Frank's P.O.V
I thought about the previous chapter. About Annabeth's thoughts, Percy wasn't the type of guy to manipulate someone intentionally; I think we all knew that. He did trust though, sometimes blindly, he certainly had with me in the beginning, I thought that maybe Annabeth's first thought was correct that he trusted the Titan, which in itself was a scary thought. Just because he'd lost his memory, didn't make him safe, especially down there, I thought about what I might have done had it have been me and Hazel down there. Nico had once said that even for him as a son of Hades the things he had seen were horrifying. I realised that I too would probably have accepted the Titan's help out of desperation if nothing else and I would do anything to keep Hazel safe, as Percy would Annabeth. Don't over think Zhang! What did you and Annabeth agree? Keep it simple.
But it was simple, I thought, Percy was trusting Bob out of desperation to keep Annabeth safe, because that was what my best friend cared about most.
Nico's P.O.V
I had always admired Percy; it was one of the reasons I used to have a crush on him. I don't know how he and Annabeth survived the pit, well I did actually; it was because they had each other, that much I did know, but how they actually did it, well, I was finding I had a whole lot more admiration for my cousin. The reading was bring back some pretty rough flash backs for me before I had been captured, I'd almost had a panic attack, what they had been through was so much worse than what I had.
My hand clung to Will's though the reading he was slowly helping me heal, in more ways than one. I was no longer almost a shadow and I still was on doctors orders not to shadow travel anywhere myself, but luckily Percy said I could use Mrs O'Leary if I needed to visit my dad so that was cool. I mean he was here now, but I kind of miss visiting Mrs. O'Leary, she's a great pet. This seemed an acceptable compromise for Will, but I was only allowed to travel for so long and if I planned to go for longer he made me promise to take him with me, that hadn't been necessary yet, and actually I thought it was rather brave of him to say such a thing, I could see the thought of being in the underworld terrified him and I doubt this reading was helping with that either. He was cute when he worried about me, but he could be really bossy about it, urg! Feelings are so confusing! All I did know was that holding his hand made my stomach do a gymnastic routine, in a good way, did holding my hand do the same to him?
Artemis' P.O.V
This reading was very disturbing; there was no wonder that we had to take so many breaks. Thalia seemed to be managing okay for now, but I knew it was hard on her; this was her family as much as the hunt was. I had respected Percy and Annabeth since they had held the sky, they had both in many ways since then earned my respect but dealing with this on their own with only a Titan to help. I was finding a new level of respect for how strong they were.
Chapter 13 – Annabeth
After a while Annabeth felt like Titan mush...
...Stay alert she told herself, but it was hard...
...She could tell the dark landscape was getting to him as well...
'Please stay strong' the thoughts from my Lieutenant came to me.
'They made it out Thalia, don't worry' I tried to calm her down but at the same time I didn't know how hard it was to resist that kind of darkness.
'At what price though milady? For their nightmares to be this bad' she asked me and honestly I didn't know that answer that was the reason we were here to find out what they'd been through.
'A good question, my young lieutenant, we'll find out soon' I replied before focusing back on the reading.
...He fell into Tartarus to be with you...
...If he dies it'll be your fault...
"Annabeth!" The demigods shouted "You can't think like that!" they said but she wasn't paying attention, she was having a silent conversation with young Perseus and he seemed to be reassuring her that it would not have been her fault that he had made his own choice to fall with her. It was interesting watching their silent conversations their foreheads touched and their noses met, it reminded me a lot of the way rabbits apologised to each other.
..."Hey Bob, where are we heading?"...
..."Death Mist"...
..."But What does that mean?"
..."Naming her?" Bob glanced back. "Not a good idea."...
Death mist, that's been mentioned a few times, I did not like the sound of it and neither, did most of the room judging by the frowns that appeared when it was mentioned.
..."Can you tell us how far at least?"...
..."We wait for darkness to get darker. Then we go sideways"...
..."Naturally"...
"Oh Annabeth! The sarcasm!" My Brother's son, Will said in a state of hysterical laughter which most of the demigods and gods joined in with, it broke the tension of the room well and I noticed Percy smile at Annabeth with pride and love like it was once of the things he loved most about her. I didn't know as much about love as Aphrodite or perhaps even the demigods and mortals that were present but I knew familiar love, I loved my huntresses they were like my children, I love my idiot of a brother and I loved my father even if I didn't always agree with him. The love Annabeth and Percy shared was not one I knew or would ever know and I was okay with that, but I did recognise it for what it was, love.
... A ridiculous hope...
...you have only put Rachel in danger...
...why should Reyna trust you after all that has happened...
"Annabeth!" The demigods shouted again, and this time Annabeth did notice, she flinched.
"What?" She asked "I still think at that moment in time it was a valid point" She said, instead of responding they all just shook their heads at her.
