he smiled at her to try and calm her nerves. "Don't worry. After all how much trouble can I be?"
o.O.o
"Perseus Jackson," the front lady in the office said, pursing her wrinkled lips as she looked at the teenager with skeptical eyes, taking in his ripped jeans, messy hair and leather jacket. "Gods this place has gone to the dogs," she muttered, looking down at his file through her small glasses which were perched on her nose.
"It says here you've been in multiple fights, be caught stealing from stores and have… oh this is interesting, a very vivid and wild imagination which leads to hallucinations," the lady said, looking up at Percy with a gleam in her eyes. "Did I read that correctly?"
"Yes ma'am you did," Percy said.
"There's no need to backtalk to me young man," she snapped. Percy opened his mouth to argue with her, but the look she shot him made him shut his mouth.
"I'll call in Mr. Castellan, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help you get situated. And he's such a nice young man," the lady commented, pressing a button on the intercom. "Mr. Castellan please report to the front office."
"He's such a good boy," the lady sniffed as she shuffled Percy's papers together.
The door opened and revealed a tall boy with sandy blond hair and blue eyes standing in the frame. He had a mischievous smirk on his face and a long jagged scar running down one side of his face from his cheek to his jaw.
"Hello you must be Perseus Jackson," the boy said, sticking his hand out. Percy dropped his duffle bag and shook it.
"Percy," he said. "My name's Percy."
"Alright then Percy, I'm Luke. Head Boy here," he said. Then he leaned in close to Percy. "Really it's like school president, they're trying to go all Harry Potter on us, they hope it'll reform us better but we both know that's not going to happen." He straightened up. "I'll take Percy from here, lovely to see you again Mrs. Banderswich, looking as beautiful as ever."
Percy could have sworn the old cow blushed at Luke's compliment.
Outside the office and in the grand foyer Luke let down his appearance. "You've got to be nice to the old lady or else you won't get anywhere in this school. That's all it is, play your part, act like you're not crazy and you'll get out of here. Act like you're not dangerous and you'll get out of here. It's all a game of charades really," Luke said. "But enough of that, I'll show you to your dorm."
Luke led him out the door of the front hall to the lawn where there were at least twelve other buildings surrounding the lawn. "That's going to be your building for your basic courses, you know Civics, English, History all that junk," he said pointing to one castle like building. "The one over there is your combat and physical training center," he pointed to a low to the ground building that was long. "The one of there that has all those towers in the library and the one next to it is the students area, it's got the cafeteria and lounge and hang out areas. And finally the building over there is for your special studies," Luke said, pointing to a gloomy looking building.
"Special studies?" Percy asked.
"You'll see," Luke grinned. "The seven other buildings are the dorms, one for the year you're in. You're a junior so you'll be in that one over there, you stay in the same dorm for all seven years you're here, We just rotate through buildings, when the seniors graduate next year's first years will get their old dormitory."
The junior dormitory was a tall Victorian style house as compared to the log cabin which Luke said was the freshman dorms or the Modern home which was the senior's. Luke pushed the door open and Percy followed him inside.
The inside of the large home was a massive foyer with a large chandelier which seemed out of place in a school for the insane. Luke headed up a large flight of stairs, Percy trailing him. "There are three floors, the first is for the girls, second for the boys and third is for the special cases." Percy raised an eyebrow at this. "Otherwise known as the kids who can't be near others. They don't 'play nice' as Mr. D says."
"Mr. D?" Percy asked, pulling his duffle bag further up his shoulder.
"His real name's Dionysus but he hates it, guess you can't blame the guy. He was sent to be in charge of Goode because he's on probation with his father but really that's a whole other story." Luke stopped at the second floor and took a right. He stopped in front of a door with the number three nailed onto it.
"Welcome to Dorm 3 Percy," Luke said, pushing the door open and letting him step in.
The room was boring.
The walls were painted a pale blue and there was a bed jammed in one corner with a dresser and a desk on the other wall. Percy dropped his stuff onto the ground. "I thought that I was supposed to have roommates, that's what my doc said at least. I'd have two other kids stuck here with me."
Luke shrugged. "Your chart says that you wake up screaming in the middle of the night so we put you in one of the single dorms. Consider yourself lucky, you never know what creeps you're going to end up with here. And I say that in the nicest way possible. Some of us can't sleep with each other because you never know what we'll end up doing in the night when we can't remember, don't worry we're pretty sure you're not one of the super crazies," he said absentmindedly and pulled out a pocket knife and began to clean his nails with it.
