Chapter 1 – Annabeth's Birthday Party (Part One)
It was another peaceful night at Camp Half-Blood. The battle against Gaea had only just been won, and the camp displayed remnants of the demigods fight with the Earth Mother. Destroyed onagers littered the ground outside camp, and scorch marks left long patches of burned grass, like scars. The Roman encampment, perfectly constructed, took up a large portion of the valley. In the woods, the sounds of life emitted from the darkness. Bird calls, insects buzzing and the occasional roar of an unknown monster disrupted the otherwise quiet night.
Well, that and the sound of the ocean lapping quietly against the shores of the beach. Percy had asked for her to take a walk just before dinner, and she had (of course) agreed. After losing him for eight months, then literally struggling through hell together, peaceful quality time was all Annabeth asked for.
Percy's sea-green eyes matched the surf perfectly today, as per usual. He seemed so at home in the sand, like he was just another part of the landscape. If Annabeth had to guess, she would say that this was her boyfriend's metaphorical 'happy place.'
She slowed to a halt, pausing just to take everything in. Since returning from Tartarus, she'd been able to just stop and appreciate moments as they happened. Percy turned after she stopped. He had rolled his jeans up to his ankles, barefoot in the dunes. He looked at her with an inquisitive smile on his face.
"Everything ok?" he asked her.
"Everything is perfect," she replied, returning the smile. She started down the beach, but Percy didn't move. He had that annoying little half smile on his face.
"You know," he said, wrapping his arms around her, "I realized something yesterday. It's pretty important."
Annabeth interrupted him before he could continue. "You smell like Nereus?" she teased. Percy laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. It draped his black hair down over his eyes, making him look even more unkempt. She loved it.
"Oh my gods, you weren't even there," Percy joked, adopting a nasally voice.
"I didn't have to. I see you every day, I can imagine how bad it was." Annabeth could see her prodding was getting to him. He had a glint in his eye.
"Oh really? So you think I need a shower, huh? Well in that case…" He turned towards the ocean and closed his eyes. But Annabeth knew exactly what he planned to do. As soon as he turned away, she sprinted up the beach. She felt a small splash against the back of her calves, but managed to escape the bulk of the dousing.
Percy opened his eyes and turned, laughing, toward where she'd been standing. "How do you like...wait…Annabeth…?" He noticed her standing about 15 feet away. He gasped playfully, as if deeply insulted, and reverted to back to his offended accent. "You! I am shocked! After all I've done!"
Annabeth giggling, replied: "What have you ever done for me, Seaweed Brain?"
Percy rolled his eyes, reverting back to his typical sarcastic tone. "Oh geez, not sure. Saved the world once or twice, maybe?"
"With my help," Annabeth responded before he could even finish his sentence. "I was there too, or did you forget?"
Percy jokingly adopted the posture of the famous 'Thinking Man' statue. "Hmm...what about all those times I saved your life? Does that count for nothing?"
"Negated by the fact that I've saved your life just as often," I countered.
"Touché. Well then, I guess this party of yours that I planned tonight must be the only thing!" Percy's huge smile played across his face from ear to ear.
My jaw dropped. Suddenly, hundreds, and I mean hundreds of demigods spilled out onto the beach, hidden behind the dunes. I looked at Percy, who couldn't contain his excitement.
"It's not even my birthday!" she called over the cheering of the Roman/Greek cacophony. He laughed in response.
"You turned 17 in Tartarus! How was that for a birthday vacation?"
She simply stood, stunned, as the masses of orange and purple crowded around her. Someone picked her up, and the mob of demigods carried her back to the dining pavilion for dinner. She only caught glimpses of Percy - high-fiving Jason and Frank, hugging Hazel and Piper, and finally waiting for her with Chiron. Their counsellor turned, said something to Percy, then they turned and allowed themselves to be swept by the crowd into the pavilion.
The night was a blur for Annabeth. So many people came up to her, wishing her a happy (belated) birthday. Percy occasionally smiled at her from across the way, but for the most part he left her alone. She received some incredible gifts, best of all from Piper and Hazel. Together, the two had got her this elegant pen, with her name engraved.
"It's enchanted to never run out of ink," Piper said. "But it has a few other useful functions." Annabeth looked at her quizzically.
"Uncap it," Hazel instructed. Annabeth suddenly realized where this was going.
"Oh. My. Gods. You two did not-"
"Just uncap it!" Hazel urged again.
