I tried to cry more, but I couldn't. My head was hurting, and my throat was dry. My eyes had become what seemed to be permanently red and puffy. My blonde hair was always in a mess, I always slouched, and my breathing was unnaturally ragged.

I wasn't the only one like this. Everyone in the Athena cabin was going through the same thing. There was no more laughing, no more jokes, nothing. We just seemed like emotionless blobs, going from one part of camp to the other. I was the worst. I felt like her death was my responsibility.

Percy rarely left his cabin. I didn't know whether it was because of the thought of Annabeth or because we were still working on cleaning dead bodies off of the beach, but I was still pretty sure that it was because of Annabeth.

Three days after the battle, Chiron made a startling announcement at lunch. "Instead of a campfire tonight," he began, "I feel that we must give the bodies of those who died for Olympus proper funerals. We will burn the shrouds tonight."

Everyone gasped. Burning Annabeth's body? It was the only thing we had left of her. All who were sitting at the Athena table looked at each other and nodded. "Chiron!" said Malcolm, standing up.

"Yes, Malcolm?" asked Chiron, raising an eyebrow. He must have been surprised that Malcolm was actually talking, because no one in the Athena cabin has said a thing for three days.

"Can we give Annabeth a… proper burial?"

Chiron stroked his scraggly beard thinking. "I… I don't know. It would go against the tradition. We… we always burn those who died."

"But she saved the camp," I said, standing. "She saved Olympus." My gray eyes narrowed, trying to pierce through Chiron.

"But we—"

"BU-RI-AL!" I shouted, probably looking like an idiot as the only one chanting. The Athena cabin caught on quick. "BU-RI-AL! BU-RI-AL!"

The Apollo cabin hit there table as a drum beat and chanted. "BU-RI-AL! BU-RI-AL!

Next was the Aphrodite cabin.

Then Demeter, Ares, Hephaestus, and Dionysus.

Finally Percy stood. He wobbled a little, as if his feet weren't working in proper order. He shouted, his voice rising above all others. "BU-RI-AL!"

"Alright!" said Chiron finally. "We will bury her on the beach, in remembrance and respect."

The whole camp cheered. For the first time since the battle, I smiled. My table exchanged high fives and chattered excitedly. We were going to make this the best. Only the best for Annabeth.

Percy sat at his table, looking emotionless. He was still miserable. Quietly, I slipped away from my table, which wasn't too hard because nobody was looking.

"Hey," I said, approaching Percy's table.

Percy nodded in my direction, not even raising his eyes from his untouched lunch.

I sat at the end of his table, which must have surprised him because he looked up at me. "I know your upset Percy," I said, tugging on my hair.

Percy just lifted his shoulders to his ears and let them drop back down. A single tear fell from his eye and sat on the table, next to his plate, looking lonely.

I tried to think of something I could say to make him feel better. How does a 12-year-old girl brighten up a 16-year-old guy who just lost the love of his life? "You couldn't have helped it that she died. The Fates had decreed it… 4 years ago."

"What are you talking about?" Percy's eyes seemed like daggers trying to shut me up by killing me. "That's not true." That was probably the only thing Percy could think of.

"Four years ago," I said, thinking back on the first book. "You got a prophecy. You shall go west and face the god that has turned. You'll find what was stolen and see it safely returned."

Percy raised an eyebrow, probably wondering how the heck I remembered all that.

Two words: My Obsession.

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked, obviously PO'd by me talking about Annabeth like this.

"The last two lines," I said, looking down. Suddenly, Percy's single tear was joined by a few more, but Percy wasn't crying. It took me a few moments to realize that I was the one crying. "You were betrayed by Luke, and then…"

"No," said Percy, pushing his greasy black hair out of his eyes. "No, it was my mom that I failed to save."

"Percy," I said softly. "Do you really believe that?"

After that we were crying together, mourning for the loss of Annabeth. By the time we had cried out all of our tears and were just sitting there somberly, the whole camp had cleared out to finish camp activities and prepare for burning everyone else's shroud that died.

"You should give a speech at her funeral tonight," I said to him finally.

Percy crinkled his nose. "I can't write good," he said to me, shaking his head.

"Can't write well," I corrected him. "And yes you can. Come on, dude, you published four, soon to be five books! I think you can give a speech. After all, Annabeth gave a speech, or at least some of a speech, at your funeral last summer."

