*Okay, so I usually don't like cliff hangers, but I just couldn't help myself. It was too awsome of a moment to not leave you guys a little cliffy. :) Anyways, this is Chapter 4, and I'll try to update as much as I can as soon as possible, but it's 11:08 and i'm super tired, so I probably won't get far tonight. Anyways . . .
(Author's Note: I am sooo sorry for doing this to you guys, but I'm going to have to let Hera take Annabeth's memories again. I know, it sucks very bad, and I seriously hate it too, but if I let Annabeth keep her memories then I can't do any of the cool stuff I have planned for you guys, stuff that invloves Aphrodite and a moment that will probably have everyone crying. ;) But anyways, again I am sorry, but this way more sweet stuff will happen, I promise!)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, it's all Rick Riordans, etc.*
*Chapter 4*
(Annabeth's 1st person POV)
I picked the photo up.
"Hey, Piper! You dropped . . . your . . . dad's . . . photo . . ." I stared at the picture. It wasn't Tristian Mclean at all. It was me. With some guy with dark hair and green eyes . . .
Suddenly, I wasn't in the Big Hall. I was in a volcano, kissing the black-haired boy. Then I was holding hands with him and we were being dumped into the canoe lake. I remembered that he could breathe underwater, and we kissed.
I remembered that he was a son of Poseidon.
I remember . . .
I remember him.
Percy. My Seaweed Brain.
Piper and Jason came running back in, panting.
"Oh, Annabeth, did you-" Piper started, but when she saw the picture in my hands, she and Jason stopped dead.
"Percy," I whispered. My hands were shaking, and the photo fell from my hands and dropped to the floor.
"Oh no," Piper gasped.
"I'll go get Chiron," Jason said, and sped off to find Chiron.
I fell to my knees.
"Annabeth, I-It's okay. Everything's going to be okay," Piper said comfortingly.
I stood up so suddenly, I made Piper jump. Ignoring her pleas, I raced out of the Big Hall and towards the Poseidon cabin.
Jason, Chiron, Nico, Thalia and Leo all saw me running towards the cabin and knew immediatly what happened.
"Annabeth, wait! Annabeth!" Thalia called. They were running after me, but I didn't stop. I ran faster.
When I reached the Poseidon cabin I wrenched the door open and stepped inside.
Everything was the same as he'd left it.
The Minotoar horn was on the wall with the sheild Tyson had made him, his clothes were on the floor, and his bed was unmade.
Everyone that had been following me raced into the cabin. I turned towards them.
"All of you lied to me!" I said furiously. "Peter Johnson? How could I have been so stupid!"
"Annabeth, none of us wanted to do this, but Athena made us," Thalia said softly. "She-she said you went crazy when Percy d-when Percy, uh, passed away, and she made sure Hera took any memories from you so that it won't happen again."
I knew that Athena did it for me, but I was still furious anyways.
"If Hera took my memories, then why was I able to remember him so easily when I saw the picture?" I asked, holding up the photo for them to see.
"Because, she said that anything that reminded you of him triggered any memories you had with him," Chiron said softly.
"Why are you guys acting like I'm so fragile? I'm fine!" I said. "My mind is fine. Stop treating me like a baby."
"Annabeth, we don't want to. But obviously you're not fine," Thalia said. She went up to me and hugged me, and I hugged her back tightly, hating the tears that suddenly sprung out of my eyes.
"Annabeth, I really hate to say this, because I still think it's totally unfair, but maybe Hera taking your memories . . . maybe it was for the best," Thalia said.
I stepped back from her. "No! I'm not going to let her take him from me again," I cried.
"Child, I know how you are feeling, but obviously you are not taking this well. Maybe having Percy removed from your memory was for the best. This way, you will have a clean break," Chiron said.
I shook my head. "No! I can't forget him. I won't."
"If it makes you feel any better, Poseidon is on Aphrodite's side. He doesn't agree either," Piper said softly. Gods, she hated herself now. She wished she'd never done it. But what was she supposed to do, disobey her mother? She wished Jason had grabbed the picture instead.
"I-he is?" I asked.
Piper nodded. "Yes. He doesn't think it is fair."
"Oh," I said, feeling gratitude towards the god of the sea. "And who is on Aphrodite's side about all of this, then?"
"It's Aphrodite, Poseidon, Zeus, Ares, Hermes and Apollo," Nico said.
"And Hephaestus," Thalia added. "Even though Aphrodite is cheating on him with Ares, he still wants to help. He actually liked Percy."
