Alright, so surprisingly, I got inspired to write this entire chapter today, thanks to one reviewer's request. Thanks to (that's the actual name of the reviewer, not making this up), I am now able to give you guys a powerful chapter. Well, it's powerful in my eyes, because I nearly cried over parts of it. So, I hope that you all enjoy this particular piece, because there are just a few more chapters to come before this story comes to an end.

Please, READ AND REVIEW this chapter to give me your feedback on it!

Disclaimer = I don't own Percy Jackson!

Chapter 20

The Final Breaking Point

Percy's Point of View

"Percy, you can't do that," Grover said, trying to reason with me. But I wouldn't listen; I just kept on marching toward my cabin, determined to do whatever it took to rid this world of Luke Castellan.

"And why in the gods' names can't I?" I asked, finally reaching my cabin and marching toward my suitcase under the bed. "He did this. He has to suffer."

"Percy, you know this isn't the right thing to do," Grover tried once more, attempting to reason with me once more. "Besides, if you went out there right now, it would be a suicide mission. You're not at full strength. He would crush you before you could even do anything, and you know it."

"So what?"

"What do you mean, so what? Percy, you're not suggesting that you—"

"Annabeth would do the same if she were in my place. She'd do anything to get justice," I said, beginning to fill my suitcase with the bare necessities. For this quest, there weren't many clothes that I would need. And, as Grover said, it was a fifty/fifty chance that I would survive my encounter with Luke.

Grover grabbed my arm, stopping me momentarily from the task at hand, and made me look him in the eyes. "Percy, you know that she would consider every option strategically before doing something like this," he said, his voice levelled and gentle.

In that moment, as he stopped me from packing, it was then that I realized what had fully happened. Going after Luke wasn't going to solve anything. Annabeth was dead either way. There was no bringing her back. Sure, killing—or attempting to kill—Luke would be satisfying, but it would not do any good.

Annabeth was still gone…

"Killing Luke won't bring Annabeth back," Grover said, squeezing my arm gently.

A long pause passed through us until I broke that silence, enunciating out loud one of the thoughts that had been running through my mind since we'd arrived at Camp Half-Blood. "Why didn't they do anything…?"

"Who are you talking about, Perc?"

"The gods. Why didn't they do anything to help us?" I asked, turning my gaze toward my best friend slowly. "Why didn't Athena try and help us through this, knowing her daughter was in danger? Why didn't any of them step forward and help their children when they're about to die?"

"Percy, you know they can't interfere…"

"I don't care about their rules!" I shouted, yanking my arm out of his hold. "Where was Poseidon when I went to find Zeus' precious lightning bolt? Where was Athena when Annabeth and I went into Polyphemus' cave and she'd been hurt? Where was the Goddess of Wisdom when all of this happened?! They sit up there, all high and mighty on their thrones, and do nothing while we take all the risks and die for them! Why don't they do anything?! This could have been prevented!"

Grover still looked at me with gentle eyes, but I could tell that he'd been hurt by my gesture and my outburst. I don't think I'd ever gotten so angry at Grover, especially when he'd done nothing wrong. It wasn't fair to take my rage out on him, but who else could I turn to? Being angry at my dad and screaming at the lake only got me so far.

"Percy, I know this is hard, but you know they can't interfere, no matter what," Grover said, placing his hand on my shoulder gently. "Annabeth was the only friend I had at this camp, and nothing will replace her, but—"

"But what, Grover? Are you trying to tell me that we need to accept this? That we should just move on?"

"No, man. I wouldn't—"

"Because I can't. Annabeth was the only good thing about this camp, and now she's gone," I said, beginning to feel my body shake with sobs that were soon to come. Moving my head to the side and looking out the window, I saw nothing but the water for miles, still as my girlfriend's body in the infirmary. "I can't forget about her. I can't…"

A single tear fell down my cheek as I continued to stare at the ocean. Before, it brought me so much peace to simply gaze at the blue water. But now, it only brought back memories of my love's still body, limp in my arms as the life drained out of her. It made me realize that even the mightiest of heroes could not save the ones they love.

"I failed her…"

"Percy… You didn't fail Annabeth."

"Yes, I did. She trusted me to help her, and I let her die. It's my fault she's gone," I said, turning away from my best friend as the sobs began to make their way up my throat, threatening to be released.

"If Annabeth were still here, she'd tell you this wasn't your fault."

"Well, now she can't. Annabeth can't ever tell us anything anymore," I said, wrapping my arms around my body to try and contain my emotions. But it was like trying to seal an old and broken pipe. The water would soon spill out. "I need some air…"

"Percy, please…" Grover tried to say, hoping that I would let him help me.

But it was no use. I shot straight out of my cabin and ran along the water, trying to find an isolated spot to break down, away from all of the other campers.

As I ran on the rocky shore, tears willing falling down my face, Annabeth's death finally hit me full force. The girl who had saved my butt more times than I could count was gone. I had failed her. She had trusted me to heal her before the five days were up and I couldn't help her.

I'd been too late to save my Wise Girl.

While running blindly, my foot had snagged on a branch and began to propel me forward, making me land hard on the rocks, forcing my skin open on various parts of my body. But the pain didn't bother me. This miniscule pain was nothing compared to what Annabeth had gone through in the five days that I was gone. I hadn't even been by her side to help her…

Placing my forehead against the rocky shore, I curled my hands into fists and simply lay against the shore, letting the waves hit me from time to time.

