Re-write definitely in process! As you could see in this chapter. So, in my other version of ISL, Annabeth cheated on Percy and just a really cliché plot to begin with. Now, there is absolutely no Annabeth-bashing as I just love the girl. No evil characters (or outright evil, even I'm not sure yet). Just overall better. More information on the rewrite- go to my bio! Lot's of information there!
Thank you for all your support even when I wasn't writing and have I told you guys how much I lock you because I love you guys so much for sticking with the story. Thank you.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the material that is Rick Riordan's, as they belong to Rick Riordan.
Enjoy the rewritten version!
Percy feels the ground start to lose their stability under his feet in a metaphorical sense. The world is spinning - he doesn't know what exactly is happening but he knows he isn't actually dizzy in real life. It's like at the beach and you're in the shallow part of the water and the tide comes in and everything is overwhelming for a moment and then the tide goes back to sea, but the sea takes with it the sand under his feet. So the sand is trying to settle again and people lose their balance and laugh because the sand is like moving under their feet and it tickles! But the way Percy is thinking isn't cute like at the beach with the family. No, he's thinking about the angry tide during a thunderstorm (during one of Zeus's theatrics, no doubt) and the tide takes so much sand under his feet that he falls and falls and falls.
Yeah, that's how it feels at this very moment.
Percy watches Annabeth (his most dearest Annabeth – the girl he lost his virginity to – the girl he fell for – the light in his life – his anchor to the mortal world to not get burned to a crisp by the Achilles' curse – the girl he thought the hunters would take away from him when he was thirteen – the girl he is absolutely stupidly in love with) as she runs a hand through her natural curly hair that beats all the other girls' hair by a mile. Percy watches her as she tries to compose herself.
"I know this is a lot to handle-" she tries. Her voice, the one he can listen to for hours even if she were only reading a dictionary, is stubborn but still understanding.
"You're trying to break up with me!" Percy yells, trying to defend himself. He shakes his head and puts his hands to the top of his head while slouching a bit. Why is this happening? Why was he cursed with such bad luck? What had he done is his previous life to deserve this? He really is tired now and just wants to crawl into his messy bed in his mom's apartment (not Camp Half Blood).
"Percy, even you can't deny that we have changed ever since the war!" Annabeth is shouting now, matching his (desperate) tone of voice with a calculating voice to win the argument. But Percy can hear, oh how he can hear, that slight crack in her voice.
And she's right about the fact that they have changed since the war. They, and everybody else.
Three hundred and seventy-two days since the Giant War against Gaea ended. That was the war that really put the demigods to the test and made them know what they are worth. It was taxing, both physically and mentally. The camp is still recovering from the war, casualties and everything.
It's harder to get over a war when it was your half-brothers and sisters that died.
The war left unmistakable imprints on every demigod, but more so on the Seven of the prophecy. Or maybe they should be know as the Five of the prophecy, considering that's how many got out of the war alive.
Piper's screams can be heard from around campus at night. She screams for Leo, who will never ever be able to crack another bad joke to her, she screams for Jason, who comes flying across campus to help her with her night terrors, she screams for Hazel, who is in the underworld with her father and no doubt pining for her young love that could turn into animals.
Frank doesn't come around camp that much anymore, or even talk to his friends that much since Hazel died in the final battle of the Giant war. No, he's too busy as praetor to deal with Greek demigod affairs. He does have a whole legion of rowdy Roman demigods to deal with so Percy doesn't blame him for not showing his face to the Greek demigods. Thankfully Reyna is there to lend a helping hand to him.
Annabeth has become paranoid, always believing that somebody will betray her (Percy tries not to think But I never betrayed you, Annabeth. Not like Luke did so I don't understand why you still like him more than me even though he is dead. But he's a human being and he has faults too). It seems as though she is so much more annoyed with him now than before the war. Instead of laughing at his jokes and immaturity, she's shaking her head and sighing in annoyance before talking to him in a baby-ing manner. He notices her looking off into the distance and he can't help but to know that she's not thinking about him, but more of a guy with blonde hair and a scar that went down his face. And dead. Don't forget about dead.
Percy hates to think that dear dear Annabeth has changed. But Percy knows it isn't from just one war. It's the after-effects of two wars and about five years of betrayal, confusion, and hurt finally getting to her.
"I'm sorry, Percy. I honestly am. I don't think I'm going to stay in the United States. I don't want to be at the gods' beck and call anymore. Not like for the last twelve years. I… I want to be beyond the gods' control. No more prophecies, no more quests, no more monsters, and no more war." She lets out a feral laugh, one that he has never seen or heard in his life, and Percy's not sure that he ever wants to hear it again. "I don't know if I'll be able to get through another war as a whole person. I just can't take it anymore." And that is when her voice totally cracks.
