Author's Note: Sorry guys, this chapter is more of a filler than anything else, there isn't a lot of action in it, but it is crucial to the story line, so please pay attention and remember it!
Song of the Day: Bonkers by Dizee Rasca
Chapter 10- Annabeth POV
Annabeth was pretty sure that she had been someone insanely evil in a past life, because that was the only possible way she thought for the fates to curse her with such a suck-ish life. She had dealt with being unwanted by her father and stepmother when she was 7, it didn't matter that they had recently changed, they were still awful back then, finding a happy life with Thalia and Luke only for Thalia to die right in front of her, be stuck at Camp Half-Blood for five years, Luke betray her and the camp, get attached to Percy and finally open her heart to him, only for the worst goddess in the world, Hera, to kidnap him and make him forget her. And that was not even mentioning the regular demigod troubles, like almost dying every other second from one monster or another.
Just once, why can't my life be simple? Annabeth asked herself. She thought that after the Second Titan War, after everything she and Percy had sacrificed, that they would be able to settle down and have a happy relationship together, but nooooo, the stupid goddess of intestinally challenged cows had to decide that her Percy was the perfect candidate to kidnap. Not even when she got Percy back from the Romans did they get to be happy together, because of course the fates decided that it would be fun for them to fall into Tartarus together, facing unspeakable horrors that left them forever mentally and physically scarred.
Surely after all that, she and Percy would be able to get their happily after ever? Nope, because Percy had to leave her and go with Frank and Hazel on some mini-quest to do or retrieve something that they didn't even know.
Annabeth knew that Percy didn't know how much him leaving on that mini-quest hurt her, otherwise she knew he would never have gone, but that didn't help her overwhelmed heart. The truth was, that after all they had been through, she needed Percy by her side, just as much as she needed her heart to keep beating; and with him being gone, she felt like she was slowly dying.
Maybe that was why when she saw Arachne, she completely broke down, even though her friends desperately needed her and her brains. The last time she had seen Arachne, she had just landed in Tartarus with Percy, who saved her when she thought she was going to die. With facing the queen spider again, and having the reminder that her Seaweed Brain wasn't with her and that she didn't even know if he was ok, made her normally razor-sharp mind panic and shut itself down in the wave of traumatizing memories assaulting it.
She hadn't even been aware of what Hazel, Jason, and Leo did to defeat Porphyrion and Arachne, and she had only been slightly conscious of Hazel pulling her up the hill to get shelter from the storm. Annabeth didn't know what had kept her from breaking down the entire time before, all she knew was, that the moment her body felt like it was relatively safe, she completely broke down in despair.
Sometimes being a daughter of Athena was as much as a curse as it was a blessing, because her extremely intelligent mind always calculated every possible outcome to every situation, and right then, all she could think of was Percy. The fact that he wasn't there to help her with Arachne this time, only fueled her imagination with all sorts of gruesome scenes of him being dead or worse, because she knew he would have been there for her if he was ok. It didn't matter that the logical side of her knew that he had no clue what she was doing then, her heart was running the show on this one, and all it knew was that her Seaweed Brain wasn't right beside her where he belonged.
Annabeth was so overcome with her long-suppressed emotions, she wasn't even aware of Jason futilely attempting to light a fire by rubbing wet sticks together, or Leo rolling his eyes, and snapping his fingers to light a spontaneous enormous bonfire. The only thing that was able to draw Annabeth from her misery was, a sudden shadowy figure forming from the smoke of the fire.
While she could tell that Hazel, Leo, and Jason had knew clue who this mysterious figure was, obviously assuming it was some sort of monster, Annabeth immediately recognized the form as her mother, Athena, dressed in a stormy grey t-shirt and jeans, with a battle helmet decorated with snowy white owls on her head. The sudden appearance of the goddess of wisdom was enough to shock Annabeth out of her crying, and force her to hurriedly recompose herself for her Olympian mother.
"Annabeth, don't bother to hide your emotions, treat them as a strength rather than a weakness. Your heart and ability to love only reflects on how brave and strong you've been; I am so proud of you," unexpectantly praised Athena.
Annabeth was taken so off-guard at the compliment, especially since the last time she had seen her mother, she had been disowned, she was shocked silent, allowing Athena to continue speaking.
"You must listen to me, Annabeth, while your emotions are a sense of strength, don't let them interfere with your mind and decision making. This upcoming war with the giants and mother earth herself, is unlike I've ever seen, and I've been around for a long time.
