GOODBYE
PERCY
Will put my broken leg in a splint and wrapped it up very professionally with what little supplies we had left. The water was completely calm during the voyage. Nico drove while the rest of us sat in silence. Nico docked the ship on the island and we all stepped out onto the perfect white beach. As sad as we were, we couldn't help but stare in awe at the island. There were twelve massive beach houses forming a U shape around the island. In the middle was a town with everything a functioning society could ever need. We walked slowly through the town, observing our new home.
"This place is amazing." Annabeth said.
"I told you. This place is Elysium." I said. Annabeth leaned her head on my shoulder as we walked. As amazing as the island was, it was a ghost town. We knew that we would be the only ones here but it was still kind of depressing.
"It's too bad the others never got to see this." Piper commented.
"Never say never, Piper." A new voice said we all turned around to see a girl with red hair who seemed to appear out of thin air.
"Who are you?" Percy asked. Percy had his weapon drawn.
"Perseus Jackson put your sword down right now." Percy lowered his sword.
"How do you know my name? Where's Chiron?"
"I'm afraid Chiron did not survive. You see, I am the one who has been waiting for you on this island."
"Well, who are you?" I asked.
"My name is Rachel Elizabeth Dare." She responded.
"How are you here?"
"My father is a very important person. I was sent to guide you."
"Who's your father? Zeus?" Percy asked.
"God."
"I'm sorry. Did you just say God?" She nodded.
"Yes, I am an angel of the lord."
"An angel? Really?"
"Yes, Perseus. Really."
"Prove it, and stop calling me Perseus." A glistening ring of light appeared above Rachel's head and wings whiter than snow erupted from her back. She floated slightly off the ground and seemed to emit some sort of light. "Okay, so you're an angel. I'm not even surprised anymore."
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"To give you your results." She responded.
"Results from what?" Jason asked.
"From your test, of course, Jason Grace."
"I don't remember taking a test." Rachel laughed a, literally, angelic laugh.
"The apocalypse was you test."
"The apocalypse was our test?" Percy repeated. "You mean the virus…that was you?"
"Well not me specifically, but it was sent from heaven so…" She left it trailing.
"You exterminated over 6 billion people to test us?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Your people are truly barbaric." Rachel said in a surprisingly angry tone. "You don't understand what a gift it is just to be alive and yet you kill and pollute and destroy your home. My father is upset to put it bluntly."
"Then why not just kill everyone? Why are we being tested?" Percy asked.
"Because you must start over. The infection, when it began, it only affected those who have truly evil intentions. The worst of the worst. Once the virus hit it was up to you as a planet to figure out a way to survive. That was your test. Unfortunately, there are so many language barriers worldwide and other problems that you were not able to handle the virus." She paused and stood in front of Percy. "Perseus Jackson, your leadership skills are commendable. You care about all your people and you are a natural leader. That's why you shall lead the new world. All of you are pure of soul and have the will to survive and that's why you have been given a second chance." She walked in front of me. "Annabeth Chase, it was no coincidence that you stumbled upon the others. It is not coincidence that you are all sixteen."
"Why am I here?" Juliet asked. "I'm not sixteen." She stepped in front of Juliet.
"Juliet Jackson, you had a larger impact than you know. You were something that your friends and family needed to fight for. You inspired them to survive." She took a step back. "The rest of you are an example of a perfect generation and you will usher in a new world. Imagine a world where everyone spoke the same language and there was only peace. A world where Will can spend his life healing people and doing what he loves. A world where Juliet can grow up without fear. A perfect world. That is your task."
"Okay, this is going to sound weird and I hate to kill the dramatic vibe and everything but there are only seven of us. How can you expect us to, you know, repopulate?" Will asked awkwardly.
"There will not be seven of you. There were more people in this test. Everyone who met this group at one point was part of it. Fisher gave his life giving you a few precious seconds. He will be brought back. Zoe gave her life protecting Percy's. She will be brought back. So will many of your friends."
"How many?" I asked.
"Well, let's see. There was Fisher and Zoe, of course. Silena and Beckendorf will be brought back. They died for the group."
"Wait. I don't want to sound bad by saying this. Silena was an extremely close friend, but isn't killing yourself like a huge offense?" Percy asked.
"Yea and I killed Luke and we might as well have killed Ethan. Thou shall not murder. Aren't we just screwing up big time here?" Nico asked.
"You can't picture me as a perfect, do everything right, angel. Angels are the warriors of heaven. Silena killed herself because she couldn't bear to be without her love. Luke and Ethan strayed from the group. They were an unforeseen obstacle and they failed because of it. The new world will be carried out by the seven of you, Silena, Beckendorf, Fisher, Reyna, Thalia, Zoe, Grover, and Juniper. The fifteen of you will be the new age, a better age. Good luck." Rachel said.
