Percy Jackson: The Knight of Chaos

The First Sign

"Do you see that island over there? With that huge tree right in the middle?" I gestured towards the distant, abandoned island that sat alone in Long Island Sound.

"Yes, I do," Annabeth replied, entwining her hands in mine.

I turned to her, smiling, "That's close to where I found Bessie, the Ophiotaurus. Remember him?"

Annabeth laughed, nodding. We were sitting on a picnic blanket, on top of the peak of a hill that bordered Camp Half-Blood. The Sun shone directly overhead, clouds drifted lazily across the rich blue sky, and in the valley behind us, campers trained. The metallic sounds of clashing swords and arrows thundering into their targets rang out throughout the camp. It had been a year since Gaea had been defeated, and everyone had finally relaxed. The dead had been mourned, and the living had celebrated.

Still, something was distracting me, and it was jostling around inside my jean pocket. It had been hard, searching for the best ring, but I wanted it to be perfect for Annabeth. Nico and Thalia, when they weren't busy raising the dead, hunting wild animals, or ordering pizza, had helped me in the search, assistance I was eternally grateful for. It was going all according to plan, and the only thing I had left to do was the actual proposal. All I needed to do was actually summon up the courage to get down on one knee.

Facing Annabeth, I took a deep breath and began. "Annabeth, we've been together for what, three years now?"

She nodded, a playful smirk spreading across her face.

"And for those three years, all I've ever done is grow more and more in love with you. Each moment I'm with you has been a moment in which I loved and adored you more than the moment before that, and I think you feel the same about me. What I'm trying to say is, will you do me the honor of -"

"Percy! Annabeth!" Grover interrupted, sprinting up the grassy hill.

"What, Grover?" Annabeth demanded, springing to her feet. All thoughts of proposal disappeared from my mind as Grover pulled me up and promptly began tugging me down the slope. He explained quickly, as we began to run towards the Big House.

"Mr. D, it  - he - something's wrong - he kept calling your name, Percy!"

"What does he want?" I asked, but Grover didn't reply as we pulled up to the Big House, instead dashing inside. The door squealed in protest against its hinges as we lugged it open, following the satyr down a hallway I'd never been down before.

We entered a room that screamed party. Confetti continuously rained down from the ceiling, with no end. Party streamers hung from wall to wall, and balloons of all shapes and sizes dotted the room like stars in the sky. Glasses filled to the brim with mysterious liquids awaited guests, and food platters displaying extravagant snacks were available on every table.

However, one thing was the missing: the life of the party. Literally. It seemed like Hades had come along one day and sucked out everything that moved. Colour remained, but even then it stayed in shades of dark purple, grey and black. Nothing moved except for the unending shower of black and grey confetti.

In the farthest corner, Dionysus was crumpled in a ball, whimpering and shivering. His usually horrifyingly coloured Hawaiian shirt only depicted black and grey shriveled flowers, deprived of water; dying trees, stormy skies and cloudy, churning lakes are only some of the more humane and less terrifying images that I remember.

"Wh - what happened?" I said, in shock. At the sound of my voice, Mr. D shot up from his fetal position, his violet eyes glowing a venomous purple. Annabeth, Grover and I all took a step back.

"He didn't do this before," Grover murmured, "He only asked for Percy before."

Mr. D began to stalk towards me, like a lion hunting his prey. Swallowing my fear, I remained where I was and stood, unwavering. As the god neared me, voices began to echo through my head, reminding me of all the things I'd done that I regretted: Bianca di Angelo, sprinting to her death; Michael Yew, staying behind to die as I ran; countless more swirled around inside my mind until it collided in one final attack of regret and failure.

"Stop!" I begged, collapsing on the ground, "Stop!"

"You, Perseus Jackson, are the greatest failure any god could have ever managed to produce. You have failed, over and over again; even when you succeed, it was not without the immense help from your allies. You owe your life to more people than you could possibly remember, and why should you? You're Percy Jackson, the heroic demigod who 'saved' the world," Dionysus sneered, "or did you? I doubt you did more than show up at the right time at the right place, after letting the others do all the heroic saving for you."

    "No! I - I never -" I faltered. Turning to Grover and Annabeth, I appealed, hands outstretched, "You guys don't think that, do you?"

    "No, never!" They both replied. I tried to meet Annabeth's eyes, but her luminous grey eyes shifted away from mine nervously, and she tapped her foot impatiently. Grover ducked his head, refusing to look at me as well.

    "Guys?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

    "Look, Percy, I don't think there's much we can do for Dionysus until Chiron gets back from the Party Ponies convention. I think he'll be fine in here until then, right Grover?" Annabeth said, nudging Grover.

    "Uh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah," Grover agreed, though it sounded like he was more trying to convince himself than me.

    "I have to go, Percy. I'm late for my class I'm teaching, and you know the campers hate it when I'm not on schedule. Grover, walk me there?"

    Grover nodded, and the two left. Suddenly, I was all alone in a depressing party room with no one but a crazy god who hated me.