17 Experience the Sky

As soon as I took the sky I felt its weight smashing onto me. The weight was not only physical but mostly mental. I heard a voice inside my head, sweet and tempting.

'Leave it, you are only a human, why bother. You are useless'

The moment self-doubt started taking root I felt the weight above me multiply in its oppressive might. I could not hesitate here.

"no"

'Just leave it, it doesn't matter

"NO"

For a while, I did not hear any voice, but physically I was already starting to falter ready. The silence was despairing but I would not lose, not like this! NOT LIKE THIS.

I HAVE FOUGHT MEDUSA, ECHIDNA, AND EVEN FUCKING ARES AND U NEVER GAVE UP, I will not give up to hold some goddamn over-glorified piece of metaphysical dirt.

Just as I felt the weight lessen, the voice decided it was high time to make itself known again much to my chagrin.

'You do not belong here

"Don't care"

'The world was perfect even without you here, Percy will win, even without you, demigods will die with or without you, what do you even hope to accomplish holding the sky. Face it, you are not even a demigod, your so-called friends will leave you for the next big thing, gods will forget about you soon enough. Leave the sky mortal'

...

Yup that hit home... like really deep... what am I even doing here, why do all this... just because Chaos told me? I always prided myself in believing I was free from the fates, from the gods, that I could change prophecies and all that stuff but why... why should I even do it, why even bother no?

The weight should have just about now become too unbearable to hold, and eaten by self down I should have failed to hold the curse.

Should being the keyword here.

The first thing to do before doing anything is to clear your mind, to solve your doubts, to find yourself an anchor to save yourself from mental difficulties, your moral dilemmas, to find answers regarding your meaning in this world, and what you stand for. Know yourself. Always.

"I am still free, I am still free to let the sky go, but I won't because I have things I want to do. I am still free to not do what Chaos asked me to, he is of course free to take away the life he graciously gave me. I am still free to stop being friends, no, brother with Percy, but I will not because I am free to do so as well. In the end, if it doesn't matter, then I am free to say that it DOES actually matter, that I CAN make a difference because I WANT to make a difference, and I am free. Ultimately free to do so."

The answer to these problems I agonized over for weeks was in hindsight very simple. Do I want to do something? Yes? Then I am free to do so. Can I insult the gods? Yes, I am free to do it, will they kill me? Well yes but they are free to do so, I will then not insult the gods not because I am not free to do so but because by living right now I am free to do even more things.

You could argue that I am still chained by a couple of things and you would be right, but I do not care, if I cannot change it why care. I am mortal, I am chained down by age, time, love, and other things and that's fine, I am also chained by my objectives but I chose them, so it is fine. This is not a perfect answer, but it is my answer.

"As such dear sky, I am free to hold you and you can go fuck yourself for all I care."

The weight eased considerably, finally making me able to open my eyes.

"You managed to fend off the sky for a while... A Human..." Atlas was impressed

"Yea, yea, go say hi to your daughters, they miss talking to you without the sky being a nuisance"

"..."

"What" I as him

"4 apples then, three hours... are you sure you can do it," he asks with a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk

"Hercules did it, and I will do the same," I say barely letting him finish

"I wonder will you actually let the sky fall if I leave you to it?" he asks with a smile

I just narrow my eyes, well if I do you will be the first to know, being so close, when we see each other in hell please remember to tell me how it felt" I say with mirth

"ahahah, you really are a crazy-ass... By the way Hell?" he asks with a raised eyebrow

"ah... yeah old habits"

"mmh, you really are no demigod... How, and why a human can do all this still eludes me, but I guess you are special. You said I am the champion of unshakeable will, I kind of like it, will you not get in trouble for having such a high opinion of a Titan?" he asks with mirth

"Probably, but while I respect you that doesn't mean I will not try to stop you if you decide to aid your father in his revival," I tell him with a wink

He widens his eyes "You are lucky I cannot kill you if you do not attack me first, and you can bet I very well would love to." then he smirks "For now I guess I need to say hi to my girls, good luck with that mortal, have fun"

"Yea, yea, it is a shame your best daughter is not here though," I tell him, he stops briefly before resuming his walk

///

I did not know how much time went by holding this thing, it could have been minutes as well as hours, but I did not even think for a second Atlas forgot about me, after all, he cares about this world. Gods and Titans need humans to exist, for how much they try to escape mortality they are ultimately helplessly tied to it.

