The day they held Annabeth's funeral was dark and with constant rain. The camp's weather magic had been overpowered by the combination of Percy's and Jason's sorrows. As it was the storm was just barely straddling the border between a gentle thunderstorm and the early makings of a hurricane.

It was a dark day for all in the mythological world. Greeks and Romans alike mourned the fall of a tremendous hero, the dark mood amplified by Annabeth's cause of death.

It had been suicide.

The news had been unexpected and left many reeling. How could one so mighty and heroic kill themselves after everything else they'd made it through? Quite easily apparently. They'd found her in the bathrooms, her own knife coated in her blood. She wrote a note before she did it, and they found that next to her. It was written in a purely logical fashion, with practically no emotion evident in her words.

She explained that she wasn't really needed and was unable to function properly with the flashbacks and horrors of Tartarus constantly flooding her mind. It was something the others had noticed in the days and weeks following the war. It was subtle how she'd just barely flinch when certain topics were brought up, or how she wouldn't get within twenty feet of a flame, and how she couldn't face Percy because his presence would drag her back there.

It hurt Percy deeply being unable to help or even just be around the woman he loved but he hoped that eventually they'd work something out. But they didn't, and now they never would.

Percy stood in the rain on the beach as he watched the waves thunder onto the sand, the ocean reflecting his mood as much as the skies were. They'd just finished the shroud burning and everyone had scattered to their own comfort zones to mourn in their own way.

Which is why he was here on the sands trying to sort out the mess of emotions whirling in his head. Anger, sadness, grief, rage all fighting for dominance in his mind. Anger at Annabeth for leaving him, sadness at being alone among the campers, grief at losing the one he loved, and rage for not being strong enough to keep her from ever experiencing the pit.

Wrapped up in his conflicting thoughts and emotions he didn't notice anyone else was there until they stood next to him.

Turning he met the dark eyes of Hades. Surprise flickered briefly before being buried by the storm of other emotions. Percy turned back to the waves, too tired emotionally to care why the god was here. And besides, Hades would probably tell him whether he wanted to know or not so why bother asking.

They stood there for a long time, the demigod watching the waves, and the god quietly observing the demigod.

Finally Hades broke the silence. "I have a message for you," he said simply.

Percy turned and raised an eyebrow in question. "I thought Hermes was supposed to be the messenger," he replied.

"He is, but there are certain... groups he cannot take messages from," Hades said, "Hermes has been barred from entering my realm to take or deliver messages between the living and the dead."

"Annabeth sent the message, didn't she," Percy asked bluntly.

Hades asnwered with a slight nod.

This brought Percy's raging emotions to new heights. Did he want to hear from the one who'd hurt him by leaving? His rage and anger demanded that he ignore the message in an attempt at revenge. But the rest of him wanted to hear from Annabeth even just one more time.

Finally he turned back to Hades only to find the god gone. Hovering in the air was a pitch black envelope with his name in silvery writing. Reaching out he took the envelope but didn't open it. He wasn't sure he could face whatever was inside yet. Turning from the beach he began the long walk back to his cabin.

A/N: And that's the end of chapter 1, more chapters will follow depending on the response I get. This is a plot that I came up with one night so I'm just trying it out to see how y'all like it.