"This war is unique because before, it has been one species against another, but for this one, it is made up a variety of species on both sides. For example, some of the minor gods are on Gaea and Tartarus's side, others are on the Olympians; same goes with the Titans. All the giants, except Damasen, and a lot of monsters are on Gaea and Tartarus's side. As for the Primordials, such as Nyx and Eros are split. However, the rest of the species of our world, have sided with the Olympians, fortunately.
"I ask you, brave daughter of mine, for you and the rest of the seven to not blindly kill any creature you meet, but instead, to try to convince them to help you and us. Please try to forget any creature's past, any thing can help us at this point, even the Minotaur.
"Also, for the sake of the world, please try to forgive the Olympians, and myself, for our mistakes. We are not perfect, far from it, and we desperately need you demigods, our children, to help us correct our past errors."
Athena suddenly broke off, looking like she wanted to say more, but she settled for turning her head, and staring at a bewildered Leo, like she even though she was talking to Annabeth and the rest of the seven, her message of forgiveness was meant directly for him. Before Annabeth could open her mouth to ask what was going on and why Leo was glaring fiercely at her mother, the wisdom goddess spoke again, once again speaking to her daughter.
"Annabeth, I know about everything that has happened recently, from how lost you were when Hera, curse her, took Percy, to what you and Poseidon's spawn went through in that pit. I want to let you know, that as much as it pains me to say this, I give you the sea brat my blessing and my thanks for not letting you go to Tartarus alone."
All throughout Athena's speech, Annabeth was trying to keep an open mind about what Athena was saying, on how they couldn't afford to blindly kill monsters like they were trained to do and that they actually had previously evil beings on their side this time, when the last thing her mother said registered in her mind.
Annabeth was about to open her mouth to either tell off her mother that she never needed her blessing or to thank her for her acceptance, Annabeth still didn't know, but was interrupted by Athena's normally sharp stormy grey eyes, softening to an ash grey, and her mouth puckering into a compassionate frown.
"You must keep in mind though, Perseus is one of the most powerful demigods to have ever existed, and with that much power, there comes an unpreventable tragic fate. Remember what I said, my daughter, use your emotions to your advantage, but still be able to put them aside to let you make the wisest decision for all."
Not wanting to believe her ears, refusing to believe what her mother had said could be true, Annabeth immediately lost her temper.
"No! You're lying! Percy has beat the odds before, and he will again! You just want him to die because you can't get over a stupid eons old grudge with his father! Percy would never leave me, not even in death!" bellowed the daughter of wisdom.
Annabeth expected for her mother to yell, maybe even disown her again, she just couldn't deal with understanding and compassion, which was unfortunately what was given. Even though Athena's imagine began to flicker in the flames, signaling that her time of communication was almost up, the goddess of wisdom still used her time to try to comfort her heartbroken daughter.
"I understand your anger and denial, I truly do, but remember the myths and your history, what is a hero's fate? How many monsters has Percy defeated? How many enemies has he accumulated? You are my daughter, a true child of wisdom, think with your brain Annabeth, and not your heart, and you know what I am saying is true.
"Never forget though, I love you, even if I don't always show it, and you are so strong and intelligent, I could never be prouder of you than I am now.
Only after Athena's imagine flickered for the last time and completely disappeared, did Annabeth completely lose control, letting herself sink to her knees, and repeatedly whisper to herself that Percy was safe, that he shouldn't always be the savior or that it was impossible that he had a typical hero's fate, it just wasn't possible. Not even the arms of Jason, Leo, or Hazel rapping around her distraught body was enough to break Annabeth out of her trance, the only thing that would have been able to was the only current demigod son of Poseidon, and he was far far away from the damp depressing mountain cave in the middle of an unknown town in Montenegro.
It was with a heavy heart that the daughter of the crafty goddess, cried herself into a restless sleep, full of nightmares of the son of sea being tortured, listening to the thunder rumbling outside and the lightning striking trees not even miles away from their man-made shelter.
Disclaimer:
Me: "I don't own anything in the world of Percy Jackson, only Rick Riordan does."
Leo: "What kind of disclaimer is that?! That's boring!"
Me: "That is what you get when I am tired, and currently out of ideas for a new original disclaimer. Just please remember everyone not to post any spoilers for the actual Blood of Olympus!"