Percy hesitated. "But, I don't want to make a s fool of myself or a joke out of Annabeth's funeral."

"I'll help you," I volunteered. "I'll help you make it the best. You can use meaningful terms and classic poetry and…"
Percy shushed me. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"She's my sister," I said. "She would want this."

Hesitantly, Percy stood up. "Then let's get started," he said, beginning to go towards his cabin. I bounded after him like an excited puppy.

____

That night, torches were lit and put onto wooden stands by the Hephaestus kids. The Demeter cabin had dug a long whole on the beach and had carved into a headstone:

"Here lie Annabeth Chase,

The Bravest Heroine ever to walk the grounds of this camp. She will live in our hearts forever. R.I.P."

Everyone was dressed in there best. Even the girls of the Ares cabin were in black dresses, courtesy of the Aphrodite cabin that had an endless supply of dresses.

Percy was in a black tuxedo, which shimmered as he walked as though he were wearing tiny black waves of the sea. In his pocket were the note cards that we had written his speech on.

Two days ago, we had called Mr. Chase, who was here now all by himself because his wife refused to come. She felt as though it would be wrong to trespass on half-blood turf. He and Percy murmured to each other, but it seemed that nothing really important had come of the conversation.

I think this must have been the first time in years that I was wearing a dress with my hair pinned up and looking like some intricate foreign dessert. Silena, who had done my hair, told me that earrings wear a must have and insisted on sticking a needle through my ear right then and there, but I had protested. Finally, we had agreed on clip-on, so I had small black teardrop shaped stones hanging from my earlobes on crocodile jaw clips. I looked a lot older than I was, but, strange enough, I felt that way too.

Before the funeral began, we had some unexpected visitors. First to show was my mom. Her eyes were more stormy than I thought possible. She had appeared in a clap of thunder far off in the distance right next to the grave.

Not long after she came, there was a flash of smoke that a magician might use to "disappear." Next to Athena stood Hermes, looking a little less playful than I'd think he normally would.

Gradually, all of the Olympians came. Demeter had a bouquet of black roses, Hephaestus brought a golden sarcophagus that looked just like Kronos's, only instead of pictures of death on the side, there were pictures of all of the adventures Annabeth had had since she was found by Thalia and Luke. It looked a lot nicer than the wooden one that we were originally going to put her in.

What surprised us most was when a pool of black opened up from the ground, and spat out Hades with Aphrodite holding his arm as if it were the most casual thing in the world. We cleared out of that section nervously, wondering what the heck was going on with them.

The sun set beneath the horizon, and the moonbeams streamed down, brushing against Annabeth's grave. Everyone fell silent. The golden sarcophagus that held the lifeless form of Annabeth's body was lowered into the ground, and we each threw in a black rose.

Chiron began his speech. "She was like a daughter to me," he said, brushing a tear out of his eye. "This girl was so amazing. She had so much potential, so much good that she could do for the future. She was strong-willed, level headed, and always triumphant." He lowered his eyes to his hooves on the ground. "This was her final triumph."

There was nothing but the noise of the crackling fire. Then came the first claps. A few brave hands followed by more, like waves lapping against the ocean. Then came the explosion. All hands were clapping. My hands were timid, though, as if I couldn't get them to move.

I was nervous about Percy's speech. It had been my idea to use poetry, what if nobody like it. I fought back tears of worry as Chiron said, "Percy has asked to give a speech for Annabeth. He feels that he needs to say this. Percy?"

Percy, looking as pale as I was, came forward. Naturally, he tripped on his way there, but there were no snickers. Who could snicker at Annabeth's funeral?

Percy cleared his throat. "I'd… like to thank Annabeth, wherever in the Underworld she may be, for always being there for me. She was my… best friend and I… I was in love with her."

I heard my mom catch her breath nearby, and I sensed her trying to contain her anger.

"I think that this poem says everything it needs to about Annabeth. I based it off of a piece of work by Edgar Allan Poe." He took a deep breath, pulled out his note card, and began to recite the poem with a few changes we had made to it:

"It was many a many a day ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,

That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of Annabeth C;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me."

At this line, I saw Artemis and who was probably Thalia stiffen, as if sticken by the thought of Annabeth thinking of nothing but poetry. For a few seconds, all of those huntresses looked pretty homicidal. Percy continued his speech.