Percy wondered if Luke was one of the dangerous ones.
"Thanks," Percy muttered. "Am I the only one who has crazy dreams?" He asked.
"Nah, there's a boat load of us, that's why most of us are here. But some have ones worse than others and no offense but according to your files, you're one of the worse. There's a few other people as bad as you."
"Great," Percy said dimly.
"I wouldn't worry, they'll try and help you get over it," Luke said. "Well I'll leave you to unpack. Dinner's in an hour so I'll come and get you so I can show you where to go and everything. Sheets for the bed are in the closet."
"Thanks," Percy said.
"No problem, and honestly don't sweat it. We're all a little crazy here." With that Luke winked at him and then shut the door.
Percy collapsed on the bed, feeling too lazy to make his bed. He should have known better. As soon as he closed his eyes he was greeted by new dreams.
London 1944
The air was thick with smoke. It was hard to breathe from the dirt which rose into the air and swallowed everyone whole. He hacked at the thickness. He was suddenly aware of the pain shooting through his legs and stinging his lower abdomen. He let out a low groan of pain as he saw his legs buried beneath rubble.
"Peter!" He heard a girl scream. From the smoke he saw a girl crawling towards him. "Oh gods, oh gods," she said as she leaned over him, her blond hair hanging down.
"Your face," he heard himself saying, reaching up to touch the girl's face. It was hideous, with blood all over and bruises and glass embedded into it. "Adele your face."
She gave him a weak smile and then winced. "Peter you're bleeding to death and you're worried about my face? You're so stupid at times, you know that."
He shrugged. "I knew I was going to die anyway if I tried to come and find you. Death always seems to follow us, doesn't it," he said, sounding resigned to death.
"You're not dying yet," Adele said, pushing her blond curls from her eyes. "I'll get you out, I'll get help."
He shook his head. "No… it's too late Addi," he said and then he moved his bloodied hands.
A bullet was lodged in his lower stomach.
Adele choked back a sob.
"Blasted Nazis," he said, trying to laugh but it hurt too much.
"Peter," Adele said, tears in her eyes, her English accent lilting through as she said his name. he always loved that about her. When he first started dreaming about her, he had fallen in love instantly.
Then again, it was always fated from the beginning, this cycle they lived in. Dream, Reunion, and Death.
"Come here," he said, opening his arms for her. She crawled towards him in the collapsed room. She buried her head in his chest.
"There's no way out of here," she whispered. The doors were all destroyed, covered in bricks and stone. The bombs had destroyed the once beautiful hotel.
"At least we can see the stars, right?" he said, caressing her hair with his hand. The bombs had collapsed the roof and now they had a clear view of the sky.
"Right," Adele whispered. "The stars," she said. "Just like Pompeii."
"And Greece," he said, kissing her brow softly as she looked at the stars. "Except there aren't just stars in the sky tonight. Try and sleep love." Adele snuggled into his side and closed her eyes. A few moments later they both fell asleep.
And late into the night, the bomb came. Out of nowhere, swift and silent like a gunshot. It destroyed everything it touched.
And the cycle began again.
Dream, Reunion, and Death.
Percy jerked up from off of the mattress, a crazed look in his eyes as he took three heavy breaths, his heart pounding faster and faster in his chest as he looked around the room trying to gain his bearings. Where was he?
And then he remembered Goode Academy and took another deep breath. He wasn't in London in a broken building with bombs exploding, holding a girl that always seemed to slip out of his hands once he had found her.
There was a knock on the door and Percy scrambled off of his bed and opened the door. Luke was standing there. "Hey, you ready to go?" He asked.
"Sure," Percy said, jamming his hands into his pockets as Luke strolled down the hallway and down the stairs, Percy on his tail.
"Just ignore the strange looks you get," Luke said as they walked across the lawn to the Student's Building. "They're just jealous."
"Jealous of what?" Percy asked.
Luke shrugged. "Don't know, the fact that you got to stay out in the outside world for so long. Some of us have been here since we were eleven."
"It's not all that great out there," Percy said honestly.
"Try telling that to a bunch of kids who can't remember what a McDonald's looks like," Luke said.
"What about holidays, don't they go home?" He asked.
"Nah, most of our parents could care less about what happens to us. They're fine with us staying here. Gives them a chance to look like normal people."
Percy looked around the lawn and saw kids all heading towards the Student Hall. Some of them looked normal, like the kids he went to highschool with. Others looked less than… human. Some had pale skin which seemed sallow and weak, their eyes were sunken into their skulls and they looked sick. Percy shivered.