As Annabeth removed the cap, the pen grew larger in her palm, forming into a celestial bronze knife. It looked exactly like-
"Luke's knife," Piper said, seeming to read her mind. "We knew it was precious to you, and that we can never replace it, but…"
"...Sometimes you can't just cart around a giant bonesword!" Hazel finished. The three of them laughed. "It's hard to accessorize around, after all," Hazel continued. "A knife...that goes with anything. Any I think the pen is a perfect match for you." Annabeth couldn't believe she had such incredible friends.
"There's something else," Piper said. "I almost forgot." This was crazy. It was already the best gift ever, and there was more?
"If you look here," Hazel said, "there's a little button you can press." She pointed to a small round area on the pen, close to the top. "Press it," she instructed.
Annabeth did, but nothing seemed to happen. No, wait, she had moved the pen slightly, and it left a trail of golden dust particles in its wake, emitting from the point. It reminded her of sparklers on the 4th of July, the ones you could use to write your name with. Only in this case, the golden trail stayed long after Annabeth continued to move her hand. She was amazed.
"So many...possibilities…" she stammered out. "I could use it to design buildings in 3D! Or draw battle plans without a map!" She realized she was talking to herself while her friends looked on, beaming. Unable to contain her happiness, she threw her arms around the two of them. "Best...friends...ever" she managed to say.
"One more thing," Hazel said with a laugh. "Click the button twice, the pen goes on 'vacuum mode.' Or at least that's what I call it. Point the tip at the gold dust and it will erase by sort of sucking it out of the air. I don't quite get how it works to be honest. Click three times, and it'll erase anything you've drawn in the last half hour.
Annabeth was overwhelmed. She was itching to try this thing out, though she wasn't really sure in what form yet. Piper must have been able to tell. "My first suggestion would be to skewer that scoundrel coming towards us."
She looked up to see Percy strolling up to the trio. "Hey! Look at this," she exclaimed. "It's so cool, so many different uses!" She stopped when she realized Percy was laughing uncontrollably.
"Hold on everybody!" he yelled loudly. "Annabeth's got a new pen! Stop the party!" He continued laughing. "Once a nerd, always a nerd, eh Wise girl? My gift-" he was forced to stop by the celestial bronze blade at his exposed throat.
"What were you saying about your gift? That it's better? I bet you bought me what, a t-shirt?" Piper and Hazel roared with with joyous laughter behind her. Clearly, her guess had hit the mark. Without lowering her knife, she looked Percy dead in the eye. "Really? You actually bought me a t-shirt?"
Her boyfriend shot the girls a dirty look. "Thanks for ruining the surprise, girls," he said to them. Annabeth lowered her knife and Percy straightened indignantly. "And for the record, I didn't get you a shirt," he said with distaste. "You'll see."
Chiron had watched the entire scene play out with a small smile. "Alright campers, I think it is time we retire," he announced. His dismissal was met with groans.
"C'mon Chiron!" Connor Stoll piped up. "Everybody's having so much fun!" The centaur paused to reconsider, but shook his head.
"No, I think it is best if everyone turn in for the night." His decision was met with more groans and protests.
"Just a little longer!"
"It's not even that late!"
"Annabeth hasn't even gotten all her gifts yet!"
It looked like Chiron might actually have to order everyone to turn in, which would have been pretty bad for morale. Just then, Reyna called for silence.
"Chiron, you would not presume to tell my legionnaires when to bed down, would you? After all, that is my decision, as praetor." Chiron appeared troubled, but he shook his head.
"Fair enough, Reyna. I have no control over you or anyone from Camp Jupiter."
"That is correct," she continued. "And since I determine when my legion sleeps, that means our camp may be having quite the party tonight. If anyone should happen to wander in, well...what is the mortal saying? The more, the merrier? And if those demigods happened to be Greek...well I have no right to tell them to leave. Since they are in my encampment, on Roman soil, then they become my humble guests. I couldn't ask them to leave." She and Chiron shared a look.
With a roll of his eyes and a wave of his hand, Chiron directed them towards the camp. "Go," he said. "Reyna has outmaneuvered me in a diplomatic technicality. Not very Roman of her, but all the same...enjoy tonight." This change of heart was met with a cheer.
"The party has been officially moved to the Roman camp!" Reyna announced. Annabeth looked over at Percy, and he smiled as everyone began to file out of the pavilion.
"Be right back," he said. "I gotta go grab your gift. Meet you there."