AN: Bold Italics are things that weren't in the books but I added.
Chiron looked at her saying she'd made it. Annabeth looked at Percy first scared then at Quintus and Chiron. She said she'd got the prophecy and would lead the quest to find the workshop. Everyone just stared. Chiron's hoof made a scraping sound against the door as he asked what the prophecy said explaining that the wording was important.
Ella squawked in agreement. "Different orders. Different things. Don't intreperet. More dangerous than to begin."
Annabeth said that she would delve into an endless maze, the dead, traitor and lost one raise. Grover cheered saying that the lost one must mean Pan, that was good!
"Yeah but the traitor?" asked Magnus. "That doesn't sound as good."
"At least raising the dead is probably talking about Nico," Will said. "Which isn't bad as long as he doesn't hurt himself doing it."
Nico rolled his eyes but didn't look to upset.
Percy said it didn't sound so good with the dead and the traitor. Chiron asked what the rest was. To rise or fall by the ghost kings stand and the child of Athena's final stand.
"It couldn't have meant you," Thalia said.
"She's still here," Piper agreed. "So it was a different child of Athena. Or it meant something different."
Everyone squirmed. Silena said not to jump to conclusions because Annabeth wasn't Athena's only child. Beckendorf asked who this ghost king was.
Everyone looked at Nico. "I'm not sure exactly. It could be Minos."
"But it could be you," Hazel told him.
He didn't reply.
There was no answer and Percy looked uncomfortable. Chiron asked if there were any more lines. The prophecy didn't sound finished. Annabeth said she didn't exactly remember. Chiron raised an eyebrow. She shifted saying it was destroy with a hero's final breath.
"This is sounding like one of the worst prophecies I've ever heard," Thalia said. "And I've heard a lot of bad ones. What was the last line?"
Annabeth didn't answer.
"Lose a love worse than death," Ella squawked.
Everyone looked at Percy. He looked back. "There were several meanings for that line. Just watch."
Chiron asked for the next line. She said the point was she had to go in and stop Luke and she needed help. She looked at Percy asking if he'd come. He said he was in immediately as she smiled and Percy's face brightened.
"You guys are so cute," Jaz squealed.
Percy kissed Annabeth's hair as she cuddled into his side.
She asked Grover too saying Pan was waiting. He said he'd pack extra snacks. Then she looked at Tyson saying she needed him too. He cheered saying it was blow things up time.
"I like the way you think," Sadie told him.
"No," Carter told her.
"Aw, come on."
"It's actually kind of endearing the explosion spell is her favorite," Walt said.
"This is why I love you."
Carter pulled a face.
Chiron said that went against the ancient law of having two companions. She insisted she needed them all. Chiron said to think it over. She was breaking the ancient laws which were there for a reason. There were five people on the quest last winter and three came back. Three was a sacred number. The three fates, three furies, three sons and daughter of Kronos. It stood up against dangers. Four was risky.
"Seven on the Argo," Hazel agreed. "Six came back. Two pairs of three."
"That one worked out in the end though," Annabeth said. "And this one did too. We've done quests with four and two before."
Annabeth said she needed to, please. Chiron sighed saying very well then said they'd end the meeting so the people could prepare for the quest. They'd go into the Labyrinth tomorrow at dawn.
"At least you're starting during the day," Jaz tried to say brightly.
"No time of day will matter in the Labyrinth." Hazel shook her head.
"At least you're all still alive," Frank looked at Percy and Annabeth thankfully. Then blushed and grinned at Tyson and Grover.
"How that is I have no idea," Percy said honestly. "But hey, let's hope that luck holds! Especially cause it seems we have two world ending events coming soon."
"Which you seem like you'll be the center of after," Annabeth said writing down something. "Let's finish this. We're almost done with this I think, the Titan War. Maybe that's all they want us to see."
"I have a feeling not," Percy shook his head. "My part might not have been as big in the Giant War but it's there, so is all that stuff after which is how we met Carter and Sadie. We're not done for a very long time."