"What's up with those kids?" Percy asked, pointing to one girl who was slowly moving towards the Student Hall.
Luke looked at her and then looked back. "That's Olive, she's been here since she was eleven and hasn't gotten any more 'normal' as the doctors would say. Once she graduates she'll probably be moved to an insane asylum. Some of us look like that, our spirits have been broken so bad."
"Just as long as she's not a zombie," Percy said. Luke snorted.
"Nope, she's not a zombie."
Inside the student hall was a large cafeteria filled with kids all sitting and laughing around tables. Luke led Percy through the line of kids waiting for food. "At least the cooks here actually can cook," Luke said as he grabbed a slice of cake. "We don't starve."
"How many kids are at Goode?" Percy asked.
"About five hundred."
"Holy crap! That's a lot of kids," Percy said.
"No that's a lot of kids that the doctors claim are insane," Luke said. "Hey I'll be right back, I've got to go and talk to someone," he said, grabbing his tray and then disappearing into the crowd. Percy stood there awkwardly, watching him go.
When Luke didn't come back he found an empty table and sat down. He was used to it after all. At school he had gone from being the popular jock to the class weirdo once the dreams started happening. Sometimes in the middle of class he'd have a dream and when his teacher asked him a question he'd scream.
Last time he'd shouted out the name "Adelyn" after he had been dreaming about wearing armor and riding a horse.
"Hey you're the new kid right?" Percy looked up from his hamburger to see a boy with pale skin and dark black hair that hung over his eyes standing in front of him.
"Yeah, I'm Percy Jackson," he said. The boy slid into the seat across from him.
"Nice to know, I'm Nico d'Angelo, junior here," he said.
"Junior too," Percy said, looking at the boy with a suspicious eye. What had he done to get classified as crazy? Maybe it was the fact that he wore all black and a skull t-shirt with a black leather jacket.
"So where are you from?" Nico asked.
"New York City," Percy replied.
"Nico you're not supposed to start the interrogation without us!" A boy said coming up behind Nico with a tray filled to the top with tacos. He slid into the seat next to Nico and grinned at Percy. "Leo Valdez," he said. "Resident mechanic genius," he said.
"You mean to say repair boy," a girl said, sitting down next to Leo. "Piper McLean," she said, smiling brilliantly at Percy. "It's nice to meet you."
Leo had curly black hair and a mischievous grin which made Percy not trust him at all. It looked like he was going to steal Percy's cookie or pants him in the middle of the cafeteria.
Piper was a pretty girl with choppy brown hair with braids pulled through it and eyes which Percy couldn't decide the color of. "Ignore Repair boy over here," she said, nudging Leo in the side. "He goes a bit spazzy whenever there's a new kid here."
"Whatever you say beauty queen," Leo said rolling his eyes. "Where's Jason?" He asked.
"Sitting with his friends," Piper said making a face.
"And what are we? Chopped liver," Leo said.
"Apparently not friends," Piper said sourly. Her face was clouded with anger but suddenly she was grinning again. "So you're Percy right?" Percy nodded. "Welcome to Goode," Piper said, twirling a random piece of hair around her finger.
"Technically I don't think you can really welcome someone to Goode," Leo said in between mouthfuls of food. "It's not like anyone wants to be here. It's not very welcoming."
"Why are you here?" Piper asked. "What devious crime did you commit?"
"Huh?" Percy asked.
"Why were you classified as crazy?" Leo asked in simpler terms. "We're all here for a reason. Like I've run away from every foster care home I've been in because I swear on my grandmother's grave there's someone always watching me."
Piper rolled her eyes. "Yes Leo, that's called your foster parents."
"That's not what I mean and you know it Pipes," Leo said in a hushed tone. Then he looked at Percy. "Piper's here for stealing a BMW and then claiming that she didn't mean to do it and that she talked the guy into it. Can you believe her?"
"I did!" Piper said. "He asked if I wanted it and I said yes!"
"See what I mean?" Leo said. "She's crazy, this I can testify for."
"Hey! You're not the most sane person I've ever met!" Piper said indignantly.
"Yeah but we already know that and I openly admit it," Leo grinned. "Nico over here… well no one knows why he's here. Why are you here Nico?"
"I can see the dead," Nico said in all seriousness. Leo snorted and then laughed.
"That's the answer he gives us every time, can you believe this guy," Leo said. Nico gave him a weak grin but Percy had a feeling there was more to his story than he let on. "So why are you here?"