"I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea;

But we loved with a love that was more than love-

I and my Annabeth C;

With a love that the winged Titans of Under

Coveted her and me."

Hermes looked around, a little confused. "Titans don't have wings," he whispered. Mom, who was next to him, stepped on his foot. "Yow!" said Hermes, jumping back.

"The Titans, not half so happy in Under,

Went envying her and me.

Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the lover came out of the sea by night,

Stilling and killing my Annabeth C.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we-

Of many far wiser than we-

And neither the gods in Olympus above,

Nor the Titans down under the sea,

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabeth C.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabeth C;

And the stars never rise but I see the gray eyes

Of the beautiful Annabeth C;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling- my darling- my life and my pride,

In the sepulcher here by the sea,

In her tomb by the sounding sea."

(A/N: Kudos goes to Edgar Allan Poe for writing the original poem "Annabel Lee")

Everyone on the beach clapped. The kids of my cabin seemed genuinely impressed that Percy was using the work of Poe. I felt myself crying again.

Hades and Aphrodite looked at each other excitedly. "Now!" I saw Aphrodite mouth. That was when it happened.

Smoke that curled around Hades extended out and began to rotate around Annabeth's headstone. Aphrosite pointed her long and perfectly manicured nail, releasing a pink smoke that mixed in with the black smoke it spun for a few moments.

All gods stepped back in shock , and a camper began to cough wildly. There was something strange about the cough though it sounded almost like…

"Annabeth!" I whispered.

I listened closer. "Percy?" called the voice between coughs.

Percy, wide-eyed in disbelief, ran forward, not minding the smoke. For a moment, we couldn't see anything, then a gust of wind blew the smoke away. Everyone gasped.

Standing next to the headstone was a white smudge. It lit the whole beach side, with rays as cold as a winter's moonlight. The whole Athena cabin began to murmur to each other excitedly, but I only picked up one word: Annabeth.

Percy took Annabeth's hand. She was only a spirit, but he grasped it anyway. "Annabeth?" he asked, drawing her closer. "Did you hear my speech?"

Annabeth shed a teardrop. "Yes,' she said, resting her head against his chest.

"I love you, Annabeth." Percy ran his fingers through her luminescent blonde hair. "I always have."

"Seaweed brain," she said to him. "I love you, too. "Another teardrop fell. "Even if you do drool when you sleep."

Apollo seemed to pick up his cue. He pulled a lyre out of thin air (I guess you can do that when you're the god of music) and began to play enchantingly. Everyone watching bowed their head in respect. They began to dance.

I realized suddenly that this was my dream. It was the one I had had less than six hours ago. That meant I knew what was going to happen.

Their lips grew closer and closer. Aphrodite was wiping her eyes dramatically with a pink handkerchief. Athena and Poseidon looked at each other distastefully, sending a message to each other saying, "This doesn't change a thing between us."

Annabeth paused right when her lips were about to meet with Percy's. "Will you be mine…?" she whispered, her voice as ghostly as her appearance. "Forever?"

"I do," said Percy. With that he leaned forward and kissed her. She seemed to grow brighter and brighter as the kiss grew stronger until she was blinding. Then… she was gone.

___

That night was one I will never forget. I didn't want to forget it either as I sat in my cabin, holding Annabeth's laptop.

All of the Athena cabin were sitting there at their tables, busy as ever. But I just didn't know what to do, so I opened up a word document. Might as well get writing on some fan fictions I thought to myself, mindlessly scrolling up and down on the blank page. I thought for a while until I could finally get something. I put my fingers on the keys and began to type:

"My name is Amanda Jade. I have long blonde hair and stormy gray eyes…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Wow that took forever to write. I hope you liked it as a big finish. It's gonna be hard to finish this story. Please review because now this story is over (My first completed story!) and I need inspiration for a new one. There will not be any sequels because that would be like a totally pointless rerun. Anyway, thank you for reading, please, tell me how you liked it. I'm really sorry about those suckish chapters in here, and if this chapter is suckish, sorry about that, too. Maybe I'll do some rewrites and replacements… Anyway! Now I only have six fictions to worry about! YAY!!!

R.I.P.: Annabeth Chase

The Bravest Heroine ever to walk the grounds of this camp. She will live in our hearts forever.