"I'm so sorry, Annabeth… I'm so sorry…" I whispered to no one, but hoping deep down that Annabeth could hear me from wherever she may be. I just hoped that she had ended up in Elysium, where she belonged.

With that thought in mind, I began to cry for the first time in years.

Chiron's Point of View

It broke my heart to watch Percy storm out of the infirmary, so heartbroken by this change of events. In the mere several minutes he'd been here, Percy had tried to do everything to save Annabeth, but nothing had worked. And now, Thalia and I were the only ones left in the room, watching over the fallen Athena girl.

Looking down at the pale Annabeth Chase, memories of the past few days began to surface to the forefront of my mind, especially in the last few moments before she closed her eyes for good.

Things had gotten worse for Annabeth since Percy left on his quest for the antidote. And now, as we reached the fifth day of this quest, Annabeth was barely hanging on.

Since she'd been infected, the prototypes that continued to attack her system seemed to have made her temperature fluctuate drastically, going from boiling hot to cold in just a few hours. Now, her skin was nearly as cold as ice. Annabeth's skin was as pale as the sheets she lay under, her lips had turned nearly purple because of the drop in temperature, and she could barely move a muscle.

Every day, I tried to make her more comfortable, so the pain would not bother her as much, but it seemed like an impossible task now.

Thankfully, the pain didn't seem to bother her too much anymore, or maybe she just tuned it out.

Just a few moments before Percy and the others had arrived, I'd placed a warm cloth on Annabeth's forehead and began to pull back the blankets to check on her wound, hoping to stop the incessant bleeding. But Annabeth wouldn't have it.

The young Chase grabbed my hand with the little strength she had left and opened her eyes a crack. "Chiron…" she croaked out, her voice barely above a whisper.

Those gray eyes of her had lost nearly all of their life since her symptoms had worsened. And today, they looked defeated, as if she was giving up against these prototypes inside her. But Annabeth couldn't give up. Percy would come in time and save her.

"There's no use…"

I shook my head and placed my free hand against her clammy one on my wrist. "Annabeth, you will survive this. I have faith that Percy is on his way with the antidote as we speak," I said, trying to soothe her. But she would not let go of my arm.

"We both know…that I won't make it through… Even if Percy came…it wouldn't be enough…" Annabeth said, her strength leaving her with every word vocalized.

Shooting her a small smile, I squeezed her hand gently and began stroking her hair soothingly. I'd seen Annabeth grow up at Camp Half-Blood. In a sense, I'd grown to see her as a daughter, and it broke my heart to see her in such pain. With that simple gesture, I had hoped that it would not only calm her, but myself as well. I could not lose her, and neither could Percy.

He had to come soon…

"Save your strength, Annabeth," I said, continuing the fatherly gesture on her hair. "Percy will come and help you soon. I know he will. You will be just fine, Annabeth."

I believe Annabeth tried to chuckle, but it sounded more like a whimper than anything else, which made me worry even more about her health. She was deteriorating quickly, that much was certain.

"Always such an optimist…" Her tone suddenly darkened and she looked at me sadly, almost realizing that her time was running out. "Chiron… Please tell Percy…that I love him…"

"You can tell him that yourself, Annabeth. You won't—"

"I know I'm dying…" Annabeth said, interrupting me as her hand steadily began to go limp around my arm. No… She couldn't leave us. "I can feel it… But I want Percy to know…that this wasn't his fault… I knowhe tried everything…but it wasn't enough…"

"Annabeth, don't talk like that. He'll come for you."

"I can tell that it'll be too late…" she said, trying to remain strong in her final minutes. Suddenly, her eyes closed and she let out a gasped breath, almost as if pain once again surged through her. The prototypes were attacking her system again. I grasped her hand around my wrist and held on for dear life, almost wishing I could transfer my energy into her body.

"Annabeth, hang on, please."Please, don't go…

Annabeth finally opened her eyes again, but looked as if she was accepting Death as an old friend. No, the Fates would not take her!

"Thank you…for everything…" she whispered before her hand released my wrist.

And with that, the young Annabeth Chase took her final breath just as Percy's feet could be heard, bounding up the steps of the infirmary.

I shook my head to try and remove the memory, too distraught by this passing to try and dwell on it. Annabeth had suffered so much and continuing to dwell on her pain seemed pointless. He'd come so close to saving her, and yet it wasn't enough.

Luke Castellan had accomplished his goal.

Annabeth would not see another sunset on Camp Half-Blood.

Turning to Thalia, my heart broke once more as she continued to weep beside the bed, holding onto Annabeth's cold hand. They had been friends since before they arrived at Camp Half-Blood. The two girls had gone through so much together, and now it had come to an end. This should have never happened.

Wheeling myself over to her, I placed my hand on her shoulder delicately. Sobs wracked through her body, and nothing seemed to stop them.

"Thalia, we must bring her—"

My sentence was cut short when a blinding light came from the side, forcing me to hide my face from the light. When it subsided, I was able to turn my head, only to be taken aback by what was in front of me.

It had been a long time since I'd seen such a bright light up close, and usually, whenever it appeared, it was never a good sign.

Until now.

So, was this chapter satisfying? Did you all like how it was portrayed? And what might have happened at the end of this chapter? You can all find out in the next chapter, but you all have to REVIEW first! I want to hear your point of view on this chapter first before doing anything with the next one!

Mortal-paralight

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