Dionysus' P.O.V
Brats! Should be worried about what they put my satyr through, but do they think of that? HA! No!
Though this reading does explain why Grover was so ill for those two weeks, he shares an empathy link with Poseidon's brat Perry Johnson. They should get rid of it, I don't know how many times I've told that satyr how dangerous it is to have a link to these hero brats but will he listen to me? No.
Maybe I can convince the sea brat, to dissolve it when we leave this forsaken reading, it's almost as bad as being at that blasted camp! Gah! One cup of wine could I not have one cup of wine?! Father's punishments are so cruel!
Rachel's P.O.V
I was touched by Annabeth's concern for me, in that place, but her plans haven't let us down before, and they didn't then. She was losing faith in herself, the pit was affecting her and Percy, trying to make them lose hope, and they needed to hold on to that especially down there.
Reyna also looked like she was thinking along the same lines as me; she was a fair ruler she listened before she passed judgement unlike a certain augur I could mention who tried to cease control.
...suddenly Bob stopped. He raised his hand: Wait...
..."Ahead something moves"...
...She could feel the vibrations through her shoes...
'Well that doesn't sound good', I thought to myself not expecting an answer and was surprised when I received one from Apollo.
'No it definitely doesn't' he replied, I was a bit surprised by his answer too, as he normally isn't that serious. I got the impression that he really cared about Percy and Annabeth even though they weren't his demigod children. Hadn't they helped rescue his sister a few years back? Perhaps that was why, Percy had told me some of the story but I forget now, I'll have to ask him later.
..."Each of you take a flank."...
...Bob took the middle...
...The humming got louder, shaking the gravel at Annabeth's feet...
Oh Gods! Please don't let it be anything bad! Well you know worse than what they've already faced down there, I realise nothing down there that they faced was good except this Titan, Bob. I looked over at my friends and they looked sad and I didn't know why.
..."Ready?"...
..."on three?...
...Bob raised his spear. "Wait!"...
A collective gasp as everyone anticipated why Annabeth would tell a Titan to wait to kill something.
...A tiny Calico Kitten...
Laughter ensued in the throne room from all, except Percy and Annabeth. A kitten really?! As soon as I saw the depressed look on Annabeth and Percy's face I stopped laughing and tried to get Thalia's attention, it took a while but eventually she noticed I was trying to get her to check on Percy and Annabeth. She nudged Percy and whispered a question to him, he didn't respond though he just closed his eyes and shook his head. Thalia looked back at me and shrugged to tell me she had no idea.
... It seemed impossible but the deep rumbling sound was coming from a kitten...
...Annabeth couldn't help it, she picked it up and cuddled it...
"Aww Annabeth!" Piper cooed teasingly but it fell on deaf ears and she frowned.
"You should be careful with that kitten; it wouldn't be down there if it was a normal cat." Hades said to Annabeth to which Annabeth nodded but didn't take her eyes off Percy. They were doing that thing again where they had a conversation but no-one else knew what was going on. Sally and Annabeth's dad (I've not actually met him) we're trying to comfort them, but it didn't seem to be helping the two of them seemed lost in grief. I didn't understand why they were grieving for a cat and I wasn't the only one.
...The cat grew impatient and squirmed out of her arms...
...Percy laughed. "Someone likes you Bob"...
There he goes again. How many times now had Percy laughed in Tartarus? Three? Four times? For a place where no-one laughs Percy seems to be doing a pretty good job at it.
...Annabeth felt a lump in her throat...
...she suddenly felt insignificant compared to the vastness of Tartarus. This place had no respect for anything...
...Tartarus swallowed Titan, demigods and kittens indiscriminately...
She has a point, but then Annabeth always had a good point. It made you think though how big was the place really? It was under everything we walked on, even under the underworld, it took them what was it? Two weeks? To get through there to the doors of death, how big does a place have to be for it to take that long to get to through? Would walking from Manhattan to Long Island take that long? I didn't want to find out.
...Suddenly its fur shimmered...
...as if it stepped behind an X-ray machine...
..."Oh, man... I know that Kitten. It's one of the ones from the Smithsonian."...
"Percy, from when we went to rescue Artemis and Annabeth?" Thalia asked.
"Yes" He replied.
"But I the skeletons we fought weren't-" She started but he cut him off.
"No they weren't" He confirmed and Thalia gave him a look like we'll discuss this later. I noticed that Artemis was listening quite closely to this exchange as if she never really got the full story of what happened on the quest before they got to her. I had to admit I was curious that was the quest I had met Percy on and I don't remember the skeletons that were chasing him looking like a kitten, they looked a lot more like dragons to me.
..."That's one of them?" Annabeth asked...
...Percy spread his hands helplessly...
..."It's cute" Bob Said...
..."But is it safe?"...
... "I will call him Small Bob,"...
...End of Discussion...
