Perseus- The Hunt's Guardian

Annabeth's Acceptance

"Phobos and Deimos knew of it 5 years ago, but decided to ignore it. Now they asked me to save them from Perseus' wrath and confessed everything to me. Today I was talking to Annabeth and told her about my sacred bath on island." Artemis said to them.

Athena gasped as she realized what was going on. Percy was more confused than ever, and looked at Artemis for further explanation.

"My sacred bath has property to return a woman's maidenhood, but it is as painful as bathing in Styx for a mortal. Annabeth said she would do whatever was necessary to show Perseus that she was sorry, she left for the island this morning. Eros and Circe are figuring out that their secret is going to come out, so they are sending the Kraken, and the Basilisk to ensure that Annabeth doesn't return from her journey alive." Artemis told them, and Athena stood up to save her daughter. She turned to Percy, but he was already gone.

Annabeth Pov

I didn't know what to do; hope seemed to have left me ever since I cheated on Percy. For five years the demigods from both camps had searched day & night for him. Even the hunters were out to look for the savior of Olympus. No one could find him, but half a decade later, we suddenly hear that Percy Jackson was an Olympian now. Hermes announced his domains, without giving any more information.

The camp was thrilled to hear that their unofficial leader was safe, and a god now.
I was happy for him, but today things turned the way I could never predict. Artemis told me Percy still had feelings for me, and that there was a chance for me to prove my love for him. So that's what I would do. I would prove that I'm worthy of his love. Percy had proved his love for me many times; now it was my turn.

I gathered the necessary things for my trip. Some ambrosia squares, a flask of nectar. My Drakon bone sword, and the location Artemis had given me, I went to the big house to inform Chiron of my departure. I found him sitting on the deck of the big house; he was reading a book. "Hey Chiron," I called him.

He looked at me smiling, then he saw the bag I had with me, "Where are you going this early in the morning?"

I could've told him the truth, but that would've made him extremely worried for me, so I thought of a lie. "A goddess came and delivered a quest to me personally. Don't worry it's not that dangerous, I'll be safe."

Chiron nodded, but I could tell that he knew I was lying. I said goodbye to him and left for the Pegasus stable. Before I went there I moved towards the hearth in the middle of camp. I took out the sandwich I had packed for lunch. I took a large piece of the sandwich and threw it in the fire, "I would prove myself to you Percy." I said and walked toward the stable.

Line-Break

I finally reached Delos after lots of trouble along the way. Some Griffins had decided to attack me, and if fighting monsters on the ground was hard, fighting them in the air was almost impossible. Thankfully, I had trained to fight in any situation during the giant war.

I looked around the birthplace of Artemis; it had woods all around, but something told me that the island was even more marvelous millennia ago. I didn't know how long it would take me to find the sacred pond of Artemis, but I knew I wasn't going back without finding it.

I started looking for the pond, and in about five minutes, I was back to where I had started. I closed my eyes to think for a minute; when I opened my eyes, an arrow was pointed at my head.

I looked to see that a wood nymph was standing in front of me. She looked angry, her bow was the same that was used by the hunters of Artemis. I guessed she was Artemis' chosen nymph to protect the island from wandering souls.

"Artemis sent me here, she gave me this." I said, tossing her the piece of paper, Artemis had given me that contained the island's location.

The nymph caught the paper, and inspected it; once she was satisfied, she turned to me.

"Why are you here?" She asked me.

"I am here to take a bath in the sacred pool of Artemis." I answered her, and she stopped. She looked at me up and down, as if checking to see if I was worth the trouble.

"You're a mortal," she said to me, not asking, but declaring.

"Yes I am," I told her.

"Lady Artemis doesn't allow anyone to take a bath in her sacred pool, let alone a mortal. Who are you to get offered the honor?" She asked me, looking at me like I was a pest.

"I was once friends with her guardian. She wanted to help me with some problems I am facing," I put my hand in my forehead, rubbing it. I was having headaches from the interrogation.

We traveled in silence, until we reached the pool. A gasp escaped my mouth when I saw the pool; the water was so pure I could see the bottom of the pond. The pond was hidden by the woods, so no one could find it. The water glowed silver and power radiated from it.

