Whoa! What? Littlebitclever? Alive? And updating? What?!

All I can say is I'M SORRY. I could give you millions of excuses about why I haven't posted, but I know you don't want to hear-er, read-them. All you want to do is read the EXTREMELY long-awaited chapter. Also, this chapter was about eight pages in Word, and my average amount of pages for a chapter is about three. I've made this one DOUBLY long compared to other chapters as an I'M-SO-SORRY-PLEASE-FORGIVE-ME present.

LET'S JUST READ THE DANG CHAPTER NOW.

Let it commence.

Percy

I was lying on my back, my arms and legs sprawled out on a cold floor. Goosebumps immediately prickled onto my skin as the cold seeped through my clothes. It felt almost…unnatural.

I used my hands to hoist myself up into a sitting position, and then ran them through my hair to brush it out of my eyes. They narrowed, trying to see in the darkness.

I squinted harder, trying to make anything out.

"Uh, hello?" I called uncertainly.

"Hello, hello, hello, hello?" my echo replied.

The hairs standing up on the back of my neck, I reached immediately for my pocket and felt around. Riptide wasn't there.

I rubbed my face with my hands, feeling confused. I started to think about how weird it was that it wasn't in my pocket like it normally was, and soon my thoughts drifted to Annabeth.

Why did she act like that? She said that I'd done something to her. What exactly was it that I'd even done? She'd looked seriously hurt and definitely angry. I must've done something pretty bad.

Hypnos seemed to know what I'd done—whatever it was. He said that he'd wanted me to find out for myself. That he'd show me.

Hypnos was seriously acting like a pain in the butt right now.

Before I could even think more about it, a pain ripped violently through my skull. Yelling out, I fell back to the ground, clutching my head. It felt like someone was pressing a hot poker to my brain. My eyes squeezed shut as red started to enter into my vision.

A light flickered in my face, and the pain slowly faded away. Looking through my hair and blinking in the light, I slowly sat up and stood shakily to my feet, trembling from the sudden pain.

It was almost as if a movie was playing in front of me. I watched as a small boy, who looked to be about nine or ten, was standing in between a woman and a man. The woman was pretty, and she had deep brown eyes. I could tell that she would normally look happy, but right then she looked miserable.

With a jolt, I realized that she was my mother. That must mean that the little boy with the messy dark hair was me. My mouth slightly dropped open

The man, on the other hand, looked completely smug. And he was ugly. Overweight with a disgusting potbelly, scruff, greasy hair, and balding, he had a look of triumph on his face. I could almost smell him from where I was.

His name suddenly popped in my head. Gabe Ugliano, my horrific step-dad. Even his last name said that he was ugly.

A flash flared, and I realized that the three of us were posing for a picture. As soon as the flash was gone, a terrible smirk appeared on Smelly Gabe's face as he looked at me.

Another burst of pain struck, but not as violent. The scene changed to me sitting in what looked like a park. I was sitting next to a boy with curly brown hair wearing a Rasta cap. He had acne, and it looked like he was already getting scruff. Grover.

A girl was snickering as she threw bits of a sandwich at him and it stuck in his hair. Fists clenched, I stood up and water from a fountain reared out and grabbed the girl, pulling her in.

She screamed as she became drenched in the water. "Percy pushed me!"

A shriveled old woman suddenly materialized at her side. Mrs. Dodds, my creepy math teacher.

"This way, honey," she said as she guided me up the steps to a museum.

The scene changed again.

I was in a car with my mom and Grover, and it was suddenly thrown off the road. I yelled as I tumbled around in the car, and it crashed to the ground. I was jarred hard, and I managed to pull myself out of the wreck, Grover and my mom right behind me. But instead of Grover having human's legs, he had the legs of a goat.

A girl with blonde hair walked around with me through a camp with different cabins. Everyone was wearing orange t-shirts with the name Camp Half-Blood printed on them.

"You drool in your sleep," the girl told me.

My mouth dropped open as I recognized the girls' curly blonde hair and gray eyes. It was Annabeth, only much younger. She might've been twelve.

I watched in awe, realizing that all of the things that I was watching were my actual memories, and that they were coming back to me.

Annabeth, Grover, and I were standing in a dark cavern with a massive three-headed dog growling down at us.

I'd seen that dog before. It was in the Underworld, only this time, it didn't look as friendly the first time I'd met it.

"Here, Cerberus! Want the ball?" Annabeth cried, thrusting a large, red rubber ball into the air.

All nine Cerberus's eyes followed the ball as she waved it around.

"Go get it!" she yelled, throwing the ball as hard as she could.

