AN: Hey guys! I'd planned this to be a one-shot, but apparently it got to three chapters since I wanted to describe the battle that lead to his *cough* sacrifice *cough*. I know I sounded terrible writing story like this (maybe a little like Rick too?), but others also did and I know how it feel to read those sad stories (especially when the writer is really good at describing...)
With this idea in my head, I put my other stories on hold and get this one done ASAP. It will mostly be Annabeth's POV, but there's some Percy's POV too at 3rd chapter.
If you haven't known me or my stories, you can check my profile and there will be rules on how I write stuff, including the reason my grammar is bad (I improved a little, but...)
Setting: Blood of Olympus; Athens, Greece
Disclaimer: PJO and HoO characters/plots belong to Rick Riordan, the awesomest (and evilest) author I had ever known.
*Based on the Epilogue of "Silence", the 4th and last book of "Hush, Hush" series.*
"So... how has school been?", Reyna asked me, trying but failed to look straight at my eyes.
"Good", I replied, like if school would feel anything good. Not without him, anyway.
"You sure?", Reyna eyed the apple on the table and picked it up, examined it like the thing contains invisible poison. "I asked Frank to check you at your school, and his reports doesn't included any word relates to happiness."
"You what?", I asked incredulously, staring back at her with dagger eyes. How dare she spy on me...?
"Sorry, we were worry sick about you", she admitted, then turned to me and gave a slight smile. "You know, maybe you will need someone to talk to, or to prevent you from releasing all that feeling to some poor mortals."
I tried to laugh, but it came out cold and flat. Really, I'm not in the mood, and no sooner will I. "Come on, Reyna", I punched her lightly on the arm. "I'm a sophomore at college now, it's not like I'm going to send someone to the hospital or something."
"Well, if you need to talk with someone, I'm always available", she said, taking a bite in the apple. "I got some work to do inside. My soldiers may be sleeping now as we talk." With that, she winked and hurried inside.
Throughout the day, people had come over to my table trying to cheer me up. Which they had all failed. The pain was too much that whenever I think about it, I thought it just happens yesterday.
Today is the three-years anniversary of the day we defeated Gaea, the goddess of the earth. Three years since the last biggest threat to Olympus has faded away to a memory. Three years since I'd lost him. Staring in the cloudless sky, I remembered vividly the picture of that day, the day I will never forget...
-o-Fashback-o- *3 years ago, the last battle of Gaea at Athens*
I dodged a knife thrown by someone on my far left, then instantly blocked a sword from slashing me in two with my new knife, which belonged to a dead enemy.
That's how intense the battle was. I can hardly have any seconds to take a rest or to watch my friends around me. Whenever I disintegrated a monster, a new one attack. The amount of monsters Gaea sent on this battle is triple that of Kronos's a few years back. Also, this time we're dealing with more ancient monsters from as deep as Tartarus.
After sending an Earthborn back to mud, I silently cursed as Kelli walked toward me, parting any small battles in the way. The empousai dodged and slash at nearby demigods, and after a few slashes, stand facing me.
"Daughter of Athena", she hissed, licking her lips. "I wonder if I should finish you, or torture every pieces of you so Percy can watch." Then she lunged her sword at me.
"We already beat you twice, so don't be so sure", I said, dodging the move, then sidestepped and slashed her in the shoulder. The empousai growled with pain.
"Remember, the first time you have Percy", she said, using her metal leg and unsuccessfully tried to kick me. "The second time, Bob. Both are powerful, but you aren't."
I sidestepped her sword again, this time it missed me by a fraction. I thought about what she said, that maybe it was true I'm still alive because of powerful individuals around me.
No, a voice said in my head, you're as powerful as any heroes I had known, don't let her distract you.
It could only be my mom.
Sending a silent thank you to Athena, I stabbed Kelli again, this time on her back. "If you want, I can show you just that", I gave her a smile, in which she returned with a growl.
A cyclop stumbled backward between us in which Kelli solved by disintegrating it. I guesses she was pissed off to the point if Gaea is actually standing in front of me, she might try to kill the goddess as well.
Speaking of the earth goddess, she hasn't show up at all in this battle. Rachel Elizabeth Dare, our oracle, have predicted something terrible at the end, which include a sacrifice and other stuff I will have nightmare about.
Yanked back to reality, Kelli was trying to stab me at incredible speed, too much fast for me to deflect in a long time. My arms were sore, my lungs demanding more air. I'd been fighting nonstop for a long time, maybe even hours. It took all of the exercises and practices we had at camp to prepare for this.