The sky was getting heavier and heavier, I was now really appreciating how much drive Artemis possessed to be able to hold it for so long, while I just realized how much of a monster Atlas actually is.

I felt my strength slowly waning, then coming back, then shaking again, Chaos buff made it possible for me to get slowly used to the strength needed. Yes, I wanted to hold the sky not only to understand what the golden apples actually did but to buff my strength as well. There is actually a third reason, to do it, I needed to experience the sky to be better prepared for the Titan's Curse shenanigans. I had a plan to save Zoe and possibly Bianca as well, but I would need to play my cards to perfection, and taking the sky to free Artemis was the first step.

Why make an effort to save those two? Because I wanted to, because I could, because what use is there for knowledge if you do not apply it when it is needed. I want to make some changes, and so I will: for I am free, for I can. Am I egotistical? Probably; do I care? Nope.

"You really did it. You actually held the sky, I will be honest with you, I did not think for it to be possible, not for a mortal. But I can tell you are not simple.

I was too tired to answer the titan my strength after hearing his words completely left me, collapsing on the floor knocked out cold in Morpheus Embrace."

Atlas positioned himself under the sky once again a small smile donning his features, something that could have never been possible on normal occasions.

"I have a feeling we will see each other again mortal, maybe as enemies, or maybe as allies. I will have to thank you for making me able to hug my daughters, as such if we will indeed face each other as enemies, I will give you the honor of not holding back. Sleep tight while you can" he grins before exploding in his first laugh in a couple millennia

///

Groggily I open my eyes again, in front of me the muscled figure of the titan. I grin

"So did I do it?"

"Congratulations human, you just set a new record, from three hours and twenty minutes to a hopping three," he says with a shit-eating grin.

Raising my eyebrow I answer "So in the end you made me hold the sky longer than necessary just to have a laugh... Very clever, very clever"

"AHAHAH, I guess you indeed made me eat my words human. Who will be the first to know?" he asks derisively

"On the contrary Titan" pronouncing the last word the same way he says Human "you made me understand how strong you are. You made me respect you, a lot. And none will know if necessary, I do not want other titles attached to my belt, those are just a real drag" I say sighing while standing up.

"Anyways, have fun with the sky, I have to avoid dancing with the quartet if I want to save my skin," I tell him while walking away

"Goodbye human" a pause before resuming with an interesting question "Did you perhaps meet Zoe?"

At that, I stop. In the books he clearly hated her, why is he asking that question now... This guy... He is really a father, uhh?. I turn my head with a smirk plastered on my face.

"Yes, I met her, from what I was able to understand she has not only become incredible with the bow but is also confident, unforgiving, and a strength of character that has nothing to envy from yours." I see him grinning as if he just thought of something funny.

"Good, goodbye detestable mortal, hope to never see me again"

"I have a feeling we will see each other soon, call it a hunch Atlas. Oh well, goodbye" no answer from him while a walk away.

///

Tactically avoiding the girls who would most likely make me consume the best night I could ever dream for, while also the worst when finished and bored. I decide too munch on an apple, that could potentially kill me, but who cares am I right? Enjoying the walk and the sight of Aegle. She basically ticked off almost every possible box I could think of when it came to girls. Petite at least compared to her sisters, has long hair reaching her butt, a flat chest, and a somewhat shy but sarcastic personality. Shy and sarcastic, what one hell of a combo.

Not being someone that enjoys being a creep I decide to take a wider route basically circumventing them.

After finishing the apple I was about to take another when suddenly someone I would have never thought to possibly come here decided to apparate.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here, the human who is becoming a literal sensation on Olympus, stealing apples from the queen" her voice icy and clear, hammering every single word directly in my guilty skull. I am done for. "So either someone needs to learn what respect is, or he is just that much of an idiot to not understand the consequences of his actions. So which is it, Tom?"

Gulp. "Lady, Hera.."

///

A/N Exam very soon, I decided to send the chapter anyways, I had to remake it three times