Pain and Tears
~Annabeth~
Falling, falling. The pit with no end was cold and lifeless. Except for the one thing that could keep me sane under any circumstances. My beautiful Seaweed Brain. We embraced each other through the pain. The bottom of the bottomless abyss was coming into view. Percy prepared to use the water to soften the fall. He was crying. His tears were falling onto my shoulder. I squeezed him, but instead, he let go of me.
"What are you doing?" I said.
"I am going to save you," he replied. The floor was nearing.
"How?" I whispered.
"Like this." He burst into a ball of white light as my body his the black, glass ground of Tartarus.
I woke with a start. The sudden movement made me want to throw up. I was staring at a plain white ceiling. I tried to sit up and look around but a sharp pain in my stomach told me that wasn't a good idea. Wait. I should be dead. Why am I not bargaining with Charon about the price into the Underworld right now? There was a slight movement at my feet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lady Artemis lifting an unconscious Apollo off of my bed and onto an empty one.
"She's awake!" a voice cried. Piper came into my field of vision, eyes full of tears. Jason was next to her, red eyed too. Leo hugged a sobbing Calypso, and Frank and Hazel looked like they had been run through with a sword. Warm streams ran down my cheeks too, from pain and from seeing everyone else in this much distress.
No one spoke until Leo broke the silence, "We thought you were dead. Thalia carried you back from the woods and you were soaked in blood. Percy was gone too." Calypso slapped him. He looked at her like, What gives? A fresh wave of tears came. Percy. His fatal flaw would finally be fatal. It was my fault. I should have stopped him. I should have let Kronos kill me instead of take him.
"It's not your fault, Annabeth," a weak voice said. Apollo was sitting up on his bed. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week.
"Lord Apollo," I said. It hurt my throat to speak. The words came out at the volume of a whisper. "How am I alive?"
"As soon as you were brought out," Hazel said, "Chiron called Apollo. He has been awake for 12 days trying to keep you alive." The look of shock that must have registered on my face said everything for me. "Yes, 12 days."
I sat there silently for a minute. My hand moved slowly to my stomach. I felt a neat row of stitches where Backbiter had made an attempt to finish me. My fingers inched down to my leg. They met not mutilated muscle, disfigured bone, or sterile bandages. They brushed against cold metal. I gasped.
"I tried my best. You had lost too much blood and I had to fix your stomach first. By the time I got to-" Apollo started.
I cut him off, "It's okay, Lord Apollo. You saved my life. I owe everything to you."
He smiled. "Now that's what I like to hear! Now if you could sacrifice a few-" Artemis slapped him.
Poseidon ran in. "What happened to my son? Where is he?" I swallowed a lump forming in my throat. I looked into Poseidon's eyes. They were exactly like his, sea green and wild, like the ocean. They were the last part of him I ever saw….
"We can talk about this later," Apollo cut in. "She needs to rest." I shot him a look that said, thank you. Everyone slowly filed out of the room. I took a deep breath, slowly pulled my blanket over my head, and wept silently for my Seaweed Brain.
—18 hours later—
"This meeting today has been called to discuss the disappearance of Perseus Jackson, and the return of Kronos," Zeus' voice boomed through the throne room. A wave of murmurs swept through the assembly of Olympians, campers, and Hunters. Zeus held up his hands and the room went silent. "First I call upon Annabeth Chase to retell what happened two weeks ago at camp that night."
Apollo helped me up. I ambled to the center of the circle of thrones, sweat forming beads on my brow from pain and exertion. I hadn't stood up since that game of Capture the Flag. I pursed my lips and put most of my weight on the god of the sun. The gods didn't speak, but watched my silently.
"Ms. Chase," Zeus thundered, "please tell the Olympian Council the details of the night that Perseus vanished."
I spoke for what felt like decades. I told them every single detail that I could remember. Maybe if they know more, they can find him sooner. By the end of the story, not only was I on the verge of tears, but Aphrodite was openly sobbing, Demeter had red eyes, and the campers were all wiping their eyes. I stood, forgetting that I couldn't even support my own weight. I collapsed and Piper and Hazel ran to pick me up. They carried me back and Piper whispered, "They will find him. Don't worry." I smiled a little, though she may have infused her words with charmspeak.
I didn't care either way. I will see Percy again, even if it's the last thing I do.
I'm sick today so I have time to write! Let me know what you think about this chapter. (You're going to get some Percy in the next update, too!)