That's comforting; The Titan had decided he wants a cat so he's keeping it, regardless of the fact of whether it is actually safe! This is madness! No, I thought this is Tartarus.
Annabeth's P.O.V
I hated my thoughts and feelings being read out loud. I didn't much like Percy's being read out loud either but at least it meant I understood his decisions and why he had his nightmares at least the ones he couldn't tell me about. There were less of those now but this at least helped me understand why he had the nightmares he had, but it would also show everyone why I had the ones I had and I'm not sure I'm ready for that.
I really hated that I questioned Percy's integrity in the last chapter I hadn't meant to, I should have known Percy would trust Bob, even if that scared me at the time because I didn't know him. It was just who Percy was. I'd said sorry for it, and we agreed earlier this morning to try and move past it once we'd apologised so the guilt didn't consume us. But, I still felt bad about it, moving past guilt was going to be difficult. Hearing about Small Bob wasn't helping either, that brave kitten had defended us and Bob at the doors sacrificed himself for us and the guilt and grief over that was still eating away at both Percy and I. It was hard to pretend that everything was okay during the day when we were really weren't and up until this reading we had really tried to pretend. But both of us had agreed to let people see how much we were really hurting, that after all was the point wasn't it for them to see what we were going through so they could help?
I did feel like the reading was helping but it I knew it wouldn't be a magic fix.
...Annabeth walked in a daze trying not to think about pizza...
..."Here" Bob Announced. He stopped so suddenly Annabeth nearly ran into him...
..."Is this the Place?" ..."Where we go sideways?"...
'I sound so stupid' I thought and my mom heard my thoughts.
'You do not sound stupid, Annabeth just uncertain, as you have every right to be down there,' she replied.
'Thanks mom' I thought back, I tried not to feel as stupid as I thought I sounded but it was difficult.
..."Yes"..."Darker, then Sideways."...
...the air did seem colder and thicker...
...Again she was reminded of San Francisco...
My father squeezed my hand reassuringly, I felt bad that I hadn't been back to see my family since we returned from the quest to Greece but any reminder of Tartarus was difficult returning to a city that had similar microclimates to it wouldn't be helpful. I hoped my dad would understand that it was more about Tartarus than it was about not wanting to see him and my family. Because, I did want to see them, I just couldn't face the reminder of Tartarus yet. I squeezed his hand in return trying to convey how much I appreciated him, but I wasn't sure how much I could really convey that in a squeeze of the hand. I'll talk to him in the next break I thought, I needed him and Helen to know I wasn't avoiding them; it isn't like when I ran away.
...What a depressing thought...
...a hellish home away from home...
Urg! Annabeth! You're not helping your own cause here! I scolded myself I needed to talk to my dad, I hoped he understood.
'Don't worry Annabeth, I can communicate with him, like am with you, he understands why you don't want to be in San Francisco' My mom's voice sounded in my head, I looked over to my mom and tried to give her a grateful smile, I appreciated knowing that.
...Annabeth pressed against Percy...
...He put his arm around her...
Much like he did now. He knew what was coming as did I, I didn't want to hear about them but they were coming up next. I tried to steady my breathing as I remembered what happened once we went 'sideways'. Breathe Annabeth, I told myself, breathe.
...They entered some sort of forest...
...With our luck... we're marching through the armpit of Tartarus...
"Cheery thought Sis" Malcolm said in a teasing tone trying to clear the tension. Unfortunately I knew what was coming so I couldn't make a response that would help him do that, I was too busy trying to control my breathing because I could feel fear rising inside me as we approached this part of our journey. We would get through this together; I chanted in my head, we would get through this together. Percy placed a kiss on the side of my head and left his head resting against mine so he could whisper the same things I was chanting to myself. He knew the Arai were a trigger for me, but so was almost losing him down there, the next few chapters were not going to be good for me.
The room's mood instantly dropped when I didn't respond to Malcolm and I felt bad about it, but I had to concentrate on my breathing and trying to stay calm as long as possible.
...Suddenly her senses were on high alert...
...She rested her hand on the trunk of the nearest tree. "What is it?"...
...Annabeth raised her hand for silence...
...she realised the tree trunk was quivering...
The tension in the throne room was so palpable that no-one interrupted Lady Hestia to ask why the tree was quivering, which I was quite grateful for. But I was also very aware of every aware of people watching me, they were trying to be discreet but I could feel the concern radiating towards us as they stole glances at me. They knew that I was next for an attack that much I knew.
...Bob and Percy closed ranks with her...
...Annabeth strained her eyes...
...the first dropped to the ground...
...Annabeth's first thought: The Furies...
"Even they wouldn't go down there" Hades said, which didn't help the tension.
"It can't be worse than that them though right?" Rachel asked though I think she already knew the answer to her question.