Annabeth Chase, the girl who he wholly believed was infallible and was strong and was a warrior and could take anything and dish it back five times over is here, standing on the beach with him, confessing that she is just as broken as all the other demigods, maybe even worse. Probably, because she's the one that went through both wars with him every step of the way.
But I'm not broken yet, so why are you? You're stronger than me… At least, I thought so. Percy will never say these words out loud. Never to Annabeth.
As he looks at her, she transforms. She no longer is that strong girl, but rather a pathetic girl who lost too much weight in the last year, who had bags under her eyes that looked like they weighed one hundred pounds, and a fidgety posture. One ready to attack anybody at any second. As if the monsters, in the last one hundred years, has acquired the power to shape-shift into demigods and get past the border of Thalia's Pine Tree That No Longer Had Thalia In It.
Percy's eyes prickle with tears that were uninvited at this sight, so he looks at a calmer scene of the water. It's such a shame that today is such a nice day to get broken up with by his girlfriend of three years because she is just as broken as the other four of the prophecy (and himself, but he won't admit that's he's broken).
The water is glistening in the sunlight and the birds are beautifully chirping. But gods damn it, the tears aren't going away.
He tries, honest, to speak to her as if nothing is wrong but his voice cracks in the middle, "Where do you plan to go?"
Her presence shifts and she's right next to him. She's looking at the water and she looks so serene that he can just hear his heart break. How much has she been hiding to be so peaceful at just water? She's damaged, and Percy doesn't know why but he blames himself.
"I'm thinking of going to Alaska. Truly out of the gods' reach. I'm just so done, Percy." She's so wistful while she's sharing her dreams with him, dreams that have nothing to do with him because even he knows that the gods will always hunt him down to complete the damn prophecy. Plans without him. It's funny how that's the part his mind is circulating.
He crosses his arms over his chest. "When are you leaving?"
She seems thoughtful, so he glances at her from his peripheral vision. She's silent.
"Annabeth?"
Annabeth snaps out of the moment in her head and is back to the moment she's sharing with Percy. "What?"
"When are you heading out?"
"As soon as humanly possible," she says. She's laughing as if it's an inside joke that only she understands.
He tightens his hold on his arms against his chest as he prepares himself to ask her a question.
"Will you miss me?"
She doesn't hesitate. "Percy, I will miss you more than words can allow. You were and are my best friend since we were twelve. I'm going to miss you so much, and this is so hard for me, and I'm so sorry but this is something that I have to do and I really hope you understand."
The damn breaks. He envelopes her in a one-arm hug and holds her as she sobs into his shirt and he can't help but cry a little bit too in the setting sun.
He does one more act to break his heart even further. He draws her even closer than before and he brings his lips to her temple and presses a kiss there.
"I'll always be there for you… I'll always love you... You can always count one me," he whispers into her hair right by her ear. She nods and pulls out of the embrace, her face stained with the tears that were momentarily there.
She smiles, teary with red-rimmed eyes. She cups his cheek with her slightly scarred hand and he holds it there. She leans in and kisses his opposite cheek, whispering, "Goodbye, Percy."
Then she's walking away all too fast and he just wants to reach out and yell, "Take me with you!"
But he doesn't and he watches her retreating figure.
He really can't help but cry.
It's three days after their sad departing (Percy can't bring himself to say 'break up' yet) when the camp wakes up to find a note at the mess hall.
I'm sorry to be leaving like this. I really am. Please don't look for me. I'm leaving on purpose. I just can't take the demigod's life anymore. Camp and its inhabitants have been my family for over ten years. I will not forget Camp Half-Blood. It's only that I cannot bear the pain the demigod's life anymore, and I'm sorry. So these are my last goodbyes, but know that you all mean the world to me.
Piper, I love you like a sister. Be strong.
Jason, look after Piper. She needs you. It was good knowing you.
Malcolm, watch over the Athena Cabin. They need a leader and you're fit to be one. I love you, big brother.
Athena Cabin, you guys have been through so much with me and I thank you. You're all my little and big brothers and sisters. Wouldn't change that for anything. Stay safe and I love you.
Percy Jackson, I don't know what to say. But I know I love you. I will always love you. Stay safe, and I wish you the best of luck in a demigod's life.
Camp Half Blood, we have been through so much together. Been through two wars, and I wouldn't have a better army. Thank you for all this time spent together.
With best regards,
Annabeth Chase
Rewritten as of 6/06/2014.