"Wait, what about Luke, Leo, Frank, Hazel, the others? What about them?" I asked.
"Well, you see this place. Have you ever seen a place more beautiful and perfect?" Rachel asked.
"No." I answered truthfully.
"Well, I have. It's called heaven. It's where your friends are right now. You don't want to strip them away." Everyone smiled at the thought of our friends in heaven. "Annabeth, I'm going to be honest with you and you're not going to like what I have to say."
"What is it?"
"You mentioned Luke. I'm sorry to tell you this, but Luke was easily manipulated. I know he wasn't always a bad person but he was in the end." Tears rushed to my eyes and I leaned into Percy.
"What are you trying to say?" She gave me a sympathetic look.
"Luke is not in heaven. That is all I have to say." I cried into Percy's shirt. "On that note I will leave you. Good luck. The fate of the world rests in your hands now." Rachel ascended in a beam of light. Six more beams of light appeared and our friends materialized unconscious on the ground. Percy stepped forward on his now magically healed leg.
"What just happened?" Will asked. Percy looked at all of our faces and then at the island.
"I think we just survived the apocalypse."
EPILOGUE
Ten years have passed since we survived the end of the world. Annabeth and I were now married and twenty six years old. Annabeth gave birth to our first child last year. We named him Travis in honor of our good friend. At the same time, Jason and Piper had a boy who the named Connor. We all agreed to have kids at the same time. It was a little awkward but we know that at some point, they will have to be together. Grover and Juniper had two twin girls named Katie and Miranda. Silena and Beckendorf had a boy who they named Jake. Fisher and Reyna had a daughter who they named Hylla after Reyna's fallen sister. Thalia and Nico keep to themselves mostly. I think some of us thought that they would get together but I guess they both must have lost the one they truly cared about. Will has been on his own for a long time but I think Zoe is starting to warm up to him no matter how much she will deny it. Juliet grew up with no one her own age and it took a toll on her but she is strong and she will survive. Rachel has stopped by periodically to see how things are going. Overall, I would say that she is pleased. We all moved into a house and we are living like royalty but we've also set up the school and the hospital and we're preparing for the future. Everyone is happy. The apocalypse became a distant memory. The only thing that makes me sad is the look on Juliet's face. It's not fair to her. She will never be able to fall in love. The future people will know her as the last living person to experience the apocalypse. I stopped by Juliet's house one night to see how she was doing. Juliet sat on her back porch staring off into the waves. I took a seat next to her.
"How's it going Jules?" I asked. She smiled.
"You know you ask that question like every night right?" She responded.
"Yea, well, I guess I just like knowing that you're okay."
"I've just been thinking, Perce. I don't belong here."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean this group. I don't belong. You were all sixteen when it went down. The system was perfectly set up so that you would find your soul mate and pair up and rebuild the earth. I missed out on that."
"You're still family. We needed you and we still do."
"You don't need me."
"Yes, we do."
"Percy, let me ask you something." She said seriously. "Do you remember the monsters?" I took a breath.
"Every time I close my eyes." I responded.
"Yea, well, I don't. I was eight. You made me hide and cover my ears. It's like this whole life changing thing that everyone went through…I wasn't part of it."
"What do you remember?"
"I remember Fisher and me rushing to dad's house when he called us. I remember him telling us to go in his basement and lock the door until he came for us. I remember him never coming for us." She paused for a second. "I remember Fisher leaving me for the first time and being scared of every sound. I remember you coming and how happy I was. I remember us escaping and then we were here. I remember growing up and barely having a life."
"I'm sorry that you feel that way. You were very important. You were our…"
"…inspiration. I know. Everyone keeps saying that. I wasn't your inspiration though. Annabeth was. I was someone you felt obligated to keep alive."
"Don't say that, Jules. You know how much I care about you."
"I know, Percy but I talked to Rachel and she explained everything to me."
"What did she tell you?"
"I'm leaving."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm going to heaven. Rachel said that I'm going to be an angel. That we're all going to be angels."
"When are you going?" I asked.
"Now." Rachel said as she appeared behind me. "We will see you later, Percy. Just remember, the world has you to thank." My sister and an angel disappeared into the air. I laid back on a recliner sitting on Juliet's porch. Somehow, seeing my sister go didn't bother me. She was going someplace better. I spoke to myself in the cool air but pretended that Juliet could hear my message.
"Jules, I'm glad. I'm really happy for you. I hope you never remember because I do. It was the scariest thing I've ever went through." I stared out at the beach where our yacht, Anaklusmos, was still docked.
"I remember the monsters."