Everyone exchanged glances at Percy's words. Being here for a lot longer didn't necessarily sound too good. But they had to be here for a reason, and it didn't seem like they would be missed. Magical places had different versions of times, right? Still there were things going on in the mortal world at the moment, things they needed to be there for. Hopefully this wouldn't affect too much.
The silence gave a chance for the next scene to rise. Percy was hugging Annabeth close suddenly feeling worried again, a lot like he had first hearing about her quest. She held his hand ad gave him a kiss before turning to the projection as it started.
Percy was pulled aside by Quintus as the war council left. Quintus explained he had a bad feeling and stopped when Mrs. Leary came up with a shield in her mouth dropping it by Percy. He threw it and she chased after it. Quintus watched her and said he didn't like the idea of the quest. He wanted them to know the Labyrinth was made to fool and distract people, especially dangerous for Half-bloods who were easily distracted.
"You could say that again," Leo muttered.
"How does he know so much about this Labyrinth?" asked Zia. "It doesn't sound right."
"He's probably tripped in," Samira told her. "Like Annabeth and Percy did."
"Yeah but Juniper saw him poking around too," Magnus pointed out. "Not sure how good that sounds."
Percy asked if he had been in there. Quintus said long ago, he barely escaped alive and he was a lucky one. He grabbed Percy by the shoulder telling him to keep his mind on what mattered most, then he could find the way. Then he said he had something to give to Percy.
"So what did you focus on?" asked Sadie curiously.
"The same thing I always do, helping my friends," Percy replied honestly looking at Annabeth for just a split second.
Zia shook her head. "I still do not feel good about him."
Percy looked at him and asked a whistle? Quintus replied it was for Mrs. O'Leary. Percy thanked him hesistantly starting to question Quintus who interrupted. He explained a lot like Percy was thinking he wasn't sure it would work in the maze. But hellhounds could appear whenever called no matter how far away they were. Quintus would feel better knowing Percy had the whistle but he had to be careful it was made of Stygian ice. Percy asked what ice? Quintus explained it was from the river styx and would shatter as soon as it was blown so it could only be used once.
"Is it that useful then?" asked Piper. "I mean Blackjack can appear almost as fast. And for him it doesn't work just once."
"Just being able to have help is a good thing," Percy shrugged. "Whether it's from Blackjack, Mrs. O'Leary or others. There are times I didn't realize I've called for help but I got it. I'm lucky I've had the help I've had. And Mrs. O'Leary's shadow travel is helpful, a lot. You'll probably see Nico show me about it."
Nico groaned. "I do not need to see that again."
Percy's eyes widened. "I kind of forgot about that after everything that happened after. I-"
He found then that he couldn't say more. Annabeth looked at him curiously but Nico gave him an understanding glance. They both forgot as they had promised never too. They had been forgotten too many times themselves for them to let it happen to any one else.
Percy looked at Quintus and narrowed his eyes and stiffened. After a moment he returned to normal, happening so fast it was barely noticeable. Then he thanked Quintus pocketing the whistle running off.
"What were you thinking?" Thalia asked him.
"Just about the last gift I got before a quest," Percy said. "And how I was sure that person was my friend then. Gifts aren't easy to trust."
Annabeth nodded thinking of a certain coin and a few others exchanged glances. Thalia's gaze darkened as she thought of Luke and Grover's bleat of annoyance made her fingers spark. With a deep breath she calmed down again.
Percy ran from the stadium and to the cabins seeing the Athena cabin. The silvery stone building was plain. He called inside and got no response. Percy stepped in looking around at the bookshelves and workbenches in slight surprise. Then he saw Annabeth looking through scrolls. He knocked on the wood saying the words Knock knock as she turned to look at him saying she hadn't heard him.
"Tell me you're actually going to kiss, or at least something," Sadie said. "I can't stand to see you guys keep circling each other."