"Yes" Percy whispered, but the room was so quiet it almost echoed around it. I was trying desperately to take my mind off the curses, to think about going to school when we returned home with Percy for senior year and then to New Rome for college but every second thought I took me back to them, to losing Percy, or at least thinking I did.
...a wrinkled hag with bat-like wings, brass talons and red eyes...
...a demonic grandmother in the mood to kill...
...Soon there were half a dozen...
Breathe in Annabeth for 2, 3 and out for 2, 3. I tried to bring my heart rate down and steady my breathing, he's here, he's sitting next to you, we made it out, and we were together.
..."What are you?"...
...The arai, ... The curses!...
There was a collective gasp from the Gods, who knew who the arai were, there were also some confused faces mostly on the demigods who didn't know but there were a few who did know, and their faces were frozen in horror. Thalia hooked her arm around my leg in an attempt to comfort me and I appreciated it but I wasn't going to come down from this until it was over, unfortunately for me.
..."what do you want?"...
...To curse you, of course! To destroy you a thousand times in the name of Mother Night!...
..."Oh, good... I thought we were in trouble."...
"Percy! Now's really not the time to try and be funny!" Frank said, I felt Percy nod next to me as he continued to whisper to me that we got out and that we were together.
I could see tears falling down Piper's face, Clarisse looked like she was going to punch someone and Malcolm looked like Clarisse had just punched him. I felt awful for how they all were feeling by just reading my thoughts, but I couldn't help them, I could barely help myself never mind Percy. Stop it Annabeth! I chided myself breathe in 2, 3 breathe out 2, 3.
...The circle of demon ladies closed in.
Lady Hestia closed the book. "Perhaps we should take a break" She said and there seemed to be a collective agreement around the room, I heard people get up and leave the throne room but I wasn't really paying too much attention, I was trying to control my breathing. I needed to talk to my dad, I needed to tell him, I needed...
"Annabeth" Percy said, "We're out, we're together, let's go out into the gardens a change of scenery might help" He said.
I nodded and he lifted me up with the help of Thalia and we made our way over to the fountains and the further from the throne room the easier it was for me to regain control of my thoughts. The sunlight on my face really helped, sunlight always helped it took away the darkness of that place.
"Thanks Percy" I said as I started to regain control, I understood why Percy found it so difficult to pull back when we read about the Empousai.
"Anytime Wise Girl" He said and I realised Thalia was still with us.
"Thanks Thalia" I said.
"I know I didn't really help in there, I admit this is hard for me, I'm starting to understand now, how difficult this is for the two of you. Heck I wasn't even there and I'm struggling." She said and she hugged me tightly and I felt her reach out for Percy's hand too while she was hugging me also seeking comfort in him. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to and I certainly don't want to add to your pain, I was actually planning to try and help" She said pulling away from me and chuckled a little with tears on her face. "Some friend I am, huh?" She said, wiping her face, Thalia never cried, so it was a huge deal that she was crying never mind letting me or even Percy see it.
"Don't be ridiculous Pinecone Face; you're one of the best friends we have!" Percy said to her, "I'd be surprised if you were unaffected especially with what's coming up, I'm not going to lie to you, it's going to be hard, it was hard enough living through it, re-hearing it isn't much easier and as you might have noticed it's one of Annabeth's triggers." He said. I sat silently I didn't really know what to say, Percy had pretty much covered it so I just nodded in agreement.
Thalia and Percy continued to converse, but I zoned out and started analysing the gardens, trying to put together a design in my head as to what I would change when I got the chance to finish redesign Olympus.
~Author's Note~
Thank you all for reading I really hope you enjoyed this chapter please let me know what you thought!
Jgaskins – Thank you for your review as always your kind words mean a lot! I hope the Dionysus POV was okay I know it was short, but it was a really tough challenge as I don't write in that POV very much, I hope I did it justice and that you enjoyed. Please let me know.
CaptainMcSchizzle – Thank you for your review as always, means a lot you're still following the story! I hope Frank's POV was okay and that I did it justice again not one I normally write in so hopefully it hit the brief! Let me know.
Cinder – Thank you for your review! I'm really glad you like the story please let me know what you thought of this chapter.
SeaweedBrainIsBlue – Thank you for your review, your constructive criticism is appreciated and I did send a DM to you to try and explain my view on it. I hope you don't lose faith in the story and continue to read. Please let me know what you think.
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LilBumkin - Thank you for your review, I hope you like Nico's POV, I don't write from Nico's POV that often so I hope I hit the brief. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!
Chriskidd2001 - Thank you for your review, I'm glad you're looking forward to that of the story, I'm looking forward to writing it, if you have a suggestion for a POV for those chapters I'll try and take it into account. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!
WiseGirl14 – Thank you for your review, I'm really glad you love the story and that you appreciate the backbone to the story. I'm not planning to give up but there is a long way to go and I have a lot on so please bear with me, I will update when I can. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter!
Happy reading all!