Cerberus high-tailed it as fast as he could to the ball, trampling through dead souls. One of the heads got it, and the other two snarled as they tried to take it out of the other's mouth. He walked proudly back to Annabeth and dropped the tattered, drooly remains of the ball at Annabeth's feet.

I slashed a jumping scorpion out of the air, feeling triumphant. I suddenly looked down and saw an ugly gash forming on the palm of my hand. The stupid bug had gotten me. The image started to fade to black as I collapsed to the ground, crawling towards the water that seemed like miles away. I was going to die.

I was with Annabeth on a massive ship. She was tied to a mast, and she was struggling hard. Although I couldn't hear her, she was screaming and crying. She thrashed around in the ropes holding her down. I turned my back for as second, and when I looked at her again, she was gone, the ropes left on the floor. I'd forgotten to take her knife from her.

"Oh, gods, no," I gasped.

I ran to the deck and dove into the water, slicing through the waves. I caught up to Annabeth and grabbed her. An image replaced the scene. I saw what she was seeing. A happy family and Luke, praising her on the beautiful buildings that she had constructed. I pulled her under the water, formed an air bubble, and let her cry into my shoulder.

I screamed as the weight of the world fell on my shoulders. Artemis leaped smoothly out of the way as she began to combat Atlas. She fought him and guided him towards me until he was underneath the sky. I jumped out of the way and the sky fell on him instead. I almost collapsed to the ground from exhaustion.

I ran through a maze with Annabeth, feeling slightly claustrophobic. Annabeth looked frustrated as she glared at the walls as if everything was their fault.

"I just don't understand. We should be heading towards the older part of the maze by now!" she cried in exasperation.

Grover and Tyson ran up behind us, panting.

"I just want to get out of this cursed place," Grover gasped. "I can't feel the Wild at all!"

"Yes, Goat Boy," Tyson agreed. "Walls long. Corners everywhere."

"What exactly was it that Hera—?" I started to ask.

"Not now, Percy," Annabeth snapped. "I'm mad enough as it is."

I raised my hands up in surrender, looking at her incredulously, as she turned her gaze back to the tiled walls. I knew that she was hiding something else.

Annabeth and I were crouching behind a large cauldron. She was in the middle of saying something when a door burst open and telkhines poured out.

"Put your cap back on! Get out!" I yelled at her frantically.

"What?" Annabeth shrieked, looking scared. "No! I'm not leaving you!"

"I've got a plan. I'll distract them. You can use the metal spider—maybe it'll lead you back to Hephaestus. You have to tell him what's going on."

"But you'll be killed!" she cried, her eyes looking wet.

"I'll be fine. Besides, we've got no choice."

Annabeth glared at me, looking as if she was going to hit me or hug me. She suddenly did something unexpected. She closed her eyes, leaned forward, and kissed me straight on the lips.

I felt like Jell-O. She pulled away, looking at me intently. "Be careful, Seaweed Brain."

With that, she slipped on her cap and I heard her run away.

I dove into the River Styx, and it felt like my whole body erupted into flames. I could feel my very essence dissolving away when an image wavered into view. Annabeth was leaning over me, smiling.

"Come on, Seaweed Brain," she said, holding a hand out to me. I reached up, and I flew out of the river, landing on the bank, coughing and spluttering. Nico was standing by me, looking worried.

Annabeth dove in front of me, taking a knife to the side. She screamed, and shock flew through me as she sank to the ground, quickly replaced by anger. I fought with all I had, praying that Annabeth would be alright.

Annabeth held Luke in her arms. She was crying, brushing hair out of his face. I stood there, not knowing what to do, and wondering if she would leave me for him.

"Did you…did you ever love me?" Luke whispered weakly.

Annabeth stared at him, and then looked at me. Her expression changed, and she looked back at Luke. I could barely hear what she said.

"You were like a brother to me, Luke, but I didn't love you."

We were kissing. Our hearts were beating against each other, and I slowly ran my fingers through her hair. Our lips slowly broke apart.

"I love you," I said simply. "Is that a stupid thing to say?"

"No," she sighed, leaning her head against me. We stood there in the silence.

Annabeth suddenly pulled back. "I don't want to get caught by the harpies."

I laughed. "I should get back to Tyson. He probably IMed my Dad, telling him about what we've been doing," I said. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"I'll see you tomorrow," she agreed.

A massive ship soared across the sky, and all of the Romans pushed their way into the streets, mouths gaping. I saw a girl with curly blonde hair glance over the side of the ship. Her eyes widened, and then she ran off. A rope ladder was suddenly flung over the side, and she vaulted over the railing and down the ladder as fast as she could. Just as her feet touched the ground, the end of a spear went flying towards my head. I couldn't help but cringe as I watched myself crumple to the ground in front of me.