"I can't stand to see them together," Magnus wrinkled his nose. "Too much PDA. She's my cousin dude, even if you're my new friend. All the cuteness could overload the world, let alone me."
"Thanks?" Percy said.
"Deal with it Magnus," Annabeth said giving him a look he wasn't sure he knew how to interpret. Beside him Hearth and Samira were laughing as Blitz gave him a look of pity. Alex however thankfully looked as confused as him.
He asked if she was okay and she frowned at he papers he had. She said that she was doing research but the labyrinth was huge and there was nothing useful. She blew a piece of hair out of her face, it was no longer in a pony tail. He told her they'd figure it out. She told him she'd wanted a quest since she was seven and he assured her she was going to do awesome.
Annabeth leaned on him and he kissed the top of her head. He put her arms around her and hugged her close. He knew right now that she was safe but he was feeling like he had then. He breathed her scent in again, lemon just like it had been that night. She used it because spiders hated lemons, or at least that's what he'd been told. They were safe now at least.
She replied she was worried. She shouldn't have asked him to do this, same with Tyson and Grover.
Tyson and Grover both started in protest but Annabeth quickly silenced them. "I was just worried. I didn't mean it. And Percy was there to assure me that you would be there either way."
Percy said they were her friends, they'd never miss helping her. She started to protest but stopped. Percy asked her what was wrong, was it the prophecy? She said it was fine but it was quiet and lacking her usual fire. He asked her what the last line was. She sniffed blinking back tears and put out her arms. Percy immediately engulfed her in a hug patting her back and telling her it was okay.
"That last line must be bad," Magnus said worriedly. He'd never seen his cousin like that. Even when he crashed his own funeral. The closest he had come was at the bottom of the bay of Sirens in this projection but now she just seemed vulnerable.
Everyone was staring at Annabeth who gave them all steely glares from her place in Percy's arms. They turned away quickly and she gave a satisfied huff. Percy's mouth twitched and she looked up to glare at him too. His response was another kiss.
She continued muttering into his chest that Chiron could be right but having all three of them along felt wrong. He told her there was no reason to worry then, they'd solve this like they did all their problems. She told him this was different. She didn't want anything to happen to any of …them.
"We were all safe in the end," he whispered to her. "I know that line could seem like it was about me, at Mt. St. Helens, but it could've been about Luke too. Grover and Tyson both got back fine. We all were safe."
"I know," Annabeth told him. "I know."
Then someone coughed and both of them startled. He apologized now bright red saying that they had archery practice and Chiron had asked him to rind Annabeth. Percy stuttered they had just been looking at maps. Malcolm stared at him and gave a drawn out okay. Annabeth told him to tell Chiron she was coming and he ran out as fast as he could. Then she told Percy to go because she needed to go get ready for archery. He looked like he wanted to run too but he turned from the door and asked Annabeth about the line with a hero's last breath. Annabeth asked if he wanted to know which hero because she didn't know.
"I mean that's a hard one," Jason said. "All four of you are still here. I couldn't have meant any of the questers."
"It didn't."
"That wasn't my question anyway," Percy finished for Annabeth.
He told her it was something else. The last line should end with that one, the word breath. Did the last line end with the word death. She told him he should go get ready for the quest, she'd see him in the morning. He ran out the door looking and pale and to his cabin where sat on the bed fiddling with riptide and looking at the pictures on his wall, especially the ones of him, Grover, Annabeth and Tyson.
"So Percy was right then," Thalia said gloomily. "That last line confirms it. And since it already mentions the ghost king and everything I'm guessing death doesn't mean death breath here."
Nico glared at her.
"No," Annabeth said sadly. "It doesn't."
"But you're all alive," Carter said again. "Unless you got more members on your quest or it addresses something else that's not what the line is."
"Don't try and figure it out," Percy advised. "It'll only take too much of your energy. As much as I hate it you just need to let prophecies happen and sometimes your choices impact it more than you think."
