𝒎𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 - 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒚 𝒋𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒙 𝒐𝒄

.•°*¯'*¤° 𝑻𝑬𝑵 °¤*'¯*°•.

Smoke rose from the amphitheater as the campers mourned for Percy.

Phoenix sobbed in Annabeths arms. Annabeth cried with her.

"It has taken courage to assume he is dead," Chiron said. "After so long a silence, it is unlikely our prayers will be answered. I have asked his best surviving friends to do the final honors."

Everyone watched Phoenix and Annabeth as they took a long green silk burial cloth, embroidered with a trident, and set it on the flames.

They were burning his shroud.

They turned to face the audience.

Phoenix looked terrible. Her eyes were puffy from crying. They didnt have a spark of gold in them. They were darker than normal, just a navy blue.

Still, she managed to say, "He was probably the bravest friend I've ever had. He..."

Then she saw him, her heart dropped and tears rushed back to her eyes. Her face went blood red.

"He's right there!"Annabeth exclaimed.

Heads turned. People gasped. "Percy!"
Beckendorf grinned. A bunch of other kids crowded around me and clapped me on the back.

Phoenix heard a few curses from the Ares cabin, Clarisse just rolled her eyes, like she couldn't believe Percy had had the nerve to survive.

Phoenix ignored them all, she was already running towards Percy.

Percy smiled and stood with open arms as Phoenix jumped into his hug, throwing her arms around his neck.

Percy hugged Phoenix, and lifted her off her feet a bit.

When he set her down, his hand landed on the side of her face.

He kissed her.

She kissed him.

It felt like time stopped. Nature stopped moving, the world stopped spinning.

When they pulled away, Phoenix looked up to Percy and smiled. She hadn't smiled in a while. There was already a twinkle of gold shimmering in her eyes.

Percy hugged Phoenix again, behind her Davey gave him an I'm watching you look.

Percy gave him a scared smile.

Chiron cantered over.

"Well," he sighed with obvious relief. "I don't believe I've ever been happier to see a camper return. But you must tell me-"

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Annabeth interrupted, shoving aside the other campers.

Percy thought she was going to punch him, but instead she hugged him.

"We thought you were dead, Perseus!"

"I'm sorry," Percy said. "I got lost."

"LOST?" she yelled. "Two weeks, Percy? We were worried for two weeks! Where in the world-"

"Annabeth," Chiron interrupted. "Perhaps we should discuss this somewhere more private, shall we? The rest of you, back to your normal activities!"

.•°*¯'*¤° ★ °¤*'¯*°•.

Percy didn't tell them the whole story. He just couldn't bring himself to talk about Calypso. He explained how he'd caused the explosion at Mount St. Helens and gotten blasted out of the volcano. He'd told them he'd been marooned on an island. Then Hephaestus had found him and told me he could leave. A magic raft had carried him back to camp.