The nymph left me alone, to bathe in the waters. I stripped out my clothes, until I was completely naked. Slowly, slowly, I stepped into the pond. The moment I entered the water, silver light attacked me.

I saw black energy shooting out of me, as the heavenly light possessed me. I could feel my doubts, my fears, my anger rooting out of me. I was pulled inside the pond by an invisible force, and I didn't fight it. I let it guide me. I could see my life flashing in front of my eyes.

I saw myself leaving my father's home, when I was seven. Thalia, and Luke picking me up in the road, caring after me. Thalia dying. Then I saw the man I loved, Percy. I saw him looking at me with nothing but love. I saw him sacrifice the chance to save his mother for me and Grover. Him traveling across the country to save me from Atlas, I saw him taking a bath in the Styx to protect me. I saw him, stumbling across Camp Jupiter, asking if anyone knew someone called Annabeth. I saw him jumping in Tartarus to be with me.

Then I saw myself cheating on him. I saw him crying and destroying the house in New Rome that he had made for us. I saw him sitting undersea crying and destroying the engagement ring he had for us. I saw him unleashing so much anger that he blacked out.

That was when the pain hit me; it was worse than anything I had ever felt. I felt the pain I had felt when I drank the flames of Phlegethon, multiplied by a hundred. The hopelessness I had felt in the river of wailing multiplied. I heard people whispering that I wasn't strong enough to survive the process.

The pond was like bathing in boiling acid; every skin on my body was on fire. Slowly, the pain ended, and I felt clarity. I dropped to my knees.

I sobbed for hours at the bottom of the pond. I didn't know how I was able to breathe underwater.
I saw an image of Percy, standing at the edge of the pond, extending his hands towards me. The smug smirk, that always annoyed me plastered on his face. I knew this wasn't real. Percy had told me that the same thing had happened to him when he bathed in Styx. But I couldn't care less about any of that; any copy of Percy was balm to my soul. I accepted his hands and swam upwards.

When I broke free, I looked at myself. I was glowing silver. Even in the middle of the day the moon glowed and shined above me. I got out of the pond and put on my clothes, then the nymph showed me the way back to where I had parked the Pegasus.

I was about to climb on it when the ocean in front of me roared. It was like a tsunami was born in an instant and was about to destroy the island. I looked at the sea to see what caused it. Someone or something was responsible for it.

My answer came when a giant squid emerged from the sea. It was almost 500ft long. I didn't know what to do. The squid was miles away, but its giant structure made it look like it was standing in front of me. I realized who this monster was; it was the Kraken, a son of Pontus, the primordial of seas. I had read about it in the books; this monster was a monster that even Poseidon himself was afraid to face.

If that wasn't enough, a 100 feet long snake appeared from the other side of the seas. I realized who this monster was too, and looked away, a Roman legend, the basilisk. It's eyes were magic; upon one look, the beholder turns into a statue, like Medusa.

Two legendary monsters, coming at the same time, towards an inhabitable island, on the same day I was here. Someone was pulling strings and trying to destroy me. I didn't know who. I knew that I had no way of fighting these creatures; neither could the Pegasus fly me away in the storm the Kraken was creating.

I closed my eyes and prayed, "Save me Percy."

I didn't even know if Percy had heard me, so I accepted the fact that I was reaching the underworld today. The only regret I had was that I couldn't be with Percy.

I opened my eyes when I heard a loud shriek. Loud wasn't justice for the shriek; the ground rattled from the scream. I looked towards the monsters, but the basilisk wasn't there. I looked around for it; surely a 100 ft snake would be visible.

I couldn't find the monster, until I looked up to find a sight so magnificent that I could never have imagined.

Three enlarged dragons, two almost 150ft large. They were holding the basilisk by their claws; they tore the basilisk in half, and threw it above their heads. They breathed fire into their half of the snake, and ate it. The sight was both horrific and marvelous.

I admired the two dragons; that's when another dragon joined them. This was undoubtedly the biggest dragon I had seen, 200ft big; the beast was so magnificent, that I couldn't tear my eyes away. It had pure black scales, and claws so big, it could rip a god apart. It's eyes were electrifying blue, that screamed danger.