I was inside a cell. Annabeth was staring at me, shock clearly on her face. It was soon wiped away to reveal anger.

"What? What?" she shrieked. "You don't love me anymore. So you can just turn it off, like that? Decide that you don't love me anymore? What happened to all the things we've done together? Are they just gone, too? Pretend like they never happened?!"

She stormed towards me, expecting me to say something. When I didn't, she slapped me hard across the face.

I gasped, touching my cheek. I jumped to my feet.

"You heard me, Annabeth," I snarled. "We're done. I'm through. It's over."

She shoved me, and I fell hard on the stone floor.

"I don't believe you."

She began to cry. She pounded on the door, screamed at me, screamed at some guy named Octavian, and curled on the ground. She avoided my gaze, and a guilt so horrible ripped through me. It killed me just to look at her look at me with an expression of pure hatred.

With a last burst of soul-ripping guilt, I stood up and approached her, the Lethe clenched tightly in my hand.

She looked up at me from her knees, her eyes bloodshot and red.

"Get away from me."

"No."

"Go away!" she screamed.

I took her face in my hand, and she struggled hard. With my other hand, I pulled out the Lethe and uncapped it with my teeth.

"What are you doing?" she cried, fear in her voice. Annabeth looked at the bottle, and she tried to shrink away.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth," I whispered.

"Oh, you're sorry!" she laughed hysterically.

"I'm so sorry…"

I moved the vial to her mouth.

"You…what are you—no!"

She tried to move her head away, but I held it fast. I pushed the vial against her lips, and the liquid entered her mouth. She tried to spit it out, but I could see it go down her throat. She became instantly limp in my arms, and I pulled her close, rocking her back and forth. My tears fell into her hair. I put her head on my shoulder and whispered in her ear.

"I love you."

My mouth gaped open. Why did I do that? What—?

The scenes weren't over. A new one slowly flickered into view.

A boy, tall and thin, with annoying straw colored hair walked in, clapping slowly.

Octavian.

He was the one who did this. Who made me do this.

"Quite the performance," he said, smiling. "I'll admit, you had me convinced. You are quite the actor."

I glared at him with all I could, putting in all of my anger into that glare. If looks could kill…

"You're probably wondering what will happen next. I have plans for you, don't worry."

"I won't," I snapped.

I couldn't help but feel impressed as I watched my…past self? bad mouth Octavian. Especially when surprise showed on his face.

He snarled. "You are predictable, Jackson," he spat. "I knew you were going to go along with this. You love her too much. Too loyal. Too soft. You are nothing. You were easy to defeat. I didn't beat you with strength. I beat your mind. And soon, you'll have nothing, just like her. You'll be wiped away. Cleansed, I dare say. It's your turn."

My fist tightened on a ball of parchment. I could tell that this thing was important.

Octavian put his hand in his robes and pulled out another vial similar to the one I gave to Annabeth.

"Do you want this the easy way, or the hard way?"

I held out my hand and he dropped it in. I looked at Annabeth before I launched myself at him. His head hit the stone floor with a crack and he squealed as my fist connected hard to his face. His nose erupted in a fountain of blood and fell quickly to stain the floor.

"Did you predict this?" I growled.

I was suddenly hauled away from him and thrown across the room. My head hit the wall and the image started to go fuzzy. The vial flew from my hands and bounced harmlessly on the floor.

Octavian got up shakily, blood still falling from his nose.

"Apparently, you've chosen the hard way," he groaned. "Bind him."

Thick rope tied around my wrists and feet. A shock ripped through me. I'd dropped the note, too.

I crawled towards it. It was lying just a few feet away from Annabeth. I was almost there when the guard pushed me back again.

"No, no," Octavian said. "Let him be by her. It'll make it worse for him."

I inched my way towards the note and managed to slip it in the palm of my hand.

"Give me the vial."

The guard walked to where it had fallen and handed it to Octavian.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time," he whispered into my face. "I've wanted to see you fail, Jackson, and now I'll be able to witness it. Any last words?"

"Save the stupid speech. Go to Tartarus."

"Hmm, I was expecting better. Oh, well."

He uncapped the vial. I looked away and looked at Annabeth.

"Say goodbye to your memories."

And the Lethe fell into my mouth.

I was lying on my back again. I blinked a couple times and realized that I was back in Hypnos's cave.

I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. I couldn't even comprehend. My thoughts were screaming and buzzing, and it felt like chaos in my head. My head felt sore just from trying to understand what had just happened.