"And the opposing team: Minerva, Juno, Bacchus, Pluto, Diana and Ceres," Jason said. Everyone looked at him confusingly, and he sighed. "Athena, Hera, Dionysus, Hades, Artemis and Demeter."
"Seven against six," I said. "But why is Ares on Aphrodite's side if he hated Percy?"
"Because he doesn't want to mess up his relationship with her. He's self-centered, and dating the goddess of Love will give him a big ego," Jason said.
"I figured he'd be the luckiest guy in the world, dating a chick that hot-" Leo started, but Piper elbowed him in the ribs.
"Dude! That's my mom!" she said.
"Sorry," Leo replied.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and Hera appeared, Athena beside her.
Thalia pushed Annabeth behind her. "Just leave her alone! She can make it through, since she has us! She doesn't want to forget him!" she said.
"I am sorry, but it is not her decision to make," Athena said.
"It's not yours, either!" Thalia shouted.
"Thalia, do not talk like that to a goddess," Chiron warned.
"Please, mom," Annabeth said. "I'm fine. Really."
Athena shook her head. "No, your not. And I know you are about to argue, but Dionysus and myself can see that your mind is close to snapping again."
"No, it's not," Annabeth argued. "I am not going crazy just because Percy-" She couldn't finish, and swallowed.
"I'm sorry," Athena said. "I must. Percy Jackson must stay out of your head if you are to live a regular life."
Like last time, Hera raised her hands and chanted in Ancient Greek, and Annabeth fainted.
(Aphrodite's 3rd person POV)
"How could she? How dare she?" Aphrodite said, pacing furiously in her temple. "How dare Hera, after I made sure Annabeth found that photo. I specifically told Piper to purposely drop that photo for Annabeth, and then Hera and Athena go and ruin my plans! She had remembered him, for Zeus's sake!"
"Umm, with all-do respect, why are you bothering?" Ares asked, watching her.
Aphrodite spun around. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, Jackson's dead. Why are you calling a war if the little punk isn't even alive?"
"Because!" Aphrodite said. "Do you know how hard I worked, how much I put into getting those two together? I will not just sit here and watch all of my effort go to waste and crumble in the dust, and I will not just stand here and let Athena and Hera think they can get away with it!"
Ares sighed. "Alright, baby. Just relax."
"I can't!" Aphrodite said frustratingly, pacing again. "Percy and Annabeth are my favorite couple, because their the cutest, and it agrivates me that he is gone and Annabeth doesn't even remember him!"
"Well, I heard that Hera took her memories of Jackson so that she wouldn't go crazy again or something," Ares said.
"She did! And she only went crazy because he died! She loves him, and it hurt her to lose him."
"Loved," Ares said.
"What?" Aphrodite stopped and looked at him again.
"She loved the punk. Not loves," Ares pointed out.
"Oh, shut up." Aphrodite sighed. "She still loves him. I know she does," she said softly. "If Annabeth just got her memory back, I'm sure, I'm positive, that she still loves him."
"Of course she does. He only died a day ago. If she remembered him, she would be sad for a couple of months, probably a year, then she will accept she won't ever date him again, move on, and live happily ever after," Ares said sarcastically.
Aphrodite took a few deep breaths. "No. I won't let that happen. Either Hades brings Percy back and Hera gives Annabeth her memory back, or we will go into war."
"Well, I'm all for a war, but don't you think you're being just a little dramatic?"
Aphrodite sighed softly and closed her eyes. "I'm the goddess of Love, Ares. I know it sounds corny, but it broke my heart too when she lost Percy. I believed so much in them, that they would get married and have kids. To have that suddenly taken away . . . it stinks."
Her back was to him, so she didn't see when he put his arms around her.
"Yeah, Old Seaweed's kid did love the girl, didn't he?"
Aphrodite smiled, her eyes still shut. "I know he did. And I know she still does. He's still in her heart."
"Corny much?" Ares chuckled.
Aphrodite sighed again. "Yes, but when it comes to love, everything seems corny . . . but that's what makes it love."
"And you're really going through with this war?" Ares asked.
"Yes, I am. I owe it to Annabeth . . . and Percy. Percy Jackson will come back. I'll make sure of it."
*Okay, so i'll have a little of chapter 5 posted as soon as I add this to the story. :) And yes, sadly, this is the end of the chapter, but in the next chapter i'll unleash one of my 'suprises.' ;) And if the next few parts are a little corny, I'm sorry. I just got finished watching a new episode of Pretty Little Liars, and Aria and Mr. Fitz . . . OMG! It was soo romantic. lol Anyways, ttfn!*