The three dragons were waiting for something. That's when the man I loved appeared, he was flying on his own wings. I didn't know that he had wings. His eyes were golden, something that scared me to no end. I had only seen this expression on his face once before, when he was choking Akhlys. His trident was in his hands, and glowing silver.

The man I love was here; Percy Jackson had arrived.

Third Person Pov

Percy looked down to the island; there was his wise-girl looking at the sky in fascination. He was seeing her after five years; she had grown into an adult. More beautiful than he had ever imagined her. His heart did a little flutter inside his chest, but he ignored it. He had a bigger problem on his hands.

He looked beneath him to the magnificent creature of the sea. A 500ft big squid, Percy knew this was the son of Pontus, the Kraken. He had to kill the beast, because once set in his way the Kraken would not stop. The Kraken would destroy everything in his way.

Percy looked at his trident, and spoke, "I know that he is your son Lord Pontus, but I have no choice but to kill him. I hope you understand my situation."

The silver trident glowed, and Percy figured it was Pontus' sign to say he understood. He aimed the trident, and threw it at the beast.

The chaotic silver weapon could fade a Titan with its blow, so the monster stood no chance. The Kraken died instantly, but his body remained still; it didn't turn into dust.

Percy gave the dragons the order to take the Kraken's body back to the island and share it with others as food. He was the god of the wild; he understood the cycle of life.

Percy flew towards Annabeth, something he was afraid to. He was meeting her after 5 years; he knew now that she was innocent and betrayed him without her choice. He felt all the feelings; he had tried to suppress the flair once.

Annabeth immediately dropped to a knee when Percy reached her. She didn't know what he was like now, but he was a god.

Percy didn't want to make himself seem superior to her, so he surged forward and pulled her to her feet. She looked up at him with those gray eyes he loved, "Hey Wise-Girl."

Annabeth started crying and saying sorry over and over again.

"Shh," Percy said, and caught her lips with his. He had missed the way she felt against his lips; he parted and said, "It wasn't your fault. Eros and Circe made you cheat on me."

Annabeth's eyes widened in shock, as she started crying again, but his time in relief. She had blamed and cursed herself, for cheating on the man she loved. Now to know that it wasn't her fault; it was like a weight was lifted from her heart.

She hugged Percy for all she was worth, and kissed him again.

By the time they were kissing, a flash of light had happened behind them. Percy and Annabeth looked to see that Artemis, her entire hunters, and Athena were standing in battle armor. Ready to fight anything in their way.

They saw Percy and Annabeth wrapped in each other's arms and sighed. Artemis stepped forward and looked at Annabeth, smiling, "I take it all went well."

Annabeth smiled back, "Yes it did, the ceremony was a success, and Percy and his dragons defeated the monsters."

Artemis' hunters confused, looked at each other, before Thalia asked, "What ceremony?"

Artemis smiled proudly and replied to her hunters, "Annabeth just bathed in my sacred pool."

The entire hunt gasped; even they weren't stupid enough to step into that pool as mortals. How did Annabeth survive?

Percy smiled so wide that Artemis, Annabeth, and the hunters' hearts fluttered inside their chests. They never wanted that smile to leave his face.

Of course, that moment was disturbed when a 200ft big dragon growled behind them. Percy turned to the dragon incredulously, "You're still here? I told you to go with your brothers."

The dragon growled at Percy with an open mouth. The sharp breath of smoke invaded everyone's nostrils.

Percy's mouth hung open as he looked at the dragon. He untangled himself from Annabeth's grasp and went closer to the dragon. "I am your mother, and you will listen to me Thalia, go back to the island now." Percy sternly ordered, like a parent scolding a child.

The dragon growled once again, and, if their eyes were working correctly, stamped her foot on the ground like a child throwing tantrums, before flying away.

Percy turned to look, that everyone was looking at him with wide eyes, and open mouth, "What she was being childish."

Annabeth laughed and asked, "Mother? Thalia?"

Percy turned gold, "I raised them from eggs okay. They don't consider me father, only mother. And she reminded me of Thalia so I named the dragon after her."

Everyone laughed at Percy's embarrassed look.

"So what are you going to do now next Perseus?" Artemis asked, stepping forward. Everyone else also turned to the Guardian of Hunt.

Percy smirked maliciously, something that made them shiver, "Now I am going to kill a god."