"I have dreams…" Percy said awkwardly.
Leo stared at him. "That's the reason? Heck everyone has dreams. I mean I have this great dream where I can light up in a ball of fire and then I have all these girls absolutely drooling over me," Leo leaned back in his chair, a dreamy smile on his face. "It's pretty awesome."
"Not those kind of dreams you idiot," Percy snapped. "Dreams that make you wish that you had never been born, that make you wake up in a cold sweat every night, afraid for your life. Those dreams."
"Oh… more like nightmares," Leo said quietly.
"Like Annabeth," Nico said, staring at Percy with his dark eyes.
"Annabeth? Who's Annabeth?" Percy asked.
"Annabeth Chase," Piper said, turning around and scanning the cafeteria. "She's been here since she was seven, rare exception to the rules. She's a junior so I don't hang out with her very much because most juniors hate the sophomores but I've talked to her enough. She's right there." She pointed to a girl sitting at a table full of people. Everyone was laughing except for her.
Percy's breath hitched. She was long blond curls which fell to her waist and for a split second she looked up and caught eyes with Percy. His heart pounded faster in his chest. Her eyes were a deep grey.
"Annabeth Chase," Leo said wistfully. "Most popular girl at Goode and the resident genius. Every guy wants a chance to meet her."
"Leo included," Nico said, leaning back in his chair.
"What about you Nico?" Percy asked. Nico shook his head.
"Not really my type," Nico said, whatever that meant as he stared at Percy for an awkward moment. Percy shifted nervously in his seat. What was with the staring?
"So Percy have you gotten your schedule yet?" Piper asked as she took a bite of her salad. "Do you have any classes with us fabulous sophomores?" Nico snorted at this.
"I don't know yet," Percy said, "Luke was going to help me figure out where I was going but as he's disappeared," Percy shrugged.
"Oh he hasn't disappeared," Piper said. "He's just hanging out with his girlfriend." Piper made a face at this. She seemed to do that a lot.
"Girlfriend?" Percy asked. Piper nodded and jerked her thumb back at the table where they had been staring at Annabeth. Percy turned again to look and saw Luke sitting at the table, his arm wrapped snuggly around Annabeth's shoulders. For some reason the very sight made Percy's stomach twist in anger. Why? He had no idea of course.
"He's her boyfriend?" Percy asked.
Piper nodded. "Yep, that's why she's quote unquote, 'off limits' to all other guys at Halfblood. Luke would murder you in your sleep if you even looked at Annabeth Chase."
"Great to know, thanks for the warning," Percy muttered.
"They're really close, they came here together along with another girl, Thalia Grace."
"Where's she?" Percy asked. Piper, Leo, and Nico all exchanged nervous looks to each other before looking back at Percy.
"She got sent away a few years ago, Thalia had a problem with storms. She was a little off her rocker in that sense if you get what I mean," Leo said.
"No I don't," Percy replied.
"What he means is that Thalia Grace was a storm addict. A storm rolled in here and you could find Thalia out in the water or somewhere dangerous. It was almost as if she wanted to get herself electrocuted. She claimed that she couldn't be hurt but we all know that's impossible. They tried to 'fix' her as they call it here but she rebelled against them all. She had a habit of rebelling. She was as dangerous as the storms were. They sent her to a nut house about three years ago," Nico explained.
"Oh…" Percy said, his voice trailing off. A girl like him, addicted to something that he couldn't control.
He hadn't shared it with anyone else but Percy didn't just have strange dreams.
He was an addict as well.
An addict to water.
Not that he cared to explain that to anyone else.
"So Luke didn't tell you anything at all?" Piper asked, her kaleidoscope eyes studying Percy. Percy shook his head.
"Great, that means we can show you around, including the lava pit!" Leo said happily. Percy nearly choked on his burger.
"Lava pit?" Percy asked. "What kind of a crazy institute are you running here?" He asked. Leo grinned like a maniac.
"Who knows? Sometimes I wonder myself," Leo said. "Come on, if you're done we can head to the Big House and get your schedule."
"I'll tag along," Piper said, standing up and brushing her hands on her jeans. "You coming Nic?" She asked Nico who was still leaning back in his chair.
"Nah, I'm good," Nico said. "I'll catch up with you guys later."
"Okay, have fun Ghost Boy," Leo said. "Let's go Dream Child. You're going to love the Big House," Leo grinned with the grin of a maniac.
That terrified Percy.