The flashlight was lying on the ground, extremely dim now, but still able to light up the cave slightly.

I groaned and looked around.

There was someone standing over me.

"Percy…" a low voice hissed.

Uh oh.

I rolled away just in time.

"Come here and face me, Percy! What happened to being the Hero of the Titan War?" Annabeth yelled, kicking empty air where my head used to be.

"I'm not going to fight you, Annabeth!" I said, jumping behind Mrs. O'Leary a second time.

"Give me my knife, Percy!" she shouted, trying to get at me over Mrs. O'Leary's large back.

"No—"

"You are such an—!"

"Just let me explain!" I yelled angrily. "Oh, my gods! Have you ever even thought about my side of the story? Do you think I would honestly do something like that? I would've thought that would have crossed your apparently brilliant mind! Sometimes you let your emotions take over, and I can never get anything out! Just let me TALK!"

She looked surprised, and she froze. "What?" she said quietly.

"There was a reason! The whole time! I would…never ever do something like that. And now that I know that you would believe that for a second I would…just…" my voice faltered.

She glared at me. "Then explain. What gives you such a good excuse to just wipe my memories and shatter my heart?!"

"I was threatened!" I shouted.

"Oh, threatened," she scoffed. "And I thought you could just get over it, you being Percy Jackson and all. So strong and brave."

"IT WASN'T LIKE THAT!" I screamed, finally losing my temper. My voice dropped to a whisper as emotion took over. "Octavian. You have no idea. He captured us. Placed us in different cells far away from each other. He said there was no hope of escape. I didn't know where you were. If I didn't do this, you would die, and then I would. Every option was death for both me and you unless I did it. I had to be convincing. I had to…break you. Break myself. And don't think for a minute that I ever wanted to do something like this. It…practically killed me."

Her mouth dropped open, and it looked like she was going to fall over. She started to say something, but I cut her off.

"But I had something that Octavian didn't. I knew that there might be one way for us to regain our memories, and then fight back. I wrote myself a note. And you remember this. You read it yourself. I'd hoped that Hypnos would be able to help us. And once we did get our memories back, we could fight back. Free everyone that Octavian has oppressed and get rid of him—permanently."

"I—"

"The letter was vague. I get that. I know. But now that I have my memories back, I know what I have to do. And whether you do it with me or not, I don't care."

I took in a deep shuddery breath, feeling exhausted.

Annabeth looked speechless. Her mouth opened and closed several times, and she stared at me, eyes misty and out of focus.

I didn't say anything. I looked right back at her, breathing heavily.

"Percy…" she whispered.

I just stared at her.

She walked around Mrs. O'Leary, and I didn't move. She stopped until we were inches apart.

"I can't even…I don't know what…"

And she started to cry.

"I'm so sorry...for everything. For blaming you, for letting my emotions—"

"Stop," I whispered. "If anyone should apologize, it should be me. And there is no amount of any apology that could measure up to what I've done."

She fell against me and held me tight, crying hard. I just held her until she calmed down.

"I can't…" she said wetly. "I can't even…how could you have done all this? It doesn't even seem possible."

She wasn't saying it to blame, or in anger. I knew it. I didn't even know how I managed to do it. I could have broken down at any time, but I managed to get through it, and here I was.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know."

She looked up and gazed at me.

And then we kissed.

:')

DISCLAIMER: I understand that some (cough, most) dialogue in the "retrieving memories" bit is incorrect. It was a lot of dialogue from every book, and I honestly did not feel like looking up every exact chapter and every exact page of what they exactly say. So I paraphrased. You understand, right?

Also, the longest bit is when Octavian and Percy have their little schpiel. I made that be the longest because it was the most dramatic part of his life, I believe, and also I think I was a genius when I was writing and I think that is my favorite part of the entire story. Just because of how I wrote it. And how dramatic it was. And it was just plain awesome-even though it's sad.

THANK YOU to everyone who put up with my absentness. I know I said I would never be one of those authors who never updates, but in my defense, we didn't hit a month in non-posting. Just two weeks. Ish.

Also, on a random note, I got new glasses today. I like them.

Another one, I love the band Imagine Dragons. Their new album came out a couple days ago. Of course I bought it right when it came out. It was the thing I listened to the whole time I wrote this chapter.

I'll see you THIS SUNDAY I ABSOLUTELY PROMISE. I WILL KILL MYSELF IF I DON'T UPDATE THEN.

Just kidding. That's a bit too dramatic.

Okay, this Author's Note is getting ridiculous.

OKAY BYE.

P.S. I am so sorry! Ugh, I'm mad at myself right now.