Somehow I miscalculated my timing, and that let Kelli to have some seconds kicking the short knife at my hand out in the battle field. Being weaponless, I thought of looking for it but decided that would take away precious time. Seconds were now a factor between life and death.
I dodged for the hundredth time of the day and tried to get away from the empousai, but obviously she wanted to send me to Tartarus again, and that doesn't make me feel better. But before I could work out any other strategies, a certain celestial bronze sword crossed path with Kelli's, sending the empousai to stumbled backward.
"Seem like someone need help", Percy said with his trademark smirk. "Princess, do you accept my offer for this knight in shining armor to help you?"
I held back a laugh, even though we're in a very serious battle. "Quit it, Percy", I said, pointing at Kelli, "We still have unfinished job here."
Still with the smirk, he said, "No problem", and with that, he called on his own hurricane.
The radius is so large it pulled in Kelli among with a few other monsters and me. Except that somehow he has brought me next to him at the eye of the hurricane. Suddenly it's like we were alone with no one around us except of the sound of water going hundreds miles per hour. I felt the battle vanished around me, only with echos of swords clashing and people yelling. For the first time in the day, I finally felt close to Percy, the other part of me.
"I love you", I whispered in his ear. He turn to face me, and his smile may worth a thousand diamonds at the time.
"I love you too", he said, then pulled me close.
I can felt how our pains and misery slipped away, replaced with the happiness of having someone you love close to you. I don't care about this battle or Gaea, whatever it takes for us to never get separate. Then, I realized, how selfish that has sounded of me.
I pulled away from him, knowing this is not the place and there are still more important stuff to finish. "How about let's continue this after the war is over", I suggested even though a part of me doesn't like it.
"Alright Wise Girl", he said, releasing me with a smile. "Because of that, I would try to make this battle over as soon as possible."
Stopping his hurricane, Percy stood on the ground, facing the Parthenon. The spot was a popular place for visitors flowing to Athens, and also very ancient. More likely it would be use by a certain earth goddess to sacrifice demigods' blood.
"I need to check over there", he said, his face emotionless. "Stopping Gaea might also stop this ongoing battle."
Remember the horrible thought of two demigods being sacrifice, and how the prophecy has stated "...An oath to keep with a final breath" didn't exactly reassure me. "No Percy, we would fight this battle here, and together all of us will defeat her."
"Look at the battle facing us", he pointed to a few demigods and allies. "We're already tired from fighting, and trust me, not even the best fighter can keep up for long."
Following his direction, I saw Leo using his hammer as the only weapon against a bunch of ogres around him. Once in a while he burst into flame, but the fire is flickering; it doesn't burned as bright as before. On the other side of the battle field, Frank and Hazel were fighting side by side. The ground around them was clustered with holes like small meteorites have showered the place, and later I remember Hazel's power of pulling metals from the ground. I noticed as one telekhine slashed Frank in which the son of Mars just flinched and attacked back but at a slower speed.
The sight of all these things happening and how the monsters outnumbered us show one thing: we're at a disadvantage, and any strategists can agree with that. But still...
"Believe me, Annabeth", he said, looking straight at me in the eyes. I wanted the battle to disappear, but obviously I have to end it or wait to get myself killed.
"Alright, alright", I said, trying to feel strong and pushed all the emotions back. "You still have Katoptris?"
Katoptris is Piper's first weapon, a short knife like the one I lost with Daedalus's laptop. Based on what she experienced, the knife was more than a short-range weapon. A few days ago, it has given Piper a one-second vision, too short to show many details, but enough to show what's important. In it was Katoptris being thrusted into the bark of a tree, which one and what kind, no one were sure. The thing that haunted me is the fact there's blood on the blade. Piper never actually used the knife for anything else than for vision in the future and to scare her enemies. Jason has reassured everyone it was maybe blood from an enemy in the battle, but I didn't get the feeling that was actually what will happen. And now the fact that it was clean and new inside Percy's jacket makes me want to stall him from going.
Before I can stated anymore ideas to keep Percy back, he gave me a quick kiss then called out Blackjack.
"Be back soon", he smiled, climbed on Blackjack, and with that he disappeared into the sky.
Next chapter will be post in a couple of days, and I will finish this story before Christmas :)
Btw guys, check out my poll on my profile and vote on what I should write! (I have a lot of ideas...)
Don't forget to review also! :D